Hijack (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Draw a Blank - full transcript

Yeah, tell me your name again. Sorry.

Alice Sinclair.

So, you're saying, Alice,
that this is a definite SOS call...

- No, we're saying...
- ...or that you're still not sure?

Because they both are
two very different things, Alice.

We're saying, if you let me speak,

that due to its changing course
and unusual communications,

that there is a stronger chance than ever
that flight KA29 is in danger.

Unusual communications?

Failure to respond, contradiction
in statements made by the pilot,

and as of whatever it is now, 8:07,
that's all we've got.



But it's enough to have us worried.

Right, so, I'm taking this higher?

Yeah, that would be our suggestion.

Coming to you with any questions.

Also very sensible.

Okay. Thank you, Alice.

You're welcome.

- Where's the duty officer?
- Right through.

Thanks.

Okay, so...

I need our JTAC duty officer.

- Zahra, I'm in a meeting.
- I can see that.

- Morning.
- Morning.

- Have you got any idea what you've just...
- Our JTAC duty officer?



Is on paternity leave.

Right. Then I need whoever's covering...

- Me.
- ...to spea...

to speak to their colleagues at JTAC.
Set up a call or a meeting.

We have a suspected hijack
of a British passenger plane

due to arrive in London in five hours.

Nobody's interested.

- It's important.
- You're always interfering.

Sit. Don't make trouble.

Hey. Is everything all right?

Everything okay.

Is there something you wanna talk about?

No. No talking. Thank you.

- What was that about?
- Obviously, I don't know.

She's telling him to shut up.

What he's saying will get them in trouble.

What is he saying?

He says the guns the hijackers are using
are fake.

Deep breaths in...

then exhaling slowly through the nose.

Eyes opening gently now.

Take a moment to take in the peace
and the calm of the world around you.

If what he's saying is true,
this could all be over.

I mean, just on numbers alone,
there's what? Five of them?

That's ten against one. More probably, 20.

It's not as easy as that, is it?

We could end this. Now.

Why? Because of some
old man's hunch? Is that why?

Ask how he knows.

- She doesn't want to talk.
- Ask her.

Excuse me.

- What your husband said...
- Forget what he said.

But the other passengers are asking
how does he know?

- He knows because...
- Quiet!

Quiet!

...because he was in the Egyptian military

for thirty years.

Because he dealt with hijackings
all the time.

- No! You let me speak!
- What's he shouting about?

You. What's your problem?

Well?

Well?

He wants to get a...

a message to his grandchildren.

Doesn't think he's gonna see 'em again.

And we were just trying to comfort him
and tell him that, you know,

it's the same for all of us.

Keep it down.

Kingdom 2-9 is leaving northern
Iraq and just entering Turkish airspace.

Let's have Istanbul challenge the pilot
one more time on this change of route.

This is our pilot, Robin Allen.

Old-school, Cathay-Pacific type.

He's been with Kingdom
for over a decade. Long haul, mainly.

Too long in the tooth to know
this won't be going unnoticed.

Yeah.

So what the hell are they playing at?

He says in the hijacks
he dealt with by the PLO, or whoever,

they never had live rounds.

Always blanks?

Blanks make a bang.

They keep people in check,

but they do no damage
because there's no actual bullet.

No, what's the word in English?

No projectile.

The shot that was fired in business,

no one was hit,
no hole in the plane, nothing.

Otherwise, we'd know about it, right?
We'd be losing pressure.

We have to get a message back there,
have them look for the bullet.

If they find it, fine, at least we know.
But...

But if they don't,
if there's no actual bullet...

- Listen to yourself.
- Maybe the old guy's right.

Just stop.

Stop.

- Hey, stop.
- Why?

Because there's other stuff going down,
other shit at play.

- Like what?
- Like, we are signaling to the ground.

We're talking to the ground
to let 'em know that we are in trouble.

We? Who's we?

We.

Listen, if the guns are fake,
this could be over in a heartbeat.

It's like you said,
we can just enjoy the movie.

True, but the guns are real.

- How can you say that?
- I'm telling you, they're real.

- How could you possibly say that?
- Listen to me, okay?

If you want to get the better of someone,
you've got to put yourself in their shoes.

You've got to think like they think.

Now, what if I made you hijack
a plane of this size?

Do you imagine how daunting that would be?

Then how do you think you'd feel
if I told you to do it with a toy gun?

What would you say, Hugo?

I'll tell you what you'd say.
You'd say, "No."

You'd say, "I need a gun to protect myself
for when the passengers try it on."

Because you're not stupid.
Right, you would have thought it through.

- So you stay out of it, yes?
- But...

No, you stay out of it
for your own safety.

Got it?

Sod it. You don't get to decide
who does what. No one appointed you.

Don't do that. Don't...

Don't feel good. I feel sick.

He says he's feeling sick.

How sick?

You gonna puke?
Is that what you're saying?

I think so.

Okay. Take him.

But don't flush the toilet.
Keep the door open.

Sorry?

Well, if he's gonna be sick,
I wanna see it.

And if he's bullshitting, well,
he's got himself another problem.

You still feeling sick?

Shut up.

Right, time's up. Get him out.

Up! Get him out!

- Get it.
- Yeah, go on.

Is that it? Pathetic.

Feel better, do ya?

Empty your pockets.

Are you deaf? Go on.

I'm waiting.

Right.

Sit the fuck down
and face the fuck forward.

Kingdom 2-9, this is Istanbul.
Do you read?

Kingdom 2-9, this is Istanbul Control.

We have been trying to contact you
for five minutes. Do you read?

I managed to get a message to business.
Let's see what happens.

You're a fool.

I'm a fool?

You put them in danger.

This from the man
who gave the hijackers their gun back?

You, up.

All right.

Kingdom 2-9, please identify.

This is what I'm saying.
Every time we cross a border...

Kingdom 2-9, this is Istanbul Control.

- ...this is gonna keep happening.
- Get on with it then.

- Ist...
- Please identify.

Istanbul, good morning. This is
Kingdom 2-9, hearing you loud and clear.

Kingdom 2-9,
I'm reading a heading of 323 degrees.

That is correct.
Maintaining an altitude of 34,000...

2-9, you are 12 miles outside your airway.

Outside, yes. That is correct.

We had some crosswinds
to contend with, but we are now...

Please return to airway two.

Doing that as we speak,
Istanbul. Apologies.

Thank you, Kingdom 2-9.
We wish you a happy onward journey.

Thank you, Istanbul.

Nasir?

Your uncle's going to need his insulin.

The needles are in the bag.

Best to ask the Muslim boy.

He's no Muslim.

Sorry, man, I just need to grab
something from the locker.

- No.
- I just ne... It's just a medicine bag.

- My uncle is ill.
- I said no. Stay in your seat.

What are you being so difficult for, man?
The locker's right there. You can see it.

Are you trying to piss me off, or what?

- No.
- I will show you, man.

- It's right...
- Stay in your fucking seat.

What's your problem?

Look at him. He needs his medicine.

You'd better shut up.

Or he gets
a whole different kind of medicine.

Understand?

Trust me.

You've got no idea
who you are dealing with.

Get in here, both of ya.

You listen to me.

No more toilet breaks,
no more fucking about.

They sit still, or we go back to the bag.

Go back to the bag,
make an example of someone. Right?

No, sit down.

- You said that we wouldn't.
- We've got no choice.

No, we went through this.

I asked you straight up,
and you gave me your word.

We have to, mate,
or we're gonna lose this.

What are you doing?

I said, what are you doing?

My glasses. I dropped my glasses.

Your glasses?

Back in your seat. Go on.

I swear to God,
somebody is gonna get shot, all right?

You keep all this up,
and someone's gonna get a bullet.

There is no bullet.

She said, "Then somebody gets a bullet."
But there's no bullet to get.

I told them,

if they can't find anything,
if they're sure there's nothing,

turn on their reading light.

It's not enough.

Reading light means no bullet.

No bullet means blanks.
That's what he said.

Or it means they couldn't find a bullet.

- There's something in this.
- We don't know that.

We could end this.

Or we could get a lot of people killed.

Marsha!

Sorry, Elliot.
There's a lot going on this morning.

It's okay.
Just treat it like any other lecture.

Except it's not, is it?
It's a job interview.

You've taught it before,
so it's nothing you can't do today. Okay?

Yeah, thank you.

Okay. So this is what we got so far.

Thirty-five minutes after departure,

the pilot makes a distress call
to air traffic control

citing a definite security incident.

Then, seven minutes later,

the pilot calls back saying
that the issue's been resolved.

- Resolved?
- False alarm.

Denied that there was ever a problem,
his mistake.

Three minutes after that,

a passenger sends a text reestablishing
the idea that there's an incident.

Then, as the plane enters Iraqi airspace,
it mysteriously starts diverging...

Sorry. Where are you getting all this?

And the Internet's down.

This is all coming
from air traffic controllers in the Gulf.

- And who's talking to them?
- Flight path control in Swanick.

In fact, Alice, you there?

I think Alice is on mute.

Sorry.

I was just saying
that there are precedents for this.

Pilots would say one thing but do another.

Zigzag so the ground realizes
there's a problem.

If I could just share my screen with you.

So they were three degrees out
due to weather conditions.

You can just see
where I'm moving the cursor.

But ATC in Turkey have just told us

that the pilot has put the plane
back on its intended route.

So if you can see where my cursor is now...

So it's back on course?

Yes, but look. Look at
the angle of their return. It's too acute.

If they continue on that heading...

It's gonna do what you suggested earlier.

It's going to zigzag.

Here we go. Right now, look.

That's a definite overcorrection.

Gina, where's the foreign secretary
this morning?

What's this?

What's so fascinating about this
the whole time?

Who you writing to?

What? No one.

- Is this online?
- No.

Who? Answer me.

- Hey! That is the pilot.
- Jesus!

- The pilot!
- Shit.

How stupid are you lot?

- What did you say to me?
- I'm just saying...

I meant you've got to think...

No. Stop.

- Let him go!
- All right. I am.

- Now.
- I am letting him go.

Now!

All right.

Right, down.

Eyes down, stay down.

I've had enough of your shit.

Put your hands in your lap
where I can see 'em, and don't move.

Now, I'm gonna crack you on the top
of the head with the butt of my gun.

If you try and block me or stop me,
move out of the way,

she's gonna pull that trigger.
Do you understand me?

- Do you understand me?
- Yes.

Good.

You stay still.

Stay still, and you smile.

Smile like you want me to hit you.

Smile like you're happy.

That ain't a proper smile, mate.

And we all wanna see a nice smile!

Don't we?

Smile!

That's it. Say "cheese."

Say it. Go on.

Say "cheese," and all this stops.

Say it, Sam Nelson.

Cheese.

That's it.

Turn off all the screens.

All the screens
for the rest of the flight.

You see, I told you.

If that was me, I would have shot you.

Made an example out of you,
but he can't, can he?

- Hugo...
- This is what I have been talking about.

Shut the fuck up.

It's my pleasure to introduce
the highly esteemed professor of physics,

Marsha Smith-Nelson.

Thank you. Good morning.

About a month ago,
my partner and I went on a city break.

Now, my son,
who is a year or two younger than you,

asked if he could have a party
while we were gone.

So, I took a deep breath,

I thought about it, and I said yes.

After we came back from the weekend,

my partner stopped the car
at the end of the road and said,

"Maybe we go no further.
Right now, the flat's fine.

Nothing's broken. Nothing's stolen.

If we don't go back,
we don't see the damage.

It's as if it doesn't exist."

To which I said,
"Well, what if there is no damage?

If we don't go back,
we don't get to see that either."

As physicists,
what does that remind us of?

Yes?

- Schrödinger's cat?
- Yes, good.

Schrödinger's cat,
where more than one thing could be true.

Maybe everything's fine.

Maybe not.

Maybe it really is as bad
as we've been fearing.

That is the paradox.
That is the problem we find ourselves in.

Until we take action,

until we investigate,
there remains a duality.

It is only our act of looking
that forces nature's hand.

Hey.

Ask if he can prove it.

The blanks.
Ask if he can prove they're blanks.

Or is he just guessing?

Yussuf.

Can you prove they are blanks?

I believe they are blanks,
but without examining the guns myself,

how can I be certain?

He says he can't be certain.
Not without examining the guns himself.

Hey, are you the guy
who's looking for the bullet?

We had one. We found one.

You did? In business?

No, just after takeoff.

Some of the girls in economy
found it in the toilet.

- One of the hijackers took it back.
- Arthur.

But they had it.
They held it in their hands.

- It was there.
- Arthur.

Ask him if it would help
to see what the bullet looks like.

Hey, listen, I will not
sit here and let my uncle get sick.

- Do you hear me?
- What is your problem?

Look, please just let him
get his medicine.

Stop talking to him like that. All of you.

You're raising your voices.
You're antagonizing him.

His uncle is dying.

I understand that,

but the young man
is anxious enough as it is.

This is frightening for him too.

He's doing two drawings.

Drawing A is of a normal bullet.
Drawing B is the blank.

B for blank.

Whoever saw it just needs to say
which one they saw.

Tell him, "Thanks."

They say thank you.

He says it's in his interest too.

That's it now.
After this, you keep my husband out of it.

Okay. Here's the plan.

Right.
The foreign secretary is on her way.

She's asked that we base ourselves here
rather than waste time decamping to COBRA.

All right. Okay, well, with that in mind,
this is not a spectator sport.

Let's clear this floor of all
nonessential personnel, please.

And let's go with what Detective Gahfoor
has suggested, which is...

To get the flight manifest.
Yeah, I've already put that call in.

Finally, and Lydia, I am looking at you,

please let's find a point person for
foreign contact.

If I was a Romanian or Hungarian,
I'd be wanting to know,

"Why is there a unresponsive passenger
plane heading straight towards me?"

So let's give them someone to talk to.

And what does that person tell them?

Ministers have been briefed,

and we'll approve a course of action
within the next 30 minutes.

Let's be absolutely clear.

This has all the makings of
an international tragedy.

Excuse me, please.

Well, there should...

See what you started?

- You're gonna get the manifest personally?
- Yes.

Okay, well, if you can forward that to me,
please, I'd appreciate it.

- Here you go, Dan.
- Daniel, you know I can't do that.

I can run the passenger names
through the PNC...

- Daniel.
- See who's got a criminal record.

Yeah, we'll be doing that anyway.

So, why are you
telling me all of this then?

One minute, there's a problem,
then there's not. Now you say...

You'd prefer not to be updated?

I'm just asking what you want
me to do with this information.

Look, you have a personal interest, right?

Yes. So let me do something.

Just send me the names, please.

Zahra, we need you.

Zahra, I'm good at what I do, so I'm not
just gonna sit here doing nothing.

Look, Daniel, I'm sorry, okay?
I've gotta go.

Please leave a message after the tone.

Operation has commenced.

The plane is under control. Your move.

No.

Can you just ask him, please?

Look, I said I'll ask,
but I know what it's gonna be.

Just stay there.

Two and a half hours in.

We'd have been sat in our seats until now.
This is when it was meant to have started.

Does that mean you've made the call?

And? Are they happy? What did they say?

That's the thing.

It was just a voice mail.

The cabin crew woman, she wants to talk.

I just wanted to mention, we'd normally be
preparing the meal service right now.

Now, you probably don't want us
doing that today.

- No.
- Right.

And I get that, but I'm telling you,
I've been doing this for 15 years.

The hungrier and thirstier they get,
the harder it gets.

Nobody's eating. Yeah?

All right. Just putting it out there.

Water, one each. That's it.

ATC Bucharest just called.

Again?

No, not in an angry way.
They're like bingo callers, these people.

- They just keep on going.
- Aren't you one of these people?

Yes. Which is how I know.

But if we don't talk to them,
this will escalate very quickly.

Okay.

Heidi.

Full manifest from Kingdom Airlines,

all 216 names run through
the police national computer.

Go on.

Only one with any serious convictions.

Attempted murder,
two counts of armed robbery,

released from prison just three weeks ago.

- Name?
- Collins. Jonty Collins. Seat 37C.

One? That's it?

We put far less faith
in the public than that, don't we?

Are you sure there's no one else?

I mean, there are lesser ones.

One for repeated drink driving offenses.

One for trying to take the blame for her
partner's repeated drink driving offenses.

One for VAT fraud.

Yeah, look, did you check everything?

Yes.

Watch list, databases.
Have you gone through all of that?

- I did what you asked me to do.
- Yeah, okay. Thank you.

Water?

- Water?
- Yes, please.

Water, sir?

Do you want some water?

Water, madam?

Still or sparkling?

Water? And you?

Water, please. I'll take some.

- Water?
- Yes.

Water?

Water? Take it, madam.

- Water?
- Put your table down.

Sorry?

Still or sparkling?

- Water?
- I'm okay.

- Which did you see?
- Water?

If it was A, do nothing.

If it was B, and you're sure it's B...

Believe me, I won't.

...turn on your reading light.

I'm good.

Here. Have some.

- Take one.
- Thank you, pass it down.

Water?

Water, anyone?

Yes, I'll take some.

Water?

- I'm not walking.
- No.

We could Boris bike.

No, quite right. I take that back
immediately. No hijacking's worth that.

They really think that's what's happened?

Increasingly.

- What about police escort?
- How long will that take to come?

Fifteen, 20.

And if we did walk?

Ten, 15?

Okay. Right. Yeah.

Come on.

Arthur?

Water? Water, sir?

I think we can all see
what's going on here, can't we?

No need for a reading light.

Not in the middle of the day.

Shall we switch it off?

Are you sure?

Yeah. We're all sure.

Aren't we, girls?

What was all that?

All that moving about back there.

Sorry, it was just a passenger crying.

Just a girl in 23B.

B for blanks.

Tell him he was right.
This changes everything.

Daniel.

I ran all the 216 names through the PNC.

There's only one that comes up
with any sort of serious criminal record.

Yes. I know. Collins.

Collins. Here's the thing.

Five of the names don't come up at all.

There are five passengers on that plane

that fail to register
on any national database.

The passports are valid somehow.

But the five people I've just sent you...

they do not exist.

- Lydia?
- I have to go.

This is it. These are our hijackers.

If everyone on this plane knew what
we know, we could take these guys down.

We could do it right now.

No, Hugo, we have to be smart.

Can't get into a brawl.
It's just you and me.

We can't afford to put
any of the other passengers at risk.

Wait. What? You and me?

- You were the one pushing for this.
- Yeah, I know but I d...

You want to be a part of
everything that happens...

- I did wanna be a part of...
- ...so this is it. Right now, okay?

We isolate one of them,
the most vulnerable one.

We take him out, check his gun
and move on to the next, yes?

Oh, God. Okay.

The old guy at the back, he's got
the most passengers to look after.

There's no one on the other side.
He's isolated.

If we get to him, we take him out.

I just need to grab his medicine.

- Just let...
- No. Sit down.

Get back in your seat.

- I just need to grab...
- I told you, get in your seat.

- I'll be a second.
- What did I say about this bag?

- I've almost got it.
- What did I tell you?

Face the fuck forward. Sit down.

- Can you see that? What's going on?
- I don't know. I can't see.

I fucking told you!

- Don't fucking do that again!
- Oh, my God,

- they're gonna get us all killed.
- Why say that?

- What are they doing?
- Sit down, Lizzy.

You don't say that in front of children.

- Oh, fuck.
- I've gotta teach you a lesson.

- It's all kicking off down there.
- Okay, this is our chance.

I don't think I can...

I don't think I can do it.

I'm gonna teach you a fucking lesson now.

Don't fucking touch it!

Sit down!

Hey, it's okay, babe.
Listen to Daddy, yeah?

Stay calm! Be quiet.

- The fuck are you doing?
- Yeah.

Okay.

- Sit the fuck down!
- Let me go.

Okay.

Oh, fuck.

Leave him alone!

...'cause I can't leave this aisle, can I?

Shut the fuck up!

Do not question me, okay?
Do not try it with me!

None of you...

Sit down! You, sit the fuck down!
Stay down! Sit down!

Sit the fuck down!

All of you, shut the fuck up!

Face forward.

Where is he?

Do not fucking... Stay down! Be quiet!

Shut the fuck up!

None of you fucking try me!

Everyone, stay calm!

Get back in your fucking seat!

Back in your seat.

Everyone, stay calm!

Get out.

Stay down!

What's going on?

Where is she? Your other one.
Where is she, pet?

- Lizzy's gone. Lizzy.
- Little girl, she's gone missing.

- David, get up and look.
- Lizzy!

- ...she? Lizzy!
- Lizzy?

- Please, help me look for her, everybody!
- Has anyone seen my daughter?

- You, get the fuck out of here.
- Lizzy!

It's Lizzy. A little girl. Lizzy.

We know they're blanks.

- She's about this big.
- She's about six years old.

- Lizzy!
- Lizzy! Come out! Now!

- Lizzy! Come on, babe. Lizzy!
- Get down.

Lizzy!

- Lizzy!
- Lizzy. Pet?

Go on. Face forward.

So, go on then. Pull the fucking trigger.