Serengeti (2019–…): Season 2, Episode 6 - Reckoning - full transcript

Many tales
have been told of Africa.

-But this is our story.

A drama set
in the heart of our world,

experienced as we live
and breathe it.

As we fought
for our families,

competition grew fierce.

Armies were built.

Battles waged.

Now we face
the final reckoning.

Here is the last chapter
of this story in a place
they call Serengeti.

In our land,
lives are determined
by the whim of others.



In these moments,
our fate is decided.

Each day,
the great herds journey far
just to quench their thirst.

Gnu is among them,

blissfully unaware
of what lurks below.

Gnu escapes,
but others won't.

In the mayhem,
mothers and calves
must stay together.

Gnu survives this test.

He found his mother, too.

Shani and her foal
also made it back.

But the river
is still calling.

Soon, the herds will return
as their moment
of reckoning arrives.

The great
river crossing awaits.

For one young gazelle,
the worst
has already happened.

Tamu's mother was killed
by the black-maned lions.



Now, his only company
are those he passes.

A lonely fawn
has few friends.

♪ Lookin' round ♪

♪ But there's no one ♪

♪ I need you now ♪

♪ So don't be gone ♪

Tamu has many enemies.

He has gained
both speed and experience.

But without his mother
to shield him,

Tamu is fair game
for every passing predator.

There is no greater threat
to the young and innocent

than a river
that must be crossed.

From far and wide,
the herds are gathering.

Above the fray,
life for the baboons has
taken a turn for the better.

Especially for Bakari.

The rival males
have settled into the troop.

Chaka is no longer threatened.

And she and Bibi
have made peace.

But there's plenty to disturb
their newfound harmony.

With the migration surging,
the herds are everywhere.

Fine when
you're above it all.

Not so peaceful
when you come to ground.

He's facing an invasion.

Where Bakari leads,
the others go, too.

Chaka must consider her baby.

She'll pick her moment.

But they're everywhere.

And still they come.

Bakari must find his troop
safe refuge,

far from the chaos.

Tamu is in the thick of it,

away from the herd
to which he belongs.

Here, orphans are easily lost.

And sometimes found.

♪ Young and free ♪

♪ May all your dreams
run deep ♪

♪ Won't let nobody hurt you ♪

♪ Keep you safe ♪

♪ You deserve all it takes ♪

♪ Won't let nobody hurt you ♪

He will never find
his mother.

But he will find family...

And company his own image.

He'll need their protection.
Threats are everywhere.

The cheetahs still depend on
their mother for everything.

While Duma was lost and alone,
he struggled to survive.

He still relies on Aiyisha
to catch a meal...

And just plays at hunting.

He must show that
he can hunt for real.

And keep focus.

For Aiyisha, a gazelle herd
is rich in opportunities.

An orphaned fawn?
Almost too easy.

Once more,
Aiyisha takes the lead.

But she's misjudged him.

Tamu doesn't make it easy.

His agility saved him.

Aiyisha hasn't fared so well.

The twists and turns
took their toll.

The great huntress is wounded.

And just like that, suddenly,
her cubs must hunt
for themselves.

We all must face
our own rite of passage.

For the zebras,
that time
is fast-approaching.

They're on the move once more.

Shani's foal
stays close to his mother.

His whole life
has led to this moment.

Today, they must
cross the river.

The waters are rising.

And enemies wait
in its depths.

Where there's danger,
Punda, their stallion,
goes first.

Shani's foal
needs all the protection
he can give.

Punda tests the waters.

The foal's fate rests
on what he finds.

If all goes well,
they must be ready to follow.

They are wise to wait.

Punda is already in
too deep...

Although still alert
to danger.

They must find
a safer place to cross.

With Aiyisha injured,
Duma's life has changed again.

His protector is now
in his care.

A terrible time
for an old foe to appear.

Duma outwitted Kali
when he was lost and alone.

Now he has a wounded mother
to defend.

He stands his ground,
ready to fight.

But Kali has
a more troubling enemy.

Askari, leader
of the black-maned males,
is following her.

He could kill Duma
with just one swipe.

But to Askari,
the cub is irrelevant.

He took down Sefu,
a lion from Kali's pride.

And he's been tracking Kali
ever since.

She's luring him away
from her cubs and followers.

He may be feared by most,
but Kali doesn't seem
to fear him now.

What's changed?

For now, he can stay,
but on her terms.

Kali seems in control.

But some things
are beyond her control.

Askari may be feared,

but the buffalo
see an opportunity.

For Kali, the chance
to escape from Askari.

But does she want to?

Shani is seeking
a safer crossing point
for her foal and family.

Other families
are already crossing.

They have no foal
to care for.

Shani will wait...

See how
the other families fare.

All seems fine.

And her foal will be safer
in the midst of a throng.

But no crossing
is without risk.

The sound is an invitation
to a feast.

Stragglers pay the price.

Shani and her foal
have far to go.

But where there is
one crocodile,
there are many.

Shani keeps her foal close.
Crocodiles pick their moment.

And if they miss,
move on.

But it's not over
for the foal.

He meets
an immovable object.

There are plenty more.

And they can appear
from nowhere.

Attack is often
the best defense.

He survived
his rite of passage.

Shani's family faced
their moment of truth.

All overcame.

Lush new pastures
will be their reward.

Today, the elephants
won't be facing the crossing.

Instead, it's playtime.

Kadogo is at the center
of it all.

The games end when Nalla,
the great matriarch, decides.

Kali has allowed Askari
to follow...

always keeping him
one step behind.

Foes making peace
or something more?

Kali broke the rules.

She had her cubs with a lion
from outside her pride.

Askari was that lion.

Her journey has taken her
full circle.

She's back with
the father of her cubs.

Nalla will always
protect her family.

Even Askari won't
take elephants on alone.

And for the new couple...

There are far better things
to do.

All our lives are guided
by chance and by the seasons.

It's time for the wildebeest
to leave, too.

As numbers build,
the pressure to move on
becomes overwhelming.

Gnu and his mother
are trapped in the throng.

As the herds move,
so must they.

Gnu's mother is first to see
what lies ahead.

A near vertical drop.

One too steep for Gnu.

But the river must be crossed.

And pressure's growing
from behind.

Gnu and his mother
will wait if they can.

But they can't wait
for long.

Tempers are frayed.

For Gnu,
it's now or never.

He made it this far.

But it's just the beginning.

The deadly river
is waiting.

As we grow, we prepare
for our defining moment,
whenever it might be.

Aiyisha is wounded
and unable to hunt.

To save his mother,
Duma must grow up fast.

Even walking has become
a burden.

Chasing prey
will be impossible.

Aiyisha needs to rest.

Her leg is troubling her.

The cubs will comfort her.

And let the prey come to them.

Will Duma seize the moment?

He leads the charge.

Aiyisha will go hungry
once more.

Duma had the power,
but not the focus.

If the cubs can't hunt,
and neither can their mother,

none of them will survive.

For the wildebeest,
their moment of reckoning
has arrived.

Nothing is more dangerous
or claims more lives.

Gnu is still waiting
with his mother...

As the frontrunners
take the plunge.

It's good to go early,
before the pressure builds.

For Gnu,
it's a leap into the unknown.

Anything can happen.

Crocodiles seek out
the young.

But the herd acts
as a shield...

And sometimes,
a deadly decoy.

As numbers build,
every crocodile can feast.

Gnu, as always,
stays close to his mother.

This time,
she's the target.

One too strong
to take down.

The most dangerous time
is when the end is in sight.

And Gnu is on his own.

It's not over,
saved on a whim...

And Gnu's determination
to survive.

But he needs his mother.

She's still
out there somewhere.

In the panic,
escape from one danger
leads to another.

But even crocodiles
are struggling.

Gnu can wait,
but more are coming.

The herds seem never-ending.

How can he find his mother
in this?

Where does he even
start to look?

He can't fight this tide.

No one can.

Wherever he goes,
another crush point.

The smallest
are in the greatest danger.

While they struggle,
still more are joining
from behind.

Gnu must find a way out...

A way to save his life.

Climb on their backs
right to freedom.

Freed from the masses,
he finds a way through.

But still,
no sign of his mother.

He has a heartbeat
to decide.

Leave her
or go back and find her.

For the cheetahs, life is also
becoming desperate.

Aiyisha still
isn't hunting-ready.

To survive,
her cubs must provide.

Duma must meet his moment.

He's first to see the prey.

A topi calf is well-chosen.

He did it all on his own.

If he can hunt,
they're not only safe...

So is their mother.

It's a meal
that saved her life.

It may not be much,
but more will follow.

And the mother
of this budding hunter
will soon recover.

At the river crossing,
the herds have long moved on.

One lone figure
is still searching.

Only those who didn't
escape the crush remain.

Does his mother lie
among them?

There's no sign of life
at all.

But hope lives.

His mother was searching, too.

Together, they will continue
their journey,

as the herds have done
since our land was born.

As the multitudes leave,

our land is given back
to those that remain.

Bakari has taken his troop
to the one place
he considers home.

Baboon Rock.

A safe haven from the dramas
of the plains below.

He has reason
to be content.

His youngsters are safe
and secure.

And harmony
has been restored.

For now, they'll enjoy
the calm before the storm
that will surely come.

Soon, the seasons
will change again

and new challenges
will arrive.

Our world is ever-changing.

New life will be born
as others pass on.

Already there are surprises
in store.

Kali and her followers
have finally found
their own safe home.

Askari has been allowed
to stay as their protector.

And there's more.

Kali has had new cubs
with a lion
the pride once feared.

In our land,
where all life connects,
there's no good or bad.

Just families
striving to succeed.

As a world far away
brings change,

we will need
all our resilience to survive.

♪ Wild ones ♪

♪ We run free ♪

♪ This golden land
Beneath the sky ♪

♪ Is all we ever need ♪

♪ This home where
We live and die ♪

♪ The Serengeti ♪