A Thousand Blows (2024) s01e05 Episode Script

1
[Peggy] Welcome to West
London Boxing Club.
Prove to me your mettle in the ring, and
I'll introduce you to the right people.
The judges have awarded the
contest to Mr Hezekiah Moscow.
Yes! Yes!
I rising in this world.
If you men have a score to
settle, do it within the rules.
[Peggy] I believe you've got what
it takes to fight for me out West.
And that's where
Hezekiah will be.
Tell me what Mary Carr
want with Hezekiah.
She want a fuck.
We are fucking on.
Robbing the Queen and the
Chinese Emperor is risky enough,
but it's the Elephant
Boys that I really fear.
My participation in Mary's
criminal scheme tonight,
it's about a certain
species of closure.
Your Excellency, I
humbly present this gift.
[jeweller] This is a
royal silver collection,
finest in the land.
I challenge you to
a contest right now.
- Let's fight.
- [clamouring]
Now.
- [screams]
- [minister grunts]
[Esme] Here he is, the
man with our fortune.
[chuckles]
[Mary] All right, Charlie,
is that our silver?
If you can call it that.
It wasn't melting properly in the
furnace. Most of it wasn't melting at all.
Your silver just burned.
Yeah, because it's not
real fucking silver.
What are you going on about?
[Eliza] It's silver-plated.
[sighs] I can't believe this.
So was this all a waste of time?
Biggest gamble we've ever taken.
- Yeah, and we've fuck all to show for it.
- Apart from the one dead body.
We're gonna hang for it, and that's if
the Elephant Boys don't get to us first.
Fuck.
Indigo Jeremy's gonna be
fucking furious, and Jane
Don't you dare mention her name!
Have you any idea what
you've gotten us into?
No, I don't! I
don't know, Eliza,
why don't you tell me because
you are fucking dying to.
Go on, go on.
Actually, no, why don't you take the
lead because you crave it so much?
You've finished us,
Mary, and you know it.
Well, I'm not like you, Eliza.
I see solutions where
you see problems,
so shut your fucking
mouth and let me think.
I can't believe it.
Mary come with your money yet?
Wanti wanti, nuh
getti getti. Relax.
[scoffs] You
telling me to relax,
the man whose eyes has been wide
like a potoo since the robbery.
Why you talk so loud?
When you gonna admit
you get conned?
How long now since
you hear from Mary?
[scoffs]
Esme come here later, you know.
Can ask her about your money.
[messenger] Hezekiah Moscow! I've
been sent by the Earl of Lonsdale!
Is who that now?
That is business, brother.
Come.
[door opens]
Good morning, milady.
These came for you this morning.
I'll read them in time.
I saw you leaving with
them, the thieves.
I must admit, apart from the murder, I
was impressed by how cunning it all was.
But now they're
coming for you all.
Why are you telling me all this?
To give you a chance to run.
You've brought shame and death on my
home, and for that you will hang, girl.
But it won't be
on my conscience.
Now you get out of my sight. I
never want to lay eyes on you again.
[bell dings]
[sighs]
Thank you for seeing me.
What's so urgent we had
to meet in this shithole?
[pedestrians chattering]
Oh, madam,
I wondered if you knew where I might find
the proprietor of this establishment,
a Mr Lao Lam, is it?
Oh, uh, Lao is indisposed,
but you can speak with me.
Ah, a shame.
I'd have liked to speak
with Mr Lao personally,
but you will certainly
do, Mary Carr.
I have been itching to meet the woman
who's been masquerading as Lady Farnley
a woman who died in
Ceylon six months ago.
Please, if you don't mind releasing the
hilt of that dagger beneath your dress.
I'm well aware of how
the Forty Elephants work.
Since you walked to this building,
Miss Carr, you passed seven men,
all in disguise, all with orders
to blow this building sky-high
should I fail to walk out of
it in the next five minutes.
What do you want with me?
I am looking for Lao
and as of now, so are you.
The Crown have endeavoured to
cover up the heist for now.
- The silver's of little value.
- You mean fake.
What matters now
is bringing to the gallows the
murderer of a foreign dignitary.
It would be very easy for me
to pin both the stolen silver
and this murder on
you and your girls.
You think you've
got me, don't ya?
Yes.
I do hope to hear
from you soon, Mary.
[Treacle] Mary's resurfaced.
Charlie told me she's in trouble.
I should go and find her.
No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
You focus on the here
and now, the West End.
Get in there and prove that we
Goodsons deserve to be here.
Whatever business Mary has got herself
into, let her fucking deal with it.
Is Peggy a fool, or is he
just trying to taunt me?
[Earl] Pleased to
meet you. Follow me.
It's just a meeting, Sugar.
It's a fucking farce.
Come on.
[Treacle] Come on, Sugar!
- [bell dings]
- Watch your body, Jem.
Now jump on him! Jump on him!
[spectators clamour]
No, back, back! He's done.
That's it, Sugar.
Tonight's contest between
Henry Goodson and Jem Cummings
- has been awarded to Henry Goodson
- [Treacle] Come on!
[ring announcer] by virtue
of a first round knockout.
- [sparse applause]
- [whistling]
- [spectator] beastly.
- [referee] Right. You all right, mate?
Fuck off.
May I introduce my companion?
This is John Douglas, the
ninth Marquess of Queensberry,
patron of the West
London Boxing Club,
and he's a champion of the new
school of boxing in the West End.
So this is the famous African who
put you on your arse, Lonsdale, huh?
Yeah, well, Hezekiah's
Jamaican. [scoffs]
Just why are we here?
Because I wish to sharpen my axe against
the trees in your garden, my lords,
with the aim of taking
down the biggest tree
of them all.
[inhales sharply] Funny.
- Buster Williams?
- [chuckles]
World championship bout
with the Brooklyn Gent.
- That's what you're proposing?
- Yes.
You have promise, Hezekiah,
but this, this is madness.
Americans are the best fighters
in the world, and of that stock,
Buster Williams is
the best of the lot.
Then it should be
a good fight, no?
That's if he even agrees to fight
a Black, which is highly unlikely.
Look, I want to beat the whole
world with your backing, sir.
And if I wasting my time, tell me
now and that'll be the end of it.
But I will find a way
into your West End rings,
and I will perform sweet
science on this Brooklyn Gent.
To fight the Brooklyn
Gent, you need attention,
so you make more noise in the
ring, even more noise in the press.
We'd need to move
quickly, set up fights.
Your first could be in,
I don't know, three days?
That's a good way
to go about it.
But what about money?
[Earl] That'd be a formality.
Coin is, uh, guaranteed
with my backing,
and brokers will fund the bouts
if Queensberry approaches them.
[breathes deeply]
Do you truly believe you
can be World Champion?
[chuckles]
I have never believed
in anything more.
[Alec] There.
[Alec] Come on, Hezekiah!
Eh, you think you can
beat buckra man like that?
Three nights is all you have, and
your opponent won't be slapping you.
- You understand?
- Yeah, man, we go again.
- You need fi calm down.
- Don't tell me fi calm down, come.
Me can't teach you now
when you like this!
You have all the
talent in the world!
But without the
discipline, you is nothing!
Don't waste my time, Hezekiah.
Me done give up
everything for you.
[panting]
Yo, Alec.
- I mean
- Just leave it, man.
No, you're right.
Me sorry.
Hezekiah,
me don't waan you fi be sorry.
I waan you fi be great.
It's opportunities like dis we used
to dream 'bout for real ya know.
Me always knew you
would end up there.
Me just never think me
would have to stand aside.
We stand side by side,
brother, and we always will.
It's not Hezekiah or Alec,
it's Hezekiah and Alec.
Always, huh?
And them will see
that, you hear me?
- [pedestrians chattering]
- [horse neighs]
My eyes must be
playing tricks on me.
[chuckles]
Mary, is that you?
Now where the hell you been?
Keeping a low profile to
keep the law off my scent.
You promise him
£200. Where it deh?
We have a problem.
[sucks teeth]
Mr Lao.
Yeah, I know what him do.
[Mary] Then you'll know the
whole world is after him.
Police, spies,
the very monarchy.
They're willing to turn a blind
eye to our heist if we give him up.
Have you seen him?
No.
I know you have loyalties to
him, but if you know something,
Hezekiah, I need you to tell me.
I don't know anything.
[Mary] There's still
enough time to save him.
If you tell me now,
we can help him together.
Mary, I haven't seen the man.
Pray I find him before they do.
[sighs]
Look pon you, man.
Dem soon hear about
you back home,
and dem a gonna shout "Hezekiah Moscow"
from the top of the Blue Mountains.
Dem gonna shout yours, too. Hmm?
Me nuh really want
talk 'bout that.
Me just want you and Esme
fi see me fight properly.
[Earl] Good day! Good day!
Are you ready?
Ta-da!
[laughs]
[Hezekiah] Wah this? A
jungle background that?
[Earl] Yes, and the
press will eat it up.
I really wanted to, you know,
capture the essence of Hezekiah.
Capture the what?
Hey, no worry. I will do
my talking in the ring.
- [photographer speaks indistinctly]
- [Earl] It's this jungle essence.
[photographer, Earl
speaking indistinctly]
When you're ready, sir.
One, two, three, four, five.
[Alec] That's it, that's it!
That's it! That's it!
- [shushes]
- Move from here.
[crowd gasps]
[laughs] Come on, Zulu, you
haven't landed one punch on me yet.
I heard them call you
the Transvaal boar,
but you're more ugly than
any pig I've ever seen.
Gentlemen, silence.
I came here to tame lions,
and they gave me a wild boar.
Well, I miss the taste of jerk
pork, so come now, Sir Boar!
[referee] Back, back, hey!
One, two, three, four,
five, six, seven,
eight, nine, ten.
Remember this day,
and spread the word that
Hezekiah Moscow is here to stay.
- I like it!
- [spectators cheer]
- [bell dings]
- [referee] Fighters ready?
Come together.
Touch gloves. Fight.
- Gwaan!
- Oh!
[spectators applauding]
[cheering]
One, two, three,
- four, five
- [bell dings]
six, seven
- [bell dings]
- [shouts]
[bell dings]
[Earl] Yes!
Sugar!
Pleasure as always.
You said if I came up West,
I'd have Hezekiah on a platter,
so why am I still out
here in the fucking cold
on a Thursday while
he's doing this?
[clicks tongue]
Sugar, I'm gonna
be honest with you.
There's been a whole change of plan
with the you versus Hezekiah thing.
We all agree that it would be
best for all of us, for now,
to keep you and Hezekiah apart.
Influential men are now invested
in Hezekiah's continued successes
in our rings.
Having you injure him,
perhaps even kill him,
well, they can't have that.
Don't worry. You'll continue to
be well paid for your fights.
Treacle understands, and
I'm sure you do as well,
being the sensible
man that you are.
[Sugar breathing heavily]
[breathes deeply]
[exclaiming]
[spectator] Come on, Billy
boy! Finish off the bastard!
[spectators cheer]
One, two,
three, four
- Sugar, get up. Get up.
- [referee] five,
six, seven
[grunts]
- [referee] eight
- [Treacle] Sugar, what are you doing?
nine.
Oi!
- [groans]
- [spectators clamour]
[referee] Whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa, stop!
Get off him!
Don't you ever touch
me. Do you understand?
Get an usher!
Someone get an usher!
[screams]
[referee] No, no, no, no, no!
Break it up!
- [skin tearing]
- [Billy screaming]
Sugar!
[screaming continues]
Get out! Get out.
Get out, Sugar. Get out now!
Get onto the street
where you belong.
I don't ever want to see you
here again, you little rat!
Get out of here now!
Get out of here!
Lunatic!
Doctor!
Give him space, give him space!
[footsteps approaching]
[door opens]
So the stories of you taking over The
Green Dolphin are true then, I see.
Sleeping here with the
scum of the East End.
What the hell are
you doing here?
You should watch
your tone with me.
I'm the only ally you
have left in the world.
I warned you, Mary,
and so did your girls.
Eliza, she asked to see me.
Sharp thinker that one. I always
said she had brains to be Queen.
Look at me when
I'm talking to ya.
There will be consequences.
You know that, don't you?
You've damaged our reputation,
and now the Elephant Boys want
to bring you back to heel.
I don't need you here
telling me the obvious.
You should be dropping to your knees
and thanking me for even being here.
You know what Indigo
is capable of.
Fall in line, surrender your
power to them and come home,
or they will retaliate
and punish you.
I see the cockless coward, Indigo Jeremy,
has turned you into his messenger.
This is a warning from me, Mary!
Things were fine as they were!
- My ambition is to make
- Ambition?
Is that what you call it?
No, child, this is stupidity.
[sniffles]
[sniffles]
You know, I thought
I taught you well,
but you truly are your
father's daughter, aren't you?
He turned everything
he touched to ash too.
There he is
in those eyes.
Failure in one,
disappointment in the other.
Me and him dared to dream
and that's why you hate us.
Hate you?
[sighs]
What makes you think
I have time for that?
[door closes]
Hezekiah.
I hear that you may
have some bars for me.
Will I be disappointed?
Here.
I trust this will be enough to
purchase your continued silence
and Mr Lao's protection?
Mmm, oh, for sure.
Take me to him.
Mr Lao?
Hezekiah.
[sighs] Are you well?
I live
for how long remains to be seen.
How long do you plan
on keeping me here?
Do you think the world
will forget what I did?
No, the world won't
forget what you did.
But I won't let them
take you either.
We all carry sin.
Atonement is the tonic for sins.
And if they hang you, what
atonement is that, hmm?
You believe you deserve death,
but I've tasted death, Mr Lao,
and I can tell you that
life is much sweeter.
So let me help you to live.
[vendor shouting]
Hey. What's that say?
"Treacle Goodson takes
the West End", sir.
Treacle?
Not Sugar?
You sure?
Esme?
Wah this?
Mary's told us to be on guard and
watch for strange men tonight.
Mary? Is she here?
Yeah, Queen's in her quarters.
Go to her, Hezekiah. I'll take good
care of this one while you're gone.
Did you miss me?
- How you look so sweet?
- [chuckles]
Mary?
What's going on?
Who's coming here tonight?
Hez, if you know
where Lao is, tell me.
Look, why we cyaan just
leave the man alone, hmm?
You know him as well as I, Mary, and
I know you can see he's not a bad man.
What I know is that the police are being
aided by agents of the Crown to find him.
What I know is that
the Elephant Boys
are trying to tear down
everything I have built.
And what I know, Hezekiah, is that
tomorrow I miss the deadline to find Lao,
and for that, there
will be punishment.
- What are you going to do with that?
- Why are you here?
'Cause you shouldn't be alone.
Whatever is coming, right?
Who Whoever, I want
to be by your side.
Why? Why? Why do you fight for
people who are nothing to ya?
Why?
I never knew
kindness in this city
till I met Mr Lao
and I never knew strength
till I met you.
As long as I'm here,
you don't have to be scared.
I see you, Mary.
There's nothing to see.
[chuckles]
Well, I see you're
a dreamer like me.
I see that you waan more than
the world says you can have.
There's nothing you can show
me that can scare me away.
[spectators clamouring]
[contender retches]
Yes! Go on, Sugar!
Sugar fucking Goodson,
ladies and gentlemen!
Reforged and reborn from his trials
in the fires of the West End.
Where is he?
Where's my brother?
The fucking Judas.
Everyone here, hear
this and hear it good.
For the crime of
betraying his brother,
Treacle Goodson will
be barred from this pub
for the rest of
his fucking life.
Charlie.
[spectators murmuring]
[cheering]
[spectators chanting]
Sugar! Sugar! Sugar!
[breathes shakily]
That will never happen again.
I dropped my guard,
and you can't protect
me from what's coming,
so I need to protect myself.
Where you going?
Out. I need to think.
Is this Jack Mac's?
No, man, it's freshly
brewed gin. [scoffs]
A gift.
[door opens, closes]
This is it. Be ready, boys.
Cover all the sides.
Down there.
[officer] Don't move!
- Oh, come here!
- [Lao] All right.
[officer] Come on!
Lao Lam
I'm so pleased to
finally meet you.
Take him.
[officer] Come on then, move.
Keep walking.
[knocks on door]
[Mary] Sugar, it's me.
You gonna let me in?
I'll, uh, make this
quick. I see you're busy.
I need to know I
have your support.
Why?
I have angered
the Elephant gang,
and the rumblings are they
wish to make an example of me.
And you need me to save you,
Mary Carr?
You've always had my support,
but you'd have my total
protection if you marry me.
It would make sense.
With the union of
Goodson and Carr,
you you'd be
forever protected.
No one would threaten you
if you wielded my name,
not even Indigo Jeremy.
And in time, one day
we could raise a family.
There are plenty of lost little
souls out there that need a home.
No.
Is there someone else?
- No.
- Don't lie to me.
I saw him last
night in your room.
It's him, isn't it, between us?
Do you have feelings
for that man?
- No.
- I don't believe ya.
Well, I can't tell
you what to believe.
You need me, Mary.
I can be more than just help.
I promise I can be more.
I thought you were
unable to love.
But the truth is, you're
just unable to love me.
[sniffles]
No protection for you here,
not for you or your Elephants.
See yourself out.
[sighs]
You'd better know what ya do with
this English woman, you hear me?
Don't worry about me, man.
If I don't, who will?
What you think, though?
Look good?
I think the bear would
like his skin back.
It's not bear, it's fox.
Oh.
You shouldn't wear
animal skin, you know?
An obeah man once told me that
the soul still live in them,
and one morning you just
[shouts] wake up
[normal] with the urge to run
on all fours and lick your balls.
- [chuckles]
- And don't say me never warn you.
- You funny.
- Mmm.
Esme get it for me.
I'm meeting her after
your fight later.
Well, I tink you should
wear it to this
next week.
Hezekiah,
- is this
- And
I tink you should
invite Esme too.
You see, there's plenty, plenty room pon
the Blue Mountains for the two of us.
You ready for tonight?
Dis is for the trophy.
The man you're fighting fight
Buster to a stalemate once.
Well, there'll be no
stalemate tonight.
Hmm?
One will stand
the other will fall.
[concierge] Do you have your
tickets? Enjoy the fight.
My money is on the,
uh, heavyset
One, two [grunts]
No, it won't take long.
It was the seventh
[spectators cheering]
This is the clincher.
Hezekiah Moscow.
Step back, step back.
Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you all
to join us for tonight's exciting finale.
In this corner, we have, undefeated
in his last six contests,
Mr Arcadius Montclair.
- You good?
- Yeah, man.
And returning to us after a
series of impressive victories,
culminating in his latest
defeat over Jack Caesar,
fighting for our prestigious
club trophy, Mr Hezekiah Moscow!
Come on! Come on!
Seconds out!
Round one.
I've heard I've been barred from my
manor and wanted to see the truth.
Get 'em out, Punch.
Get 'em all out.
I had nothing to do with this.
Right, everyone out. Come
on. Pub's closed. Out.
Come on. I've got
you. Get out now.
You, up now! Let's go, come on,
come on. Put that down and get out!
Come on. Lively.
Johnny, get 'em out!
Hear him out, Sugar.
You've got some fucking nerve.
And you've got no brain.
It was my chance,
my chance to get
rid of Hezekiah.
The only fucking
reason I went up West.
But you took that
away from me, Treacle.
No, no, no, no, no.
- No, you.
- No.
I saved your life,
you fucking idiot.
No, Sugar, come on.
Just listen to me for once.
You've let obsession ruin ya.
If I'd allowed you to fight
Hezekiah on the West End,
you'd have disgraced
yourself, win or lose
You don't know what
you're talking about.
Just move on from this
petty grudge please.
Sugar, please, I'm begging ya.
Boxing is changing
and you're not.
The West End was
the clever option.
You're getting old.
I want the name Goodson
to mean something,
but it won't if you keep on
acting the way you're acting
Look, he doesn't get
to just walk in here
and take everything I've
built, and neither do you.
Look, I protect this community,
and if I don't fight and
kill, then others will think
they can just come in here and
steal everything I've built as well.
And no one gets to take from
me and live, Treacle. No one.
Not you and especially
not fucking him.
He's already taken it all, and
you're just too blind to see.
Hezekiah is making his
name on the biggest stages
while you're in here,
fighting drunk chancers,
still believing it makes
you a righteous man, yeah?
- Yeah.
- And you're angry,
you're angry at me for taking
your place in the ring.
Well, Hezekiah's taken it
all, and you just let him.
All you've got left is this dump
of a pub and your silly pride.
And as for Mary [stammers]
Yeah, fuck it, I'll say it.
No wonder she's not
interested in ya.
[Treacle screaming]
[straining]
Stop!
Yes! Yes! Yes! [laughs]
[Sugar sobbing]
[referee] by
virtue of a knockout!
Next up, the Americans!
Come on!
It was two rounds. It's
a left and a right.
The champion, everyone.
Hezekiah Moscow.
[pedestrian] Hezekiah Moscow?
Who the fuck waan fi know?
[grunts]
- [grunting]
- [pedestrian shouting]
[knife pierces]
Queensberry's intermediaries have been
liaising with Buster Williams' camp
on a stopover from Ireland.
They brought terms to his
trainer. It's one Jerry Knox.
And?
It was hard to get Buster to
fight someone like you, Hezekiah,
without certain concessions,
but convinced him, we have.
You have your fight.
Yes. [laughs]
[Peggy] He arrives in Liverpool
in little over a fortnight.
Will you be ready by then?
Oh, yes.
[chuckles]
Whoo!
[child] Mary Carr?
This is a gift to you
from the Elephant Boys.
On this knife is the
blood of your boxer.
Indigo Jeremy sends his regards.
[breathing shakily]
[sobbing]
[sobbing]
Esme. Esme. Shh, come
on. It's all right.
[sobbing]
Hey, wah happened?
Where's Alec?
Esme? Where's Alec?
He was attacked tonight.
Esme?
[panting]
[Esme] Someone stabbed him.
[stammers] I tried.
I tried but
[inhales deeply] the
blood was everywhere.
I couldn't He
squeezed my hand.
[sobbing]
I'm so sorry.
No.