Ordeal by Innocence (2018): Season 1, Episode 1 - Episode #1.1 - full transcript
In 1956 Leo Argyll prepares to marry the younger, malicious Gwenda Vaughan, eighteen months after his wife Rachel was murdered. Jack, one of their several adopted children is accused of Rachel's murder. Another adoptee Mary, married to wheelchair-bound Philip, sees Gwenda as a vulgar gold digger, whilst prodigal son Mickey and sisters Hester and Tina are more relaxed. Physicist Arthur Calgary, recently returned from a year in the Arctic, comes forward to give Jack an alibi, although the family does not believe him. However, it is apparent that Rachel was not the kindly matron Leo believed her to have been.
Ah...
Stop, stop!
Kirsten, now, now, calm yourself.
There.
There, there, there. Shuh, Shuh!
There, there...
She was alive when I left
the house. I hitched a lift.
It was a good car. It was big.
It was practically brand-new.
The driver was in his 30s.
He was wearing a dark overcoat and
a striped shirt and I saw the cuff.
It was striped, like pyjamas.
- I'm sorry, am I boring you, Father?
- If you had a name...
I didn't ask his name. I
didn't know I'd be needing it.
All your life, you've courted trouble
and never faced any consequences.
But you have to face the
consequences now, Jack.
- You have to.
- I didn't kill her.
Please, find that man, find that man.
He can prove it.
I didn't do it.
Perfect match.
'And that's the last twist
of the knife, Jack.'
Your refusal to admit what you have done.
It was you.
Your fingerprints mixed
with your mother's blood.
No-one else's.
Yours, Jack.
I'd hoped that, one day, he might
understand what he had done to us.
I'd hoped your brother
might, one day, be sorry.
He wasn't.
But we forgive him because we loved him.
And now...
.. we have to look after each
other and keep on living.
Michael? Christina?
These are your new sisters and brother.
Mary, Hester and Jack.
You'll be very happy here.
A good bath, tea and then straight to bed.
Aren't you grubby little tykes?
Everybody ready?
That's quite tight, Jack.
Smile, Mother.
So everyone knows we are happy.
Best faces, please.
Leo!
I'm off now.
Don't lose track of the time.
Bloody... hell.
All the cuttings raked up.
- All the cuttings! - Yes,
ma'am. - I'll be checking.
'There are, of course,
some concerns about the high risk of fire
should there be an atomic
detonation in Britain.
But people must remember
that our homes are built very differently
to the domestic architecture in Japan.
There, the houses are made from
light, highly flammable materials,
such as paper and card...
- Kirsten? - .. and any
schoolchild will tell you
that paper and card
burn quickly and easily.
Kirsten!
Why doesn't anyone in this house
answer when I call for them?
I didn't hear you.
My dress for this evening
is hanging in my room.
It needs a press.
And will you please cover your legs?
Hosiery.
No-one wants to see your chunky calves.
Yes, Miss Vaughan.
And no creases in the tablecloths.
Nearest stop to Sunny Point, please.
Hester?
Hester!
I don't know what you're smiling at.
It's my house now.
[Hester?]
[Hester!]
[Hester!]
Honestly, Hester, we're going to be late.
Right. In.
I do have to go to work after this.
I think fitting bridesmaids dresses
is a teensy bit more
important than stamping books
in a boring, bloody
library, actually, Tina.
Now look what you've made me do.
You ready for me, darling?]
You need a shave.
Don't they sell razors in London?
- Where's your case?
- I'll get it in a minute.
Well, well, the prodigal returns.
Let's round up the fatted calf,
slit its throat and sport
and play in its hot blood.
- Philip.
- Mickey.
Good, you're here.
Finally. Come.
Sorry, darling.
It's only London, Mickey, you
could have got here sooner.
Mickey, this sham of a wedding
cannot go ahead and I'm relying on you.
I'm the only one that cares
that Daddy's marrying
that bloody secretary.
Tina's like a ghost, Hester's
playing the innocent baby.
It's as if mother never existed.
You're cutting it a bit fine, aren't you?
I mean, they're getting married
the day after tomorrow.
Daddy isn't thinking clearly.
He's just blinded by S-E-X,
which is all Gwenda's got,
but that works in our favour.
I've got a plan.
You pay her a lot of
attention and flatter her,
let her see you looking at her.
At her... curves.
Letting your eyes linger.
You make up to her
and then, well, you know?
- What?
- You make a pass at her.
She responds, which she
will, because she's a tart,
and we arrange it so that Daddy
catches her and she's gone.
He throws her out and he'll be
upset, of course, but he'll have us.
If he catches me up his fiancee,
he won't have me, will he?
Yes, but I'll convince him it was all her.
And you'll be completely forgiven
because he'll realise you
are both just victims
of the same gold-digging slut!
Mary, you need to lie
down in a nice dark room
for just about the rest of your life.
I don't know why I ever
expected anything from you.
You never help. You just swan off.
To Korea, to your new life in London.
It's all right for you, but the
rest of us have to stay here.
Korea was a war, not a bloody holiday!
Are you going to help save
Daddy from Gwenda, yes or no?
No.
Jack would have done it.
Jack's not here.
Stop, stop!
Kirsten, now, now, calm yourself.
There.
There, there, there. Shuh, Shuh!
There, there...
She was alive when I left
the house. I hitched a lift.
It was a good car. It was big.
It was practically brand-new.
The driver was in his 30s.
He was wearing a dark overcoat and
a striped shirt and I saw the cuff.
It was striped, like pyjamas.
- I'm sorry, am I boring you, Father?
- If you had a name...
I didn't ask his name. I
didn't know I'd be needing it.
All your life, you've courted trouble
and never faced any consequences.
But you have to face the
consequences now, Jack.
- You have to.
- I didn't kill her.
Please, find that man, find that man.
He can prove it.
I didn't do it.
Perfect match.
'And that's the last twist
of the knife, Jack.'
Your refusal to admit what you have done.
It was you.
Your fingerprints mixed
with your mother's blood.
No-one else's.
Yours, Jack.
I'd hoped that, one day, he might
understand what he had done to us.
I'd hoped your brother
might, one day, be sorry.
He wasn't.
But we forgive him because we loved him.
And now...
.. we have to look after each
other and keep on living.
Michael? Christina?
These are your new sisters and brother.
Mary, Hester and Jack.
You'll be very happy here.
A good bath, tea and then straight to bed.
Aren't you grubby little tykes?
Everybody ready?
That's quite tight, Jack.
Smile, Mother.
So everyone knows we are happy.
Best faces, please.
Leo!
I'm off now.
Don't lose track of the time.
Bloody... hell.
All the cuttings raked up.
- All the cuttings! - Yes,
ma'am. - I'll be checking.
'There are, of course,
some concerns about the high risk of fire
should there be an atomic
detonation in Britain.
But people must remember
that our homes are built very differently
to the domestic architecture in Japan.
There, the houses are made from
light, highly flammable materials,
such as paper and card...
- Kirsten? - .. and any
schoolchild will tell you
that paper and card
burn quickly and easily.
Kirsten!
Why doesn't anyone in this house
answer when I call for them?
I didn't hear you.
My dress for this evening
is hanging in my room.
It needs a press.
And will you please cover your legs?
Hosiery.
No-one wants to see your chunky calves.
Yes, Miss Vaughan.
And no creases in the tablecloths.
Nearest stop to Sunny Point, please.
Hester?
Hester!
I don't know what you're smiling at.
It's my house now.
[Hester?]
[Hester!]
[Hester!]
Honestly, Hester, we're going to be late.
Right. In.
I do have to go to work after this.
I think fitting bridesmaids dresses
is a teensy bit more
important than stamping books
in a boring, bloody
library, actually, Tina.
Now look what you've made me do.
You ready for me, darling?]
You need a shave.
Don't they sell razors in London?
- Where's your case?
- I'll get it in a minute.
Well, well, the prodigal returns.
Let's round up the fatted calf,
slit its throat and sport
and play in its hot blood.
- Philip.
- Mickey.
Good, you're here.
Finally. Come.
Sorry, darling.
It's only London, Mickey, you
could have got here sooner.
Mickey, this sham of a wedding
cannot go ahead and I'm relying on you.
I'm the only one that cares
that Daddy's marrying
that bloody secretary.
Tina's like a ghost, Hester's
playing the innocent baby.
It's as if mother never existed.
You're cutting it a bit fine, aren't you?
I mean, they're getting married
the day after tomorrow.
Daddy isn't thinking clearly.
He's just blinded by S-E-X,
which is all Gwenda's got,
but that works in our favour.
I've got a plan.
You pay her a lot of
attention and flatter her,
let her see you looking at her.
At her... curves.
Letting your eyes linger.
You make up to her
and then, well, you know?
- What?
- You make a pass at her.
She responds, which she
will, because she's a tart,
and we arrange it so that Daddy
catches her and she's gone.
He throws her out and he'll be
upset, of course, but he'll have us.
If he catches me up his fiancee,
he won't have me, will he?
Yes, but I'll convince him it was all her.
And you'll be completely forgiven
because he'll realise you
are both just victims
of the same gold-digging slut!
Mary, you need to lie
down in a nice dark room
for just about the rest of your life.
I don't know why I ever
expected anything from you.
You never help. You just swan off.
To Korea, to your new life in London.
It's all right for you, but the
rest of us have to stay here.
Korea was a war, not a bloody holiday!
Are you going to help save
Daddy from Gwenda, yes or no?
No.
Jack would have done it.
Jack's not here.