Transcript: EastEnders 6 March 1995 The Television Transcript Project */EastEnders /* *Written by:* Tony McHale 6 March 1995 British Air Date: Monday, 6 March 1995. This is *probably* episode #142 (in the second numbering series--after the first 952 episodes). (Aired in Denver, CO, USA on: 8 April 1997.) *Synopsis:* Woken up and pressured about it at night, Carol reveals what she's protected her teens from: the ugly past with their fathers. But Bianca wonders if the difficulties of her childhood were as necessary as Carol says. Meanwhile, Geoff reveals what he'd put off telling Michelle: he wants to move to Scotland. Ruth and Mark wonder if life with Geoff, period, is right for Michelle. Fascinating episode. "Portakabin" is a brand name of a very small mobile home (pronounced "port-a-cabin"). The Butchers use one as an office. In Cockney English, "poxy" means inferior. A "chippie" is a fish and chips restaurant. "Ta" means thanks. A "quid" is a pound (money). "Up the spout" means pregnant. A "cow" is a bitch. A "prat" is an idiot. (Note: "eh" is usually pronounced "Ay," like the name of the letter A, especially when at end of a sentence/question. Eh?) Braces {} enclose unclear speech. CHELLE = MICHELLE = CHELLE This episode involves a lot of people talking over each other. Rather than putting, "[over her/him]," all over the place, double dashes surround speeches that overlap (partially or fully) the preceding speech. If it's a short speech, (e.g. "--Get out!--") you can bet it /completely/ overlapped into the preceding speech. Approx. 22 scenes. 12 characters: DAVID, BIANCA, MICHELLE, GEOFF, ALAN, BLOSSOM, CAROL, ROBBIE, SONIA, BILLY, MARK, and RUTH. Cast list (cast.htm 3K) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Notes:* This episode is a continuation of the night of the previous (Thursday) episode. Judging from how Mark, Ruth, Geoff, and Michelle are still up, but all of the Jacksons (except Blossom) are already in bed, I'd say it's about eleven or so. The Jacksons had gone to bed but the single people hadn't. (Pubs in Britain close at eleven fifteen, I understand.) Alan knows Carol's full story with David: seventeen years ago, Carol told David she was pregnant and he told her to get an abortion. She soon told him she did get the abortion, and she had her brothers beat him up. He left town. Carol did have his kid, though: Bianca. He never knew about Bianca until he came back to Walford permanently several months before this episode. Carol told him to not tell Bianca anything. This way, Carol had things nicely set up--except that she hadn't accounted for teens wanting to know about their past. Bianca's recently been stressed due to losing her boyfriend and best friend at once (they'd had a brief odd affair). Bianca had also lost her poxy job (at the chippie) just the night before. This night she had gone out on the town only to get very liquored up by a cretin who was going to rape her in the alley. But that was prevented by David, who saw them and rescued her in his paternal concern. Feeling confused and rejected by all of the above, Bianca had hoped for the old notion that David fancies her: she kept trying to kiss him. Well, David wants things to be good between them, but he doesn't want /this./ He blurted out that he's her father. But Bianca assumed this was another rejection: he must be lying. Earlier that night, Carol had shown some good old-fashioned, maternal psychic ability. She'd searched the square for Bianca, feeling certain something could well go wrong that night. No one else could see what the big deal was, and Carol went to bed. Mark is HIV positive. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ When I printed this, it took 36 pages. Transcribed via microcassette and copious notes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [*/EastEnders/ Intro* with theme music (time: 00:27). Intro theme: Save music (417kb mp3).] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Night. Same night as previous episode. BIANCA's walking down the street, having just left the Portakabin. DAVID, distressed, jogs after her.] DAVID Bianca. Bianca, where you going? BIANCA Anywhere. DAVID You can't wander around the streets in /this/ state.. BIANCA [stops] 'S nothing /wrong/ with me. DAVID Come on, back in/side,/ we'll have another cup of tea an' we'll talk about it. BIANCA About what?! DAVID Please, come back with me now. Please. BIANCA [incredulous] Nothing to /talk/ about.. DAVID [pause, urgent, finding the words] I know how you must feel-- BIANCA No you don't! I can't feel anything! Uh. I don't believe you ever had--my mum wouldn't sleep with you-- DAVID Well, why not? /You/ just tried.. BIANCA [insulted, walks on] DAVID [walking after her] Bianca. I'm sorry. I didn't /mean/ that. BIANCA Don't follow me. DAVID I'm sorry, darl-- BIANCA I said, "Don't follow me"! DAVID [stops, shouts, distressed] Bianca! I'm /sor/ry! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [MICHELLE's living room. GEOFF and she are on the couch, sitting in their bathrobes, talking.] CHELLE I need another /drink../ GEOFF [chuckling] Is that /all/ you can /say?/ I ask you to marry me an' y'immediately hit the bottle. CHELLE N--I don't know /what/ to say.. GEOFF [reasonable] You must have had /some/ idea I 'as gonna.. CHELLE Well that's just it: I /didn't../ I thought you'd come in here tonight to say buh-/bye../ This has come as bit of a /shock../ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Out in front of the cafe, BIANCA stopping, confused in thought, (At this hour, it's Steve's all night snack shop.)] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Very quickly, back to CHELLE and GEOFF.] GEOFF [swig of drink] So? CHELLE What.. GEOFF How do you feel, about us gettin' married? CHELLE /Ner/vous, heh. GEOFF Don't blame you. CHELLE It's just come so out o' the /blue../ GEOFF Have you got something a/gainst/ it. CHELLE What? Marriage in general? GEOFF Mm. I /know/ it would be your second time.. CHELLE No, no, no. {Noth--I don't have} nothing a/gainst/ it, I'm thrilled you /ask/ed.. GEOFF But. CHELLE [pause] I don't want to get {it wrong again..} GEOFF [quiet, serious] No. Neither do I. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Out on the street. DAVID is running. When he reaches BIANCA, she stops walking.] DAVID Bianca! Bianca, /wait!/ Please, please! BIANCA [stops] I /told/ you not to follow me. DAVID [out of breath] {It'd be tough, I'd ignored ya.} Now come back with me.. an' we'll talk about it this sensi.. BIANCA So you can turn me down again.. DAVID You /know/ why I turned you down.. BIANCA You /li/ar! [her face is tear streaked] DAVID [incredulous] Why would I /lie/ to ya?! BIANCA [pause] 'Cause you don't fancy me.. DAVID I don't fancy you because I'm your /fa/ther.. BIANCA [shouting] You're /not!/ DAVID Look. What could I do to prove to you. Eh? [angry] Tell you the time, place, an' date you were conceived! BIANCA {Go home..} DAVID Bianca. Please. Come back now.. Sober yourself up, an' we'll talk about this /sen/sibly now! [urgent] Bianca, please, come with me /now./ BIANCA Uh! Don't tell me what to do! DAVID I just want to make sure you're all right, darlin'--I.. /had/ to tell you because things had to /stop./ BIANCA What. Not good enough for ya? DAVID [urgent] Bianca. Gotta get into your thick skull: you are my /daugh/ter, whether you /like/ it or /not!/ BIANCA [sniff] Why couldn't someone've told me be/fore?/ DAVID You'll have to ask your Mum that.. BIANCA What.. DAVID /She's/ the one that didn't want you to /know--/ BIANCA Oh, you're so full of bull! DAVID It's true! It's true! Uh.. All /right,/ we'll--we'll /ask/ her.. Go an' ask her, an' see what she says.. I'm fed up about lyin' about this darlin', an' I'm fed up with keep.. keep givin' you the /wrong/ im/press/ion about me! BIANCA [inaudible] DAVID We'll go an' see, shall we? We go an' ask her.. BIANCA [quiet] {That's it?} [sigh] I'll /ask/ her. I'll go an' ask her. DAVID Good. [he's leaving] BIANCA [confused] Where you /go/ing? DAVID [comes back] I'm going to see your mum. I want to sort this out once an' for /all./ [angry] Are you /com/ing? BIANCA [calmly decides like, "oh brother," reluctantly follows him] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Back to Michelle's. CHELLE and GEOFF.] CHELLE Can't we just.. carry on.. the way things are? An' see what /hap/pens.. GEOFF [sighs] No. Not really.. CHELLE Why not.. GEOFF Because I want you to know, that as far as I'm concerned, this is for life. This is how it's gonna be forever. CHELLE Yeah, we can still do that.. GEOFF No. Things have changed.. CHELLE What.. GEOFF [breathes out] Something's come up.. CHELLE [pause] {With who..} GEOFF A job.. CHELLE So? GEOFF In Scotland.. CHELLE Scotland.. GEOFF I've been offered Chair in Modern History at Dunbarton University.. CHELLE Scotland? GEOFF Near Glasgow. CHELLE /Glas/gow.. GEOFF Yeah. CHELLE [subdued, shocked pause] Uh! Scotland. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Exterior of the Jacksons'. ALAN's come to door, irritated. BIANCA is there, DAVID is in the dark, down the entry path.] ALAN D'ya know what /time/ it is!? BIANCA I wanna see me mum. ALAN I mean, what you tryin' to do?! Wake up the whole street-- BIANCA [shouting] I don't /ca'!/ I want 'o /see/ her! ALAN [like, oh nonsense] Well, you can't; she's gone to bed. BIANCA [almost amused] Well--I'll get her /up!/ ALAN No, you /won't./ Your mum works really /hard,/ an' she needs her /sleep./ BIANCA I wanna see her /now!/ ALAN You'll see her in the /mor/nin'. DAVID [going to her] Look, just leave it, Bianca. Come on. ALAN [seeing DAVID for first time] What's all this about? BIANCA Between me and me mum. ALAN [demonstrative sniff] Well, don't you think you might want to wait 'til you've uh, [big sniff] sobered /up/ a bit. BIANCA Ta, I want to see her /now./ [walks past ALAN as he stares at DAVID] [shouts] /Mum!/ ALAN Bianca. BIANCA /*Mum!*/ [In the hall. BLOSSOM's coming over, was still up, wears a robe.] ALAN [kind of loud] Will you be /quiet?/ Everybody's in /bed!/ BLOSSOM [quiet] What's /go/ing on.. BIANCA I want to see me mum! She's /my/ mum an' I want to see her. ALAN {You won't..} BIANCA /I wanna *see* her!/ ALAN All right, all right! W--just go in there an' get some breakfast, an' sober up. I'll go an' get her-- BIANCA No /I'll get/ her-- ALAN [stops her, testy] I /said/ I'll go an' /get/ her. If you don't do as I /say,/ I'll throw you out-- BIANCA How /dare,/ "throwin' me out"! ALAN {Now hang your jacket up}-- BLOSSOM [getting BIANCA] --Come on, girl, let's get you right. DAVID [quietly to ALAN] Lis--I think I better go. BIANCA [turns, bitter] No. No you don't.. I want you /here,/ you liar. ALAN "B"-- BIANCA Well that's what he /is!/ BLOSSOM [quiet] Come on! BIANCA You're /stayin'!/ DAVID All /right./ I'm stayin'. [BLOSSOM and BIANCA go to kitchen. ALAN and DAVID stay in the hall.] ALAN [sleepy] You've /told/ her, /have/n't you. DAVID [quiet, a little smug] Alan, it had to come out sooner or later. An' tonight just happened to be the night. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Back to CHELLE and GEOFF. (In general, he keeps going back to trying to affect a breezy attitude and to blurt out things he'd planned on saying.)] CHELLE {An' you've} /taken/ it.. GEOFF I don't want 'o lose /you/ in the process.. CHELLE So you've ac/cept/ed it, then.. GEOFF Yeah.. Bu--I can, change my mind.. CHELLE What, an' stay in London.. GEOFF If you think there's a future for us, I'll do /any/thing you want. If you want to stay /here,/ we'll stay here. If you wanna, emigrate to the Isle of Wight, I'll go along--I'll uh, I'll do anything you want. I just know this is a /great/ opportunity for the both of us. CHELLE [long pause] Never /been/ to Scotland.. GEOFF You'll love it.. CHELLE What would I /do?/ GEOFF A--anything you /want!/ CHELLE I just /got/ a job.. GEOFF [offhand before a swig of his drink] Ahh!--Get another one. CHELLE [pause] Mn-ww--there's /Vick/y--I mean, she'd have to change /schools../ GEOFF [wry] Mmm-nn. Bit difficult commuting from Scotland, mmm. CHELLE Geoff, you /know/ how kids /hate/ leavin' their friends.. GEOFF Yeah, but better /now/ than /la/ter. In a few years' time, when she's started her secondary education, you /would/n't want to move her /then./ You /must/ of thought of movin' before.. CHELLE Yeah. But I could never go through with it, though.. GEOFF Life, doesn't start an' finish in the East End.. CHELLE Oh, /I/ know.. Couldn't leave my family and friends.. GEOFF [quiet, breezy] Oh! Scotland's not the other end of the /world../ [serious] I'm /really/ wantin' you to say yes, Michelle.. CHELLE {I'm not--} GEOFF Oh--oh--I'm--I'm /not/ expectin' an answer now. No, no-no-no-no--it'd be wrong of me to expect that. Ah. I'm just asking you to /think/ about it. For me. Think about--actually for /Vick/y think about it. The qu/al/ity of /life/ you could offer her up /there,/ she'd /never/ get 'round here. Look, I'm /go/ing up for a couple days--/sort out/ a few things. Why don't we /say,/ when I get back--no, no--actually--no. Just so you know you're not rushing into things, why not let's give it couple o' weeks. /Then/ give me an answer, eh? CHELLE All right, you want me to think about it for two weeks.. GEOFF Well, if the answer's /yes,/ then I'll buy the /ring/ and away we /go!/ Heh, heh. CHELLE [with gravity, wants to know] What if the answer's no? GEOFF Well, "Let me re-think." CHELLE Are you sayin' that, you'd turn the /job/ down.. Well? GEOFF [trying to be breezy] Uh, give me a couple o' weeks, I'll /tell/ you.. CHELLE No, no! Tell me /now../ GEOFF [trying to laugh] Oh Mi/chelle!/ CHELLE Oh, go on, Geoff--please. GEOFF [pauses, then, meaning it] Yes. Yes, I'd turn it down. [back to trying to be breezy] You said you wanted to know. Michelle, I promise you. You will /not want/ for /any/thing. I'll make your life as near /per/fect as it could be. CHELLE You really mean it, don't you. GEOFF Yes. I really mean it. CHELLE Thank you. [they kiss] GEOFF Look, I'm gonna get dressed an' go. [finishes drink] Because I want you, to start thinkin' about it right now. [gets up, heading for upstairs] CHELLE [follows him] Geoff? [GEOFF stops on the dark stairs (only a light from upstairs hall on them)] How long have you known? GEOFF [trying to be breezy] Oh, a few weeks. Went to the interview a couple o' months ago. CHELLE You never /said../ GEOFF Well, I just didn't think I'd /get/ it, so why rock the boat. When I found out they /want/ed me, I didn't know what to do. CHELLE Should have said. GEOFF I know.. I was scared what you'd /say./ So I kept puttin' it off an' puttin' it off until I couldn't put it off any /long/er. [chuckling a little] CHELLE Look, um, if I didn't, seem very ex/cit/ed in there-- GEOFF /Don't worry--/ CHELLE --it's just that it's come as such a /shocck../ GEOFF I understand. Two weeks, eh? CHELLE Two weeks. [they kiss] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [The Jacksons' kitchen. BIANCA, BLOSSOM, and DAVID are seated. ALAN's standing by sink. When CAROL comes in, DAVID gets up. She doesn't sit and doesn't look at him. She's got two layers of assorted long johns on and her hair's messed up and she looks tired.] CAROL [mellow] What's this all about Biancer, eh? Wake everybody up in the middle of the night. BIANCA Him. CAROL I think you can go, David. You're not welcome here. BIANCA No I want him to /stay,/ 'til you've heard what he told /me/ then you can tell him he's a /li/ar. CAROL [mellow] Ha, ha, I can tell you that now before you start it, love: he's a liar. You don't want to believe a word that he says. Good night, David. [hasn't looked at DAVID, goes to BIANCA to kiss her] BIANCA I want him to stay. CAROL Wha'? BIANCA Talk it to his /face../ CAROL Look, what/ever/ he's told you, Bianca, you want {to be keepin' it}-- BIANCA [talking over her by now] --He ain't told me somethin', all right-- CAROL --just for/get/ it! W--he's made a liviing giving bal/loon/ rides on the hot air that he's /talked--/ DAVID --Why don't you just let her speak, Carol--< CAROL I said you're not /wel/come here, David, so {what did the--I}-- DAVID --Bianca wants me to stay-- CAROL --Well I /don't!/ So get /out!--/< DAVID You're scared, aren't you-- CAROL Get out-- DAVID You're scared, you'll have {to get too ang}-- CAROL [loud, while pushing him down the hall to the door] --I said, "Get the hell"--/Alan!!/ You--throw him out--go on-- BIANCA /Mum!/ DAVID [is going, not physically resisting her much] --Bianca wants me to stay, Carol-- CAROL [loud] Well I /don't!/ So get /oo-out!/ Go /home./ BIANCA /Mum!/ ROBBIE [in robe over tee shirt, has come down stairs] What's going /on?!/ CAROL [turning from DAVID, loud] Just go back to bed, Robbie. Just go back to bed-- ROBBIE I've got /paper route/ to do in the morning! CAROL [still heated] I don't /care!/ Just go back to bed! ROBBIE It's /hard/ to try to sleep with a /riot going on!/ ALAN [collected but urgent] All right, let's stop this, now, yeah? CAROL I want him out. ALAN Look, Carol, let's /stop/ it. [to DAVID] You. In there. [DAVID goes in the living room and ALAN looks at CAROL.] CAROL What, what're you doing.. ALAN Well we're gonna hear what Bianca has to say.. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [ROBBIE goes in the kitchen, where BLOSSOM is.] ROBBIE Gran, what's goin' on? BLOSSOM I think it's about something that should be /best/ left alone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [In the living room, all four people are standing. ALAN's shut the door and stands by it. BIANCA's near him, CAROL's behind the couch, DAVID's by the window. The talk is pretty quiet at the beginning.] CAROL Look, Bianca, whatever he's /told/ you-- DAVID --Just let her speak, Carol-- CAROL --you've /gotta take/ with a pinch of DAVID [annoyingly calm] She is /old/ enough to make up her /own mind../ CAROL --Stay away from her-- DAVID Bianca? What do /you/ want, eh? CAROL [grabs for his clothes] /Get out./ [DAVID: --Honey?--] */--Get out!--/* ALAN [opens door] Look, mate. I think you better go; we can sort out {all that stek to rights}-- CAROL [grabs his clothes] */--Get out!--/* ALAN --/la/ter! DAVID [stands, angry at ALAN] Do you think this is /fun/ny. ALAN [angry, /pushes/ him on] /Def/initely not. /Get/ out, go on. ROBBIE? /*Yeah!*/ CAROL /--Yeah! Go on--/ DAVID [collected] All right. I'm going. [to BIANCA] I'll see you later, Bianca. [leaving] CAROL /--An' you *stay* away from her--jus--just *stay away* from her, eh?! You're *noth*ing to do with, you--*nothing*!--/ [door slam] CAROL [turns, sees ROBBIE and SONIA, is testy] {Sonia, what're you two--just hangin' out}--I thought I told you to /go to bed./ [She moves on--they're just looking at her.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Kitchen. CAROL comes in. Gets a big can of beer out of the 'frige and sits.] BLOSSOM You all right? CAROL No. [pops open can] [long pause] You heard. BLOSSOM The whole square heard.. CAROL [sitting, tired] {He talked, damn rat.} W-I should have /known/ he wasn't goin' to keep his mouth /shut../ [SONIA and ROBBIE have entered. ROBBIE went straight to the sink for a glass of water. SONIA's by refrigerator dumbly looking at Carol with arms crossed.] CAROL I thought I told you to go to bed. ROBBIE Well, I'm not /tir/ed. CAROL [nervous/testy] Well, can you just go an' count /sheep or robo/cops or whatever it is that makes you konk out, Robbie. ROBBIE [serious, stands near her] Mum? CAROL [pause] What? ROBBIE He's not /my/ dad, /is/ he. CAROL [pause] David? No. Hah.. ROBBIE [urgent] I want to know who--who my dad is. CAROL Why? ROBBIE Mum, I just /do!/ CAROL [pause] Robbie. Believe me, when I say, you're better off not knowing, all right? ROBBIE /Mum!/ I don't want to open up the /door/ one day an' /stan'n'/ there is Arthur Fowler sayin', "Hello, Robbie, I'm your dad!" CAROL [miserable, tired] Ohn! Don't be ridiculous. ROBBIE Well, it's no more ridiculous 'n David Wicks bein' Bi/an/ca's dad! CAROL [nice, serious] Robbie, it--it doesn't matta who your dad was, /all/ that matters is /now./ ROBBIE Mum, it may not matter to you but it matters to /mee./ CAROL [getting up] All right, all right, all right, love, whatever you /want,/ but for /now,/ I've got to go an' sort your sister out, so /go/ to bed, please. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [CAROL goes to living room. BIANCA is still in that chair. ALAN's on the couch, CAROL soon plops down by him. ROBBIE and SONIA follow her, SONIA going by the couch on ALAN's side of it. ROBBIE sitting on the arm of BIANCA's chair.] BIANCA [quiet, still in shock] {Why not tell me..} CAROL Long story. ALAN Should have told 'em. CAROL [weary, as she sits] Oh, don't start, Alan.. ALAN Loo--everyone's got a right to know who their /fa/ther is-- SONIA Well, I don't want to know.. ROBBIE /Course/ you do! SONIA No I don't! Look--Mum's /right!/ Don't mean /any/thing.. I never even /knew/ my real dad, so why should I /care/ who he is? As far as /I'm/ concerned, Alan's /my/ dad. An' I'm really pleased, yeah? [kisses his forehead, gets up] Night. [leaving for bed] ALAN Goodnight, sweetheart. ROBBIE Yeah, bu--but, well /I/ still care. BIANCA How long've you known, Alan. ALAN Not long. BIANCA Who told you-- CAROL Me. I told him. David Wicks only found out when he came back to Walford.. BIANCA [pause] What, you never told him then.. CAROL No.. When he started to follow you around like a dog on heat, I thought it best not to ignore it otherwise there might be real trouble.. ALAN Look, you should have told Biancer when you told /Da/vid-- CAROL I did what I thought was /right,/ Alan, I didn't know I was gonna get a sudden attack {if I'd've known, jus}-- ALAN --Well, you must o' known it was gonna come out /sooner/ or later!-- CAROL [jumping up] --Yeah I jus--/All right!/ I just thought it'd come out /la/ter, all right?! I thought I'd /know/ when the time was /right!!/ Uh.. I messed /up!/ Yeah? I made a mis/take!/ I'm sorry. [upset, leaves] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [CAROL comes in the kitchen. BLOSSOM's still there. CAROL looks in the refrigerator but quickly gives up that idea.] CAROL {Wanting} something /strong/er. [BLOSSOM goes to her stash in the cupboard and hands CAROL a tiny liquor bottle. CAROL thanks her silently and opens it. ALAN comes in and leans on the kitchen sink near CAROL.] ALAN Well? CAROL [drinks, turns] What? ALAN W--is that it? CAROL What d'you want me to say? ALAN Uh! Look, you can't just forget about it, Carol. CAROL [bemused] An' /why not?/ That's what I've been tryin' to do for the last seventeen years.. BIANCA [has come in, urging CAROL] Not fair, mum, you're not bein' fair. CAROL /Not fair?!/ [shouting] Shall I tell you something, young lady: /nothin'/ is fair! Do you think it was fair for me to be pregnant at fourteen?! Do you think that was fair? The sooner you learn that /"fair"/ isn't something that happens to people like us, then you have learned a /lot./ ALAN They need to know.. CAROL Know what. ALAN What /hap/pened. What their /fa/thers were like. Is that too much to ask? CAROL Yu, yeah, /yes,/ it /is/ too much to ask! ROBBIE /Why?!/ CAROL It just /is!/ BIANCA I knew Sonia's dad. Didn't know me own.. CAROL [tired] Uh! What /diff/erence does it make? BIANCA I /can't/ believe you never /told/ me.. CAROL [pause] Shall I tell you why I didn't tell ya? Mm? BIANCA Yes. CAROL [quiet, daring, in BIANCA's face] Because David Wicks was just somebody I went with. That was it: No Big Deal. BIANCA Ya must o'-- CAROL An' so I'm sayin', "So what?"! It doesn't mean he has any /right/ over you, does it?! I mean, it doesn't mean he can just come /strol/lin' in here after all this time an' start playin' /Dad/dy!! /Be/cause if it does then I've got something, /seriously/ wrong here! BIANCA He must o' meant /some/thing to ya.. CAROL [pause, looking at floor] I was a Kid, Bianca. He meant, /noth/ing. An' he means even less to me now-- [looking at her] I mean if he was to go walking across that square tonight, get /hit/ by a ten ton truck, the only person--the /only/ person--I'd feel sorry for is the /road/ sweeper who'd have to clean up the mess. [BILLY came in a few seconds before and had got a drink out of the 'fridge.] CAROL [quiet] Come on little man, let's get you to bed. BLOSSOM [getting up] It's all right. I'll see to him. [leaves with BILLY] CAROL Thank you, Blossom. All right, I think we should all go to bed, uh. Some of us have got work in the morning. [No one's moving, though.] BIANCA [quiet] Mum.. CAROL [quiet, tired] Too late.. BIANCA Eh? ROBBIE [urgent] I wanna /know/ about my /dad./ CAROL [earnest] I've told you all you need to know, Robbie! ROBBIE No, you /have/n't, Mum! You /have/n't told me! What was he /like?!/ CAROL You've lived this long not knowin', why can't we just leave it at that? ALAN You can't /say/ that Carol. CAROL I can if I want. ALAN Not now. I mean--they need to know! CAROL [angry] What? What pre/cisely/ do they need to know! BIANCA [very quiet] {Well, where my dad wasn't there while I was, growin' up.} CAROL [very quiet] {???} You tell me.. BIANCA [very quiet] Why didn't my dad want me? CAROL [touched] You think he didn't /want/ you? BIANCA Yeah. CAROL [touched] No! No, it had nothing to /do/ with /you!/ It was to do with /me!/ It was /me,/ that he didn't /like../ [to both of them] It wa--it was /me/ they left, not /you../ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Michelle's. MARK and RUTH coming in quickly.] MARK I'll make some tea! RUTH Oh, /I'll/ get it! MARK You sure? RUTH Yeah. MARK I'll see what's on telly. RUTH {All right.} ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Entering living room, MARK finds CHELLE sitting on the couch, in thought. He sits on the desk chair.] MARK What are you doin'? CHELLE Thinking.. MARK You all right? Somethin' happen? CHELLE Sort of.. MARK What? CHELLE [pause] Geoff's asked me to marry him. MARK [relishing, pleased] Yeah--I /knew/ it. CHELLE What's /fun/ny? MARK Uh, nothing--I--I just /knew/ it, that's all. When's the big day? CHELLE Dunno.. MARK You turned 'im down? CHELLE No, no. MARK /So?/ CHELLE I didn't tell him anything yet.. MARK You didn't /rush,/ ah? CHELLE You think he's too /old/ for me, di'n't ya? MARK [wry] Yes, I /dooo,/ but I once lived with a woman twice my age an' I had a /whale/ of a time. Anyway, look on the /bright/ side: things don't work out, I hear the di/vor/ce laws are pretty good in this country.. CHELLE Givin' me a couple o' weeks to think about it. MARK Now, /why/ doesn't that surprise me? CHELLE What? MARK Mn--I don't know, he's just.. he's never /struck/ me as the sort of bloke who does things on the spur of the /mo/ment, that's /all../ Know what you're gonna say? CHELLE Thought I did. When he /ask/ed me, even though I was feelin' really.. you know, /flat/tered, I thought I knew ex/act/ly what I was gonna say.. MARK You /like/ him, di'n't ya? CHELLE Oh, yeah, yeah.. MARK So, go for it.. CHELLE [pause] Not that /sim/ple.. MARK Why not? CHELLE Well.. He's movin' to /Scot/land.. He wants me to go with him. MARK /Scot/land?! CHELLE Yeah. MARK What's he goin' to /Scot/land for? CHELLE Got a job up there, I mean, it.. It'd be a new /start../ Be great for Vicky.. MARK [preoccupied] Scotland.. CHELLE It'd be a chance, for me to forget everything that's happened here.. MARK [looking down] Forget about /us../ CHELLE Oh, don't be daft, I mean, you'd come up an' visit, wouldn't ya? MARK /Yeah../ CHELLE {Well!} Ya see, an' on the holidays I'd come down /here!/ Ya see, when I /think/ about it like this, I don't even know why I'm /ner/vous.. MARK Right. Well, you gotta do it, 'i'n't ya? CHELLE Really? MARK Nyea! Like you /said:/ great opportunity. CHELLE You really think I should marry him? MARK [going to her] If it was /me,/ proposed to under /those terms, I'd/ have to seriously think about it. [sits by her on the couch] You've got a great chance, here, Michelle. Might not come by again. Go for it. Get away. CHELLE [has been looking at him vaguely puzzled, tries to smile nice] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Jacksons' living room. CAROL's quietly talking about the past. Others are quiet when they talk, too. CAROL's on the chair, BIANCA and ALAN on the couch, ROBBIE at BIANCA's feet on the floor. Everyone's tired and in shock but as invested in learning/listening as you'd expect.] CAROL David never even knew ya. Right until he came back to Walford, he never knew you existed. BIANCA {You should have} told him.. CAROL No. Never told him. He just went /off,/ I thought I'd never /see/ him again.. BIANCA Should have said something, {to his Mum, or have /told/ me..} CAROL Seemed no point in tellin' who your dad was if he was never goin' to be a/round../ BIANCA You /should/ 'ave.. CAROL [pause] Bianca. {It turn--just gone for} what was /right../ {What if you jus'} didn't wanna know.. I want him out of my life an' out o' yours. Now Robbie's dad-- ROBBIE [quiet, urgent] Did he run off as well? CAROL [pause, quiet] Yeah. He took a shine to a girl even younger'n /I/ was.. Haven't seen him since. The only good thing about Gary is he managed to get us a /Coun/cil flat.. BIANCA I remember Sonia's dad.. CAROL /Ter/ry? BIANCA You an' he 'as always /ar/guing.. CAROL [angry, ironic, yet oddly cool] Yeah, 'cause he was always knocking me around.. BIANCA Is that why he left.. CAROL Noo.. He just up and went, takin' anything that wasn't nailed to the floor.. ALAN {Is this, you say?} CAROL {So you /can/ give 'im that..} ROBBIE [urgent] An' /my dad/ didn't hit /you../ CAROL [pause, regretful for ROBBIE] No, got to give Gary that--never hit me. Sleep with uh, thirteen year old little girls. Fourteen year /olds,/ fifteen year /olds,/ when--if he /had/ to, /six/teen year olds. Bu' no, he never hit me. He'd /buy/ 'em things like uh, like a [sigh] gym slip, or a, pencil case maybe. Huh. An' if he /real/ly liked 'em he'd get 'em /nice/ pretty little /doll/ies.. An' he gave /me/ a couple 'o quid to feed you an' Bianca.. [bitter] We were /strug/gling to make ends meet when.. /bits/ on the side were gettin' uh, uh, annual subscriptions to /Jack/ie? You /see/ why I didn't tell you about them. Eh? Now /I/ thought I done a Pretty Good Job o' pro/tec/tin' you from 'em. I knoow, I've not been the best mum in the world, I /know/ that.. I've /al/ways /fed/ an' clothed ya, an' /that's/ what I thought was im/port/ant.. [urging] Your /fa/thers were /my/ mistakes, not yours.. [resentful] An /you/ shouldn't have to put up with 'em, an' /up/ 'til now you haven't /had/ to.. [During that, camera slowly panned from ALAN, tired, sympathetic and slightly questioning, to BIANCA and ROBBIE, mostly numb/sad. (A tear went down BIANCA's cheek.)] CAROL [serious] I still don't think I did wrong. I still don't think that. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Michelle's house. CHELLE and MARK on the couch. CHELLE's getting up.] CHELLE See you in the morning. MARK Is what you told me top secret? CHELLE [stops] Well, I'd rather tell Mum an' Dad meself, yeah. MARK Yeah. CHELLE Can tell Ruth, though. RUTH [coming over, amused] Tell Ruth /what../ CHELLE Oh, it's, not that important. MARK [thoughtful, regretful] Yeah, I'm not so sure. CHELLE [as she leaves] Night. MARK and RUTH Night. RUTH [sitting down] Well? MARK You'll never guess what. RUTH Geoff's proposed. MARK You've been listenin' out in kitchen, haven't ya-- RUTH Noo! I wasn't! It's /ob/vious.. She accepted? MARK Not yet. She hasn't turned him down. He's givin' her a couple o' weeks to think it over. RUTH Oh.. He seems the type that'd want a pre-managed contract. Listen, if we split up, you can get the playpen an' I'll have the {flash lights} okay? MARK You don't think she should marry him.. RUTH [smiling pause] No. An' you? [MARK shakes head no] I mean, he's a /nice guy/ an' everythin' but.. I can't see Michelle endin' her days with him.. I mean, when she's in her /fort/ies, he'll be in his /seven/ties? I don't think it's a good idea.. MARK You don't know the /worst/ of it. He wants 'em to move up in /Scot/land with him. RUTH Uh! /Scot/land? MARK Start a new /life./ RUTH Listen, I've /nothing bad/ to say about Scotland, but, it's a /hell/ o' a long way from /Wal/ford.. MARK /Tell/ me about it.. RUTH If I know Michelle.. She loves her /fam/ily.. I don't think she can survive with/out/ them.. MARK Can we survive without /her../ RUTH You e/spec/ially.. MARK Especially me.. RUTH [pause] {I know wha' you mean}.. she was always goin' to /be/ there? When things get a bit tough.. MARK [quiet] Yeah.. RUTH Oh, I can under/stand/ that.. MARK You know that /night/mare.. Scene in the hospice.. /Al/ways saw it with Michelle.. RUTH I know.. MARK Thought of--not bein' around.. RUTH Whaa? MARK [big sigh] /Scare/s me. Really /scares/ me. [sighs] RUTH What did you /tell/ her.. MARK [poignant, resigned] To /marry/ him! Go to /Scot/land. What /else/ could I say. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [The Jacksons' hallway. CAROL's sitting, worn-out and lost in thought, on the stairs. ROBBIE tired, sad, leans on wall, looking at floor. They're quiet.] CAROL [truthful] I never wanted you to /know/ {all of that..} ROBBIE Never mind, Mum. Makes no difference.. /You/'re my mum, an' that's all that /mat/ters.. CAROL Thanks Robbie.. ROBBIE Off to bed, all right? I love you. [kisses her and is slowly going upstairs, past her] [CAROL sighs in relief/tiredness, slowly gets up.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Kitchen. CAROL comes in and absently wipes the table. BIANCA comes in, just standing there, tired but determined on a question.] BIANCA [quiet] Mum. CAROL [pause, quiet] I'm just tidying up an' then I'm going to get into bed. BIANCA [quiet] Why did David leave you? CAROL Told ya.. BIANCA You ain't.. CAROL Bianca, [quiet, indecipherable] BIANCA [puts CAROL's hand off her arm, stays standing determined but quiet] I just wanna /know,/ why he left. ALAN [comes in, passing her to sit down] Drop it, "B." BIANCA No. [turning to CAROL] We've all been hearin'.. how badly /she's/ been treated through all this.. Just want to see if it was one way /traf/fic.. I /mean,/ accordin' to /her,/ you just put a foot wrong-- CAROL I never /said/ that. BIANCA Yes you did-- CAROL No, look, I was no /an/gel, but I never de/sert/ed you! BIANCA [quiet] Oh, an' David did? CAROL /Yes,/ he did. BIANCA Why? CAROL He just /did./ BIANCA [pause] Like I said, never your fault. CAROL {Don't know him.} BIANCA Just want to know /why/ he walked /out/ on ya. Why have I spent my /life/ without a father? ALAN Thanks "B." CAROL [sitting on chair] Huh! Come /off/ it, Alan! I mean we {don't even have the same /name!/} CAROL [heated] He's been a damn sight better father than your David Wicks ever was! BIANCA He never had a /chance, did/ he? CAROL [admitting] No, I, that's--that's true, it's true.. BIANCA Didn't /want/ him, did ya? CAROL [testy] Do you wanna know /why/ he left, eh? BIANCA [quiet, earnest] Yeah. CAROL He left because /my/ brothers beat the living /day/lights out of him--/that's/ why he left! BIANCA [quiet, sad] Thought so. CAROL [emphatic] /Hap/py now?! Can we /drop/ it?! [turns away, looking down at sink] BIANCA [quiet] You just /told/ me the /truth../ {An' Dav}--I /knew/ he wouldn't o' just walked /out/ on ya.. A /li/ar, aren't ya.. [sniff, quiet] Yeah, he would o' looked /af/ter me.. CAROL [facing the sink, quietly snide] Yeah, yeah, I've been such a /bad/ mum. BIANCA [sudden, loudly objecting] Stop bein' so /clev/a! CAROL I'm not bein' clever! I'm just a/gree/in' with you, aren't I?! BIANCA [loud, wronged] Why don't you just ad/mit!/ You /messed/ up your life an' you /messed/ up /mine!/ CAROL [quiet, turns around, amazed] That what you think? BIANCA [quiet] Suppose so. CAROL [amazed, getting snotty] Don't you? You think if David Wicks 'ad been around, it would all have been /dif/ferent? Thought we'd had a, palace with butlers an', women to take our laundries out? That what you think? That it's All My Fault because I just so happened to send the /man/ who got me up the /spout pack/ing? BIANCA [wet eyes, squinting at her] Yeah. CAROL W-shall I tell you what I think? I think you're one /sel/fish /stuupid/ little /cow.. Yes: you../ Don't you start on at /me/ about your /high/ an' /might/y David Wicks, your clearly wonderful /prat/ of a /fa/ther! [high voice, mocking] Oh, you think he would a stood /by/ you in thick an' /thin,/ an bought you a /po/ny for your /birth/day? Is that what you think? BIANCA [very slightly nodding, staring at air, resolved. During the next, grows more resolved, getting an exquisite but ugly look: chin out, wronged, refusing to look at anything but the air] CAROL That's /rub/bish. An' /you know/ it. He, /never/ cared for you. Huh! You?! You--you were just something that came along after the--that excited /gro/pin' an' /fumb/lin' down by the can/al!/ It was /me/ that brought you up, /me/ that /Fed/ an' /Clothed/ ya! /Me/ that went out to work all the hours god sent to make ends meet! /*Me,*/ that gave up /ev/erything! Can't you get it out of your thick head it's /David Wicks/ who messed up an' /not *me!*/ BIANCA [instantly stands, shouting back] /Yeah! Because you're so *per*fect, i'n't ya?!/ You've never put a /foot/ wrong! /It's *ne*ver *your* fault!/ CAROL [calmer] No, that's not true, {honest.} [suddenly /really/ heated spewing] Honest--/if I ever *knew,* I should never 'ave *both*ered!/ {/*Never lied 'n' never had yous at all!*/} [BIANCA, still resolute, still with wet eyes, quickly leaves without a word. CAROL listens. The door slams. CAROL puts her head down, crying, feels crushed--like she blew it.] -boom- -boom- -boom-boom- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ [show's time: 27:00] [*Credit Roll* with theme music. Long version of exit theme: Save music (1mb mp3).] [time: 00:30; total with intro and credits: 27:57] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Return to the Television Transcript Project email Last Updated: 1 March 1998 This fan page is *for curiosity and fun* and is not intended to infringe on any copyright nor to encourage such. 1 [x] close This Page is an outdated, user-generated website brought to you by an archive.It was mirrored from Geocities at the end of October, 2009. For any questions concerning this page try to contact the respective author. (To report any malicious content send the URL to oocities(at gmail dot com). For question about the archive visit: OoCities.org .