The Handmaid's Tale Page #8

Season #1 - Episode #1

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They fall silent, look down meekly.

Across the Common, a procession of Aunts files onto the

stage. Behind them, Guardians in BLACK HOODS -- Salvagers --

escort two manacled HANDMAIDS. The prisoners stumble, drugged

to keep them from struggling.

The Guardian moves off. Offred leans close to Janine.

OFFRED:

(whispering)

Janine? Who’s dead?

JANINE:

(brightly)

Moira. She hung herself.

(and then)

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 40.

CONTINUED:

JANINE (CONT'D)

She used the bedsheet. They were

blue. Mine are white.

OFFRED CAN’T BREATH. MOIRA KILLED HERSELF? She has no time

to process as -- AUNT LYDIA steps to the microphone.

AUNT LYDIA:

To you places, please. Thank you.

Janine moves away, leaving Offred shaking. Ofglen watches

her -- always watching and listening.

AUNT LYDIA (CONT’D)

Well. Good afternoon girls.

HANDMAIDS:

(in unison)

GOOD AFTERNOON, AUNT LYDIA...

Offred doesn’t respond. She is still in shock.

AUNT LYDIA:

Don’t you just love these

Salvagings? Who loves them?

Dozens of hands shoot up automatically.

AUNT LYDIA (CONT’D)

I hate them. They are wasteful.

You girls are given so much. You

are so privileged. And yet you are

still so weak. So wicked.

(and then)

Wicked, like Ofscott...

Onstage, the Salvagers drag OFSCOTT forward, the first

condemned Handmaid. Ofscott can barely stand up by herself.

AUNT LYDIA (CONT’D)

The filthy wanton whore who lured a

Guardian into breaking his pledge

of abstinence. Can you even stand

to look at her, girls?

HANDMAIDS:

(in unison)

NO, AUNT LYDIA.

Offred doesn’t respond. Ofglen shoots her a look. There are

Guardians everywhere, watching, looking for any disobedience.

OFGLEN:

(low)

Offred...

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 41.

CONTINUED:

No good. Offred is still lost, thinking of Moira.

Onstage, OFRAY, a young Handmaid, is dragged forward.

AUNT LYDIA:

Wicked like Ofray. A girl

disgusting enough to commit

adultery with her Commander. Under

his own roof. Where she was

welcomed by his wife.

Onstage, The Salvagers help the drowsy Handmaids up onto

STEPSTOOLS. Slide the nooses around their necks.

AUNT LYDIA (CONT’D)

These disgusting creatures have

given us no choice. They asked for

this, didn’t they girls?

HANDMAIDS:

(in unison)

YES, AUNT LYDIA...!

AUNT LYDIA:

Yes they did. And we are bound by

Grace to oblige.

(off mike)

Are we ready?

Aunt Lydia looks back to the Salvagers. They put CANVAS

HOODS OVER THE PRISONERS, then nod -- everything is ready.

AUNT LYDIA (CONT’D)

(off mike)

Praise be.

(to the crowd)

Are you ready girls?

HANDMAIDS:

(in Unison)

YES AUNT LYDIA.

AUNT LYDIA:

Hands, please.

Moving together, all the Handmaids put one hand over their

hearts. Aunt Lydia does the same.

Ofglen nudges Offred. Blankly, automatically, Offred puts

her hand over her heart.

AUNT LYDIA (CONT’D)

All together now.

(and then)

His will be done.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 42.

CONTINUED:

HANDMAIDS:

(in Unison)

HIS WILL BE DONE.

The Salvager KICK OUT THE STOOLS.

Offred looks up as -

OFRAY and OFSCOTT fall and the ROPES GO TIGHT.

NECKS SNAP.

Muscles spasm. Feet jerk. A drool of URINE from Ofscott

falls onto the stage.

Offred, imagining Moira, goes pale.

A CHEER rises. Aunt Lydia raises her hand, and the Handmaids

fall SILENT.

AUNT LYDIA:

Amen.

(and then)

Now, some of you may have already

heard that we have a special treat

for you today. Please stand up and

form a circle.

She smiles down, munificent. The Handmaids shove as they

form a circle -- they’re excited, they know what’s coming.

AUNT LYDIA (CONT’D)

Orderly, girls. You know the

rules.

Offred comes out of her fog.

OFFRED:

What’s happening?

OFFRED (CONT’D)

A Particicution.

Two more Guardians appear, dragging a man. He wears a torn

Guardian uniform, his face bruised and bloodied.

On OFFRED -- his beady eyes look familiar somehow.

They drag him into the circle of Handmaids.

AUNT LYDIA:

This man, once a Guardian in the

army of Gilead, is convicted of

rape.

(low moan from the crowd)

(MORE) (CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 43.

CONTINUED:

AUNT LYDIA (CONT'D)

The penalty for rape, as you know,

is death. But what’s worse, he

raped a Handmaid.

(whispers dramatically)

She was pregnant. And the baby

died.

A wave of rage from the Handmaids.

ON OFFRED -- she finally recognizes the Guardian. We

FLASHBACK TO:

EXT. MAINE WOODS - DAY -FLASHBACK

The Maine woods, from the opening. OFFRED RUNS WITH HANNAH

IN HER ARMS.

GUARDIANS descend on OFFRED, pulling away her screaming

daughter. The BEADY-EYED GUARDIAN swings his truncheon,

hitting OFFRED. She falls.

BEADY-EYED GUARDIAN

B*tch...

Looking up, she sees his face.

FLASHBACK ENDS:

EXT. COMMON - DAY

THE GUARDIAN IN THE CIRCLE IS THE SAME BEADY-EYED GUARDIAN

FROM THE WOODS.

Offred BOILS WITH FURY, READY TO POUNCE. Ofglen pulls her

back. Other Handmaids are ready to charge as well.

Aunt Lydia looks out, proudly.

AUNT LYDIA:

Not until I give the signal. When

I blow the whistle, what you do is

up to you. Until I blow it again.

Are you ready?

Aunt Lydia raises her whistle to her lips.

The Guards release the prisoner’s arms.

The Beady-eyed Guardian staggers, falls to his knees.

Sputters unintelligibly.

CLOSE ON Aunt Lydia’s lips, closing around the whistle.

SHE BLOWS THE WHISTLE -- A SHRILL, HIGH-PITCHED TONE -

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 44.

CONTINUED:

OFFRED SCREAMS and attacks. All around her, the crowd surges.

A tide of rage and red.

Offred is the first to get to the beady-eyed prisoner. He

looks up. Offred kicks him viciously. Then again.

He crumples backwards. She STOMPS ON HIM --

FROM ABOVE, OFFRED VANISHES IN THE RED THRONG as the

Handmaids descend on the prisoner.

The prisoner disappears beneath the red cloaks. We see and

hear FLASHES -- blood, fists, screaming, choking.

UP ON THE STAGE, Aunt Lydia raises her whistle to her lips

and starts blowing. As the SOUND ECHOES --

Ofglen finds Offred, pulls her back.

OFGLEN:

Are you all right?

No answer. Offred looks down to see A CLUMP OF HAIR IN HER

HAND. Janine emerges from the crowd.

Blood smears her face. She smiles.

JANINE:

Have a nice day.

Janine starts to walk away. Offred calls after her -- she

might know more about Moira.

OFFRED:

Janine.

(and then, louder)

Janine!

This is DANGEROUS -- even using Janine’s name is dangerous.

The murmuring crowd camouflages her voice, but a few nearby

GUARDIANS turn.

Offred starts to follow Janine. Ofglen grabs Offred’s arm,

pulls her away.

OFGLEN:

(low)

No.

Offred is shaking, unhinged as Ofglen leads her away.

They pass the spot of the Particicution. A WHITE SHEET now

covers the remains of the dead Guardian. Blood seeps through

the sheet.

(CONTINUED)

"Pilot" 11/29/15 45.

CONTINUED:

On Offred --What did I do?

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