01x02 - Perfect Teeth

[bunniefuu]

[Agnes MacKenzie]
Previously, on The Testaments...

You want to know what it was like for me,
growing up in Gilead.

At the Aunt Lydia School,
plum dresses were for older girls like us.

[Paula MacKenzie] Up, then.

Well, don't you look pretty as a picture?

Thank you... Mother.

Predestined to marry
High Gilead Commanders,

which only happened
if God blessed us with a period.

You're insane. The skirt looks fine.

Even God knows Paula has no taste.

Then we became Greens.

I wish I was Green this season.

I wish we all were, together.

It's starting to move very, very fast.

It's a dress, not a husband.

Not yet.

[Agnes] White was for the Pearl Girls.

They were new arrivals
from outside of Gilead.

Weirdos.

[Aunt Lydia] This is Daisy.

I'd like you to show her around.
Make her feel comfortable.

May the Lord open.

[♪ tense music playing]

You may socialize.

[all chattering happily and excitedly]

What is all this then?

This is Daisy.

It's a blessing to meet you all.

They stuck you with a Pearl Girl?
What did you do wrong?

She didn't do anything!

[Shunammite] Well, you can't trust her.

It's time to Plum up
and get her before she gets you.

Shame upon any of you that tempt a man!

[table saw whirring]

[girls] [shouting]
By His hand! By His hand!

[Guardian screaming]

Daisy!

Jesus Christ, he was f*cking wide awake.

Miss Agnes, I am so sorry.

I committed blasphemy.

[whispering] Our secret.

Shunammite said you should never,
ever trust a Pearl Girl,

but that was exactly what I did.

It was when I became eligible.

And when I met Daisy.

It was when it all started.

[water dripping]

[♪ soft, tense music playing]

[Agnes] The Aunts told us
lots of girls never blossomed

because they're disobedient and prideful.

And those girls are worthless to God.

Getting your period was like
a stamp of approval from God himself.

I was one of the chosen ones.

Me.

Why me?

There was a chance
I'd be able to conceive.

I was supposed to be ecstatic,
and I was.

But I was also scared to death.

[wastebasket thuds]

It's hard to tell one
from the other sometimes.

[♪ tense, striking music playing]

[birds chirping]

Blessed morning?

Rosa?

Rosa?

♪♪

Rosa?

What on Earth are you doing,
skulking around?

[♪ music stops]

Blessed morning, Mother.

Going out for a morning ride?

It's too early
for your manipulative nonsense.

What are you doing?

[birds chirping]

[wastebasket thuds]

Mother, as He blessed Ruth and Leah,

He has blessed me this day.

As He answered the prayers
of Sarah, Rachel, and Rebecca,

He has saved me from barrenness.

By His hand, He will make me fruitful.

[breathing shakily]

Blessed be His miracle.

Wait for me in the parlor.

[Agnes] When Becka got her period,
her mom was so happy,

she started laughing
and crying at the same time.

I doubt Paula has ever cried.

Or laughed.

We're not telling fibs now, are we?

You know, the Aunts
will do their inspection.

No. I wouldn't.

Welcome to the sacred calling
of womanhood.

There's a lot of tedious bother
to the whole enterprise.

These are called wings.

They go beneath your underpants
and snap shut.

-[snapping]
-Like this, yes?

Change the pads every few hours.

Cleanliness is Godliness,
especially so on these days.

You should never smell it on yourself.

Understood?

Yes, ma'am.

I was scared my first time, too.

Thank you for your help.

It's a woman's duty
to pass on this kind of wisdom.

Of course, no one
bothered to do it for me.

Tabitha made this for you
before she passed.

It's a cover for your pad.

[♪ gentle music playing]

Thank you.

[Tabitha] See if you can see
the rainbow through the rock.

-[sea birds squawking]
-Is it translucent?

-You got it?
-[Young Agnes] No, it looks like a heart.

[Tabitha] Oh, it does. You're right.

As I was walking along the forest,

I came upon an enchanted castle.

I saw inside there were
all these little girls locked up.

Sweet, Godly girls.

They were all under the spell
of wicked witches.

Luckily, I had a magic ring.

But the ring only had the power
to save one little girl.

So, I looked at all of them
very carefully.

And out of the whole bunch, I chose you.

Is that how I'll get a baby?

You won't need to, sweetheart.

You are going to have a baby
grow inside your tummy.

[both giggling]

[laughter fades out]

-[door opens]
-[approaching footsteps]

[Paula] Blessed morning.

Agnes has blossomed.

[Rosa] Praise be His mercy. [chuckles]

How do you feel?

A little sick to my stomach. [chuckles]

It's a blessing to feel
your body's miracle.

Agnes will have some appointments
now that she's eligible.

[Rosa] Yes, ma'am.

[Paula] There's the new doctor, of course.

And a proper tailor.

And I'll enlist Dr. Grove
for the teeth whitening.

We need to make her
as appealing as possible.

[Rosa] Yes, ma'am.

[Paula] Congrats, Agnes.

[chuckling]

I prayed so hard.

How about some coffee?
Isn't that what women drink?

Yes, please. [chuckles]

[Rosa chuckles]

It's completely obvious.

I'm walking weird.

[Rosa] You're perfect.

You're filled with His Divine Light.

And then, a husband.

Yes.

We pray a kind one.

[Agnes] Mm!

-[chuckles]
-A real young woman.

Your mother would be so proud of you.

[Agnes] Rosa took care of Tabitha
when she was dying.

She sat next to her bed
and fed her ice cubes.

I heard they're redistricting.

-[Rosa] Enjoy your special day.
-[Garth] Heads up.

Under His eye, sweetie pie.

Under His eye, Rosa.

[♪ intriguing music playing]

Would people notice the difference?

That I was a woman now?

[front door closes]

Was it something you could sense?

Like a wild animal in the grass.

Or smell? Like the air before a storm.

Blessed day.

[Agnes] Like a Guardian walking past you
in the summer heat.

[♪ intriguing music continues]

[Daisy praying indistinctly]

He set my feet on a rock,
and gave me a firm place to stand.

Amen.

[students chattering]

Blessed day, Miss Agnes.

Blessed day. Have you seen Becka?

No, I'm sorry.
I was praying while I waited for you.

You don't have to do that.
Just go inside like a normal person.

Where are you going?

Curiosity got Eve
kicked out of the Garden.

But Aunt Lydia said
I should stay with you.

You can't come.

[Daisy] Is this about yesterday?

[Aunt] Let's not dawdle.
Hurry along.

Aunt Gabbana?

[students chattering in distance]

[wings fluttering]

[birds twittering]

[bell gongs loudly]

[ringing vibrating]

[chuckles]

[loud ringing continues]

[♪ bright, joyful music playing]

-[looms rattling and clacking]
-It's beautiful, Shunammite.

[bell tolling]

Oh, blessed day! Girls! Up, up! Let's go!

-[♪ bright, joyful music playing]
-[loud ringing continues]

[students chattering excitedly]

[Aunt] Girls, up, up.
Someone's been blessed!

No, let's go!

[loud ringing continues]

[all chattering and laughing]

[♪ bright, joyful music continues]

[bell continues tolling]

[excited chattering continues]

[♪ ethereal music playing]

[students murmuring]

[group chattering excitedly]

[♪ ethereal music continues]

[Aunt Vidala] Agnes MacKenzie.

What a day this is.

Aunt Vidala, as He blessed Ruth and Leah,

He has blessed me this day.

As He answered the prayers
of Sarah, and Rachel, and Rebecca,

He has saved me from barrenness.

By His hand, He will make me fruitful.

Praise be His mercy.

Your blessing is a blessing upon us all.

One of your own has been
touched by His divine hand, girls.

Praise be.

[all girls] Praise be, Agnes.

[all applauding]

[group giggling]

-[applause continues]
-[girl] She's so lucky!

Take my meatloaf.

You need iron and folic acid
and bioflavonoids.

I'm stuffed, Hulda. [chuckles]

Is your menstrual pad all soaked?

No. Not yet.

[Hulda] Cool. You're so blessed.

Well, Green means more work.
And dancing in public.

And Agnes hates dancing
in front of people.

That could be a nightmare. [chuckles]

[Becka] Shut up, Shu.

[Shunammite]
What crawled into your tights?

I'm sure you'll be next.

My breasts have been feeling pretty sore.

[fork clangs]

They look bigger, don't they?

My father always said
I was blessed in that department.

Beck, I can ask Paula
if I can come to your house today.

I can say it's for Green stuff.

[Aunt Estee] Up, girls!

I have another fitting.

[Aunt Estee] Up, up, quick.
Shake your tail feathers.

[chairs scraping]

We need you in Corrections.

Come! A Pearl Girl needs your guidance.

[whispering] On your special day?
What a drag.

-[♪ ominous music playing]
-[door creaking]

[Agnes] Corrections were done
in a separate part of the school.

The Aunts' wing.

This room reeked of the Aunts.

-[Hulda] What did she do?
-[Agnes] I don't know.

It smelled like boiled wool and sweat.

It smelled of certainty,
if certainty had a smell.

[Daisy sighs heavily]

[Aunt Vidala] This young woman
made a confession this morning.

She has admitted to using
the Lord's name in vain.

[♪ tense music playing]

Agnes.

Aunt Lydia trusted you to guide this girl
as you would your own child.

I'm sorry, Aunt Vidala.

You have been blessed
with womanhood today.

Is that a challenge you are ready for?

Yes, Aunt Vidala.

Then show me.

Teach your straying lamb.

-[thumps chair]
-Get up!

You don't lounge around
while defending His name.

-[♪ tense music continues]
-[muffled whimpering]

What must a sinner do?

[muffled crying]

Pay, Aunt Vidala.

She must pay for her sins, Aunt Vidala.

[Plums] [chanting] Pay for her sins!
Pay for her sins!

[Aunt Vidala] Tell her what she is, Agnes.

Dirty words come from what?

A dirty girl.

[Plums] [chanting]
Dirty girl! Dirty girl! Dirty girl!

[chanting continues]

[Agnes]
Corrections was our time to unleash,

and we devoured it.

Dirty girl! Dirty girl!

I'm ashamed of how much I miss it.

-[angry chanting continues]
-[Daisy whimpering]

[Plums] [chanting] Dirty girl!
Dirty girl! Dirty girl! Dirty girl!

[Daisy gasping]

Whose fault is this?

[Agnes] We understood power and rage.

Teenage girls appreciate rage.

In Gilead as elsewhere.

You are nothing.

You're a sl*t from the streets of Sodom.

A child of sinners and wh*res.

She was there!

And she heard my blasphemy.
[panting] I swear to God.

[gasping and panting]

[continues panting]

[Daisy sobbing]

[Daisy continues sobbing]

[door creaking]

Alright, friends. Time for cake.

[harsh scrubbing]

[Daisy coughs]

[gagging]

Open.

-[soap squirting]
-[Agnes groans]

[Daisy gurgling, gags]

A vessel unclean has no use
in the service of the Lord.

[Agnes whimpering]

[rapid brushing]

[Daisy and Agnes groaning]

[rod smacking]

God wants you to put
your shoulder into it, Agnes.

I expected more from you
on your special day.

Now clean up and get to class.

[spitting and coughing]

[both continue coughing]

[faucet shuts off]

Oh, that soap is disgusting.

[sighs]

[coughs] I heard the Marthas use
rendered cow fat and fireplace ashes.

-[Agnes sighs]
-[Daisy coughs]

By His mercy, at least Aunt Gabbana
spared our tongues.

It would've taught you how to stay silent.

Agnes, I had to confess my sins.

I made a commitment to God
to be a good Pearl Girl.

Well congratulations.
You're being a perfect little Pearl Girl.

I didn't mean to rat you out.

But when you got all up
in my face, it was a lot.

Corrections are a lot for you.
Assembly is a lot for you.

Maybe serving God
is just too much for you.

[sniffles] I really am sorry.

Why did you come here?

Why don't you just go back home?

Not everyone has a home to go back to.

Some people have crappy lives.

A princess wouldn't get it.

[scoffs]

By His grace, I was granted
a fresh start here in Gilead.

Please give me a chance.

[door closes]

[Paula] [softly]
And on this day of all days.

I think you deserved
every bit of that punishment.

Every bit.

-Do you agree?
-[softly] Yes.

[Dr. Grove]
Thank you for coming, Mrs. Braden.

Please do say hello
to the Commander for me.

Lovely to see you, Mrs. MacKenzie.

-Agnes, we'll just be a moment.
-Praise be.

[♪ easy listening music playing in office]

[Paula sighs]

There are changes happening
in your body, and more on the way.

Your prefrontal cortex is still developing

and all that estrogen
pumping through your body

will tempt you into impulsive decisions.

Dangerous ones.

Womanhood is a test, Agnes.

A lifelong test.

[Agnes] The Aunts didn't teach us science.

My prefrontal cortex had no idea
what Paula was talking about.

[door opens]

[Mr. William]
Dr. Grove is ready for you, Agnes.

[Dr. Grove]
I blinked and you girls grew up.

Becka's gonna be thrilled
you're a Green now.

I'm glad we're in it together.

There was a lot on her mind today.

[Dr. Grove] Well, Becka's a worrywart.

It's just how she is.

Open.

Well, praise be. Perfect teeth.

Just perfect.

[metal tool clanking]

You know, maybe you could
help her through it all.

She's less anxious around you.

I mean, you've always been
so mature for your age.

Thank you.

Okay.
Only an X-ray to go.

Can I have a, uh,
size two bite wing, please?

[door closes]

Now, I hope that this isn't
too heavy for you.

I imagine your breasts
must be quite tender.

[♪ light music playing]

Uh, it's not too heavy.

Lovely.

You know, you really are
getting to be a big girl, Agnes.

[♪ music fades]

[armrest creaking]

[door opens]

And that's that.

Let's take some pictures.

Excellent. Thank you. Open.

And bite. Perfect.

[X-ray machine squeaking]

And, as still as you can be.

[♪ tense music playing]

[bell tolling]

[♪ tense music continues]

[Agnes] That's when I started having
nightmares about my wedding night.

About my husband.

A dark bedroom.

[floorboard creaking]

Then a smell.

[footsteps approaching]

And then he was in front of me,
my husband.

But he had no face.

I tried to run away,
but he always caught up with me.

Wake up.

[Agnes gasping]

[Aunt Lydia] Agnes.

Aunt Lydia?

[Aunt Lydia] Yes. It's time. Come along.

[insects chirring]

[♪ ominous music playing]

It's a chilly night, dear.

[Agnes panting]

[insects chirring]

[♪ ominous music continues]

Come along, dear.

[♪ ominous music intensifies]

We gather here tonight as this
daughter of Gilead comes of age,

seeking His Divine protection.

And she will need it, His protection.

For being a woman on God's green earth

is no easy feat.

In you go, dear. Rub-a-dub-dub.

But we needn't look so far back

to see the suffering of women, do we?

[water sloshing]

That's why Gilead was created.

To bring women back
to their rightful place.

The world would be lost without you.

Who can bring forth God's children?

Who will populate this world so
His divine presence can be multiplied?

Who, but you?

You join your sisters now
in this holy endeavor.

[♪ dramatic music playing]

[water splashing]

[Agnes gasping]

[water gurgling]

[splashing]

[gurgling]

[gasping]

Agnes MacKenzie, jettison all
that came before this moment,

and embrace your new role.

May the generations born to your womb

be worthy in His eyes.

Blessed be the fruit.

[Greens and Aunts] Blessed be the fruit.

May the Lord open.

[Aunt Lydia] A token of your passage.

May He bless your new path.

Under His eye.

Under His eye.

[Greens chattering excitedly]

Wonderful.

[chattering continues]

[stall door opening]

[sighs] Hi.

[chuckles] Want some help?

I thought I was gonna drown in there.

Me too, when I had my Initiation.

I feel like I'm still drowning.

It's better that you're here, though.

Praise be. [chuckles]

I thought you were mad.

This was your season,
and I was ruining it.

[softly chuckles]

I thought you didn't want me
to be a Green.

[softly chuckles]

[whispering] I didn't.

I didn't want this for either of us.

I don't want to get married.

I don't want a husband.

[♪ soft, dramatic music playing]

But what else would you do?

[Becka] I don't know.

Aunt Lydia said we...
get to leave everything behind.

Everything that happened before tonight.

Do you think that's real?

What would you want to leave behind?

[inhales deeply]

[chuckles]

It will be great.

Pushing strollers together. [chuckles]

No Aunts following us around. [laughs]

That does sound nice.

All will be well, Rebecca.

All manner of things will be well.

[chuckles] I'm freezing.

[♪ soft, dramatic music continues]

[sighs] Yeah. Come on.

-Let's go home.
-[chuckles]

[soft snoring]

[scratching, scribbling]

[scribbling continues]

[door thuds]

[footsteps approaching]

[scribbling continues]

[door opening]

[♪ tense, suspenseful music playing]

[footsteps receding]

[door creaking shut]

[♪ tense, suspenseful music continues]

[breathing heavily]

-[birds chirping]
-[engine rumbling]

[bell tolling]

[Agnes] It made no sense to say
you didn't want to get married.

It was going to happen.

"Want" had nothing to do with it.

There were things to be wanted.

Even in Gilead.

Even if there were consequences.

[Garth exhaling]

[Garth] Blessed morning.

Blessed morning.

Pray, you know smoking
is not allowed, right?

Yes, Miss Agnes.

My apologies.

Congratulations.

On your initiation.

Thank you.

Uh, better get inside, Miss Agnes.

[Agnes] Sometimes you
couldn't help but want.

Even if you tried your best to stop it.

But there was no point to it.

All that wanting.

Agnes! Finally!

[softly] Your father is home.

He'll be pleased to hear
of your development.

[♪ dramatic music playing]

You look so pretty this morning.

He's in the parlor.

[Commander MacKenzie] ...finished,
and the samples could be contaminated.

All these things need to be fixed.

If they're temp controlled, then I think
the transport is gonna be fine.

It's certainly vital.

Blessed morning, angel.

[♪ music stops]

[breathes deeply]

Father, as He blessed Ruth and Leah,

He has blessed me this day.

As He answered the prayers
of Sarah, Rachel, and Rebecca,

He has saved me from barrenness.

By His hand, He will make me fruitful.

I know He will.

Blessed be the fruit, Agnes.

May the Lord open, Daddy.

♪ Going to the chapel and we're ♪

Congratulations.

♪ Gonna get married ♪

-[Commanders congratulating and chuckling]
-♪ Going to the chapel and we're ♪

♪ Gonna get married ♪

♪ Gee, I really love you, and we're ♪

♪ Gonna get married ♪

♪ Going to the chapel of love ♪

♪♪

♪ Spring is here ♪

♪ The sky is blue ♪

♪ Whoa-oh-oh ♪

♪ Birds all sing ♪

♪ As if they knew ♪

♪ Today's the day ♪

♪ We'll say, "I do" ♪

♪ And we'll never ♪

♪ Be lonely anymore ♪

♪ Because we're ♪

♪ Going to the chapel ♪

♪ And we're gonna get married ♪

♪ Going to the chapel and we're ♪

♪ Gonna get married ♪

♪ Gee, I really love you, and we're ♪

♪ Gonna get married ♪

♪ Going to the chapel of love ♪