Midnight at the Pera Palace (2022) s01e02 Episode Script

1
A NETFLIX SERIES
[ship's horn blaring]
[seagulls calling]
[hammering and clanking]
[sighs]
[sighs]
I knew people could look alike, but this
[chuckles]
Is it possible
that you're a descendant of Peride's?
[Esra exhales] Tell me again
what we have to do?
[sighs] First, we have to find out
who killed Peride and why.
Uh, is it to do
with the attempt on Atatürk's life?
We need to know.
Then, of course,
we have to stop the assassination.
- But how do we do that?
- Follow Peride's footsteps.
We don't have much time.
You should go home
before Peride's family become suspicious.
First, convince them,
and then, we need to find out
what she knew about the assassination.
But, Ahmet, how the hell do you expect me
to meet her family and convince them?
You'll have to pretend that you're a lady.
Or is that asking too much?
[sighs]
I'll pretend, then.
Of course I'll pretend.
My whole life's been a pretence, anyway.
Look.
Pleased to make your acquaintance, sir.
My name is Peride. How do you do?
In good health, I presume?
Oh, no, not at all, I implore you.
[laughs loudly]
Oh, you've quite overcome me
with your wit! [giggles]
[sighs]
Less is more, maybe? Hmm?
Besides, women don't have
much of a voice here in 1919.
All right. [clears throat]
There's no way of telling
how the slightest thing
could drastically affect the future.
So what you do, what you see,
anything at all, you make a note.
- Take notes.
- Mm-hm.
Ah.
- What are you doing?
- I always use my phone to make notes.
- Ow!
- Come on, wake up!
You don't understand what's at stake
in this. This isn't a game.
All right, all right.
[sighs]
I'll clean up this mess.
Then I'll try and find out who killed her.
And you must go back to her house.
What house? Ahmet, what house?
Where does this woman live?
How would I know?
Work it out. You're a journalist.
Ahmet, hey, wait a minute!
[sighs] Ow!
[sighs heavily]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[gasps]
[sighs]
[telephone ringing]
Madam Peride? Madam Peride!
- That's me. Yes?
- Ah, thank goodness.
Uh, madam,
everyone's been looking for you.
- Telephoning all day from the house.
- Oh, God.
Well, I have been around.
Where does all the time go? [laughs]
[chuckles] Uh
Uh
[murmurs] Shit.
[sighs]
[gasps] Uh
Uh, yes?
- Mm-hm?
- What about my uncle?
- Mm?
- The one who owns this place.
Monsieur Bodosakis.
- Is he around?
- No.
He should be on his way
to Paris right now.
I thought you were aware of this trip.
I was. Why wouldn't I be? Course I was.
Ah, right.
See you.
[exhales]
[George] I thought
you took care of this problem.
Shit.
[bicycle bell rings]
[singing aria]
Oh! Peride.
- Ah, thank God. I've been looking for you.
- [woman continues singing]
Everyone's worried about you.
Are you all right?
There's been uproar in the mansion.
Yeah, I'm fine.
Are you able to take me home, please?
I'd better. It would be my pleasure. Yes.
[woman continues singing]
[sighs]
Ah, my lady Peride. Where have you been?
You said you'd be back in a jiffy.
Well I couldn't. I'm sorry.
And I had to take the blame for you.
Mr Naim was so angry
that he was about to get rid of me.
[man] Madame Marika?
Please just let Peride go in.
[Marika] Oh, Reşat, sir.
Please, forgive me.
[exhales]
I've just been so concerned about her.
Come on.
[woman] It's not the first time
she's done something like this.
Her behaviour's been the talk of the town
for a while now.
[girl] She's always at the Pera Palace,
using Uncle as an excuse.
I wonder what
she's been doing there all night.
Ah. Peride seems
to have found her way home at last.
Yes, I'm back.
[footsteps approaching]
- Shame on you, Peride.
- [gasps]
Why didn't you let me know where you were?
I was beside myself, worrying
about what had happened to you. [gasps]
- [woman sighs]
- [man] Is that Peride?
I don't understand.
There must be another explanation.
We correct our mistakes
instead of denying them.
When you think about
whose daughter she is,
this might not be a serious problem.
Just remember, you are the daughter
of Mr Naim, ex-warden of the mint.
Everything you do reflects on my honour.
You can't go swanning about
like these foreign women, Peride.
Start behaving like the dignified widow
you should be.
A widow?
From now on, you're not allowed to go out
after the evening prayer.
And during the day,
your mother will go everywhere with you.
No more sauntering about by yourself
and coming and going as you wish.
Am I in prison or what? [chuckles]
[sighs]
I have been your guardian
since your husband passed away.
You will live by my rules
under my roof, Peride!
Otherwise, get out of this house!
[girl] Mummy!
Mummy, I missed you last night.
- [buzz of conversation]
- [telephone ringing]
That woman's father might be an ally,
but he obviously never taught her
that silence is a virtue.
Leave it to me. I'll keep her quiet.
There's someone else
that needs to be silenced first.
One of your men.
Hmm.
Why don't you take Leyla up to your room?
You should read a bit.
Your father has important guests
for dinner this evening.
You don't want to look like a ghost
in front of them.
[sighs]
Shall we play a game?
Hmm. Something's going on with her.
You said you were going
to close your eyes.
Mmm.
[Leyla] Not that way. It's this way.
[birdsong]
Here we are.
[sighs]
[whispers] Who are you, Peride?
[murmur of conversation]
[Ahmet] Excuse me, Sonya.
Do you know Madam Peride?
Of course. Madam is a regular at the Pera.
Particularly lately.
Mm-hm.
Uh, as a person, what's she like?
[scoffs]
I don't know.
She doesn't even bother
about people like me, you know?
Who does she usually come here with?
What was your name, again, sir?
- [cicadas chirping]
- [dogs barking]
[sighs]
[sighs]
Bring the turkey in.
[Naim] My wife, my children
and I are all delighted
to have the honour of your presence
in our house.
Shall we take our places at the table?
This way, please.
Peride? Come and say hello
to our esteemed guests.
Enchantée.
I do believe we've crossed paths
at the Pera Palace.
But it's a pleasure
to formally meet you at last.
I've just discovered
you're Mr Naim's daughter.
Had I only known that last night.
And what difference would that have made?
I wouldn't have been so brusque.
Right. Hmm. This way, please.
Why is she speaking to him, anyway?
[traditional music playing]
Thanks very much.
[Naim] As I always say,
the British have brought
extraordinary civilisation into our lives.
[Halit chuckles]
[Naim] I must hand it to you
as well, Halit.
Thanks to you, even in wartime,
we have wanted for nothing at our table.
Hmm. It is my duty, sir.
And what is your duty, exactly?
[George sighs]
Procuring rare goods
for those who demand them, madam.
- But I gave that up once the war was over.
- Why?
[Halit sighs]
All I ever really wanted
was a place of my own.
Thankfully, I've managed that.
Ah, I can see why.
- You're a racketeer and profiteer, sir.
- [Naim clears throat]
A war, with its shortages,
is a good time to make money.
That all makes sense, yes.
You see,
I believe you ate here during the war?
So while everyone else
couldn't even get some bread,
you were indulging yourself, weren't you?
So then I am no worse than you,
nor you better than I am,
are you, madam?
[Naim] The gentlemen
will have coffee alone.
I have a lot of questions for you
regarding some issues
of national interest.
[sighs] Very well.
Please.
[piano plays Étude Op. 10, No. 3
(Tristesse) by Chopin]
[dog barking outside]
[crow cawing]
[owl hooting]
[George] They don't expect
there to be any problems.
My commanders are not yet aware
of the danger,
but the resistance could create
some serious problems.
[Naim] What can they do, anyway?
A handful of insurgents.
You can't take them seriously.
[George] Tell me, Naim Bey,
can we rely on you
to keep our weapons at your warehouse?
[Naim] Don't worry.
I've made all the arrangements.
[George] Excellent. In which case,
expect a shipment in the next two days.
- Did you hear anything?
- [gasps]
Since when have you been like this?
Or were you always this nosy,
and I just hadn't paid attention?
Ah, since when did you start
creeping up on women?
- What do you want, anyway?
- Firstly, I have a warning for you.
If you don't keep quiet
about what you heard last night
[inhales]
the consequences could be fatal.
[door opens]
[door closes]
The Garden Bar tomorrow.
We'll have a proper talk.
[Reşat] Halit?
[Halit] Reşat?
What's going on?
Peride and I bumped into each other.
Just having a little talk.
I'll be joining the gentlemen now.
Are you coming?
Peride and I have to have
a little talk too, if you don't mind.
Is that all right?
What is he doing here?
If he's flirting with you
[scoffs] Nothing like that.
I've warned you before, Peride.
Please, just stay away from Halit, huh?
[rustling]
[dogs barking and howling outside]
[sighs]
[Leyla] Mummy?
What do you want?
I had a bad dream last night.
That's all it is, a dream. It's not real.
It's all right.
Will you come and lie with me?
[owls hooting]
Budge up.
Will you tell me a story?
[sighs]
Once upon a time
[sighs]
Um somewhere in the world,
there was this little orphan called Esra.
Mummy, what's an orphan?
She didn't have any parents.
Any sisters?
No brothers or sisters.
Ah, like me, Mummy.
And a granny?
Nope.
Esra had no family at all, Leyla.
Where did she come from, then?
I don't know.
She was in an orphanage.
What's that?
An orphanage is a very large house
where orphans like Esra live and grow up.
When she left, they gave Esra a folder.
Everything they knew about her
was kept in that folder.
Esra never even looked at it, though.
Because she couldn't.
But why didn't she, Mummy?
She must have wondered.
Of course she wondered.
She wondered a lot.
But [sighs]
she was scared
she'd see terrible things.
Terrible things like what?
Oh, never mind.
Never mind that. You're missing
the best part of the whole story.
Esra became a time traveller.
What's that?
She went back in time.
To the past.
How did she manage it?
Hm. Well, she managed it.
A miracle.
Do you know what a miracle is?
A miracle
is something really extraordinary
that is normally completely impossible.
What happened then?
And then
Esra finally discovered her roots.
Because she saw a woman,
and that woman looked a lot like her.
Who was she?
Probably
she was her great granny.
And do you know what's even better?
The woman she met,
she had a little daughter.
Esra got to meet her family
for the first time.
And she was her granny's mother.
And that was a miracle as well?
Yeah, a miracle.
[Ahmet] My mother was Russian.
She died when I was very young.
Was she ill?
You remind me of her.
Me?
[chuckles]
You're Belarussian, aren't you, Sonya?
I imagine you came to Istanbul
after the Revolution.
Back then, you were probably
a duchess, or maybe a princess.
Am I right?
A maid who used to be a princess.
Who'd believe it?
[sighs]
In the Pera restaurant,
there's a cashier called Alexei.
He was a maths professor.
Then there's Olga,
singing arias out on the street.
One of Tsarist Russia's
great opera singers, did you know?
You aren't alone.
In the end, we're all alone.
You should be very proud
of yourself, Sonya.
Proud? Why? Of what?
Because you're a strong woman.
[ticking]
[whirring]
[clock chimes]
Take care of yourself.
[distant conversations]
[grunting]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[grunting]
[sighs]
[grunting]
[groans]
[sighs]
[Ahmet panting]
[grunts]
[exhales]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[rumbling]
[gurgling]
[sighs]
[birdsong]
[gasps]
[sighs]
Ah!
PERİDE
NAİM (HER FATHER)
LEYLA (HER DAUGHTER)
HALİME - BELKIS
REŞAT (LOVE INTEREST?)
HALİT (THE KILLER)
- [door opens]
- [Leyla] Mummy?
Huh?
Grandma wants to see you.
All right, I'm coming.
Are you writing in your diary again?
Did you say my diary?
[sighs]
- Has Peride come back to the hotel?
- No, sir.
[sighs heavily]
Where the hell are you, eh?
Sort your collar out, man!
This is the Pera Palace, you know?
[birdsong]
The hat box,
that's where you usually hide it.
Yeah, well, you say that,
but it's not in any of these ones here.
[sighs]
Tell me, where else
do you think it could be?
Cann't you remember where you hid it?
Imagine if I'd done that.
[sighs heavily]
- [Leyla gasps]
- What?
Have you remembered something, huh?
What is it?
But I shouldn't be telling on her.
- Maybe she didn't steal it.
- Who do you mean?
- Maybe she did.
- Who?
Belkıs!
Ugh!
[sighs]
What are you doing in my room?
This diary is mine. You stole it.
How could you do that?
[scoffs]
And what?
I was worried about your behaviour.
I wondered what was bothering you, sister.
[scoffs]
Did you manage to find out
what it was, then?
[tuts] I haven't quite
got to the bottom of it.
Oh, but about your great passion
Your love, sister.
Love? What do you mean, love?
If our father finds out,
he'll kick you out of the house, I'm sure.
- [cicadas chirping]
- [dogs barking]
[owl hooting]
[man yelling] Oh, Allah!
I'm gonna set the world on fire!
Just like that!
- [horn honks]
- Oh!
Hey, watch out!
[horn honks]
[wheels grinding]
Ah, Madam Peride, welcome back!
We've been so worried about you.
- [both gasp]
- [glass shatters]
- [Sonya] Hmm.
- [Esra gasps] Oh!
I'm so sorry about that.
Here, let me help you.
That's all right. You don't have to.
Well, please forgive me.
Oh, God, that's
[in Russian] Was that really Mrs Peride?
Is this a dream?
That can't be her.
Maybe something fell on her head.
[knocking at door]
[knocking]
[Ahmet sighs]
Where have you been?
I thought maybe you'd been found out.
Now I'm a little bit offended, Ahmet.
You might not like my performance much,
but they all believed I was Peride.
Oh, well done.
I've been doing some background research,
and this is Peride's profile.
She's clever. educated, courageous.
A free spirit. Always gets what she wants.
Like me, then.
Spoiled, vain, selfish and cruel.
Treats all the staff appallingly.
She's not very popular.
Yeah, yeah.
So she might have enemies.
Did you find anything at the house?
I might have done, yes.
Found this, for a start.
This your bright idea, Ahmet?
Sending the body back to 1916?
Um [clears throat]
- Yes.
- Bravo.
Well, I didn't know what year she died.
What's that?
A book. Peride's diary. Uh-huh.
You've struck gold. Have you read it?
No, I couldn't. It's in Ottoman script.
Don't worry. I can read it.
You can read it?
It's in Ottoman, how are you able to?
Well, why shouldn't I?
Okay.
You read that,
and when I get back, you can tell me.
Where are you going?
To meet a suspect.
Uh The Garden Bar? Whereabouts is that?
[music and cheering]
[man]
Johnny was bashful and shy ♪
- Nobody understood why ♪
- [cheering]
Mary loved him ♪
All the other girls passed him by ♪
Everyone wanted to know ♪
How she could pick such a beau ♪
With a twinkle in her eye ♪
She made this reply ♪
He's not so good in a crowd
But when you get him alone ♪
You'd be surprised ♪
He isn't much at a dance
But when he's taking you home ♪
You'd be surprised ♪
He doesn't look like much of a lover ♪
But you can't
Judge a book by its cover ♪
He's got the face of an angel ♪
But there's a devil in his eye ♪
He's such a delicate thing
But when he starts in to squeeze ♪
You'd be surprised ♪
He doesn't look very strong
But when you sit on his knee ♪
- You'd be surprised ♪
- Excuse me.
At a party or at a ball ♪
I've got to admit ♪
I didn't think you'd accept my invitation.
But in a Morris chair ♪
I have some questions for you,
if that's all right.
Can we talk privately, please?
[cheering and applause]
Let's dance and talk.
A one, a two, a one, two, three, go.
[playing upbeat jazz]
[Halit] I remember
the first time you came here.
You had some French guests with you.
That's when we met, right?
Uh-huh.
Reşat was with you.
Yes, that's right.
Who do you think you're fooling?
You've never set foot
in the Garden Bar before tonight.
Reşat wouldn't be seen dead
in a place like this.
You and I met in the Pera Palace.
So tell me the truth.
Who are you?
[cheering and whistling]
[laughter]
Do you know, I
I don't remember where and when we met.
I was
I was just trying to be polite to you.
Actually, what about you, Mr Halit?
Who are you?
Are you just the profiteer
you appear to be,
or are you a murderer?
The other night, someone tried to kill me
at the Pera Palace.
But, as you can see, he failed.
If that were me,
you wouldn't be in my arms now, would you?
That's what I thought.
Either you didn't
try to kill me last night,
or you've realised that I don't
take your British friends seriously.
Nor do I care about the ridiculous games
you've been playing
with that nobody of an officer.
[music continues, muffled]
[Ahmet] "A man called Dimitri, who worked
on the construction of the hotel,
has told me about the Portal of Truth,
the flow of time,
and how it connects to the hotel."
"This Dimitri knows all about
the Portal of Truth,
that it is fundamentally different
from other portals"
[sighs]
Oh, my dear God!
[groans]
[sighs]