The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) s01e02 Episode Script

We have only two inmates
in the dungeons at this time.
This first one, number 34,
is a dangerous political prisoner.
The guards will go ahead of us.
Number 34, stand up.
What is his crime?
Treason.
Are you well fed?
Answer the inspector.
Food is of little consequence
to me, sir.
Excellent.
And is there anything you need?
You don't understand.
I'm the inspector of prisons
sent here by the government
to hear any requests
prisoners may have.
Inspector, listen to me.
I was charged with being
one of Napoleon's spies.
And now he is Emperor once more,
and the King deposed,
I should be looked upon favourably
as a hero of France. Is it not, sir?
He marched into Paris
a few weeks later.
A new constitution was drawn up.
Everything has changed.
You know you are forbidden
to converse with prisoners.
Forgive me, Governor.
It won't happen again.
Sir, will you see to it
that I am freed?
You have not heard, then?
Heard what?
Napoleon lasted but 100 days.
He was defeated
at the Battle of Waterloo.
The English have exiled him
to the island of St. Helena
in the Atlantic Ocean.
And our dear King Louis XVIII
has been restored to the throne.
Sir, I
I was falsely accused.
I was never a spy.
Please, Inspector, please!
I implore you, look into my case.
I am an innocent man.
The Deputy Prosecutor of Marseilles
said as much to my face.
M. Villefort will attest to my innocence.
Please, sir, please, please.
You are clearly mad.
Next prisoner.
Number 27 is also mad.
Last year he promised your predecessor
5 million francs of his treasure,
on condition he'd be set free.
And where is
this so-called treasure?
Well, he'll only tell you that
if you set him free.
- Mr. Morrel?
- What is it, Danglars?
I'm here to give notice
that I will be leaving Morrel and Son
at the end of this month, sir.
I've been offered a very lucrative
post at a bank in Madrid,
which I'm going to accept.
Then you won't be leaving
tomorrow with the Pharaon.
I would have, if you'd made
me captain of the vessel
after Edmond was arrested.
But it seems you had other ideas.
Before you go, I'd like to know
why you've been telling people
Edmond was arrested
because he's a Bonapartist.
I have no idea
what you're talking about.
And frankly, I find
the accusation offensive.
Good day to you, M. Morrel.
Didn't you come some months ago
about the very same thing?
I did. And you said
you would look into it.
- What was his name again?
- Dantes. Edmond Dantes.
Go down to the archives and bring
me the files on "Dantes, Edmond".
I promise you, we shall see
what we can do for Edmond Dantes.
Thank you.
Let's see.
Charged with espionage
and
interned in the Castle d'If.
Oh dear.
What?
He died.
Three months ago.
That can't be right.
It says here he hanged
himself in his cell.
But
Why
Why has his father
not been informed?
It's the duty of the prison authorities
to inform next of kin
when an inmate dies,
so you should ask them.
I'm terribly, terribly sorry.
Edmond
10 YEARS LATER
Still not eating, are you?
In a case like this, I'm obliged
to report the matter to the Governor,
and I don't think you want
the Governor coming down here.
He doesn't like the dungeons much.
See, Governor? Four days
and he hasn't eaten a thing.
Stand for the Governor.
Why do you not eat, Number 34?
I don't want to.
You are here to be punished.
For that, we need you alive.
Feed him.
- There are maggots in his food, sir.
- Guards, hold the prisoner down!
- He has no eating utensils, sir.
- Use your hands!
Leave him.
Let him die.
Who's there?
Breakfast, Abbe!
Who are you?
I'm number 27.
Number 27?
- Are you standing close to the wall?
- Yes.
Then move away, move away.
Thank you.
You must be
Number 34?
34, yes.
Edmond Dantes.
I am the Abbe Faria.
How
How did you get in there?
I've been tunneling
for seven years.
But
I must have miscalculated.
I didn't know there was a cell here.
I was going for the seawall.
How did you get a chisel?
Well, I got it from a strut
under my bed.
May I?
Forgive me, I haven't touched
another person in years.
Oh, all right.
You have a lamp,
a light, a chisel.
How did you come by
these precious things?
I've had 14 years
to practice my ingenuity, but
I have other things too.
It's very tight, but dusty.
Are you there?
The oil for the candles
I get from what little meat
they give us.
It's surprising
how productive our food can be.
Here, look.
Fish bones make
very good needles.
- You see? I can sew with that.
- And how do you light that?
Well, I persuaded my jailer that I needed
sulfur for my skin condition.
Today is June the 12th, 1825.
- So ten years.
- I find keeping track of time
is one of the ways
I can stimulate my mind.
See here?
1815, that's when you came.
I read and I write.
Let me show you.
It was views like these,
because I am outspoken by nature,
that got me imprisoned
and arrested.
You said you read.
Where do you keep your books?
In my head.
Art, science, chemistry,
astrology, history.
- Can I sit?
- Please, I'm sorry. Please
Are you unwell?
I haven't eaten for many days.
Do they not feed you?
- They've tried to.
- What do you mean?
- I stopped eating.
- Why?
Oh, no.
To kill yourself is a mortal sin.
You must have hope.
You cannot live without hope.
Look, today we meet.
And you start to eat.
I cannot finish this.
Eat it for me.
- I can't eat your food, Abbe.
- You are my guest.
I will be hurt if you do not.
Please, eat.
But you know, I need you to be strong,
to help with our escape.
You will help me in our escape,
will you not?
I can't think of nothing better.
Then we'll start tomorrow.
We'll go dig toward the seawall
under the window in your cell.
No, no, there's a 30 meter drop
from my cell window to the rocks below.
30 meter?
Yes.
What does your window
look out onto?
The courtyard.
Patrol day and night.
Well, then we should dig
in that direction.
Dig in that direction,
and then once in the courtyard,
we kill the guard
and use his keys to escape.
No, I'm a priest.
Killing is not an option.
Well, then we'll tie him up, gag him,
and then we'll make our escape.
When did you say we'd start?
Your enthusiasm warms my heart.
Tomorrow.
- Tomorrow we start.
- Tomorrow
So if the wind from the east
blows the port into Ernestfield.
for a moment there is
Talking to yourself again,
Abbe, are you?
Who else can I talk to?
Pierre, I, uh I accidentally
broke my jug yesterday.
- I'm sorry.
- Fool.
You need to put the pieces
in your bowl.
I'll bring you a new one
with your evening meal.
I'm glad you're eating again.
- Good morning, neighbour!
- Morning.
I trust you slept well.
Best sleep I've had in years.
Now listen, come and sit down.
I've been thinking about
our new plan for the tunnel.
And I think we should
break into the wall.
We tunnel in three meters, four,
90 degrees to the right
and come up inside the wall
to the corner of the courtyard.
But that'll take months, years.
Why don't we just go
through this wall here?
No, because this wall
is too visible for Pierre.
When he looks through,
he'll see it immediately.
I can cover this.
And inside,
the mortar is much softer.
It's quicker to dig.
So we break through
and work our way out here.
What do you do
with all these loose chippings?
I bury them in my slop bucket,
and every couple of days,
Pierre is kind enough
to flush it all into the sea.
- Abbe?
- Yeah.
I would so love
to become more learned.
We'll tunnel during the day,
and in the evening,
I will hold classes
and teach you everything I know.
I'd like that.
Good.
Do you know, when we get out of here,
we're going to be very rich men.
Both of us, very rich.
- In knowledge?
- No, in wealth.
And you will be living
among other rich men.
So, we're going to have to eat
with very, very wealthy people.
Upper class aristocrats.
For that,
you have to learn two things.
You have to learn patience, because
these meals go on forever and ever.
And you're going to have
to learn table manners.
You put a napkin around your neck,
and you tuck it into your shirt
to save your beautiful clothes
from being splashed by food.
You have many glasses,
some for white wine,
some for red wine, water.
First course,
you start from the outside,
and you go into the next course,
into the next course.
Now, I want you to imagine
that that is a fork.
Show your beautiful
You probably have rings on your fingers.
So show your beautiful fingers.
That's right.
And bite in with the
That's right. Good.
- How many courses are there?
- There's thousands.
It goes on forever, it's a nightmare.
Patience you'll need.
Now, are you taking your soup?
No, you take soup the other way.
Take it that way, away from you,
so you don't splash your beautiful clothes.
That's right. And meanwhile,
you must talk to the lady on your right,
but keep your spoon
over your soup.
Don't wave it over her frock.
And in.
Very good. Excellent.
Caderousse.
Mercedes.
I hardly recognized you.
Where is Mr. Dantes?
We buried him one week ago.
I think he couldn't face living
another year without him.
Where is he buried?
St. Augustine's.
I can take you there if you wish.
Thank you, Caderousse.
Dear Lord,
take care of Louis' gentle soul.
In your son's name.
Amen.
I will arrange for a headstone
to be erected in his memory.
Edmond?
Abbe!
It's all well.
My legs are trapped.
How much room do you have?
Two meters at most.
- How much?
- Two meters.
Don't try and move,
just stay there.
Relax. Don't consume oxygen.
Hurry!
Edmond !
Edmond? Come on!
Breathe! Breathe!
That's right.
In, there you have air.
Good.
Good, good.
Thank you, Abbe.
Now, very carefully,
we'll get back out of here.
From what you tell me,
it seems to me
that the prosecutor
has something to do with it.
He was convinced
of my innocence.
Tell me again exactly what happened
before he had you arrested.
I have information that your political
opinions are extreme.
Someone delivered
this letter to the police today.
They claim that you have been entrusted
with a letter from the usurper Napoleon
with instructions to deliver it
to a Bonapartist committee in Paris.
It confounds me, Abbe.
Keeps me up at night.
Strange.
To whom were you supposed
to deliver this letter?
A M. Noirtier, Paris.
Perhaps the prosecutor
knew Noirtier.
There's no way.
He said he was going to check
on the man, find out who he was.
And yet, you say everything changed
after the name was mentioned.
Stop.
Come back.
Surely Villefort would have said
something if he knew Noirtier.
Why wouldn't he?
Did you say Villefort?
Mr. Villefort, the prosecutor.
Well, there we have it.
What?
Noirtier's original family
name was Noirtier de Villefort.
He changed it when he became
a Bonapartist.
Just was known as Noirtier,
Mr. Noirtier.
Now, if the prosecutor,
Mr. Villefort,
recognized him as being a family member,
he would be most concerned to protect him.
So concerned, he would be prepared
to wipe you from the face of the earth.
It can't be.
A man you thought
was the champion of your innocence.
You're sure about this?
Oh, yes, I knew of Noirtier.
Goddamn you, Villefort!
Goddamn you!
It won't be God's doing.
It'll be my doing.
It'll be by my hand
that you will suffer,
May he live till we meet again.
I think we've gone about
three meters.
Tomorrow we should turn right
towards the courtyard.
All right.
Brucine is related
to strychnine.
It's mainly used in the East
for muscle spasm and arthritic pain.
But it's a very dangerous drug.
You kill a grown man
in a matter of minutes.
I find it so fascinating.
So lethal a poison can also
be used beneficially.
Yeah, it's all a matter of dosage,
like many things in life.
F equals G times
the sum of the masses
divided by the square root
of their distance apart.
- It's so simple.
- Well, yes.
Mr. Newton made it simple.
Come on, Edmond,
that's enough for the day.
Lesson time.
Now, after a full moon,
the illuminated portion of the moon
begins to decrease in size.
The old moon is a waning sliver,
which will eventually become
undetectable to the naked eye.
Untill a moment
"Such a sight as this.
Bid the soldiers shoot."
And so ends one of the greatest
tragedies ever written.
I think this his best play by far.
Well, tomorrow I'll tell you
about chloroform.
Very interesting drug.
Abbe?
Yeah?
I'd like to add two hours
a day to my digging.
Well, you know, you should balance
your labors with your learning.
Yeah, but the sooner
I get out of here, the soo
The what?
I've been dreaming of revenge.
You must be careful, Edmond.
When planning revenge,
It's best to dig
your own grave first.
Countess, what an honor
to finally meet you.
Could you tilt your head
slightly, Comtesse?
5 YEARS LATER
Abbe! Abbe!
We're so close.
I can hear
the guards' footsteps.
Then stop tapping.
The guards must hear nothing more
than the scratchings of a mouse.
We must be so careful, Edmond.
You must prepare
so that we are ready to break through
suddenly in the dead of night.
Surprise the guards.
How long, oh God,
have I waited for this moment?
We must pray for a calm sea.
We must do it in the dead of night
when there's no moon.
- Next week, saturday night.
- Such a long wait.
10 days! In 15 years!
It's a blink of an eye.
I mean, do you have
an appointment in Marseille?
Do you have some young filly
waiting for you?
This is happening.
You've saved me, Abbe Faria.
No, no, my son.
No, we've saved each other.
Edmond
Edmond
Edmond
Abbe!
- Abbe!
- Edmond, here
- What happened?
- I fell.
I can't get up.
I can't.
I can't feel my left side.
It was so close to the end,
Abbe.
You will have to escape
on your own, Edmond.
No, no, no.
No, I'll carry you.
You can hold onto my neck
with your right hand.
I'll swim with you on my back.
And if we get to shore,
what then, eh?
No.
I'll stay here with you.
You'll recover. You'll get better.
And when you do, we'll leave
this place together as planned.
Edmond, I have something
I have to tell you.
It's most important.
Now, go.
Take out my writing in it.
Take the rock from the wall.
No, behind. Feel at the back.
There should be a piece of parchment.
Yes, bring it here.
When I was clearing out Count Spada's
library, I found a piece of parchment.
There was nothing on it.
Not interesting.
I threw it in the fire.
But as it began to smoulder,
I saw letters appearing,
and I snatched it back.
It was written on,
in invisible ink.
- What is it?
- It's a map.
It's a map of the island
of Monte Cristo.
With instructions of where
the great treasure hoard is hidden.
You see, in 1502,
Cardinal de Spada was a great enemy
of that terrible Borgia Pope, Alexander VI.
And the Borgia Pope
wanted his fortune,
and so the Cardinal hid it,
and he left these instructions for his son.
Well, the Cardinal
was murdered by the Pope,
and also the son was murdered
before he knew even of his father's death.
And so this was lost until now.
Some of the writing was burnt,
but I've spent years working out
what the lost words are.
Twenty paces west of Rabbit Rock
lies a concealed entrance.
Enter the cave.
There is a fork to the left.
Cross the rocks
and you will find my treasure.
Find it, Edmond.
I bequeath it all to you.
It probably isn't there anymore.
Abbe, 300 years
is a very long time.
Boats put in there often, smugglers use
the island to store their contraband.
Maybe it is gone, but
I believe it's still there, Edmond.
Find it.
Find it.
And use it to live a full life.
I won't leave you
here alone, Abbe.
You'll recover.
I know you will.
Bless you, my son,
for your faith.
Now leave me.
If I am to recover,
I must sleep awhile.
Soon you'll be strong enough
to swim.
I don't know why,
I feel like an old man today.
It's the
It's the watch Mercedes gave me
the night of our engagement celebration.
It's beautiful.
You've kept it all these years.
This is what's kept you alive,
Edmond?
Yes.
When you get out of here,
find her again.
Marry her, Edmond.
Bless you, my son.
Bless both of you.
Guards! Call the Governor!
Number 27 is dead.
Are you sure he's
not pretending?
They do that sometimes,
you know.
Give me the torch.
Lift his foot.
He's dead, no doubt.
Throw him in the sack
and bury him.
We bury him after dinner.
Come on, let's go eat.
I'm sorry.
Forgive me, Father.
God, he's a heavy old bastard.
Come on.
That's good enough of it.
Easy on.
- All right, ready for it?
- Yep.
One, two, three.
Where's your bowl, number 34?
Number 34, wake up!
Guard!
Call the Governor!
- I don't know what to make of it, sir.
- Be quiet!
Move the bed away from the wall.
See if you can move that stone.
Torch!
Follow me.
Pull it out.
Faster, faster!
Come on, Pierre!
Hurry, Pierre!
They had tools.
He could have used those tools
to set himself free from the body bag.
Well, don't just stand there!
Run!
Throw the cannon!
Muster the guns!