Original subtitles

The following program contains strong language.

This is real.

Meet me in Rome and I will tell you everything.

Am I speaking with Alfie Bird? If you're ever in London, feel free to drop by

and I'll show you my files.

It's kind of a diary.

I've hidden it here in Rome.

You have outdone yourself, my friend.

Mr. Bird, do you have a place to stay? Can you take me there?

Your diary.

It's a puzzle. You haven't finished decoding it yet. One more code to crack.

Five more pages to read.

I need you to find a man called Jensen.

I need you to get some of his DNA for me.

Aha!

Thanks for coming.

Well, you're looking well, Alfie. Oh, thank you.

So, how's the novel coming along?

Good.

Finished it?

Almost.

I've been thinking if I shouldn't maybe rework it a bit, make it more of a young

adult sort of thing.

Makes sense.

There's a big market there.

It's where the money is. Good on you.

I've also been thinking maybe I could move into ghostwriting, you know,

celebrity biographies.

Sporting them in pop stars, whatnot.

I mean, I wrote enough profiles back in the day that they were good profiles.

It was the good profiles that got you in trouble because, trickly speaking, not

all the good bits were yours.

I've got to move past that.

I've got to.

So I've been thinking, yeah, what about this?

I'll write a mea culpa.

I'll see. No, no, no, honestly.

I own it.

I was under pressure.

I took shortcuts.

You plagiarised.

And you lied. I amplified.

That I was turning in four stories a day. I didn't have time to check every

single molecule of fat.

Or write all your own words.

Four stories a day, Etta. Do you think things have got better since you left?

It's a dying industry.

Except all I've ever wanted to do is be a journalist.

Okay, listen.

So, I've actually got a story.

An actual...

Actual story. Oh, come on, Alfie. Seriously. Okay.

So there's this thing.

Nine horses.

It's like sort of an online mystery.

A puzzle.

Like the crystal maze. But real.

And passive.

But, um, semi -secret. Like counter -cultural woo -woo. And it is fucking

awesome. Best will in the world.

So what? A lot of people think it's a recruitment tool. For?

KGB, CIA, maybe some kind of Masonic -type conspiracy thing. What people?

people? What people think this?

Internet people.

It's rancid bollocks like this that killed newspapers in the first place.

know that. There's something in this letter.

A woman is missing.

OK.

What woman? Iris, something.

And she's missing under what circumstances? She solved it.

Nine horses.

And?

Disappeared. When? At some point. Where?

Is she? Did she disappear from?

Unclear. So, what's the story? What happened to her and why?

Who's he?

Who's he?

Who basically even knows?

Seriously, Alfie, you're a good egg.

But if you just want to farm clicks and call it journalism...

Go ahead, do it. Live long and prosper. And when you're rich because of your

clicks and you prove that what's -her -name was murdered by the Vatican

she's carrying Bill Gates' Antichrist love child, you can drive past my hovel

Ruston Martin, throw money from the windows, and laugh at where my

integrity got me. But what you don't get is get a job on any newspaper I work

on. Not ever again. Not if I've got a say in the matter.

This is five minutes to midnight.

This is five seconds to midnight.

My

name

is Alfie Bird.

This is two seconds to midnight.

Here comes that day Here comes the

rain on your head There's a price to pay

For a life of innocence

And you pretend

that it doesn't matter

And that you're not scared.

Oh, here comes that day. Here comes that day. Here

comes that rain on your parade.

Alfie? Alfie, if you can still hear me, talk to your earlobe.

Okay, listen, I know you're scared just trust me I need that book

Look I don't care what I have to do to get it back

I'll see if you can understand me just give me a signal any signal anything

do not take that book

R .P., don't make me do that.

Yeah, when we're in there.

Go, go, go!

I don't give a fuck what they say.

I close my eyes and I'm like, what the fuck?

Tell me there's good news.

There could be good news.

Tell me.

A lot of informants told me the same interesting story of a voice that's

spinning. How interesting?

A half -baked asshole from Torbella, Monaco, Freddo Zonin. He freed his

pizzerias in the Piazza del Faccio and sent them to set up the city in search

an Irish woman.

I think there's a huge reward in the ball.

Ormai metà dei tempesteri locali stanno sul pezzo. Credo che valga la pena

fargli una visita. Vediamo se fa qualcosa.

Oh, carino.

Ah, Claudia, non perdete chissà che stiamo arrivando.

Sorry. Just planning my escape.

It was a joke.

I was joking.

Okay, but they don't know that. They're not great at detecting sarcasm, okay?

To the murder drones or... Misty, how's your nose for sarcasm?

Very poor.

Would you mind explaining that to Joy for me? Not at all. Joy, my nose for

sarcasm is very poor.

God, that must be awful.

Not really, I'm fine with it. Okay, so I know you weren't trying to escape, but

just for the sake of argument, so you were... Yeah, but I wasn't. Yes, I know,

but so you were, you really, really can't, okay?

Really, really please.

Duh.

Good.

Excellent.

Just be careful with the antithesis.

You don't seem yourself today.

How would you know?

Well, because I think I know you well enough to know.

Has she called yet?

About stuffing me for the diary?

Not yet, no.

I think I'm actually a bit scared that she won't call.

She'll call.

Except you said that she wouldn't. Yeah, and then you said she would.

What if I was wrong?

Well, I don't think you were. I thought you made a very convincing case.

Yeah, because he said he'd cut my hand off.

What? Who said what?

prick that called you yesterday.

Oh, my God, Joy, what are you, a bat?

Uh, okay, look, that was completely, um... He was just saying that to scare

okay?

It's a fair play.

Seemed to work.

Fuck yes, but only for a minute, okay?

Joy, nobody is going to be cutting anybody's hand off.

Right? Cross my heart, nobody's dying.

Turn around.

Touch the ground.

What? Turn around and touch the ground.

Why?

You're being sarcastic now. It's dis -irony. No, I'm really confused.

What does that mean?

It's in folklore or something, isn't it?

It's a playground thing when you... None of this means

anything to you today.

How could it?

Nobody tells me anything.

What?

Do you get vertigo?

No.

Why?

Because he gives people vertigo sometimes.

Can you play Minecraft on it?

What is it with your generation and sincerity?

Don't know.

She was frightened too.

Who was?

Miss Brooke.

Iris.

She said we called in Charlie to diminish him because he frightened us.

He was probably right.

Right?

Well, I don't know about frightened.

I know he makes me feel odd in a Clark's Third Law sort of a way.

I don't know what that means.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

We don't even know the extent of it.

Not yet.

We know it can simulate molecular structures and reactions with staggering

and accuracy.

It could cure cancer tomorrow.

Cure dementia.

Cure everything.

Could mitigate climate change.

Maybe even end it. It could let us peel back the surface of the world and see

what's underneath.

But he...

It's... It's asleep, right?

Yes. And you can't wake it up.

Not without the password.

Which is what you needed from this book. That's right.

Iris.

What is she so afraid of?

Nothing.

Phantasms. Old goblins.

A madman's delusions.

What, that bloke in the attic?

The alien one and whatnot.

Yeah, that bloke, Jensen.

I saw him.

Oh, yeah?

Through the window this morning.

When I wasn't escaping.

Okay. Can I meet him?

Why would you want to do that?

He made Charlie bake potatoes.

Why wouldn't I?

Big potatoes.

Exactly.

Well, I wish you could meet him, I really do.

Yes, I wish you could meet the man that he used to be.

But what are you now?

What's left of him?

Well, what's left of him is very, very dangerous.

So no, you can't meet him.

What happened to him?

All he did was think.

And madness is thinking past the point where thinking starts to hurt.

Okay, here it is.

This won't take long.

What are you talking about?

I don't know who you are.

He's gone.

Let's go to the others.

Quanto è vero il dio del strappo e i balli che ha mannato nonna, ho capito?

Parterio, eh?

Well, here we are.

Can I get you a coffee?

No, thank you.

Oh, please. Sorry, not Cindy.

She's very expensive.

Of course.

Sorry.

This is a nice place.

Well, when in Rome.

I'm in Rome. I have a room at the Ibis. Cops follow me.

Would you like to sit down?

Make yourself at home.

Yes. Thank you.

So, what brings you to Rome?

Fizzy water.

I'm good, thank you.

There's a mini bar.

Right. If you're sure.

So...

Is this your first time in Rome? It is.

Are you here alone, or...? All alone.

Sadly. For work?

No, no, no, just for fun.

Sightseeing, all the rest of it. The Dolce Vita.

All this equipment.

I was supposed to have it, really, just in case.

News never sleeps.

I see.

But all my days.

Who cares about work?

Rome's amazing. There's so much history, you know, literally, on every corner.

Have you seen the Colosseum?

There's no reason to be nervous. I didn't say nervous. This is just plain

English.

Alfie, have you had many dealings with the police over the years?

No, no, no, not really. I'm much too boring for that. I mean, speeding

and all that, and my bike was stolen one time.

Fuck it.

But, yeah, that's it, really.

But it's clear to me that you're a man with emotional intelligence.

Thank you. I hope so.

Well, I wonder if you could guess the thing a police officer hates more than

anything else.

Paperwork, maybe. Of course.

Nobody likes paperwork, right?

But what we hate is people who kill police officers.

Right, of course.

May I show you something?

Absolutely.

This is my good friend, Teo.

This is his wife, Carlotta.

They're a little girl.

They're a little bit older now.

This is last summer.

And Theo.

Here he's hiking.

He was murdered by your friend Iris Nixon.

Well, friend isn't really the word I'd use.

She's more subject matter, to be fair.

I think he was.

Is it okay to say fucking?

I think that's probably fine, yeah.

Thank you, my English.

It's actually very good. Better than mine.

Thank you. Well, he was fucking her.

Now he's dead.

I think maybe because he was fucking her.

So, what I'm wondering of is...

Why did you tell me you were in London when you were actually in Rome?

Uh... I mean, did I say that?

I don't think I did. I think you probably sort of assumed.

Oh, perhaps you're right.

Perhaps I was just hearing what I wanted to hear.

But, um... Here you are, right?

In Rome.

With all your equipment.

Arriving on a...

Last -minute tickets?

Staying in a last -minute high -end apartment you can't afford because all

cheap ones were already booked?

So, why the urgency, Alfie?

One more question for you, okay?

Okay. Can you imagine how police officers hate as much as people who

police officers?

Maybe even more.

No. We hate people who knowingly provide assistance to people who murder police

officers.

I could get in trouble for showing you this, but, um...

I think

you should understand what you're involved with here.

Does this tell?

And these bits here, they were two detectives from Rome.

There's somebody here.

That's her face.

She didn't tell you any of

that, did she?

She didn't tell you she went to Teo for help?

They woke up that morning a father to two young girls.

And they had a six feet two of meat on dirt.

Because that's what she does.

She manipulates good people.

Decent people.

Into helping her.

Alfie.

I think you're a decent person.

I think you're a good person.

What did she ask you to do?

Alfie. You have to decide which side you're on here.

And I don't mean in terms of law and order. I mean in terms of your personal

safety. Because four policemen are dead.

And if you choose the wrong side in a fight like that, how do you think that

ends for you?

I want the rights to the story.

Exclusive.

All mine. All of it.

You keep me in the loop.

You don't speak to anyone else. You're my exclusive source.

Give me everything you want.

Whatever it takes.

She forced me to steal this from a library.

She's obsessed with this book.

I don't know why.

Don't you lose.

Fucking Judas.

Is she... Oh, my God, you've killed her.

But no, somebody knows that I'm here. We need to go now.

I am not a Judas.

Fine, let's go. I was playing for time.

Okay. Yeah, I knew you'd come and I left the bloody door unlocked.

I am not a Judas.

And bollocks to you for even saying that.

Bollocks to you. A massive fat bag of bollocks, you wanker. You just literally

did someone right in front of my face like you were buttering toast.

So why would I ever, ever help you now?

Bollocks to you.

Get some other sap to help you, some other pillock.

Waste the money as Nan left him on an Airbnb.

You just do someone in. She's actually really nice, actually.

Shit.

What's happening? Well, apparently I killed her too soon.

We need her alive to get out of here.

So what are you going to do?

I'm a killer.

I'm going to knock them out.

But you get to treat everyone.

We control your apartment.

Come on, come on.

Come on, come on, come on.

Okay, she's on the move.

We've left the doors unlocked.

We're heading to the upper floor.

Be patient.

She's entering Jensen's suite.

Let's see what she's up to.

Move the drones. Eyes on Jensen's suite.

Overhead path.

Hello.

Can you take this?

Everyone, wait.

Joy? I'm Jonathan.

It's nice to meet you.

Would you like some water?

Oh, no, really. I forget what I... A bit of juice.

Fine, I'm really sorry.

I know I shouldn't... I'm sorry.

I didn't know this was actually somebody's room.

The door was open. I've not been here for a long time, really.

Oh.

Long time.

There's no such thing as time.

Any distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly

illusion. Sorry?

You know I said that.

Did someone send you here?

No, no, I just... No, I just...

It's okay.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, they did. Sorry.

Yeah.

Sorry. And that would be Iris, I expect?

Yep. She's very clever.

Yeah.

There's so much she wants to know.

Yeah. How much did she tell you about the device?

Not much.

Cameron did say some words, but they weren't really words I understood.

I know that you invented it.

Oh, no, not at all.

Oh.

Sorry, I thought Cameron said.

Yeah, he probably did, but he likes to think it's true. But I'm not clever

enough to have invented it, and I'm not sure anyone is.

I built it, I built it for sure, but the device was its own invention.

What does that mean?

I mean, it came to me like a memory, except perhaps a memory of the future.

Because time future is contained in time past, and time past in time future.

I accept that only works if you know the poem.

I didn't know the poem. No, but it's a great poem by a very troubled man.

But Einstein and the poet are saying the same thing, expressing the same truth,

which is that the laws of physics are symmetric and reversible.

The rules are the same, but the timelines forward or backwards.

All time is one.

So I think of the device as a kind of recursive causal loop.

It created itself, bootstrapped itself into existence.

You're transcribing a melody.

No, I know what you mean.

I feel like that sometimes when I write music.

You write music?

Just a bit, yeah.

But some days it feels like I'm not actually writing this.

It's already out there.

It's tapping into something.

I don't understand.

How long have you been alone here?

Oh, luckily there is no such thing as time.

Or else I'd be tempted to say something like it.

Feels like forever.

Who was the last person you spoke to?

Iris must never know the things she seeks to know.

Joy.

Charlie.

Wasn't. Wake.

Why not?

How? Mustn't wake.

Mustn't wake.

What

do

you

think? I think what do you think? What do I think?

You think it was a good idea to leave the door of Jensen's room open because

wanted to know if she'd go in. And she went in, so now you know.

And what else do I think?

That given the specific warning it gave her about not going in, she could only

have done it because Iris Nixon told her to. Do I know the reason why Iris told

her to?

Not yet.

But it does tell us that if Iris is willing to...

go to such lengths to have joy return to her.

She's not doing it from an excess of feeling for the girl.

So what do I think we should do?

You think if joy is doing something for Iris, there's a way to use that

knowledge to your own advantage.

I do think that.

Because there is a way to use it, isn't there?

Yes.

That's what I was thinking.

He's here.

Mr. Pip.

Nice to put a face to the name.

Looking forward to meeting that special girl who's going to solve all our

problems.

Come on. Come on.

Bring her over to the goat.

Okay.

Listen to me. None of this is what you think it is.

I didn't kill Dale.

But I know who did.

The man responsible for all of it is called Cameron Beck.

Cameron also abducted Joy Baxter.

You met joy, you know what a vulnerable young woman she is fuck you liar

If you actually want to know what happened to Theo, I need you to help get

out of here.

Help me, Nico.

Thank you.