Southcliffe (2013–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - The Hollow Shore - full transcript
David Whitehead, an international television reporter, returns to his home town of Southcliffe in the wake of a major tragedy. Reclusive handy-man Stephen Morton, known as the Commander and carer to an elderly mother, has gone on a motiveless killing spree. Some time before the event Stephen had befriended Chris Cooper, a young soldier returned from Afghanistan, claiming a common military background. Stephen takes the lad on military manoeuvres though Chris is perturbed by the older man's excessive zeal, especially when he is injured by Stephen, which ends the friendship. Later Chris's family beat him up and he realizes that he is being reviled. This tips him over the edge and he embarks on his murderous spree, his first victim being his mother.
...privileged to count chief reporter
David Whitehead as a colleague.
David has a very personal
connection to Southcliffe.
He was born and grew up there.
It's a place about which he cares
deeply
and he knows many of those directly
involved in the recent tragic events.
We go over to him now
live at the town centre
for a unique perspective.
I come from this place.
A sleepy little English market town.
People don't commit mass murder
in a town like this.
Close-knit, law-abiding community.
Uncomplicated souls...
good folk...
Anglo-Saxon England.
That's what it says on your
television.
Is that what you think you are?
It isn't what I remember.
It's not what I see now.
'On behalf of
the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
'at 12.05 on Monday
31st October 2011.
'There are warnings of gales
in Shannon, Rockall, Malin,
'Hebrides, Bailey, Faeroes
and South East Iceland.
'The general synopsis at midnight...'
What you got in there then?
It's treasure.
Can I take a look?
'..The area forecast for the next
24 hours,
'Viking, North Utsire, south-easterly
five to seven, rain or showers,
'good, occasionally poor.
'South Utsire, southerly four
or five,
'backing south-easterly five or six,
'moderate, occasionally poor...'
I want my bag back.
Yeah.
I want my bag.
'...part of their life
for many, many years to come.
'This is a tool that will help them
become more comfortable with
electronics.
'For Mom and Dad to feel secure that
it's a great learning tool for them
'and the kids are gonna have some fun
at the same time.
'Exactly.
I want to introduce you to Cassie...'
Mr Morton!
Mr Morton, are you there?
Woman from the council
is looking for you.
OK. Thanks, Miss Price.
Urgent business, is it?
Maybe.
Our regiment has strong community
links with Southcliffe.
On the war memorial are the names
of the departed who served before us.
We must remember those soldiers
who lost their lives
fighting on our behalf.
Yet when you're out there,
you sometimes don't feel you're
getting much respect from back home.
But here, seeing this, it shows
people appreciate what we're doing.
Welcome home, lads.
♪..You'd better change it back
or we will both be sorry
♪ Don't you want me, baby?
♪ Don't you want me, oh-oh-oh?
♪ Don't you want me, baby?
♪ Don't you want me, oh-oh-oh? ♪
Cheers, mate.
How did you get on out there?
I know what it's like.
Been there myself.
Right.
Northern Ireland, Afghanistan.
Yeah?
Well, you're the don, ain't you?
I'm a what?
D'you wanna take me home?
Eh?
Lead the way.
I'm driving.
I think that's probably best.
Fuck off!
Fuck off!
I know, but I'm proud.
I'm glad you are. Weird!
I didn't put up any decorations
for you or anything
cos I just thought you would've had
enough of all of it.
No, I love it. Yeah?
Yeah. It's home, innit?
Yeah.
I think you should go and take
a nice hot shower.
'It's a river, I told you.
'Paxman would have got this by now.
He would have done.
'Do you think Paxman
would have sat next...?'
I asked three fucking nurses
to help me with my back.
Not one did it in the end.
Not one cleaned up my shit.
Don't let 'em beast you, mate.
We'll come through all right.
They crash about with their trolleys
and stuff. Every bang sets me off.
Nurse, we need some assistance
here, please.
What's the problem?
He needs painkillers.
You've had your painkillers.
Well, he needs more.
The pain team will be back on
in a couple of hours.
I'll make sure someone talks
to them then.
A couple of hours?
A word.
They say my military career's over.
That's bollocks.
Now, you're going to rest up, get
fit and get out of this shithole.
Back to fucking Helmand.
All right, mate.
He can't stay on this ward with
civilians.
We don't have a military section.
It's full of old people.
Your friend's already on
the highest dosage of painkillers.
You know, sometimes these things
can be more in the head.
That's fucking outrageous.
I used to dream of that.
Yeah?
No, you're all right.
It's on the commander.
Cheers, Jimmy.
Chris.
Stephen.
Commander?
Yeah, they use it as a joke.
They think it's funny.
But they don't know, do they?
Afghanistan, you said.
Special ops.
No way. The regiment?
Yeah, I was a lot fitter back then.
I bet you've got some stories.
Hmm.
I was with Andy McNab and his boys
out in the Gulf.
Gulf War? You're not old enough
for that, are you?
Oh, I'm old enough, all right.
You come through it OK then?
Yeah, I did.
Some didn't, though.
Don't get it, do they, civilians?
No.
Not even your wife, really.
Steady.
No disrespect.
You're right, though. They don't get
it. Best fun you can have, innit?
It was... shit, obviously,
but combat...
Ain't nothing like it.
What are you going to do
with 38 days?
This and that.
Rest up, go nuts.
You fancy a bit of basic training.
You know, keep fit, that sort of
thing...
let me know.
I gotta go.
Well, it was nice talking to you,
Christopher.
All right, Stephen.
Oh!
That's it, Mum.
- Come on now.
- Claire?
There we are.
What's going on?
Hello, Stephen.
There we are.
What's wrong? Stephen...
- No, you'll hurt her.
- Ow!
It's fine, Stephen.
Give over, Claire.
You're hurting her.
Lean on me.
Don't touch her hair.
Why don't you get some fresh sheets?
And a nightie.
Yeah.
I feel like a dead pigeon.
There you are, Mother.
I met ten-year-old Latifah,
who had made the dangerous journey
from Afghanistan alone.
Her parents had paid a high price
in the hope that she could find
a better life in the West.
She's already tried more than ten
times to climb into lorries
in her bid to get to England.
I couldn't have asked for it better.
If she was an actress,
she wouldn't have done it better.
Yeah, yeah! Thank you, you beautiful
immigrant woman,
with your real tears
and your real pain.
Fuck you, CNN!
Eh? Fuck John Simpson.
Madge the Vag.
Hello, John
Simpson's phone. Can I help, please?
Ah, yeah.
I'll just see if he's free.
Hey, give it here.
Hey, Madge.
Thank you. I know.
Yeah, I know. Poor kids.
Yeah, I was thinking maybe
we could do a follow-up
and see about those kids
that didn't make it in.
Yeah?
Oh, well, have a think.
All right, thanks again, Madge.
OK, take care.
She loves me!
I should go.
The world's a shitty place.
You're just knackered, mate.
You want one for the road?
Christ, David.
I'll get a cab.
See you tomorrow.
David?
You're on your way back, I guess.
I watched the news.
Well done, you.
See you after you've decompressed.
Bye now.
It's beautiful up here.
I did a lot of my training round
here.
The SAS got a camp about three or
four mile down that road.
Go see 'em if you want.
Yeah, you could get us in now?
A cup of tea, swap a few old stories.
That'd be great.
Get them to put you on isolation
training. See how you do.
You never know,
if you impress them...
SAS?
I think... I think Lou might have
a few words to say about that.
She doesn't need to know, does she?
There you go, Mum.
Mum?
What do you reckon?
I'm gonna have to drop the flue
liner down her, mate.
Yeah, really?
Yeah.
Yeah, it's gonna be messy.
She's an old chimney.
How much is that gonna cost me?
I don't know. I'll ask around.
Yeah, you do that, Commander.
What's wrong with that baby?
It's nothing. It's what they do.
Yeah?
You know the gate I fixed for you
a while back?
Yes, mate.
Oh! Right, yeah, course.
Sorry, I owe you...75, right?
Well, no. 100, you said.
Did I? Yeah.
OK then. 100.
I haven't got it on me
this minute, have I?
It's just I'm a bit short at the
moment.
Well, you want to cut back
on the wank mags, don't you?
Wank mags?
I'll get it for this afternoon.
All right? I've got a few things
on my mind right now.
Yeah, I'm sorry. Course.
Excuse me. Where's...?
Where's Jamie?
Your friend was moved to
Queen Elizabeth's in
Birmingham last night.
Why? What happened?
Do you want to sit down?
Look, just...
tell me what happened.
There were complications.
He was very badly hurt.
Right.
So Birmingham?
He didn't make it.
I'm so sorry.
Fuck me!
Is it legal?
It is for me.
Rubber ammo. That's a single shot.
Have a bit of fun.
So where are the lads?
Something went off.
Something went off where?
Can't tell you that.
So what are we doing here then,
Commander?
Selection training.
You wanna do it or not?
We're here.
20 degrees north.
That's the kill house.
That's your target. Off you go.
You got 20 minutes.
I'll be the bad guy.
Fuckin' hell!
Ah!
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Hey!
Come back! I've fucked my knee!
Steve!
Agh! Fuck!
Mate, you need help.
'...took just weeks
to eliminate the regime.'
'There were scenes of joy as the
Afghan opposition swept into Kabul.'
'They went into Helmand in 2006.'
'Afghanistan has cost 382 British
lives.' Babe, what are these?
'Some 2,750 from NATO countries in
total.'
Why are you going through my stuff?
Why didn't you tell me
you were taking them?
Just put them back
where you found 'em.
Babe...
Just put them back.
'There is widespread anger about
civilian casualties caused by NATO.'
Lou?
Don't you ever go looking through
my things again.
'...a target of these protesters'
anger.'
'So Afghan forces are being trained,
equipped'
'and massively increased in numbers.'
Shit!
OK, you don't need your brolly up.
Come on - let's get you in the car.
Killer's coming.
He's all alone.
His head down.
All on his own.
Watch your step.
You can't cross.
I said, you can't cross.
Your dad's a murderer.
Killer! Your dad's a killer.
Your dad's a murderer.
Your dad's a killer.
Get off!
Where's he going then?
He's a killer.
'Part of the revenue is
passed to the company
'providing the service
to the receiver of the call.
'It's totally unacceptable
for an organisation...'
All right, Christopher?
Yeah.
This is my uncle. He's ex-SAS.
22 Regiment. C Squadron.
Uncle Alan fancies joining us
for training.
Don't know what you're on about.
22 SAS. You said that was
your outfit, didn't you?
No-one called Stephen Morton ever
served in the regiment.
Someone called Stephen Morton served
in the Royal Artillery.
It was a long time ago.
But he failed SAS selection.
You can pick up a lot of gossip
drinking tea with the lads on
exercises.
No selection pass, no badge.
No postings, no official duties.
You're no SAS, mush.
Come on then, Commander.
Come on. What are you waiting for?
See you later, Jimmy.
Fucking look at him!
Let's make that cunt sweat.
Yeah, get up, you rabbit.
This'll fucking teach him
to take the piss.
Fucking hell!
Fucking hell!
Run, rabbit, run!
You pick on my family.
You're a fucking sand nigger.
Waiting, are you?
You little fucking prick!
Run, rabbit! Run, rabbit!
All right, that's it, Al. He's
had enough. It's done.
He's not had enough. He's not had
e-fucking-nough by a long chalk.
Now, Chris...
None of this happened tonight, OK?
OK.
Good boy.
Oh, hello.
Here they are.
We've been waiting for you.
I can take my nephew for a
pint, can't I, sis?
Yeah. Bringing him back is good.
Lou? Yeah, course. How are you?
All right. Good.
Sorry, sis. Sorry, girl.
What did you marry her for, Chris?
All right?
You done all this for me?
If you'd arrived on time.
I'm worth it though.
Shall we get a drink? No drinks?
Want one?
I'll have one. All right, lovely.
You all right? Yeah.
Claire?
It's Stephen.
I...need to speak to you.
Close your eyes, Mum.
'Now the shipping forecast
issued by the Met Office
'on behalf of the Maritime
and Coastguard Agency
'at 05.05 on Wednesday
2nd November 2011.'
David Whitehead as a colleague.
David has a very personal
connection to Southcliffe.
He was born and grew up there.
It's a place about which he cares
deeply
and he knows many of those directly
involved in the recent tragic events.
We go over to him now
live at the town centre
for a unique perspective.
I come from this place.
A sleepy little English market town.
People don't commit mass murder
in a town like this.
Close-knit, law-abiding community.
Uncomplicated souls...
good folk...
Anglo-Saxon England.
That's what it says on your
television.
Is that what you think you are?
It isn't what I remember.
It's not what I see now.
'On behalf of
the Maritime and Coastguard Agency
'at 12.05 on Monday
31st October 2011.
'There are warnings of gales
in Shannon, Rockall, Malin,
'Hebrides, Bailey, Faeroes
and South East Iceland.
'The general synopsis at midnight...'
What you got in there then?
It's treasure.
Can I take a look?
'..The area forecast for the next
24 hours,
'Viking, North Utsire, south-easterly
five to seven, rain or showers,
'good, occasionally poor.
'South Utsire, southerly four
or five,
'backing south-easterly five or six,
'moderate, occasionally poor...'
I want my bag back.
Yeah.
I want my bag.
'...part of their life
for many, many years to come.
'This is a tool that will help them
become more comfortable with
electronics.
'For Mom and Dad to feel secure that
it's a great learning tool for them
'and the kids are gonna have some fun
at the same time.
'Exactly.
I want to introduce you to Cassie...'
Mr Morton!
Mr Morton, are you there?
Woman from the council
is looking for you.
OK. Thanks, Miss Price.
Urgent business, is it?
Maybe.
Our regiment has strong community
links with Southcliffe.
On the war memorial are the names
of the departed who served before us.
We must remember those soldiers
who lost their lives
fighting on our behalf.
Yet when you're out there,
you sometimes don't feel you're
getting much respect from back home.
But here, seeing this, it shows
people appreciate what we're doing.
Welcome home, lads.
♪..You'd better change it back
or we will both be sorry
♪ Don't you want me, baby?
♪ Don't you want me, oh-oh-oh?
♪ Don't you want me, baby?
♪ Don't you want me, oh-oh-oh? ♪
Cheers, mate.
How did you get on out there?
I know what it's like.
Been there myself.
Right.
Northern Ireland, Afghanistan.
Yeah?
Well, you're the don, ain't you?
I'm a what?
D'you wanna take me home?
Eh?
Lead the way.
I'm driving.
I think that's probably best.
Fuck off!
Fuck off!
I know, but I'm proud.
I'm glad you are. Weird!
I didn't put up any decorations
for you or anything
cos I just thought you would've had
enough of all of it.
No, I love it. Yeah?
Yeah. It's home, innit?
Yeah.
I think you should go and take
a nice hot shower.
'It's a river, I told you.
'Paxman would have got this by now.
He would have done.
'Do you think Paxman
would have sat next...?'
I asked three fucking nurses
to help me with my back.
Not one did it in the end.
Not one cleaned up my shit.
Don't let 'em beast you, mate.
We'll come through all right.
They crash about with their trolleys
and stuff. Every bang sets me off.
Nurse, we need some assistance
here, please.
What's the problem?
He needs painkillers.
You've had your painkillers.
Well, he needs more.
The pain team will be back on
in a couple of hours.
I'll make sure someone talks
to them then.
A couple of hours?
A word.
They say my military career's over.
That's bollocks.
Now, you're going to rest up, get
fit and get out of this shithole.
Back to fucking Helmand.
All right, mate.
He can't stay on this ward with
civilians.
We don't have a military section.
It's full of old people.
Your friend's already on
the highest dosage of painkillers.
You know, sometimes these things
can be more in the head.
That's fucking outrageous.
I used to dream of that.
Yeah?
No, you're all right.
It's on the commander.
Cheers, Jimmy.
Chris.
Stephen.
Commander?
Yeah, they use it as a joke.
They think it's funny.
But they don't know, do they?
Afghanistan, you said.
Special ops.
No way. The regiment?
Yeah, I was a lot fitter back then.
I bet you've got some stories.
Hmm.
I was with Andy McNab and his boys
out in the Gulf.
Gulf War? You're not old enough
for that, are you?
Oh, I'm old enough, all right.
You come through it OK then?
Yeah, I did.
Some didn't, though.
Don't get it, do they, civilians?
No.
Not even your wife, really.
Steady.
No disrespect.
You're right, though. They don't get
it. Best fun you can have, innit?
It was... shit, obviously,
but combat...
Ain't nothing like it.
What are you going to do
with 38 days?
This and that.
Rest up, go nuts.
You fancy a bit of basic training.
You know, keep fit, that sort of
thing...
let me know.
I gotta go.
Well, it was nice talking to you,
Christopher.
All right, Stephen.
Oh!
That's it, Mum.
- Come on now.
- Claire?
There we are.
What's going on?
Hello, Stephen.
There we are.
What's wrong? Stephen...
- No, you'll hurt her.
- Ow!
It's fine, Stephen.
Give over, Claire.
You're hurting her.
Lean on me.
Don't touch her hair.
Why don't you get some fresh sheets?
And a nightie.
Yeah.
I feel like a dead pigeon.
There you are, Mother.
I met ten-year-old Latifah,
who had made the dangerous journey
from Afghanistan alone.
Her parents had paid a high price
in the hope that she could find
a better life in the West.
She's already tried more than ten
times to climb into lorries
in her bid to get to England.
I couldn't have asked for it better.
If she was an actress,
she wouldn't have done it better.
Yeah, yeah! Thank you, you beautiful
immigrant woman,
with your real tears
and your real pain.
Fuck you, CNN!
Eh? Fuck John Simpson.
Madge the Vag.
Hello, John
Simpson's phone. Can I help, please?
Ah, yeah.
I'll just see if he's free.
Hey, give it here.
Hey, Madge.
Thank you. I know.
Yeah, I know. Poor kids.
Yeah, I was thinking maybe
we could do a follow-up
and see about those kids
that didn't make it in.
Yeah?
Oh, well, have a think.
All right, thanks again, Madge.
OK, take care.
She loves me!
I should go.
The world's a shitty place.
You're just knackered, mate.
You want one for the road?
Christ, David.
I'll get a cab.
See you tomorrow.
David?
You're on your way back, I guess.
I watched the news.
Well done, you.
See you after you've decompressed.
Bye now.
It's beautiful up here.
I did a lot of my training round
here.
The SAS got a camp about three or
four mile down that road.
Go see 'em if you want.
Yeah, you could get us in now?
A cup of tea, swap a few old stories.
That'd be great.
Get them to put you on isolation
training. See how you do.
You never know,
if you impress them...
SAS?
I think... I think Lou might have
a few words to say about that.
She doesn't need to know, does she?
There you go, Mum.
Mum?
What do you reckon?
I'm gonna have to drop the flue
liner down her, mate.
Yeah, really?
Yeah.
Yeah, it's gonna be messy.
She's an old chimney.
How much is that gonna cost me?
I don't know. I'll ask around.
Yeah, you do that, Commander.
What's wrong with that baby?
It's nothing. It's what they do.
Yeah?
You know the gate I fixed for you
a while back?
Yes, mate.
Oh! Right, yeah, course.
Sorry, I owe you...75, right?
Well, no. 100, you said.
Did I? Yeah.
OK then. 100.
I haven't got it on me
this minute, have I?
It's just I'm a bit short at the
moment.
Well, you want to cut back
on the wank mags, don't you?
Wank mags?
I'll get it for this afternoon.
All right? I've got a few things
on my mind right now.
Yeah, I'm sorry. Course.
Excuse me. Where's...?
Where's Jamie?
Your friend was moved to
Queen Elizabeth's in
Birmingham last night.
Why? What happened?
Do you want to sit down?
Look, just...
tell me what happened.
There were complications.
He was very badly hurt.
Right.
So Birmingham?
He didn't make it.
I'm so sorry.
Fuck me!
Is it legal?
It is for me.
Rubber ammo. That's a single shot.
Have a bit of fun.
So where are the lads?
Something went off.
Something went off where?
Can't tell you that.
So what are we doing here then,
Commander?
Selection training.
You wanna do it or not?
We're here.
20 degrees north.
That's the kill house.
That's your target. Off you go.
You got 20 minutes.
I'll be the bad guy.
Fuckin' hell!
Ah!
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Hey!
Come back! I've fucked my knee!
Steve!
Agh! Fuck!
Mate, you need help.
'...took just weeks
to eliminate the regime.'
'There were scenes of joy as the
Afghan opposition swept into Kabul.'
'They went into Helmand in 2006.'
'Afghanistan has cost 382 British
lives.' Babe, what are these?
'Some 2,750 from NATO countries in
total.'
Why are you going through my stuff?
Why didn't you tell me
you were taking them?
Just put them back
where you found 'em.
Babe...
Just put them back.
'There is widespread anger about
civilian casualties caused by NATO.'
Lou?
Don't you ever go looking through
my things again.
'...a target of these protesters'
anger.'
'So Afghan forces are being trained,
equipped'
'and massively increased in numbers.'
Shit!
OK, you don't need your brolly up.
Come on - let's get you in the car.
Killer's coming.
He's all alone.
His head down.
All on his own.
Watch your step.
You can't cross.
I said, you can't cross.
Your dad's a murderer.
Killer! Your dad's a killer.
Your dad's a murderer.
Your dad's a killer.
Get off!
Where's he going then?
He's a killer.
'Part of the revenue is
passed to the company
'providing the service
to the receiver of the call.
'It's totally unacceptable
for an organisation...'
All right, Christopher?
Yeah.
This is my uncle. He's ex-SAS.
22 Regiment. C Squadron.
Uncle Alan fancies joining us
for training.
Don't know what you're on about.
22 SAS. You said that was
your outfit, didn't you?
No-one called Stephen Morton ever
served in the regiment.
Someone called Stephen Morton served
in the Royal Artillery.
It was a long time ago.
But he failed SAS selection.
You can pick up a lot of gossip
drinking tea with the lads on
exercises.
No selection pass, no badge.
No postings, no official duties.
You're no SAS, mush.
Come on then, Commander.
Come on. What are you waiting for?
See you later, Jimmy.
Fucking look at him!
Let's make that cunt sweat.
Yeah, get up, you rabbit.
This'll fucking teach him
to take the piss.
Fucking hell!
Fucking hell!
Run, rabbit, run!
You pick on my family.
You're a fucking sand nigger.
Waiting, are you?
You little fucking prick!
Run, rabbit! Run, rabbit!
All right, that's it, Al. He's
had enough. It's done.
He's not had enough. He's not had
e-fucking-nough by a long chalk.
Now, Chris...
None of this happened tonight, OK?
OK.
Good boy.
Oh, hello.
Here they are.
We've been waiting for you.
I can take my nephew for a
pint, can't I, sis?
Yeah. Bringing him back is good.
Lou? Yeah, course. How are you?
All right. Good.
Sorry, sis. Sorry, girl.
What did you marry her for, Chris?
All right?
You done all this for me?
If you'd arrived on time.
I'm worth it though.
Shall we get a drink? No drinks?
Want one?
I'll have one. All right, lovely.
You all right? Yeah.
Claire?
It's Stephen.
I...need to speak to you.
Close your eyes, Mum.
'Now the shipping forecast
issued by the Met Office
'on behalf of the Maritime
and Coastguard Agency
'at 05.05 on Wednesday
2nd November 2011.'