Smother (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Episode #1.4 - full transcript

Your grandson Calum, well he
attacked Alfie and some of his

friends yesterday evening.

Maybe the Guards
do need to be informed.

No, no, Sandra no!

There's a missing sum
that can't be accounted for.

Is it much?
100 grand.

That's not nothing.

He's a good father, you know that.
I saw him hit Calum.

LOUD CRASH
Dad! Rory!

Mam Calum's missing,
his bed's not slept in.

I woke up and you weren't here.



I wasn't gonna say anything.

TITLE MUSIC

LOUD MUSIC

Come on, jump in.

LOUD MUSIC

That was some night
last night, wasn't it.

It was great craic.
I wasn't even meant to go out.

All right posh boy!

This rocket fuel this stuff!

This is all your fault.

Calum's gone because of you.

He's just trying to scare us a bit.

That's it, I'm going to the guards.

Anna, he will turn up, at least
wait until Frank and Jamie get back.



For all we know they may have
already picked him up someplace.

I'm not sitting on my hands while
he's out there God knows where,

I mean he hardly knows the place.
I'll go with you.

No, you won't!
Why wouldn't I?

No, I'll go with her.

Someone should be
here in case he turns up.

Come on.

There's no sign of him yet.

If they're going out the old
road, we should head towards Ennis.

I'm going to the guards
first to report him missing.

Look I'd really like you not
to take this to the guards, Anna.

It just, it makes it
very big, very official.

Official? Do you not think
this is a bloody emergency mam!

TINKLE OF BREAKING GLASS

Give us a tug on that.

Move the party on then.

Actually, I think
I'm gonna go now lads.

Relax, chill out.

We're only getting started.

SCREECH OF TYRES

I know about the fights.

The fights he has with Rory.

Jenny told me she saw Rory hit him.

Jenny should have kept her gob shut.

And there wasn't
just a little slap Anna.

And then there was last night.

Rory was pissed, it got out of hand.

I want you to think about
that before you walk in there.

Think about whether
this is a good idea.

Maybe Sergeant Manning
already has Callum in his sights.

A woman from town told me Callum
attacked a bunch of lads and left

them in a right state.

That's the first I've heard of it.

Well couldn't that make
you wonder what else there is?

When Dennis was found he
was found wearing Rory's jacket.

Maybe Callum saw Dennis in
that jacket in the dark and thought

perhaps it was Rory standing there.

Get out!
Ah Anna, love.

Out of the car!

Anna please.

Can I borrow your car?
Oh, hello to you too.

Just give me your keys Mairead.

Yeah, when you tell me whatever's
happened to put that look on your
face.

Isn't Callum missing enough?

Have you been to the guards?
No, and we're not going to either.

Jesus Val, why the hell not?
Play nicely children, take it
outside.

What's going on?

Just give me the keys.

I'm not giving you the key until you
tell me what's actually happening.

Would you just
stay out of it Mairead.

This is family business.

I'm sorry, I
didn't mean it like that.

Yeah, you did.

You don't even
know how much you did.

Look, I'm shattered,
Mairead, you know that.

Val, stop behaving like Dennis.

I mean it, covering up, trying to
control everything, the children,

the girls, now the grandkids with
the whole glittery Ahern pageant.

No, no, I am not like Dennis.

I'm -- I've done
nothing but protect my girls.

That's exactly what he'd say.

You know I love those
girls from the tips of my toes.

They have a sense of entitlement
that is off the Richter scale.

Dennis did that, you did that too.

Come on Val, you and me have
always been honest with each other.

I was the poor eejit had to
tell you about Dennis and Alannah.

Do you think that was easy for me?
No.

No, I don't think you got the
tiniest pang of pleasure too.

You know what, I am trying
to hold this family together.

Yeah, by covering up
more secrets and lies, you mean.

You know what, why don't you
worry about your own family lies.

You know, I kept my mouth
shut during your entire marriage.

It's one set of rules for your
family and another set of rules for

mine, is that how this works?

(Sharp intake of breath)
(Soft groan)

PHONE RINGS

Calum, it's mum, again.

You answer your phone.

Please just let me
know you're all right.

(Voicemail) Hi, this is Anna.

I can't take your call right now,
but if you leave a message I'll get

back to you as soon as I can.
(Beep)

Anna, phone me will ya.

It's just a total waste of time.

I have enough on my plate without
my mother sending us in a wild goose
chase.

About the money?

Doing my best to fix things, Jen.

Your father left
us in the right mess.

You have no idea.

Is there something
you're not telling me?

Go down the cliff road, Frank.

All right.

LOUD BANG

For God's...

Of course we have, blown a tire.

Oh very good.

(Laughs) Jesus!

Let's see you keep up this sense of
humour when I go into fecking labour

on you here Frank.

Well then!

If you let me go now
I might have to kill you.

Then you might want to kill me when
I tell you I've come here looking
for Ingrid.

Calum's gone missing.

You really have no
idea where he might be?

No, he hasn't
answered my texts all morning.

It'll be to do with his Dad.

I know he's hit him...
his dad has like.

Sounds like he's
definitely got some crazy temper.

Do you think he hates his father?

Yeah, I do.

Dad, wait!

If you find Calum you're
going to get in a fight.

I'm ringing mum.
Close the door.

Look I'm running out of patience
now, will you close the door.

Dad, wait dad!

LOUD THUD

Dad!

Dad, dad wake up, please wake up.

PHONE BUZZES

Is that Calum?
No, it's Jacob.

I've got to go.
Okay.

Dad get up, please!

Please get up, please dad.

Please wake up!

Rory!
Jacob.

Okay, I've got you, you're okay.

Rory?

Rory.

What was that?

It's okay, I'm going to call
an ambulance, it's gonna be okay.

No, no, no ambulance.
Dad!

No, it's all right, tell you
what, can you put the kettle on?

He needs hot sweet tea, go on.

It's gonna be okay.

Why no ambulance, you need a doctor!

I know what they'd
tell me, that's why.

What do you mean by that?

I mean...
I'm fine.

Okay.

Want some?

No, not at all, sure you need it.

I'm pregnant, Frank, not dying!

You often looked out
for me more than dad ever did.

Ah would you stop.

You should've had kids.

Why did you leave Rita?

Actually, I didn't leave Rita.

Rita left me.

Sorry, come again?

It's just, just a yarn
that we spun, you know?

It made your
father feel better about it.

I mean, we were happy in London.

Actually, we were very happy.

And then he -- Dennis phoned up and
sold me on the idea of the pair of

us getting rich here together.

But he said he couldn't do
it without me, he needed me.

Sure look I was, I was always
weak when it came to your dad.

So we moved over
and she hated it here.

So she went back and then I was
supposed to go back the next month.

But then the next month.

Yeah, look, it was my own greed
really that kept me here, that and

Dennis' hold over me.

Till after a while
there was no Rita to go back to.

I think that comes under the
category of your own fault, Frank.

Yeah.

Yeah, it was.

Although a few years later, I began
to think maybe that Dennis had a

hand in it as well, you know.

How do you mean?

I met up with Rita over in
London, you know, for a drink,

just for old times
sake, we'd both moved on.

And as she was leaving the pub, she
just said to me, no hard feelings.

She said that she hoped that I was
still with the woman who'd split us
up.

Sure there was no
woman that split us up!

So I thought at first that maybe she
just assumed it, but later when I

was talking to Dennis he, you
know he had that look on his face.

The cat that got the cream.

You think he told her
that story to keep you here?

Or he got someone
else to do it for him.

It must have been hard
not to hold that against him?

Who says I didn't?

No word from him since?

Then I need to get back out there.

No you don't, you
sit tight for a minute.

For God's sake Val, I'm fine.

What the hell is
going on with his family?

Do you have any idea
the trouble Calum's in here?

He's attacked a bunch of young
fellas in town and then there's the

pair of you
fighting, you crash a car!

I mean something is seriously off.

And now he's run.

You know what, if my father was
beating me senseless I'd run too!

Now you tell me
because I want the truth.

Do you think he could have
been involved in any way with what

happened to Dennis?
What?

It's the violence in
him Rory, that you put in him.

I don't think it's
such a massive reach.

You know think about it, he was a
young boy, everything around him was

out of control, his mother,
then there was the fire and now you.

It's not him all right.

It's me.

I've a brain tumour.

I'm dying Val...
I'm dying.

(Laughter)

What's the gear for?

Hurling, is it?

I noticed the
hoodie, do you play local?

Singapore.

Funny that, some jumped up prick
about your age battered my little

brother the other day!

He was over from Singapore.

What the fuck!

SCREECH OF BRAKES

Come on!

I'm terrified what it's done to me.

It's changed me.

I'm terrified that this version of
myself -- it's the one that the boys

will be left with as a memory.

I think Calum hates me now.

And he's right to.

The boys will understand
better once they know.

You have to tell them.

(Laughter) We just want to talk.

Come here.

You think I've had my
craic you little gobshite?

I'm only getting started!

Robbie grabbed
his bags, can we go now?

DOORBELL

I'll be right back.

Could be Calum!

Val, is Calum in?

Calum?

Yeah, we've had a report.

Have you now, a report?

Apparently he's
assaulted some young lads.

It's nothing official...

...yet, but I would
like a word with him.

Put him right.

No.
No?

Well you said it
yourself it's nothing official.

And anyway he's not here, so no.

Look Val, this could be very serious
if the parents of the boys wanted it
to be.

Listen, I am a very busy woman and
I don't know what else to tell you

except that he's not
here, so mind how you go.

He's not here, could be anywhere.

LOUD BANGS

He's not here.
What do you mean he's gone?

How far can you get
in the space of 10 seconds?

Can we go?
We're not going anywhere!

Where do you want to go?
I'm fuckin' starving.

I'm gonna fuckin'
kill this lad, do hear me.

He has to be up there.

What's the matter?
Has something happened?

Nothing mam, I'm
just tired from the flight.

Maybe leave her
be, she's just tired.

Dennis knew didn't he?

Yeah, Anna told him, months back
when they found out it was terminal.

She didn't want you to worry.

You'll have to ask Anna.

Calum?

Calum?

Ah, are you all right?

You can go home now, thanks.

Panic over.

Do you mind if I ask what sort
of panic it was to start with?

Yeah.

Fair enough.

Oh, I have half a
sandwich from lunch if you...

Calum, why are we here?

Let's just say this wasn't plan A.

Listen.

Would you mind if I hung around?

You're here now.

There's a relief, I don't think my
backside is up to the drive back

just yet, after the road here.

Potholes are like
bloody swimming pools!

Excuse me.

Have you seen this boy?

I haven't, I'm sorry.

(Laughter in the background)

Do you know Calum Lynch?

Your man, lives out the
old road, does basket weaving.

Why are you wearing his clothes?

If you laid a finger on him!
We didn't touch him.

All right.

He got a fright, took off running.

Took off running where?

That's for you to find out lady.

Come on boys.

I ran away myself
when I was about your age.

Real pain in the arse.

Not much has changed.

Yeah, yeah.

I went on being a pain in the arse.

I'm sorry, it's not
you I mean to lash out at.

You can trust me, Calum.

It's like he's gone mad, at home.

You never know which version of
dad's gonna come through the door.

There's nothing you can do right.

And when Jacob asked me about it...

I don't know how to keep pretending
like it's not all falling apart.

And for me with dad...

I just can't do anything right.

He can't stand the sight of me!

Same as you.

No, no, no, it was never you.

Don't think that.

Oh God...

I always, always loved you.

And right this minute my
heart feels like it could burst.

You know?
(Makes an explosion sound)

(Chuckling)

Now I remember you.

Hello.

I thought I could do better
than a wave from across the road.

How are you recovering?

Myself and Cathy,
we went into the hospital.

I'm grand.

Good, good.

And actually, I do have a bit
of a question for you while I'm here.

We're having a little meal
out for my birthday tomorrow night,

nothing mad, just a few friends.

Cathy, she'd really love you to come.

Would have asked you herself like but
she was afraid she wouldn't be let

through the door.

Does Cathy know
about what happened, Joe?

No, she doesn't.

I'll not be coming to your dinner.

Sorry.

There's an answer.

Is that it?

No, actually, there's something
else I wanted to say to you.

Could we?

About that time in London.

You know, it must have been awful.

You must have been angry with him.

Dennis, I'm angry with him.

You're angry with him?

For London?
Yeah of course I am.

All these years I assumed
it'd be me you'd be angry with.

No, you were just a kid.

We were both just kids.

But he took it out of
our hands like, we didn't even...

I just wanted to
come and say that to you.

And to invite me to
the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

Yeah, yeah, I get
it, you're not coming.

Thanks.

Didn't dad try to help.

Of course he did!

But it was impossible to help me.

And... he did have
you two to worry about.

May I?

FIRE ALARM BEEPS

Ah Jesus Christ.

Ah Calum I'm so, so sorry.

Stop, I'm fine.

We're fine.

I'm so, so sorry, I'm sorry!

Right, that's everyone told now.

Are you happy?

Got enough attention yet?

What the hell is wrong with you?

Anna, Anna, there
will be plenty of time...

And you! We're demented with worry
and you've known where he is this
entire time.

She didn't mum, I texted her.

Why would you do that?

Well, I guess he was afraid you'd
kick off just like you're doing,

I told you where he was.

Let's just look at that for a
second you didn't even tell me he
was missing.

Come on Calum, let's go.
No, hang on.

Calum knows why he ran, you know why
he ran, I think I have a right to

know...
It's none of your business.

Did you really just say that?

Do you've any idea
what you put us through?

Let's rewind here to why.

We'll get to that part
when he's back with his family!

He's actually with part
of his family, that would be me.

Go on ahead Calum,
wait for me in the car.

No wait up Calum.

Have you told him?
Did you ever tell Jacob?

No, no, I didn't think
so, me with horns in my head,

you with your shiny halo.
Stop it Elaine!

I think he has a right to know.

You know, the woman who wants
to be their legal mother. Elaine!

How long were you Rory's personal
assistant before you put the moves
on him?

Was it a month, two months, I mean
you certainly were with him years

before our marriage broke up.

But we don't talk about that do we?

Calum!

Are you happy now?

I let you and Rory wipe me out
of the picture, I can't go on like
that.

Hi, would you be able pick me up?

Not nice is it, feeling
ashamed, feeling judged.

I never set out to
break up your marriage.

Maybe I did say it to
knock your halo off a bit.

I don't know how much was my
drinking and how much the marriage

was in trouble anyway.

If you make Rory
happy, good luck to you.

I know it's hard seeing
them after all these years,

all the years you missed, I get it.

I know you do.

I can see how much you love them.

With all of my heart Elaine,
with everything that's in me.

I was there for Calum's
nightmares after the fire.

Jacob's first day at school, for
birthday parties, for football runs,

for everything Elaine, everything!

I tried to hold back at the start,
I told myself I didn't give birth

to them, I'm not their real mother.

But then I see
them, lost, confused...

And I opened up my arms to them,
I let them run in and I've held on
ever since.

Why, why haven't you had...

I can't.

PHONE BUZZES

Look at your phone.

My guess is you got one too.

Thanks.

Are you all right?
Yeah.

CRASH OF WAVES

You can always go home
now that they found him, Jen.

You sure you want to be here?

I want to see where dad...

What's going on Calum?

You okay?

You know can talk
to me about anything.

Can you pull over?

I know they don't want to tell me...
that he has a brain tumour.

I found the scans on the
computer a couple months ago.

You knew?
Yeah, just today.

You know, I looked it up, they
like -- tumours affect behaviour.

I mean, I guess he's scared,
but I'm just so angry with him.

I think for pretending, for making
us all pretend like everything's

fine when it's all gone to shit.

You don't know what it's like
being stuck in the middle of someone

else's lies, pretending.

Believe me, I do,
I do know what it's like Calum.

Did you know mum and dad were
together while he was still married?

Yeah.

Yeah, they told us once they were
sure they wanted to be together.

I didn't know.

Does it really make any difference?

I don't know why,
but somehow it does.

You know, no one can change
the past, but right now you have a

chance to spend some time
with your father on your own terms.

Try to remember the man
he was before the illness.

I try, I really do,
but then he starts on Jacob.

And it makes me
even more more mad at him.

I don't want to
be angry all the time.

No, I know, I know.

This is Dennis' card.

I clocked his pin when
I met him at the airport.

Why would you do that?

A way out, in
case things got so bad.

Have things really been that
bad between you and your father?

I'm so sorry.

For what it's worth your father's
sorry too, more than you could

possibly ever imagine, Calum.

Do you want to go
for a coffee or something?

I think I want to go home.

Okay.

Can I have one of those?

Thanks.

I don't let the boys see me.

They've seen a lot worse.

Well Calum's found,
but not with either of us.

Yep.

Right this minute we are
both shit mothers, the pair of us.

They used to be best buddies,
Rory and Calum, what changed?

I never saw him raise a hand
to either of them, not even a tap.

Stress, long
flight, you saw a one-off.

I'm not sure I believe you.

Right now I don't care if you
believe me or not, we're not likely

to be friends ever.

To be perfectly honest
I'm not sure I want that either.

Why couldn't he love me,
the way he loved Anna and Grace?

He did love you Jen, in his way.

But I wasn't his own blood.

I took any crumb.

I remember we'd come up
here after every Sunday lunch.

It's part of our lives.

He'd look around, maybe not as grand
or as majestic as the Cliffs of

Moher, he'd say, but these
are my cliffs, that's my sea.

Jesus Frank, he
even owned the landscape.

And then Anna continued the
tradition with the boys before they
left.

They love that.

The girls stopped coming,
but I would hike up here with him.

I was glad to
have him all to myself.

This is where he first
asked me to invest in Seaview.

He said it would all be okay.

And I believed him.

We're closed.

Oh, it's you again.

I didn't say it,
Grace, and I need to say it.

I wish you felt you could tell me.

Like it must have been hell at
that age to go through that alone.

Well I wasn't alone.

He doesn't count.

It, it should have been me.

I've been laid in bed the last few
nights and it's all I can think about

you know like, if that's what you
wanted, then it should have been me

there with you.

And it should have been me
there with you to take you home.

And I can't imagine it's any help
now, but I want you to know that.

It does help, actually.

We had some
good times too didn't we?

That time you taught me to surf,
well half surf, whenever I get the
hang of it.

I'll get out of your hair.

Joe...

I'll go to your dinner.

Tell Cathy I'll be there.

You're in so much trouble.

Where's dad?

Come on you.

Me?

Why do I have to come?

Cause I'm asking you to.

Alright, fine.

But just so you know,
it was dad crashed the car.

Going out to look for you.

He's going to be pissed.

Hello?

Is he here?
Anna!

Listen, listen, why don't
you leave them alone for a minute?

Are you all right?

Look, mum, I'm sorry about...

No, no, please forget it, I'm sorry,
I shouldn't have said what I did,

I'm so sorry.

Rory's told me.

You know I'll do everything I can
to get your money back, but would

the father not help out at all?

I don't think that's
how sperm donation works, Frank.

That's definitely
how you conceived, is it?

It's complicated, Frank.

Maybe it's just easier
to say the sperm bank thing.

Stops questions.

It's a very small part of the world,
nothing stays a secret for long.

If there is a father, one of these
days there's gonna be a bang on the

door and there'll
he be standing there.

PHONE BUZZES

It's from mum, she's doing
dinner for everyone tonight.

Drop me back at my place will you,
I'm in no mood for family dinner.

I think I'll head home myself.

PHONE RINGS

Hey, Val.
Hey, listen, I'm sorry.

I should have got back to you,
but the day just ran away with me.

No, as long as Rory
and Callum are all right.

What time, what time
should we expect you here?

What?

Listen, I'm so sorry, I'm just, I'm
fixing dinner here for everyone now.

You said you were
eating with us tonight.

I know, I know, but
things just got ahead of me.

Listen, I promise
I will be there tomorrow, okay.

I will be with you tomorrow.

You're with your family, I get it.

DIALTONE

Karl?

Anna, why didn't
you tell me about Rory?

What could you have done?

Well, I could have helped, no?

My husband's dying, mam.

You can't take that away
from me and make it not real.

No, I know, but I can take away the
part where you have to weather it all
alone.

I mean, for God's
sake just, just let me.

We couldn't tell
people about the tumour.

Why not?

Who did that help?

We need Elaine to sign us over the
boys, before she hears he's dying

and claims them herself.

My God!

That's why we got married.

You didn't tell me because you knew
I'd tell you that that was wrong.

Wrong isn't even the word, Anna!

I don't know anymore what's wrong.

Can you just think about this?

You cannot cheat those
boys away from Elaine like that.

On every level this is not
right, I mean, you must know that.

They're everything I have.
No, you're not thinking straight.

We will talk about this tomorrow.

But tonight what you need is to sit
at our table and be surrounded by the

people that love you, Anna.

I think what we need
is to get out of this house.

Ah for God's sake.

Anna, please, after the day we've
had I'm trying to bring us together.

We need to get out of here.

I'm going to town,
get pizza or whatever.

Please don't...
Look mam, I want to.

I want to spend time with them.

While I still have any.

PHONE BUZZES

CRASH OF WAVES

See you Frank.

Kevin!

I hope they lock you
up and throw away the key!