The Handmaid's Tale Page #6

Season #1 - Episode #1

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A long beat. There is a knock at the door.

OFFRED (V.O.)

The knock is prescribed. This room

is her domain. It’s a little

thing, but in this house, little

things mean everything.

SERENA JOY:

Come in.

The Commander opens the door. He is dressed in his black

uniform. He looks over the assembled group.

COMMANDER:

Good evening.

(and then, to Serena Joy)

Dear.

He smiles. Almost warmly. She nods in return. He pulls out

a key on a brass ring.

COMMANDER (CONT’D)

Then let’s get started.

A polished wooden box sits on the table beside his chair.

The commander uses the key to unlock the box. Extracts a

King James BIBLE, opens to a marked passage.

Clears his throat.

COMMANDER (CONT’D)

Excuse me.

(reading)

And when Rachel saw that she bare

Jacob no children, Rachel envied

her sister, and said unto Jacob,

Give me children or else I die...

He continues reading in V.O. As we --

CUT TO:

"Pilot" 11/29/15 29.

INT. WATERFORD HOUSE - SERENA JOY’S BEDROOM - LATER

CLOSE ON OFFRED’S FACE. We can hear a soft GRUNTING. Offred

moves a bit, in the same rhythm.

COMMANDER (V.O.)

And she said, Behold my maid

Bilhah, go in unto her...

PULLING BACK, we reveal that Offred is lying between Serena

Joy’s open legs.

Serena Joy lies, fully clothed, on her outsized Colonial four-

poster bed. She holds Offred’s hands, pulling them back

awkwardly.

Offred’s red skirt is hitched up to her waist. No higher.

COMMANDER (V.O.)

...and she shall bear upon my knees

that I may also have children by

her. And she gave him Bilhah her

Handmaid to wife, and Jacob went

unto her.

Below that, the Commander fucks Offred. Methodically. With

monotonous exertion.

ON OFFRED. Her back hitting against Serena Joy’s pubic bone.

Trying not to wince. Her face blank.

ON THE COMMANDER, pumping. Dutifully. He glances at Offred

for a moment. She avoids eye contact.

ON SERENA JOY. Pained. She grips Offred’s wrists tightly,

digs her nails in.

ON OFFRED -- What lesson is God teaching her?

The Commander grunts softly.

Serena Joy twists Offred’s wrists PAINFULLY, contorting her

into a posture that looks like sadomasochistic bondage.

Offred bites back a moan. The Commander grunts loudly and

COMES.

Offred looks relieved.

The Commander rests for a beat. Then he steps back and pulls

up his pants. Neatens his clothes.

He nods formally, then leaves.

The door CLOSES.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 30.

CONTINUED:

Offred is left entangled with Serena Joy. They lay there for

a beat, then Serena Joy roughly extracts herself and sits up.

She finds a cigarette, lights it.

SERENA JOY:

Get out.

Offred hesitates, startled by her venom.

SERENA JOY (CONT’D)

Are you deaf?

OFFRED:

(respectfully)

The chances are better if I lay on

my back afterwards...

SERENA JOY:

(slow, fierce)

Just get out.

Offred gets off the bed and leaves. ON SERENA JOY for a

miserable beat, then we --

CUT TO:

INT. WATERFORD HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT - LATER

Offred lies in her bed, awake. Moonlight through the

curtains makes patterns on her face.

The grotesque horror of the ceremony replays in her mind.

She tries to settle her thoughts. It’s not working.

OFFRED (V.O.)

This is what I do when I’m back in

my room.

(and then)

I take off my clothes. I want to

wash, but it’s not allowed. I put

on my nightgown and get into bed.

I don’t sleep. I try not to smell

them on me. I try to think about

something else.

(and then)

The moon is the same. That’s

something. They haven’t changed

that.

(and then)

I’ll think about the moon.

(and then, terribly)

I can feel the Commander’s come

running out of me. I can feel it on

my legs.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 31.

CONTINUED:

OFFRED (V.O.) (CONT'D)

(and then, rising panic)

I can smell it.

Offred gets out of bed. Driven by waves of claustrophobic

panic, she heads out of the room.

INT. WATERFORD HOUSE - STAIRS - CONTINUOUS

Offred runs down the staircase. She’s freaking out.

EXT. WATERFORD HOUSE - BACKYARD - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Offred runs out the back door and into the yard. A tall

fence protects the garden.

She stops on the grass, breathing hard, trying to calm down.

She looks up at the moon. Pale white.

Suddenly, she feels someone watching. She turns.

NICK sits on the garage steps, outside his room. He holds a

worn paperback book. He was reading in the cool night.

Offred and Nick lock eyes.

The moonlight shines through her nightgown. Nick can see the

silhouette of her body.

Offred is frozen for a beat. Then she turns and runs inside.

INT. WATERFORD HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

Offred comes in, reeling. She sits on the bed, but her mind

races.

OFFRED (V.O.)

He’ll tell the Commander. Will he

wake him up, or wait for the

morning? How long do I have? But I

didn’t do anything, not really.

(and then)

That’s bullshit, I left my room,

that’s enough. They don’t need a

reason anyway. A Commander can

punish us any way he wants. A

belt, a steel cable. He could

shoot me in the f***ing head. I’ve

heard the real creative ones like

to tie our hands to the stove

burners with wire.

(and then)

Breeders don’t need their hands.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 32.

CONTINUED:

As she fights panic...

FLASHBACK TO:

INT. RED CENTER - CAFETERIA - NIGHT -FLASHBACK

Moonlight shines on the rows of cots. Handmaids-in-training

sleep.

ON OFFRED, sleeping. A far off MUMBLING wakes her. She sits

up, looks across the room.

JANINE stands at the windows, naked. Her eye is still

bandaged.

Her red nightgown is tangled on the floor beside her. She

stares out, mumbling. Offred walks to her.

JANINE:

(mumbling)

Hello, can I help you?

(and then)

Good morning, welcome...

OFFRED:

Janine?

Janine’s mouth fixed is in a smile. By now, other Handmaids

are stirring. Redheaded ALMA, steps up.

ALMA:

Put your clothes on, Janine. Aunt

Beth is on bedcheck. I don’t want

extra prayers on account of you.

JANINE:

(scary friendly)

Hello, welcome. Can I help you?

Moira steps up.

MOIRA:

(to the other Handmaids)

Go to bed, don’t make this a thing.

Most of the Handmaids head back to bed.

OFFRED:

Janine, wake up. You’re having a

dream...

Janine looks at Offred. But she isn’t talking to her. She’s

talking to an imagined world.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 33.

CONTINUED:

JANINE:

Hello. My name’s Janine. I’m your

server this morning. Can I get you

some coffee to start?

MOIRA:

Oh, Christ.

ALMA:

Don’t swear.

MOIRA:

Alma, go back to your Goddamn bed.

Alma slinks away.

OFFRED:

Snap out of it, Janine. Come on.

JANINE:

(smiling)

You have a nice day, now.

Moira grabs Janine by her shoulders, then SLAPS HER HARD.

MOIRA:

You aren’t there anymore. That’s

all gone. Now go back to your bed.

Janine touches her cheek, confused.

JANINE:

What did you hit me for? Wasn’t it

good? I can bring you another one.

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