The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) s01e08 Episode Script

Yes?
The Count of Monte Cristo
would like an audience with you, sir.
You must be devastated.
Your daughter is facing a murder charge.
Yes, yes.
Sit next to me, sir.
How is the family coping
with this dreadful upheaval?
Not well, as you can imagine.
It's incomprehensible.
After reading the newspapers,
I couldn't sleep.
Something about it all
has been bothering me no end.
Brucine leaves no trace in the body,
but is easily detected outside of the body.
Say, in a teapot, for instance.
- That is where it was detected.
- Yes, I read that.
And that's what's been
keeping me awake at night.
See, I've met Valentine and
She didn't strike me as stupid.
Certainly not stupid
enough to poison her grandmother
and not dispose
of the evidence afterwards.
I mean, how easy is it to wash
a teapot and clean a cup?
Someone in my house
poisoned the Marchioness.
And all evidence
points to one person.
That's why I'm here, Mr. Villefort.
I need to share something
with you that is rather delicate.
When you last stopped
at my house in the country,
your wife left the table
in between courses, do you recall?
Vaguely.
Excuse me.
I'm just going to freshen up.
Mlle. Haydee, my protege,
saw her go down the stairs
and into my laboratory.
After you'd all left, I discovered
one of my vials of poison was missing.
The one containing brucine.
Mr. Danglars.
Thank you.
- So good of you to see me, Count.
- Sit.
Today's the day.
What day?
The day
the option on the land expires.
That, yes.
I'm sorry to ask this of you, Count,
but can you not at the very least
issue me with a post-dated
cheque for your five million?
But I told you, Baron,
once the Count of Spada presents you
with his share of the investment,
mine will follow.
I'm not quite sure
you appreciate my position.
The cost of the land is nine million.
That's nearly double my share.
And now, without Fernand
as my ally in government,
there are rumours
that the concession will be withdrawn
if the sale of land
doesn't go through.
Rumours are always just rumours,
aren't they?
I simply I cannot risk
such a vast amount on one venture.
We're talking swathes of land
all the way from here to Calais.
The English engineers, the same who built
the Manchester-Liverpool Railroad,
need a deposit of 300,000 francs by Friday
or they will abandon the project.
- If I don't have the
- Baron, calm yourself.
How can I be calm
when there is so much at stake?
- Some water, perhaps?
- Thank you.
The engagement ceremony
is on Thursday, is it not?
Yes.
Count Spada will sign,
he loves Eugenia.
And the moment he signs,
he will place a cheque
in your hand for five million,
and then mine will follow.
But what if he has
a change of heart?
He's promised me he'll
go through with it.
And if you make a promise to me,
you keep it.
- I do not take such things lightly.
- No, no, I'm sure not.
Good. Very good.
Excellent. Well, thank you.
My God, I can breathe again.
- Very well, good day to you, Count.
- Good day.
You will be there on Thursday,
will you not?
I wouldn't miss it for anything.
The Count of Spada
is here to see you, Mlle
Yes, yes, yes.
Thank you.
I have a lovely
little surprise for you two.
Letters of introduction to the directors
of the four top opera houses in Rome,
written and signed
by the Count of Monte Cristo,
recommending you, Eugenia,
as a future star of the opera.
How exciting.
My father would never
allow me to take the stage.
Yeah, but if you're in Rome and
he is here, how can he object?
I'm curious, sir. You are from Rome
and an opera connoisseur.
Why have you not written
these letters yourself?
May I sit?
I have a little confession
to make. I'm
I am not an opera connoisseur.
In fact, I don't like opera at all.
The Count of Monte Cristo, on the other hand,
is very knowledgeable about opera
and his opinions
in it are highly regarded.
This is most peculiar.
For God's sake, don't breathe a word
of any of this to your father.
He's under so many illusions as it is.
It's best to leave him in the dark.
Now I shall leave you.
Have a lovely day, ladies.
And I shall see you at the signing
of the so-called marriage
contract on Thursday.
If you have not already
left for Rome, that is.
Adieu, you gorgeous women.
What will I do without Euridice?
I'm starting to warm
to that mad fool.
Let me see those.
Eugenia
with these your future is made.
Our future, darling! Ours!
What do you think he meant by
"if you have not already left for Rome"?
Edward, stop toying
with your food, please.
That's because he ate
so much cake at tea time.
Can I go play, Mama?
Of course you can, Edward.
Gerard, why has Valentine's
trial not yet begun?
I have asked
the deputy prosecutor to delay it.
Why?
You know
that if she's found guilty, she will
forfeit her grandmother's
inheritance, right?
Of course, it will go to you.
And for me, it will go to Edward.
I don't understand what that has
to do with Valentine's trial.
We believe the lawyer is going
to use that in their defense
to plant a seed of doubt.
But the case is open and shut,
is it not?
Appears so, yes.
- What has changed since she was arrested?
- New information has come to light.
- What information?
- I'm not at liberty to say.
But I am your wife.
I know that.
Why did the police
never search Valentine's room?
It's strange that they didn't,
don't you think?
Perhaps they thought
it was an open and shut case,
as you do.
- Where's Madame?
- She's taking Edward to his Bible lesson.
Of course.
Mercedes?
Please, sit.
I don't know what to say
about Fernand.
You achieved what you set out
to achieve, didn't you?
Believe me,
I did not want it to end that way.
You would have preferred
to extend his suffering?
Edmond, really,
you're playing with people's lives.
Well, they played with mine.
You must hate me.
I wouldn't know how to.
Do you have access
to Fernand's finances?
Yes.
Well, no doubt he banked
with Baron Danglars.
You must withdraw every franc
from Fernand's accounts today.
Ask for half in cash, half in gold.
Why?
Because by day's end,
Danglars will be ruined.
So he's next?
You are consumed by this.
Will you be going back
to Marseille?
It is my home. Is it not yours?
I have no home.
Forgive me, but I must leave you.
I will call upon you soon,
Mercedes.
Edmond,
may I ask a personal question?
How did you become so wealthy
if you stayed all that time in prison?
I believe it was Providence.
What is your understanding
of Providence?
In the overall sense,
that destiny will ensure justice.
So you are
the instrument of destiny.
Leave us.
- How are you coping?
- As you can imagine.
- Are they feeding you well?
- Well enough.
Sit.
Why are you here?
You didn't do it.
Did you?
I told you.
I'm in a terrible position here.
Mr. Beauchamp, I have here
some rather interesting reading
your publication
may be intrigued by.
This is a record of activities on the Paris
Stock Exchange dating back three years.
Correspondingly,
I have here Baron Danglars'
personal bank statements.
If you compare the dates
on these two sets of documents,
you'll notice Baron Danglars made substantial
withdrawals on his personal account.
On the same day, his wife traded heavily
in shares concerning a certain commodity.
Shares which more than doubled
in value two or three days later
when official news of those commodities
became public knowledge.
You'll notice a pattern
that keeps repeating itself
from the day Lucien Debray was appointed
secretary to the Minister of the Interior.
- Are you following me?
- I'm trying to.
I've underlined in red the relevant
transactions for your convenience.
I trust you will not reveal the source
of this information to anyone.
We never reveal
our sources if asked not to.
Then I shall leave you to it.
I have duplicates of the documents
which I will deliver to the police,
as any concerned citizen would.
Good day to you, Mr. Beauchamp.
- Mama, what are you doing up here?
- Darling, nothing.
- How are preparation going downstairs?
- Champagne and caviar just arrived.
Excellent.
It's all so exciting, isn't it?
Yeah.
Let's go downstairs.
My brother's passport.
A sister travelling with her brother
will not arouse suspicion.
- And the carriage?
- Parked on the back side of the house.
Awaiting us.
You have the check
written out and signed?
In my pocket.
And I have mine in mine.
Excellent.
I love it.
The police know about our little trick
with the stock exchange.
I want my share from the last
transaction. Go and get it for me.
- What are you talking about?
- Beauchamp tipped me off.
The police have proof you've been trading
using inside information I've given you!
- Oh my God!
- Go and get me my money.
I'm leaving Paris today.
- My mother is going to be furious.
- I should think so.
Not just about me absconding.
I found where she had the key
to her safe and raided it
for traveling expenses.
- It's gone.
- What do you mean?
I said that it's gone.
Stolen from my safe.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time.
The long wait for my daughter
to marry is finally over.
My notary has drawn up the contracts
to the approval of both parties.
And all that remains
is for them to sign.
Could the Count of Spada
please sign first?
Yes, sure.
Where is Mlle. Danglars?
She should be here, no?
Hermine, could you fetch Eugenia,
if you will?
Sure.
Eugenia?
Eugenia,
can you please open the door?
Open the door.
Open the door!
What seems to be the problem,
Baroness?
I assume my daughter is having
an attack of pre-nupcial nerves.
Open this door!
Step aside, Hermine.
Step aside.
This is your daughter's hair,
Baron.
I am Chief Inspector Robert.
Let me in.
I have here warrants of arrest for
the secretary of the
Minister of the Interior,
Mr. Lucien Debray,
the banker Baron Danglars,
and his wife Hermine.
This is outrageous.
Get out of my house!
Not without you
and your accomplices, Baron.
You have been charged
with a very serious offense.
Charged with what?
Illegal trading, sir, on the stock exchange
using confidential government information.
Get your hands off me!
Don't touch me!
Where are you taking me?
To La Force prison, madame,
where it seems you belong.
Do something, you stupid fool!
Make them stop!
Leave me!
Don't touch me!
Leave me!
This way, Baron.
Do you know how
embarrassing this is for me?
I can only imagine.
Get the boy out.
Escort him into the courtroom.
Come on.
The midwife.
Does she know about the boy?
She knows Gaston is up for murder.
She doesn't know
the trial starts tomorrow?
Not yet.
Good.
Because if she has too much time
to think about it, she won't testify.
She knows the police are after her
for the murder of the orderly
you killed in the asylum.
Of course.
Wherever she's staying tonight
must be a safe place.
Because if Villefort finds out she's here,
she's a dead woman.
She will be safe.
Tomorrow morning, you tell her
you're taking her to court,
that we need her to testify,
to point out Villefort
is the father of the boy.
Tell her there'll be a
carriage waiting outside,
that the moment her testimony is over,
will whisk her away back
to Talamone to safety.
And if she refuses to testify?
This is the last one, Jacopo.
I don't care what it takes.
- Good morning, dear.
- Morning.
Valentine is going to be released
from custody today.
Impossible.
There is insufficient
evidence to convict her.
Insufficient?
She made
the Marchioness the tea.
She delivered it
to the poor woman.
There's a witness, Heloise.
The witness will testify
in seeing you entering
the Count of Monte Cristo's cellar
on the night we last supped there.
After we left, the Count
went down into his laboratory
and found that a vial of brucine
had been stolen.
This vial.
You hid this in Valentine's
chest of drawers for me to find, didn't you?
Answer me.
As you reminded me the other day,
no one is above the law.
What are you going to do?
Same as I did with Valentine.
I'm going to report what I know
to the relevant authority.
Gerard, wait.
Gerard?
Gerard, wait.
Gerard, wait!
Mama, what's wrong?
Nothing, darling.
Go back and play in your room.
When you first set eyes on the boy,
- had he already stabbed
Inspector Boville? - Yes.
What's going on down there?
There was no one else
on the street but them two.
Do you have any further
questions for this witness?
No, Your Lordship.
The defense has concluded.
Very well.
You may go, thank you.
Will the accused please rise?
The facts in this case are simple
and straightforward.
I find the accused
guilty as charged.
Is there anyone who would like to say
anything before I pass sentence?
I have someone I would like to put
on the stand, Your Lordship,
with a view to providing the court
with what may be mitigating circumstances,
if the court will allow it,
of course.
Mr. Villefort?
The prosecution
has no objection, Your Lordship.
Very well.
I call to the stand,
Sabrine Laurent.
- This is why I invited you.
- Raise your right hand.
Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth, so help you God?
I swear to tell the truth,
the whole truth.
Sabrine Laurent, what is
your relationship to the accused?
I'm his foster mother.
Could you tell this court
how you came to be
Gaston's foster mother?
I'm a midwife and 16 years ago
I delivered Gaston into this world.
How long?
It is close.
Do you remember the name
of the father of the child?
The father was Mr. Villefort,
the chief prosecutor,
that man sitting there.
- Is this some sort of joke?
- No, Your Lordship.
Silence in court!
And the mother who was
giving birth that night,
do you know her identity?
You do realize
that if this ever comes out,
it will be the end of me?
Hermine Danglars.
Silence!
This is nonsense. The prosecution
objects to this witness.
I believe we can allow it, Mr. Villefort,
considering it explains
something about the
No, this has nothing to do
with the murder of Inspector Boville, sir.
Will you please sit down,
Mr. Villefort?
Go on.
Could you tell us what happened
after the child was born?
Mr. Villefort paid me for my services
and ushered me out of the house,
where he threatened me
if I should ever tell anyone.
I thought something was amiss,
so I went round the side into the garden.
And what did you see then?
Inside was the baby, alive.
Silence,
or I will have you expelled.
Mr. Villefort, are you aware
that the accused is your son?
Mr. Villefort,
I asked you a question.
Do you recognize
the lady on the stand?
Speak up, sir. I can't hear you.
I said
No one is above the law.
Including myself.
I am
I am withdrawing from this case.
Silence! Silence!
What is it?
No, no
Edward?
Breathe, Edward.
Breathe, open your eyes.
Breathe.
Come on, my boy. Breathe.
Open your eyes. Breathe.
Help! Somebody help me!
Lord, forgive me.
What are you doing here?
I
I came to show you something.
But it's no longer necessary.
Come in.
Gentlemen,
my contract with you is over.
Tomorrow you are going back
to Talamone.
I want to thank you for the fine service
you have rendered me.
Your work here is done?
All that's left I can do myself.
You can take the carriage
and all the horses.
I won't be needing them.
- Where are you going to go now?
- I'm going to travel.
Ettore wants to remain
in your service.
No, you must go back with Jacopo.
Every year, both of you will receive
a sum of money from me through the post.
And when the money stops coming in,
it means I'm dead.
Don't die too soon.
Tell me, Jacopo, I'm curious.
When you first met Caderousse,
you suggested cutting out his eyes
and then his tongue
so he couldn't scream.
Would you really have done that?
You know, Count, my whole life
I've lived by half-truths.
- I find it works for me.
- Yeah, that means you wouldn't have.
If I say no, you will think
it's a half-truth.
If I say yes, same thing.
For board and lodging
on the way home.
It is not half-truth when
I say it has been a pleasure,
a big pleasure
to serve you, Edmond.
Thank you, Jacopo.
- Ettore feels the same.
- Thank you, Ettore.
When you send the money,
send a little letter with it.
Let me know what you're up to.
When I get home, I'm going
to learn how to read and write.
I will.
For you, Danglars.
- Baron Danglars, if you please.
- Take the letter and shut up.
"Dear Baron Danglars,"
"you might be surprised to learn
that my real name is Edmond Dantes."
"The other letter, enclosed, which you wrote
with the help of Fernand Mondego,"
"which he then had delivered
to Mr. Villefort,"
"caused me to spend
15 years of great suffering"
"in the dungeons
of the Castle d'If,"
"the same amount of time I believe
you will spend in La Force prison"
for crimes you actually committed,"
"unlike mine,
which were entirely fabricated."
"I wish you a miserable stay there."
"Yours sincerely."
"The Count of Monte Cristo"
You bastard.
You damn bastard.
Edmond.
I was told below,
a Catalan woman comes up here
every morning to look out over the sea.
Do you see the Castle d'If?
Thinking of you
is what kept me alive in there.
We were going to have our honeymoon
in Paris, do you remember?
I do, yes.
That's out of the question now.
For both of us.
I came here to tell you
I'm leaving today.
Leaving France.
Will you be gone long?
May never come back.
There was a priest I met in there,
a wise old man.
He said to me,
"if you're planning revenge,
dig your own grave first."
He was right.
Love can heal.