03x06 - A little Madness in the Spring

[bunniefuu]

You know, it really is
wonderful that we're making

these sewing kits for the soldiers.

We're giving them the tools they need

to stitch their torn uniforms
back together.

Yes.

Although, of course, sometimes
things can't be mended.

Sometimes a leg needs to be amputated.

Just cut clean off in order
to save the rest of the body.

And then you just move on, you know.
You move on without that leg,

and you pretend you never even
had two legs to begin with.

They're called housewife kits, Emily.

I wish I had an actual
husband to care for.

These housewife kits would feel
much more authentic

if I was really someone's housewife.

You know, personally,

I'm grateful now that neither
of you girls ever left home,

since I've been abandoned by my son

and will likely never even
meet my own grandchild.

I can't believe how
Austin is treating us.

I never thought he could be so cruel.

And, honestly, Sue is no help.

She certainly isn't.

Unless she's said
something to you, Emily?

No, she isn't speaking to me.

It feels strange to go days
without seeing them.

I know Austin and Sue
are right next door,

but they feel much, much further.

[EMILY] Yes, it's awful.

But we just have to accept
that this is our family now, Mom.

We're like the soldier that lost a limb.

We're gonna come out of this stronger.

I hope so.

But I'm really not sure.

Well, I know it.

We can't give up hope.
Hope is all we have.

Even when everything seems so dark,
it isn't crazy to have hope.

Ladies, let's get in the carriage.

We're going to the lunatic asylum.

I beg your pardon?

Yes. Today the Dickinsons are taking

a family trip to a
wonderful new institution

that has tentatively offered me

a prestigious trustee position, hmm?

The Northampton Women's Lunatic Asylum.

Those are dreadful places.

As long as we're getting
out of the house,

I am so down. I need a change of pace.

See.

Dad, they're gonna make you
a trustee? That's so cool.

Yes. I'm glad you perceive
the opportunity here, Emily.

As I'm sure you've heard me say,

women's mental hygiene is
a cause near and dear to my heart.

I've never heard you say that.

This is the perfect opportunity

for me to cement my legacy, mm-hmm?

You know, when I secure this position,

this town will remember

that Dickinson is a name
to be said with respect.

Sounds good to me, Dad.

It is great.

And this trusteeship is as good as mine,

so long as we all make
a nice impression.

They like their board
members to come from

morally upstanding families,

and the head doctor himself
specifically requested

that you all come along.

So, ladies. To the carriage!

Yes! A "daycation".

I am going to get our bonnets.

- [SQUEALS] Thank you.
- [EDWARD CHUCKLES] Mm-hmm.

Dad, we will get you that trusteeship.

Whatever you need, you can depend on me.

I'll bring the horses round.
Be ready in ten.

Psst! Emily, this doesn't smell right.

[SNIFFS] What do you mean?

Isn't it obvious?

Your father is trying to lock
me away in that asylum.

Mom, what are you talking about?

It's the oldest trick
in the th century playbook.

Tired of your wife? Marriage gone stale?

She had too much to drink
on your birthday,

put on her wedding dress
and fell down the stairs?

Oh, just say she's mad
and lock her away.

Come on. Dad would never do that.

Your father is very conventional, Emily.

And let's face it,
it wasn't my finest hour.

Mom, you have to come.

Dad will never admit it, but he
needs us now more than ever.

Mm-mmm.

Okay, listen to me.

I promise you I will not leave
that asylum without you.

- You swear?
- Yes.

Now let's go get in the carriage.

Come on! It's a beautiful spring day!

Keep close, Emily. Keep very close.

[SINGSONGY] There you go. [HUMMING]

["TGIF" PLAYING]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

[MUSIC ENDS]

Chin up, ladies. It's the head doctor.

- Everybody, smile.
- Yes, okay.

Edward Dickinson.
What an honor to meet you.

Good day, Doctor. No, the honor is mine.

Oh, no, no, no. Truly, I'm a big fan.

Your essay "On the
Proper Place of Women"

lives on my bedside table.

Oh, you're too kind.

And I see you've brought
the women of your family today.

- Yes. This is my wife, Emily.
- [GIGGLES]

- And this is my daughter, Emily.
- Hello.

And this is...

- my other daughter.
- Lavinia.

They're very excited for the tour.
Aren't you, girls?

I'm a perfectly sane level of excited.

Doctor, I love the flowers
you've planted out here.

Oh, springtime is so
magnificent, isn't it?

Flowers come back like old friends.

We didn't even know we missed them.

Hmm.

I imagine you have your
hands full with this one.

Oh, no. Our Emily, she's just unique.

Seems like it.

I just really love flowers.
Th... [CLEARS THROAT]

I like flowers a totally normal amount.

Right. Well, shall we begin the tour?

Yes, this is going to be fun, hmm?

Come on.

[EMILY] dear Friend...

w*r feels to me an oblique place.

"Oblique".

- The perfect word.
- [KNOCKS]

You wanted to see me, Colonel?

Yes, yes! My brother. Come on in.

[SIGHS]

How you feeling this morning, brother?

I'm fine. I was just about to start
my lesson with the men,

but then I was summoned in here.

Could we say "invited"
instead of "summoned"?

I like to leave you the optionality.

- Keep it loose.
- Okay.

What's up?

I need your help with something today.

Falls a little outside
the realm of teaching.

Do you have space for that?
Or you at capacity?

Depends what it is, I guess.

[CHUCKLES] Right.

Okay, here's the deal.

The soldiers are going to have
a uniform inspection.

A uniform inspection? They barely
have uniforms to begin with.

I know. It's bullshit, frankly.

Hmm.

But it's part of how we move the needle.

The needle?

Towards getting these
men fully recognized

and authorized as Union soldiers.

The more that General Saxton sees

the First South Carolina Volunteers
as a legitimate regiment,

the more pressure he's able to
send up the chain of command.

All the way to Lincoln himself.

One inspection could make
all the difference.

So it's imperative the guys take
this seriously, you understand?

They need to look clean,
sharp and ready.

I'll be there to conduct
the inspection this afternoon.

Okay.

Message received.

I'll see what I can do to help.

Hell yes.

This process is working.

I can feel it.

And this is our great hall.

You'll find our girls here receive
state-of-the-art care.

We have a very progressive
understanding of mental sickness,

covering all modern female illnesses,

ranging from exhaustion, overeducation,

menstruation, laziness,
being unmarried...

Being unmarried is a mental illness?

- No, yeah, that feels right.
- Mmm.

To acute mania, chronic mania,
nymphomania, and, uh, melancholia.

It's more commonly known as grief.

Oh, you know, Mrs. Dickinson
here was recently bereaved

over the death of her sister.

Oh, Edward. I was not! You liar!

Me mourning my one
and only sister? Unlikely!

I'm over her. Good riddance
to that woman.

Come this way.

Uh...

[WOMAN SCREAMS]

Did you hear that?

Hear what, my dear?

Maybe it was just in my head.

Does that happen often,
hearing things in your head?

Oh, yes. Emily has
quite the imagination.

She is very gifted that way.

Interesting.

Come along.

There's something off about this place.

Emily, can't you just enjoy
a fun family outing?

I thought you wanted to help
Dad make a good impression.

I do. But I think Dad deserves to know

if there's something
suspicious going on here.

[DISTANT SCREAMING]

- Doctor, what is that door for?
- Hmm?

Oh, it, uh, it leads to another room.

Sure. What kind of room?

Oh, just a room designed for
patients who require a bit more privacy.

Oh, yeah, surely you can
understand that, Emily? Hmm?

Now, she's always had
a taste for privacy.

- Ah, has she now?
- Mmm.

Uh, Edward, um, there's some business

I'd like to discuss with you in private.

- Oh, surely, yes.
- Mmm.

Oh, and the ladies?

[HEAD DOCTOR] Oh, uh, don't worry.
We'll have eyes on them.

- Mmm.
- And there are eyes everywhere.

Just curious, what is your policy

on engraving names in the building?

Wait. Where did Mom go?

Oh, my. This is a nice-looking room.

Can I help you?

Oh, my apologies.

- I didn't mean to bother...
- [CHUCKLES] Are you kidding?

Nothing bothers me here. This
is the most relaxed I've ever felt.

Really?

Nowhere in the world does
a woman get treated so well

as at an insane asylum.

Hmm.

The staff here does all the cooking

and the cleaning, plumps my pillows.

It's heaven.

Uh, the wallpaper. Th-There are people
in the wallpaper, Doctor!

Hmm.

Great bedside manner,
that one. [CHUCKLES]

Wait.

So you're not...

Crazy?

Nope. No more than you.

[WHISPERS] I'm just here for
some much-needed R & R.

So you just rest all day and no
one expects anything from you?

Bingo.

[EXHALES]

Doctor. Doctor!

There's something funny
about this wallpaper!

[GASPS]

Mmm. [CLEARS THROAT]

Hey! That's my shtick. Get your own.

Hmm.

[DISTANT SCREAMING]

Go find Mom. I'm just
gonna see what's in here.

[SIGHS]

[CREAKING]

Wow, cool. [CHUCKLES]

I mean, if it wasn't totally horrifying.

[WOMAN STRUGGLING, SCREAMING]

Mom, I swear, if you are not out here,

I'm gonna report you
missing to the front desk.

Hi. Um, have you seen
a woman who's about... Oh!

[SOBBING]

I'm so sorry. I will just
leave you to your feelings.

It's fine. I would really
love some company.

I'm Florence.

- Are you sure? I wouldn't wanna interrupt.
- [SNIFFS]

Oh, no, I'm always crying.

I was diagnosed with excessive grief.

I simply can't stop weeping.

That sounds cathartic at least.

I lost my lover to the w*r
just two months ago

and I've been like this ever since.

I know you don't know me,
but trust me when I tell you,

I know exactly what you are
going through, like, , %.

I picture his body lying cold
on the b*ttlefield.

Mmm.

- Those arms that used to hold me.
- [SIGHS]

- Those lips that used to kiss me.
- Yes.

And, oh, God, his hair.
He had such great hair.

What was his name?

The sweetest name in the world.

Joseph Lyman.

Joseph was your lover?

I should have married him
when I had the chance.

He proposed to you?

Well, kind of.

What?

Even though I loved Joseph
with all my soul...

Yeah.

... his heart always belonged
to someone else.

Who was it? That bastard.
Abigail? Virginia?

No. It was some nitwit from Amherst.

He just called her Vinnie.

Seriously?

That is so horrible.

I know.

But anyways, he's dead.

- [SNIFFS]
- Oh, my God.

[CRYING] That's right, he is.

[BOTH CRYING]

[CLEARS THROAT]

Um, what are you doing?

I'm rearranging my office.

As you may recall,
I'm starting my own law firm.

I... I didn't realize
you were serious about that.

Yeah. I've already got a name
picked out and everything.

"Panache".

No "Esquire", no "and Son".

Just "Panache".

So yeah, I'd say I'm
pretty serious about it.

Then I assume you're also
serious about divorcing me

and, um, taking custody of our child.

Yep.

Just gotta figure out
some of the paperwork.

I would prefer it if you didn't do that.

I... [SIGHS] I don't want
you to leave me, Austin.

Whyever would I stay?

I-I've been thinking, we have
a nontraditional marriage.

[SCOFFS] That's an understatement.

So, perhaps we should also be
nontraditional parents.

What do you mean?

I mean, I would like you
to raise this baby with me.

I don't want you to be some cold,
distant father like the one I had.

I'm sorry I've been
slow to realize that,

but I hope that you'll believe me now
and... and give us a chance.

Thank you.

I... I'd like that.

Well, there is a little boy with no name

who needs a clean cloth diaper.

Get to work.

[CHUCKLES]

[HEAD DOCTOR] Dickinson.

- As someone interested in a trusteeship...
- Mmm.

... you surely have respect for
my medical opinion, do you not?

Of course I do, Doctor.

So then you must trust
my professional diagnosis,

which is that your daughter, Emily...

is a lunatic.

Oh! She's not a lunatic.

No. She's just a poet.

Oh, dear God, man. Don't you
see what's happening here?

When one member of
the family is mentally ill,

the entire family is affected.

Let her spend a bit of time here.

Undergo some of our...
cutting-edge treatments.

After all,

we run the finest women's
insane asylum on the east coast.

You just need to sign her over to us.

[GATE SQUEAKING]

Take one step closer and
I'll jam this into my aorta!

The aorta's in your chest.

Good to know.

Is that Abby?

For the last time, I did not
hide any pills under my tongue.

Abby.

Wait, Emily Dickinson?

My best friend came to visit me?
[LAUGHS] I'm so touched!

Abby, what are you doing here?
Are you all right?

I'm doing amazing!

Well, besides the fact
that I can't see at all.

The nurse took away my glasses.
She said I was a danger to myself.

How are you?

How did you end up in this place?

How did any of you end up here?

I went to fight in the w*r,
and they threw me in here.

They couldn't handle my gender.

My husband, Minister Daniel Bliss,
put me in here.

But it's cool because that's
my new boyfriend. [CLICKS TONGUE]

Why would your husband do that?

He said something about

me participating in some flag burning
at a local suffragette protest.

He was "not happy" with my decisions

and found me "generally annoying".

I'm making air quotes,
but you can't tell.

How long have you been here for?

Um, good question.

They don't let us keep
track of the days,

or read, or write,

or give us anything to eat
besides these little pills.

The pills are fun though! Kinda
make the whole thing worth it.

We have to get you out of here.
These conditions are horrific!

Not to mention...

[SNIFFS, GRUNTS]

- ... unsanitary.
- [SNIFFS]

Oh, it's not so bad.
I made some friends here!

Hey! Doll girl!

[HISSES]

Love that bitch.

I'm gonna break you out of here.

I'm gonna break you all out.

My father deserves to know

what is going on in the
basement of this institution.

This is a flagrant violation
of women's rights.

Okay, now you're talking!

Ladies, listen up. Here's the plan.

Y'all did the homework last night?

Low-key I struggled with mine.
I ain't gonna lie.

Yes, I wrote a sentence.

"This is my wonderful sentence".

- Get...
- [OTHERS GASP]

- Damn, Everett, that's good!
- What?

- All right.
- Excellent.

- [HENRY] Students.
- Congratulations.

There will be no lesson today.

Instead, we are having
a uniform inspection.

Wow, Higginson really has audacity, huh?

Man, miss me with the bullshit.

Another inspection is gratuitous.

No, no. Higginson has assured me

that if you pass this
inspection, you might

finally receive your weapons.

Yeah, but we won't pass. We never do.

Well, not with that attitude.

No, man, not with these
raggedy-ass uniforms.

Half of which was
taken off of dead bodies.

Or stolen from the plantation house.

I mean, how is this a uniform?
I'm literally wearing a cardigan!

They're setting us up to fail.

Yeah. Then they gonna use
our failure as an excuse

to withhold our weapons.

Nah, bro.

Listen. Everybody.

We can't just skip the inspection.

That would be more than enough excuse

for everybody to give up on you guys.

And who knows?

If you pass, you might receive
your weapons even sooner.

I'm tired of "soon". I want "now".
I wanna get to the future.

In your future, Michael Jordan,

cobblers will make special
shoes in your honor.

sh*t, that sound dope.
As long as they better than these.

Anything is better than those.

- g*dd*mn.
- Oh, sh*t!

Listen.

You guys are gonna pass
this inspection, okay?

Because I am going to help.

Yeah? And how exactly
are you gonna do that?

Look at this jacket.
It ain't got no damn sleeves.

Well, lucky for you guys,
I have one of these.

What the hell is that?

It's my housewife kit.

Housewife what?

Needle, thimble, all colors of thread.

You don't think this
tasteful suit I'm wearing

keeps itself in one piece, do you?

I mend it every night.

Keep myself looking fresh.

[HUMS]

Hmm. Well, I'll be damned.
My man got some sewing skills.

- [MICHAEL] Yeah.
- I know a few tricks.

My wife, Betty, she's the best
seamstress in New England.

Guess a little bit of her magic
might have rubbed off on me.

You have a wife?

Well, she was my wife. [CHUCKLES]

Not sure exactly what to call her now.

I-Is she the one you're
always writing to at night?

Yeah. [SNIFFS]

My wife and my daughter, Helen.

I write to them, but I
never send the letters.

Yeah, I noticed that. Why that is?

I just think maybe it's better
if they forget me.

'Cause odds are I'll
never see them again.

So why keep poking at
a wound that can't ever heal?

Be better for them to move on,

and I'll just keep my
memories of them...

to myself.

Damn. That's tragic.

The world tore my family apart.

As it has so many of our families.

And sadly, my sewing skills can't mend

a broken community or a broken heart.

But what I can fix...

is a uniform.

[SNIFFS]

Look at that.

- Okay!
- Ooh.

- Yo.
- Wow.

Yo, these stitches are tight.

Maybe we do have a chance
of b*ating this inspection.

I believe in us.

Yo, Erasmus, what does your vision say?

It says, "Just do it".

Okay, I'm in.

- Makeover!
- Yeah!

["FASHION KILLA" PLAYING]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

[MUSIC CONTINUES]

[MUSIC ENDS]

Well...

I have to say, you all look
like a real regiment.

Not just a volunteer army.

Let me ask you something.

Are you boys hungry?

Always. Why?

'Cause y'all ate that up
and left no crumbs.

[ALL LAUGHING]

Steady. Guys, act normal.

Which, yes, for some of you
that means act crazy.

When the nurse comes in
with the pills, we bolt.

Scramble.

Time for medication. Line up.

I said line up.

And...

go!

[ALL SCREAMING]

[EMILY] a little Madness in the Spring

is wholesome even for the King.

But God be with the Clown -

who ponders this tremendous scene -

This whole Experiment of Green -

as if it were his own!

Do we have to leave?
I am having such a good time.

Yes, maybe we should stay.

I'd love to get to know the people
in the wallpaper a bit better.

Maybe have some tea.

Yes, thank you for the tour, Doctor.

I do hope that we can formalize
the trusteeship.

With all due respect,
I simply don't think

I can offer you a place on the board

when you refuse to accept my
medical appraisal of your daughter.

What's this?

He thinks that Emily needs to stay here.

What? Emily's not the crazy one. I am!

Lock me up. Lock me up for decades!

I'll take the blue room
if it's available.

I've seen this all before. Mothers try

to take the place of their daughters.

A noble sacrifice, but I won't allow it.

Emily is the one who needs
to be institutionalized.

Hey, wait. All this talk
about her and where is she?

- Where's Emily?
- [SCREAMING]

This is a protest!

Shame on you.

You have taken these girls' lives
and you have interrupted them.

Uh, well, I'm crazy too. Help!
I'm practically off my rocker.

Mom, I am trying to lead a protest.

Do you see this? Protesting?

Demanding women's rights?
Civil disobedience?

These are textbook examples
of serious brain damage.

Pardon my sanity in a world insane.

I don't know what's gotten into her.

Dad, you need to know
the truth about this place.

Women are being kept here
against their will.

They are misdiagnosed, abused,
manipulated, over-medicated...

I like the pills.

- Okay, Abby. I got it from here.
- I know.

Dad, this is not
a progressive institution.

In fact, I doubt places like this
will survive in the future.

They are a crime against humanity.

They will be looked back on as relics.

Edward, you want to help
your daughter, do you not?

Of course I do.

Then you should leave
Emily here with me.

Likely for the rest of her life.

Just say the word and I'll
make the arrangements.

- No, I don't...
- Wait, what?

Dad, wh... what is he talking about?

- Em.
- You can't leave me here.

No, Dad. You cou...
You wouldn't do that, right?

If you don't, you cannot be a trustee.

No, I wouldn't.

Doctor, my daughter Emily
belongs at home with me.

And if that means losing your
trusteeship, then so be it.

Wait, so are you guys
taking me home, or...

[HUMS] Ah. Afternoon, Freddie.

[SNIFFS] Ah.

Beautiful day, isn't it? Any mail?

Here you go, Mr. Dickinson.

I'm sorry.

Sorry? What for?

[HIGGINSON] Inspection! Company.

[WHISPERS] Fix your collar.

Henry, your influence is showing.

These men look like real soldiers.

Gentlemen, you just passed
your first inspection.

- I'm so very proud.
- Whoo! [CHUCKLES]

I knew they could do it.

And just in time too.

Sir?

A battalion of Confederates
is on the march.

Battle is coming to
Beaufort, my friends.

There will be v*olence, of course.

But, perhaps, if we remain open to it,

we might also engage
in some productive dialogue.

Permission to speak freely, sir?

Granted.

- You say battle coming?
- Yes.

Does this mean we will be
receiving our weapons, sir?

I'm very much hoping
that I can facilitate that.

"Facilitate"? What does that mean?

When do we get our g*ns, sir?

I don't have an exact timeline.

But...

I am off to send General Saxton

a very strongly worded letter right now,

and then we'll just... wait and see.

Again, I am so proud of you men.
You have been working so hard.

I see you. I recognize you.

I thank you.

Company. Dismissed.

[MICHAEL] See what we mean?
It never changes.

He say he helping us but he not.

We gonna be standing here looking
like fools when the battle come.

What does he expect us to do?
Just line up and die?

Hello!

We at a w*r with a
whole bunch of racists

who suffer from economic anxiety.

I need my w*apon.

Pow! Pow! Pow! Reload.

Pow!

I think I'm scared.

[SNIFFLES] Can we do a group hug?

- [MICHAEL] Absolutely.
- Aw, come on, man.

Come on, man. We got you.

- [WALL CRYING]
- [ALL MUTTERING]

[SOLDIER] We in this together.

I'm sorry I listened to him.

It's hopeless, man. We ain't
never gonna be no real soldiers.

There has to be a way.

You guys were right.
We can't wait any longer.

So, what you gonna do?

I'ma call him out on his bullshit.

- Mmm.
- [EMILY] Thank you.

I'm glad we gave Abby
a ride home from the asylum.

Yeah, to her husband who
put her there in the first place.

- Dad, I'm really sorry.
- Mmm.

I wanted today to go well. I never
meant to cost you the position.

Oh, no. That's fine, that's fine.
It didn't seem suitable, after all.

Thank you for not leaving me there.

Ooh, Daughter. No, there's
no reason to thank me.

No, I owed you.

For what?

For standing by my side
when others chose not to.

Oh, don't think I haven't noticed
your support, dear girl.

Hmm?

I'm starving, are you starving?

- [CHUCKLES]
- Mother? What's on the menu tonight?

Mom, where are you going?

To bed. Do not disturb me.

For, like, a -minute nap, or...

Until the w*r is over.