Episode 1
Episode 1 | 47m 41sVideo has Audio Description, Closed Captions
Sisters Becca and Rosaline receive unimaginable news about their mother.
When sisters Becca and Rosaline receive shocking news about their mother, they fly to the Isle of Man to find out more and are reunited in their sorrow after years of distance.
See all videos with Audio DescriptionADEpisode 1
Episode 1 | 47m 41sVideo has Audio Description, Closed Captions
When sisters Becca and Rosaline receive shocking news about their mother, they fly to the Isle of Man to find out more and are reunited in their sorrow after years of distance.
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Suranne Jones Interview: Making MaryLand
In MaryLand, British actor Suranne Jones brings to life a deeply moving, highly relatable love story of sorts between two sisters searching for answers on the Isle of Man. How did Jones, Rizzo from Grease, and a princess from the Game of Thrones prequel create this quiet and beautiful story? Find out!Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship♪ ♪ BECCA: Dad?
It's Mum.
They want us to I.D.
the body.
What was she doing on the Isle of Man?
I don't understand.
BECCA: Neither do I.
Said she was in Wales.
ROSALINE: Who are all these people?
My mother was living a double life.
Everything was about you and Mum.
BECCA: I want us to grow together, not apart.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ (gulls crying) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh, God.
♪ ♪ (breathes sharply) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Morning.
BECCA: Hi.
Here you go.
Ta.
Mol, phone.
We're not at the Ivy.
Oi, lip.
Fancy a curry tonight, Bec?
Uh, yeah, please.
JIM: Woke up dreaming of a bhuna.
A midweek curry?
Fitting some lights at the Queen's Head Saturday.
That'll pay for it.
You need to switch it back on when you do that.
MOLLY: I'm not going to school.
(cell phone ringing) (groans) Molly, we spoke about this.
(ringing continues) Jim.
You've got school.
01632?
Where's that?
(ringing continues) Hello?
(girls talking softly) Yeah.
(siren blaring in distance) Can I just check your dressing?
(clears throat softly) Ever had your boobs weighed?
No.
Why?
When we were kids, you'd say, "Have you ever had your boobs weighed?"
(chuckles): And then pretend to...
"Way-hey!"
It's a joke.
You're good to go.
(no computer audio) Take paracetamol and apply a cold compress if it gets sore.
Results in five to seven days.
(exhales) Try to distract yourself.
This is not my first time at the rodeo.
(inhales) (cell phone vibrating) Sorry.
(vibration continues) (phone drops on table, vibration stops) I'll call her back.
(phone ringing in background) ROSALINE (on phone): I don't understand.
No, neither do I.
She FaceTimed Lauren yesterday, said she was in Wales.
What... (exhales) What was she doing on the Isle of Man?
I mean, it can't be her.
If the police have sent you those photos, it's... Well, it's definitely Mum's stuff.
What's Dad said?
I don't know, I couldn't get in touch with him.
Neither could the police.
That's, that's why they called me.
Do you mean he doesn't know yet?
No, I just rang you.
Well, he needs telling.
I know he needs telling, Rosaline.
Well, I'm 200 miles away, Becca.
I can't do it over the phone.
I know.
I'll go around.
They want us to I.D.
the body.
ROSALINE: There?
Yes, Rosaline, there.
(Becca exhales, sniffles) I called her phone, it just...
It just rang out.
♪ ♪ Dad?
♪ ♪ Dad?
Hello, love.
What's up?
It's Mum.
Well... Well, they can't be sure.
Can they?
They can.
Well, they want us to identify the body.
Dad?
(crying) (sniffles, breathes heavily) Did you know that Mum wasn't at the caravan in Wales, with Maureen?
No.
Well, did they change their plans for some reason?
(quietly): No, no.
Did Mum say she was going to the Isle of Man?
(crying) Don't know.
I'm sorry.
This is all too... (hits counter softly) I'll book the flights-- you don't have to worry about any arrangements.
(breathing heavily) I can't go.
(breathes deeply) I can't go there.
I'll make you a cup of tea.
(drawer closes) You're only going for a few days.
Got shoes?
Uh, yeah.
And you're gonna wear your trainers on the plane, yeah?
Mm-hmm.
I can't leave your granddad like this.
It's gonna be fine.
Don't worry.
Why won't he go with you?
He said he wasn't able.
You ready?
Yeah, nearly.
JIM: Here, I'll do it.
(zipper closing) Stay on top of Mol-- Jim?
You've got to lay off her, Bec.
She's a teenager.
She just has her moments.
Well, being excluded from school was quite a moment.
Listen, I'll call you if I need anything.
What was your mum doing over there?
I don't know, she was always with Dad or Maureen.
Maybe this time she just took herself off on her own.
Why would me mum be on her own?
Don't know.
Maybe they had a row.
Me mum and dad have never had an argument in their lives.
You don't know what people get up to behind closed doors.
Thanks.
(exhales) You all right?
Hey, you come here.
(doorbell ringing) I thought I'd come and hear it from the horse's mouth, what's being omitted from the tender.
There's a little thing known as the world wide web.
I'll send it over later.
(inhales deeply, murmurs) You need to leave, Nick.
It's not a good time.
No, it's always a good time.
Me mum's just died.
Oh.
I'm...
I'm sorry.
Uh... That's, um...
Uh, yeah, when, when my gran died, it was really bad.
Right, I'll, um...
I'll go.
(clears throat) (exhales) (door opens) ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Hey.
Hiya.
Thanks for sorting the tickets.
(gate agent speaking indistinctly) Got new hair?
It's been like this an age.
How's Jim and the kids?
Oh, he's good, yeah.
Um, how's work?
Work.
JACOB: Hello, ladies.
Hi.
(cell phone ringing) Yes, Nick.
(car hatch closes) Yeah, all right, send it over, I'll take a look.
Little holiday, is it?
No.
Right, I can look at both at the same time.
You know, send the one with the amendment... (blows out) She's here for family reasons.
...and then the second one... How'd they get your phone number?
I'm her next of kin.
Well, and Dad is, too.
Hm.
It's just easier, 'cause I see them all.
And only 'cause you're in London.
(wrappers crinkling) No, thanks.
Well, I called her friends Maureen and Elaine.
I just left messages.
I haven't heard back from them yet.
Well, call them again.
Oh, okay, yeah.
I'll call them again, shall I?
If you don't want to do the ringing around, I'll do it.
JACOB: Um, ladies?
We, we're just coming up to the Fairy Bridge.
You'll have to say hello to the fairies, otherwise... Bad luck, like.
Ready?
Three, two, one.
Hello, fairies.
Hello, fairies.
Whereabouts on Westmoreland Road do you want?
Yeah, it's the mortuary.
Our mum has died.
Oh.
Oh, I'm sorry.
(knock at door) I'm Detective Ian Quayle.
I'm a coroner's officer.
We spoke.
That was me.
Just, do you know what happened to her?
Can we just get on with it?
Well, how did she die?
Was it a heart attack, or...
I can answer any questions once identification has taken place.
Oh, it's just straight ahead.
(sniffling) (sniffling) (exhales softly) (whispering): Oh, Mum.
(whimpers) Hey... (gasps) Oh... (sniffles) (sobbing) IAN: There was a cut to the back of her head that is consistent with the way she fell, but there will be a postmortem to establish cause of death.
ROSALINE: How long will that take?
IAN: Um, it could take up to ten days.
Will you be repatriating?
Of course.
How long was she on the beach before she was found?
Not long at all, we don't think.
She was meeting a friend for a walk.
She had a friend here?
He found her.
He said they walked the beach most days.
Most days?
No, she's, um... She sent me pictures from just this week.
Um... One from Manchester, then Wales, another one in Wales-- have you got any?
May I?
No.
That's not Wales.
That's here, Peel.
Why would she pretend not to be here?
Could we talk to this friend?
His number's in the office.
Just a sec.
(door opens) Oh, Dad.
I'll call him when we're done.
(phone set on table) IAN: That's her bag.
That's his number.
Pete Ribeiro.
He said we could pass it on to you.
Thanks.
(exhales, clears throat) And the address of where she was staying.
Bayview House.
Is that, is that near?
IAN: Five or six miles.
A drive down the coast.
I'll forward you the number for repatriation.
Thank you.
Is that it?
ROSALINE: Um, uh, thank you for your help.
If anything else comes up... No, just, she... ...give either of us a call.
We've just been told that our mother was here, and we didn't know.
(stammers): Is that not weird to you?
IAN: I'm really sorry.
The coroner's role is to establish how, what, when, and where, not why.
Well, maybe you should stick why on the list.
(exhales) (door opens) (door closes) Becca, as far as they're concerned, she's just a woman who went for a walk and died.
(sniffles) (vibrating) (birds calling) (breathes deeply) (exhales) (grunts) Just leave it.
What were you hoping to find?
It will just be photos she sent you.
She was pretending we're in Wales for whatever reason.
You don't want to know what she was doing here and why she didn't tell us?
Not massively, no.
What... Because you've got to get back to work?
No, because I don't like picking at scabs.
Yes, you do.
Fine, right, I like picking at scabs.
No, I mean, you want to know the same way that I want to know.
You want to know because you don't like that you don't know.
What I want is to sort out getting Mum home and organizing the funeral, okay?
And that's what I want, too.
Well, we're agreeing, then.
That isn't agreeing.
Shall we agree to disagree?
I'd rather agree to agree.
Everything all right in there?
Not fallen in?
(exhales) (toilet flushes, cell phone ringing) (sniffles) JIM (on phone): All right, babe?
BECCA: Hey.
Mol's a bit upset about your mum.
Oh, well, get her to call me.
Poor Mol, she loved Mum.
It was pretty awful earlier.
(sighs): I don't believe this.
What?
The, the washing machine's not drained.
All the clothes are sopping wet.
Listen, I'm, I'm gonna have to go and sort this.
I'm so sorry, love-- I'll call you back.
Yeah, yeah, okay.
(sniffles) Yeah, to the moon.
To the moon.
Oh, Jim?
Would you, um, check on Dad for me?
Yeah, yeah, course I will.
Bye.
Everything okay?
Yeah, Mol's a bit... (sighs): I think Jim's stressed.
Mum told me about what happened at school.
I think they came down hard on her.
Oh, well, I don't.
Well, vaping-- it's not crack, is it?
Well, it's not the vaping.
It's the kids that vape that's the problem.
Anyway, I'm not talking about that with you.
(breathes deeply) Get your coat on.
Where do you think they found her?
What does it matter?
(voice breaking): I just hate thinking of her here on her own.
♪ ♪ Bumper catch today.
Oh, you know me, I like them big.
You weren't lying.
(phone ringing out) Oh, hello, Dad?
RICHARD (on phone): Hello?
Dad, I just want to ask you what Mum was saying to you about being in Wales?
(on speaker): Eh, Becca, look, I'm busy now, love.
Oh, uh, okay, it's just, well...
It's important 'cause, well, we know she was here, and not just yesterday.
We don't know why.
When did she leave, Dad?
When did you last see her?
Last week-- right.
I will talk to you about this later.
Well... Hi, Dad.
Look, I'm in the process of sorting repatriation.
So, if you know which funeral directors you're using?
Or we could sort that, if you'd prefer.
The, the one on the main drag in Urmston.
They seem professional.
Let me know if you need me to do anything.
I will, love, I will.
Bye, Dad.
I just, I wanted to talk to him.
Yeah, and he clearly didn't want to talk to you.
Not about that.
No, he couldn't get me off the phone quick enough.
Well, maybe he knew something wasn't right.
That's why he didn't come.
No, he, he would have said.
Would he?
Shall we just go to this place she was staying in?
Um, see if they know anything?
If she left anything?
Yeah, okay.
Hey.
Hello, ladies.
Are you the only person on the island with a taxi license?
Who said I had a license?
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Is this a house?
Not a B and B?
JACOB: An old lady used to live up here years ago.
Me, me dad sold her a sheepdog.
Well, that is fascinating.
It's cash only, I'm afraid.
What is this, the ark?
Don't get your jetpack stuck in the door on the way outside.
I didn't mean to be rude.
Oh, I think we both know you did.
Well, how do I pay, then?
You'll owe me a pint.
Thank you.
(engine starts) Hello!
Rosaline, what are you doing?
Hello!
Oh, look, there's no one home.
Let's just go.
(softly): Stop it!
Ah.
Get off-- come on.
(whispering): Ros.
♪ ♪ (whispers): Oh, my... ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ There's a load of junk down there.
Mmm.
♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ROSALINE: Who are all these people?
She must have been here ages.
She can't have been.
Well, it doesn't look to me like she met this lot last week and just popped to Boots to have the pictures developed.
And look at her hair in this one, it's brown.
It's been years since she's had it brown.
Right, this is ridiculous.
I'm calling Maureen.
(zipper opens) We've left her a message.
She'll call us back when she's ready.
Mum clearly wasn't with her, so maybe she's avoiding us.
I would.
(zipper closes) Were Mum and Dad all right?
(exhales): Yeah.
Well, yeah, well, I think so.
How often did you see her?
Every couple of weeks.
But, I mean, we've been busy.
(stammering): But, but we spoke, though.
So she could have been here and not told you?
All right, Richard.
I, uh, I've brought you these.
Oh, um, thank you.
I can, I can help you put them away.
Oh, no, no, no.
I'm fine, thanks, Jim.
Anything else that you think you'll need or...?
No, not really.
Look, Richard.
Look, I'm, I'm really sorry.
Gutted, in fact-- we, we all are.
Yeah, well, you know.
Can't be helped.
(exhales heavily) She's double-folding tinfoil.
Making a lovely life for herself pretending she's in bloody Anglesey.
Okay, good.
Well, shall we call this Pete bloke again?
Yeah, let's call this Pete bloke again.
What's his second name?
Ribeiro.
No, no answer.
I've got his address.
You'd have no real need for the internet, would you?
Ah.
I've left you a number of messages.
Oh, well, you know I never listen to voicemails.
Mary's daughters are here on the island.
I'll go say hi.
That's it?
You'll go say hi.
What do you want me to say?
Perhaps some respect?
(laughing): Oh, I get it.
You want me to do full-out Queen Victoria?
100 years of mourning?
Where is my veil?
They're her daughters, Cathy.
I just want to know what we should tell them.
You do whatever you think is best.
What are you gonna say?
I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.
(engine stops) (car door opens and closes) (exhales) Hello.
Becca and Rosaline.
I've heard all about you.
Please, come... Well, we, we haven't heard about you.
How long have you known Mum?
How long has she been here?
Well, I...
I first met your mum at the, the writing group that she ran.
Mum ran a writing group?
So you found her?
Yes.
Um, I'd, uh, I'd gone to, to meet her for a walk.
How well did you know her?
(sighs): Your mother... She was a good friend to me.
She never mentioned you.
Were you having an affair?
My God, Rosaline, he said he...
He said he went for a walk.
I was asking.
Sorry.
I'm sorry, I...
I can't do this right now.
Well, how often was she here?
Would you please just leave?
Could we talk tomorrow, maybe?
Yeah, yeah, fine, fine.
(key turns, house door opens) Why would you go straight to affair?
Yeah, well, sorry, I just thought I'd mention any potential elephants in the room.
Why has there got to be an elephant?
She wouldn't do that.
Well, we didn't know Mum would be hanging pictures on the wall in the Isle of Man till two days ago.
"Pass me my readers, Richard."
(chuckles) Remember when they shared one pair of glasses for about five years?
Yeah-- you marched them both to the optician, didn't you?
Yes, I did.
And Mum memorized the bottom line.
The optician saw her coming and switched the cards round.
She got herself in such a flap.
She needed bloody jam jars, not readers.
Did she tell you that?
No, you told me when you were staying with me.
Oh, yeah.
(sniffs) Oh.
Look, "Dear Mrs. Ward, "Thank you for your time today.
"If there's anything else you require, do not hesitate to contact us."
(sniffs) It's from a solicitor's.
(clicks tongue): I'll call them.
(sniffs) Her perfume.
(sniffs deeply): Oh, God.
If you want to go back, I can sort stuff here.
No, I don't want to leave you here.
I'm just... (breathes deeply) I'm... (exhales, sniffles) (clicks tongue, exhales) (sighs) ♪ ♪ (drawer opens) (drawer closes) Ros?
Hey.
(grunts) Remember this?
You taught me how to do this.
(grunting, laughing) (yelps) (panting) (yells) Oh, she's lost her touch!
My feet aren't as sweaty as yours.
It's nothing to do with the fact that I'm the best wall climber in the family.
(both laughing) Oh, are you?
Are you?
No, no, don't you dare!
Are you, are you?
No, not the fanny!
(both laughing) (snorts, laughs) (shrieks, laughs) (laughing): Stop it-- oh, God.
Oh, I'm gonna wee myself.
Oh, dear.
(laughing, sighing) Oh, my God.
(chuckling, sighs) (giggles) Where'd you get this?
(stammers, exhales) It's Mum's necklace.
That she never took off.
Where'd you get it from?
She wore this every day!
It's not yours to just squirrel away.
What are you bothered for?
It's from Argos.
Are you for real?
I bought the first one for Mother's Day when I was 12.
Yeah, and I bought the second one.
Yeah, I took you on the bus to town.
It's not yours to just have, but you don't think like that.
What does that mean?
It means you think you and Mum were tight, so you get to take what you want.
No, I don't.
Yes, you do.
(sighs) Where's all this coming from?
Are you joking?
Oh, my God!
Because we looked after you?
Oh, you two and your blooming cult of caring.
What?
"Oh, don't take me back there.
"I can't cope with my sick daughter.
It was so traumatic for me."
So, you take over, and Mum's all, "Becca, you've done such a great job."
It wasn't like that.
Well, no one asked you to look after me.
I know they didn't-- no one needed to.
'Cause you're such a saint.
No, because I'm your sister.
Well, next time, don't bother.
(sighs) (car door closes) ♪ ♪ Hi-- how you doing?
Ah, you know.
Yeah, I do.
Okay, just one minute, hmm?
♪ ♪ (sniffs) ♪ ♪ Here you go-- ah, thanks very much.
Yeah.
Now, listen.
You call me if you need anything, right?
Right?
Yeah, yep.
♪ ♪ Sorry, took me a while to locate the file.
So, the house at Bayview was your mother's.
(stammers): As in, she owned it?
It's all here.
We haven't got any money in our family.
And she's given instruction for it to be left to Rosaline Ward and Becca Hall in trust.
It says it is for the betterment of the women of the family.
What does that mean?
That's all it says.
What does trust mean?
Well, a trust is...
It means we can't sell it.
(gulls calling) Look what we could have won.
No change out of a million.
That's the first thing you think of doing?
Looking up the price?
Don't give me that-- what you gonna do?
Give it to the local cats' home?
Anyway, it doesn't matter.
We can't sell the thing.
(exhales) Who the hell was she?
Well, she was Mum.
Yeah, but who was that?
'Cause that's not the woman who let Dad tell his stories while she laughed politely.
Or was bothered about what people thought of her.
Or went bright red if she even told a white lie.
Well, maybe this is all so big she couldn't tell us.
Or maybe she was just massively selfish, and we hadn't realized.
(sighs) CATHY: Hello.
Rosaline, Becca.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Pete called me.
I'm Cathy, I'm a dear friend of your mother's.
(sighs) Must have been a terrible shock.
Thank you.
Whew, she'll never be dead while you're alive.
You have the exact same nose.
(chuckles uneasily) Well, let's have at it.
I'm sorry your mother was so closed off about her experience here.
BECCA: That's one way of putting it.
And another way of putting it is, I was no fan of her dishonesty.
I like things out in the open.
I told her, just rip off the Band-Aid.
Call your father, call the girls, and... And I'm sure she meant to.
So, what was she doing here?
She was looking for her mother.
Gran?
She died... 20 years ago?
CATHY: Her real mother.
Your mom was adopted.
Uh, no, she wasn't.
CATHY: And she found her.
Her mother.
Joan Corrigan.
Oh, wait, wait just one minute, I'll be right back.
There they are.
Joan had your mother just at the end of World War II.
She'd fallen in love with a German Jewish musician who was in an internment camp nearby, and, well, it was a whole thing, and they wouldn't let her keep the baby.
Did she ever say anything to you about this?
No, she didn't.
CATHY: This is Joan's house.
She left it to your mother when she died.
Well, I think you have a lot to process.
Sorry, when was all this?
Oh, um, 2015?
Yeah, 2015.
What?
Sorry, she... What, she's been coming here for eight years?
Wha... Becca?
What, I didn't-- so we, we knew nothing about this, 'cause she, she was at home with Dad... (laughing): I mean, yeah.
...and then she would be with me.
Do you think your mother was a people-pleaser?
I mean... She waited until your grandmother in Manchester died before she even started looking for her mother.
So she came here, found her.
And it was great to get to know her, but she felt disloyalty to you two.
And also, when you found out, you'd find out that she'd been lying.
That's not an excuse.
Oh, I'm right there with you, honey.
Look, look, I'll just give you girls some time.
Um...
Here's my number.
Please, if you need anything.
Could I just use your bathroom?
(clicks tongue) Yeah, sure.
Thank you.
(sighs) Well, you know how to reach me.
(engine starts) I need you to see something.
(car driving off) Do you know how many Sunday dinners I've made?
Or how many times I've popped to Aldi for some bits?
Or the trips I've done to Dunelm Mill?
(gasps) No... Oh, the amount of inane drivel I've had talked in my ear by Mum about neighbors, or Dad's gout, or the, the stent that so-and-so had to put in down the road, and not once has she mentioned any of this.
I get it, Becca, she lied to us.
No!
No, Rosaline, she lied to me!
Oh, there she is, she lied to you.
(footsteps approaching) Found these.
I'll have a Vimto martini straight up, thanks.
Hold the olive.
(chuckles) (gasps) (exhales) That's disgusting.
(chuckling): Oh, God.
God, do you think she sat here and thought, "Oh, girls would love it here-- best not tell 'em"?
(laughs) I miss you, you know.
No, you don't.
Oh, okay, I don't, then.
Can you believe our grandparents aren't our grandparents?
Uh... (imitates explosion) Yeah, it would've been handy to know she was adopted.
Medically speaking, maybe.
(exhales) ♪ ♪ Should we just stay here tonight?
Yeah.
I'll sleep in the spare bed.
It's not made up.
Shall we top and tail?
♪ ♪ (exhales) (gasps) (crying) ♪ ♪ RICHARD: You never really know someone, do you?
ROSALINE: Who was she?
PETE: She was happy here.
My mother was living a double life.
I'm furious.
I feel like I need to get out of my skin.
ROSALINE: I didn't know about any of this.
You need to tell me everything.
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