Alex Rider (2020) s01e02 Episode Script

1 Set our eyes west ♪ Chase the sunset ♪ Hint of wine on my breath ♪ And you got ♪ Your hand on my hand ♪ Lips to my ear ♪ Whisper "Switch to 5th gear" ♪ I will.
Aye look ♪ Cosa Nostra ♪ In a Tesstarossa ♪ Pull me closer ♪ Baby, don't let go ♪ Get away from ♪ Where we came from ♪ Where we'll end up ♪ I don't know ♪ We got the whole world ahead ♪ And the old world behind ♪ Nothing in the rear view ♪ But wasted time ♪ Steal my heart ♪ I promise I won't tell ♪ And if I steal your kisses ♪ Baby, pay my bail ♪ We got the whole world ahead ♪ And the old world behind ♪ Whole world ahead ♪ And the old world behind ♪ Whole world ahead ♪ And the old world behind ♪ You're the whole world ♪ And the world is mine ♪ Point Blanc.
This is where Parker got sent.
There have been two very high-profile accidental deaths recently.
One you already know about, Michael Roscoe in New York.
Parker Roscoe's father.
The other is in Moscow, a man named Gregoriy Serenkov, an oligarch with an interest in controlling Russia's oil and gas infrastructure.
Your uncle was getting close with him, just before his death, as a potential asset.
We felt he could offer insight into Russia's moves on the global stage and perhaps influence them too.
But then he died, an accident on his yacht.
Serenkov also had a son named Stepan.
Stepan was also a student at Point Blanc.
Two deaths.
Two teenagers.
One school.
Well, you're the spies.
Why can't you sort it out? Because the only people that can get in to Point Blanc are troubled teenagers.
You take a look around, you don't take any risks, and you report back anything you think could be relevant.
- Relevant? - Yes.
How they're treating the students, are they using the normal curriculum, is there any unusual behavior? We can't tell you exactly what to look for because we don't know what's there.
You'll have to use your initiative.
You said two deaths.
It's three.
My uncle died because of this.
You're absolutely right, of course.
We think Ian had made the connection and that somehow led to his death.
What we don't yet know is how or why? But we are all very concerned to see whoever is responsible brought to account.
As I believe are you? Sure you're okay going in? Yeah.
It's just school.
School's fine.
And that thing that happened, what was that all about? It was a misunderstanding.
That's what Mr.
Blunt said.
A misunderstanding? I'm gonna be deported and you're gonna get taken into care, but then it all goes away again - because why, exactly? - I don't know.
That's a pretty big misunderstanding.
How does something like that even happen? I don't know.
Neither do I.
And you know what I really don't get? Is how Mr.
Blunt from the bank is in the middle of this? I get how he knows hedge funds and investments.
I don't get how he knows about police and social services.
- Wanna explain that? - Can we talk about this later? - What did he say in the car? - I'm gonna be late.
Don't think I don't know when you're keeping things from me.
You can't fool me like you fool your uncle.
Objection, Your Honor, badgering the witness.
All right.
Later.
But we're not done with this, okay? Okay.
Hey, man, what happened? I've been calling you like nonstop since yesterday.
I was worried.
I just needed some time.
Well, have you worked it out? Not really.
Because I think I have.
Organized crime.
It's got to be.
Money laundering, right? Ian stumbles upon the finances at the bank.
Paper trail.
He starts piecing it together.
Only he gets too close and that's when they - You know, they make their move.
- I don't think that was it, Tom.
How do you know? 'Cause that's exactly what the Mafia would do.
Or get you to roll over.
But Ian wouldn't do that.
- 'Cause He was a good man.
- Tom.
We have the Mafia in London, right? It's not the Mafia.
It's not the Mafia.
- Well, then who was it? - What if it was just an accident? Maybe it was just a crash, okay? Maybe I got it wrong.
Are you serious? Hey.
Alex.
Um I just wanted to say I'm really sorry about your uncle.
We all are.
I think it's really brave, you coming in to school.
Anyway, uh I'll see you around, okay? She's right, you know.
If it were me, I wouldn't even be out of bed.
I'd just sit there with the duvet on my head and hide.
Thanks, man.
But it wasn't a crash.
Ballistics are back.
It was a 9-millimeter K5.
Korean standard issue? The North Korean defector, last year? Ian handled the whole thing.
I think they finally found out who was responsible and they came for him.
It's credible.
The defection hit them hard.
And if they realized Ian was involved Exactly, they could be sending us a message.
Hence the use of a military-issue pistol instead of something anonymous.
Is it too credible? Or is someone trying to tell us exactly what we want to hear? You've been doing this too long.
Hmm.
Where's Blunt? Arranging Alex's cover story.
David.
I was just reading.
Did you see this? They're reviewing the honors system, so they'll be able to take back a knighthood if they discover you don't deserve it.
What do you think of that? What do you want, Blunt? I thought we could have lunch? I already have a lunch.
Right then, how about a drink? Come on.
We all know pi is actually 3.
14159 Sorry to interrupt.
Alex? Can I have a word please? Hello.
Alex, this is Mr.
Daniels from The Grief Counseling Service.
- Oh, I didn't ask for that.
- I know.
But it's a service that the local authority provides and the police passed on your details.
I hope you don't mind.
Thank you.
I'll bring him back to the office when we're done.
I wanna talk to you about your uncle's death.
I'm okay.
What I mean is your uncle didn't die in a car crash.
He was executed.
And Alan Blunt let that happen.
That's what I want to talk about.
I'm here to help you, Alex.
- Who are you? - Geoffrey Daniels.
Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
Alex, I understand that the last few days must be very distressing for you.
You should be with your friends and family, coming to terms with what must be a terrible loss.
- Can I see some ID? - What? First, you're a grief counselor and now you're Foreign Office.
I'd just like to be sure.
You're quite right.
What do you want? The Department of Special Operations was set up during the Cold War, when the rules were, well, different.
Alan Blunt has been running it for the past 20 years as a kind of personal fiefdom.
He calls it necessity, we call it unlawful.
Now we keep trying to shut the department down for good, but Blunt, so far, has been untouchable.
Until now.
What's changed? You.
Alex? Has Blunt asked you to work for him as an agent? Using a schoolboy in the field is not just illegal, it demonstrates a dangerous lack of judgment.
And we could use this to shut the department down for good.
What did Alan Blunt ask you to do? Alex There you are.
- Sorry - No, it's fine.
We were just finished.
Alex, one more thing.
Whatever he asked you to do, be careful.
It could be dangerous.
And there could be other interested parties.
Watch your back.
I'm just saying, they were nice shoes.
Since when do you notice footwear? I notice a lot of things.
Like nice jacket and nice shoes on "some guy" from the council.
He wasn't from the council.
He was a grief counselor.
Yeah, but local authority, right? I mean, counselor from the council, but with really nice shoes.
Yeah, well, he's gone now anyway.
I was thinking, we should have a movie night? You know, like we were gonna but Yeah.
Okay.
What movie? I was thinking a Kurosawa samurai marathon? Seven Samurai, obviously, and then Ghost Dog, just to spice things up a bit.
I know what you're thinking, Ghost Dog isn't Kurosawa, and you're right.
But it's good, so Actually, I was thinking, that sounds like a lot of samurai.
Yeah, granted, it's a lot of samurai, but you can never have too much of a good thing.
So 6-ish at mine? - Yeah.
- Cracking.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
Geoffrey Daniels, please.
One moment.
Daniels speaking.
I just met David Friend, a food production and distribution empire worth 150 billion and a teenage boy with emotional problems should be enough to get Point Blanc's attention, don't you think? What about the daughter? I hear she's a nightmare.
Won't be there.
She has a boyfriend.
We can put Alex in at the weekend.
- I'll start the imagery.
- Mrs.
Jones? - Yes? - I know you don't approve, but I do hope this isn't going to affect your judgment.
You think I'm being unprofessional? You've lost an agent.
Nobody gets the better of Alan Blunt, but somebody just did.
And your answer to that is to use a grieving boy as an asset? To say I don't agree doesn't even begin to cover it.
- I see.
- No, I don't think you do.
I want you to be Alex Rider's handler.
Agents have handlers, not teenagers.
Updates every eight hours.
So 6-ish at mine, yeah? Yeah.
Okay.
Sure? It doesn't have to be today.
They're dedicated and disciplined samurai.
- They can wait.
- No.
No, it'll be cool.
All right then.
Arigato, boy.
Wait.
Please.
Please.
Please.
Hello, Alex.
Where are we? Somewhere nobody will ever find you.
Do you understand? I'm gonna ask you a question, Alex.
One question.
If you tell me the truth, things are gonna be okay.
I promise.
But if you lie to me things are not gonna be okay.
Do you understand? Who did your uncle Ian work for? What? You heard me.
Answer the question and we're done.
What was your uncle's job? He worked in a bank.
Bad choice.
- Hello? - Using an actual landline here.
Can you believe that? Can I get Alex? If he's okay, I mean.
What? I thought he was with you? No.
I mean, he was coming here, but he never showed.
I thought he just wasn't up for it, you know.
Tom, I need to go.
You've reached Alex Rider.
Why are you doing this? I'm not doing it.
You are.
As long as you keep lying to me.
And you need to know, the more you lie, the worse it's gonna get.
Do you understand? Let's try something else.
What is Point Blanc? It's where you shoot someone at close range.
Point-blank range.
Your uncle, he worked for the British government.
He was a spy.
And I think you are too.
Look.
I don't feel good.
I hit my head in the van.
Maybe if I could have some water or something? What is Point Blanc? Look, I have no idea what you're talking about.
You've got the wrong person.
What is your ♪ Gunpoint confession ♪ What have you learned? ♪ Now you lie ♪ With the fallen ♪ Say your last words ♪ This is your ♪ Gunpoint confession ♪ What have you learned? ♪ Now you lie with the ♪ A serpent tongue ♪ A jealous type ♪ Green eyed with envy ♪ One Friday night ♪ I took a pill ♪ Or maybe two ♪ Down at the car park ♪ I saw everyone I knew ♪ And before the night ♪ Had started ♪ - Tough kid.
- He's not a kid.
He's the subject.
To a place ♪ That someone knew ♪ A local house belonging ♪ To a gangster's crew ♪ I've seen it all ♪ I've seen it all now ♪ I swear to God ♪ I've seen it all ♪ Nothing shocks ♪ This is the third time she's called.
I know, teenagers stay out late.
You're not listening to me.
I'm sorry, if I knew where he was, I wouldn't be trying to report him missing.
- Hello? - Tom.
It's Jack.
- What is it? - I'm worried about Alex.
He's not here.
Do you know the password to his computer? Why? I wanna check his e-mail.
Look, I don't know his password.
I don't believe you.
Look, he made me promise not to tell you.
That I believe.
Now, Tom.
All right, let's wrap this up.
I want this area swept and clear by 1900.
If anyone asks, it's the usual cover story.
All right, let's wrap this up.
I want this area swept and clear by 1900.
If anyone asks, it's the usual cover story.
Jack Starbright came to work for your uncle six years ago.
Family's all back in America.
If you won't help us, maybe she will.
Or maybe Tom Harris.
Can I see them? Please.
I just wanna see my friends.
You can go home.
Right now, if you want, Alex.
What is Point Blanc? It's when you can't miss, asshole.
You're spies, right? Took me a while to put it all together.
The footage, the crime scene that wasn't supposed to exist and the fake deportation, the guys at the door? That was classy.
You've been busy.
You don't even know the half of it.
I've made a lot of copies.
A dozen law firms on five continents are gonna get packets.
And if they don't hear from me, safe and sound, at nice regular intervals, they're gonna open them and blow the lid off your little enterprise.
Are we clear? What exactly is it that you want, Miss Starbright? Where's, Alex? I don't know.
Isn't he with you? I've seen it all ♪ I've seen it all tonight ♪ I almost had him.
Right before he called you an asshole.
after tonight ♪ I've seen the light ♪ I swear to God ♪ I've seen it all ♪ Nothing shocks me anymore ♪ After tonight ♪ Can I say something? Can I stop you? - This is complete bullshit.
- It's our job.
Since when is our job torturing kids? This is not cool, and you know it.
What she said.
Come on, boss.
Turn the water off.
Go on.
Oh, shit.
What you got? Anything? Nothing.
Two squad.
What you got on thermal? Nothing.
He's soaking wet, his body temperature's depressed.
This should be interesting.
All right, move out.
- Target acquired.
- I see him.
Move in.
Wait! Wait! Stop! Alex.
You.
I've been looking for you.
I did warn you this might happen.
These people, they have no scruples.
They will do anything to get what they want.
What are you doing? Get in.
Let me help you out of here.
No.
I did warn you.
Shoot me.
Go on.
Go on, shoot me.
Yeah, I didn't think so.
Did I pass? So did I pass? Huh? Ah.
Smithers, what on earth is going on? Smithers? Stand down.
This mission is now terminated.
RTB for debrief.
Come on, Alex, I'll take you home.
Alex.
Hey.
You and I should talk.
Just put it in your report.
The report states the subject appears to have been trained to withstand interrogation.
Perhaps he has.
It would appear Ian thought of everything.
Was I literally going to be the last person to know about this? You said I was his handler.
And you are.
Then don't ever go behind my back again with my agent.
We needed to be sure.
And are you? This operation must remain entirely between the four of us.
No traceable records.
Mm.
Just hold still.
- You're doing it deliberately.
- Yeah.
I like to watch you squirm.
Come here.
How did you get into my computer? Really? Is that what you're asking me right now? I'm changing my password.
Okay.
Listen to me.
They crossed the line.
In fact, they've crossed the line so far, they can't even see the line anymore.
So we're gonna walk away.
Hear me? Jack If they deport me, they deport me.
I don't care.
- I'll finish them.
- I don't wanna do this.
Then don't.
With the footage you got, it's proof.
We own them now.
I have to.
Not for them.
For Ian.
Sweetie, I promise you, Ian would've wanted you a million miles away - from those people.
- Yeah, maybe, except he kind of was one of those people.
All along, he was.
I just do this one thing, for him, and it's over.
They leave us alone.
This one thing that they want you to do.
What is it? Just going into a school, looking around, reporting back.
No one's gonna notice I'm there.
- And they told you that? - Yes.
And you trust them? Who's the boy? It's classified.
All right, let's try another one.
What's Point Blanc? The questions don't have to mean anything.
Well, it meant something to him.
It was a training mission.
Are you out of your minds? Huh? He was scared.
Isn't that normal for when people meet you? He was scared.
He wasn't letting it take him over.
He was using it against me, using it to hold out.
Like he's been training for this his whole life.
Yes, I read your report.
Yeah, he had no idea who we were.
And? He doesn't want it at all.
He's not there because he's signed up.
He doesn't know this is training.
He's there because someone's forcing him.
Someone's got a gun to his head, and I think that someone's you.
I wanna know why.
It's none of your business.
You made it my business when you put me in a room with him.
If he ends up dead, you know it's on you, right? The CIA report for Michael Roscoe.
They pulled this from the penthouse CCTV.
He's calling Blunt, that's him leaving a message.
Now, watch.
Now, ask yourself, how distracted by your phone do you have to be not to notice that the lift you're stepping into isn't there? Pass me that book.
- Hologram.
- With the right digital snapshot of the lift interior and the right beam combiners and collimation optics in the shaft, Roscoe would never have known the floor wasn't there until he fell right through it.
What would it take to set something like that up? Americans could pull it off, possibly.
Possibly another couple of agencies, but we're talking government-level capability.
The technology you'd need is seriously advanced.
Thank you.
How's the shoulder? It hurts.
Good.
That means it's healing.
What are you doing here? I came to check on you.
My health? Did they believe the cover story you fed them? Yeah, that was good.
The K5 sold it.
They're looking at a North Korean response to the defection.
Tit-for-tat reaction with Ian as the target.
And it seems to be working.
I'm not hearing anything about you and nothing about Point Blanc.
Good.
Of course, if anything changes, if you do hear any mention of the school or of us, you'll let me know at once.
Right? Yeah.
Of course.
You're a good man, Martin.
I'll make sure we take care of you.
Now we know how you perform under pressure.
I think you did very well.
I don't care what you think.
I want to know who killed my uncle.
And that's it.
I don't ever want to see you again.
That's the deal.
Sounds we both want the same things.
And if you threaten my friends again, I'll find a way to hurt you.
Are we done? Mrs.
Jones can take it from here.
Alex.
We lie to people to protect them.
You shouldn't blame him.
I don't.
We've created a cover identity for you.
You will be Alex Friend, son of the billionaire Sir David Friend and his wife, Lady Caroline.
They've already got one troubled teenager, and now we're giving them another.
We've also created a cover story for you which explains why they want you inducted into Point Blanc.
Beyond that, we're assembling all information we can gather about the academy itself, the conditions inside and the other pupils.
To help you become Alex Friend, you'll be living with Sir David and Lady Caroline in their country estate.
So when does it all, like, start for real? It already has.
But are you sure, Dr.
Greif? I'm only saying first Serenkov and now Roscoe.
We wouldn't want to risk drawing attention to ourselves, especially not at this stage.
We are so close now.
You're right.
We're so close.
But we always planned for one more.
And you have to admit, this one is just perfect.
Of course.
So it's decided.
- You know what to do.
- Yes, Doctor.