Original subtitles

Martin's not actually that boring once you get a drink inside him.

Glad you had a nice time.

Does he hate me or is this something else?

'Marta said some strange man was in our garden today.'

'You've been talking to that journalist guy.'

'It's him. The General's Qasem Asadi.'

'John got a tracker on them, so we're compromised.'

'But don't worry.' GUNSHOTS

He can still be stopped.

What did you say, Rudy? 'Junction 19.'

Where, sorry, mate? 'He came off at Junction 19.

'But I can't track him on ANPR once he's off the motorway.'

Are you sure it's him? '100%.

'Plate number ending in Echo, Echo, Golf.

'What happened to the other vehicle you were tracking?'

Ah, tracker's battery's died.

There you go, that's him. Three cars ahead.

In front of the Mini.

Don't get too close. Yes.

Get closer. OK.

Shit! Quick. Left.

Left, left, left, left, left.

HORNS HONKING Fuck.

Well done.

I'll pull into the car park.

Get the team to meet us here.

Here they are.

We've got Asadi's room number. Four-zero-four.

And we have confirmation he made a reservation at 2:30pm.

That's our window.

OK, let's be clear. Mehreen will get eyes on Asadi.

John, while Mehreen has control of Asadi,

you'll gain access into his room, install the monitoring devices.

Mehreen will let us know if Asadi's on the move.

Are we good? Mm-hm.

We're good.

Ta, love.

CHATTER

LOW HUM OF CHATTER

'Eyes on Asadi.' John.

'Mehreen has eyes on. You're clear.'

Macallan, Single Malt. Of course.

What's happening?

Rudy? Must be some sort of interference.

Mehreen's audio's down, Chief.

We're getting no signal. You're gonna have to move.

Someone I had to bring with me. And now he's watching me.

How's his English?

Somewhere between reasonably shit... and just shit.

Good. It's been a long time.

You look the same. Your Macallan, madam.

Thank you.

Who is John Hughes?

He works for the Security Service, but don't let him worry you.

Stick to the plan, and I'll handle him.

John Hughes lacks credibility.

What exactly do they know?

We continue with the ploy.

SHRILL FEEDBACK TONE FROM EARPIECE

BEEP ON MACHINE It's back on.

Thank God.

'Asadi's on the move.'

John, did you get that? Asadi's on the move.

'Finish up!'

John, get out of there now!

DOOR UNLOCKS

ASADI SIGHS

RUNNING WATER

WATER STOPS

SHE EXHALES SHARPLY

'So, Asadi's headed to the embassy tonight?'

Yes. A team of Mobile Surveillance Officers are in place? They are.

He won't be able to squeak without us knowing about it.

When did you notice your kit wasn't working?

I didn't. I assumed it was up and running.

We lost you for about four minutes of the operation.

My kit was down for four minutes? Jesus Christ. Really?

God. I didn't have to work with this crap gear at Six.

What was he doing?

Who? Who? The General.

He was reading a book. I didn't see what it was.

OK, let's wait to debrief properly at the office.

All right? You all right, Chief?

What time's he back? Oh, not until later, I imagine.

Here's some highlights from before he left.

CONVERSATION ON VIDEO

My informant's phone is still off. Jordan?

Hm-mm. Should I get it flagged?

Yeah. Yeah.

Can you have a look at Mehreen's kit?

What are you thinking, guvnor?

I'm sure it's nothing, but, erm...

...better to check and be sure, hey?

Thanks, Rudy, son.

DOOR OPENS

KEYS JANGLE

DROPS KEYS

BARKING IN DISTANCE

RINGING

PHONE RINGS NEARBY

RINGING CONTINUES OVER PHONE

RINGING IN HOUSE CONTINUES

VIBRATING

VIBRATING AND RINGING CONTINUES

I'm sorry, just give me two secs.

SIGHS

Oh! Erm...

Look, John...

Erm... We can be grown-up about this, can't we?

Just go downstairs.

He'll be gone in five minutes and then we can talk.

DOOR CLOSES

I had no idea you'd be home.

That makes it OK, does it?

Funnily enough, I know how you feel.

Do you?

It really hurts, doesn't it?

EXHALES

Where are the kids?

They're at my mum and dad's.

I didn't mean it to happen.

You didn't mean it to happen?

You just shipped the kids off to your mum and dad's

and Martin came down the chimney on a magic carpet, is that it?

No! Well, then, what?!

He called me about a work thing and...

...I was upset.

Oh, just a shoulder to cry on.

Do you...? Do you think I was born yesterday?

He was a shoulder to cry on, actually.

And then you fucked him?

I've had enough. YOU'VE had enough?

Yeah, I think I'm done. Oh, you think YOU'RE done?

HE SIGHS

I don't even know if I like you any more.

HE SIGHS

This is fucked. Yeah, it is.

This is so completely fucked.

Is that really all you've got?

What do you want me to say?

Anything!

Anything!

Oh, what? You want tearful forgiveness, is that it?

Acceptance?

I was devastated when you were unfaithful to me!

Well, you've got your own back now, haven't you?

But I gave you a chance!

No, but you never forgave me. Oh, and is there any wonder?

What do you mean? Well, did you meet that woman?

What woman? The one who texted you.

Penelope. What?

Was she the one you had an affair with?

Don't turn it round onto me!

You're the one that's just been caught red-handed!

Cos you made me feel so shit and so worthless!

Well, I hope you're feeling proud of yourself now,

running off to Martin.

I didn't go running off to him!

He was worried about me!

Oh, so Martin comes round in an Uber

with a bottle of wine and a box of tissues,

and in two minutes' time you're on your fucking back

with your knickers round your ankles!

Argh! Fuck you!

Get away from me! Why, because I'm not Martin?

At least Martin actually gives a shit about me.

Oh, that's where you're going, is it?

You know he behaves like someone who actually wants to be with me.

Well, why don't you fuck off to Martin's house, then?

You are so vile.

I'm sure now you've had him, he'll give you one of his houses

on the Costa Brava if you really wanna get away from me.

I can't stand one more minute of this.

The revenue have been looking into his dodgy dealings in Spain.

Oh, pathetic, really!

And a patient made a sexual harassment complaint against him,

did you know that?

Do you know, any shred of respect I had for you is gone.

This is what being a spy has come to, has it?

Digging up dirt on Martin?

Yeah, well, I could see which way the wind was blowing.

SHE GROANS

He was completely exonerated in that harassment complaint.

Was he? And as for those properties in Spain,

at least he's got a sensible retirement plan.

You can't even get yourself to a doctor

to have a look at your fucking arse!

SHE PANTS

DOOR SLAMS

PHONE BUZZES

SIGHS GENTLY

SIGHS

PHONE BUZZES

MUSIC PLAYS

Ah!

So, you're half-Iranian?

Yeah, I'm mixed. Ah.

Dick. SHE LAUGHS

And what about your extended Iranian family?

Do you see them?

No. My dad completely assimilated.

Distanced himself from them, from Iran.

Sees himself as totally British. He even took my mum's last name.

Really? You know the Askari?

Mm-hm. I put that back in myself.

Just thinking...

...when you were in Iran and Central Asia for Six,

did you ever come across Major General Asadi?

No.

I'd have said if I had, right?

Yeah, course. It's just the tequila. Hm.

OK...

Be honest.

Don't you think the investigation's running out of steam?

We're looking for things that aren't there.

Are we?

'Connection' by Elastica

Oh, yeah!

Oh, I feel like dancing.

♪ Riding on anything Anything's good enough

♪ Who would've thought it of

♪ Someone like you?

♪ Just as they've brought me round Now that they've brought you down

♪ Roundaboutin' 'round about Who wants a life anyway?

♪ Another heart

♪ Has made the grave

♪ Forget it, forget it

♪ Forget it

♪ They don't understand how The last card is played

♪ But somehow the vital Connection is made. ♪

MUSIC MUFFLED

PANTING

SHE LAUGHS

BOTH LAUGH

Mm.

No, wait. Wait, wait, wait.

HE EXHALES

HE SIGHS

I don't think we should.

It's OK.

SIGHS

SIGHS

HORN HONKS IN DISTANCE

WATER RUNS

HE EXHALES

That's from an old friend.

I've never quite been able to put it in a box in the loft.

The poet Rumi.

"The truth was a mirror in the hands of God.

"It fell and broke into pieces."

I think if you were available...

...we'd be a thing.

A thing?

Yeah.

A thing-thing.

CHATTERING

What do you want?

I wanted to ask you about Mehreen Askari-Evans.

Did you work with her at Six?

I thought this was related to the GB operation?

It is.

I know two things.

That she worked on Iran's nuclear programme at Six,

and she was kidnapped

while operating on the Turkmenistan-Iran border.

It was all kept very quiet.

But she was MIA for two months,

and then for some reason known to no-one,

she was repatriated.

Were there any security concerns when she came back?

Right. That's all I can say.

I don't want to see you again.

Seeing you has stirred up a lot of things for me.

I felt you were all I had.

And you knew it.

And when Claire found out, you dropped me like a hot potato.

Have you ever been honest with your wife?

I mean really honest?

Who has the luxury of complete honesty working in our game? Who?

It always suited you having the Official Secrets Act to hide behind.

The routine dishonesty of intelligence work,

it doesn't suit you, John.

What, you think I'm routinely dishonest?

You are.

I was.

It corrodes you from the inside out.

CHURCH BELLS RING

PHONE BUZZES

Rudy, son. 'Chief, there's new information in

'from the devices we placed in Asadi's room.'

He's talking about a deal to be done.

ASADI SPEAKS FARSI

He says that he's tired.

That it was a long way to come to buy a stallion.

It's a lot of money.

Two million sterling.

The reception at the Embassy was tiring.

He says...

I can't quite make it out.

Something about the talks on denuclearisation.

Says he's flying home tomorrow.

Come on. You don't honestly believe he's flown into the UK

to buy a racehorse? Do you think that's why we were shot at?

I ran the audio through translation software earlier and checked.

He's booked to fly out of Heathrow to Tehran tomorrow morning

via Ankara.

Well, I don't know how many times I can keep saying "I told you so"

and remain dignified.

There is no evidence of a plot to kill anyone,

let alone using sarin.

I think Asadi's using diplomatic cover

for a face-to-face with Craig Beeston

regarding their heroin trafficking business.

I think we're done here. We'll pass it on to the police.

Simone, do you think somebody could've tipped off Asadi?

I'd be careful pointing the finger if I were you.

Greg's got it in for you as it is.

What do you know about Mehreen's move from Six?

Mehreen? It was all done by Five and Six leadership teams.

Six asked us if we could take her

during a difficult time in her personal life.

She comes highly recommended and with glowing references.

Look, I know it's disappointing

that we didn't get more from bugging Asadi,

especially with what happened at the airfield,

but it simply is not on to start undermining your colleagues

with zero evidence to substantiate those claims.

I don't trust her. John!

I'm in a different place to you.

You've always been able to play the maverick card.

My first day in the office

as a fully grown-up intelligence officer,

I was mistaken for the cleaner.

The fucking cleaner!

I've had to work twice as hard,

be twice as brilliant as everybody else,

and I have always had to play by the rules.

Yeah, but that's what made us such a great team back in the day.

Sorry. I am pulling the plug on this.

Apart from anything else, we don't have the resources.

I know what you've been saying about me.

Well, if it makes you feel any better,

the concerns I had no longer apply.

And in my book, that makes you an utter wanker.

And you, my son, are a fucking cock.

You think you intimidate me?

That I didn't take the physical aspects of basic training seriously?

Or that I haven't got years of judo in my bones?

I don't wanna fight with you, Greg.

I don't wanna hug you, either, but I certainly don't wanna fight.

You're going to face an internal inquiry into your actions.

I'm making sure it happens.

And I will be giving evidence, even if no-one else will.

Like I give a fuck.

You used your personal phone to contact Ehsan. Everyone knows.

You will lose your job, your pension rights.

You will be on your own.

If the organisation thinks a crime was committed

when you killed Ehsan's attacker,

then the file will be handed on to the police.

So who's clever now?

There you go.

'The Prime Minister offered to meet the aides of the United States

'and Iran to try and revive negotiations on denuclearisation.

'Sources at Number 10 described early communications

'as "cautiously optimistic",

'with both sides agreeing to further dialogue.

'The UK Government says its role

'is to try and build a working relationship between the two sides.'

John. Martin.

If you have a moment, perhaps we could go to my office...

I don't wanna be late for my appointment. Man to man.

I wanted to say I'm sorry.

I am... sorry. Fuck off, Martin.

Are YOU sorry?

For how you've hurt Claire? No?

You don't know anything about my marriage.

I know you took her for granted, John.

But you only think about yourself, don't you?

Listen, now's not the time or place.

But I want you to know,

I think you're a prize "see you next Tuesday".

What's a "see you next Tuesday"? You'll work it out.

Please take a seat, Mr Hughes.

KEYBOARD KEYS CLACK, MOUSE CLICKS

Course, he says he's feeling tired as well.

MUFFLED CHATTER

The nurse will do your blood test today.

DOOR SHUTS I'll message her.

Dr Stratakis will be testing for anaemia,

which could... indicate something more worrying.

But there are lots of possibilities.

Could just be an infection or, erm, an ulcer.

Diverticulosis.

I know you can't forgive me because you don't know what went on.

It was Penelope.

It started in Iraq

and then continued when we came back to London.

It ended years ago.

And I only saw her recently because I had to,

related to a work thing.

Did you love her?

I think I felt like I did at the time.

HE SIGHS

Have there been other affairs?

SHE SNIFFLES

Fuck you. SHE BREATHES SHAKILY

Fuck you. SHE SOBS

What do you want me to do about his mum?

She's driving everyone fucking nuts, asking where he is.

I know.

Here you are. Manage the situation, yeah?

It's locked.

Use his face.

PHONE CLICKS, WESLEY CHUCKLES

"All right, Mum?

"I'm in..."

Turkey. "..Turkey."

"Love Jord."

KARLSON LAUGHS

The kit Mehreen used isn't faulty.

And the transmitter is working perfectly.

Fuck.

Now, I wondered if Asadi had used some kind of jamming device,

but there was no other signal issues reported from the hotel,

so it must have been a very localised block.

I think Mehreen's kit was placed in some kind of Faraday pouch.

Now, if you've not got one of these, you can improvise with tin foil.

Just watch this.

It's not one hundred percent, but...

BEEPING See?

Mm-hm.

Now, all the live audio was recorded through the operation as usual.

And I know Mehreen's was pretty much a dead end, but I...

You had a look anyway, chief?

I had a look anyway, chief.

Now, visually, you can see these occasional spikes in the audio.

But... if I run it through the XPO5 filter,

you get something we can decode.

HEAVILY DISTORTED SPEECH

And if we run that through our AI software...

'John Hughes lacks credibility.'

We couldn't do the whole conversation,

but I cleaned up another spike in the audio.

HEAVILY DISTORTED SPEECH

What exactly do they know?

JOHN SIGHS DEEPLY

This stays between us.

DOOR SHUTS

DISTORTED SPEECH PLAYS

DISTORTED SPEECH PLAYS

DISTORTED SPEECH PLAYS

DISTORTED SPEECH PLAYS

'What exactly do they know?'

'John Hughes lacks credibility.'

You were held hostage for two months

on the Iranian border by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

But for some reason, they let you go. Why was that?

You have to come clean now. I don't work for the Iranians.

Don't lie to me. I don't work for Qasem Asadi.

Qasem Asadi works for us.

He's an agent for MI6.

Major General Qasem Asadi is Six's jewel in the crown.

No-one in Five knows about Asadi's true loyalty to us.

Only half a dozen people know about him at Six.

Look at me.

You know I'm telling the truth. So, then...

...what was your job?

Just to get in the way of my investigation?

Qasem's been undercover within the hardliners' faction for two decades.

And the regular intelligence he's provided is gold, John.

It's gold. He really belongs to Six?

But when his hardline masters wanted him to utilise

his business relationship with Beeston

to assassinate Fatemah Feyzi, well...

he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

So is the attack happening?

He needs to make it look like he's going ahead with it.

It has to be convincing.

But at the crucial moment, the device won't work.

Well, then, why even pretend to do it?

Israel took out most of the high-ranking Revolutionary Guard,

and... because Asadi survived the bombings,

he's a suspected traitor.

The hardline faction's testing him.

But he's given me his word the attack won't happen.

And Qasem Asadi's word has been good for as long as I've known him.

So it's all just a matter of trust? It is.

I've worked with him for ten years.

He saved my life when he secured my release on the border.

He's risked his own life to provide us with intelligence

that's saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

But you... you wouldn't let it go.

Qasem's our man. He's one of the good guys.

Don't blow this, John.

This will have repercussions for you, for me,

for peace and security in Iran and the Middle East.

You have to keep this to yourself, because if this gets out...

...then we're all totally fucked.

GLASS BOTTLE CLINKS

BOTTLE OPENS

RINGING TONE

Mum. 'Is that you, John?'

Hiya.

'Is Claire all right? Are the children all right?'

Yeah, everything's all right.

'Oh, it's late.

'I thought something terrible had happened.'

No. Everything's fine.

I just missed you, Mum. That's all.

'Oh, I miss you, son.

'Sometimes, I could cry all day.'

Oh, don't say that.

'Oh, I know you're all busy in London and that.'

It's just hard to get up... with so much going on at work.

'Don't worry about me. I know you try.

'Every time I see the Home Office come on the news,

'I say to myself, "They work my John hard." '

I was speaking to Claire,

and we wondered if you wanted to come down to London at Christmas?

'Do I want... to come to London at-at Christmas?'

Yeah. HE SNIFFLES

All the family can be together.

'That'll be lovely. You've made my day.

'And... Claire, she's... all right with it?'

Yeah, she's... she's really looking forward to seeing you.

'That's made my year, that has!'

All right, well, I'll come up and pick you up.

'You'll do no such thing.

'I'll get myself a taxi to Lime Street,

'and you can pick me up from Euston.'

HE SNIFFLES Sound.

Well, listen, I better go.

I love you, Mum. 'I love you too, son.'

PHONE BUZZES

Yes, Rudy.

'That flag on Jordan's phone, it's come good.

'It was switched on for two minutes last night,

'but I managed to get a fix on the location.

'One sec.'

JOHN GROANS

'It's near Warrington. I'll drop you a pin.'

VIDEO GAME CHIMES

Come on. Jesus Christ!

BIRD FLAPS WINGS Karl!

Karl, let's go! Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, we're leaving.

We'll see you at reception.

ENGINE STARTS

METALLIC SCRAPING

MOUSE SQUEAKS

Oh! HE SIGHS

MOUSE SQUEAKS

INSECT BUZZES

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