01x01 - Episode 1

[bunniefuu]

[Dramatic music plays]

♪ Unh ♪

♪ I got my groove back,
b*tch, I'm groovy ♪

♪ I'm a monument, you
can never move me ♪

[Rapping indistinctly]

[Laughs]

Give it here! It's mine!

BRENDAN: Bullshit!

I've gotta go!

BRENDAN: Come back here!

[Muffled music plays]

[Indistinct shouting]

[Bottles clink]

[Dramatic music plays]

f*ck.

f*ck!

f*ck!

[Footsteps approach]

[Siren wailing]

TONI: So, what do
you feel like? Red?

AMANDA: f*ck yeah. It's nice.

- [Laughs]
- TONI: Hey.

KELLY: I need your ID first.

Oh, sh*t, sorry Kelly. I
may have left it at work.

Sorry, Toni.

The law's the law.

No worries. I'll get it.

No, I can't let you do that.

But I've got ID.

You're not allowed to buy
alcohol for... someone else.

That's the law.

Un-f*cking-believable.

Welcome to my country.

[Cellphone vibrates]

AMANDA: Who you texting?

Nick?

No.

Where is he?

I thought he was coming
to dinner tonight.

Um, he's working.

Sorry.

[Siren wails]

[Dramatic music plays]

License, please.

Did you know that you
have a busted tail light?

What?

[Scoffs]

Bloody kids. I...

Wait, what are... what
are... What are you doing?

Sorry, Kelly, I have
to give you a ticket.

No, I... I don't
have any points left.

I will lose my license.

I'd love to show
you some discretion,

but the law's the law.

f*cking Blacks.

I told you I was going out.

You said for a drink.

Yeah, we had a drink, but
then we had something to eat.

So'd you get my texts?

Okay.

TONI: What are you doing?

Don't worry.

When I sell it, I'll
give you your half.

Just leave the painting there.

Half of this is mine.

TONI: You can't own
half a painting.

All right, Nick.

You want it, tell
me what it says.

It's the story of a couple.

- TONI: Yeah?
- Yeah.

And one half of the couple

was actually committed
to the relationship.

But the other half,
just out of the blue,

suddenly became
distant and cold.

What's going on with you, Toni?

Yeah, fine, keep the painting.

When you auction it,
you can send me half.

Wait, what are you doing?

Nick.

Stop. Wait, stop, stop.

Come on.

Nah, nah, you always do this.

- Nick!
- [Door closes]

[Dramatic music plays]

- Morning.
- Could we have a word?

You smashed her tail light.

She wants to lay a complaint.

You're in deep sh*t.

This is willful property damage.

Where's your brain, Toni?

I've got to conduct
an internal review.

Pending the outcome, you'll
be moved to general duties.

TONI: What?

Fine.

Turn around, come back
here, and sit down.

There's been a car accident

resulting in serious
injuries to a young woman.

I want you to take a look.

Okay.

Where is it?

Perdar Theendar.

Rhonda, you know
I can't do that.

Too much family.

Yeah, that's exactly
why I'm sending you.

Half of them won't
even talk to me.

'Cause of the kinship system?

Yeah, exactly.

They won't talk to me
if we're wrong skin.

At least some of the
people will talk to you.

No one will talk to us.

There's something else.

The accident happened in an
area closed for Men's Business.

What was a young
woman doing there?

I don't know.

Look, my Uncle Samuel is a
Community Police Officer.

He's excellent. He can
cut through where I can't.

Nuh. I don't think a Community
Officer's gonna be enough.

TONI: Why not?

The girl's white father is
blaming her Black family.

The last thing we need
is this escalating

into some sort of community
payback that goes on for years.

I need to send in a
detective to make it look

like we're taking
things seriously.

Calm everything down before
it gets out of control.

Plus I need to get
you out of my hair

for 48 hours so I can
sort your sh*t out.

The girl's name's Mariah Cawood.

She's in ICU.

Ladies forever!

No phones in here, please.

I told you that already.
[Mutters indistinctly]

So scans reveal a
bleed on the brain.

When the swelling goes down,

we'll be in a better
position to advise.

The bleeding on her brain.
How did that happen?

DR. BOWEN: A blow to
the back of the head.

But her vehicle hit
the tree head-on.

Wouldn't the impact be
at the front of her head?

Yeah, you'd think
so, but it wasn't.

And this?

DR. BOWEN: Yeah, I don't know.

But it's a very unusual injury.

TONI: She was
wearing a seatbelt.

Yeah, so there shouldn't be

any injury to her face at all.

That poor little one in
there. She gonna be okay?

The doctors are doing
everything they can.

She shouldn't be in there.

She should be with me.

I'm her mum now.

Mariah's mummy, she
finished up now.

Cancer.

I gotta look after
that girl now!

You no good father!

Look what happened!

Hey, hang on a second.

Can we talk first?

Is that all right?

So where's she been living?

She been too busy in town.

Went there when
she was 13 to live

with her whitefella father
when her mummy finished up.

So what was she doing
out there last night?

BULL: Oh, they were
probably humbugging.

'Cause that's the only time
we ever hear from them,

when they want something.

Ain't that right, Arkojay?

You shut your white mouth!

- You, know your place.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Speaks Aboriginal language]

Hey.

What was she doing out
at Perdar Theendar?

Come for a visit.

Have a feed.

Cuppa tea.

Does she visit often?

Sometimes.

Not much, but.

Her white father don't
like us bush mob.

Yeah, well you see what
happens when she does, hey?

What time did she leave?

7:30.

8:00, maybe.

No, she wasn't found
until after midnight.

Do you know where she went?

When was the last time
you saw your daughter?

Yesterday morning.

Did she say anything about
going out to Perdar Theendar?

Why are you asking so many
questions about a car accident?

It's just standard procedure.

[Dramatic music plays]

Don't think you're going
in there without me!

She's not your daughter now!

[Heartbeat]

[Sighs]

[Dramatic music plays]

[Turn signal clicking]

[Bird calling]

Oi!

What do you think
you're doing? Stop!

Are you deaf? I said stop!

- Who told you to move the car?
- Samuel.

[Speaking Arrernte]
Hello, my niece.

[Speaking Arrernte]
Hello, Uncle.

Been a while.

[Speaking English] Yeah.

This is a men's sacred place.

You know you shouldn't be here.

This is police business now.

Did you authorize the
removal of that vehicle?

You just compromised
the investigation.

I compromised it?

[Speaking English] Why you
gotta complicate things?

[Speaking Arrernte]
It's a car accident.

TONI: Are you sure about that?

Have a look.

She would have seen the
sign and knew that there was

Men's Business happening.

What was she doing here?

When she wakes up, you ask her.

[Speaks English] Hey.

[Speaking Arrernte] I've
already taken photos.

But take more if you want.

There's another
set of tracks here.

That's the track of
the men who found her.

They picked her up and took
her to the health clinic

at Perdar Theendar.

The men found her?

[Speaks Arrernte]

What'd they think
about her being here?

They weren't happy.

They found her lying on
the ground, bleeding.

They found her
lying in the dirt?

Not in the car?

That's what they reckon.

How did she get
outside of the car?

I don't know.

There was another car here.

There are tracks
there, and over there.

There's a lot of
motorcar tracks.

So Mariah was driving really
fast around the corner.

She loses traction,
hits the tree.

Those tracks over there indicate

that there was someone
following behind her.

Maybe they were chasing her.

[Speaks Arrernte]

Look, sorry to
interrupt you two.

I've gotta go back into town.
Got heaps of work on, all right?

Yeah, the damage
is already done.

BOBBY: Vinnie, you
right to go, bruz?

Put it on.

I need to talk to the
men who found her.

Yep!

[Indistinct shouting]

[Dramatic music plays]

He's with your cousin now.

You sure you want
to talk to him?

Okay, you talk to him.

But I need to know exactly where
Mariah was when they found her.

[Speaks English] Anything else?

And if they saw another
vehicle out there.

What'd he say?

[Speaking Arrernte]
They found the girl.

The car was on fire.

Saw her on the ground,

picked her up, took
her to the clinic.

How many men were out there?

A few.

How long were they
out in the desert for?

[Speaks English]
Couple of weeks.

Couple of weeks?

I thought Men's Business
went for months.

[Speaking Arrernte]
Modern world catching up.

Like microwave,
everything's flat out.

[Chuckles]

What about the tracks?

Did Broderick see another car?

I told you.

They didn't see any cars,
headlights or tracks. Nothing.

Did you ask him?

[Dirtbikes approach]

- Get the f*ck outta here!
- [Indistinct shouting]

- Get out of here!
- Get! Get!

Are you going to do something?

He's your brother,
you do something.

[Laughter]

[Speaking Arrernte] Hello.

MAN: Get out of here!

f*ck off, Brendan! Come
on. Get outta here.

Get the f*ck outta here!

[Dramatic music plays]

You off to see your mother?

I'm not here to
catch up with family.

She's at the art centre.

- f*ck off!
- [Indistinct shouting]

BRODERICK: [Speaking
Arrernte] Get out of here.

This isn't a motorbike
track to ride around on.

Piss off home, Keithy.

[Dramatic music plays]

[Sighs]

[Speaking Arrernte]
Hello, Apenange.

[Speaks Arrernte]

THELMA: Been too long.

Come and see your mother.

She's waiting inside.

[Speaking Arrernte] Think
you're too good for us?

Don't forget about me,

I'm the one that carried you.

You should've come to
say hello to me first.

Yeah, I know, Mum.

I'm sorry.

Wow.

This is beautiful.

We're taking this to Paris.

Paris?

We painting biggest
story, a love story.

We're going with Eileen,
the big story owner.

[Speaking Arrernte] Might
find myself a French husband.

[Laughs] You already
got a fella, Eileen!

[Speaks Arrernte]

Who's taking you?

ISABELLE: I am.

Nice to see you again, Apenange.

TONI: You too, Isabelle.

Hey, you got to call her sister.

Well, yaya, what's your cut?

How much are you giving
back to your bush family?

Pull up now, you got no shame.

[Speaking Arrernte]
It's all good, Mum.

If you must know, my fee is 60%.

If you're that interested,

I could sell you
one at family rates.

How much?

ISABELLE: For family?

$45,000, $50,000?

[Speaks Arrernte] Do you
know what this is about?

Yeah, of course.

You've got boomerangs.

Spears.

Digging sticks, grinding
stones, shields.

Men and women together.

Hunting and traveling from
waterhole to waterhole.

[Speaking English] Almost.

It's actually young people,
hunting in the sandhills.

It also talks about how they
used to walk around, naked,

and how they'd swim together

and make love by the waterholes.

It's beautiful, huh?

Great.

I gotta go, Mum.

I love you.

[Viv speaks Arrernte]

See yas.

I'm Karl. Karl Roberts.

Government Business Manager.

This is Xavier Apeltherre.

He's one of the senior
men in the community.

- I'm Detective...
- Yeah, we know who you are.

You should know better
than to walk around here

without telling
the elders first.

You got no respect.

He knows who I am.

He knows he's not
supposed to talk to me.

I'm Apenange.

He's Apeltherre.

We're not even supposed to be
in the same space together.

Pull your finger out, Karl.

Oh, and unlock the
basketball courts

so the kids can play on them.

KARL: Detective.

If you need a hand
with anything,

I'm happy to help.

[Speaking Arrernte] Be careful.

TONI: What are they gonna do?

[Speaking English]
Cause big trouble.

[Cellphone rings]

Hello. Detective Toni Alma.

Is everything all right?

Can she talk?

Thank you for that. I'll
call you in the morning.

Looks like Mariah's
gonna be okay.

[Speaking Arrernte] You
should go back to town.

I'll look after things.

You trying to get rid of me?

Poor thing, what
about your boyfriend?

Won't he have dinner
waiting for you?

Rhonda said I have to be
here for at least 48 hours.

What for?

Long story.

[Speaking Arrernte]
You hear that, my girl?

You gonna come home... soon.

VIV: [Speaking Arrernte]
Hello, I'm here.

[Speaking English] Come to see

if you'd have a
cup of tea with me.

TONI: Yeah.

I saw Brendan today.

Yeah. And?

Oh, he a real 'nother kind, Mum.

[Speaks Arrernte] Leave
him, he's all right.

No, he's not.

He needs to snap out of it.

Who's gonna look after
him when you go to Paris?

No.

No. He's not staying with me.

I'm not looking after him.

[Speaks English] He
can stay in town,

with you and your whitefella.

He'll run amok in town.

He's running amok here.

[Speaks Arrernte]
He's your brother.

Well, he's your son.

Take him to Paris with you
and his gamin' yaye, Isabelle.

Leave Isabelle
alone, she's okay.

Is she?

She just like all them
others leaching off you mob.

We need those people to help us.

She looks after us.

[Speaking English]
You having a baby?

No.

I used to have milk.

But when I was
pregnant with you,

the thought of it made me sick.

Well, I'm sorry to
disappoint you, Mum.

[Speaks Arrernte] Where's this
little one going to grow up?

[Speaks English] Hope you're
not taking him to Melbourne,

with your whitefella.

- [Knock on door]
- JACINTA: Hey!

- [Speaks Arrernte]
- TONI: Hey!

What, you not allowed to
come round and say hello?

Oh, I'm sorry.

[Indistinct conversation]

[Speaking Arrernte] Jacinta,
this meat's nearly ready.

Is that Antonia?

- JACINTA: Yeah.
- My baby girl!

Oh, look at you!

How old are you now?

- 6.
- 6?

Here, she's 6 years old?

Gosh, she's so big.

Come and sit here
on Auntie's lap.

- I've missed you.
- You here for that girl, eh?

Mariah?

Yeah.

JACINTA: Poor thing, how is she?

It's looking good.

She'll be right by morning.

Oh, that's good.

Broderick say anything?

He was with the men.

He found her.

They took her to the clinic.

Pull up, you not policeman now.

Switch off.

All right, all right.

You should come hunting with us.

Hey, you see these hands?

They're crime-fighting
hands now.

[Laughs]

I can't go hunting.

[Xavier speaks Arrernte]

Your last vodka for now.

Your niece is causing
a lot of trouble.

[Speaking Arrernte] She
won't be here for long.

They say that girl in hospital
will wake up tomorrow.

What if she says something?

She won't say anything.

- You sure?
- I'm sure.

Okay.

[Engine starts]

Antonia, can you go inside?

[Speaking Arrernte] Go inside.

You stink like grog.

Shut your f*ck' hole.

TONI: Come on now, Keithy.

Keithy, go inside
and go to sleep.

- f*ck off!
- Hey! Hey!

Don't you dare disrespect
your mother like...

JACINTA: Toni,
leave it! Leave it!

- Ah, f*ck off! Lemme go!
- Nah, don't do that.

He just needs some
sleep, that's all.

Toni, let him go, please.

[Dramatic music plays]

I thought it was
a dry community.

Arrwa. It is.

Well, it's not a good look,
local copper drinking.

[Speaks Arrernte]
It's only you and me.

Who else do you drink with?

What, you a policeman?

[Chuckles]

Jacinta shouldn't have to put
up with that sh*t from Keithy.

Why don't you do
something about it?

He's a good boy.

He's not usually like this.

What do you mean?

[Speaks English] There's a
lot going on around here.

[Speaking Arrernte] Everyone's
upset for that little girl.

Did Keithy know Mariah?

Little bit, I suppose.

A little bit?

He's just feeling sad

about that girl.

[Dramatic music plays]

[Speaks English] When
something happens round here,

we all feel responsible.

[Monitors, alarms beeping]

[Dramatic music plays]

[Flatline]

[Crying]

RHONDA: Mariah Cawood passed
away first thing this morning.

Oh, sh*t.

Okay.

RHONDA: I've been looking
through Mariah's medical file.

The injuries she sustained,
plus those photos you sent me,

the tire tracks
at the crash site,

the fact she was somewhere
she wasn't supposed to be.

I don't think it was
just an accident.

RHONDA: Exactly.

If someone else was involved,

we're dealing with a
potential homicide.

I'm sending out another
detective to assist you.

TONI: Sure.

Who is it?

We can't say Mariah's
name anymore.

We call her Kumantjayi, or M.

NICK: I get it.

Don't let anyone give you a
skin name, whatever you do.

What do you mean?

I've already got one.

Yeah, but now that
we're not together

it's best you don't have one.

What's the f*ck' point
of having a skin name

if I can just give it back?

Why can't you give yours back?

I can't.

You can 'cause you're white.

Look, the advantage of being
white is you can talk to anyone.

Otherwise, there's no
point in you being here.

[Speaking Arrernte] That
love magic must be working.

[Laughter]

[Speaking Arrernte] You
and your white fella

should hurry up and make a baby.

[Laughter]

[Speaking Arrernte] It's
okay, leave it alone.

[Speaking English]
Any of you know who

Kumantjayi's been
hanging out with?

THELMA: [Speaking English]
Ask your brother, Brendan.

NICK: Hey, Viv.

Hey, you don't need to avoid me.

We broke up.

Yep, I'm not your
son-in-law anymore.

[Speaking Arrernte] What's
your white fella on about?

[Speaking Arrernte] Mum, he's
not my white fella any more.

SAMUEL: [Speaks English] Hey.

[Speaking Arrernte]
Isabelle can't find Eileen.

You mob seen her?

I went to pick her up
but she's not at home.

Her family don't
know where she is.

Well, something's wrong.

Eileen wouldn't
just not show up.

She really wants to go to Paris.

We can't go without
our star painter.

Is there any chance this is
connected to Kumantjayi's death?

[Speaking Arrernte] She might
be feeling sorry for that girl.

[Speaking Arrernte] Where
do you think she is?

[Speaking Arrernte] Don't worry.

If she's with other
family, I'll find her.

[Dramatic music plays]

[Sighs]

BULL: [Breathing shakily]

We need to have a
look at her room.

[Lock beeps, clicks]

Hey, we need a list of all of
her friends and her workmates.

Did she have a boyfriend?

No, there's no boyfriend.

There's no bloody
girlfriend, either.

[Vibrating]

Leave youse to it.

Where the hell would
she wear these?

NICK: Bingo.

Where would Mariah
get this much cash?

I don't know.

There's over $15,000 there.

A teenager with this
much hidden money

suggests something ill*gal.

Drugs.

Gambling.

Selling stolen goods.

Yeah, well, she
wouldn't do that.

She's a good girl.

Yeah?

You didn't know she was
sneaking out to Perdar Theendar.

You didn't know about the money.

Then you tell me.

You go and find
out why she died,

and you come and tell me.

Okay?

f*ck you.

MAN: Thanks.

[Sighs]

[Dramatic music plays]

[Bird calling]

SAMUEL: Hey!

[Speaks Arrernte]

[Dramatic music plays]

[Dramatic music plays]