Rita (2012–2020): Season 4, Episode 1 - Nutid/Datid - full transcript

A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES

- Hey...
- What?

- Make sure you behave in your new school.
- Yes!

BAVNEGÅRD SCHOOL

Good morning.

Hi, I'm Susanne. You must be Rita?

Yup. That's me.

Well, welcome to Bavnegård School, Rita.
Give her a warm welcome, everyone.

PAST / PRESENT

- Number 34, there you go.
- Thanks.

Well, if it isn't...?



Yes. That is, if the end to
"Well, if it isn't...?" is Hjørdis.

What are you having today?

I'm thinking of trying the one with fish.
Do you know what kind of fish it is?

I don't think even the fish knows
what kind of fish it is.

I'll just have a burger, then.

You don't have to come here
every day to eat.

Well, I don't.

You're on the "Employee of the Month"
list. Right? And you don't even work here.

I brought some dinner.
It's from a sustainable farm.

Fuck my sustainable ass.

Are you okay?

You ask me that every day,
and yes, today I'm also okay.

Aren't you going back to teaching soon?

Hjørdis, I don't want another talk
about going back to teaching.



You're smoking.

Damn it, Casper-Emil! Give me that.

I'll shoot off with Reinulf.

Yes. See you, Hjørdis. Bye, Hjørdis.

Mum?

Jesus... I've washed it three times.
It still smells of burned burger joint.

Isn't it time you found
something else to do?

Yes. You're right.

I'm going to live out my lifelong dream
of becoming a YouTube star.

Or you could get yourself a real job.
Something you're trained to do.

There aren't any.

Of course there are. Come and sit down.

Here.

JOB SEARCH WITH 1 CLICK

Not right now, Molly.

What are you so afraid of?

Right now, I'm afraid I'll never get
this smell out of my hair again.

JOB SEARCH WITH 1 CLICK

82 JOBS MATCHING YOUR SEARCH: TEACHER

82 JOBS MATCHING YOUR SEARCH: TEACHER

We're looking for a dedicated teacher
at Bavnegård School

We're looking for a dedicated teacher
at Bavnegård School

...very well-run school
with high ambitions for its students...

Did you know that your meat
contains less than 30% meat?

No. But our strong beer
contains 7.2% alcohol.

I guess I just think you deserve
something better. 50%, maybe.

Yes, me too.

- I'm talking about meat.
- Oh... too bad.

I also think there are some kids
who deserve you.

Yes. But there are some schools
that don't agree.

You don't know that.

I don't exactly come with the best
recommendations in the world, do I?

Maybe there's a reason for that.

Rita?

Coming!

- See you.
- Yes. Tomorrow.

- Rita, damn it!
- Coming.

Good morning. I just had a little nap.

A little nap? Your phone rang.

Yes. It wasn't important.

- How do you know that?
- Because it was for me.

Rita speaking.

Eh, no. There must have been a mistake.

You're welcome. You, too. Bye, bye.

That was someone from
the Bavnegård School.

Okay? What did they want?

They'd had my application and wanted me
to come for a job interview.

Cool.

The thing is, I haven't applied for a job.
It's my old school.

- Molly, did you apply on my behalf?
- What if I did?

- You should call and say it was a mistake.
- Or you could go to the interview.

No, I'm not going to the interview.

And you shouldn't... Molly, you shouldn't
write applications on my behalf.

- I'm your mum.
- Okay.

Then imagine, as my mum,
what it feels like,

seeing the woman
who should be my role model,

wasting away her life on my couch
every day when I get home.

Can't we just say I'm not a role model?

You could at least try to do
something with your life.

Yes, but not at my old goddamn school.

I had no idea it was your old school.

I don't know anything about you
from back then.

You'd clicked on the job posting yourself,

so I thought applying
would be a good idea.

And now it's done.
Do with it what you want.

BAVNEGÅRD SCHOOL

Democracy is
the cornerstone of our society.

It's what our civilization is built on.

And it's the primary reason
why we're so far ahead of communism.

Both when it comes to culture and economy.

But we cannot take democracy for granted.

Democracy is not something we get.
It's something we have to fight for.

Our democracy was founded on the basis of
our constitution, and when was that?

No? Stefan.

What?

- The Constitutional Act.
- What about it?

When was it passed?

In the '60s or something?

1849.

It took several years before women
and servants gained the right to vote

and were allowed
to express their opinions.

It started in 1849. You should know that.

You're only calling on the boys.

The girls have had their hands up
the whole time. But you don't care.

And you're talking about democracy!
It makes no sense.

Of course, coming to a new place
takes some getting used to,

- but here we don't behave in that way.
- And by "here," you mean the Middle Ages?

Maybe you have a better suggestion
for how I should run my classes?

I'd probably leave the confirmation suit
at home.

And stop combing my hair with liver paste.

Out.

SCHOOL HEADMASTER

- Hi.
- Hi there.

Well. You started here yesterday,

and you've already been sent out of the
classroom. That's got to be a new record.

But it doesn't matter. I'm a girl, right?

- What is that supposed to mean?
- Rostrup only calls on the boys.

Rostrup is from another time.

- Yes, but he lives in this one.
- Not according to himself.

My daughter, Lea,
is in your new class, by the way.

I'm really glad you started here.
Welcome. And good luck in there.

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Come in.

Well, here we are. Job interview.

Right now, we're in the same boat.

We've stepped into a shared space
which we can only create together.

And each of us is obliged to make sure
the other one comes through it unscathed.

- Exciting, eh?
- Yes...

Only if you think so.
I mean, it's not grounds for dismissal.

You don't work here yet, of course.

My name is Bjarne Ulrichsen, and I'm
the principal here at Bavnegård School.

I'm also the chairman
of the town fair committee

and a member of the committee
for cultural affairs,

and I'm the local chess champion,
to put it en passant.

And I have Lundsager's
only private swimming pool,

which can be an advantage when you want
a town of people to like you. And...?

Well, my name is Rita Madsen.

I've just learned how to make burgers.
Also handy for bribing people.

- I really liked your application.
- Thanks.

It's good.

- My daughter wrote it.
- Okay.

But you're here now. And she writes
that you're a good teacher. Is that true?

I wouldn't have been fired if I was.

Self-confidence is the most important
"dence" there is.

That sounds like something you'd read
in a pack of licorice.

Well, have you ever seen
a pack of licorice that was wrong?

We have to believe in ourselves.

It's difficult getting teachers
for a school like ours.

When you went here, there were three
classes per year group. Now there are two.

In the eighth and ninth grades,
there's only one.

We're losing students,
and therefore also teachers.

The local authority wants to close
one school.

That increases the uncertainty.
More people run away.

So you'll be closed down?

I won't allow that to happen.
People trust me in this town.

Bjarne is a guy who can fix things.

And I'll fix this school.
I just need some really good teachers.

So I hereby ask you:

Rita Madsen, are you a good teacher?

Thanks to your management skills
and psychological insight,

I now trust myself completely again.

Well, that's it, then. Perfect.

Or we could toss a coin.

- You're hired. Tails.
- Yeah, I'd say so.

Mine was the only application you got,
right?

- What's that?
- Here you go.

- Is that for me?
- Yes.

- How exciting.
- A present.

What did he say when you said no?

- Said no to what?
- The job.

Because it's much too far away,

and you should never move back
to where you came from,

because that's where
everything went wrong.

The place you've been trying to escape
from inside your head your whole life.

You know, where everyone bullied you,
right?

- No.
- No, of course... no.

But the fact is, you can't just leave
everything behind

for an insignificant,
temporary school job.

I'm not really leaving anything behind.

- What about your home?
- Well, I'm staying with Molly.

- Or your kids?
- They've left home.

- What about your friends, then?
- Yeah, right!

What about me?

Maybe it's the best thing for you as well.

What is?

Maybe I've taken up a bit too much space.

Am I not your bard anymore, then?

It's a new chapter.

Yeah, but you're writing
the book on your own.

I've always done that.

- Thanks for the present.
- You're welcome.

- It's an eagle.
- A dashing eagle.

BUTCHER

BUTCHER BOB

FOR RENT CALL 91113975

Right. These were the last boxes.

I don't know if I'm starting over
or starting from the back...

- It'll be great.
- Yeah.

There's nothing cooler than moving in
to a flat above a butcher's. If you're 18.

- Yeah, or a meat lover.
- Yeah, exactly.

You're just scared.

FOR RENT CALL 91113975

No, there's nothing to be scared of.

BAVNEGÅRD SCHOOL

- Are you new?
- Yup. It's my first day of school.

Aren't you a bit old
to have your first day of school?

Yes.

Hello, everybody. Sit down.

My name is Rita.

I really want to learn your names,
but I'm 45,

and I can hardly remember
the names of my own kids.

From what I've heard you have
a history theme at the moment,

combining several subjects? Good.

Tomorrow, we'll have a visit
from an archaeologist

who will tell us a bit about
the Stone Age.

But today, I thought we could talk a bit
about the recent past.

In that way, I can get
to know you a bit better as well.

I'd like you to go into groups of,
say, four,

and talk about what you were like
when you were ten years old.

What did you imagine the future would be
like? What did you want to become?

And who have you become?
That sort of thing.

Then we'll discuss it in plenum
afterwards. What do you think?

Fine. Great. Let's start, then.
Find some groups.

No, I'd just like to be on my own.

I'd rather not do it.

- Hello.
- Hi.

Don't you have anyone
you can team up with?

Er, yes. I just don't really feel like it.

You don't feel like it?

I'm always allowed to sit on my own.
Because I'm a highly sensitive person.

You're highly sensitive?

- It's true. He's a bit special.
- Okay.

Listen... I'm sorry,
but there's no such thing in here.

It's a real diagnosis, you know.

And in the old days, people said that
insanity was rooted in the teeth.

I want you to join a group. Okay?

- Allan, come over here.
- Go and sit with the others.

- No. I'm not doing it.
- Yes, you are, champ. Come on. Get up.

- You can't tell me what to do.
- When you're in my class, I can.

You can be as sensitive as you want
during break. Come on.

Don't touch me!

Okay.

Just keep working. It's fine.

We need to talk.

Well, it seems like
you've already started.

Several girls from our class tell me
that time and time again,

- you choose to only call on the boys.
- That's rubbish.

But you can tell the girls,
including your own daughter,

that if they wish to be heard,
they have to speak up.

They've got their hands up all the time,
and you refuse to hear them.

If those girls think they deserve
to be heard, they'll have to insist.

I don't know if you're here as a teacher
or as Lea's mother,

but you're certainly not doing them
any favors by depriving them

of the opportunity
to speak up for themselves.

And if they do that, you send them
out of the classroom, right?

They learn from that as well.
Can I return to my egg sandwich now?

Get it off me. Get it off me!

- Yuck, not my hair!
- Boys!

- Come here, girls.
- What are we doing?

Come on. Get up.

- Mum, it's our break time.
- Yes. Come, get up. Come and stand here.

I want you to say your names
out loud and clear,

so that everyone in here can hear them.
Okay?

What are your names? Come on.

What's your name?

Just tell me your name. What's your name?

- Lea.
- Louder.

My name is Lea.

I know you're not used to this,
because you've never been called on.

And if you want that to change,
you'll just have to speak up.

Don't be so scared of missing the target
or not being perfect.

You have to be imperfect.

Come on, let's try it again.
We'll try again. Yell it out with me now.

My name is...

Right. Fine.

My name is Rita.

My name is Rita.

You're all a bunch of wimps.

Do you have a minute?
I'd like to discuss a student with you.

- Oh, you've met Allan.
- Exactly.

I heard there was a bit
of trouble in class, but...

We've agreed with his parents
that he should be protected.

That's what highly sensitive kids
are like.

I don't believe in that diagnosis.

I know that some children are
more sensitive than others, right?

But if we give Allan a diagnosis,
then it's a straitjacket.

It means he doesn't have to
participate in our class activities.

So in that sense, I don't believe
there are highly sensitive children.

I believe there are children who need help
in order to interact with others.

- I believe so, too.
- Yup.

It's our job to make sure he makes
the most out of his time here.

- Exactly.
- Yeah.

So to me, it's slightly problematic
to put him in a cocoon

and tell him that it's okay
for him to sit on his own.

I couldn't agree more.

Really, Bjarne?

Yes. It just so happens that we have
an agreement with his parents.

- Parents are children's worst enemies.
- A deal is a deal.

Bjarne, you asked me at the job interview
if I'm a good teacher.

And yes, I am a good teacher.

As long as I get to do what I know
is best for my students.

If the parents think that's problematic,

you'll just have to tell them
who I'm actually here for. Right?

I just don't see any reason
to fall out with anybody.

This is such a lovely town.
Everyone likes each other.

You think I'm naive.

You think I'm an amateur, just because
this isn't the big city. But I'm not.

I just know my local area.
People trust me.

They count on me to make things
hang together.

But I can't do that if people are angry.

I have to talk to Allan's parents.

And I have to ask you not to get into
conflict with them.

BUTCHER

Are they close?

Yes. There are two right opposite
each other, a hundred meters away.

Let's see if I ever make it there.

Okay, what...? It was this way
and then left, right?

- And the bus stop is on the other side.
- Exactly. Want me to come with you?

You're welcome to stay another night
if you want.

I think you're big enough
to stand on your own two feet.

- Thanks.
- I guess I owed you one.

- See you, sweetheart.
- See you.

- Get home safely.
- Thanks.

- Bye, bye, darling.
- Bye, Mum.

- Those buses are so noisy.
- Just pretend that they're bees.

Big, angry bees buzzing around.
Then it's not too bad.

Rita is moving back to her hometown.
Isn't that a bit strange?

I don't know. Is it?

Something weird happened, right?

I was down at the school where she's going
to work, completely by coincidence,

and then they offered me a job as well.
That's weird, isn't it?

- What?
- Yes, exactly.

"What?" That was my thought as well.

But then I thought:
This is what you've always dreamed of.

So maybe we should just give it a go.

No, Hjørdis, we have to talk
about things like that.

You can't make such a decision on behalf
of the family without conferring with us.

No, but they've got woods
and a house and a garden.

Yes, and Rita. It's just great.

It doesn't have anything to do with that,
actually.

- What about my job?
- You don't like your job.

- No, but...
- And you're going on paternity leave soon.

Yes, but...

No. You can't entice me
with your naughty Elvish talk now.

No...

Okay, fine.
I'll come with you to look at it.

- Will you?
- Yes, but it won't be...

It's something we decide together.
Right, Hjørdis?

Don't start jumping up and down.
We haven't decided anything yet.

- We'll go down and have a look today.
- Yes. But we haven't decided anything.

If you start digging into the past,
you risk finding shit.

And that's why we've invited you, Hans.

Hans is an archaeologist,
specializing in...

- Shit.
- Shit.

Well, to me, shit is not something
you "risk" finding.

It's something you hope to find.

We did a big excavation nearby.

There, we found a dunghill
from a neolithic settlement.

And what we leave behind says a lot
about who we are, of course.

Doesn't it say more about what comes out
of our ass when we're having a shit?

Yes, but it's a very honest testimony.

It says a lot about what humans ate,
for example.

And what the flora and fauna were like.
Faeces never lie.

- That's gross.
- Yes, Allan. It is.

But it's also very old and important,
so we'll just have a look at it.

We found many fine specimens
in the excavation,

and I've brought some for you today.

Take a look and see if you can guess
which ones are from animals,

- and which ones are from humans.
- You want us to touch shit?

It's old shit, Vanessa. It won't hurt you.

- I'm not doing it.
- Yes, Allan. We all are. Come on.

I'm not doing it.

- Allan, it's old shit.
- So what? I'm not touching it.

Allan... okay.

Without making this into
a scene from Zappa,

just touch this piece of shit like your
classmates, so we can get it over with.

- No.
- It's just a little piece of shit.

I said no!

Hey! Allan! Stop!

Allan? Hey, Allan!

- Leave me alone!
- Allan, stop...

My mum says I have special needs,
but you're not listening!

- Listen...
- Why don't you just ask her?

I will.

But Galilei maintained that Earth
was not the center of the universe.

Just a small, insignificant dot in
an endless ocean of other insignificances.

That theory wasn't popular back then,
so they locked him up.

But that didn't stop Galilei
from thinking it was so.

He actually held on to his beliefs
right until his death in 1642.

When was the prohibition against
his theories removed, do you know?

Come on.

No? No?

- In 1758.
- Pardon?

- In 1758, the Church...
- Did I say you could talk?

- No...
- So why are you sounding off, girl?

- I had my hand up.
- Well done.

That's not a sufficient reason
to just shout out your answer.

No, but if not, you'll just ignore us.
And we won't accept that, you know.

You won't?

Lots of support, eh? Get out.

My god, you're pathetic.

Well.

You got a bit of support after all.

Even if comes from the most awkward
of sources.

Get out, both of you. The rest of us
are here to learn something.

- I've never been kicked out before.
- I'm sorry to hear that.

It's not funny.
This is actually your fault.

- I'm not the one who spoke up.
- No, but you started it.

You just move from one school to another.

I'm actually planning
to make it in this world.

What are you planning to become
when you prefer not to talk? A mime?

If you haven't got anything nice to say,
it's better to not say anything.

I'm sure that'll help.

You're not allowed to smoke
in the corridors anymore.

And here's my mum. Shit.

Tell her I said hi.

- Have you both been sent out?
- It was Rita's fault.

- Did you talk back to Rostrup?
- Yes.

I'm sure you'll survive. Right?

What about Rita?
Maybe she just needs a friend.

- And you think that should be me?
- No, no. I'm just saying it.

But maybe it would be quite good
for you as well.

You're just so embarrassing right now,
Mum.

Well, it's a good thing we're the only
ones here, then. Right, sweetheart?

What are you doing?

Nothing.

Come. Show me where you live.

- This is where I live.
- Okay.

Go and get your mum or dad.
I'll wait here.

Okay. Hi.

- Hi, sweetheart.
- You'd better go outside.

Yeah. You look all wrong.
What's the matter? Eh?

What are you doing here?

Hi, Lea.

- What do you want?
- She's the new teacher.

The one who thinks you're lying?

No. No, no, I...
Allan, I don't think you're lying.

I think you believe
what your mum is telling you.

I don't know what you're doing here,
or why you're back.

But don't start interfering
with Allan's needs.

Do you know each other?

- No.
- Yes.

We don't, sweetheart. Go in and get
some food. I'll be there in a minute.

Listen. Allan is highly sensitive,

and we've agreed with the school
that you'll help him with that.

Yeah, but, Lea...

Stay out of anything
that has to do with my family.

- I'm his teacher.
- Yes. Just keep it that way.

But you and I
have nothing to do with each other.

Listen, of course Allan should be allowed
to do things at his own pace.

- We'll work it out.
- That's what I thought.

But hey... I...

I had no idea you were still living here,
Lea.

Well, I do.

Lea... Lea? Listen, if there's anything
you want to talk to me about,

- I'd really like to...
- We have nothing to talk about.

You'll stick to the agreements we've made
with the school. Understood?

- Is that clear?
- Yes, of course.

Okay. Thank you.

It's like a big city, you know.
Just on a small scale,

and without all the big things
that make a big city big.

- It makes you want to live here.
- Why don't we just do it, then?

- Well, it's...
- Just you and me and Reinulf...

- And Rita! Hi, Rita.
- Gosh, hi!

Hi. What are you doing here?

Well, it's a new chapter, so... I thought
I'd show Uffe how nice our new town is.

What? "Our new town"?

Yes... I've been offered
a job at the school.

- Hjørdis, are you following me around?
- What? No.

I mean... I haven't exactly
followed you here. Yet.

Listen, it... I think you...

It was really good to see you. Or it is.

But I think you...
I think you should just go back home.

We think it's a lovely place.

Well, it's not. See you.

Take care.

Maybe she's right. Maybe you should
start fending for yourself.

- Do you think that's why we're here?
- Why else?

You've had lunch with her
every day for six months.

- You think you need her, but you don't.
- No.

It's Rita who's not doing well.

She doesn't say it out loud,
but I can tell.

- She needs a friend.
- No.

She needs a Hjørdis.

You know what? We'll give it a shot.

Subtitles: Henriette Persson