Original subtitles

["Relax" playing]

[gasps]

♪ Relax, don't do it ♪

[music continues on radio]

♪ Relax, don't do it ♪

[music stops]

[water running]

Breakfast?

Here's your tea.

"Thanks, Dad."

Sorry. Sorry, I was miles away. Got to get everything ready for today.

[dad] This with some computer people?

Yeah. Tuckersoft. They do Colin Ritman's games.

Oh, not the Colin Ritman.

Mr. Thakur, the owner,

said I could show them my Bandersnatch demo.

- Your Bander-what? - Bandersnatch.

I've based it on the book.

Was that your mother's?

It was in her things, yeah.

- Don't know if she read it though. - Don't think so.

"Jerome F. Davies."

Well, he can't be a great writer.

You're always flicking backwards and forwards in that.

No, it's a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book.

You decide what your character does.

- You know, like a game. - [dad] Sounds thrilling.

How about you decide what you want for your breakfast?

Both seem a bit kiddywink to me, but you will insist.

- [dog barks] - [dad] Oi!

Get back next door!

The bloody hound from next door.

Go on!

Be the death of us.

["Hold Me Now" playing]

♪ Warm my heart ♪

♪ Stay with me ♪

♪ Let lovin' start, let lovin' start ♪

♪ Whoa whoa whoa ♪

Hello, Tuckersoft.

[man] Oh, beautiful. Nice one, Satpal.

Alright, fetch us 20 B&H, would you? And... Lion bar.

Good boy.

Ah!

You... are... Steven.

- Stefan. - Stefan, sorry, mate.

That's alright. I get it all the time.

Sorry about the chaos. We just moved in Monday.

- [video game beeps] - It's big.

Well, expansion, that's my plan.

Imagine, OK. A whole team just for graphics,

another for sound, for gameplay.

We're going to be a hit factory.

Like Motown but for computer games.

You heard it here first.

That's Colin's new one.

- Colin Ritman? - That's him over there.

That's crazy. I've played all of his games.

Let's say hello.

- Sure he won't mind? He's working. - He'll be fine. He'll be fine. Shh! Shh!

Oh. Wait, wait, wait.

What's this, Kajagoogoo? [laughs]

You wish.

The state of him, he's made enough this year to buy a Lamborghini

and he still smokes roll-ups.

Well, pre-rolled has strychnine in them, so the joke's on him.

[lighter clicks]

Anyway, this is Stefan, er...

Butler, Butler.

I'm Colin, yeah?

Yeah, I've played all of your games. All of them.

Except the Commodore ones, I don't... don't have a Commodore.

- Great sound chip, the Commodore. - Mm-hm.

Yeah.

This is my latest.

It's called Nohzdyve.

[beeps]

- The sprites are so smooth. - That took some doing.

[loud beep]

[Colin] Oh, bollocks.

- What's that? - It's a buffer error.

The eyeballs have overrun the video memory--

Oh, yeah, video memory, yeah.

I was going to say that.

Anyway, listen, let's get down to business.

Stefan's got something to demo for us.

[man] Bloody hell.

So it's like 3D Monster Maze?

Only when you're moving from choice to choice.

- It's actually an adventure game. - Like The Hobbit?

Yeah, but...

without any typing.

Without any typing?

So no "get lamp" or whatever?

That's right.

[man chuckles]

[game beeps]

[Stefan] Choices come up on the screen and you pick one against the clock.

OK, he's Pax, he's the demon. He's in the book.

So we've actually arrived at a choice point,

and then you can choose with the joystick.

You've got ten seconds.

Worship him.

No, don't do that, he's the Thief of Destiny...

in the book, I mean.

Got a copy of this at home. Never got around to reading it.

You should. Jerome F. Davies was a genius.

Didn't he go bonkers and cut his wife's head off?

- Yeah, but, I mean, apart from that-- - Excuse me.

[beeps]

What's happened?

Well, I haven't programmed that pathway yet.

Lot of paths then?

Well, yeah, if it's going to be like the book.

So, come on. How do you want to go about this?

- You're... you're interested? - That's what I'm saying.

OK, it's July now, so if we want to hit Christmas,

then we'll need the tapes in Smiths by November.

OK. So here's my proposal.

Come and write it here.

- Here? - Yeah!

We'll give you a couple of desks, set up a small team, just for you.

And of course Col's on hand.

What do you reckon?

Oh, and hey, I'm hiring this sound chip guy next week,

so music we can take care of. All in-house.

So, come on. What's your answer?

Yes.

Perfect. Perfect.

OK, so the first thing we need to do is streamline the project a little.

We can't fit a breeze block of a book into 48K.

Oh, look at this. [chuckles]

[Satpal] Here you go.

Happy Birthday to me.

Sorry, mate. Wrong path.

[door closes]

[woman on TV] The next game under our Christmas spotlight is Bandersnatch,

in which the player navigates a shifting timeline of parallel realities,

based on the book of the same name by Jerome F. Davies.

That's how Bandersnatch works, but did it "snatch" your respect?

I'm afraid not, Leslie,

for the simple reason that it's just way too short.

It's over before it's even begun.

This is the one of the first team-created games from Tuckersoft,

and I think that's given it a very designed-by-committee feel,

almost like they just rushed out the simplest, quickest cash-in they could.

What they should've done is just gone right back to the start

and tried again.

- [woman] And your verdict? - No stars out of five. Terrible.

[woman] Oof, well, maybe next week we'll have something more for you...

That kid knows nothing.

I should try again.

- [dad] Stefan. - I'm trying again.

["Relax" playing]

♪ Relax, don't... ♪

Breakfast?

- Your Bander-what? - Bandersnatch.

It's a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book.

The bloody hound from next door. Be the death of us.

♪ ...lovin' start Whoa, whoa, whoa ♪

We're going to be a hit factory.

Colin Ritman? That's crazy. I've played all of his games.

The state of him. He's made enough this year to buy a Lamborghini

and he still smokes roll-ups.

We've met before?

No.

This is what I'm working on.

Nohzdyve.

Yeah... that's right.

[beeps]

- Oh, bollocks. - What's that?

Buffer error.

The eyeball sprite's overshot the video memory.

How did you know that?

- Just did. - Bloody hell, he's good, right?

Anyway, let's get down to business. Stefan's got something to demo for us.

[Stefan] You choose with the joystick. See. You've got ten seconds.

Don't worship him, he's the Thief of Destiny.

- You've read Bandersnatch? - Jerome F. Davies. Visionary.

Isn't he that bloke who went cuckoo and cut his wife's head off?

That is what people tend to focus on, yes.

Which ending did you get? When you read it.

- All of them. - Excuse me.

- What's happened? - I haven't programmed that path yet.

Right. So a lot of paths then?

Well, yes, if it's going to be like the book.

A lot of divergent realities in that book.

It was ahead of its time. In as much as time exists.

OK. So here's my proposal.

Come and write it here.

- Here? - We'll give you a couple of desks,

set up a small team, just for you. And of course Col's on hand.

What do you reckon?

Oh, and hey, I'm hiring this sound chip guy next week,

so music we can take care of. All in-house.

So, come on. What's your answer?

No.

I mean, yes, I want to do your game, but I-I just...

I just think I need-I need to...

I need to write it how I know.

You know, just me. At home.

At home. On your own?

Yeah, it's just that it's all in my head,

and I think if I let other people in it'll just get, I don't know, stressy?

"Stressy"?

But I know that I can do it proper justice.

The book.

You know, divergent story paths. Parallel realities.

- It's still a game though, yeah? - I get it.

The lad's a craftsman.

He's a lone woodsman. I'm the same.

- Yeah, but-- - It's like I say,

teams are fine for things like action titles,

but when it's a concept piece,

bit of madness is what you need and that works best when it's one mind.

Alright, Timothy Leary, we'll debate The Doors of Perception later--

That was Huxley not Leary.

[Thakur] If you're going to write this on your tod, the important thing is

putting it out for Christmas, Â so I'll need finished code by 12th September.

- OK, sure. - But no later.

What do you listen to?

- Hmm? - To get in to the flow.

Oh, music?

Er... Thompson Twins.

Get a pen.

[microwave beeps]

I'm defrosting mince.

- It's like alien technology, this thing. - [beeps]

Oh. How... How did it go?

Er, good. Yeah, really good.

- They're taking it. - Oh, well, that's great, isn't it?

- Well done, mate. - You've got mince juice on your hands.

Yes.

So, how does it work then? Do you go into their office, or...?

No, I write it here.

- On-on your own? - Yes.

And...

Is that the best way to work on something like this?

Why wouldn't it be?

[woman] Well, the graphics are certainly impressive, Robin,

but the big question is, what's it like to play?

Well, the gameplay is just as impressive.

I must say, this is a Colin Ritman game, so we'd expect little else,

but even by his standards this is really most impressive.

It's challenging, there's quite a big learning curve,

so you die a lot and have to try again but I didn't really mind that much.

[woman] So it sounds great but what's your verdict, Robin?

[Robin] Four stars out of five. Colin Ritman does it again.

- [woman] So not quite perfect. - [Robin] Well, nothing's perfect.

So there I am, there's Colin Ritman--

"The actual Colin Ritman," I believe you called him.

Yeah, exactly. And Mr. Thakur's offering me the chance to work there

in their own office alongside Colin.

And I just...

- I don't know. It was too... - Too?

Good to be true.

- I said no. - You said no?

Well, not to the whole thing,

just to working there, being under their control.

I don't know where it came from, I just said no

and then had to justify it by saying that I prefer to work alone.

But I just don't know where the urge to say it came from.

It sounds like you're growing in confidence. I think it's a good sign.

Well, they're still letting me do the game, so...

Well done, Stefan. That's great. That's great.

You sound like my dad.

Oh.

Sorry.

He gets on my nerves sometimes.

Like this... I'm fine now,

I don't see why I need to keep coming to these sessions.

It just feels like being... I don't know, monitored.

Perhaps you're feeling intruded upon because of the anniversary looming.

It's a difficult time of year for you. We can't underestimate that.

Would you like to talk about what happened with your mother?

It can be helpful to revisit things. Even if you feel you've done this before.

You might discover something new.

I keep thinking about that morning.

Reliving it.

Rabbit.

It was because of Rabbit.

He was this stupid toy that my mum had made for me when I was born.

I used to take him everywhere.

I think Dad thought it was sissy or something.

He and Mum used to have these rows about it.

[dad] By five, he should've stopped playing with dolls.

[Stefan] I know he took rabbit away and hid it somewhere.

That morning, Mum was going to visit Granddad and Grandma.

I was supposed to be going with her, but I couldn't find Rabbit anywhere.

And I refused to go without him.

[mum] Come on, Stefan, we're going to be late.

Are you coming or not?

[Stefan] No!

[dad] Come on. You'll have to catch the 8:45, now.

[Stefan] So I held her up.

Because of me she had to catch a later train. Because of me.

[Haynes] Stefan, how old were you when this happened?

Five.

You were five years old.

And you couldn't have known.

Stefan.

You couldn't have known.

[man on TV] The Emergency Services say the 8:45 train derailed

at high speed outside Queenstown Road Station.

As the death toll continues to rise, transport police have opened an inquiry,

but the cause is not yet clear.

I fucking hate him for it.

The past is immutable, Stefan.

No matter how painful it is, we can't change things,

we can't choose differently, with hindsight.

We all have to learn to accept that.

Remember, any time you need me, just pick up the phone.

You know the number.

["Too Shy" playing]

♪ Hush, hush, eye to eye ♪

♪ Too shy, shy ♪

♪ Hush, hush ♪

♪ Eye to eye ♪

♪ Too shy, shy ♪

♪ Hush, hush, eye to eye... ♪

[music continues over speakers]

Thank you.

[menacing electric music plays]

[electronic music plays]

[breathes heavily]

[knock on door]

Stefan?

Um, tea.

Er, look, I'm going to go to the pub for some lunch.

- If you fancy tagging along. - No. I'm alright.

- You didn't have any breakfast. - Dad, I'm fine.

[dad] Is everything alright?

Stefan, I'm worried about you. You've been stuck in your room for weeks.

Stefan?

Will you talk to me?

Look, I can't help if you just sit there and don't speak!

[inhales]

[dad] Stefan, what the hell are you doing? That's all your work!

[beeps]

[inhales]

[inhales]

[inhales]

[inhales]

[inhales]

[inhales]

[inhales]

[inhales]

[inhales]

[dad] Is everything alright?

Stefan, I'm worried about you. You've been stuck in your room for weeks.

Stefan?

Will you talk to me?

Look, I can't help if you just sit there and don't speak!

Dad, just fuck off!

I'm sorry.

I'm... I'm just...

- I'm-I'm just stressed. - Get your coat.

We're going for lunch.

- Dad. I need to finish this. - And we'll go in the car.

["Making Plans For Nigel" playing]

♪ We're only making plans for Nigel ♪

♪ We only want what's best for him ♪

[music continues on radio]

[music stops]

We're here.

This is Dr. Haynes' place.

- You said we were getting lunch. - You need to speak to her.

You're under pressure, you're...

You're not sleeping, you're not eating.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

I think the healthiest thing to do is to talk about any concerns you may have

instead of bottling them up inside.

[Stefan] Don't know if it's the deadlines, but my head is all over the place.

I keep having these vivid dreams. Like thinking weird things.

What sort of things?

- Like I'm not in control. - Of?

Anything, little things, tiny decisions.

What I have for breakfast in the morning. What music I listen to.

Whether I shout at Dad, or...

You feel like you're not making these decisions?

I feel like I'm not guiding them. Like someone else is.

You're not hearing voices or...?

No voices, but there is something.

I-I don't know, an impulse.

I'm sure there is.

OK. The fact that you're aware of your mental state

is actually reassuring.

But it sounds like you're starting to dissociate

so we want to nip that in the bud

before you start to seriously entertain delusions.

I don't think we're there yet though.

We can't overlook the fact

that the anniversary of your mother's death is due,

and as we know, that's a stressor.

[grunts]

Ah!

[Haynes] With that in mind,

I think it's important that you stay on the pharmaceutical path

at least for the next few months.

I'm upping the dosage slightly.

Stefan.

Don't see this as a setback.

You're not alone. We're in it together.

One for all, and all...

For one.

If anything happens, just call me.

You know the number.

[telephone rings]

- How was it? - It was fine.

[pulls handbrake]

["Silent Night" playing]

[TV jingle plays]

So, Bandersnatch. Worth it?

[sighs] I wish I could say yes but it's frustrating.

It's as if the creator simply gave up halfway through and went on autopilot.

If we had second chances in life, I'd hope they'd choose differently

but, er, sadly we don't.

And nor do they. If that makes sense?

- [woman] So your verdict? - Two and a half stars out of five.

Disappointing.

[woman] Oh, dear. Well, maybe next week

we'll have something more to float your boat, Robin.

I should try again.

[dad] I'm concerned about you, OK?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

[indistinct chatter]

[Thakur] Looking good.

Good job I doubled the advertising.

[beeps]

- That's not... - [sighs]

Stefan, mate. This is due today. You said it was stable.

- It was, I just-- - Just what?

- Did you add a new path? - The government conspiracy branch.

One of the alternate timelines in the novel.

Jerome F. Davies was into his conspiracy theories.

- Before or after he went psycho? - I thought I'd tied up all the loose ends.

If it's something you've added, let's just take it out.

- No, it's important. - Stefan, mate. The deadline is today.

I just need the weekend. I know I can add this new path in.

- Oh, it's complicated enough. - Just the weekend. Please.

- First thing Monday. - [Stefan] First thing.

Okay.

Shit, I've got to run, meeting the John Menzies guys.

Just don't fuck up. There's a lot riding on this now.

I know.

[door slams]

Here. That's for you.

[Stefan] What is it?

Taped it off the telly. Documentary about Jerome.

A bit of inspiration maybe. Pop it on while you work.

[dad] Are you having a film night?

[TV whirs]

Sugar Puffs from Quaker.

Tell them about the honey, yummy.

[man on TV] Towards the end of his life,

Davies was apparently self-administering hallucinogens on a daily basis.

This, coupled with his attempts

to complete the complex multiple narratives of Bandersnatch

was to prove the final straw.

He became obsessed with bizarre symbols

and the limitations of his own free will.

In his notes, Davies repeatedly sketched a glyph

which to him represented multiple fates, potential realities splitting in two.

It was the start of his complete mental collapse.

Davies became convinced he had no control over his fate

because his wife was spiking him with psychoactive drugs

at behest of a demon called Pax, a sort of lion figure

who he claimed he'd seen in a vision,

and who ended up being incorporated into the book.

It was this that led him to kill her.

He decapitated her and daubed the glyph symbol on the walls with her blood.

After his arrest, he told police

we exist within multiple parallel realities at once.

One reality for each possible course of action we might take in life.

Whatever we choose to do in this existence,

there’s another one out there in which we’re doing quite the opposite,

which renders free will meaningless. Nothing but an illusion.

If you follow that line of thinking to its logical conclusion...

[yells]

...they're not even your actions.

Your fate has been dictated, it's out of your hands.

[Stefan sobs]

- You're just a puppet. - [dad] Shh, shh, shh.

You're not in control.

[dad] I'm concerned about you, OK?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

[woman on TV] Davies became convinced he had no control over his fate

because his wife was spiking him with psychoactive drugs.

It was this that led him to kill her.

He decapitated her and daubed the glyph symbol on the walls with her blood.

After his arrest, he told police

we exist within multiple parallel realities at once.

One reality for each possible course of action we might take in life.

Whatever we choose to do in this existence,

there’s another one out there in which we’re doing quite the opposite.

If you follow that line of thinking to its logical conclusion,

then you're absolved of any guilt from your actions.

But they're not even your actions.

It's out of your control.

Your fate has been dictated, it's out of your hands.

So, why not commit murder?

Maybe that's what destiny wants.

You're just a puppet.

You're not in control.

[mum] Stefan?

[mum] Yes, and so what, Rabbit's a toy.

[dad] A baby's toy that he takes everywhere.

[mum] He's five.

[dad] And by five, he should've stopped playing with dolls.

- [mum] It's not a doll. - If he takes it to your parents,

I'm going to have to withstand another lecture from your dad

- about permissive child-rearing. - Oh, for God's sake.

I'm sorry, look, I am going to do something about this.

- [door slams] - [locking]

[gasps]

[beeps]

No!

Who's doing this to me?

I know there's someone there.

- Who's there? - [high-pitched whirring]

Who are you?

Just give me a sign.

Come on. If there's someone there, just give me a sign.

Will you give me a sign?

I know there's someone there. Just give me a fucking sign.

[beeps]

Fucking hell.

Who... What the fuck is Netflix?

Seriously, what does that mean?

I don't know what that means.

You're not making any sense. Can you make sense?

I don't understand. I-I don't understand.

[beeps]

[dad] Who are you talking to?

It'll sound crazy.

Well, tell me anyway.

I'm being controlled by someone from the future.

What?

I'm being controlled by someone from the future.

- Shall I ring Dr. Haynes? - Yes, please.

So, you're being controlled by someone on Netflix.

- What is Netflix? Is it a planet? - I don't know, it...

It's some sort of future entertainment thing.

- Like a computer game? - I don't know.

It's from the 21st Century, they said.

OK, well, let's try to pick it apart logically,

to see if we can define if this is reality or delusion.

- It's not a delusion. - OK, let's go through it.

OK.

So all of this is happening to entertain someone.

- Someone who's controlling you. - Uh-huh.

So why aren't you in a more entertaining scenario?

- What do you mean? - Well, look at you.

You're in a small ordinary room, in an ordinary part of the world,

talking to an ordinary woman.

If this was entertainment, surely you'd make it more interesting.

Inject a little action, isn't that right?

I mean, wouldn't you want a little more action

if you were watching this now on telly?

[screams]

[grunts]

Come at me. Come on, mummy's boy. What are you waiting for?

Come on. I dare you.

- [woman] Cut! - [alarm rings]

Sorry, are you OK?

[man] Two sugars.

I-I was, er...

Window.

Window.

I was trying to open the window. To jump out.

[woman] You don't jump out.

You can't jump out. It doesn't open, look.

You're not scripted to jump out, see, Mike?

It's the fight scene now.

Mike?

Mike?

Er... Stefan.

Do you want to sit down for a moment?

Can we get the medic down here please?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about you, OK?

You need to speak to her.

I'm concerned about...

["Relax" playing]

[music stops]

- Motown for computer games. - [Stefan] Colin Ritman?

- We've met before. - What's your answer?

Bit of madness is what you need.

Stefan, will you talk to me?

Dad, just fuck off!

[dad] Get your coat.

This is Dr. Haynes' place.

You need to speak to her.

You're under pressure.

You're not sleeping, you're not eating.

Stefan, come back.

Stefan!

[Stefan] Colin.

Hi.

How's Bandersnatch going?

Not good.

Not good. I'm just... lost.

- You're in the hole. - [Stefan] In the what?

- [Colin] In a fight with your own head. - Yes. That's exactly it.

- You got anywhere to be later? - Er, well, no.

Come with me.

[door slams]

[door closes]

Stefan, this is Kitty.

And this is Pearl.

[baby coos]

Daddy's little legacy.

Stefan's in the hole, Kit.

[Kitty] Poor thing.

Are you going to get him out?

Mm-hm.

Grab a pew.

Here.

- [Stefan] Oh. I haven't ever really-- - [Colin] Come on.

[coughs]

[Colin] You'll get the hang of that.

[coughs]

[Colin] One for you...

One for me.

- What is it? - It lets you see the bigger picture.

- I-I don't know. - It'll help you understand.

Do you want it?

It's your choice.

Totally up to you. Don't feel pressured.

Yes.

[Colin] Do this.

Now what?

Now we just wait a bit.

[gentle music plays]

[chuckles]

[laughs]

[laughs]

[blows]

[Colin] People think there's one reality

but there's loads of them, all snaking off, like roots.

And what we do on one path affects what happens on the other paths.

Time is a construct.

People think you can't go back and change things,

but you can, that's what flashbacks are,

they're invitations to go back and make different choices.

When you make a decision, you think it's you doing it, but it's not.

It's the spirit out there that's connected to our world

that decides what we do

and we just have to go along for the ride.

Mirrors let you move through time.

The government monitors people,

they pay people to pretend to be your relatives

and they put drugs in your food and they film you.

There's messages in every game.

Like Pac-Man. Do you know what PAC stands for?

P-A-C: "Program and Control."

He's Program and Control Man, the whole thing's a metaphor,

he thinks he's got free will but really he's trapped in a maze,

in a system, all he can do is consume,

he's pursued by demons that are probably just in his own head,

and even if he does manage to escape by slipping out one side of the maze,

what happens? He comes right back in the other side.

People think it's a happy game,

it's not a happy game, it's a fucking nightmare world

and the worst thing is it's real and we live in it.

It is all code.

If you listen closely, you can hear the numbers.

There's a cosmic flowchart that dictates where you can and where you can't go.

I've given you the knowledge. I've set you free.

Do you understand?

Maybe.

Yes. Sort of.

I'll show you what I mean. Come with me.

We're on one path.

Right now, me and you.

And how one path ends is immaterial.

It's how our decisions along that path affect the whole that matters.

Do you believe me?

[chuckles] I don't know.

I'll prove it.

One of us is going over.

Over there.

[wind howls]

You'd die. You'd die.

It wouldn't matter because there are other timelines, Stefan.

How many times have you watched Pac-Man die?

Doesn't bother him.

He just tries again.

One of us is jumping, so who's it going to be?

It's a nice breeze up here.

So, come on, which one of us is jumping?

I'll do it.

I like your style.

Oh! Oh! [pants]

[laughs]

[thuds]

["Silent Night" playing]

[video game theme plays]

So, Robin, Bandersnatch, any good?

This is hard to say, because as you may know,

the original author of this game was killed in a tragic accident.

- [woman] Indeed. - But it's just not a good game.

It seems someone else finished it off quickly but it's just abrupt and jarring.

And unnecessary, and horrible, and violent, unsettling, and weird,

and awful, and scary, and dark, and bleak and creepy...

The healthiest thing to do is to talk about any concerns you may have

instead of bottling them up inside.

You need to speak to her.

The healthiest thing to do is to talk about any concerns you may have

instead of bottling them up inside.

You need to speak to her.

The healthiest thing to do is to talk about any concerns you may have

instead of bottling them up inside.

You need to speak to her.

[Colin] How many times have you watched Pac-Man die?

Doesn't bother him.

He just tries again.

One of us is jumping, so who's it going to be?

It's a nice breeze up here.

So, come on, which one of us is jumping?

You do it.

Fair enough.

[laughs]

See you around.

[thuds]

Where's Colin?

[screams]

- [growls] - [gasps]

["Making Plans For Nigel" playing]

[dad] We're here.

- Colin jumped and I didn't stop him. - Stefan...

maybe you're not well.

Go and speak to Dr. Haynes.

Please.

Alright.

What sort of things?

What I have for breakfast. What music I listen to.

Whether I bite my fucking nails.

- [Haynes] You feel you're not... - Making these decisions, no,

and we've talked about this before. I'm sure we have.

And you tell me I feel guilty about my mum and you up my dose.

And, yes, I am taking my medication, OK?

So just write me the fucking prescription.

We can't dupe them fast enough. Everybody wants a bit of Colin Ritman.

- Where is Colin? - He's gone AWOL.

Probably fucked off to Amsterdam for a spot of gardening,

if you know what I mean. He'll be back, he always is.

Mate. This is due today.

I just need the weekend. I know I can add this new path.

Don't fuck up. There's a lot riding on this now.

I know.

Er... Colin wanted me to give you this. To inspire you.

Davies became convinced he had no control over his fate.

If you follow that line of thinking to its logical conclusion,

then you're absolved of any guilt from your actions.

But they're not even your actions.

It's out of your control.

Your fate has been dictated.

So, why not commit murder?

You're not in control.

[splutters]

[gasps]

[Stefan] Who's doing this to me?

I know there's someone there.

Who's there? Who are you?

Just give me a sign.

Oh, come on. If there's someone there, just give me a sign.

Will you give me a sign?

I know there's someone there. Just give me a fucking sign!

[beeps]

[dad] Stefan?

- What are you doing? - I don't know.

Stefan, you're worrying me.

- I'm not in control. I'm not in control. - What are you talking about? Stefan?

[whimpers]

- I'm being controlled. - Stefan! Stefan? Stop it. OK?

Look, you need to calm down. Just take a breath, please and calm down.

In through your nose. Breathe. Breathe in through the nose and out.

Breathe in, Stefan. And out.

Calm, Stefan.

Get away from me! Please, Dad.

Dad, just stay away from me. I'm not in control.

- Stefan, please. - Dad, please get away from me.

I'm not in control. Please, I'm not in control.

- Stefan. - I'm not in control.

What do I do?

What do I do?

OK.

[telephone rings]

- Hello? - The man himself, the whiz kid.

How's it going?

- How's it going? - Listen.

Colin's still off exploring other dimensions.

He can't bail me out so I need the code. First thing Monday you said.

The ads are out, I've booked the dupe plants.

There's some serious cash down the swanny if you don't deliver.

I need it by the end of today. That possible?

Stefan?

Hello? Spit it out.

Before I evolve.

Will it be ready by the end of the day?

- Of course. - Good.

By the end of today, no later. Tatty bye.

[Kitty] Where's Colin? Where is he?

- Where... where is he? - Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Can I help?

- It's Colin's girlfriend. - Kitty. We've met before.

When you had blue hair. Satpal, I'll deal with this.

- Where's Colin? - I thought you'd tell me.

He's gone, he's just gone.

Tell me about it but he's done this before.

Not like this. When did you see him last?

When he gave me that tape for Stefan.

Who's Stefan?

Let's leave Stefan out of this, he's working.

Who is Stefan?

[grunts]

[doorbell rings]

[doorbell rings]

[knocking on door]

Are you Stefan?

Yes. We... we've met before.

No, we haven't.

Do you know where Colin is?

Er...

I was in the office and Satpal said you'd seen him last.

If you know where he is, please tell me.

No, I'm sorry. I don't... I don't know.

I don't know anything about anything.

Right.

Well, if you hear from Colin, tell him to ring Kitty.

OK. I've got to go.

[door slams]

[dog barks]

[TV jingle plays]

And that's why futurologists believe

you'll be able to play the games of the future anywhere.

On a bus, or the tube, in the palm of your hand.

- Crispin? - Thanks, Leslie.

Now yesterday, following weeks of controversy and speculation,

games company Tuckersoft announced it's going into liquidation.

So what went wrong?

Just six months ago, Tuckersoft was riding high,

with a string of hits topping the charts

and mounting anticipation for their big Christmas release, Bandersnatch.

But Bandersnatch never appeared,

following the arrest and subsequent murder charge against its creator,

19-year-old Stefan Butler,

who stands accused of murdering his father,

following a psychological breakdown.

This has raised questions about the judgement of Tuckersoft boss,

Mohan Thakur.

It was his idea to do it alone. His decision.

I wasn't to know he couldn't hack it.

I mean, I know his dad's dead, rest his soul, but I'm a victim too.

Let's try to not forget that.

[Crispin] But there's another Tuckersoft protégé at the centre of a mystery.

Famed programmer Colin Ritman is still missing,

having vanished without trace shortly before the killings.

At the trial, Butler denied any involvement

in Ritman's sudden disappearance,

claiming he had seen Ritman committing suicide in a vision.

Today, Tuckersoft closed its doors for good.

And there was no sign of Bandersnatch.

What do I do?

What do I do?

[Colin] How many times have you watched Pac-Man die?

Doesn't bother him. He just tries again.

["Relax" playing]

[Stefan] Colin Ritman.

- We've met before. - No.

We met before. I told you I'd see you around. And I was right.

We're going to be late. Are you coming or not?

- No! - [man on TV] The 8:45 derailed...

Fuck off! I'm not in control.

- [Haynes] We're in it together. - The deadline is today.

- [Stefan] I just need the weekend. - [Colin] Bit of inspiration maybe.

You're just a puppet.

So, why not commit murder?

Just give me a fucking sign!

Stefan?

What do I do?

Oh, God, really?

[sighs]

[telephone rings]

Dr. Haynes' office.

- Is Dr. Haynes there? - No. She's with a client right now.

Would you like to make an appointment? I could fit you in...

first thing tomorrow.

Yes.

- And your name is? - Stefan Butler.

[telephone beeps]

He's fucking engaged.

He's probably taken the phone off the hook.

- That's what I do. - That's what you do, is it?

I'll remember that.

Look, just let him be.

- He's probably in the zone. - OK. I'll give him another 24 hours.

[exhales]

[Haynes] And how is your father?

He's visiting his sister. She's in the South of France, so...

So you've been left to your own devices.

Mm-hm.

[clears throat]

[sawing]

It's been good actually.

Not having him.

It's meant I could work with a real sense of purpose.

[gentle music plays]

I've actually had a bit of breakthrough with the game.

I think I'd got bogged down before but now I can see.

[Haynes] So you finally finished it?

[Stefan] Finished, delivered, everything.

I'd been trying to give the player too much choice.

So I just went back and stripped loads out.

And now they've got the illusion of free will, but really...

I decide the ending.

And is it a happy ending?

I think so.

[Haynes] Then that's great.

[TV jingle plays]

So Bandersnatch? Yes or no?

Yes, yes, and yes. It's got all the bases covered.

The perfect game.

Well, that is a first. So your rating is...

My rating is five stars out of five. Magnificent.

That was the game Bandersnatch being reviewed on TV back in 1984.

But shortly after its release, a dark secret emerged.

Its author Stefan Butler was discovered to have murdered his own father.

The game was pulled from shelves and all the copies were pulped.

Now, in a move that's bound to cause controversy,

a new coder wants to reboot the game for a new generation.

My dad was a coder himself back in the day,

and I found Stefan's game in an old crate,

I ran it on an emulator, RetroArch. And I found it really ground-breaking.

I can see why people think it's controversial

to be remaking it today,

but the free will concept is fascinating.

Today, interactive stories of this kind are available on your TV, or laptop,

your phone, so I'm developing this for streaming TV platforms.

[interviewer] There's a rumour that platform is Netflix.

I'm not allowed to talk about rumours.

[telephone rings]

["Relax" playing]

[gasps]

♪ Relax, don't do it When you want to go to it ♪

Oh, fuck!

[door closes]

[door closes]

[door closes]

[door closes]

[door closes]

[door closes]

[door closes]

["Relax" playing]

Would you like to talk about what happened with your mother?

[Stefan] I couldn't find Rabbit anywhere.

- Are you coming or not? - No!

The 8:45 train derailed...

- He should've stopped playing with dolls. - It's not a doll.

Sorry, look, I am going to do something about this.

[door slams]

- [door slams] - [locking]

[beeps]

[whirring]

[beeps]

- [beeps] - [whirring]

[dad] Stefan?

What are you doing in here?

You went looking for him.

Go on.

Take him.

You put him back where he belongs.

Come.

[mum] You don't need him.

We can look for Rabbit tomorrow.

Found him!

Great!

OK, well, we're going to miss the 8:30.

We'll have to take the 8:45. Should be fine.

Well, are you coming?

["O Superman" begins playing]

♪ So hold me, mom ♪

Bye.

♪ In your long arms ♪

♪ So hold me, mom ♪

♪ In your long arms ♪

♪ In your automatic arms ♪

♪ Your electronic arms ♪

♪ In your arms ♪

He's dead.

I don't understand. He was just sitting there.

We were talking. He closed his eyes for a few moments.

He just closed his eyes.

All he did was close his eyes.

I'm sorry.

[sobs]

[beeps]

[beeps]

[beeps]

[beeps]

[beeps]

[beeps]

[beeps]

[beeps]

["Relax" playing]

[Stefan] Colin Ritman?

- We've met before. - Fuck off!

- My head is all over the place. - You're in the hole.

The government monitors people,

they pay people to pretend to be your relatives

and they put drugs in your food.

Do you know what PAC stands for? "Program and Control".

It's a fucking nightmare world. It's real and we live in it.

- [door slams] - [locking]

[keys jangle]

[beeps]

- [beeps] - [whirring]

[heart beating]

[door opens]

Come on, Stefan. Come on.

- You can find Rabbit later. - [echoes] No!

Stefan, please come with me.

[echoes] No!

You weren't supposed to know.

Dad, what is this?

I'm sorry.

Dad, who are you?

Talk to me.

Talk to me!

- [thuds] - [gasps]

Who's doing this to me?

I know there's someone there.

Who's there? Who are you?

Just give me a sign.

Oh, come on. If there's someone there, just give me a sign.

Will you give me a sign?

I know there's someone there. Just give me a fucking sign!

[beeps]

What's wrong?

Stefan, what's wrong?

I know you've been controlling me.

You and Haynes. I know about PACS, the P.A.C.S. thing.

I know you've been drugging me, I know you've been recording me

and now you're putting messages on my computer.

Stefan, you're ill.

We need to go and see Dr. Haynes and see if she can help.

I know what you've been doing to me.

I know.

[Haynes] Remember, Stefan. Any time you need me.

You know the number.

- You heard it here first. - Get a pen.

If you listen closely, you can hear the numbers.

- Too? - Good to be true.

You sound like my dad.

Oh.

Five.

You were five years old.

- One for all, and all... - For one.

Remember, Stefan. Any time you need me.

You know the number.

Number? What's the number?

Two. Oh. Five.

Four, one.

Remember.

- [Haynes] Two. Oh. Five. - [Stefan] Four, one.

[beeping]

The number you have dialed has not been recognized.

Please check and try again.

The number you have dialed has...

[labored breathing]

[dog barks]

So Bandersnatch? Yay or nay?

Well, nothing in the game is as fascinating

as its grisly real-life backstory.

As you know, Leslie, Stefan Butler, the young man who wrote this,

had a breakdown and murdered his own father.

[woman] Yes, very sad.

And it seems the code was never quite finished

but Tuckersoft just released the game anyway.

Which I know isn't a crime on a par with murder

but it's still pretty off nonetheless.

[woman] Quite. So your verdict?

Two and a half stars out of five. It's morbid curiosity value at best.

Must try harder.

[video game theme song plays]

[beeps]

[modem connecting to a phone line]