The Handmaid's Tale Page #7

Season #1 - Episode #1

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MOIRA:

My name is Moira and this is the

Red Center.

JANINE:

I don’t know any Moira.

MOIRA:

Don’t you know what they’ll do?

They’ll send you to the Colonies.

You’ll be cleaning up toxic waste.

You’re skin will peel off in sheets

and then you’ll die. You’ll die,

Janine.

JANINE:

(breaking)

I want to go home. I want my mom.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 34.

CONTINUED:

Janine starts to cry. Offred pushes the nightgown into her

hands.

OFFRED:

(warmly)

Put on your clothes, Janine. Get

into bed.

Janine nods. She pulls on her nightgown. Whimpering, she

shuffles back to her cot.

MOIRA:

And shut up.

(to Offred)

She does that again and I’m not

around, slap her. Hard, don’t be a

f***ing p*ssy about it.

OFFRED:

Okay.

MOIRA:

That kind of stuff is contagious.

If we’re going to survive we need

to keep our f***ing sh*t together.

They are all close to breaking. Offred nods.

END FLASHBACK:

INT. WATERFORD HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT

Offred paces, Moira’s words in her head.

OFFRED (V.O.)

Pull your f***ing sh*t together.

Offred takes a breath, calms down a little.

OFFRED (V.O.)

You’re alive. That’s all that

matters.

(and then)

You’re alive.

TIME CUT TO:

EXT. WATERFORD HOUSE - MORNING

MORNING. NICK polishes the Commander’s black car with a soft

rag. Tilting up, we see OFFRED watching from the bedroom

window.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 35.

CONTINUED:

OFFRED (V.O.)

That hasn’t changed. The way men

caress cars. I still don’t get it.

INT. WATERFORD HOUSE - BEDROOM - CONTINUOUS

Offred looks out the window, watching Nick.

OFFRED (V.O.)

He saw me outside last night. I

know he did. But the Eyes haven’t

come for me. No black van. No

boots on the staircase. Nothing.

Yet.

In the distance, a BELL TOLLS. THREE SLOW CHIMES. Offred

reacts -

OFFRED (V.O.)

Three bells. A death knell.

(and then)

They’re calling us. There’s a

Salvaging today.

(and then)

I am not safe, I know that. Soon

enough that bell could ring for me.

(and then)

But not today.

(and then)

Okay. As Moira would say, every

day above ground is a good day.

And with some nice tequila, it’s a

f***ing great day.

Offred heads out.

INT. WATERFORD HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY

Offred enters. Rita gets out the shopping basket and the

food tokens. She’s not happy.

OFFRED:

Blessed day.

(and then)

I’ve been called...

RITA:

(crabby)

Yeah, I heard. Now I’ve got my

work to do and your shopping.

Three bells and my whole day goes

to the goose.

OFFRED:

I’m sorry.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 36.

CONTINUED:

Nick enters. Offred stops, surprised to see him. He

hesitates as well. Offred decides to be bold.

OFFRED (CONT’D)

Good morning.

It is a suspiciously casual greeting, definitely a breach of

the strict etiquette.

Rita shoots a look, taking note.

Nick considers -- then.

NICK:

Good morning.

(to Rita)

Mrs. Waterford wanted you to

remember to get oranges, if they

still have any.

RITA:

(bitter)

Yes, Sir. My pleasure.

(and then)

Any other special requests?

Offred thinks, then...

OFFRED:

They had tuna at Loaves and Fishes

yesterday. It looked good, you

should get some.

Offred looks to Nick -- the tuna is an inside joke. She

knows he doesn’t like it.

In this world of nuance and danger, she’s sending a message,

asking a question --We had a moment, remember? We’re

friends, aren’t we?

She’s trying to charm him. It might keep her alive.

RITA:

(yuck)

Oranges and tuna. Sounds delicious.

(offhand)

Under His eye.

OFFRED:

Under His eye.

Rita leaves.

Offred and Nick stand in silence. Nick is cool, unreadable.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 37.

CONTINUED:

After a long beat, NICK SMILES. Detente. Maybe Offred has

bought herself a little safety, some good will.

THE BELLS TOLL AGAIN. THREE SLOW CHIMES.

NICK:

Blessed be the fruit.

OFFRED:

(self-satisfied)

Praised be.

Offred leaves. PRELAP the sound of THE BELL, tolling again,

slowly. A steady chime now.

EXT. THE WALL/THE COMMON - DAY

Inside the tower overlooking the Common, the bells RING. In

here, the sound is huge. Medieval.

DOWN BELOW, HANDMAIDS converge. They move through an ornate

set of GATES in the wall.

In their cloaks, they make a red river, flowing onto the

grassy field. THEY ARE GATHERING FOR THE SALVAGING.

OFFRED (V.O.)

To the tolling of the bells we

walk, along paths once used by

students, past buildings that were

once lecture halls and dorms.

(and then)

These buildings belong to the Eyes

now. No one ever goes in, not

willingly. And no one ever comes

out.

GUARDIANS line the path, herding the Handmaids. Watching,

listening.

In the crowd, we find OFFRED. She waits as the other

Handmaids pass. They exchange greetings. Praise be...

Blessed... May the Lord open...

OFFRED (V.O.)

This is a district Salvaging, for

Handmaids only. They don’t have

them very often anymore. There’s

less need, we are all so well-

behaved.

(and then)

I don’t want to be telling this

story.

OFGLEN steps up.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 38.

CONTINUED:

OFGLEN:

Blessed be the fruit.

OFFRED:

May the Lord open.

Paired, they join the others heading through the gates.

EXT. THE COMMON - CONTINUOUS

At the front of the lawn is a large STAGE, with microphones.

Center stage is a FORKLIFT. Two ROPES hang from the blades.

With nooses. This is a public execution.

RED CUSHIONS sit in rows on the grass. Handmaids come in,

choose cushions, kneel. Guardians watch everyone.

As Offred crosses the grass, she looks for a familiar face

among the sea of Handmaids.

OFFRED (V.O.)

When there are so many of us

together, sometimes you can find

someone you knew. From before, or

from the Red Center. You can trade

some news, if you’re careful.

Offred spots someone, drifts over. It’s redheaded ALMA, from

the Red Center.

OFFRED:

Blessed be the fruit.

ALMA:

(with recognition)

May the Lord open.

Their are Guardians everywhere. Alma only glances up. They

speak in very low whispers.

ALMA (CONT’D)

(whispers)

Hey.

OFFRED:

(whispers)

Alma. Where are you posted?

ALMA:

(whispers)

Commander Ellis. He can’t barely

get it up. Where’re you?

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 39.

CONTINUED:

OFFRED:

Waterford.

ALMA:

Fancypants. Nice house I bet. I

saw Gabby a few months ago. She

had a miscarriage.

A somber beat, mourning the lost pregnancy. And then...

OFFRED:

Have you seen Moira?

ALMA:

Not since the center.

OFFRED:

Me neither.

A few feet away, a Handmaid turns around.

IT IS JANINE -- we know her by the SCARRED LID AND EMPTY

SOCKET where her right eye used to be. She smiles, clearly a

bit insane.

JANINE:

(brightly)

Oh, she’s dead.

ALMA:

Janine?

A nearby Guardian glares.

GUARDIAN #4

Quiet!

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