Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Case Study No. 0006: Jeremy Goode/Silent Singer

Psychoville Silent Singer Series 2 Appearances
3:04
psychoville's silent singer montage lolz :)
Tags: psychoville silent singer bbc
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[scene opens in the public library, as Jeremy is at the front desk talking on the telephone]
JEREMY GOODE: [into phone] Hello, this is Jeremy Goode from Brook Street Library. Uh, just ringing to let you know that "The Other Side of Truth" by Beverley Naidoo has been returned to us, and I've popped it behind the desk for you. Thank you very much.
[a female patron has been dropping off books while he's been talking, but when he hangs up the phone he calls to her before she has a chance to walk away]
JEREMY GOODE: Oh, excuse me! I think we're a book missing.
RACHEL GROVES: Sorry?
JEREMY GOODE: Well, I have "The Secret" and Peter Ackroyd's "London", but we're missing "Fifty Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles, Volume 2."
RACHEL GROVES: [leans over and looks at his computer screen] Which one, sorry?
JEREMY GOODE: "Fifty Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles, Volume 2."
RACHEL GROVES: Oh, yes. I got it out for my mother, actually. It must be somewhere in the house. Uh, can I have a look for it and bring it in tomorrow?
JEREMY GOODE: You can, but as of four o'clock today, the book will be overdue, and that will incur you a 5p fine for every day that it is left unreturned.
RACHEL GROVES: Okay, well I'm sure I can find it. I'll get it to you by the end of the week.
JEREMY GOODE: So either today, tomorrow, or Friday?
RACHEL GROVES: Well, no, it won't be today.
JEREMY GOODE: So either tomorrow or Friday? But you do have the book, it's in the house, and you can get it to us by Friday at the latest?
RACHEL GROVES: [smiling] Well, whenever.
JEREMY GOODE: No ... Not whenever. Tomorrow or Friday.
RACHEL GROVES: [looks confused] Yes.
JEREMY GOODE: Do you know which, because I'm not in on Fridays.
RACHEL GROVES: I'm not sure, to be honest with you. What difference does it make?
JEREMY GOODE: 5p.
RACHEL GROVES: Alright, and what happens if I can't find the book?
JEREMY GOODE: [pauses] What? Ever?
RACHEL GROVES: Yes ... I've lost it, say. Get home, have a look around, it's gone. What? What then?
JEREMY GOODE: Well, then we would have to charge you for the price of a replacement, which is five pound, plus the outstanding fine of fifteen pence, which would come to a total of ...
[he uses his calculator to come up with the total, but they both say "Five pound, fifteen pence" at the same time]
RACHEL GROVES: [walking away] Okay, thank you ...
JEREMY GOODE: [yelling after her] Yeah, but hopefully that won't--
[she's already gone, so he goes to the stacks to reshelve some books, but he suddenly hears her voice repeating "And what happens if I can't find the book? I've lost it, get home, have a look around, and it's gone. What then?"]
JEREMY GOODE: [turns around and sees the missing space on the shelf where Volume 2 of "Fifty Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles" should be]
[he slowly looks behind the bookshelf, where he sees a man - actually Jeremy himself with strange teeth and pigtails - making exaggerated gyrations]
JEREMY GOODE: [whispering] Not now, Silent Singer ...
[he closes his eyes, and when he opens them, the apparition is gone]

[...]

[Rachel is at home, giving her daughter Chloe a bubble bath, when she hears the doorbell ring]
RACHEL GROVES: Oh, just lay carefully, it won't be a minute. No getting out, you might slip!
[cut to her opening the front door, and the librarian is standing there]
JEREMY GOODE: Any joy?
RACHEL GROVES: [confused] Sorry?
JEREMY GOODE: "Fifty Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles, Volume 2."
RACHEL GROVES: Oh ... Oh, it's you. No.
[her confusion quickly turns to annoyance]
RACHEL GROVES: Sorry, what're you doing here?
JEREMY GOODE: Just thought if you'd found it, I could pick it up and take it in tomorrow for you. Save you the 5p.
RACHEL GROVES: I haven't found it. Haven't even looked for it. Now, if you don't mind, I'm busy.
[she closes the door]
CHLOE: [off camera] Who is it, Mom?
RACHEL GROVES: No one!
[the doorbell rings again]
RACHEL GROVES: [to herself] For God's sake!
[she opens the door, and Jeremy is still standing there]
JEREMY GOODE: Would you like me to look for it for you?
RACHEL GROVES: No! I wouldn't! Now go away, or I'm calling my husband!
JEREMY GOODE: Why, do you think he might know where it is?
RACHEL GROVES: No! Look, go away! This is ridiculous!
[she closes the door and walks away]
JEREMY GOODE: [tries ringing the doorbell a couple more times, then looks up at the window, where he can see Rachel and her children staring back at him]
[he turns around, and sees the Silent Singer across the street]
JEREMY GOODE: [yelling] Not now, Silent Singer! Not now!
[a man walks by and looks towards where the librarian is shouting, but sees no one there]

[...]

[Jeremy is back at the library, standing at the front desk and talking into the phone]
JEREMY GOODE: [talking fast into the phone] Hello, this is Jeremy Goode from Brook Street Library. Just a courtesy call to let you know that "Fifty Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles, Volume 2" is still outstanding, and that the fine currently stands at thirty-five pounds, made payable in full when you return the book! If I don't hear from you, I'll call you again in ten minutes!
[he hangs up as an elderly woman walks up to the desk]
OLD LADY: [cheerily] Excuse me, dear. I wonder if you could help me. I'm looking for a book for my grandson. It's the final one about the boy who's a wizard ... Oh, you know the one.
JEREMY GOODE: [nervously looking around] No. Sorry.
OLD LADY: He's a boy, with glasses on ... and they made a film of it.
[Jeremy isn't really listening, and picks up the phone to trying calling Rachel again]
OLD LADY: He does magic, and he has a friend with ginger hair. Oh, you must know, it's very famous.
JEREMY GOODE: No.
OLD LADY: I promised I would pick it up for him, you see. He's in the hospital, and I just can't recall ...
JEREMY GOODE: [without looking at her] Lord of the Rings?
OLD LADY: No, that's not it ... Puh-, puh--
JEREMY GOODE: Mary Poppins?
OLD LADY: No. No, he has a scar there ...
[she rubs her forehead]
OLD LADY: Oh please, help me.
JEREMY GOODE: Is it "Fifty Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles, Volume 2?" Is it, because that book's on loan at the moment, although it is overdue. I'll just call and see if I can't find out for you!
[he picks up the phone and begins dialing again]
OLD LADY: Oh no no, it's not a study book. It's fiction.
JEREMY GOODE: [angrily hangs up the phone] Harry Potter ... It's Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter! Harry Potter!!
OLD LADY: [smiling] Oh, that's it! Thank you!
[she turns and starts walking away]
OLD LADY: [in a sweet voice] No need to be such a prick about it, was there dear?
[after she leaves, Jeremy sees the Silent Singer standing near the stacks again]

[...]

[Chloe wakes up in the middle of the night, to find that Jeremy has broken into their house and is sitting quietly in the middle of her room]
CHLOE: Who are you?
JEREMY GOODE: [whispering] I'm Jeremy from the library.
CHLOE: Why are you in my room?
JEREMY GOODE: On the 14th of October, 2007, you borrowed "Alice Through the Looking Glass." Do you remember that book, Chloe?
[she says nothing]
JEREMY GOODE: "Beware the Jabberwock, my son. The jaws that bite, the claws that catch" ... On the 28th of October, your mummy brought the book back to us at the library, and on the 31st of October Margaret Chang took it out again. Because libraries are all about sharing, aren't they, Chloe?
CHLOE: What do you want?
JEREMY GOODE: Where is "Fifty Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles, Volume 2?" It's a book, Chloe. One of our books from the library, and your mummy's stolen it ... Jabberwocky would like to read that book, Chloe. Would you like me to send him to your room so he can look for it?
[she shakes her head]
JEREMY GOODE: Very well. You ... have to look for it. I'll be watching. Night night.
[he turns to leave, and sees the Silent Singer floating outside the window]

[...]

[at the urging of the Silent Singer, Jeremy has kidnapped Rachel's dog and is calling her on the phone]
JEREMY GOODE: [talking into his cell phone] Hello, Rachel. This is Jeremy Goode from Brook Street Library.
RACHEL GROVES: What have you done with Lucy?!
[cut to Jeremy sitting in a swingset at the childrens' playground, with the dog sitting in the swing beside him]
JEREMY GOODE: That's right, yes. Well, I can remember where she is for now, but I might forget. That depends. Can you remember where you put things? Where did you put "Fifty Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles, Volume 2?"
RACHEL GROVES: What does it matter? Just buy a replacement! I've told you, we can't find it!
JEREMY GOODE: Well, it's a shame you said that, Rachel, because I probably won't be able to find Lucy, then ... Or maybe I'll remember where parts of her are. Yes, I'll do that. If I find her tail, I'll send you her tail. If I find her ears, I'll send you her ears. Do you see how this is now? You've got twenty four hours, otherwise you'll be buying a replacement Lucy. Or maybe you could put the old one back together again, like a jigsaw. Thank you, goodbye.
[he hangs up, as Rachel stares at her phone in terror]
JEREMY GOODE: Let's hope she finds it ...
[he turns to see the Silent Singer sitting in the swing and petting the dog]

[...]

[in the middle of the night, Jeremy and Rachel are meeting in the park to make the "exchange"]
JEREMY GOODE: [leading the dog closely behind him by a leash] That's it?
RACHEL GROVES: [holding a book tightly against her chest] Yes.
JEREMY GOODE: Where did you find it?
RACHEL GROVES: [nervously] My husband had it ... in his office. Just got buried under some papers.
JEREMY GOODE: A system, you see. Got to have a system ... Do you ever see the Silent Singer, Rachel?
RACHEL GROVES: No.
JEREMY GOODE: I do. When things aren't right. Been seeing him a lot lately.
[he turns and sees the Silent Singer standing on one of the slides]
JEREMY GOODE: Too much, actually. I hope he'll go away for a bit now we've found the book.
RACHEL GROVES: [clutches the book] Let me have Lucy first.
JEREMY GOODE: She's alright ... On you go.
[he hands Rachel the leash, who gives up the book and then runs away]
JEREMY GOODE: [holds up the book and looks at it, only to move his thumb and reveal that it's actually "Fifty Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles, Volume 1"] Volume One? No!
[two police officers appear and grab him]

---

From wikipedia.org:

Series 2, Episode 1
Original Airdate: 5 May 2011

We begin the brand new second series with the funeral of Mr Jolly. Attending the funeral we see Mr Jelly, Mr Lomax and his accomplice Michael Fry (Tealeaf), mildly injured. Little do they know, Grace Andrews and her inept henchman, Kelvin are watching their every move. We see Joy Aston also injured with a neck brace, who has hospitalised Jennifer (now paralysed) and constantly referring her to her 'Freddie Fruitcake'. George is leaving Joy and we discover that his ex-lover, Nicola was killed in Jolly's bomb.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to a new character, Jeremy Goode - an obsessive librarian who discovers a customer who has failed to give in a withstanding book, '50 Great Walks of the British Isles Volume 2'. While coping with his slight case of OCD, he sees his odd alter ego, 'The Silent Singer'. During Jolly's funeral, Detective Finny asks Jelly, Lomax and Tealeaf information about Nurse Kenchington's locket. Obviously lying, Jelly and Tealeaf claim they know nothing about the locket leaving Detective Finny slightly suspicious. Next we are reunited with David Sowerbutts, who is in hospital with his mother Maureen who took an overdose of sleeping pills. David discovers privately without the knowledge of his mother, that Maureen has an inoperable tumour. We meet Hattie, a 'fag hag' addicted to electronic cigarettes who is asked by her 'gay best friend' to marry his Iranian partner as his partner's visa was about to expire, and it is illegal to be homosexual in his country. At their home in Wood Green, David and Maureen discover another black mail letter with the famous 'i know what you did' on a piece of paper. As David wasn't present at the explosion he doesn't know who the blackmailer was so he suspects it's the remaining members of the 'Murder and Chips' theatre group. Together they find one of the reaming members and plan to invite him to dinner, where they will most likely murder him. At his home in Manchester with a box of Mr Jolly's tricks and inherited objects, Mr Jelly discovers Jolly's ID from which has an address on the back.

Jeremy Goode is still determined to get the book back to the library and returns to the customer's home where she still cannot find it. Out of nervousness and paranoia, we see 'The Silent Singer' again. The final scene is at Joy's home in Avon where Detective Finny has come to interview Joy as well with a great interest in the locket. Decivingly, Finny tricks Joy and stabs her in the neck with a pencil, which causes her to collapse and bleed. Finney makes it look as is Jennifer did the killing and leaves her with Joy's corpse.

---

From wordpress.com:

On a grey, miserable northern day, a traditional Victorian Gothic funeral cortege proceeds solemnly to the cemetery.

Only... the Funeral March has been replaced by low-tempo, gloomy circus music. And the mourners are clowns.

Grotesque, garish, dead-eyed clowns.

Hurrah! Welcome to Psychoville.

Comedy thriller Psychoville, created by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, is even more influenced by horror than their previous project, The League of Gentlemen. Psychoville has all the hallmarks of an old low-budget British horror film, including a large cast of deeply unglamorous characters with secrets to hide, an old psychiatric hospital, and more twists than a Turkey Twizzler.

However, you couldn't really call it a spoof. There are plenty of laughs, and plenty of subverted horror clichés. But it's genuinely eerie and frequently gory, and it never exploits splatter for laughs. Shearsmith and Pemberton, even rendered unrecognisable by make-up, are good enough actors to play it straight when necessary, and the supporting cast includes reliable stalwarts like Dawn French, David Bamber and Imelda Staunton.

The first series of Psychoville revolved around the former inmates of Ravenhill psychiatric hospital receiving sinister letters saying 'I know what you did'. Among these misfits were Mr Jelly, the embittered one-handed children's entertainer, slackjawed David, whose mother tests him on his favourite serial killers while picking the eczema off his back, and Lomax, a wart-faced millionaire who sold his own eyes to Siamese twins for a rare Beanie Baby. As if these weren't bizarre enough, there are plenty of others. I haven't even mentioned the evil telekinetic dwarf.

Now, the letters have started again, and the mysterious Detective Inspector Finney is keen to find out what happened at Ravenhill. Not all the characters appear to have survived (although since this is Psychoville, they could be reaching Carrie-style from the grave as we speak) but there are some welcome additions. Reece Shearsmith's Jeremy Goode is a particular gem: a meticulous librarian who, after the maddening non-return of 50 Great Coastal Walks of the British Isles, is tortured by visions of the monstrous Silent Singer.

Ah yes, the Silent Singer. This hideous, snaggle-toothed apparition in pigtails appears to Jeremy for reasons which, I suspect, might just turn out to be 'because it's dead scary'. And really, that reason is quite good enough. The Silent Singer, like The League of Gentlemen's Papa Lazarou ('Hello Daaaaaave?') is funny because it's terrifying. It's like something you see in one of your weirder nightmares but can laugh about when you wake up... while inwardly praying you won't see it again.

The Silent Singer just about epitomises Psychoville. Bafflingly weird, funny enough for the occasional belly-laugh, but gleefully creepy enough to make you sleep with the lights on.

---

From bbc.co.uk:

An over-zealous librarian, Jeremy prides himself on going to whatever lengths are necessary to ensure that books are returned to the library.

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