Hostage (2025) s01e04 Episode Script

1
-Dalton…
-Dalton…
Public protests against
Abigail Dalton have intensified
as backlash
surrounding the NHS drugs crisis
enters its third week.
Critics argue Dalton has been distracted
by the abduction of her husband,
delaying government action.
Opposition leaders are demanding
urgent intervention
as tensions escalate.
A vigil in Leeds turned violent
with multiple arrests
and similar disturbances
spreading nationwide.
Police are reporting a surge
in public disorder,
but Downing Street has yet
to announce new measures
as pressure mounts for immediate action.
Oliver Bahrami is
pulling no punches
as he seems to be holding Dalton
personally responsible
for the growing crisis.
Now he's calling for drastic action,
warning that this crisis is worsening
by the day.
Robin, what the bloody hell…
Some sort of protest, sir.
-Back it up.
-I can't, sir.
Just back it up!
There he is! He's one of them.
Dalton out! Dalton out!
It's Robin with the home secretary.
We need assistance immediately.
Get him out! Drag him out!
Grab him.
-Out! Out you go!
-No!
Dalton out! Dalton out!
Dalton out! Dalton out!
Dad.
Oh, Dad.
I'm so sorry.
I think I need some air.
Well, uh, take someone with you.
-I wanna be alone for a while.
-Sylvie, I mean it.
"We're not done playing yet." That's…
That's what he said on the phone.
I'd like to stay here
a little longer.
Ma'am, the
home secretary's been attacked.
Michael was dragged from his car.
They sprayed "Dalton out"
on the windscreen.
Then they beat him in the street,
fractured his skull.
His wife called me earlier.
Terrible state.
He's got a bleed on the brain.
They're running more tests.
Uh, it… it's horrific.
Have there been any arrests?
Neither he nor his driver are
in a fit state to identify anyone, so…
Order is falling apart, Prime Minister.
The majority of people renounce
this kind of violence.
But even they think
you've put them at risk by not resigning.
Dan's right.
Ever since the threat level was raised,
you've got armed police with assault
rifles right outside your door.
We don't.
And I for one am not willing
to be beaten half to death in the street.
Look, I understand that you're scared,
for your… yourselves
and for your families,
but I'm doing everything I can.
I'm so close to a deal with the French.
You've been trying
to recover your husband.
And… and the cost has been
to the rest of the country.
That is bullshit, and you know it.
Were you or were you not prepared
to offer Toussaint concessions
on the UK's border security
to get her to bring Alex home?
We had a private conversation,
leader to leader, so any speculation on--
You've put your family
before your responsibilities.
I put my husband in danger
by not resigning.
I… I did the right thing for my country
and for our democracy.
This Cabinet is unanimously of the opinion
that you should step down.
You know, you have no idea
what you're dealing with.
We still haven't traced the men
who posed as police
at Attaf Diwala's vigil.
What if Michael's attack was staged
in exactly the same way?
Someone is orchestrating this
to force me out.
Taking Alex hostage,
um… blackmailing Toussaint, and…
I think they murdered my father.
Uh, if that is really the goal,
then how would murdering Max--
To hurt me. Look, this is…
this is personal.
These people are terrorists.
We can't let them win.
I won't go.
Abigail, please.
Somebody needs to get a grip
on the problem.
You mean him.
Dan has our support
as interim prime minister
until a full leadership election is run.
If you want me gone,
you are gonna have to drag me out of here.
…from Downing Street
-that the home secretary, Michael Hall…
-Thank you.
…was admitted to hospital after being
dragged from his vehicle and attacked…
I'm so sorry about your father,
Prime Minister.
Would you like me to draft a statement?
…physical assault on…
No, I…
I wouldn't know what to say.
Prime Minister,
you need to see this.
Speculation has been rife…
This is what they had on her.
It's everywhere.
-President Vivienne Toussaint…
-Oh shit.
We're trying to find the source.
-…28-year-old…
-Has Pelletier given us anything?
She's being questioned at the embassy.
French soil.
We can't get anyone in there yet.
…and you can see here…
-I need the car, right away.
-…the video appears to…
Alex'll be arriving at RAF Northolt soon.
You'll be able to see him in the hour.
And I'll be there.
For God's sake, Ayesha, just do as I ask.
…whether it happened
during Toussaint's presidency,
but it leaves many unanswered questions.
Yeah, see you.
Hey! Matheo, come down!
Come on, come down
and answer some questions!
You know, there's…
It's not possible…
There you are.
The lady of the moment.
What is all this?
April
is my VP of Media in London.
Oliver heads up Legal.
I thought it would be helpful
to have their input on the flight back.
-No luggage?
-I'm not coming back yet.
I need answers from Pelletier first.
What are you talking about?
We have a campaign to save.
We can't limit the damage
unless we answer these questions.
April, please, go on.
Madame President, did your stepson
receive any gifts from you,
paid for by your office?
Of course not. What is this?
Is there any way you could be pregnant
with his child?
You piece of shit.
Play these games
all you like.
The real story here is a plot
to destroy me
and the British prime minister,
involving my own chief of staff,
for God's sake.
They only released the tape
because I helped Dalton.
We need to find the people responsible.
Well, that's all well and good,
but the only problem is
that you fucked your stepson,
and that's all anyone
is going to care about, my darling.
Don't you dare
talk to me like that.
Give us a moment, please.
Good. All right, look.
If we generate some fresh ideas,
we can head this off.
Discuss a formal coalition with Desmaris
in the national interest.
Is that what you want?
It's over, Elias, you and me.
I came to tell you that to your face.
You know I'm standing by our arrangement.
I'm not.
I want a divorce.
And throw everything away over Matheo?
He's not worth it.
This isn't about Matheo.
This is about us.
We don't see things the same way.
We never have.
We shouldn't have got married.
You wouldn't be President if we hadn't.
I made you.
No, I made myself.
I don't need your advice.
Just the truth, and I'm going to get it.
Without my news network to protect you,
you'll be eaten alive!
French President Vivienne Toussaint
is under intense scrutiny
as leaked footage shows evidence
of an alleged affair
with her 28-year-old stepson Matheo Lewis,
throwing her reelection campaign
into chaos.
The footage puts pressure on
an already intense international summit,
as Abigail Dalton battles
her own domestic crises.
Rumors are circulating
of turmoil in her Cabinet
in response to Dalton's handling
of the hostage s--
I always thought gardening leave
was a euphemism.
My wife loved it out here.
I never really saw the attraction before.
Is your husband home yet?
Any time now.
Then what are you doing here?
MI5 finished their interim report on you.
Through your contacts at the Treasury,
you received a three-days advance warning
of a tax loophole
that was about to vanish before the Budget
was presented to the House,
and you made £72,000.
What did you spend it on?
Respite care during Titi's illness.
It was illegal, unethical,
the worst decision of my life,
and I'd do it all again.
I need your help.
Dan Ogilvy is trying to replace me.
He has the entire Cabinet behind him.
I got an ultimatum this morning.
Either I go quietly, or he gathers
the signatures to drag me out.
Ogilvy?
This is exactly what
the kidnappers wanted. Maybe it's linked.
The men who took Alex
and the other doctors were British.
They were disciplined, well-equipped,
which could suggest ex-military?
It could.
Dan Ogilvy is secretary of defence.
I need to know if he's had a hand in this.
I need you to look into him for me.
You're asking me to spy
on a member of your own Cabinet?
If he is involved in this
and he succeeds me,
then the next prime minister
of this country
will have caused the death
of innocent civilians to win power.
Okay.
I'll help you.
Thank you.
And I'm sorry about your father.
Yes.
Alex's plane just landed.
Follow the light, please.
Good.
And breathe in.
Out.
Breathe in.
Dad!
What's happened?
Granddad.
He… he died.
-What?
-It was last night.
Abi, I'm here.
It's okay.
-We're going home.
-Yeah.
I just need a second with Mum, okay?
Okay.
Tell me.
Uh, the doctor, uh… said
that he died of complications,
and there'll be an autopsy, but…
I think the people that took you
killed him.
-You have to rest. I'm so sorry.
-It's okay. It's all right.
But I need you to talk
to our intelligence team.
Someone called me last night.
A man.
He knew that you'd been rescued.
And then he said
now the country had to burn.
What man?
There's someone there
with Toussaint now…
Toussaint just arrived at the embassy.
She's come to question Pelletier.
-She won't talk.
-She could give them our names.
We can't take the risk.
You know what to do.
She's one of us.
I gave you an order, Corporal.
Who are you working for?
Whatever you know, you need
to tell us before you run out of options.
Or, if you'd rather, we've got you
on conspiracy, blackmail, corruption.
That's a life sentence.
-Is she talking?
-No, Madam President.
She asked for a coffee 43 minutes ago.
That's all she's said
since we brought her in.
Well, then we'd better get her one,
don't you think?
Adrienne, I need a name.
-Welcome home, Dr. Anderson.
-Thank you.
General Livingston,
chief of the defence staff.
He'll be asking you some questions.
If I could give you more time, I would,
but we need to find the men who took you.
Fine.
Then let's get it over and done with.
We're going to play you something
to see if you recognize the voice.
Prime Minister, with your permission?
Have a seat.
Let's start with how long?
I think I deserve to know
when you chose to betray your country.
I love France.
You're the one betraying your country.
You used to stand for something.
I believed in you.
At least your opponents are honest
about who they are.
You're a fraud.
I admired
your honesty on the news, Abigail.
It's a breath of fresh air
in a politician, I must say.
We're onto you.
I doubt that.
We know about Pelletier.
She's one of many.
Loyal, dedicated.
-You sold your country out.
-I didn't have a choice.
I won't have my kids grow up
in this rotten society
surrounded by corrupt politicians
like you.
Because the people
you're working for now are better?
This is over. You've lost.
We're not done playing yet.
Do you recognize him?
Could you give us a minute?
Give me a name.
I can't help you otherwise.
You won't be able to raise your kids.
And when you do see them,
they'll be visiting you in prison.
What can you tell me
about that voice on the recording?
He, um…
he executed Jacobs.
I was, um…
Like, I was…
I was… I was begging him to stop.
To let us go.
I told him that we all had families.
I told him I had a daughter.
He… he said,
"So did I."
Give me a name.
Not until I see my family.
Tout le monde dans la voiture!
Fuck.
-Mettez-la dans la voiture!
-Vite, cachez-vous!
-Allez-y, allez-y!
-On va y aller!
Who are these people?
Give me a name.
Give me a fucking name!
No, I don't care how many
letters of no confidence you've got.
-You have to give me more time.
-Uh…
There are reports that shots were fired
outside the French embassy.
-Where's Toussaint?
-She's on her way.
Dominic, I have to go.
Why has the French embassy
been locked down?
-Ma'am, tell us…
-About the shooter, who…
…in love with your stepson?
-They tried to kill Pelletier.
-Jesus. Wh… where is she?
On a plane back to Paris.
She gave me a name.
Shagan. She only met him once.
-Did she say who he was working for?
-She didn't know.
But whoever it is
doesn't want us working together.
I'll give you the drugs you need,
but we need to do the deal now.
There's a confidence vote happening.
I'm… I'm hemorrhaging support.
We can't lose control of this.
If we stand still, we're dead.
We need to keep moving.
I'll pull
the negotiating team back in.
Matheo?
Are you okay? Where are you?
I found something.
A… laptop. It was Saskia's.
There were surveillance photos of me
from before we met.
You were right about her.
I'm sorry.
There's more. Um…
I have to show you. This can't wait.
I'm at Downing Street.
Okay. I'm coming to you.
Get that out straight away.
Prime Minister, Maya Odari's mother
wants to know why her daughter is dead.
-Prime Minister!
-Prime Minister!
A few moments ago, inside Downing Street,
President Toussaint and I signed
an emergency NHS drug agreement.
This will guarantee
a swift and stable supply
of critical cancer drugs
into pharmacies and hospitals
within the next 24 hours.
Prime Minister,
what did you give the French in return?
Nothing.
Madam President,
you're on record as coming here
seeking changes to UK border controls.
You're right.
The only reason I agreed to this summit
was to exact a high price
for helping the United Kingdom.
I was led to believe
that's what it would take to win.
For too long,
I've listened to the wrong voices.
I've allowed myself
to be led into making the wrong decisions
in an attempt to maintain my position.
And I've forgotten the candidate I was
when my people first elected me.
I won't make that mistake again.
People want the truth
from their politicians.
It's the least you deserve.
So here is the truth.
If this prime minister is
removed from office,
these people will have won.
They'll have used blackmail and murder
to bring mayhem
to the streets of this country.
But my faith in Abigail Dalton's
leadership is absolute.
So we stand here today united
in defiance of the tactics
used to intimidate us.
I would like to ask everybody
involved in the violence
that we've seen across the UK
in the last 48 hours
to please think about your communities,
think about your loved ones,
and to stop.
I'm now…
I'm now going back into Downing Street
to oversee the distribution
of vital medication to those who need it.
That's my job,
to protect the people of this country.
And I would ask my colleagues
to let me finish what I was elected to do.
It feels good.
Prime Minister.
You must be Matheo.
Abigail Dalton. It's good to meet you.
-Likewise.
-Ma'am, um, Kofi's on the phone for you.
-I need to get that.
-Yeah.
I'm divorcing your father.
I don't want him or his people
influencing me anymore.
I need to listen to myself.
Gets my vote.
-What is this?
-Uh, proof.
President Toussaint has suggested
that the French will receive no…
…shock announcement,
the prime minister stunned once again.
Kofi.
I've been through the MOD budgets
for Ogilvy's period as defence secretary.
He's been cutting spending,
as you requested,
through gritted teeth, perhaps,
but he's done what you asked
and maintained friendly relations
with Livingston,
which is quite an achievement.
Everything else adds up.
Not a penny out of place.
No miscellaneous accounts,
slush funds, nothing?
He runs a tight department.
He's vain, ambitious,
but that's hardly a secret.
Ogilvy may want your job,
but there's no evidence he's behind this.
They're announcing
the no-confidence ballot.
-Did you call for Alex and Sylvie?
-They're on their way down.
Look, I've got a name for you.
Uh, or an alias, I don't know. Shagan.
Not much to go on,
but he was Pelletier's contact.
Find out what you can for me?
I'm on it.
Good luck.
Thank you.
…test is fair,
if Abigail Dalton still…
…MPs must be…
Hey.
They came back quicker than I expected.
Okay, all right.
That's a good sign.
This is it.
Tris, what are they saying?
I lost the confidence motion by 22 votes.
How long do you have?
A few hours.
Abigail, I'm so sorry.
We're gonna get the medication
that people need.
I'm proud of that.
Let's get these bastards.
What did you find?
I… I met a woman four months ago.
Last night, I got back to the flat,
and she packed everything in a hurry.
Only she left her laptop.
She stole the footage of us
from Matheo's phone.
She'd been tracking me
for months before we first met.
What can you tell us about her?
Um…
She… Her name is Saskia Morgan.
She said
that she worked in an art gallery.
She also told me that
she wasn't on social media,
but today, my friend found
a deleted Instagram profile
for a Corporal Saskia Morgan,
3rd Battalion of the Highland Guards.
-I'm on it.
-Who was she messaging?
It's unclear.
Their last communication was last night.
"We lost P. You need to step up."
-Pelletier?
-Must be.
Um, and then, "Green Ward, room 19.
Let me know when it's done."
My father's room.
-How the fuck did we miss this?
-Ma'am, you should see this.
3rd Battalion of the Highland Guards
was shut down
in the most recent MOD budget cuts.
Corporal Saskia Morgan was discharged
along with the rest of her unit.
Why would you leave a laptop
with incriminating information on it?
Dad?
-I'll get you out.
-I must find Abi.
-Sir…
-I'm not leaving without her.
-Get Sylvie safe.
-Dad! I wanna stay with you!
Abi!
Abi! Where's Abi?
She was in the front hallway.
-Abi!
-Where's the president?
Abi!
Abi.
Abi!
Zero one five…
Abi!
Abi!
Ayesha.
Hey. Hey.
All right.
Where's Abi?
-I don't know.
-Okay. I'm coming back.
Abi, are you in here?
Get back! Get back!
Abi, just make a noise if you can hear me.
Check for secondary devices!
Abi.
-Abi!
-Let's clear the room!
Get these people out of here.
Abi. Hey.
-I need to get you out, sir.
-She's breathing. Abi! Come on.
Come on. Abi, come on.
Come on.
Hey. Hey. It's okay. It's okay.
-It's okay.
-…wait for medevac…
-Where's Sylvie?
-It's okay.
She's all right. She's all right.
-I need help, now!
-I'll help you.
Let's see you…
-That's it.
-Vivienne?
Oh my God.
Vivienne!
Vivienne?
-Alex?
-Hold this down.
Ma'am, we need to go!
She's gone.
Ma'am, we need to leave. Go that way. Go.
-Okay, move on!
-Okay. Okay.