Marchlands (2011): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript
In 1968 Ruth and Paul Bowen mourn the death by drowning of their eight year old daughter Alice in the Marchlands area around their rural house. Ruth believes Paul blames her and is distant from her but both of them ally against his mother Evelyn,when she suggests that Alice's bedroom be turned into a sewing room. Nineteen years later Helen and Eddie Maynard now live in the house and are troubled when their little girl Amy tells them that a ghost called Alice is her imaginary friend,the more so when Amy's pet cat is killed,supposedly by Alice. In 2010 expectant Nisha and her partner,local boy Mark,have bought the house. Decorating the planned nursery Nisha finds a photo of Alice and a strange mural. She meets the Maynards' son Scott,now in his thirties and the village shop keeper but finds Mark evasive after seeing him communicate with deaf villager Olive Runcie.
♪ So I wait my turn
♪ I'm a modern man
♪ And the people behind me
♪ They can't understand...
Nisha, what are you doing?
(ALARM SOUNDS)
We've got the scan.
Not till eleven.
There's still a lot to do.
Oh, come on.
Another half hour, please.
Mark...
We don't have to go back to sleep.
Ooh!
♪ Something don't feel right...
♪ And then you say
♪ I think we're alone now
♪ There doesn't seem to be anyone
around...
Eddie.
Mm?
Stop poking me.
I can't help it.
You've got work to go to.
That can wait five minutes.
Five minutes?
Well, you're always saying I should
be more ambitious.
(LAUGHTER)
Mummy, Scott's annoying me!
I'm not doing anything.
Amy, you have to knock.
Urgh, that's gross.
Come on, don't encourage them.
Oh, never mind, lover boy.
Hold that thought till tonight.
RADIO: You're listening to 105 FM,
Radio York...
Thank you.
Eh, get your own!
Yeah, well get a job.
I'm 15.
So? Sweep some chimneys or
something.
I've got Esther Rantzen's number,
you know.
Good, give her a call,
see if she wants to adopt you.
(YAWNS)
Tired, Amy? Did you sleep all right?
Alice kept me up.
Yeah, Alice, good one!
I talk to her when I'm in bed.
Scott, leave her alone.
Amy, you need your sleep. No talking
in bed.
Helen, this imaginary friend, how
long is it going to last?
Until she grows out of it.
What, so we...?
Don't challenge her.
Don't encourage her.
Just ignore it and do nothing.
Yeah.
I can do that.
RADIO: On digital and on-line...
This is BBC Radio Five Live.
Good morning, it's seven o'clock.
Nicky Campbell on Five Live
Breakfast coming to you this morning
after George Osborne's announcement
about cutting back on public spending
to deal the the budget deficit.
Back in Whitehall, civil servants in
London have agreed to...
The news headlines. Prime Minister
Harold Wilson has announced...
Good morning, Ruth, love.
Robert.
There's an egg left, if you want it.
No, thanks, Evelyn, I'm fine.
You could pour the tea, then.
Do you think the Accrington job will
be finished this week?
Barring any more breakdowns. I have
to talk to him at the golf club.
I don't want him any more miserable
than normal.
I thought I'd sort out the garden
today.
You could give me a hand.
Oh.
Unless you've got something more
important to - No.
Right.
Yeah, fine.
(EERIE MUSIC)
(CREAKING)
Are you all right?
(LAUGHS) Yes!
Sorry, I'm just...just getting used
to how quiet it is.
There's no traffic noise.
I thought that was what you wanted.
Part of your master plan. I'm just
noticing the difference, that's all.
And, hey, it's OUR master plan.
So you're not pining for the bright
lights yet?
Still get my fix, I'm at work every
day.
I should have known! You can take
the lawyer out of the city... Mm.
Never lived in an old house before.
Not properly old, I mean.
Not like this. It's what estate
agents call character property.
Pushes the price up.
It does make you think.
All the people who've lived here
before. Yeah.
Lived here, loved here.
Left their mark on the place.
Paul!
Dad's waiting in the car.
I dreamt about her again.
Ruth, please, I -
(CAR HORN BEEPS)
It was an accident.
You've got to let her go.
(ENGINE RUNNING)
Thirsty?
Hm!
A full bladder pushes the uterus into
a better position for the scan.
Thank God for the internet, eh?
(LAUGHS)
Come on, people, we're gonna be
late. Whose fault's that, Casanova?
Who's Casanova?
Plays left-back for Leeds United.
I was there first. But I always have
to go in the back!
Sit next to your imaginary friend.
Scott!
Dad, tell him!
Come round here, Amy.
(CAR STARTS)
What was that?
I think we just ran over Alice.
What happened, Dad, just didn't see
her? It's not funny.
It is, Amy. It's funny cos you're
funny. Funny in the head.
Stop it!
Scott...
Alice is real.
So how come we can't see her?
Maybe she doesn't want you to.
So, she's real, you can see her but
we can't?
Leave her alone.
No, come on, Amy,
how does that work? How come Alice
defies all the laws of physics?
Because she's dead.
OK, so you can see the baby's head
just here.
Baby's face just in the front there.
Baby's spine at the back, little
heart beating away there.
Baby's bottom, and baby's legs.
It's amazing.
It's like a scene from Alien.
Ow! Amazing, too, obviously.
I can print you out a picture if you
like. Oh.
That's our baby.
I know.
Weird, in't it?
Not the baby, this.
You know.
Hm! You'd better get used to it.
(WHIRRING)
(WOOD PIGEONS COOING)
(DISTANT) Over here, Mummy, I'm over
here.
Over here, Mummy, over here!
Ruth! No!
Look what you've done!
Listen to me. It's been six months
now.
There's nothing else to be done,
you've just got to get on.
I'm trying.
It's hard.
Everything reminds me.
Even in the village.
I catch the look in people's eyes.
Pity.
Or worse.
They blame me, I know they do.
They must think I was a bad mother.
You've still got responsibilities.
Your marriage.
It's your job to make sure it
survives this,
no-one else can do that
What about Paul?
It's the woman. It's always the
woman who keeps things going.
He barely speaks to me.
Sometimes it's not about them.
What they do.
What they want. Sometimes the only
thing that matters is what you do.
Give in? Crumble?
Throw it all away?
Or hang onto it. Defy them.
Paint on a brave face and look the
world in the eye.
I don't know if I can do that.
We never do.
Not until you try.
TV: Both arms straight up, bend on
the down.
Up!
Arms in front.
Now pull them back.
Up again.
(SIGHS)
Huh!
Bloody Alice.
Good riddance.
Can't have been much to do here as a
teenager.
It was all right but we knew how to
make our own entertainment
back in those days.
(LAUGHS) God, I dread to think.
Good morning, dear.
Morning.
Isn't that Ruth Bowen, the one that
lost her daughter?
Such a shame!
(WOOD PIGEONS COOING)
Come along, Molly.
(CROWS CAWING)
(SCRAPING)
RADIO: It's Sean in Sheffield.
Thanks for pulling over for us.
What would you like to say? Is it
worth the money, the Olympics...
(HISSING)
Oh! Shit!
Oh!
(SIGHS)
(HISSING)
(SCRAPING)
Amy, bath's ready.
Get in there before it gets cold.
OK.
(DRIPPING REVERBERATES)
Amy!
Amy, open this door now!
(GRUNTS WITH EFFORT)
Amy! Amy!
Look what you've done.
It wasn't me.
Who else could it be?
It was Alice!
(SOBS)
(SHOUTING)
There's nothing there that won't
wait till tomorrow.
I'd rather get it finished tonight.
What should I tell Ruth?
Tell her not to wait up.
(RETREATING FOOTSTEPS)
(BIRDCALLS)
(PANTING)
Hey, Neesh, only me.
Going for a shower.
All right. Stick the kettle on when
you're done. Will do.
So you just ran at it?
I thought she was in here.
With your shoulder?
Yeah.
And just burst right through?
Eddie, forget about the bloody door.
What about Amy? She could have left
the water running,
and gone to her room and forgot all
about it.
She door could have closed in a
draught
and expanded and jammed cos of the
moisture. What is this, Columbo?
That doesn't explain the lock.
Eddie, I don't care about the lock.
What are we going to do about this
Alice business? I thought we decided.
You said don't confront,
don't encourage.
We can't act like nothing's happened,
can we?
No, but we don't want to overreact
either, do we?
Does she talk to you about her?
What, about Alice?
Yeah. Has she said anything?
No. No.
(ENGINE STOPS,
HANDBRAKE RATCHETS ON)
(FOOTSTEPS ON STAIRS)
I'm sorry, love, they messed up the
paperwork on a big order
and I had to ask Paul to stay on and
sort it out.
He's the only one who understands
these things.
He said he'd be home as soon as he
could.
Right. Thanks, Robert.
You know, you're a terrible liar.
What was I supposed to do,
tell her the truth?
Neesh!
Neesh?
In here!
Wow! Look at that.
This must have been a kid's bedroom.
You strip all that?
It needed to be done.
We're behind schedule. Don't you
think you've done enough for today?
I just want to finish this little
bit. It won't take long, I promise.
Famous last words.
(CHUCKLES)
What do you think you're doing?
I thought I was on a promise.
Sorry. I'm not in the mood, not since
Amy tried to flood the place.
Aw, Helen.
I wish you'd have told me earlier.
Why?
What difference does it make?
I skipped pudding at dinnertime
cos I thought, you know.
So, in future if I change my mind
about sex
I should give you proper notice so
you can adjust your pudding intake?
Obviously, when you say it like that
it sounds bad.
But yeah, yeah, you should.
(HISSING)
Aargh!
(CLATTER)
Nisha?
Nisha!
(DISTANT) Over here, Mummy,
I'm over here.
Secret property of Alice Bowen.
Yes, I know, Derek, but it's a pain
for me, too, literally.
A broken ankle and possible
concussion, apparently.
No, no driving.
Well, I'll have to work from home for
now.
If there wasn't such pressure on
beds, I'd keep her in another night.
Everything's all right, though?
The fracture's not displaced, it
should heal in a few weeks
if she stays off it.
She'll have a headache for a while
but it'll pass. The baby's OK?
As far as we can tell.
If you notice anything unusual
then come back in, obviously.
And she might want to take things
easy for a while.
(SCOFFS) I doubt it.
Thanks.
OK. Bye.
Amy, you know when the bathroom
flooded?
Uh-huh.
Well, does Alice often do things like
that?
I don't know.
See, it seems to me that any girl who
does that
must be very naughty.
Alice is a good girl.
Good girls don't do things like
that, though, do they?
No.
You see, I don't like you being
friends with naughty girls.
So I don't think you should speak to
Alice any more.
But then what will she do?
Well, she might get bored and go
away.
She can't go away.
(LAUGHS) Why not?
She lives here.
She's always lived here.
I don't want you talking to her
any more, do you understand?
Yes.
You promise?
I promise.
Good girl.
Mmm! (KISSES)
Mum made me promise.
But I did this.
♪ THE XX: Crystallised
(MUSIC OFF)
I'll get something for dinner.
You stay here and rest.
(SHOP BELL RINGS)
Oh!
You come in first, love.
Thank you.
Hi.
Do you have any paracetamol?
Of course. One second.
Make sure you read the label.
I know it by heart.
Ooh, hold on.
Here.
Oh, thank you.
READS: If symptoms persist, consult
your doctor.
Hm! I'm not registered here yet.
We've just moved in.
But...
I know.
It's on my 'to do' list.
Near the top.
So are you actually in the village?
Just on the edge. Marchlands.
Marchlands?
Yeah. Do you know it?
I used to live there.
My family rented it when I was
a kid.
Really? Oh!
So, erm...is it a good house to grow
up in?
Well, you know, that was way back in
the '80s.
A long time ago.
You might know my partner. He used to
live here when he was a teenager.
Mark Ashburn?
Mark. Yeah, I remember him.
He was a couple of years older than
me.
Left to go off to uni. I didn't
think we'd see him back here.
That's my fault. We were looking to
move out of the city
and I wanted him show me his old
stomping ground.
Then we saw that the house was up for
sale, so here we are.
Well, he'll know all about the
house.
Yeah. Huh.
Tell him Scott Maynard said hi.
I'll probably see him around.
Yeah. I'm sure.
Thanks, then.
Bye. Bye.
(EERIE MUSIC)
All right?
Yeah.
I got some tomatoes,
to do some pasta.
That OK?
Yeah, fine.
(CAR STARTS)
(BUZZING)
(IN HEADPHONES)
# MARRS: Pump up the Volume
HELEN: Scott! It's on!
♪ CROSSROADS THEME
'Good morning.
Did you have a good holiday?'
Amy? Come here. I've got
something to show you!
What's going on?
Wait and see.
What is it? What have you got?
(MEWS)
Aw, he's so sweet!
She. It's a little girl.
Is she mine? Can we keep her?
That's the idea.
(Yes!)
I'm going to show Scott.
Aw!
A cat?
Kitten.
You bought her a cat without speaking
to me first? Yeah.
It just came to me. She can talk to
the cat. So...no more Alice.
For your information,
I've already dealt with that.
Really?
Yes. Really.
So we didn't need a cat.
You dipstick.
She is cute though, isn't she?
(LAUGHS)
God!
TV: And good evening, ladies and
gentlemen.
AUDIENCE: Good evening!
What a lovely crowd you are.
Don't take any notice of this,
it's just...
I can't keep count with that on.
Robert, could you fetch that bag out
to the kitchen for me?
Yes, er...
Television!
Death of conversation, if you ask me.
TV: No, wait for me to say it!
I don't feel very well.
AUDIENCE: Aw!
Anyway, let's enjoy ourselves,
let's...
Paul...
..can we talk?
You never speak to me any more.
You barely look at me.
I'm just trying to get on.
To get on with what? Not me.
Not us.
Things need to settle down.
That's all.
Settle down? What does that mean?
Alice is gone.
She's not coming back.
I know that.
Don't you think I know that?
Then you have to let her go.
I can't!
She won't let me. I have this dream
about her every night.
It's like she's still here.
Ruth, please.
I keep thinking about what happened.
I still don't understand.
There's no mystery. Where's
her coat? Or her silver cross?
In Blackwater Tarn! She drowned.
She wandered off,
fell in and drowned.
She wouldn't wander off.
Why can't you just accept -
Because she wouldn't do that!
But she did!
She did and now she's gone!
She was a good girl!
You're making it worse.
Our little girl.
Can't you see that?
Our baby! Stop it!
(DOOR SLAMS)
♪ PLAINTIVE, BROODING STRINGS
♪ LIMPID PIANO NOTES
♪ STRINGS BUILD
MUSIC BOX: # CLAIR DE LUNE
So what's the occasion?
No occasion.
I promised the doctor I'd look after
you, that's all.
It's the recipe from that place in
Sicily.
Ooh. Yeah. Ohhh! That was fantastic,
wasn't it? Mm.
(SIGHS)
Wow!
Very impressive.
I'm a man of many talents.
I'll say.
I didn't know you could sign.
You saw that?
Who's the woman?
Olive Runcie. She's deaf.
Lives further out.
Up the Forest Road.
My mum knew hers.
Used to do their garden for them.
It were good money.
So she taught you to sign?
Well, the basics.
Hm.
I did warn you. There's bound to be
people who remember me.
Place this size, you must've known
the whole village!
Not exactly.
What about the couple who lived here?
I told you. An old couple.
I never spoke to them.
Our house was up the other end.
I was hardly ever down this way.
Except for when you were helping
Olive? Well, yeah.
Look, all that is in the dim and
distant. It's not that long ago.
Nothing to do with here and now.
Come on. Eat up.
MUSIC BOX: # Clair De Lune
(BIRDSONG)
MUSIC BOX: # Clair De Lune
♪ SHIMMERING STRINGS
DROWN CLAIR DE LUNE
NISHA: Oh, come on.
No!
I'll be fine.
It's not just about you though.
The Bump won't notice!
You're supposed to be taking it
easy. I'll be sitting down!
All right. But no ladders.
No ladders. Promise.
(HUMS HAPPILY)
I've been thinking about turning
the small bedroom into a sewing room.
Alice's room?
Well, it's not being used.
Evelyn -
It's not.
It's Alice's room.
It's empty.
You can't.
It's my house.
It's their home, too.
They don't need it, not now.
Not unless they're thinking about
another baby. Evelyn, please.
You think we can just replace her?
No-one said that.
It's what you meant.
Don't presume to know my mind.
I wouldn't want to!
You think you're the only one
who suffers?
Alice was our granddaughter.
I'm her mother!
Don't you dare compare the two!
You weren't so precious swanning off
to your evening classes
and leaving her with us!
That's enough!
Do not speak to my wife like that.
Alice's room will stay as it is
until Ruth and I decide otherwise
and you will keep out of matters
which don't concern you.
Do you understand?
You stood up for me. She had no
right to speak to you like that.
Thank you.
You're my wife.
It hasn't felt like it lately.
I know.
Don't work late tonight.
Come home. Please.
OK.
Promise.
I promise.
(SCRAPING)
(STEAMER HISSES)
(EXCLAIMS)
Alice In The Woods.
Which must make you, Alice.
(SAWING, MEN SHOUTING)
(ON HEADPHONES)
# THE SMITHS: The Queen is Dead
(SPEAKS HAPPILY TO KITTEN)
(MEOWING)
(AMY'S VOICE AUDIBLE)
Eddie!
You nearly gave me a heart attack!
You can talk! Bloody Ophelia!
I thought you were dead!
What are you doing?
Health and safety issue.
What?
Sexual frustration.
I'm so distracted my mind's not on
the job.
I could end up causing an accident
at work.
So, I have to do this.
It's not for me, it's for the lads.
Their lives are at stake!
(LAUGHTER)
Do you remember when we used to do it
in bus shelters?
Disabled toilets.
Under the pier at Blackpool.
That wasn't me.
No.
You're right.
Sorry.
When did it all get so complicated?
23rd August...
BOTH: 1972.
Scott's birthday.
Yeah.
Don't worry. Another ten years,
we'll have it all back.
I'll be 54.
I'm not shagging under a pier at 54!
That wasn't me!
Ruth?
I love you.
I miss you.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Ruth.
I don't think I can do this.
Why? What have I done wrong?
Tell me. I don't know what to do.
It's not your fault.
I've lost Alice
and now I'm losing you.
I'm sorry. I am. I really am.
Paul, tell me.
I can't.
You can.
Look at me and tell me what's wrong.
I can't!
I can't look at you.
Every time I do,
you remind me of Alice!
(SOBS)
(SCREAMING)
Amy!
Amy.
(SCREAMS)
Amy! Amy!
What's wrong? What's wrong?
It was an accident!
She didn't mean it!
What's happened?
Who didn't mean it?
Alice.
(GASPS) Oh, my God!
Mark.
Mm-hm.
If it's a girl...
what do you think
about the name Alice?
MUSIC BOX: # Clair De Lune
Are you getting lonely in the big
empty house? No. Course not.
It's hers. Someone's trying to tell
us something.
Tell us what?
I don't know!
Our concern is what Amy might do
during any further episodes.
We're going to have to keep a close
eye on her.
♪ I'm a modern man
♪ And the people behind me
♪ They can't understand...
Nisha, what are you doing?
(ALARM SOUNDS)
We've got the scan.
Not till eleven.
There's still a lot to do.
Oh, come on.
Another half hour, please.
Mark...
We don't have to go back to sleep.
Ooh!
♪ Something don't feel right...
♪ And then you say
♪ I think we're alone now
♪ There doesn't seem to be anyone
around...
Eddie.
Mm?
Stop poking me.
I can't help it.
You've got work to go to.
That can wait five minutes.
Five minutes?
Well, you're always saying I should
be more ambitious.
(LAUGHTER)
Mummy, Scott's annoying me!
I'm not doing anything.
Amy, you have to knock.
Urgh, that's gross.
Come on, don't encourage them.
Oh, never mind, lover boy.
Hold that thought till tonight.
RADIO: You're listening to 105 FM,
Radio York...
Thank you.
Eh, get your own!
Yeah, well get a job.
I'm 15.
So? Sweep some chimneys or
something.
I've got Esther Rantzen's number,
you know.
Good, give her a call,
see if she wants to adopt you.
(YAWNS)
Tired, Amy? Did you sleep all right?
Alice kept me up.
Yeah, Alice, good one!
I talk to her when I'm in bed.
Scott, leave her alone.
Amy, you need your sleep. No talking
in bed.
Helen, this imaginary friend, how
long is it going to last?
Until she grows out of it.
What, so we...?
Don't challenge her.
Don't encourage her.
Just ignore it and do nothing.
Yeah.
I can do that.
RADIO: On digital and on-line...
This is BBC Radio Five Live.
Good morning, it's seven o'clock.
Nicky Campbell on Five Live
Breakfast coming to you this morning
after George Osborne's announcement
about cutting back on public spending
to deal the the budget deficit.
Back in Whitehall, civil servants in
London have agreed to...
The news headlines. Prime Minister
Harold Wilson has announced...
Good morning, Ruth, love.
Robert.
There's an egg left, if you want it.
No, thanks, Evelyn, I'm fine.
You could pour the tea, then.
Do you think the Accrington job will
be finished this week?
Barring any more breakdowns. I have
to talk to him at the golf club.
I don't want him any more miserable
than normal.
I thought I'd sort out the garden
today.
You could give me a hand.
Oh.
Unless you've got something more
important to - No.
Right.
Yeah, fine.
(EERIE MUSIC)
(CREAKING)
Are you all right?
(LAUGHS) Yes!
Sorry, I'm just...just getting used
to how quiet it is.
There's no traffic noise.
I thought that was what you wanted.
Part of your master plan. I'm just
noticing the difference, that's all.
And, hey, it's OUR master plan.
So you're not pining for the bright
lights yet?
Still get my fix, I'm at work every
day.
I should have known! You can take
the lawyer out of the city... Mm.
Never lived in an old house before.
Not properly old, I mean.
Not like this. It's what estate
agents call character property.
Pushes the price up.
It does make you think.
All the people who've lived here
before. Yeah.
Lived here, loved here.
Left their mark on the place.
Paul!
Dad's waiting in the car.
I dreamt about her again.
Ruth, please, I -
(CAR HORN BEEPS)
It was an accident.
You've got to let her go.
(ENGINE RUNNING)
Thirsty?
Hm!
A full bladder pushes the uterus into
a better position for the scan.
Thank God for the internet, eh?
(LAUGHS)
Come on, people, we're gonna be
late. Whose fault's that, Casanova?
Who's Casanova?
Plays left-back for Leeds United.
I was there first. But I always have
to go in the back!
Sit next to your imaginary friend.
Scott!
Dad, tell him!
Come round here, Amy.
(CAR STARTS)
What was that?
I think we just ran over Alice.
What happened, Dad, just didn't see
her? It's not funny.
It is, Amy. It's funny cos you're
funny. Funny in the head.
Stop it!
Scott...
Alice is real.
So how come we can't see her?
Maybe she doesn't want you to.
So, she's real, you can see her but
we can't?
Leave her alone.
No, come on, Amy,
how does that work? How come Alice
defies all the laws of physics?
Because she's dead.
OK, so you can see the baby's head
just here.
Baby's face just in the front there.
Baby's spine at the back, little
heart beating away there.
Baby's bottom, and baby's legs.
It's amazing.
It's like a scene from Alien.
Ow! Amazing, too, obviously.
I can print you out a picture if you
like. Oh.
That's our baby.
I know.
Weird, in't it?
Not the baby, this.
You know.
Hm! You'd better get used to it.
(WHIRRING)
(WOOD PIGEONS COOING)
(DISTANT) Over here, Mummy, I'm over
here.
Over here, Mummy, over here!
Ruth! No!
Look what you've done!
Listen to me. It's been six months
now.
There's nothing else to be done,
you've just got to get on.
I'm trying.
It's hard.
Everything reminds me.
Even in the village.
I catch the look in people's eyes.
Pity.
Or worse.
They blame me, I know they do.
They must think I was a bad mother.
You've still got responsibilities.
Your marriage.
It's your job to make sure it
survives this,
no-one else can do that
What about Paul?
It's the woman. It's always the
woman who keeps things going.
He barely speaks to me.
Sometimes it's not about them.
What they do.
What they want. Sometimes the only
thing that matters is what you do.
Give in? Crumble?
Throw it all away?
Or hang onto it. Defy them.
Paint on a brave face and look the
world in the eye.
I don't know if I can do that.
We never do.
Not until you try.
TV: Both arms straight up, bend on
the down.
Up!
Arms in front.
Now pull them back.
Up again.
(SIGHS)
Huh!
Bloody Alice.
Good riddance.
Can't have been much to do here as a
teenager.
It was all right but we knew how to
make our own entertainment
back in those days.
(LAUGHS) God, I dread to think.
Good morning, dear.
Morning.
Isn't that Ruth Bowen, the one that
lost her daughter?
Such a shame!
(WOOD PIGEONS COOING)
Come along, Molly.
(CROWS CAWING)
(SCRAPING)
RADIO: It's Sean in Sheffield.
Thanks for pulling over for us.
What would you like to say? Is it
worth the money, the Olympics...
(HISSING)
Oh! Shit!
Oh!
(SIGHS)
(HISSING)
(SCRAPING)
Amy, bath's ready.
Get in there before it gets cold.
OK.
(DRIPPING REVERBERATES)
Amy!
Amy, open this door now!
(GRUNTS WITH EFFORT)
Amy! Amy!
Look what you've done.
It wasn't me.
Who else could it be?
It was Alice!
(SOBS)
(SHOUTING)
There's nothing there that won't
wait till tomorrow.
I'd rather get it finished tonight.
What should I tell Ruth?
Tell her not to wait up.
(RETREATING FOOTSTEPS)
(BIRDCALLS)
(PANTING)
Hey, Neesh, only me.
Going for a shower.
All right. Stick the kettle on when
you're done. Will do.
So you just ran at it?
I thought she was in here.
With your shoulder?
Yeah.
And just burst right through?
Eddie, forget about the bloody door.
What about Amy? She could have left
the water running,
and gone to her room and forgot all
about it.
She door could have closed in a
draught
and expanded and jammed cos of the
moisture. What is this, Columbo?
That doesn't explain the lock.
Eddie, I don't care about the lock.
What are we going to do about this
Alice business? I thought we decided.
You said don't confront,
don't encourage.
We can't act like nothing's happened,
can we?
No, but we don't want to overreact
either, do we?
Does she talk to you about her?
What, about Alice?
Yeah. Has she said anything?
No. No.
(ENGINE STOPS,
HANDBRAKE RATCHETS ON)
(FOOTSTEPS ON STAIRS)
I'm sorry, love, they messed up the
paperwork on a big order
and I had to ask Paul to stay on and
sort it out.
He's the only one who understands
these things.
He said he'd be home as soon as he
could.
Right. Thanks, Robert.
You know, you're a terrible liar.
What was I supposed to do,
tell her the truth?
Neesh!
Neesh?
In here!
Wow! Look at that.
This must have been a kid's bedroom.
You strip all that?
It needed to be done.
We're behind schedule. Don't you
think you've done enough for today?
I just want to finish this little
bit. It won't take long, I promise.
Famous last words.
(CHUCKLES)
What do you think you're doing?
I thought I was on a promise.
Sorry. I'm not in the mood, not since
Amy tried to flood the place.
Aw, Helen.
I wish you'd have told me earlier.
Why?
What difference does it make?
I skipped pudding at dinnertime
cos I thought, you know.
So, in future if I change my mind
about sex
I should give you proper notice so
you can adjust your pudding intake?
Obviously, when you say it like that
it sounds bad.
But yeah, yeah, you should.
(HISSING)
Aargh!
(CLATTER)
Nisha?
Nisha!
(DISTANT) Over here, Mummy,
I'm over here.
Secret property of Alice Bowen.
Yes, I know, Derek, but it's a pain
for me, too, literally.
A broken ankle and possible
concussion, apparently.
No, no driving.
Well, I'll have to work from home for
now.
If there wasn't such pressure on
beds, I'd keep her in another night.
Everything's all right, though?
The fracture's not displaced, it
should heal in a few weeks
if she stays off it.
She'll have a headache for a while
but it'll pass. The baby's OK?
As far as we can tell.
If you notice anything unusual
then come back in, obviously.
And she might want to take things
easy for a while.
(SCOFFS) I doubt it.
Thanks.
OK. Bye.
Amy, you know when the bathroom
flooded?
Uh-huh.
Well, does Alice often do things like
that?
I don't know.
See, it seems to me that any girl who
does that
must be very naughty.
Alice is a good girl.
Good girls don't do things like
that, though, do they?
No.
You see, I don't like you being
friends with naughty girls.
So I don't think you should speak to
Alice any more.
But then what will she do?
Well, she might get bored and go
away.
She can't go away.
(LAUGHS) Why not?
She lives here.
She's always lived here.
I don't want you talking to her
any more, do you understand?
Yes.
You promise?
I promise.
Good girl.
Mmm! (KISSES)
Mum made me promise.
But I did this.
♪ THE XX: Crystallised
(MUSIC OFF)
I'll get something for dinner.
You stay here and rest.
(SHOP BELL RINGS)
Oh!
You come in first, love.
Thank you.
Hi.
Do you have any paracetamol?
Of course. One second.
Make sure you read the label.
I know it by heart.
Ooh, hold on.
Here.
Oh, thank you.
READS: If symptoms persist, consult
your doctor.
Hm! I'm not registered here yet.
We've just moved in.
But...
I know.
It's on my 'to do' list.
Near the top.
So are you actually in the village?
Just on the edge. Marchlands.
Marchlands?
Yeah. Do you know it?
I used to live there.
My family rented it when I was
a kid.
Really? Oh!
So, erm...is it a good house to grow
up in?
Well, you know, that was way back in
the '80s.
A long time ago.
You might know my partner. He used to
live here when he was a teenager.
Mark Ashburn?
Mark. Yeah, I remember him.
He was a couple of years older than
me.
Left to go off to uni. I didn't
think we'd see him back here.
That's my fault. We were looking to
move out of the city
and I wanted him show me his old
stomping ground.
Then we saw that the house was up for
sale, so here we are.
Well, he'll know all about the
house.
Yeah. Huh.
Tell him Scott Maynard said hi.
I'll probably see him around.
Yeah. I'm sure.
Thanks, then.
Bye. Bye.
(EERIE MUSIC)
All right?
Yeah.
I got some tomatoes,
to do some pasta.
That OK?
Yeah, fine.
(CAR STARTS)
(BUZZING)
(IN HEADPHONES)
# MARRS: Pump up the Volume
HELEN: Scott! It's on!
♪ CROSSROADS THEME
'Good morning.
Did you have a good holiday?'
Amy? Come here. I've got
something to show you!
What's going on?
Wait and see.
What is it? What have you got?
(MEWS)
Aw, he's so sweet!
She. It's a little girl.
Is she mine? Can we keep her?
That's the idea.
(Yes!)
I'm going to show Scott.
Aw!
A cat?
Kitten.
You bought her a cat without speaking
to me first? Yeah.
It just came to me. She can talk to
the cat. So...no more Alice.
For your information,
I've already dealt with that.
Really?
Yes. Really.
So we didn't need a cat.
You dipstick.
She is cute though, isn't she?
(LAUGHS)
God!
TV: And good evening, ladies and
gentlemen.
AUDIENCE: Good evening!
What a lovely crowd you are.
Don't take any notice of this,
it's just...
I can't keep count with that on.
Robert, could you fetch that bag out
to the kitchen for me?
Yes, er...
Television!
Death of conversation, if you ask me.
TV: No, wait for me to say it!
I don't feel very well.
AUDIENCE: Aw!
Anyway, let's enjoy ourselves,
let's...
Paul...
..can we talk?
You never speak to me any more.
You barely look at me.
I'm just trying to get on.
To get on with what? Not me.
Not us.
Things need to settle down.
That's all.
Settle down? What does that mean?
Alice is gone.
She's not coming back.
I know that.
Don't you think I know that?
Then you have to let her go.
I can't!
She won't let me. I have this dream
about her every night.
It's like she's still here.
Ruth, please.
I keep thinking about what happened.
I still don't understand.
There's no mystery. Where's
her coat? Or her silver cross?
In Blackwater Tarn! She drowned.
She wandered off,
fell in and drowned.
She wouldn't wander off.
Why can't you just accept -
Because she wouldn't do that!
But she did!
She did and now she's gone!
She was a good girl!
You're making it worse.
Our little girl.
Can't you see that?
Our baby! Stop it!
(DOOR SLAMS)
♪ PLAINTIVE, BROODING STRINGS
♪ LIMPID PIANO NOTES
♪ STRINGS BUILD
MUSIC BOX: # CLAIR DE LUNE
So what's the occasion?
No occasion.
I promised the doctor I'd look after
you, that's all.
It's the recipe from that place in
Sicily.
Ooh. Yeah. Ohhh! That was fantastic,
wasn't it? Mm.
(SIGHS)
Wow!
Very impressive.
I'm a man of many talents.
I'll say.
I didn't know you could sign.
You saw that?
Who's the woman?
Olive Runcie. She's deaf.
Lives further out.
Up the Forest Road.
My mum knew hers.
Used to do their garden for them.
It were good money.
So she taught you to sign?
Well, the basics.
Hm.
I did warn you. There's bound to be
people who remember me.
Place this size, you must've known
the whole village!
Not exactly.
What about the couple who lived here?
I told you. An old couple.
I never spoke to them.
Our house was up the other end.
I was hardly ever down this way.
Except for when you were helping
Olive? Well, yeah.
Look, all that is in the dim and
distant. It's not that long ago.
Nothing to do with here and now.
Come on. Eat up.
MUSIC BOX: # Clair De Lune
(BIRDSONG)
MUSIC BOX: # Clair De Lune
♪ SHIMMERING STRINGS
DROWN CLAIR DE LUNE
NISHA: Oh, come on.
No!
I'll be fine.
It's not just about you though.
The Bump won't notice!
You're supposed to be taking it
easy. I'll be sitting down!
All right. But no ladders.
No ladders. Promise.
(HUMS HAPPILY)
I've been thinking about turning
the small bedroom into a sewing room.
Alice's room?
Well, it's not being used.
Evelyn -
It's not.
It's Alice's room.
It's empty.
You can't.
It's my house.
It's their home, too.
They don't need it, not now.
Not unless they're thinking about
another baby. Evelyn, please.
You think we can just replace her?
No-one said that.
It's what you meant.
Don't presume to know my mind.
I wouldn't want to!
You think you're the only one
who suffers?
Alice was our granddaughter.
I'm her mother!
Don't you dare compare the two!
You weren't so precious swanning off
to your evening classes
and leaving her with us!
That's enough!
Do not speak to my wife like that.
Alice's room will stay as it is
until Ruth and I decide otherwise
and you will keep out of matters
which don't concern you.
Do you understand?
You stood up for me. She had no
right to speak to you like that.
Thank you.
You're my wife.
It hasn't felt like it lately.
I know.
Don't work late tonight.
Come home. Please.
OK.
Promise.
I promise.
(SCRAPING)
(STEAMER HISSES)
(EXCLAIMS)
Alice In The Woods.
Which must make you, Alice.
(SAWING, MEN SHOUTING)
(ON HEADPHONES)
# THE SMITHS: The Queen is Dead
(SPEAKS HAPPILY TO KITTEN)
(MEOWING)
(AMY'S VOICE AUDIBLE)
Eddie!
You nearly gave me a heart attack!
You can talk! Bloody Ophelia!
I thought you were dead!
What are you doing?
Health and safety issue.
What?
Sexual frustration.
I'm so distracted my mind's not on
the job.
I could end up causing an accident
at work.
So, I have to do this.
It's not for me, it's for the lads.
Their lives are at stake!
(LAUGHTER)
Do you remember when we used to do it
in bus shelters?
Disabled toilets.
Under the pier at Blackpool.
That wasn't me.
No.
You're right.
Sorry.
When did it all get so complicated?
23rd August...
BOTH: 1972.
Scott's birthday.
Yeah.
Don't worry. Another ten years,
we'll have it all back.
I'll be 54.
I'm not shagging under a pier at 54!
That wasn't me!
Ruth?
I love you.
I miss you.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Ruth.
I don't think I can do this.
Why? What have I done wrong?
Tell me. I don't know what to do.
It's not your fault.
I've lost Alice
and now I'm losing you.
I'm sorry. I am. I really am.
Paul, tell me.
I can't.
You can.
Look at me and tell me what's wrong.
I can't!
I can't look at you.
Every time I do,
you remind me of Alice!
(SOBS)
(SCREAMING)
Amy!
Amy.
(SCREAMS)
Amy! Amy!
What's wrong? What's wrong?
It was an accident!
She didn't mean it!
What's happened?
Who didn't mean it?
Alice.
(GASPS) Oh, my God!
Mark.
Mm-hm.
If it's a girl...
what do you think
about the name Alice?
MUSIC BOX: # Clair De Lune
Are you getting lonely in the big
empty house? No. Course not.
It's hers. Someone's trying to tell
us something.
Tell us what?
I don't know!
Our concern is what Amy might do
during any further episodes.
We're going to have to keep a close
eye on her.