Queen Sono (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - I Am Queen Sono - full transcript

Fred, are you there?

I've got you, Queen.

Wait for my signal.

- Hi.
- Ah, welcome. Hi.

A traveler?

Yes. This place is quite good.

Oh, I see.

Is it the beginning of your journey
or the end?

I certainly hope it's not the end.

Ah. Thank you very much.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.



I've just received information

that the Superior Solutions
senior operative

has just arrived at Emerson Spice.

This is a simple data grab.

It should be pretty straightforward,
Queen.

Our flight leaves in two hours.

We're suspending your activities for now.

Suspending my activities?

Do you know how many people
are relying on those weapons, chief?

What the fuck am I supposed to tell them?

That's him.

The information we are looking for
is inside the laptop and the mobile phone.

You should be close enough
for the R.E.D. to work.

Hang tight.



You want me to tell Boko Haram
and Al-Shabaab to hang tight?

Are you fucking crazy?

Do you mind keeping it down?

What is this shit all about anyway?

Where's my regular white guy?

Did you hear what happened to Roelof?

Yesterday morning,
right in the middle of Lagos headquarters.

They say a woman...

just walked into the office
in the middle of the day.

From the sound of it,

- it's gonna be a closed casket.
- Jesus.

Whoever did this is a professional.

Mazet?

When are you coming to church?

Church?

But I told you
I was helping out a friend right now.

With what?

You know, she's moving her stuff
into a new house.

The movers are here now.
The truck that is helping us move is here.

They just brought it.

- Oh, my goodness. I thought we...
- Okay, I love you.

- I'll phone you back, bye. Bye.
- No, Queen.

What does Davenport say?

Davenport says what I say.

Tell them
that we still believe in their cause,

but they need to hang tight.

Shit. This is not good.

They seem to be using some kind of
advanced signal-blocking technology.

So, again I have to resort
to manual labor, Fred.

No, Queen,
you need to get out of there now.

Queen?

Fred, I've got the goods.

Okay, listen carefully,
there's a man coming for the car.

Just give him the keys.

For what car?

This car?

But I'm inside the car.

Please tell me you did not sell the car.

Fred, just trust me.

We don't need the car.

Are you okay? Are you okay?

Can you breathe?

Forgive me, my daughter.

Here! Here!

- Fuck.
- Here!

- Queen? Queen, are you okay?
- Relax, I got this.

Queen, you better start sharing
that getaway plan.

Hi, ma'am.

Uh-uh. I don't like trouble.

Please leave.

Mama, please.

Leave! Go!

- Go away!
- Please, mama.

♪ Credit my maker
Take a trip to see Jamaica ♪

♪ Marley spirit with the paper ♪

♪ Back to Zion, that's the nature
Africa the new America ♪

♪ I hope her role is permanent
And this I put my pen in it ♪

♪ Got my land and my permit with it
Bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh ♪

♪ Greatness in me
You can't make me feel less ♪

♪ Less hold, I'm not impressed
Best mode ♪

♪ Got my Afro like an empress ♪

♪ Great state I'm in
In all states I'm in ♪

♪ I might final form
In my melanin ♪

♪ Great state I'm in
In all states I'm in ♪

♪ I might final form
In my melanin ♪

♪ Great state I'm in
In all states I'm in ♪

♪ I might final form
In my melanin ♪

♪ Great state I'm in
In all states I'm in ♪

♪ I might final form
In my melanin ♪

- ♪ Black power ♪
- ♪ Louder ♪

- ♪ Black power ♪
- ♪ Louder ♪

- ♪ Black power ♪
- ♪ Louder ♪

Queen, you can't keep doing this.

That car was government property.

I do not like corruption,
and I'm tired of vouching for you.

Oh, I see.

I know what the problem is.

I never gave you a cut.

I don't want a part
of your ill-gotten gains.

You didn't have a problem
with this ill-gotten upgrade

to business class, bitch.

May I offer you some champagne?

Thank you.

Look...

I risk my life
to catch these bad and powerful people.

At the end of this job,

do you think I can go to my apartment
and just chill there

and wait for them to come and get me?

No.

I have to disappear.

Only the South African president
and the Head of State Security

know that we even exist.

If anything happens to us
on these missions,

we are gonna be lucky
to even get a decent funeral.

- It doesn't make sense.
- I know, right?

The arms that they reported missing
to different governments and authorities?

It doesn't add up.

They are telling everybody
a different story.

This general ledger
has all the transactions.

This is a gold mine of intel.

Well done, Queen.

We just got a cash injection
of 100 million pounds.

Whoa. Where did they get that from?

Look at the signature on this contract.

"Elton Davenport."

Who's that?

That's what we need to find out.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we are approaching Johannesburg
O.R. Tambo International Airport.

If you are disembarking in Johannesburg,
please enjoy your stay.

Today marks the 25th anniversary

of Struggle hero Safiya Sono's death.

There are several events
around the country to mark the tragic day.

This coincides with yet another bid

to grant Sono's killer, Hendrikus Strydom,
medical parole.

But I already told you, I am from Malawi.

I'm the only one who earns a living.

If they deport me, my family will starve.

Let me see your permit.

Hello, Ma.

It's nice to see you keeping well,
Miss Sono.

Thanks, Ma. I'm happy to see you, too.

Access granted.

Long live Comrade Safiya.

Long live.

Yeah, I'll talk to him.
I've got a meeting with him later.

Oh, thank you.

Nice for you to finally join us,
Queen Sono.

Sorry, ma'am.
Did I... Did I miss roll call?

Oh. Sorry. Present.

Oh, you think this is funny?

You cost us a valuable point of contact
into Superior Solutions,

and for all we know,
your cover might be blown.

I'm so confused.

Did we not just risk our lives
and bring back some very valuable intel?

Lord knows how many vehicles

you've... "lost"
in the past six months alone.

With your history,
I better not find any misconduct, Sono.

Miri, why don't you just spit it out?

Well, if you insist.

You lack the requisite subtlety
for international espionage.

You know what? I'm not going to partake

in this
pull-a-sister-down-in-the-workplace crap.

That's enough.

Both of you.

Should I go...

Now, with all due respect,

can we please focus on
the fucking task at hand?

They're a private security company.

They're supplying state-of-the-art arms
to terror groups.

Why put yourself at risk
when you've just received

two billion rands in investments?

Where'd they get the money?

They could be getting the money
from anywhere.

Africa is getting robbed,
and they're the getaway car.

What do you have on that so-called CEO?

Elton Davenport.

British national.

Did a stint at the Royal Air Force,
and deep connections on the continent,

and lots of friends who are presidents
and military men.

Well, find out where he is.

We've gotta get close to him.
Anything else on the agenda?

Um, yes. A new terror alert.

A group calling themselves the, um...

"Watu Wema Brigade."

We think they're East African.

"Watu Wema" is Swahili for "good people."

They've torched some churches in Uganda
and they plan to, listen to this:

"Liberate Africa
from the white man's religion

and the clutches of colonization."

- Any casualties?
- None yet.

Okay, let's keep an eye on them.

Sono?

All right. Work aside, I know this period
has always been hard for you,

what with the anniversary and all,
and parole stuff,

so... if you need anything...

Just some consistency would be nice.

If you're going to be a bitch,
just be a bitch, you know?

- Commit.
- Q, Come on.

That was work.

Uh-huh.

Fuck you, too.

Okay, pass it on to National Intelligence.

It's more their speed.

Sono?

Good work out there.

A bit messy, but you got good intel.

Miri didn't think so.

She's just doing her job.

Anyway, how are you holding up?

I didn't see you
at the park-naming ceremony.

You know I don't go to those things.

Yeah, good, keep a low profile.

Anyway, you didn't miss much.

The plaque was terrible,
the face looked nothing like your mother.

And then, of course, there was Malunga,
setting himself up for re-elections.

Have you heard from your father?

No.

Well, neither have I. Look...

you know you can come to me

if you've got any shit to talk through,
right?

I mean, you've been out there
for six months non-stop

and I know how rough it can get out there.

So, promise me you're getting
that psych evaluation today?

Yes.

Yes, what?

Yes, I'm gonna get the psych evaluation
today.

Hell... if your mother knew the shit
I'm having you do here,

she would cut off my bloody head.

Well, you don't have to worry because,
unlike her,

I will not be dying for people
I don't even know.

It's not something someone does
in their old age.

Unless that someone is you, right?

How long can you lead a double life? Hmm?

Rookie!

What up, Viljoen?

There she is.

In the flesh.

Looking good.

Hey, keep it down.
People are trying to work here.

- Then roll up faster, Viljoen.
- Coming in.

What the hell?

I see you're still alive. It's a miracle.

- Oh, come here.
- Okay, personal space, personal space.

I see you're still half the man
you used to be.

That's hilarious.

Well, that bullet-dodging life
is over for me, rookie.

I have made peace with this fucking chair.

Ah. And, uh, tell me, how's the sex life?

I get a lot of sympathy fucks, so...

Oh, that's good. Good for you.

I see we're still spying on
the nation's president.

Oh, yeah. He's got new masters now.
This time, it's the Greeks.

Thanks to him, the Christopoulos brothers
have got their fat little fingers

on every government contract
this side of the Limpopo River.

They're into our State coffers
like little fat flies on pieces of shit.

Like two bloody Mozambican mosquitoes

- sucking juices...
- I get it, I get it.

- You got it?
- Yeah, I got it.

We're going to get him this time.
Mark my words.

Rock and roll, brother.

All right, people, listen up.

♪ Everything I do, they wanna do ♪

♪ They wanna do ♪

♪ Everything I say, they wanna say
They wanna say... ♪

Hey, excuse me.
You don't have an appointment.

♪ They wanna do ♪

♪ Everything I say, they wanna say ♪

Aah!

- I got you.
- Well done.

You can't sneak up on me.

Tell me,
when are you getting a new receptionist?

- Oh, give her a break, man. Come on.
- Mm.

Come on. Hmm?

Okay, I see you.

- You look awesome.
- Oh.

Did you look this awesome
about a month ago?

Oh, wow. This is a first.

That's not fair.

Vegan cleanse must be working.

Vegan what?

Oh, yeah. Nova's got me
on this fucking vegan cleanse.

Imagine.

Wow, okay, no, she has definitely
bewitched you because, my friend...

you love meat.

When do I get to meet her?

It's shocking
that I still haven't met her.

Oh. Since when did you care about
my girlfriends?

Listen,
you two are always traveling anyway,

- so it's really difficult, you know?
- She lives in Cape Town, right?

Yeah. Actually, uh...

she moved in with me.

Oh.

Okay.

Um, but since when did you become
the type to just rush into things?

I mean, it's been four months,
you know, so...

Damn.

Four months just ain't what it used to be.

Okay. How about this?

- I will come tonight...
- Ooh.

...so that we can do a proper... you know?

No, no, not tonight. I can't do tonight,
we've got a thing.

- A thing?
- Yeah, a thing.

Ooh. I like things.

Holy shit.

You're gonna ask her to...

Don't be crazy.

Then what's the big deal?
Why can't you tell me?

What does it matter what I'm doing
with my girlfriend tonight? Come on, man.

I shouldn't be so bothered
about what you and your "girlfriend"

are doing in your private time. I'm sorry.

You know you just did air quotes
when you said "girlfriend," right?

What are you up to?
What are you doing for money?

Oh. I have been buying and selling art,
and it's really working out for me.

I'm very happy for you.

It really hurts me
that you don't believe me.

I bailed you out of jail at the age of 16.

Tell me the truth, man.

I think it's a good time
to change the subject again.

As you please.

So, I need you to write me another letter
saying that I'm not crazy.

What are you involved in now?

Eh...

Okay, it's probably better
that I don't know, right?

"To whom it may concern"?

You know what? I'm just gonna change
the date on the last letter.

Yeah.

So, how are you dealing
with all the parole stuff?

I'm not.

You think they'll release him?

No.

I mean, every year... it comes to this

and everyone is asking the same question.

And every single year,
he doesn't get released.

My advice?

It's okay. Don't worry about it.

Well...

I really think you should go see him.

It will give you some sort of closure...

William, not you too, dude.

Okay?

I don't know what it is,

but everyone who knows
that I'm Safiya Sono's daughter

suddenly feels the need, on this day,

to give me
their Safiya Sono tidbits of wisdom,

and I really don't need them.

I really don't need them, okay?

I just can't wait for this day to be over.

The guy's dying, Queen.

Isn't that closure enough to know
that he's rotting in prison?

Come on, William. Jeez, dude.

Mm.

Dr. Chakala, this is great work.

Now, I think it's been long enough,
and you should give me a call

when you're ready
to introduce me to your girlfriend.

Just look at this.

They don't look after our graveyards.

But if you go to the white areas,
everything is neat.

Not like this.

You say that every year.

And you.

Why were you not
at the park-naming ceremony?

You have no idea how beautiful it was.

Even that
good-for-nothing president was there.

And people like him steal everything.

They will run away
with your mother's name.

They can do whatever they want.

I don't really care.

Queeny, how many times must I tell you?
It's not always about what you like.

Sometimes,
it's about what needs to be done.

Both you and your father were not there,

and that thing was to honor
the memory of your mother.

I don't have the memory of my mother.

Stop with that nonsense!
Just open this.

Safiya.

Safiya Sono,

mother of my granddaughter,

they gave up on you but you're my savior.

We know that your spirit
is not resting in peace.

Let your spirit guide this child.

They want to release your killer, Safiya,

but promise us not to lose hope
until the truth is out.

Take this.

No, I don't know how to speak
to dead people.

Oh.

You...

You are running away from yourself.

Let's go.

Safiya Sono's killer,
Hendrikus Strydom,

is again being evaluated
for medical parole.

People are saying he has served his time

and should be allowed to die in peace.

What do you say?

We are joined later in the studio
by Nana Rakau,

acclaimed businesswoman and Struggle icon.

Khulumani FM 102.9. Keeping you talking.

Yeah.

Nana is fighting really hard
to put that monster in prison.

She was on the news, putting pressure
on both the justice minister

and the president.

Sounds like
she's getting back into politics.

Because this is all nonsense.

They’re obviously just fishing for votes.
Don’t believe anything they say.

Oh, come on, Queeno. You know what?

You are too negative.

I told you.
You are running away from yourself.

This woman is nothing but nice to you.

Who do you think carried you
from that bloody murder scene, eh?

You were just five years old.

What?

Should I drive?

Oh, piss off. Damn it!
Just get over yourself.

Umama is the best thing

that ever happened
to my good-for-nothing son.

If they grant that racist criminal parole,

oh, bad things will happen
to this country, I'm telling you.

Promise me you will not let that happen,
Queeno?

But what can I do Mazet, really?

Uyazi, after all these years,
akikhona.

I still don't believe that criminal
was working alone.

Kodwake, one day, the truth will come out.

Tea is ready, my dear.

- You know, Ma...
- from when I was little...

...you've never served tea
in that nice tea set that sits at the top.

You've never served me or anyone,
including yourself.

No, my child. You see, that one...

is for special occasions.

No. Mm-mm.

Here's my ghost of a father.
I wonder how he is.

It's him.

Mazet, can I please have
a very important conversation with you?

What?

I am very worried about you.

I'd like to take you to the doctor...

because I know
you won't go yourself, and you need to.

I can see your eyes
are filled with cataracts,

and you like being on the road.

You're literally driving blind.

Why do you want to waste money?

Taking me to the doctor...
I'm going to die soon.

And also...

why do I need eyes?

I've seen everything
in this world. No, thank you.

Mm.

Oh, let me see.

You know, your father and Sidwell
were like this.

They were like brothers.

Is this Malunga?

It's him, definitely.

You know, my child...

it's hard to remember them
as freedom fighters.

Because they ended up
everywhere, all over the world.

Who's that? Oh, yes.

Nana's little girl.

What is her name again?

Miri.

Miriro.

Ow.

I wonder where she ended up.

Who knows?

Well, Queen...

do you know what I would love?

A great-grandchild.

If you give me that, oh,

I'll serve you tea
in the nicest cups I have.

That means that I'm never gonna get tea
in the nicest cups you have.

You don't have a boy.
Ah! How about William?

Uh, he's a little bit gay.

That can be fixed, can't it?

Mazet, you can't say that.

There's nothing wrong with gay people,
so they don't need fixing.

And William is not gay,
but that's beside the point.

Okay, I'm really sorry,
my child. Please forgive me, okay?

Wow.

Queeny, listen...

I've lived for a very long time.

And I've seen a lot of things
in this world.

Now, I want...

you and me, you know...

let us talk, my child.

Girl to girl. Mm?

Okay.

Are you a prostitute?

What?

Then tell me.
Where do you work?

No, I'm not a prostitute.

I'm not a prostitute.

I got you.

Stop! Stop!

Listen here, whoever you are...

we don't want any trouble.
We're here for business.

We're ready to give you some diamonds
for you to walk away.

The diamonds are not yours to give.

- What?
- The diamonds are not yours to give.

Fuck you!

Comrades, you are now free.

Free to use the abundant riches
of your land,

to help yourselves and your villages.

Instead of using the wealth
meant for your children...

to enrich the rest of the world.

We are Watu Wema.

We fight for Africa.

For our service in your struggle...

we only ask for a small portion...

of the valuable gem
you pull from the earth.

We only take what we need
for our survival.

If you think that is unfair...

you may come find us,
but rest assured, my brothers,

we will be ready.

If you want to liberate your fellow men,
however...

feel free to join us.

- Watu Wema, man.
- Hey!

- Because of Congo, man.
- Hey!

- We will kill them.
- Hey!

- Because of Africa, man.
- Hey!

- Yeah?
- Sono,

did you get a clean psych evaluation?

Yes.

We've located Davenport.

You and Fred
are on the next flight to Harare.

Good luck.

Oh, my God.

What are the chances?

Queen?

Hey.

You... You... You look great.

You must be Nova.

Gosh, you are very, very beautiful.

Thank you.

Yes, babe, this...
This is Queen.

I must have told you about her?

Well, I have heard a lot about you.

- So, would you like...
- Yes, a chair. Grab a chair.

Oh, do you... Do you mind?

Uh, are you sure?
I wouldn't wanna intrude.

Oh, no, I mean... Sit.

Thank you.

Excuse me,
can I please have a glass of red?

So, tell me,

where did you guys meet?

- High school.
- High school.

Wow.

That long?

Yes.

Queen is here selling art.
She's an art dealer, right?

So, uh, what kind of art do you deal?

Um, I dabble with a little bit
of everything. I enjoy it all.

What is it that you do?

We never really got around
to talking about that.

Well, I'm a researcher at the World Bank.

Ooh.

Drowning Africa in debt.

Uh...

Well, that's not true and, I mean,
we've helped Africa a lot.

Well, I was definitely joking

because I'm not trying to get into
that type of debate.

We'll be here the whole night, so...

So, tell me, uh, William,

how did you guys get to know each other?

She... She and I went to school together
for what, a year, a year and a bit?

Um... And then she was shipped off
to some private school, you know.

I wasn't very good
at the whole school thing, you know?

Uh, the rules and all that. Ugh.

So, they asked me to leave.

I think pretty much every school
I went to asked me to leave eventually.

But we still kept in contact.

Nova, so did William ever tell you
about his life as a rapper?

No.

See, now this, I need to hear.

What was the name of your group again?

What?

- The Punches.
- No.

- Yes, everybody was just...
- Oh, my goodness.

...rolling with The Punches.

Ugh. I can't believe you still
remember that. Oh, my word.

You know,
if it wasn't for her paying my tuition,

I would still be wearing a do-rag
looking for a record deal. I kid you not.

You... You paid for his tuition?

- It was just one year.
- Yeah.

♪ Eight, nine, ten...
♪ Eleven ♪

♪ Eleven, 12, 13 ♪

- So...
- Mm-hm?

Did you guys fuck?

Bye.

Cheers.

William, William, William...

baby, you know, you forgot to tell me
you have a beautiful, hot friend

who actually played a very pivotal role
in making sure you got a great education.

Sure, baby, you need to be careful, eh?

Seems like, uh, early-onset dementia.

Look after you, baby man.

I really care.

- Auntie Nana?
- Queen.

Yeah, you know, the parole board
has decided to release Hendrikus

because of age and frailty.

You know, I tried everything I could do.

Let's let it go, my baby.

And the reason
I'm telling you now is because...

I didn't think
you should hear it from the press

or read about it or see it everywhere.

Let's put this behind us, my baby.

It's all okay. Bye-bye.

Are you new?

Don't you know,
no one enters my place uninvited.

For a man
who is supposedly dying,

you've got really good core strength.

Who the fuck are you?

I got it.

You're my going-away present from the...

head warden. Nice, yeah.

It's a bit early, uh?
I haven't had breakfast yet.

Guard! Guard!

Phew.

Just breathe.

It is a really nice place you've got here.

Oh, fuck, I knew...

I knew they'd never let me
get out of here alive.

Fuck.

Look...

me, I just want to talk.

Just talk to me and...

maybe I'll give you a chance to live.

Just tell me what happened that day.

I've said it all. It's all on record.

Now...

if you want to leave here alive today...

you're going to tell me again...

very slowly.

I staked out the park.

She would come there with a child...
most days.

I'd sit on a park bench.

It must have been
a workday because it was quiet.

I fired the shot.

Last thing I remember
is her lifeless body over the bench.

And who were you working with?

Uh... I worked alone.

It was my duty.

My God-given duty to my country.

To protect it from that terrorist
and her kind.

Except...

they weren't on the bench that day.

And the shot came out of a moving car.

Why are you lying?

You weren't even there that day, were you?

Who are you?

I am Queen Sono.

♪ Come alive ♪

♪ We've come alive ♪

♪ Come alive ♪

♪ We've come alive ♪