Gretchen: Today’s the day!
Anthony: What day? It’s the morning, don’t make me think too much please.
Gretchen: The day of reckoning.
Lucinda: Oh my god, she’s finally snapped. This honestly took longer than I expected. Do me first, I’ve lived the longest, I’m ready to go.
Toby: Dad, I’m scared.
Anthony: Lucinda, quiet.
Lucinda: If I’m about to get shot, then I think I should be able to spend my last moments yapping if I’d like.
Gretchen: What are you people talking about?
Lucinda: The day of reckoning. You’re the one who said it!
Gretchen: It’s Election Day!
Lucinda: Oh. Right. Why is it the day of reckoning?
Gretchen: All of these people are going to see that running away from me and my track record of success won’t help them one bit! They’re gonna get swept away, and it’s no fault of mine!
Lucinda: You know what? Tonight’s going to be rough for you, so I won’t burst your bubble right now.
Anthony: I think you just did.
Lucinda: Whoops.
Gretchen: Look, I hope the Democrats do well tonight, I need a lot of them in office just to keep my agenda afloat. However… after so many of them distanced themselves from me and acted like I was some sort of electoral poison, I won’t feel sympathy when they’re gone!
Anthony: Don’t be vindictive.
Gretchen: I know, I know. I’ll leave that to the Republicans.
Lucinda: Isn’t Mary up for re-election? Why haven’t we heard anything from her about that? Is she not that interested in holding on to her seat?
Gretchen: She’s running unopposed.
Lucinda: Already? She wins one special election handily and they just give up? I hate the Republicans, but this is really pathetic, even for them.
Gretchen: I think the proximity between the special election and the primary just left them unable to find anyone to run.
Lucinda: Well, I can’t complain about my kid being given a pass, I guess. She does deserve4 a rest, she works very hard doing… whatever it is that a state representative does.
Gretchen: Based on the amount of bills they send me to sign, not much at all!
Anthony: That’s Hank’s fault, no?
Gretchen: Everything bad in this state is Hank’s fault. The man was sent from Hell to terrorize me, he does a damn good job of it.
Lucinda: You have to take a bit of responsibility, you are the governor.
Anthony: She does not!
Lucinda: Yes, you’re right. She’s done a perfect job, no reasonable person could hold the governor responsible for what’s happened in the state they govern.
Gretchen: I’m just hoping enough of the Democrats who hold on tonight are against keeping Hank as speaker. Maybe with a reasonable speaker, I can pass some things.
Lucinda: You still have Jeanne.
Gretchen: Ugh! Don’t remind me.
Anthony: Why are you so certain the Democrats will lose seats? It’s basically a second midterm for President Delphy, and it’s not like he’s popular here. You’d think that would help.
Gretchen: Yes, but the media also loves to cover how much of a mess Rhode Island Democrats are, and that doesn’t help us.
Anthony: You’re just a dysfunctional family, that’s pretty relatable.
Lucinda: I don’t know about that.
Anthony: Yeah, everything involving you is incredibly functional.
Lucinda: I don’t appreciate the digs.
Anthony: Neither do we, but you always make them.
Gretchen: Hey, stop! You’re putting a damper on my excitement. Just because we’re losing seats doesn’t mean it’s a bad day. Knowing Hank’s having a rough time is enough to bring a smile to my face.
Lucinda: Speaking on which, shouldn’t you be getting your face to work along with the rest of your body?
Gretchen: It’s not even seven in the morning.
Lucinda: Feels later, probably because of all the talking. I like a silent morning.
Anthony: You wouldn’t know it.
Lucinda: What’s that supposed to mean?
Anthony: You know what it means?
Toby: Is someone going to take me to school?
Gretchen: Ah, crap!
Lucinda: What did you learn to drive for if you still ned mommy to drive you to school?
Toby: She’s the one who insists on still doing it! She wants me to “be safe.” Whatever that means…
Gretchen: The world is a scary place, especially for a high-profile family! Someone tried to kidnap me, remember?
Lucinda: Oh, again with this… it was three years ago!
Gretchen: So it’s not terrifying?
Lucinda: At a certain point, it’s time to drop the victim a
Anthony: Wait, it’s Election Day. There’s no school today!
Toby: You mean I got up and got dressed at six thirty for nothing?
Anthony: Well, it’s good practice for tomorrow.
Toby: This blows!
Lucinda: Life blows!
Anthony: Especially with you around…
Lucinda: Hey! Gretchen! You listen to how he talks to your mother?
Gretchen: Yes, it’s quite reasonable.
Lucinda: This is why the Democrats in this state try to disassociate themselves!
Gretchen: Oh, mother. Always so loud and so wrong.
Later that day…
Gretchen: It’s so quiet here!
Carol: Well, everyone’s sort of out campaigning to keep their jobs.
Gretchen: It’s so wonderful to not have to do that ever again.
Sarita: Ever?
Gretchen: I’d rather be run over by a high-speed train than run for office ever again in my life.
Samantha: Oh my god, finally some other people! This place is a ghost town!
Gretchen: What’s up, Pratt?
Samantha: Not much, it’s very quiet here.
Gretchen: Pull up a chair, looks like a quiet day.
Samantha: I take it nobody wanted you to campaign with them, either.
Gretchen: People are too comfortable disrespecting us.
Samantha: They really are.
Gretchen: But hey, look at us! We’ve climbed just about as far as you possibly can in Rhode Island state politics, and what are they doing? Begging for votes to be one out of a hundred members in the state assembly. We’re winning, they’re losing.
Carol: Governor Charlie Sheen, everybody.
Gretchen: Tiger blood!
Sarita: So we’re not doing anything today?
Gretchen: No meetings with anyone in the government, no. We have plenty to do ourselves, no?
Samantha: I do not. This is not a job that does anything. Without being able to hold meetings with other, more important people, I’m pretty much just a mascot for your administration.
Sarita: You’re like the Gritty off the Rhode Island government!
Samantha: Whatever that is, yes.
Gretchen: It’s good you have nothing to do, you can help us around here.
Samantha: I didn’t say I wanted anything to do.
Gretchen: No, but you’re here, and it’s nice when people help.
Samantha: All right, fine.
Carol: What do we actually have to do today?
Gretchen: I don’t know, we’ll find something.
Samantha: So you’re just finding things for me to do?
Gretchen: You gotta earn that salary somehow!
Later that night…
Anthony: Ah, look who’s home! How was work?
Gretchen: Quiet! Just me and the girls, gossiping.
Lucinda: Like it’s the Real Housewives of Providence?
Gretchen: Shut up!
Lucinda: Not a polite way to talk about your mother!
Christina: I think you fired at her first!
Gretchen: Christina, what are you doing here?
Christina: We always watch elections results together!
Gretchen: Oh, these aren’t big ones. You could’ve just Zoomed or something.
Christina: It’s fine, I had to drive in to vote anyway. Imagine my surprise when every race was uncontested.
Gretchen: I didn’t even vote. No point.
Lucinda: Your sister was on the ballot!
Gretchen: She doesn’t need to ever know.
Anthony: You said it in front of big mouth, aunt Mary’s gonna know.
Gretchen: Back up a minute. Christina, you drove here?
Christina: I was wondering when you’d catch that! Yes, I’ve taken up driving again. Toby inspired me to give it another whirl.
Gretchen: That’s wonderful! I’m happy for you.
Lucinda: You finally have a daughter that functions properly!
Toby: Yup, all me! You’re welcome!
Christina: Ah, grandma, I’ve missed that snark!
Lucinda: I’ve missed you, too!
Anthony: I’m going to start making something, if I don’t start now, we’ll still be eating when the results in.
Lucinda: God forbid we’re not paying our full attention to state house results.
Christina: There are elections across the entire country.
Lucinda: Yeah, we have to keep close watch to see who Massachusetts elects to the Senate! This one’s a nail biter!
Gretchen: Some people are just terminally miserable.
Lucinda: That’s untrue.
Later that night, Gretchen gets a phone call while watching election returns.
Gretchen: What’s up? I’m very intently watching Steve Kornacki run through all the House races in Pennsylvania, I need to know how the Lehigh Valley voted! It’s a key race alert!
Christina: Isn’t that the place that hates you?
Gretchen: No, no, they loved me. I was a popular VP pick, everyone said so.
Carol: Gretchen, deep breath.
Gretchen: What is going on?
Carol: From what I’ve heard from people on the ground, Hank is in trouble.
Gretchen: Legal trouble or…?
Carol: Electoral trouble.
Gretchen: You’re kidding!
Carol: Thankfully not. I know it sounds petty, but the guy is a loser and he deserves to be unseated.
Gretchen: Unfortunately, it’s to a Republican, but we’ll take it. When will we know for sure if he lost?
Carol: Soon. The votes aren’t in yet but according to someone that texted Pratt, his camp is already preparing a concession.
Gretchen: So we’re relying on Pratt to be correct?
Carol: It’s all I got right now. Stay tuned!
Gretchen: Maybe MSNBC will cover it.
Carol: Just keep your phone close.
Gretchen: Good idea. Talk soon!
Carol: Talk soon, bye.
Anthony: What’s going on?
Gretchen: Carol says that the word on the street is that Hank’s lost re-election.
Christina: Wow!
Lucinda: Who’s Hank, again?
Christina: Her nemesis.
Gretchen: Christina, please. I’m a governor, not Perry the Platypus. I don’t have a nemesis. He’s my rival.
Lucinda: Oh, right, that guy.
Christina: She doesn’t care one bit.
Lucinda: I’m trying to read my book, since apparently we’re not going to be watching Dancing with the Stars tonight.
Gretchen: We have other rooms!
Lucinda: No, it’s fine. I enjoy the time together.
Gretchen: You do?
Anthony: So, what are you going to do without Hank around?
Gretchen: It hasn’t really set in yet. It’s still pretty surreal. Well, it’s not official anyway. He could still win.
Christina: Yeah, don’t celebrate too early. That’s when they come from behind and shock ya.
Gretchen: I know, I’m trying not to get my hopes up too much. Still, if it does happen, that’s a great weight off my back. The guy’s a pain in my ass.
Anthony: Do you think his successor will be more open to working with you?
Gretchen: You know, I might kick myself later, but it’s hard to imagine anyone less willing to work with me! Even Jeanne gave me a bit of leeway and occasionally granted permission to do what I wanted. Hank was a non-stop thorn in my side.
Anthony: In that case, I really hope this goes as you’re hoping. The less resistance you face from inside the government, the more you can get done.
Christina: Oh, wow!
Gretchen: What?
Christina: Ah, some congressman from New Jersey just lost. Kornacki seems very surprised by it.
Lucinda: He’s always surprised.
One hour later, Gretchen receives another phone call.
Carol: Gretchen! I don’t know what you’re watching, but turn the local news on! Big things are happening!
Gretchen: All right, will do.
Lucinda: Hey, what are you doing? How will I understand elections without Rachel Maddow here to mention which states are great?
Anthony: She thinks they’re all great, drives me nuts!
Lucinda: I know, what has New Hampshire ever done to be considered “great?”
Gretchen: Shh, they’re announcing some juicy local election results!
Lucinda: Ah, I’m sure this’ll be fascinating.
Sherry Alton (news anchor): We have the latest on a story that’s really been developing over the last hour, WKPR News can now project that Kimberly Thorne, the Republican candidate and the wife of Cranston Mayor Henry Thorne, has defeated House Speaker Hank Matthews in the race for the 15th district. This is a big upset, Democrats were not expecting their speaker to lose tonight. It’s even more shocking with more context: Democrats are currently on track to gain a net of one seat in the House.
Carol: We did it, Gretchen! You’re going to be able to pass legislation as governor!
Gretchen: It’s a Thanksgiving miracle!
The next day…
Sarita: I just can’t believe it. It’s going to be so surreal to not have to deal with Hank anymore.
Carol: You should be us. He’s been a pain in the ass for the two of us ever since we got here.
Gretchen: He really was the worst.
Samantha: Well, he’s not dead, so… he’s still the worst.
Gretchen: Yeah, but he won’t have any power anymore. That significantly refuses the amount of damage he can cause.
Carol: Yeah, without the whole vampire thing, Dracula is just, like, some guy.
Gretchen: Bloodsucker, bill-killer, Hank bled this state dry like a goddamn vampire.
Samantha: It really is hard to believe he’s gone, though. He was an institution, for better or worse.
Gretchen: You mean to tell me the voters of his district didn’t love his TikTok where he danced in the House of Representatives to Diana Ross’s It’s My House? What’s not appealing about that?
Samantha: In hindsight, yes, he did make his own bed.
Gretchen: Now he has to lie in it. Thank the lord above!
There’s a knock at the door.
Gretchen: Oh god, Nosferatu!
Hank: May I come in?
Carol: Gretchen, you know what they say about letting his kind in…
Hank: What?
Gretchen: Nothing, Hank. Come on in.
Hank: Governor, I’m sure you’ve heard the news today.
Gretchen: Oh boy.
Hank: We haven’t had the greatest working relationship.
Gretchen: What? We’ve been great!
Hank: We have not bee, let’s be serious.
Gretchen: Look, I know the sting of loss. It’s not easy, it’s not fun, it’s sincerely heartbreaking to feel that rejection. So, even though we had our differences, on a human level, I really do feel for you.
Hank: It isn’t easy. I’ve been in office for over twenty years, in politics for over forty. I don’t know what to do next.
Jeanne: Hank, is that where you went?
Hank: Also, she’s stalking me.
Carol: Should I get rid of her?
Gretchen: Why’s she stalking you? Hank, did you have an affair with her, too?
Hank: She’s trying to help, she just doesn’t want me alone while I process this.
Jeanne: That is you! Come here, bring it in!
Hank: Jeanne, it really is okay. I’m going to survive.
Jeanne: Of course you’ll survive, you have us!
Hank: Really, Jeanne, I mean it. I’ve come to terms with it, I’ll live. You can let go now.
Jeanne: You sure?
Hank: Yes.
Gretchen: I was just telling him how I can relate.
Jeanne: Oh, I can’t I’ve never lost.
Gretchen: I beat you in the gubernatorial primary.
Jeanne: Oh, right. I tried to erase that from my mind.
Carol: You see to erase a lot from you mind, seeing how empty it is.
Jeanne: What was that?
Carol: Oh, nothing!
Hank: You know, I do still have two months left in my term. I intend to use it to work together. Besides, maybe another seat will open up somewhere down the line that I can run for! OR I can go on the Rhode Island Supreme Court! The sky’s the limit!
Gretchen: Sure is!
Hank: And, even if I don’t ever end back up in government, we’ll always be friends!
Carol: We will?
Gretchen: Sure will be!
Sarita: Gretchen, your sign’t just called. She wants to meet with you.
Gretchen: Oh, this is probably urgent! I have to go see what it’s about.
Hank: Thanks for taking the time to chat this morning. I will miss our talks.
Gretchen: Sure!
Jeanne: We might even still be here when you get back!
Gretchen: Lovely!
Gretchen rushes to Mary’s office.
Gretchen: Oh god, thank you!
Mary: For what?
Gretchen: Hank and Jeanne were in my office crying and emotional over him losing. It was so terribly uncomfortable. He implied that we’re friends! Us! Can you believe that?
Mary: I actually also wanted to talk to you about Hank losing. That okay?
Gretchen: I have no trouble talking about Hank losing, I just have trouble talking with Hank about it. Or about anything.
Mary: Yeah, that much is fair.
Gretchen: Have you heard any rumblings yet about who’s going to replace him?
Mary: Not really, but I do have one idea.
Gretchen: Oh, really? Who? I hope they actually have an interest in governing.
Mary: Trust me, they do.
Gretchen: Who is it?
Mary: You’re looking at her!
What did you think of the midseason finale of Raymond Island? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to read the season premiere of Marietta next week! Raymond Island will return with the rest of season six in spring 2025!
