World on Fire (2019–…): Season 2, Episode 2 - Episode #2.2 - full transcript

Good afternoon, Robina.
Ah...

Jan was so excited for me
to meet you and the baby.

Harry.
Lois is here.

Kasia held the baby!
Hello, Harry

We have three sets of land mines
on the road

between us and the Italians.

Now these lads will be risking
their bollocks clearing them.

EXPLOSION

SINGING IN GERMAN

I have no choice
but to fight for my country.

Where's Lois! Where is she?
Lois? Lois?



You need to bail, Shortbread!

You took your time.
Last man out of Dunkirk, was you?

Good to see you, Sergeant.

Lads! Lieutenant Chase has
decided to join us.

All right, Sir.
War'll be over in six weeks!

It's good to see you, Joe.
You too, sir.

This is George, Sir...
George.

Welcome to hell, Sir.

Well, if the sand doesn't
get in your arse crack,

then the flies will get in
your wedding tackle.

That's how we lost our last officer.

Septic foreskin. Nasty.

Not seen much action yet,

but maybe the Italians were
waiting for you to arrive, Sir.



That's Rajib.
In charge of the Sappers.

Same rank as you
but more convincing.

Bit full of himself,
but I'd be full of myself

if I'd single-handedly
blew a hole in a mountain

so the Scots Guards could get
through and chase the enemy.

PLANE FLIES OVERHEAD

Every afternoon,
the Italians fly over,

just to show us
they know where we are.

They never attack, Sir.

But I think you kept your dignity.
That's the main thing.

Fuck off, Sergeant.

How's that Polish wife of yours?

You ever see her again,
or did you go home

and make it up with the one
you got up the duff?

My wife, Kasia, is safe.

She's in England,
living with my mother.

I thought you said she was safe.

That is the thing about Gandalf.

He has tricked Bilbo Baggins
into having a party for the dwarves.

You say he forced Bilbo
to host a party with no notice

and then recruited him
to undertake an arduous journey.

That is what is good
about the story.

Bilbo decides to do it.

I need to read more now.

Once your court case is over,
perhaps he'll relax more.

You have Jan here,
you have Grzegorz here.

You need to shape up.
I cannot hide what is inside me.

Oh, of course you can.

You aren't the first woman
who's been compelled by circumstance

to hide their anger. Every rock bun
at the Women's Institute

bears testimony to a woman's rage.

BABY COOS

Next leave I get,

we'll get a stonemason
to put Dad's name on under Mum's.

Josie Bennett and Douglas Bennett.

Second billing.

It's what he'd have wanted.

There you are, Dad.
Happy now?

Pacifist proves his point
by getting killed by Hitler.

Beauty.

I've got to go. Me too.

I've got a date with a battleship.

I mean I've got to get away...

..from here.

No. You can't do that, Lois.

You're all I've got.

We're all we've got now.

I wanted to die in that house.

When it started coming down,
I didn't run.

I waited.

I just wanted it to kill me.

To the second man
we've lost this week.

To Jack. He was a fine pilot.

GUNFIRE AND ROARING ENGINES

Well, he was OK.

That was in poor taste.

Was it, Stephen?

Sorry.

He was a fine pilot.

HE PLAYS A WISTFUL MELODY

David, all the pilots we've lost,

and all you can do is
joke about it?

Can you think of a better response?

I think we've both lost enough mates
to stop treating death

like one big joke, don't you?

I think I've lost enough mates
to know it is one big joke.

I worry how it effects a chap
if he can't show any sorrow.

And the morale of the others.

I didn't say I wasn't sorry.

The laughter isn't
hiding my feelings, Sir.

It is my feelings.

Perhaps it's a Jewish thing.

Well...

..if you can't laugh about
half the world hating you,

what can you laugh about?

Last time most of us were engaging
the enemy, we were retreating,

getting out of Dunkirk
to save our own skins.

Today is different - cos today,
we're on the front foot.

We move to position one,

secure Bardis and clear the way
for the next regiment.

Rajib and the Sappers will make sure
we don't get blown up along the way.

We'll try to make sure.

We'll lay minefields east and west
to limit the enemy's escape route.

What if the Italians fly over, Sir?

You lie very still,
hold your balls and pray.

LAUGHTER

Just like any other night, then.

It's imperative
that we go undiscovered.

If Operation Compass fails,

we lose the Eastern Mediterranean
and the Suez Canal.

And if we fail, the Nazis
cut off our oil supply

and they have Europe
secure in their grasp.

We lose North Africa to the Nazis,
we lose Europe too.

We lose our oil supply,
we lose the war.

So British forces will drive
the Italians out of Egypt,

and after that, we drive the Nazis
out of Europe.

Yes! Come on!

First drinks are on Sarge...

Nice speech.

Thanks.

You fought the Italians elsewhere?

Ethiopia.

The Italian soldiers
didn't want to be there.

In fairness, my men didn't much
want to be there either,

but it's amazing what we can get
the lower classes to do

for three square meals and a little
bit of money to send home, hey?

What about you?
Where have you fought?

Northern France, Dunkirk.

Home.

Home was the bloodiest.

OK, well, I'm sorry to tell you
that my boys are such a good unit,

you'll be going home again
in no time.

Maybe we all will.

BABY CRIES

Hello.

I'm sorry I'm so early.

Joyce isn't here yet.

But I am, so...
Thank you.

If you don't mind.

You look exhausted.

Do you have time to sit for a while?

I feel as though my life is
happening to somebody else.

That's how it is.

When the Germans killed my mother...

That's a good way of saying
how grief is.

I don't think it's grief.

I wish it was.

But I know what grief feels like,
and this isn't it.

She's very beautiful,
your baby.

Thank you.

It must be hard for you,
on your own.

It is. Yes.

But you wouldn't be without her.

I mean, after your loss, at least
you have something to live for.

People say that, don't they?

And I agree with them when they do.

But, inside,
I would be without her tomorrow.

I don't think you mean that.

I do.

What will you do,
now that you're here?

The same as you.

Find a way to get away.

How do you know that's what I want?

Because you are so keen to tell me
you can't grieve your father,

and that you have no love
for your baby.

It is as though
if you say it often enough,

you will believe it yourself.
And if you believe it,

then you can forgive yourself
for getting out.

Do you think it's unforgivable...

..if I go?

You may never forgive yourself.

But I'm not telling you not to go.

I'm warning you...what you will have
to be strong enough to live with.

What are you looking so happy about?

Nice to have a change of scene, eh?
Change of scene?

You're joking me. We're driving
ten miles to more sand

that looks just like the sand
where we came from.

This is going to be Italian
occupied sand. Oh, great!

Sand with added
Italian machine gun fire.

We're digging in half an hour
from their base.

Sitting ducks.

The Sergeant said...

..he's going to find Germans.

The Italians can't shoot.

Nothing to worry about.

GUNFIRE

I thought you said
they weren't good shots, Sarge.

They missed you, didn't they?

If we take out the machine gunner,

they're not going to hang around
with light arms.

We've got 50 seconds
between reloads.

They're reloading! Blow it!

Take cover!

Now go, go! Go, go, go, go,
go, go, go!

BULLETS RICOCHET

Grenade!

Nice bowling, sir.

Bit of a suspect action,
but did the job.

Good-looking bastards, aren't they?

I think you might have been
in the desert too long, Stan.

They don't seem to have much fight
in them.

Mussolini wanted a fight.
Not them.

See if you can find
anything useful in here.

I hear the Italians have good food,
good wine.

BELL RINGS

Mrs Chase? James Danemere.

I understand you've been
expecting me.

I'm delighted to meet you. Erm...

You were expecting me, weren't you?

I hope this is the right house.
It is Mrs Chase, isn't it?

I was told to expect you
after Christmas.

That's what the War Office
informed me. Ah!

BABY CRIES
Oh, I, er...

I understood you'd already
given shelter

to a young Polish refugee.

I was led to believe they was
a tad older than... Ah, no, no, no.

Jan, the young Polish refugee,
is 12 years old.

That is my grand daughter
you can hear.

I wasn't entirely serious.

Terrible sense of humour,
I'm afraid.

Spend too long surrounded by
junior staff at the Civil Service

who feel obliged to laugh
at my awful jokes

in the hope of impressing me.

Well, do come in.
Thank you.

A token of my thanks.

Thank you. Flowers are so hard
to find these days.

Well, I probably should have brought
two cabbages and a cauliflower,

but I think we should grab
the small luxuries while we can.

Indeed. Joyce, could you find
a vase for these, please?

And show Sir James to his room.

Oh, I just need directions,
not an escort. Thank you.

I was in the RAF in the Great War.

So, er, navigation is
one of my few strong points.

Of course. Er...

Well, it's upstairs to the right,
follow the corridor...

I have to say, I have no idea
what the protocol

or social form is
for this situation.

Thank the Lord for that!
Neither do I.

But if I can reassure you,
I shall be mostly absent.

And when I am here, I endeavour
not to disturb the peace.

Oh, I shouldn't worry about that.

Peace is in rather short supply,
I'm afraid.

I can't imagine either of us thought
our lives would take such a turn,

and yet here we are.

Up the stairs and to the left,
you say? Oh, to the ri-...

Oh, now, is dinner a formal affair
or am I to eat in my room

like a travelling salesman
with a guilty conscience?

Ah. I really had no indication that
dining was to be involved.

I'm teasing you, Robina.

I dare say
you should get used to that.

I doubt that very much.

Monsieur.

Like Aladdin's Cave.

Do you ever wonder if we might be
fighting on the wrong side, sir?

It's an old wound, sir.

It's already septic.

Barbed wire just took the top off.

I've done what I can,
but you need to look after it.

All right. Thank you, George.

This sword's going to
come in handy.

Lieutenant! You better
come take a look.

Sandstorm's coming.

Looks like a belter!

No wonder they surrendered.

If your life's this good, you're not
going to want it to end, are you?

SWING MUSIC PLAYS

Is this the wild time
you promised me?

Oh, it's early.

You are not like the Jewish guys
back in Warsaw, you know?

Cos, er, they were all married off
by the time they were your age.

You sound like my grandad -

"Why can't you find a nice
Jewish girl to marry?"

Lois. Er, David,
this is my friend, Lois.

Lois, this is David.

I'll get you a drink.
Just, er...

Sit down, please.

So Grzegorz said
you were the singer.

I've not done much singing lately.

My dad died, went a bit mad,
and now they worry if they give me

a microphone,
I'll just stand there crying.

Right.

Sorry about your dad.

So, are you going to
proposition me now

or wait until you've got a drink
in you? What?

What line are you going to use?

"We might be dead tomorrow,
so we may as well have some fun"?

I've got better lines than that.

Word to the wise, mate -

don't use them on me.
I'm bad luck.

I don't believe that.

My mum died when I was ten.
My house just got bombed.

The love of my life got me pregnant
but married someone else.

My dad died.

Oh, and the last pilot to ask me
to marry him

got killed in the Battle of Britain.

Well...

..maybe I'm the good luck
you've been waiting for.

Nah.

Here you are.
That's for you.

That's for you.

Hello again, folks.

Hope you enjoyed the interval.

WOLF WHISTLE

These are good.

They help your eyes adjust
to night flying.

I didn't think
they were for fashion.

Pirates wore eye patches
for the same reason.

I see myself pretty much as a...

..an Air Pirate.

So is this what you had in mind?

Very much so.

How long has Lois been so...

Unpredictable? Always.

But this bad?

That's since her dad died.

No wonder she wants to run away.

She told you about that, did she?

Seems like a good idea.

She's got a baby.
It'll be looked after.

Babies do survive
that kind of thing, you know.

Speaks the expert.
Speaks one of those babies.

My grandparents raised me.

And look at me.
More or less perfect.

More or less.

FOOTSTEPS

DOOR OPENS, CLOSES

The police understand there must be
no further contact. Over.

INDISTINCT CRACKLY RADIO

Drops weekly. Same place. Over.

ANGUISHED CRIES

THUMPS AND BUMPS OF A BEATING

Sandstorm isn't passing
any time soon, lads,

so get bedded down till it does.

How do you spell "irresistible"?

Writing to your sister?

My sweetheart.

In case I don't see her again.

Mate, we'll be fine.

That thing I said - you know,
about us sitting ducks and all that?

Take no notice.
I'm just a moaning bugger, OK?

Yeah. Stick with me.

My looks, your brains,
we'll be just fine.

You got some spare paper?

If we're going to be just fine,
why do you want to write a letter?

Not that kind of paper.
I mean bog roll. I've already used
my three sheets.

DOOR SLAMS

Jan.

Sir James?

I hear you play chess.

Huh.

You've been well taught, Jan.

But you need to be more deceptive.

Sometimes, it's necessary to expose
one flank as open to attack

in order to trick your opponent
into thinking

you're more vulnerable than
you actually are.

And then you can spring the trap
from the other flank.

You win by deceit.

I win by guile.

That may or may not involve deceit.

I do hope you aren't encouraging
Jan in bad habits, Sir James.

Oh, undoubtedly.

But he's a very fine player
without my help.

Jan was telling me
about your daughter-in-law

and her unfortunate altercation
in a tea room.

Was he?

Well, "unfortunate" is
a very good description.

If there's anything I can do.

Not really. It's a legal matter.

And embarrassing.

Well, as luck would have it,

I specialise in both legal matters
and embarrassment.

If you want to take me into your
confidence, I may be able to help.

Ah...

Check.

Nairobi Station, and the arrival
by train of 200 Ats,

the first batch of girls
from the United Kingdom

for service in East Africa.

"ATS - Adventure Through Service,"
say the recruiting posters.

Well, here's a slice of adventure,
all right.

And nice cups of tea to go with it.

Never thought I'd want to see
the sun and the flies again,

but anything's got to be better
than that fucking sandstorm. Agreed.

Are we in Egypt or Libya now, sir?

Er, Egypt. Why?

Well, cos if I cop it,
I'd like to know where.

Two minutes!

Right, then, you heard
the Lieutenant. Let's go!

Move it! Move it!

Two minutes, lads. You all know
what you're doing. We're infantry.

We do the hard bit!

Joe's not here, Sarge.
What?

What do you mean?
Where's he gone? Sightseeing?

He went for a dump in the night.
I thought he'd come back.

He must have lost his way
in the sandstorm.

How long's he been missing?
I don't know, sir.

Could be six hours or more.

Cairo, you say? Yes.
It's in Egypt.

Yes. I...

I'm aware of the geography.

That is not what I'm puzzled by.

There's an ATS Ambulance Service
out there.

And if your father were alive,
if Douglas was still here,

what do you suppose he'd say?
He'd have said, "Don't go."

And I wouldn't have paid
a blind bit of notice.

I just know I need to do my bit.

And looking after your daughter
and keeping her safe

is not doing your bit? No.

It isn't.

I wish it was, but it really isn't.

You do realise that what
you're doing is quite unnatural?

If I stay here, then I will die.

Would that be natural enough
for you? We're at war.

We all might die.
I don't mean like that.

It will destroy me.

It IS destroying me.

I admire your honesty,
if not your judgment.

I know of many mothers who may have
wished to do what you're proposing.

But you're the only one I've met
who seems intent

on going through with it.

I was the only kid in the street
with a dad who was a conchie,

so being the only one
is not a problem for me.

I assume the reason
you're sharing this news with me

is because you expect me to take on
the full time care of Vera.

Well, you and Joyce. Yes.

Of your son's child.

Yes, I'm aware that she's
my son's child. Thank you, Lois.

I'm sorry.

But, yes.

Not forever.

And why should I help you?

Because...

..you know what it's like
not to have maternal feelings.

Pointing out my shortcomings seems a
curious way to curry favour with me.

I didn't mean to insult you.

I was just...

I was just trying
to make you understand.

Well, I do understand.

I just don't approve.

But then I'm sure my disapproval is
neither here nor there to you.

Ah! Kasia, he's here!

Oh, Sir James.
We are forever in your debt.

Isn't that so, Kasia? Yes.

Thank you.
How did you do it?

Well, my solicitor said that
someone had spoken to the police,

somebody with
considerable influence.

So, thank you.

Oh, it was my absolute pleasure.

Er, the man sounded like
a pompous ass, anyway.

Influence. Not guile and deceit?

Kasia is delighted.

Isn't that so, Kasia?

She just finds it a little difficult
to show it.

Isn't that what you told Jan?

That guile and deceit
might be the way to win?

I did. And it speaks well of him
that he can quote me exactly.

I hope you don't think
that I've corrupted him.

I wouldn't want to muddy
his grasp of right and wrong.

It would take more than a stranger
beating him at chess to corrupt him.

Ah.

But thank you for helping me.
I do appreciate it.

Good. Good.

I'm just happy to be of use.
Oh, yes.

Thank you.

Have you written the letter?

Died in battle.
Taking on the enemy.

Usual comforting lie.

It's not a lie, though, is it?

The desert IS the enemy.

Worst enemy I've ever faced.

Here's to comforting lies,
hey, Rajib?

To comforting lies.

I really didn't think
I would have a tree this year.

Yes, it was just standing
in the churchyard.

I'm sure nobody will miss it.

I take it that's
your sense of humour again.

Guilty as charged.

It was in the office.

There was nobody there. It seemed
a shame not to commandeer it

for morale boosting purposes.

Do I seem in need of
morale boosting?

I'm hardly the person to talk to
about babies.

Erm, it's not really
my field of expertise.

Erm, but...

..in the end,
the little mite is your grandchild.

I know.

I know.

But if I say I will have Vera,
then I feel like I'm...

..colluding with her flit.

And if you don't?

Well, I rather fear she'll find
somebody else to look after the baby

and go anyway.

Well, it is Christmas, I suppose.

I-I'm sorry.
I don't understand the relevance.

Well, the season when babies
are left at the, er,

mercy of a stranger's kindness.

I think, you're thinking of Moses
in the bullrushes.

Oh, yes.

It's the wrong time of year.
Wrong country too.

Hmm. And Old Testament.
Old Testament.

Well, I haven't known you
very long, Robina,

but, erm, it strikes me
you really don't have a choice.

Besides which, you have
a ready made mother in waiting.

Is there?

Well, Kasia. Your son's wife.

I mean, it's his baby.

She's stuck here with nothing to do.

Surely with a little
gentle persuasion, she'd help?

It's Christmas Eve.

RADIO: Enemy planes spotted,
bearing - 15 miles out,

60 degrees. Over.

OK, children. We're in business.

David, you're with me.

What, they've sent bombers
to Manchester? At Hanukkah?

I take this very personally indeed.

AIR RAID SIREN WAILS

Hi, Doris.

DISTANT BOMBS EXPLODE

CROCKERY RATTLES

RADIO: David, enemy sighted.

Heinkel ahead. Can't see cover.

Viper going in.

Stephen, he's in my sights.
Take him.

Heinkel hit, she's down. Over.

I'm hit. I'm hit.

Eject! Stephen, eject!

BABY CRIES

Welcome to the British Indian Army.

He needs a hospital!

L'infirmiere Guilbert -
where is she?

The RAF have been trying to kill me
for years, mate.

Every time I survive, they give me
a more dangerous job.

WHISTLING