02x02 - Face Value

[bunniefuu]

(GENTLE MUSIC)

I'm moving on

Hey

Hey, hey

I'm movin' on

Hey

Got nothing left to say

Best be on my way

Best stop of life

I'm movin' on

Oh!

DAN ON PHONE: Yeah, I'll

see you at Mum and Dad's.

Wait. There's someone

who wants to talk to you.

- CHILD ON PHONE: Hi, Aunty Lelly.

- Aw. Hello, Tey-Tey.

Hello, my darling.

- (PHONE BEEPS)

- ON PHONE: Hi, Ellie.

It's Ron Mackie. I'm hoping

to get an update on Caz Davis.

- (PHONE BEEPS)

- ON PHONE: Caz Davis is due to

Lisa. Lisa.

- He's not returning my calls.

- I'm sorry for the uncertainty,

but Zeph Eldred will

be stepping in for Caz.

You couldn't wish for

a better replacement.

Sure, but any idea

when Caz will be back?

The students are all asking.

Hello? Ellie, are you there?

Electric's good. What else?

Uh, the milking stations.

Last time we had an earthquake,

some of the pipes cracked.

- I reinforced them, so they should

- (COWS MOO)

Won't be long, girls.

What am I looking for?

Something tall, dark and handy some.

And, uh, just the loose

seals on the cup liners.

Just give 'em a test;

see if they feel right.

They have a feel?

Yeah, you test them with your hand.

You just check what sound it makes.

I'll show you in a sec.

Awesome!

You know, farming's as much

about the gear as the cows.

You need to know this stuff.

You told Gerald you were staying.

Uh, yeah, while he's recovering.

And then you're gone?

Hmm. I don't think he got that message.

My life's in Auckland, Jem.

Can you go get the cows, please?

ON RADIO: I'm talking

tsunamis and earthquakes

we're seeing the levels

of sexual perversion

across our society

going through the roof.

And the gays, murderers

(CELL PHONE RINGS)

(GASPS)

(CHUCKLES)

GERALD ON PHONE: Hey,

is, um is Caz there?

No. Jem came to pick

him up this morning.

I just got off the phone

from Richter herself

the bylaw made the ballot.

- No way. That's amazing.

- (KNOCK AT DOOR)

Yeah. Look, Tessa and Murray

are coming over this afternoon

to celebrate, so come on over.

Uh, I might be somewhere

else this afternoon.

Oh, come on, girl. This is a

big deal. I'm putting on a feed.

I'm I'm going to the marae.

Oh!

Oh, good on ya.

Yeah.

Uh, look, I'll tell Caz

to call you when I see him.

- Yup.

- Bye.

(PULSING ELECTRONIC MUSIC)

Colleen, this is Nigel Harrington.

- Hi there.

- Hi. Nice to meet you.

Keith says you're in communications.

Something like that.

Nigel's in public relations. He's

particularly good at crisis PR.

Well, I wouldn't call this a crisis.

Of course you f*cking wouldn't,

you besprawling lubberwort.

- (GROWLS, GRUNTS)

- (SMASH!)

You and I are gonna get on really well.

I looked into what happened at the

reading of the bylaw to council.

This Caz Davis person -

it's a smart move connecting

it to him in people's minds,

because, you know, (WHISPERS)

'transgender people'.

Uh, we just need to turn

up the heat on things a bit.

Sir, Peter Wilson from the

dairy board is on the line.

I can put him through to

the green room if you like.

Uh, yes, please.

I'll leave you two to get cosy.

And, Patricia, would you

mind resending the mayor

the economic projections for the region

if the factory was forced to move?

I still haven't replied

to Anahera Tokatai.

The debate.

Oh, no, leave that.

Mr Davis.

Mr Davis.

Mr Davis.

- Hi.

- Oh, hey.

Uh, just Caz.

Uh, do you need any help or anything?

No, no, no. I'm good.

Actually

um, your group

Uh, yeah, Rainbow Feather

Splash Pattern. (CHUCKLES)

Um, where do you meet?

(CHUCKLES) Currently, the bus stop.

We were using my parents' garage,

but Dad found out and started

parking the tractor there. (CHUCKLES)

Seth, I need you to take

an order over to Dr Harris.

Yes, Mrs Woodcock.

- I'd better go.

- Yeah, sweet.

MAN: Save our farms.

What's 'save our farms' about?

- Dunno.

- (CELL PHONE RINGS)

Oh, that's Gerald. Can you grab

it? It's in the back pocket.

(CHUCKLES) No, the other pocket.

(LAUGHS)

- What are you doing?

- (CELL PHONE CONTINUES RINGING)

Right.

But flirting with me in the

cowshed's all good. You can get that.

(RINGING STOPS)

This is not good.

What?

Looks like Dad's bylaw got

through to the public ballot.

What?

I just don't get how they

got this out there so fast.

Wait. This is great,

isn't it? What's it say?

Not nice things.

RADIO: Actually, scientific

minds had prevailed,

and we've learnt that the

lights in the sky last night

were not an alien invasion

but a rainbow-coloured aurora

caused by the discharge

of static electricity

created when tectonic plates start to

That power in the air,

those beautiful lights,

that's Papatūānuku and Ranginui.

Imagine being separated for that long.

You'd have to make your own fun.

IN TE REO MĀORI: A question:

what's the word for those

lights, those earthquake lights?

- Oh!

- They're called Rūrangi.

IN TE REO MĀORI: Yes,

you're right, Anahera.

Rūrangi

another sign that we

are now in a time of

shift and reclamation.

Now, remind me who's coming

to the moko session today?

Āe.

IN TE REO MĀORI: Excellent.

See you all this afternoon.

- See you soon.

- Kia ora, Whina.

Kia ora.

Grab a beer. We're on the ballot.

- What is it?

- You need to see this.

They were handing them out in town.

f*ck 'em. f*ck 'em right in the ear.

Everyone knows that

Richter and Fresh Acres

are in each other's pockets.

They'll be behind this. We need

some dirt on her; make it stick.

We need people, not dirt.

What about the iwi?

- We need the farmers on board.

- It's a vote - a numbers game.

- How many Māori live around here?

- Yeah.

They're not interested.

Well, have you even reached out

to them? They're our people, Dad.

- OK, maybe we should just

- What about your crew in Auckland?

They're activists.

Nah.

That lot care about the environment.

Dad, you're ruling out

talking to iwi who live here,

but you want my friends

to come down from Auckland

to help with your bylaw.

My bylaw? Your mother's

bylaw. This is for her.

Those are exactly the kind

of skills we need activists.

This isn't their fight.

Well, Gerald's got a

point. The activists are

No. No. Dad just needs

to get over himself

and reach out to the local iwi.

What happened in Auckland? Did he

tell any of you why he came back?

When Mum's bylaw falls over,

you'll know who to blame.

I think I'll make the cheeseboard, eh?

Yeah. I'll make the cheeseboard.

OK.

(CAR DOOR SHUTS)

(PERFORMS KARANGA IN TE REO MĀORI)

(WHAIKŌRERO IN TE REO MĀORI)

Te aroha

Te whakapono

Me te rangimārie

Tātou, tātou e

(PEPEHA IN TE REO MĀORI)

- Kia ora, Lizzie.

- Tēnā koe, Lizzie.

Kia ora, whanau.

(CLEARS THROAT)

IN TE REO MĀORI:

IN TE REO MĀORI: Be strong, girl.

(WOMAN CLEARS THROAT)

- Kia ora, Anahera.

- Kia ora, Anahera.

IN TE REO MAORI: Cup of tea, everyone.

'Cos Uncle Harry will be

here, and he can do church.

- You're Auntie Beth.

- Mm.

Nan always talked about you.

Your nan taught me

how to play the guitar.

Yeah, I used to follow her everywhere.

Our grandfather gifted her

the last block of iwi land

on the other side of the river.

It was covered in forest, eh, Plummy?

Yeah, she was told to hold on to it,

keep it as a reserve for our people,

mm, untouched.

But she sold it.

- It's that new Murphy Meadows place.

- WHINA: Times were hard.

Yeah. She bought a house.

Other things.

Probably paid for her flash education.

That's enough, Beth.

(STONE SPLASHES)

Knew you'd be here.

- You and your dad.

- Yeah.

Can I borrow the ute tonight?

Yeah, sure.

Where are we going?

(BREATHES DEEPLY)

You know what: I belong here.

Those are my tūpuna on

the wall of that whare.

My whenua is buried here.

I'm sorry for what my nan

did for selling that land.

Beth!

Beth!

That pressure cooker

thing's happening again.

Yeah, all right, all right. I'm coming.

What was that you were saying about

the young ones, Beth? (CHUCKLES)

Moko tells the story of your journey.

It's there to guide you into the

leader you're going to become.

The word 'moko' some

say refers to Rūaumoko,

the god of volcanic

activity and earthquakes.

Mm.

Don't worry. If it happens again

next week, I've got steady hands.

(LAUGHS)

- (KNOCK ON WINDOW)

- Hi, Ellie.

Well, don't expect

me to do all the work.

Something bad happened.

I was, um, seeing someone.

We lived together sort of.

Sort of?

It's complicated.

Too complicated to

tell your best friend?

I tell you about my shitty break-ups.

It wasn't a break -up.

He died.

A couple of months before

You saw what happened. (CHUCKLES WRYLY)

WHISPERS: Oh my God.

Caz, f*ck.

I'm so sorry.

I knew something was wrong.

What happened, hon?

Uh heart attack.

(SIGHS) That's terrible. I'm so sorry.

Uh

There's someone I want you to meet.

OK.

- JEM: Hi.

- Hi.

I'm Jem.

So, it's not acceptable to

drink or vape with a moko?

No. Kei te pai.

It's not a judge sitting on your

face; it's just there to guide you.

Āe.

- What about with sex and stuff?

- (LAUGHS)

All good.

I'd wait for it to heal first.

I don't think Missy

can wait that long, eh.

(LAUGHS)

So we've got a few spots

available next week.

So far, we've got Whina,

Matiu, Lynnie and Steve

receiving their moko.

Anyone else from our Māori whanau

that would like to join them?

I do.

Oh, kia ora. Come and see

me after, and we'll have a

Yeah, my mum used to always

tell me before I was born,

I waited in heaven till

the right family came along,

and I chose them out of

every one. Isn't that amazing?

And I've always had this calling,

and I think my time has

come to belong, you know?

IN TE REO MĀORI: My name is Agnes.

Kia ora, Agnes.

Come and see me after, and we'll

have a talk about your ancestry.

I may have made some

calls. (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS)

Hey.

- Caz.

- Caz!

- Oh my God. Caz, I missed you.

- I thought you'd left the country.

- You missed the party.

- I know. I'm sorry.

Hey. How are you?

Ellie.

Did Caz mention his dad's

chemical fertiliser bylaw?

- The what?

- I bought these notes.

Jem, what are you doing?

Oh, um, it's about the bylaw

in case your mates wanna help.

Business later, honey. Caz and I

have some dancing to do. (CHUCKLES)

You too, mister. Come on.

(UPBEAT DANCE MUSIC PLAYS)

(PENSIVE MUSIC)

- ELLIE: He's a hoot, that one.

- (CHUCKLES) Yeah. He is.

The bylaw could have massive

impact if the public votes it in.

Yeah, less nitrates and phosphates,

less runoffs, smaller herds,

more regenerative farming.

Since when have we

become dial an activist'?

Not everything we care

about happens in the city.

I get that this is important,

but we've got another round

of consultation for the BDMRR.

Births, Deaths, Marriages and

Relationships Registration Act.

- Busy.

- More like busyness as usual.

- Do you remember sleep.

- (CHUCKLES) Sleep.

The bylaw vote isn't for

another couple of months,

so maybe you folks could come

down when you're not so tired.

(LAUGHTER)

CHUCKLES: What?

I said 'folks'.

- It's not that.

- We're always tired.

Whina said that you wanted to see me.

Āe.

We wanna take you for a ride,

show you around the land.

How are you for Friday morning?

Uh, sure.

Man, we should've had her

back at the marae ages ago.

Never mind what happened, eh?

She's family, eh?

Sometimes it seems like there's gonna be

no guardians here for the

marae or us old people.

And I just guess I'm

a bit sore about that.

But, uh, I'm glad you're here.

Me too, Auntie.

- WHISPERS: Sorry.

- Aw.

OK, boys.

Sleep tight.

Love you.

But do not wake me up at 4am.

- Definitely take one of those, though.

- Oh, we're not, um (STAMMERS)

- Oh, no, the new resource kit.

- Oh.

Seems like it's needed down there.

(INSECTS CHIRP)

(SINGS INDISTINCTLY)

sh*t. What time is it?

You're all good. Cows won't

even know you were gone.

- Oh.

- You know you talk to them in your sleep, eh?

It's like a magical dream,

except it really happened.

(CHUCKLES)

Are you OK to tell Dad the bad news?

Getting that crew on board was

always gonna be a long shot.

Why are we here?

I need to talk to Anahera

about something first.

I can't stop thinking

about the q*eer youth here.

I think I can make a real

difference if I stay in Rūrangi.

(AGNES CONTINUES SINGING)

Be my boyfriend.

What?

Be my boyfriend, please.

Save our farms!

Milk we always trust

The whole town knows about you, mate.

f*ck off already.

- She's a bit Ignore her.

- You f*ck off, you weirdo.

Hey, Jem, you better watch out.

People will think you

like that sort of thing.

I do.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

I do like this.

I like him.

I really wanna kiss you now.

No one wants to see that h*m* sh*t.

(DOOR OPENS)

I do.

h*m*!

Piss off, Agnes.

(SCOFFS)

Important things. Important

things that aren't here.