Underground (2016–2017): Season 1, Episode 6 - Troubled Water - full transcript

- Previously on Underground...
- You were right.

I ain't made for running.

Will you tell Noah for me?

You want to help,
you think on that song.

Yeah.

It speaks of the wolf who will

drag you into the underworld.

She's just a simple girl.

I see what kind of trouble Rosalee is.

Run!

This whole mess cannot
have come at a worse time



for my campaign, especially
with the reverend arriving soon.

You sold my wife.

The worst day
of that man's life was just

another Tuesday at the office for me.

You made a mistake.

But God has given us
the opportunity to fix that now.

Dear Mr. Still,

thank you for your last letter.

It gives John and I great joy
to know your business

in Philadelphia is thriving.
Our lives here are filled

with excitement as well.
I am pleased to report

in the last three weeks, our new nursery

has come along nicely.
John and I have a strong vision

of what to do with the space.



Of course, one never knows
just how small a room can be

until you find a big purpose for it.

We pray to God
that one day soon, this room

is put to full use within
that beautiful purpose.

When it is, one worries
if it will be enough.

It's daunting to think
how much is involved

in caring for another human being.

But we try to anticipate.

To open our hearts.

To prepare for the arrival
of a new soul.

So much is unknown.

Who will they be?

How will they challenge us?

What struggles will they face?

Perhaps there's no way to truly
prepare, and that's scary.

But that is not why we do it,
I suppose, for it to be easy.

We do it because we are compelled

to build a safe world for those we love.

And because of the joy
we'll feel in giving another

a happy and healthy life.

I look forward to your next
correspondence.

It means all the world to me.

Sincerely, Elizabeth.

You writing your ma?

Yes, sir.

Good things?

Do you think we'll pass a post soon?

Runaways usually steer clear of towns.

We're following along the river.

We'll catch 'em soon enough.

He's got a shotgun!

Run!

We lost him.

What happened?

You trying to get us killed? Huh?

Hey, hey.
What the hell is wrong with you?

Going off by yourself?

I was trying to get us some food.

By begging a white man?

I checked him out
'fore I went to his door.

We got enough problems
with that catcher doggin'

our every step. We don't
need no more attention.

Man, all I can think about is food.

We've had nothing to eat
for weeks. I'm so hungry...

Hey, we all hungry.
And thirsty. And tired.

But you whining about it
don't help nothing.

We ain't gonna make it like this.

We going in the right direction.

No, we been following
this drinking gourd

and this blue haze.

We ain't seen no sign of no wolf.

Maybe the song ain't the way.

Hey, you want to go back, then go.

Ain't nobody gonna stop you.

Y'all hear that?

It's a boat. Maybe...
maybe they got something to eat.

A shotgun in your face
ain't enough to teach you

the white folks
ain't gonna give you nothing?

Then we take it.

We can't attack 'em.

She right... we only got one bullet.

They don't know that.

No, I mean, they ain't
done nothing to us.

You got to harden up, house girl.

You said it yourself...

we can't last like this.

Noah.

We ain't got nothing left to lose.

It's us or them.

It's not so much about
faith as it is fervor.

I heard a New York senate candidate

is a Quaker.

Quaker's not a religion.
It's a philosophy.

They, uh, they have, uh,
meetings instead of worship.

It's blasphemy
to hear them speak of God.

The lighting in here

- is perfect.
- Mm-hmm.

If you would be so...

so gracious as to lend your office.

I-I'll have the desk

removed right away.

P-Please, Reverend, sit.

Ah.

Oh, not now.

I see that you are

an avid reader of the Word.

Yes, I-I try to read passages
to the family every Sunday.

I do... I want to be a moral leader

as much as a political one.

Goddamn it, get it out!

And your slaves?

Do you read from the
Good Book to them as well?

From time to time.

Time to time. Perhaps if you had

a few more times,

seven of 'em wouldn't have run away.

You want to be a moral leader?

That begins...

at home.

I will not rest until it's achieved.

Get your asses off!

Do what he says!

Go!

Come here, come here. Come here. No! No.

Show me how you steer this. How you...

Drop your weapons
to the side of the boat!

Your weapon...

to the side of the boat. Come on.

You, inside... get out the cabin, now.

Get out here.

Ben.

They move, shoot 'em.

Now, put 'em on.

Put 'em on.

Slow.

Where's Rosalee?

Where's she at?

Aah!

Take the shot. Take the shot!

She can't swim.

He the only thing keeping her afloat.

No!

Look, there she is!

Aah!

Bitsy. May I come in?

Of course.

You've finished construction?

I've seen the men coming in and out.

We had to pull the floorboards up.

I couldn't get the blood out.

And how have you been, since...

Good.

Bitsy. That's the same "good"
I got after Charles Bradley

told everyone
you showed him your knickers.

You can talk to me.

I've been keeping busy
as not to think about it.

But there have been nightmares.

If there's one place you're
supposed to feel safe,

it's in your own home, right?

You are safe. I have been

- keeping diligent watch.
- Marshal.

To what do we owe the pleasure?

This is not a social visit, I'm afraid.

I'm here on official business.

A visiting tobacco farmer

spotted one of his runaways in town.

He evaded capture and has since
been seen in the area.

We're mounting a search.

You know, in this stretch of the river,

there's not many places to hide.

Just a few abandoned barns

and, uh, your home.

Can you grab your gun?

I don't own a gun.

Federal commissioners
have given us broad authority

to compel any and all citizens

to aid us in our search.

What do you mean by compel?

John Hawkes.

Under the powers
of the Fugitive Slave Act,

I'd like to welcome you

into the service
of the Marshal's office.

God has a plan for all of us.

And if we follow that plan,
it will lead us to salvation.

Massa, the baby's come.

It's a boy.

I knew it.

A blessing.

What shall we call this child?

Hmm. Samuel.

It's a good Christian name.

It takes more than nomenclature
to make a good Christian.

A baptism is the first step
of the faithful.

Of course.

And not just baby Samuel

but all my slaves as well.

I want the whole of the Macon Plantation

be brought closer to God.

Tomorrow's Sunday.

As good a day as any
to be accepted into His grace.

One Lord. One truth.

One baptism.

It shall be done.

Oh, yes.

Pardon, massa,
the river water's still cold.

Might be baby Samuel ain't strong enough

for it yet.

He's plenty strong. He's a Macon.

Pa!

Ain't nothing.

Get my other shirt.

What we gonna do now if
they're in the water?

I broke that rudder.

Means they can't steer the boat.

Means the end of the line's
the next bend in the river.

Come on out!

Don't shoot.

Don't shoot.

I fell off the boat.

You know, I washed down shore.

Got all wet.

I heard y'all talkin'.

You know, I could show you
where the river bends.

There's a tavern that's right near it...

We can find it on our own.

Wait.

No, no, no, no, no. You...
you got to take me with you.

This here's Indian territory.

And I heard about what
they done to captives.

Them cutting off their scalps.

And their other parts.

Please.

We can't just leave her.

She rides with you.

We'll cut through Indian territory,

get to the bend before they run ashore.

Here you go, miss.

Well, aren't you just
my knight in shining armor.

We have no food.

Nothing to drink.

No rudder.

And this boat ain't nothin'
but a floating casket.

How you know how to swim?

Massa taught me.

- He teach all his house slaves?
- No.

Miss Mary was afraid of the water.

Massa threw me in.

Showed her it was safe.

You weren't scared?

No need to be.

Massa was holding me the whole time.

He wasn't gonna let me go.

Ain't no food in here.

Ain't much of anything to wear, either.

The hell's going on?

Underneath is somebody!

Please!

Don't hurt me! Don't hurt me!

What are we gonna do with him?

Toss him overboard!

- Wait-wait-wait! Listen, listen....
- Shut your mouth!

Y'all are runaways, right?
Trying to get north?

I can help. I know a man.

A half-Injun at the
base of the mountains.

He'll help your kind.

He'll... he'll take you to freedom.

If you let me live,
I'll show you the way.

I'll show you the way.

I'll show you the way.

We'll break off into teams of two,

scouring the area north of the river.

Now, we suspect there might be someone

aiding runaways in the area.

We find anyone helping him...

white or black... you know
what we do with their kind.

There's a man out there, scared, alone,

about to fight for his life,
and look at them...

they're excited.

John... you have to.

I don't have to do
anything... if I refuse

and Kyle arrests me, I'll pay the fine.

It'll be well worth it
not to be involved in this.

And it'll only increase his suspicions.

He doesn't have any proof.

I don't think these men need it.

Just show them you're the kind of man

that puts the law above all else.

The last time I did that, I sold
a woman away from her husband.

You didn't tell me you
were having nightmares.

My nightmares and your principles

don't matter anymore.

We have to do whatever it takes
to protect our cargo.

John?

You with us?

So, where are y'all coming from?

Georgia. We're huntin' runaways.

Y'all and everyone else.

I swear, every catcher in the country

come through that tavern talkin'
about that Macon 7 reward.

I even heard Patty Cannon gang's here.

Who's the Patty Cannon gang?

You ain't never heard of Patty Cannon?

She run, like,
a whole outfit of catchers!

Some of them niggers, too, but
they're the best of the best.

How do you know that they're the best?

Well, they always got
the most scratch to pay for...

particulars.

My pa already brought in

two of 'em, and we're gonna get

the rest of 'em down at the river bend.

Was that them that attacked
Miss Dilly's gunboat?

What's wrong?

What the hell is that?

Watch out!

Ben, hush up. Put it away.

First that damn song, now
some magical Indian our savior?

Boy, you want freedom
so bad you're willing

to swallow any tale they feed you.

I done heard about Indians
sheltering people like us.

Yeah, but they own slaves, too,
and the way the white folks

- talk about...
- Same way they talk about us?

I ain't ready to give up yet.

- If there's a chance...
- Ain't nobody gonna help us.

We out here alone, and that's all

we ever been and ever gonna be.

Now we fashion up some weapons,

- fight it out...
- It's a waste of time.

- There's three of us.
- They got guns.

We ain't got no more bullets.

That's because you used
the last one to save her ass.

She can swim us to shore.

We-we just use the whiskey barrels,

and they'll help us

keep us afloat.

House girl ain't strong enough.

- The current'll drag us under.
- She can do it!

Noah... You can do it.

You got to.

Might be this our only hope.

Y'all threatened that man's life.

He gonna say anything to save himself.

- We can't trust what he says.
- You don't have to trust him.

You got to trust me.

I'm gonna get us to freedom.

If we can't find those Indians,
we keep following the song.

You know what I think
about your damn song?

The same thing I think about your girl.

Hell, the same thing
I think about this redneck.

They all useless!

What are you doing?

- Not in the house.
- Ooh, is that my whiskey

- I taste?
- Never in the house.

Later in the wine cellar.

No. Now.

I haven't touched you since
the reverend got here.

I say when, I say where, always.

This is my house, and I make the rules!

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

All right?

I'm sorry.

It's the reverend.

You see, there's no pleasing him.

Nothing I do is working. Please?

Can we just, for a moment, let go?

Stop.

Please.

I talked to a boat captain.

Rained recently.

Based on the current,
he says that the...

boat'll likely...

get here at first light.

I'm gonna grab some shut-eye

before heading out to keep watch.

- That should give you enough time.
- For what?

To get to know each other.

What do I say?

Doesn't matter much what.

As long as you say it with confidence.

Is that how you courted Ma?

With confidence?

Took me a long while to muster
up the courage to speak to her.

Lucky for you, she spoke first.

Here she come.

Hey there, Ben.

What you been up to?

You know, I was thinking
maybe we could take apart

some of those lanterns
that I found in the cabin,

make us some knives.

I have to finish this.

Ain't no way Rosalee gonna
pull us all to shore.

We gonna have to fight. Mr. Cato was...

Damn it, you ain't got
to call him Mr. Cato no more.

We off the plantation.

We don't stand a chance
against them guns.

Pick us off before
we even get off the boat.

You said it. We got nothin' to lose.

You thinkin' of jumpin' ship?

- Thought I saw somethin' in the trees.
- Mmm.

These your first stripes, ain't they?

Master must've

taken a liking to you
to keep you so clean.

That catcher doggin' us,

calling you out by name.
And I think I know why.

Daddy want his little
girl back, don't he?

Oh, you can't swim us to
shore. You can't save us.

That catcher ain't gonna leave
us alone as long as you with us.

You gonna sink us, house girl.

Everybody out there in the fields,

they think they want to be
in the big house.

Closer you are
to the white folks, the better.

Safer.

What they don't know

is that livin' in they world,
it starts to change you.

We start actin' like them.

Do things we never thought we could.

Pearly Mae,

she picked cotton

out in that field all day,

every day,

and I was jealous of her.

The massa own her from sunup to sundown,

but after that, she had her man

and her baby.

She could read.

She could escape.

We don't never get to let go.

I kilt her.

I'd rather be out in that field.

But the house is the only way
I know how to protect 'em.

My babies.

I'd do anything for them.

God have to forgive any sin
for that, don't he?

Oh.

What are you doing here?

You paid for me.

For my boy.

With them Indians.

I ain't never seen
nothin' like that before.

I thought they was gonna kill you.

I have to know what that was.

A tribal ritual.

They got my blood on their spears,

they know I'm not an enemy to be feared.

Well, you sure did
fool them, didn't you?

Go downstairs.

I talked to him like you asked.

He told me about your sick wife.

My momma,

God rest her soul, she was sick
a long time before she passed.

And I was the only one
there to take care of her.

I know the burden...

of that.

And...

the burden

of feelin' like it's a burden
on top of that.

They're bedridden.

But you're the one...

who feels trapped.

When all you want to do

is scream

and run wild.

To release the pain.

The day my momma died

was the best day of my life.

My mind keeps wandering
back to, uh, that night.

How those men got into your house.

There were no signs of forced entry.

As lawmen, we are trained
to consider every angle.

Such as?

Perhaps you invited them in.

You think that I would invite
that into my home?

I think you're a man of principles.

I just hope you wouldn't
endanger Elizabeth for them.

Your concern for my wife is noted.

I'm sure in the capital
there are lofty debates

on every corner about the rights
of man and the arc of justice.

But down here, on the ground, it's real.

It's dangerous.

You now know firsthand how
desperate these runaways can be.

It's us or them.

Hold up.

Stop!

Clyde?

Help me.

I'm taking my letter for ma to the post.

Be at the river bend after.

Kyle.

Kyle, can you hear me?

It's okay.

You're safe.

You remember what happened?

The runaway.

He got us both.

Then I'm afraid he got away.

And the rest of the posse?

Still on the hunt.

They're headed westward.

I need to get back.

Thank you.

For the save.

I was compelled.

But you were right.

Down here, on the ground,

it is us versus them.

You saved his life.

That should buy us some
respite from speculation.

Hopefully.

I was just heading to the post.

A normal morning.

I never expected to find
my old massa just staring at me.

I had imagined
a thousand different things

I'd do to him
if I ever saw him once more.

None of them included running again.

I had just

assumed you were a free man.

I am a free man.

We should head out.

We can make it up to Ripley
before nightfall.

Last words of Jesus

"He that believeth

and is baptized shall be saved."

Today will be the beginning

of your new life with him.

Your sins shall be washed away.

You may give yourself,

mind and body to the Lord.

Do you accept

the one true God into your heart,

to honor and obey him
for the rest of your days?

In the name of the Father, the Son

and the Holy Ghost, I cleanse you.

Do you accept the one true God
into your heart,

to honor and obey him
for the rest of your days?

I do.

Know I have seen you, Jezebel.

Amen.

Always follow the hands, not the eyes.

The eyes can lie.

You ain't have to cut me.

Oh, they gonna do that and worse,

you don't do it to 'em first.

Rose, the raft's finished.

She gone.

Looks like the house girl
finally got sick of being dirty

- with the rest of us field niggers.
- What did you do?

- Nothin'.
- Y'all was arguing last night.

And I ain't sad to see her go,

but that don't mean I had a hand in it.

I ain't no fool.

You did somethin', just
like you did to Zeke.

I ain't believe for one second
them catchers just got him.

Oh, you wish they would, huh?
That was your plan, right?

To sacrifice one of us
to save the preacher man

and his girl?

Zeke's on you.

You touch her again, you touch
her, I'll kill you, see?

Noah, stop it.

Come on. Come on! She gone.

She gone. Ain't nothing
we can do about it.

We need him.

She ain't just leave.

Even she knew your plan ain't shit.

That girl gave up on you.

Morning.

What's your business here?

I suspect the same as you.

Waiting for a pay day to float this way.

Miss Jubilee, that pretty young thing,

was kind enough to share with me
the nature of your acquaintance.

And seeing how the price

of those Macon niggers'
heads is so high,

I thought I'd come out here
and introduce myself.

Name's Jeremiah Johnson.

I hope you don't mind,
I brought some friends along.

See, we've heard your name, Mr. Pullman,

and your reputation does proceed you.

Now I see this going one of two ways.

One... we can shoot it out, the
outcome of which seems obvious.

Seems obvious to me.

Or two, we could work together,

apprehend these runaways
and split the bounty.

There's plenty enough to go around.

And besides, Patty likes to say,

"There is no greater waste of bullets

than using them on white folks."

BEN Pa? There's

a telegram from Jay
at the post. It's Ma.

She's missin' from the hospital.

Looks like a third option
has presented itself.

Hyah. Come on.

Hyah.

Gee.

Hollander. Hollander, what happened?

Risdin and his...

...posse.

They got Clyde.

John, what are you doing?

Whatever it takes.

Noah. Noah.

Hot damn, that's some luck.

That ain't no luck.