01x02 - My Witches

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "Motherland: Fort Salem". Aired: March 18, 2020 - August 23, 2022.*
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Set in an alternate America where witches ended their persecution over 300 years ago by cutting.
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01x02 - My Witches

Post by bunniefuu »

‐ Previously
on Motherland:
‐Welcome to Fort Salem.

I am General Sarah Alder.
All of you have answered
the call,

just like your mothers
and their mothers before them.

We live in a time of ancient
hatred and emerging threats.

The Spree are ruthless
and savage. We will need all
of you to meet what's coming.

‐ Ha!
‐I am Drill Sergeant Anacostia Quartermaine.

My job is to keep you alive
through basic.

Starting this year,
you will rise or fall as units.

How anyone in your unit
performs is how everyone
in your unit performs.

I know this is a lot for you,
but it is just the beginning.

‐Guys, let's all take a breath.
‐You look troubled, child.

‐I want to be reassigned.
‐I heard your request
was denied.

‐I'm the one who should walk.
‐The Spree has no great leader.
They will appear normal

‐in every way,
and maybe even are.
‐I'm Scylla.

How can we fight them
if we can't even tell
who's one of them?

‐ ‐I have to go back to Circe.
I have inspection.

‐This is an inspection.

‐Stop, Scylla

‐No, this is important.

I need to secure this area.

‐Okay, I gotta go.

‐How's high and mighty?
‐Abigail? The same.

A lot less mighty
than she thinks she is.

Yeah. That's just
the world she comes from.
It's her family.

Where do you come from,
since we're on the subject?

All over.

Could you be more vague?

‐We moved around constantly.
‐You a base brat?

‐My parents didn't serve.
‐Oh.

How'd that work out for them?

‐It's complicated.
‐I do complicated.

‐Bells are ringing.

Don't you have to go?

‐I'll see you tonight?
‐Um, I'll try.

I'm not sure
when we're done, so...

Henbane, aconite, yarrow.

So you're saying
if I chew on those
at midnight on a full moon,

that I'll start floating around
the sky like one of you.

‐Not exactly, Madame President.
‐Kelly.

Not exactly, Kelly.

This is what we
make our salva out of.

We use it in combat,
as you may recall.

‐The recipe is quite ancient.
‐Hm.

If we could all
float away from the Spree...

‐Hm.
‐General Alder,

I'm speaking here as a friend,

you need to give me something
on those butchers,

because sooner than later,
there'll be no place safe

to be a person in America,
much less the world,
for that matter.

We work ceaselessly to deliver
the Spree to justice.

But what are we doing
in a concrete way

to find these people,
to stop these people?

We've developed a way
to track the Spree's use
of forbidden workings.

‐How?
‐This kind of work
leaves a signature.

One that we now recognize.

Just an hour ago, one of their
bombs went off on a bus in Kiev.

They're branching away
from balloons.

‐They used a bottle this time.
‐A plastic bottle?

Anything that holds
a volume of air.

The sound they trap
inside needs it.
Small as a pill bottle.

I need to know
about these things.

‐There's a lot you don't know.
‐Is that so?

att*cks like this are m*llitary
matters, by rule of law.

And you too are bound
by rule of law

to the will
of the American people,

who have elected me
to represent their interests

and protect them.
Don't you forget it,

or you may
find yourself reminded.

I'm not surprised.

Mm. Mm‐hm.

I missed inspection.

Uh, we know. We were there.

Anacostia gave me
guard duty tonight.

Should have thought
about that before you

were late for third bell.

That kind of nonsense is not
how we're going to get ahead!

What are you doing here?

You weren't supposed to...
You did not.

Tell me you did not come
when you didn't have to.

Why would you subject
yourself to this willingly?

‐Having a bad time?
‐I miss home.

You hated it there.
You told me every day.

I know,
but I was foolish then.

It was so peaceful and relaxed,
and I had privacy...

Glory, may I remind you,
the world really
needs us right now.

It's becoming a scary place.
Maybe we can make it
a little less scary.

‐My Seed Sounds are a mess.
‐They'll get better.

‐I don't want to die
a terrible death.
‐I know.

There's no going back.
We're here.

We ran out,
so we're raiding your mess.

‐Ran out of...?
‐Coffee.

‐Oh, I'm sorry.
‐Nothing to be sorry about.

You remind me of my daughter.

Ladies. Top five
highest ranking units

will attend the pageant
in Salem Town,

after which they will
enjoy a few hours
of unsupervised time off base.


‐Best of luck, ladies.

Let's walk.

‐How did it go with Wade?
‐Same.

Threats wrapped
in condescension.

If I don't deliver a victory
in the Ukraine,

she intends to bring out
conventional forces
to fight the Spree.

‐She said that?
‐In as many words.

She wants to be re‐elected.
That's her real drive.

Eliminating the Spree
is incidental.

How are things in Kiev?

We're waiting for
the strike team to land.

Well, hello there.

Hi. Don't you all look
happy and healthy.

A blessing on you children
so you can stay safe and strong.

My word is done...

...as the rising moon
and the setting sun.

‐Go play.


Hm. Does me good
to see the fosterlings.

I remember when you
were one of them.

‐How's your Bellweather Unit?
‐Better.

You should have seen Petra's
daughter whinny and pout when
I kicked her out of my office.

She got the message.

Mm‐hm.
Keep me posted on them.

Everyone is still talking
about what they did in vocal.

I have officially
taken an interest.

Understood.

Libba Swythe.

Daughter of misfortune.

I thought I smelled sulfur
and defeat.

Abigail Bedwetter.

I mean, what happened to her?

All that careful breeding and
a face like a spider abortion.

You're a contagion, Libba.

You're a dumb noodling
nay‐nayhorse from a dumb
noodling nobody family.

You're the kind
of stupid that spreads.

You are malice, Abigail.

I heard about your
little meeting with Alder.

Maggots will reject
your fetid corpse!

Don't let her take your joy.
That's what she eats.

Gather.


‐Pick it up.

Run at me and s*ab me
in the eye.

‐What?
‐Now.

Again.


‐Is anyone up for this?

Windshear, ladies.

The first official piece
of m*llitary canon

‐you get in basic training.


Windshear is a site‐specific,
rapid‐conjuration,
impact‐absorbing shield,

created by layering two
complicated Seed Sounds
subvocally.

No big deal, right?

We will begin with Seed 41, the
seed of haste and accumulation.

Upper register,
just north of audible range.

‐So, Libba...
‐You guys seem tight.

It's a family thing.
Our mothers hated each
other in w*r College.

‐Libba did add to it, though.
‐What did she do?

It was my debut,

unarguably the most
important day of my life
before getting called.

She danced with my Cavalier
before I got a chance to.

‐What language are you speaking?
‐What's a Cavalier?

Kind of like your date
for the night, but way more
astrological and foretold.

Anyway, she danced with him
in front of me,

in front of the very best
of Annapolis witchery.

‐It was a declaration of w*r.
‐w*r, though, isn't that
a little disproportionate?

You don't get it.

It wasn't about the guy.

That was my night.

She took it from me.

Hey.

Lieutenant Helen Graves.

Sorry to scare you.

‐You must be Private Collar.
‐Hi.

I brought coffee.

‐No thanks.
‐Suit yourself.

‐It's not my fault you're here.
‐I never said it was.

This is gonna be fun.

‐What year are you?
‐Sophomore, w*r College.

‐What specialization?
‐Necro.

‐What's that like?
‐Necro's like any other.

Blasters blast, they clear
ground with dangerous weather,

Fixers fix people,
keep 'em alive,
Knowers see around corners,

they know what to do,
when to do it.

Necros, well, we just
happen to channel
the power of death itself.

Well, what does that mean?

Death has its own magnetism
and resonance,

highly directable
in combat situations,

great for gathering intel.

The dead make
excellent eyes and ears.

Why are you so curious
about Necros?

- ‐No reason.
- ‐ Yeah.

Two can play at that game,
tight lips.

All right, so maybe I have
a special Necro in my life.

This evening just got
interesting. Who is she?

She's a second year.
Scylla Ramshorn.

Bright girl.
Best in her year.

Yeah. Bit cagey, though.

The thing you've got
to understand is that Necros

are a weird lot on the best day.

‐And why is that?
‐Because of what we can do.

Because we are the Army's
bastard stepdaughters.

‐Because we're so damn spooky.


On top of that,
Scylla's got her own stuff.

Mind you, this is just gossip,
but I heard the Army
k*lled her folks.

‐Why?
‐Draft dodgers.

Again, don't quote me,
but that'll mess you up.

You look pretty wiped.

Yeah, I barely slept
last night either.

I wonder what you were up to.

Tell you what.
Who's your drill sergeant?

‐Quartermaine, right?
‐The one and only.

Go sleep.

I'll tell Anacostia you were
the picture of m*llitary virtue.

You know what? I'm good.

My orders were to walk
the perimeter until dawn

‐and that's what I'm gonna do.


Save that fight
for the Spree, Private.

Give your special Necro
a minute to open up.
I bet she's worth it.

I will. Thanks.

Weakness and fatigue
have no place in a witch's army.

I was out kind of late,
I'm not sure if you
remember or anything.

Irrelevant. Bellweather,

show Private Collar
what endurance looks like.

Atonals, Seed 26, please.
The seed of discord.

I'll tell you when to stop.

Fuel your bodies, ladies.

Training resumes in two hours.

You okay?

We're moving on to Windstrike.

Do you think Anacostia
would let us do any kind
of extra things?

‐What extra things?
‐I just mean like
extra extra things

to bump up our ranks
to go to Salem.

‐Like clean latrines.
‐Enjoy that.

‐Why do you want to go so bad?
‐I want to go to the Pageant.

I want to be off base.
All we do is train and sleep.

This should be your blood.

Let me fix it.

I don't want your
country sh*t on me.

All good.
Just trying to help.

- ‐Let her help. We're a unit.
- ‐ Shut up, Tally.

Okay.

‐I'm just gonna...
‐Yeah.

To her that knocketh,

it shall be opened.

Power and glory,
for ever and ever...

I don't know why I even try.
Honestly, you...

‐Where are you going?
‐Who wants to know?

We have training.

What the hell
are you doing here?

Making sure you're
not late for training.

No, Abigail, it's not
your job to ride me.

You know the drill.
We're in this together.

Oh. Yeah, is that what you said
when you tried to ditch us?

Hm.

So high and mighty.

It's so beautiful, Mom.

I'm glad you like it,
my love.

I was so surprised.

I was kinda surprised
when I was making it for you.

It's amazing here, Mom.

I mean, just the sense
of history and culture.

‐My unit, they're incredible.
‐That's nice.

‐Glory's here.
‐Oh, good.

‐How's she doing?
‐She's scared.

She should be scared.

And so should you.

I'm really trying to have
a nice conversation, Mom.

It's a death sentence, Tally.

I've seen it with my own eyes.

That place is not you.

When are you coming home?

I am home.

My throat is still k*lling me.

Maybe you should have
let me finish fixing you.

How was I supposed to know
what you were doing to me?

‐Now both our throats hurt.
‐Bitch.

‐Bitch, bitch.
‐Easy, guys.

How about we keep it
about the work, Abigail?

Precision is key, always.

Remember you are calling
on no less than
the force of a hurricane.

When my cousin did basic,
they didn't learn Windstrike
until after Beltane.

There's been a lot of chatter
about how fast training
is coming at you, ladies.

But are you really surprised,
given the state of the world?

The Spree debuted a whole new
kind of b*mb in Kiev.

‐We don't have nine months
to get you ready.


What are you so weepy about?


‐My mom gave me this.

It's a combat charm.

It's a really
big deal for her.

She hates anything
even remotely m*llitary,

so I called her to thank her
and we started out so well,

devolved into
the same old stuff.

She kept saying,
"That place isn't you, Tally.

It's a death sentence, Tally."

And then I started to wonder,
is she right?

I mean, I couldn't s*ab
Anacostia today.
So what does that say?

Tally, I really need you
focused right now.

I am focused. This just happens
to be my life right now.

Training is your life right now.
It's not about your mom anyway.

‐So easy for you to say.
‐What does that mean?

I just mean she's so supportive.

My mom is a constant
source of pressure.
Make no mistake.

How about we cool it
on the mom talk.

‐Sorry.
‐In fact, why don't both of you
just stop talking!

Use what you've got, ladies.

Best Windstrike of the day.

Sixteen hundred pounds
per square foot.

Nice work.

You're headed to the Pageant.

Aside from the Bellweather Unit,
the following units
will also be attending:

Amigaunt, Habergon,
Moffett, Barbette.

Congratulations.
Bus leaves in two hours.

Abigail, Raelle,
this is Glory Moffett.

‐Hey.
‐Onward to glory, Glory.

You will conduct yourselves
with dignity and honor tonight.

Absolutely no work will be
performed off base, none,
under any circumstances.

Understood?

Go.

Hi. It's okay.
You can say hi.

‐What's your name?
‐Megan.

Megan, nice to meet you.

I'm Tally Craven.

You wan...
you want to see this? Yeah?

It's very special.

You wanna wear it?

There you go. Looks good on you.

‐Megan, hi!
‐Hi.

Thank you, soldier.

Thank you. Thank you.

‐Bye.
‐Bye.

Come on, Tal.

Drag her up! Drag her up!

‐Sarah Alder.


Blighting the wounds
of your sisters

who have show you only kindness

since the black day of your
arrival on these shores.

Consorting with savages
in the dark wood.

Suckling toads at your breast,
which we have all seen you do

with our very own eyes.

What do you have to say,
Sarah Alder?


‐We can't hear you, girl.


‐Let the wretch have her say!


‐Now, girl,
what do you have to say?

So how does it
feel to be followed?

It's not so fun, huh?

So how is it possible
that Abigail Bellweather

of the Bellweather Unit
just ditched the Pageant?

‐Why are you following me?
‐To irritate you.

‐Yeah.
‐Listen, I'll tell you what.

Why don't you back
slowly away from my sh*t,

and I will back slowly away
from your sh*t.

Deal. How about some pizza?

You know, I'm still a little
amazed you ditched the Pageant.

I've seen that thing
like a thousand times.

Look at them.

What are they
looking forward to?

Buying houses.
Getting married.

‐Not dying.
‐Taxes, bad jobs, infirmity.

A jagged dip in sex hormones.
No glory.

This is the moment
of their bloom,
the poor things.

Yeah, well,
it looks like freedom to me.

They can have it.

And there it is.
We have them.

At a bottling plant
near the airport.

Podilskiy Sklozavod
on Polova Street.

‐My daughter's right outside.
‐Link up, General Clary.

Move up!

Clear on the left, clear.

Just entering the room.

Fall back! Fall back!




‐No!


My baby...

Be it enacted
by this general assembly

that any child born of a witch
shall be held a witch,

according to the condition
of the mother,

and shall deliver herself
bodily to Fort Salem

for training
in the m*llitary arts.

Bravo!

This is what my mother
doesn't understand.

I mean, there is
so much sacrifice
and beauty in what Alder did.

Can you believe
that she witnessed
her own sister's m*rder,

‐like right in front of her...
‐Out of my way! Move!

That was weird.

Hey, guys.

Is there anything
weird going on?

Um, Abigail's
being nice to me.

Hey.

Um, I didn't
think you were coming.

And miss a chance
to see you? No way.

Let's go.

Um...

Tally, Abigail, Glory,
this is Scylla.

‐ Hi.
‐Great to meet you, ladies.

So this is Necro.

And this is High Atlantic.

Okay. Yeah. Let's go.

Just can't wait
till we meet again.

Well, that was interesting.

Why didn't you come last night?

I had guard duty because you
made me late for third bell.

I met someone you know, though.
Um, Helen Graves?

‐What did she say about me?
‐She said you
take a while to open up.

And she told me why
you guys are so weird.

‐Who?
‐Necros.

You think I'm weird?

Like sexy weird.

I like it.

Where are you taking me?

I'm looking
for something dead.

Yep, you should have

your pick of that in here.

I mean something recently dead.
Something fresh.

Why?

I want to show you
something beautiful.

It's a deathcap.

In the kingdom of plants,
mushrooms occupy
the underworld.

Nothing ever really dies.

Life becomes death,
which becomes life again,

over and over.

My mom is really dead.

Sorry, I know it's
a sensitive subject.

I just mean to say
that death is more complicated
than people think.

It's not so cut and dry.

And I'm sorry
about the other day.

I don't talk
about myself very easily.

Take as much time as you need.

I've been b*rned before.

You're so beautiful.

‐What kind of name is Scylla?
‐Greek, I think.

‐She's really pretty.
‐In a macabre sort of way.




Guys.

The Spree are here!

There was a balloon!

Everyone stay inside.
We'll be safer in here.

‐You're our protection?
‐The Spree operates
through sound.

‐Please stay inside.
‐What do you know?
How old are you, like 12?

‐Everybody remain calm.
‐No!

‐Sir, we're trying to help you.
‐Bullshit!

It's witches that are
committing these att*cks.

It's your kind of people.

Step back from me right now.

Get out of my way,
I'm not staying here.

Do not touch me.

You're no different
from the Spree.

And this is how you...

We all lost daughters today.

Yes, but I did, particularly.

Wouldn't you say, Sarah?

I merely meant
that we all feel the loss.

And what are we going to do
about this terrible feeling?

We will find them
and hobble them

and mute them
and bring them to justice.

How? Our methods
aren't working too well.

I understand your grief,

but we are
doing everything we can.

Perhaps it's time
for more extreme methods.

You should have seen Tally.

She was very,
"Step away from me, sir.

‐Now, sir!"


‐It was incredible.
‐Wait, she Windstruck him?

Across a fricking
pizza restaurant.

‐Did Anacostia find out?
‐Nope.

Thanks to a special somebody
who covered for me
when she walked in.

I heard someone
threw wind at a civilian.

‐What is that? Thank you.
‐I got your back.

I mean, can you believe
that some dumb teenager
released a balloon?

So dumb.

Awfully nice to meet
your girlfriend, Raelle.


‐Stop.

‐Tally.
‐Oh, my goddess!

We're officially saying
girlfriend! Oh!

I really like her.

- ‐Me too, Tal.
- ‐

You guys,
I just have to say this.

- ‐I love you.
- ‐

No, I'm serious.
These are terrible times.

The people we were sworn
to protect don't trust us.

Just saying, a soldier couldn't
ask for better sisters.

I am deeply honored

to serve with each of you.

Easy, girl.

Maybe this is
the littlest bit premature.

Sh... I mean it.

I made the right choice. I did.

- ‐You're my witches.
- ‐

You're my witches!

Whoo!

‐Okay, Tally.
‐Come on!

She's mine.

Positive.

What do I do next?

When will we be extracted?

Make sure it's soon.
I'm getting impatient.
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