The Dead Lands (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - The Exorcism of the Boy - full transcript

Mehe and Waka bring the boy to the Witches who exorcise him of the evil spirit to discover the name of the one who broke the world.

The dead

they sigh to me.

They tell me to seek a warrior

more monster than man.

And only he can help
me save my people.

There is a boy held captive
by three sisters

powerful witches. Find this boy.

You see, he knows the name
of the one who broke the world.

He's possessed by a tipua
an evil spirit.

No one's heard of these
witches or the boy.

Even my uncle?



Do you know these
women? Yes or no.

No one enters those lands.

It's protection...
against sorcery.

Can I share it with Waka?
Don't.

The girl has protection
against their sorcery.

So?
Has she offered it to you?

I will give you protection
against these witches.

We welcome you as our guests.

Come, before night
folds in on the world.

Do you trust me?
Mostly.

Argh!

Never trust anyone in a fight

especially not me.

Because you want death.



I can see it in you.

It hangs on your shoulders
like a heavy cloak.

You've been bewitched.
Have I?

And what about you?

And you didn't share
that with me?

Stay here with us.

I feel something in you
I've not felt before.

I could have helped the boy, but
their leader wouldn't listen.

His name was Te Hau.

If you bring my
sister back to us,

I'll exorcise the
spirit from the boy.

You'll get your name.

Te Hau?

My slave, get water!

Call me a slave again,
and I'll kill you.

Waka!

Happy now? Te Hau is dead.

You got what you wanted.

It's gone. I can feel it.

You were right. She betrayed me.

All she cares about is
her own precious neck.

Perhaps you're not the fool
I took you for, my son.

Waka... Nuku...

Rau.

What are you doing?
He's heavier than he looks.

I'm sick.

Are you? Maybe you are,
maybe you're not;

maybe that thing
is still inside you.

I'm just sick.

You want me to believe you?

Then tell me the name of the one
who let the dead into the world,

and I'll carry you
wherever you want.

For a shit, if that
makes you happy.

I told you I don't
know anything of it.

Then walk.
I can't!

I tell you!

He could just be sick.

Or the tipua's hiding.
It's hiding.

It's still in there.
You don't know that.

I know.

What's wrong with you?
You're acting like a child.

You. You're what's wrong

so noble, such a highborn.

Well, nobles
the honourable ones

they don't lie and deceive.

What are you talking about now?

You were given protection...

from these witches
and their sorcery.

Did you share that with me? No.
Lucky I knew what was going on.

You knew I had protection?
I suspected.

No, that's not what you said.
You said you knew. Who told you?

The dead told you.
What are you talking about?

You're a good fighter,
but a poor liar.

Makes us opposites.
Was it your mother?

What if it was?
Well, she wants me dead,

or have you forgotten?
Ah, you twist everything.

You betrayed me, and then
you make me the guilty one.

How could you be so stupid?

You can't trust the dead
you said so yourself

especially her.

Please!

He's not very noble,
your friend.

Oh, I'm not drinking
out of that now.

Keep it.

What will they do to me?
Help you.

These witches will
exorcise you, boy.

Should be interesting to watch.

They'll kill me.

Unless you tell us the name
of the one who broke the world.

Last chance,... and you can go.

I don't know anything of it!
I've told you, how many times!

Please believe me.

Believe me!

You did this?

From memory?
Yes.

Help strengthen the rahui
around this place.

The night is close.

Heh.

There you are,...
when you're not needed.

I'm sure you know what you're
talking about, Waka Nuku Rau.

You sent me to those witches,

but you didn't tell me they
were going to slit my throat.

Lucky I had protection
against their sorcery.

You're not the only
dead thing I speak to.

And what protection did
this dead thing give you?

Some blood.

Tasted like bat's piss.

Then they gave you nothing.

The dead cannot protect
you from the living.

The old hag.

Beware the dead
and their schemes.

But I should trust you?

Just protect the girl
that's all I ask of you.

I'm doing it.
No, you're pushing her away.

I don't have to like her.
But you do like her,

don't you?

Keep her safe.
I told you she's special.

And beware it's not only
dead things that you fight.

There are some dangerous
spirits in your world now,

which is why you must
not fight Te Hau.

Te Hau?

Show yourself.

Te Hau?

Mehe Te Wehiwehi.

Do you even know what
sleeps beside you?

Did you know he betrayed
his own people,

abandoned them like a coward?

Shut up.
Tell us more.

He became a slave...

to the destroyers
of his own tribe.

Stop it.

You make sure he doesn't
get loose.

Come, then.
The glorious Te Hau...

against the slave and coward

Waka Nuku Rau.

What are you doing?
What does it look like?!

Fighting.

I don't care if
you were a slave.

I don't care what
you think about me.

It's trying to draw you
out. Can't you see that?

I do.

If you step over that
line, you'll die!

Well, you're not being
very supportive.

You're slower.

You're slow.

Nowhere to retreat.

That hurt.

You're embarrassing
me! Slave or not,

I thought you were
meant to be good!

You think you can do any better?

No worse. Now get up and fight!

Ah!

Was that good enough for you?!

Run, you fool!

Hurry! Hurry!

Idiot.

...a Tane.

E te manu kaikohau
o te ahikaroa,

anei matou kua hoki mai i raro
i te mauri o te wao nui a Tane.

The girl has the gift.
For lying.

You look terrible.
So kind

What's wrong with you?

It becomes harder
to protect these lands.

I've returned her.
Now for your end of the bargain.

Do your worst to him.

I... I'm sick. That's it.

He says the tipua's gone.
He's lying.

The spirit might
be hiding, waiting.

We'll find out.

Don't let them hurt me.
Move!

Stay outside,
no matter what you hear.

And never touch him.
Why?

If it's still in there,
it could steal into your soul.

I'm sorry.

There's a long list of things
you could apologise for.

When we first met Te Hau, and
I pretended you were a slave?

What's it to me?

Nothing, unless you were one.

I wasn't a slave.
Now leave me alone.

Would it matter?

A man is a man. A name
doesn't make you a thing.

We make ourselves.

Must I listen to this drivel?

Always trying to
change the world.

Well, there's two worlds

your perfect world, where
everyone acts with honour,

and the real one, where
slaves live in dishonour,

usually serving people like
you, who have everything,

when they have nothing.

We're all slaves
to the past anyway.

You should just accept it.

I don't want to. I won't.
And you shouldn't either.

Your mother she's turned
you against me, hasn't she?

Don't blame her.
You lied to me.

Yes.

I won't do it again,
Waka. I promise.

Words are easy. We'll see.

Instead of letting the dead
push you this way and that,

you should think about how
we can use them for once.

You're needed.

Your spirit is my
greatest joy...

and greatest fear.

No! No, no, no! no!

What is your name? What is your
whanau? What is your iwi?

Uri. He Uri no Ngati Korepenui.

Your real name, spirit. Say it!

No!
Tell her, boy.

Pull!

They're killing me! Oh!
Mehe, they're killing me!

No! No! Stop!
What are you doing?

Healing him.
And you're interrupting.

He's about to admit it.
O Hine i te aio...

I wasn't. I wasn't!

No more of this. Stop it now.

Why do you even care about him?
He's not even from your tribe.

He's nothing to you.

What if he's telling the truth?

He's not.
How would you know?

You feel things. I feel things.

I feel that the thing
is still inside him.

I can see it every time I look
into his shiteating eyes.

You don't know that
not for sure. What if it's gone?

It would still be worth it.

You want the world
to stay like this?

You know I don't.
You're meant to be so smart.

He knows who broke the
world; The dead told me.

Why does he deny it?
Maybe the dead lied.

Or maybe there's
a simpler reason.

What?
It thinks it can hide.

It thinks you're going to
help it. It knows your weakness.

What weakness?

You want to believe that
there is good in everyone.

Well, from what I know of the
world, the opposite is true.

Good people usually die, badly.

Look at your father.

Fuck.

Go away.

Sorry.

Easy for you to say;
you don't have to remember.

I killed my own father.

I can't bear myself,
let alone you.

Well, I've killed many men, and
it doesn't help to dwell on it.

I'm trying to comfort you.

Don't bother; you're
not very good at it.

Well, there's nobody else
here to do it, is there?

You don't have much choice.

Hate me, fine.
You won't be the first.

But in the end, you need
to make a choice

that thing that's
inside the boy...

or everyone else because
you can't have both.

You're not going
to let them, eh?

Say your true name and leave.

You'll let them kill me?

That's typical of you.

It's what you did to
your father in that cave.

You killed him too.

How did you know that?

You told me.
I didn't.

I wouldn't.

You'd rather help a slave
than the son of a chief,

an ariki like you?

O Hine i te rangi tuhuha.

You side with witches and
slaves against your own kind!

You're not my kind!

You've no one here
to help you, spirit.

You're all
going to die.

Tenei te ara,

te ara ka iri.
Te ara o Hineangiangi...

Where are you from?

The kingdom below
the edge of the world!

Say your real name.

Oh!

What is it?

It's the true odour
of the thing.

Don't touch it!

Who are you?

What are you?

O Hine i te aio,
O Hine kino ano hoki.

Te ara o Hineangiangi,

te ara o Hinekorikori,

tenei te ara, te ara

Shut up.

You'll be all right.
You'll be all right.

You're
all going to die.

He wills it!

I'll do it.

Do what?
The head.

Otherwise...

Outside, at least.

Nau te he! Nau te he!

Nau te he!

What do we do now?

We must lay hands on it.

Drag that thing out of the
boy? Without Raepoto's help?

There is no one else.
I'll do it.

You said I had your gift.
Let me help you.

You don't know what
you're offering.

This thing could burrow
into your spirit,

into everything that you are.
Could she die?

We don't live in
a perfect world.

You won't change her mind.

She's as stubborn as a rock.

But if she says she can help,

she can.

Whatever you see,

don't touch it.

You could strengthen it.

Don't worry.

E rongo i te ngau
o mamae nui, o mamae roa...

Ka mate ke
nga wahine kaitutae.

E rongo i te koharihari,

hei hoa haere mou.

E rongo i te ngau o mamae nui,

o mamae roa o mamae ioio uaua.

Tama Ngarengare!

Ko te kai
he kai reka maku!

What are you doing to her?

Stop it!
Make me.

Leave her be.
Make me,...

slave!

Please. Please.

She's mine now!

You cloak of shit.

What is this?
E puta e Rae.

Kia poto te wa ki a ratou.

What did you do?

You hit him, didn't you?

No.
Puta e, puta e.

He popoto te wa ki
a raua toia ki raro.

E puta e Rae.
He popoto te wa ki a...

E puta.

What is it?
Ki raro.

Careful.
E puta te wa ki a raua.

It's communicating with someone.

Toia ki raro!
E puta, e puta e Rae.

Kia ihi ki a koe!

Where's it coming from?

Under us. Underneath us.

Let's go outside
where it's a fight.

The boy?
Fuck the boy.

That thing's not giving up.

What do we do?

He can talk to the dead.

Lay hands on it with us.
No, no.

You said not to touch that
thing. I'm not touching it.

Is that all you care
about, yourself?

Yes! That's all I care about.

Such a noble warrior

Help us.

No, no, no, no, no.
You must. This is your fault.

What do I know of this thing?

Fuck!

You're not a very honourable
warrior, are you?

Just tell me what to do.

It will dig into your mind,
but don't lie to it.

If you want to find its true
name, only speak the truth.

Understand?

Not really.
Try not to die.

Oh. Hmm.

You'll die
down here, I promise.

Marama?

Finally.

Here he is, this
husband of mine.

And now I know the truth.

You are a slave.

My dishonour is complete.

Not only trapped with you
in life but trapped here,

in death, trapped
with the shame.

Now, what should I do?

Should I kill myself,

like a good wife?

No, I already did that.

That's what you should do.

Do it now.
You kill yourself now

for what you've done,
for what you are.

Do it.

You were a poor wife in life...

and not improved in death.

But I was a worse husband

far worse.

So for your dishonour,

I apologise.

What's happening?

I don't like this.

What's wrong?

What...?

What is it?

You abandoned me.

No, I didn't.
I took you with me.

The dead made you come back.

You were going to leave me here.

No.

You say I'm a liar,

but it's you who is.

Admit it.

You were going to abandon me.

You're selfish.

There is no honour in you

no honour at all.

Fine.

I was going to abandon you.

Yes,...

I am a selfish man.

I admit it.

I've done some bad things.

Too many.

You know it. I'm trying.

Please, Mehe.

Please don't leave me.

Why did you kill me, Mehe?

Why didn't you save me?

I didn't I didn't want
to. I didn't mean to.

Don't leave me again.
Father.

No. No!

No! Let me!

Why did you kill me, Mehe?

Why didn't you save me?

You did what had to be done.

To do such a thing
to my father,...

what am I?

I'm nothing.
I'm alone. I'm alone!

No, you're not.

You're here... with me.

Do you hear?

And I promise,

I won't ever leave you.

I'll never leave you alone.

Don't
listen to a slave...

hated by his own people.

Yes, I was a slave.

I admit it.

But I'm not any more.

You never were.

What is your name?

It fears you.

Argh!

Ka ngote koe i nga
u o enei kaitutae.

Who are you?
What is your tribe?

We have no
tribe! We have no tribe.

What are you? Tell me!

Maiki! We are Maiki.

Who do you serve?
You know! You know!

Say it!

Whiro!

We serve Whiro.

I saw it

the kingdom below
the edge of the world.

The Underworld?

What was it that possessed him?

Not something that
ever lived in this world.

The Maiki are creatures
who serve Whiro,

god of the Underworld.

So it's not just the dead
we fight, but a god too.

But it's you they fear.

Why?

Who did it?

Who broke the world? Whiro?

No. No, it...

No. It was my father
Te Kaiporangi Turoa.

Why would he?

But he admitted it to me.

I won't go back there.
I'll never go back to my father.

Why?

Because he's gone
completely insane.

Mother!

We need to talk!
We need to talk now!

Well?

The girl still lives. So what
do we have to talk about?

Did you know... that it was
my father who broke the world?

Who told you this?
That's not important.

What's important is
that he's the source

of this shiteating calamity.

Fool. Don't you see?

It's your destiny...

to heal the world,

to bring glory to us both...

and cut that man's throat and
offer his blood to the gods

utu for what he did to me,

for what he did to us.