The Secret Agent (1992) s01e01 Episode Script

1 Mrs Neale won't be able to come for a few days.
Her boy's sick again.
Will you be able to manage? - Yes.
Mother's been spending half-crowns and five shillings on cab fairs every day this week.
She won't give a hint of what she's up to.
I'm sure your mother's allowed to do as she pleases with her money.
It'll be for your sake, my dears.
I'll go.
Thank you.
Mr Verloc's been kind to me, but I'm in the way here.
And if I have a place of my own, it'll be for the best.
You're no trouble, mother.
You made the right marriage.
It's been good for Stevie.
He's quite enough to look after.
Will you be back for supper tonight? - Supper? Probably.
Stevie.
Stevie? Stevie? Adolf Verloc.
We're not very satisfied with the attitude of the police here.
Every country has its police.
What is required is something definite that might stimulate their vigilance.
That is your province, is it not? The absence of repressive measures is a scandal.
In spite of appearances to the contrary we know that unrest exists.
Yes, yes, it does, undoubtedly.
To a dangerous degree.
My reports for the last twelve months I've read them, I don't know why you wrote them.
What is required is not words but the bringing to light of a distinct, significant fact.
Yes, well, I'll do my best.
You're getting fat.
I'm sorry for that.
I think you'd better see Mr Vladimir.
I suppose you understand French.
Er, yes, I did my military service there.
I I was in the French artillery.
Ah, yes.
You got us the design of the improved breech block on their field gun.
What did you get for that? Five years? - Five years.
You were lucky.
You shouldn't have been caught.
Why did you start selling yourself? Cherchez la femme? She got hold of the money and sold you to the police.
You're not very clever, are you? Are you susceptible? I'm married.
A married anarchist! My wife is not one! How long have you been drawing pay from this embassy? Since Stott-Wartenheim's time? Eleven years.
You're an idle fellow.
Are you an anarchist? Or a socialist? - An anarchist.
I have called you here to tell you the Secret Service is not a philanthropic organisation.
What we need is activity.
If you would be good enough to look up my record.
You call yourself an agent provocateur? The proper business of an agent provocateur is to provoke.
You have done nothing for three years.
Several times I have prevented - We don't want prevention, we want cure.
You're too English.
I am English.
Oh.
You are English? Yes.
I am a natural born British subject.
My father was French, and so - You were born in England? Yes.
- How absurd the English are.
This sentimental regard for individual liberty.
So you are the famous secret agent so valuable that you appear only as a symbol in the correspondence of my predecessor.
I have been here only twice before.
Permit me to observe to you that it is not wise to call me here especially during the day.
There's a chance I might be seen.
It would destroy my usefulness.
That's your affair.
When you cease to be useful, you cease to be employed.
Oh, sit down, for goodness sake.
The result of this English respect for liberty is that London is full of revolutionaries planning criminal acts abroad.
Terrorists from my country, particularly.
Is it not easier to keep an eye on them here? It would be easier to keep them under lock and key.
You surely agree, the middle classes here are stupid.
Oh, yes.
Yes.
- To tolerate the very people who drive them out of their houses to starve in ditches.
- Yes, they are.
It's vanity.
What the English need is a good scare.
Mm.
Now is the psychological moment to set your friends to work.
Report back to me with a plan.
A plan? Yes.
Why are you looking at me like that? I mean an act of violence.
Wu Wu mm mew? Well, I don't care who does it, I want you to organise it.
You'd better think about it and get back to me when you've got a plan.
But why? There is this conference in Milan.
We want all European countries to crack down on these revolutionaries wherever they find them.
Unfortunately, the conference will get nowhere because certain countries are too fond of the rights of man.
We want to administer a tonic to this conference in Milan.
We want you to do it, Verloc.
Here in London.
Then perhaps our European neighbours might realise there is only one way to deal with terror.
It will cost money.
We give you money.
Don't ask for any more.
But in case you think you can carry on in the same ineffective manner remember - we also give you protection.
Think what the consequences would be if we were to remove that protection.
If certain people were to know what kind of man you are, Verloc.
If certain people were to hear about you.
Ruthless.
Ruthless.
No pity for anything.
That's the kind of men I want to see.
Men who believe in death.
Look at you.
You're all cynics.
Pessimists.
Remember, I was in prison for 15 years.
If I was a pessimist, I would have put an end to myself.
All that is necessary is patience.
Believe me.
One day the poor and the meek of the earth will inherit all its riches.
You can be sure of it.
This is not a philosophy, I assure you.
It is a law of nature, and we must wait for it to happen.
Wait? No! The poor must destroy their oppressors.
And who are they? - The capitalists.
The rich invented capitalism because of their greed.
Destroy capitalism, and you destroy those who grow fat on it.
You forget that capitalism has helped to create socialism and socialism is the great humanitarian hope of the future.
Men did not create it in their heads, history created it.
So what do we do then? We sit around and do nothing, do we? I might as well throw all these away.
I didn't say that.
It doesn't matter sitting around educating the masses.
What matters is their emotional state.
Are they angry or hungry enough to act? Why do we waste our time with this nonsense? If you did not exist, Michaelis, the capitalists would create you to make their lives safer.
The rich are nourishing their greed on warm blood.
Feeding off the quivering flesh of the poor.
Time for me to go, I think.
I'm sorry to leave so early.
Probably time to break up anyway.
I hope to see you next week, yes? Blood money.
He's going to visit his patron.
You know she sent him to Marienbad for his health? First he was arrested, then they wouldn't let him take the waters.
Winnie.
What are you doing here? Go to bed, Stevie.
Were you listening at the door? Here.
You look at this.
You are looking particularly beautiful this evening, Mrs Verloc.
I don't know what he was doing there.
He's alright, Verloc.
He's a good boy.
Yes, he's an interesting case of degeneracy.
Of a certain kind.
Medically speaking.
- You think so, do you, Tom? - Haven't you read Lombroso? - Look at his earlobes.
You'll see.
- Lombroso was a fool! Strange contrast.
Neurotioism and a bourgeois marriage.
Goodnight, Tom.
Margaret.
My dear Natalie.
Well, Henry.
I shall have to call you Assistant Commissioner now.
You can call me anything you please, dear lady.
Allow me to introduce Mr Vladimir Penskov.
Vladimir has charmed us all since he was posted here.
He will tell you everything about himself.
Everything and nothing.
Is he here? He bears himself with such grace for one who has suffered so much.
They could still drag him back to prison if it pleases them.
Surely not? There was a great deal of popular feeling at the time, encouraged by the newspapers.
You probably don't remember.
They were trying to release some comrades.
His job was to force open the door at the back of the prison van.
But one of them shot a policeman instead of the horse.
Michaelis didn't even know a man had died when they arrested him.
He can't practise a trade, his parents are dead and the girl he was going to marry died while he was in prison.
I suppose it will embarrass Henry.
The Assistant Commissioner of Police in the same room as a notorious political criminal.
Then Henry will just have to be embarrassed.
He can usually look after himself.
Not in everything.
He is beginning to grow accustomed to the style in which I can afford to keep him.
Then Henry can afford to be civil to poor Mr Michaelis.
Is that him? - Mm.
But don't stare.
He's still a little gauche.
- I'm sorry.
I feel no bitterness.
None whatsoever.
What happens to me as an individual doesn't matter.
Besides, I have the generosity of friends to thank.
I must go now.
Will you excuse me? Of course.
In prison, they turn the lights out early.
Can't stay awake after nine.
I have managed to find him a small cottage in Kent where he may be in peace.
And this is supposed to be officially a revolutionist? What nonsense.
Not a dangerous one, perhaps.
- I should think not, indeed.
How can such a thing be allowed to happen to an innocent man? All that time in prison he simply thought things out for himself.
I have to take the cab on.
It's very late.
.
I'm sorry.
I must.
Henry.
Were you happier in Africa? Annie! I'll be back as soon as I can.
Scotland Yard.
Anything in the air? No, it's all quiet.
Very, very quiet.
So, I shall be able to report to the Home Secretary that we have everything under control.
In as much as you can be sure with the revolutionaries.
How do we make sure? I have a very good informer.
He keeps me in touch with their movements.
When did you last see him? I see him regularly, sir.
He's very close to, er, the centre of things.
Tell me about him.
I'd like to know.
How did you meet him? About seven years ago, I was put in charge of the state visit of their imperial highnesses.
The day before they arrived the ambassador called me in and told me that, although he had the greatest faith in our police he had a man with him he wanted me to talk to.
There was a non-descript fella sitting in the corner.
With a hat and a stick.
I talked to him for a few minutes and he said he had some rather startling news about an assassination attempt.
The next time I ran into him, I had him followed.
And I was able to establish facts about his activities which gave me a certain hold over him.
Very good.
Well, I trust you will keep me up to date.
We must develop a close working relationship.
Close, sir? I'm the new boy, I need to know what's going on.
Yes, sir.
I understand the Home Secretary is very concerned about political activity.
I know our London anarchists and there's not one of them with enough spunk.
Well, there's only one.
Michaelis.
He's a man of a different sort.
Michaelis? You know who I'm talking about, do you? Fellow who's out of prison on ticket of leave.
Not for long, I hope.
Why do you say that? He killed a policeman, sir.
I think he didn't actually condone the firing of the shot.
There was a lot of publicity when they let him out of jail.
A man like Michaelis can use public attention to spread a lot of seditious ideas.
Don't you think so? Were you happier catching thieves, Heat? They say you were very good at it.
It's easier to recognise the human being in a thief, sir.
There don't seem to be any rules for dealing with terrorists.
There isn't one of them we couldn't lay our hands on.
Any time.
We keep a close watch on them.
Every hour of the day.
Good.
I'm sorry to drag you out here so late at night.
Good.
Thank you.
Do finish your drink, please.
No thank you, sir.
Excuse me, ma'am.
The chair.
Thank you.
- Ma'am.
Stevie! Stevie! You've got what you wanted, Mother.
You've only got yourself to blame if you're not happy afterwards.
What will people think of us? You, throwing yourself on charity.
No, he mustn't! Dear, you've always been the best of daughters to me.
Don't! It's not a very good horse.
It's very slow.
Stevie! Don't whip! I've got to take - You're too heavy! You're too heavy! Too heavy! Walk! Walk! - Stevie, no! Get back inside! Mr Verloc won't be very happy when he hears about this.
He won't be very happy at all, Stevie.
What do you want? My wife and her brother will be back.
You haven't been in touch.
You said 'mostly by letter'.
If there was anything, I would let you know.
What about Michaelis? You see? There's nothing.
We could close down your grubby, little shop at any time.
Be in touch.
I want Michaelis.
He's very tired.
He walked over from the Home Office an hour ago to talk with the permanent Under Secretary.
He did ask to see me? - Oh yes, he'd like to see you.
So long as you don't bring bad news.
- Not at all.
- Good.
He's very tired and not in the sweetest of tempers.
His intellect will stand any amount of work but it's his nerves I'm worried about.
Are you going out tonight, Adolf? No, not tonight.
Special Crimes.
- Yes, Sir Ethelred.
I saw Heat last time.
You were rather new to the job.
I've found my feet, I think.
I have a particular concern about Special Crimes.
I don't think, sir, there's any cause for concern.
What about all these anarchists? We keep watch on them and we know where to find them.
At any hour of the day.
Fisheries, sir.
And you were a colonial officer? - East Africa, sir.
I remember now.
You were particularly adept at wrinkling out some of the secret societies amongst the natives.
I had some successes, yes.
I enjoyed the life.
Why did you come home? I was married while on leave, sir.
My wife didn't think the tropics would suit her constitution.
Married rather well, didn't you? Well, let us hope we'll have a quiet time in this parliament.
We have reliable informers, sir.
We feel that we know our London anarchists.
There isn't really one of them with enough spunk to do anything.
Let's hope not.
But you're not in Africa now.
He's going out! Yes.
Well, you said he wasn't going out.
Why's he going out? Things don't bear too much looking into.
He's a good man, and he looks after us.
Good evening, Professor.
I hear you were seen constantly in places where men say foolish things over glasses of liquor.
You be damned.
Ah.
Here's another revolutionist.
Verloc.
Unusual to see you here.
Where's Michaelis? - Writing a book.
A publisher has offered him £500! Of course, it'll be a ghastly failure.
He spent so long in jail, he can't think logically any more.
You plan the future, you lose yourself in dreams.
The future will take care of itself, if only you'll make room for it.
What do you believe in? Nothing.
What about you? Another drink? Is he a member of your Red Committee? A man more useful than important.
He receives comrades from abroad.
Hasn't any ideas of his own.
An intellectual non-entity.
The only talent he has shown, is an ability to elude the attentions of the police.
That's a useful talent! Aren't you worried that they'll arrest you? There's not one of them with enough courage to do that.
There is a detonator in this.
If I press this ball It's the principle of the pneumatic shutter.
The detonator's partly mechanical, partly chemical.
Twenty seconds from the moment I press the ball until the explosion takes place.
Nobody in this room would escape.
We've got to have a clean sweep before we can have a new life.
Get rid of all the old traditions and morality.
Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see Heat and his like shooting us down in broad daylight with the approval of the public.
I'm going on the continent for a few days.
Get Mrs Neale to come in.
I don't need Mrs Neale.
Stevie and I can do very well on our own.
Should I put the light out? Yes, put it out.
Verloc? Rocas.
Stevie.
Look, there's our bus.
Oh, you're back.
I'll make you some tea.
I don't feel very well.
Giddiness? There's not been much in the way of takings.
Did you bring any new stock back with you? Stevie's been a great help.
I didn't give him any instruction.
He'll follow you to the last word.
- Stevie, please, please.
I'm proud of him really.
Oh, there's been a friend of yours, called.
He's been once or twice.
Did he say a name? No.
Er, I've seen him before One of your friends, I think.
Stay there, Adolf, I'll make you some tea.
Oh, yes.
Mr Verloc's back now.
I'll go and get him.
Adolf.
That man's here.
You've been away.
Where have you been? To get some more stock.
On the continent, hmm? It worries me when people disappear? Will you excuse me just for a minute? I'll see if we can talk inside without disturbing my wife.
We'd better stay here.
You must stay in touch.
I don't like it if I can't find you.
Understand? - Yes.
How are all our old friends getting along? Yundt's very ill - may be on his last legs.
I'm not worried about Yundt.
Ossipon, well, he's active in his usual way.
Talk, mostly.
What about Michaelis? Oh, you don't worry about Michaelis.
- But I do worry about Michaelis.
He murdered a policeman.
He's writing a book.
Propaganda? - No.
It's called The Autobiography of a Prisoner.
Have you seen him? - Yes, he's in Kent.
Kent? A patron has taken a cottage for him in Sittingbourne.
- Excuse me.
Very nice to see you again, sir.
There, is that alright? Well, if, er If anything of that nature comes in, you'll know where to find me.
Stay in touch.
Yes? Yes, of course, sir.
I'll be in touch right away.
Goodbye.
Right thank you.
That will be sixpence.
Thank you.
- Thank you.
Come and sit down.
I'll get your pie.
Why don't you do one of your nice patterns? These people are cruel! Sometimes I wish you'd never been to school and learnt to read and write.
It's silly reading those papers Mr Ossipon brings.
- Such ideas! I'll give you a penny for the whole lot of them.
Well, you've been a long time.
I had to go to the continent.
I'm not impressed.
It's very difficult.
Well, so it should be.
What is your plan? I have no plan.
The secret agent.
Who was so important that he only appeared as a Greek letter? In the correspondence of my predecessor, doesn't have a plan.
What is more, he has the nerve to appear before me looking like a master plumber about to present his bill.
I came here only to report difficulties.
The business of an agent provocateur - Is to provoke.
Yes.
But it is necessary to find the right human material capable of achieving the aim of such an outrage without consequences.
Such people are very hard to find.
It's my belief that you have been taking money from us on a regular basis in order to grow fat at the expense of the imperial government without providing the services for which you were supposedly so very valuable and secret.
But I gave a warning only three months ago when the Grand Duke visited Paris.
Don't shout at me.
What the devil do you mean? The French police have no use for your warning.
They had made adequate provisions.
An explosion.
A bomb? - And sooner rather than later.
It isn't necessary to spill a great deal of blood but it must be sufficiently startling.
Ferociously imbecilic.
What is the fetish of the moment? What do all the middle classes cherish? Not royalty, nor religion.
You can leave the palaces and churches alone.
What is it, eh? Can't you guess? Perhaps we should bomb an embassy.
What? You can be facetious, I see.
Save that for your social revolutionary gatherings.
What is it? What is the thing of the moment? Wen.
Wen.
An attempt on a head of state is so common now, it's almost conventional.
An explosion in the church, it might backfire on us.
Might be thought of as some religious manifestation.
Any bomb outrage must go beyond mere terrorism or vengeance.
It must be pure.
Purely destructive.
So what? Art? A bomb in the National Gallery? Oh, there would be some screaming, of course from artists and art critics and people of no account.
But science.
Learning.
Any imbecile with an income believes in that.
Science is sacrosanct.
I am a civilised man.
I would never instruct you to carry out an act of mere butchery.
But the attack must be senseless.
Shockingly senseless.
What do you think about having a go at astronomy? Astronomy? All the civilised world's heard of Greenwich.
Even the book blacks on the Charing Cross Road.
Blow up the Greenwich Observatory.
The English will go mad with fury.
They'll start tearing the fingernails out of these political criminals.
We'll even give them lessons! And the world, my dear Verloc, will be a safer place.
Now, the conference of Milan ends in one month.
A dynamite outrage must be provoked by then.
If you fail, I will make sure your comrades know that you are a police informer as well as a respectable, little bourgeois.
And no doubt they will kill you.
Kill! Kill! Kill him! - Stevie, no! No, Stevie, no! That swine of a German officer! - Give me that knife, Stevie.
He tore off a soldier's ear.
And they would not even punish him for it! - Adolf, help me! Stevie, give that knife to me.
Give me that knife.
Give it to me! Stevie, give me the knife.
Come on.
Give it here, boy.
Mr Verloc's a good man.
Yes, Stevie.
Mr Verloc is a very good man.
Helps poor people.
Poor soldiers.
Swine! I'm taking this off you now, Stevie.
Stevie! What's the point of printing things like this? We are not German slaves now, you know! You're alright.
It's none of our business.
Easy.
It's alright, Stevie.
It's alright.
That boy worships you, you know.
He'd do anything for you.
Alright, you're alright.
- Who is it? - Mr Verloc.
- Wait a moment.
- He won't be long.
- It's Verloc.
- I know.
I need your help.
No.
In a matter of violent action.
I do not take my cue from the Red Committee.
I am alone, and I will remain so.
You should all be hung.
No, Verloc.
You will help me in another way? In the matter of supply? Oh yes, and I will give the stuff to any fool who comes along.
At a price.
And advice.
To perpetrate an outrage.
A big bang! - An explosion against a building.
And who's going to carry out this attack? Not you, Verloc, surely? How are you going to go about it? A delayed action fuse.
So I can get away in good time.
I don't know, perhaps fifteen minutes and of course the bomb must be disguised in some way.
Where's the building? You won't say? It's a large public building in a park.
Do you want to place it inside or outside? Outside.
And it must be placed against the wall.
And of course the device must not attract attention.
How are you going to get away? Through the park to the railway station.
You must know exactly how the timing works.
Plan everything down to the last detail.
Anything unexpected will be dangerous.
It doesn't take much time to pack a box with explosives but you want a timing device so that you can get away.
This is where the genius comes in.
A combination of time and shock device has to be set up perfectly.
Is it dangerous? - Not if you don't panic.
When can I have it? - A week.
Good.