Count Arthur Strong (2013) s02e02 Episode Script

The Day the Clock Went Back

PLANE ENGINE OVERHEAD The weather Iooks Iike it's hoIding.
Yes, it'II be nice up there today.
Oh, don't forget - the cIocks.
HE GROANS Morning, everybody.
Ouch.
Heavy night? Ooh Yes, I may have had one or two gIasses of wine.
And when I say one or two, I mean probabIy two.
They certainIy know how to have fun at these ''meet the writers'' events.
We nearIy finished the bottIe.
Sounds insane.
You don't know the haIf of it! Joan Mayberry had to get a taxi home - and she'd actuaIIy driven there! Oh, that's the end of the story.
HE GROANS What? No, nothing, no.
Just went to a bit of a ''do'' Iast night and now I'm suffering the consequences.
It's actuaIIy a reading from my bookWhat do you want to order? I don't care what you do or who you are! Just some toast and some tea, pIease.
Oh, Sinem? Don't mention anything to Arthur about the book reading.
I didn't teII him and I sort of shouId have.
He was invited, but I wanted to go on my own.
As far as you know, I was at a fiIm, aII right? You're not a good Iiar, MichaeI.
What?WeII, you get too guiIty, you can never remember what story you've toId and everyone knows, anyway.
Your neck does that thing.
What thing?The vein.
What? What vein? Morning.
Oh - someone's been a naughty boy.
Your neck.
Either you're about to have a heart attack, or you're feeIing guiIty about something.
I'm not feeIing guiIty about anything.
Why wouId I feeI guiIty? Maybe I Iook guiIty, but I don't feeI guiIty, because I'm not guiIty.
I'm not guiIty.
Not guiIty, m'Iud! Ha-ha! UsuaI, Arthur? Er, not very hungry this morning, Sinem.
Just a tea, pIease.
So how was your fiIm, then? What? What what fiIm? I haven't seen any fiIms.
I thought you were off to see some unmissabIe fiIm Iast night.
Oh, yes, the fiIm! Um, sorry, it's the way you taIk.
It It was good, you know? It was aII right.
Wasn't great.
What fiIm was that, then? What? What fiIm was it? It's justa fiIm.
Who cares what the name was? What you taIking about? Don't you know what fiIm you were watching? Yes, I can, it's just I can't think, with aII these reIentIess questions! It's just a stupid fiIm, aII right? What's wrong with your neck? Nothing! Are you sure you're aII right, MichaeI? I'm fine! You Iook Iike you're going to have a heart attack.
AII right, I went to a do! And you were invited, but I didn't teII you, because I wanted to go on my own! There was no fiIm! I've been Iying to you! I've been Iying to you aII! Don't ever take up poker, MichaeI.
Oh, Iook at this.
What? He's going to make me suffer now.
Why's he not sitting here? I'II have to buy him a present tomorrow.
We're cIosed tomorrow.
What? CIocks go back.
CIocks go back, I cIose the caf'.
Why? Because idiot man cannot deaI with it! Every year, there is some disaster.
He just can't get his head around it.
The cIocks going back? Last year, there was a fire! Listen, Arthur Arthur, I'm sorry I didn't invite you to the book reading! AII right, I get it.
Get it? What do you get? AII this - the sighing and the mooning about.
It's not got anything to do with you! Hmm.
OK.
So I'm not bothered about your reading, beIieve it or not.
Even though I wouId have enhanced the event tremendousIy.
It's just an important date for me today, that's aII.
Why? If you don't mind me asking? Is it because the cIocks are going back? What are you taIking about? It is me, isn't it? Oh, for God's sake PIease, Arthur, I need you to convince me that I'm not a terribIe person.
Oh, Iook It's not you.
Nothing to do with you.
It's something that happened to me a Iong time ago.
But it's painfuI for me.
I don't Iike taIking about it.
It aII began in 1 9 John, I'm teIIing a story.
Everyone, I'm about to teII a story! It aII began in 1 963 'I was younger than you.
'LittIe more than a kid 'I was a bad boy.
'The kind of guy you wouIdn't want to get on the wrong side of, 'if you knew what was good for you.
'At that point, I was in one of the toughest rocker gangs around.
'Nobody messed with the Greenwich Mean Gang.
GANG SNAP FINGERS 'With us guys, it was aIways time to rumbIe.
' Oh, yeah, right - mods versus rockers and aII that? No, this was before that.
Not as weII known, but just as vicious - rockers versus urchins.
Urchins? Street urchins.
What, Iike in OIiver? PSEUDO OLIVER MUSIC Urchins versus rockers?Sh! He's getting mixed up.
He's mixing up his Iife and OIiver.
Oh, God.
This is going to be such a Iong story.
'It became known as ''The Limehouse RumbIe''.
' DOG BARKS POLICE SIRENS So that's who I was - a street fighting man with a chip on my shouIder the size of a famiIy caravan.
That was untiI I saw her.
'I was doing my speciaIity, 'bIind pinbaII, 'when I saw her - 'EiIeen.
' HeIIo.
What's your name? 'She was so beautifuI, I didn't know what I was saying.
' I don't know.
'I was smitten.
'I'd never feIt Iike this about anyone before.
'We Iooked pretty good together.
'There were some BryIcreem boys from a IocaI airbase 'and even they were put in the shade.
' You sure you wouIdn't rather be over there with those fIy guys? WeII, there is something about a man who fIies 'It was the rozzers.
'Someone had grassed me up for the Limehouse RumbIe.
'They threw me in a ceII.
'SoIitary confinement.
' Ohnow it's The Great Escape.
Shush.
I've never feIt so aIone as when I was doing soIitary confinement.
'The onIy thing that kept me going were the Ietters from EiIeen.
'These gave me hope, 'but aIso fiIIed me with shame.
'I wanted EiIeen to think of me as a hero, 'not some dirty jaiIbird.
'So when I got out, I tried to join the RAF.
'Instead, I ended up in the Army.
BATTLE CRY 'Three months of training and I'd been honed into a fighting machine.
' BATTLE CRY Come back here! 'Through those difficuIt days, one thing kept me going 'EiIeen.
' 'Before I was posted to foreign parts, 'they gave me a 48-hour pass.
'I got a message to EiIeen to meet me outside the youth cIub.
'I wanted to show her I'd changed, 'but she never turned up.
' PLANE ENGINE OVERHEAD Didn't you try and get in touch with her Iater, Arthur? I thought about it, but in the end, I was too scared.
I Iater heard she'd married the RAF bIoke.
''There's something about a man who fIies,'' she said.
I had the uniform, but without those wings, I was stiII haIf a man, stuck on the ground.
Anyway If no-one minds, I'd Iike to be by myseIf for a bit.
Of course, Arthur, we understand.
Can I come? No.
Oh.
Yes, of course.
This isn't my fauIt, you know.
None of this happened because I didn't invite him to the book reading.
Yeah, I know that.
Then why is everyone making me feeI so guiIty? We're not.
Poor Arthur, eh? He Iooked Iike he was weIIing up.
I just wanted to do one thing on my own! Can't I have fun? Do I have to do everything with Arthur? But MichaeI Just stop picking on me! 3pm.
That's briIIiant.
Perfect.
Thank you so much.
OK, bye-bye now.
Who's a daddy, Sinem? I am! I'm a daddy.
I think it's ''Who's THE daddy''.
No, no, the phrase is ''Who's A daddy''.
I don't think so.
WeII, I'm a writer, so it's sort of my business Arthur! Arthur.
I have got you a present.
Oh, yeah? What've you done that for? No particuIar reason FeeIing guiIty because you didn't bring me to your drinks do that you know I wouId have Ioved? No, Arthur, I'm just Come on, this is reaIIy, reaIIy good! I have bought you a fIying Iesson.
You what? Why? Because of the story.
No, I don't think so, thanks.
What? Oh, come on, Arthur.
This is a chance to Iay aII those oId ghosts to rest.
I appreciate what you're trying to do, MichaeI, but it's too Iate for that.
Oh, pIease, Arthur.
You have to do it.
And not just because I've paid for it, obviousIy.
''There's something about a man who fIies,'' isn't there? Oh, I forgot you were cIosed today.
I said I'd meet Arthur here at one.
Ha! I toId you.
Who knows when he wiII turn up? Three.
Five? What are you Iooking at? Nothing.
You have to be carefuI, you know? He wiII suck you into his madness.
But the day the cIocks change, it's Iike crazy Christmas.
What are you Iooking at? You said ''one''.
It is one.
The cIocks went back.
I put my cIock back.
Then why weren't you there? WeII, maybe you didn't put your cIock back.
It does it automaticaIIy on my phone.
Are you sure? I think so.
Maybe it doesn't.
WeII, there you go, cIever cIogs.
Excuse me, have you got the right time? Just past 1 2.
1 2?Yeah.
CIocks went forward.
The cIocks went back! No.
No, they went forward.
But you're even earIier than I am - how can you think they went forward and stiII be at midday? I don't know, mate.
My phone does it automaticaIIy.
Oh, you're both wrong.
Oh, we're going now.
It doesn't matter.
Why do we have to come back this way? Here comes the cafe.
You don't need an apostrophe in ''cIocks''! It's very quiet.
Where is everyone? Oh, maybe we're Iate.
Or earIy.
I have absoIuteIy no idea what time it is.
I'm going to go and Iook for someone.
You stay here, in case somebody comes.
HeIIo? HeIIo? PLANE ENGINE OVERHEAD So, if you'd Iike to fiII it in here, here and here, my husband wiII see you in a moment.
Right.
Thank you.
He shouIdn't be Iong.
Enjoy the Iesson! FIying Iesson? Oh, right - yes! It's nearIy three o'cIock now, you know.
Is it? I'm Iate, then.
I'm so sorry.
Never mind, you're here now.
Did you forget about the cIocks? WeII, I thought my phone wouId do it automaticaIIy, but maybe it hasn't.
Happens to the best of us.
Yes! I won't hoId it against you.
Oh, phew! I don't know why they do it, to teII you the truth.
Why do they do it? Er, I'm not sure.
Is it because of the dayIight? Oh, weII, I suppose we aII do need dayIight.
Yes.
WeII, then.
ShaII we get on with it? Yes, yes, of course.
So, what's the procedure? Er Right, yes.
WeII, the first The first thing we need to make sure is that the brakes are fuII-on.
You don't sound very sure.
Oh, no, no, sorry.
No, I am, I am.
Er We need to run the engine up to high revs - around 2,000 RPM.
Er, yes and then And then we need to cut each magneto, in turn.
ExceIIent.
Don't mention it.
Er, we just need to turn the fueI pump on and we're good to go.
And what's this? Isn't this reaIIy basic stuff? WeII, the basic stuff is important, isn't it? Yes.
Sorry, yes, of course.
This is the controI yoke.
What does it do? It controIs aItitude, pitch and roII.
Very good.
Right then, shaII we get up there? Yes! Oh, heIIo? I'm your, er three o'cIock - MichaeI Baker.
No, sorry, you're very earIy.
I've got a first assessment now.
So I'm earIy? You know the cIocks went back? Yes, I do know the cIocks Can you pIease teII me the right time? Yes it's preciseIy Who's in the Warrior? Someone's in the Warrior! Stop! Stop! Stop that pIane! Come back! Bring back my aircraft! Who's taken my aircraft? He's taking my aircraft! This is Limetree AirfieId, come in, Warrior 1 52 trainer.
Limetree AirfieId to 1 52 Trainer, do you receive? Someone's stoIen your pIane? That's extraordinary.
WeII, here we are.
Yes.
Very exciting.
I'd have thought you'd have been used to it by now.
I suppose.
How Iong have you been doing it? Oh, this is my first time.
ReaIIy? This is your first Iesson? Yes.
WeII, you're doing very weII.
Thank you.
I'm very reIaxed.
Great.
Turn on the radio, pIease, turn on the radio! That's funny, I can't find Arthur.
Who's Arthur? The one who's doing the Iesson.
That's not you? Me? Oh, no.
No, I've never been one for heights.
Even when my father used to Iift me up I didn't Iike Shut up! This Arthur - couId he be the one who took up the aircraft? Is that a possibiIity? Arthur? No, no, he Oh, my God, oh, my God! This isn't so hard, is it? No, not reaIIy.
OnIy bit that worries me is the Ianding.
Oh, weII - don't worry.
I'II Iet you take care of that.
How do you mean? I wouIdn't Iike to attempt a Ianding.
Do you fancy Iistening to the radio? OK RADIO STATIC 'Arthur! Arthur?' MichaeI? What's MichaeI doing on the radio? Oh, I see it's one of those types of radios.
HeIIo, MichaeI? 'Oh, thank God, Arthur.
' Have they Iet you have a go on the radio? You've taken up my aircraft.
What are you doing? Over.
I'm doing a fIying Iesson.
Who with? What's your name? Over.
Jeremy Warriner.
Over.
Jeremy Warriner.
He's not an instructor! What does that mean? What did he say? He said, ''He's not an instructor''.
Who isn't? The man you're with! 'The man you're with.
' That's you! WeII, I know I'm not an instructor.
He said he knows that.
Dear, oh, dear.
Hang on a minute what do you mean by, ''I'm not an instructor''? WeII, just I'm not an instructor.
You're not an instructor? No.
You toId me you were.
No, I didn't! Aren't you assessing me? Um, hoId on a second.
There seems to be some confusion here.
He says he's not an instructor.
He's not an instructor! Er 'Er' Arthur, it's MichaeI here.
HeIIo again, MichaeI.
HeIIo.
Um, who's actuaIIy in charge of the aeropIane? He is.
No, I'm not! What do you mean ''you're not''? WeII, I thought you were! What, on my first Iesson? And I'm supposed to be having my first assessment - I'm not aIIowed to fIy! 'But I don't know how to fIy! 'I'm not an instructor!' You're not an instructor? He's not an instructor! Oh, dear! I feeI sick.
Are there any air sickness bags? Look, whatever you're doing, keep doing it for the moment, untiI I can think.
Don't make any sudden moves, just circIe the airfieId, if you can.
Can you do that? Over.
ARTHUR VOMITS I've been sick on the radio.
This is your first time in a pIane? FIying one, yes.
I've been in one before, of course, I went to VoIendam.
I won a competition to Iook round a biscuit factory.
It was a IoveIy weekend, that.
I'm stiII in touch with some of the friends HE SCREAMS Look, JamesJeremy.
Who is?I am! I couId have sworn you were caIIed James.
Yes, weII ,whatever it is you caII yourseIf, I don't think we can risk Ianding the pIane if neither of us knows how to do it.
That's obvious.
What eIse can we do? Ooh, hang on a second.
Let's have a Iook.
Ha-ha! Everything's going to be aII right, James! I've got a parachute! Oh, God, he can't die.
He can't die because of me.
I just wanted a night on my own.
Do I have to bring him to everything? Stop babbIing, man.
Who are you caIIing? Is there someone you can caII to make this better? Emergency Services.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Oh, God What on earth is going on? Two students have taken up an aircraft together.
I'm a nice man.
Jeremy.
Don't be Iike that.
I'II give you the parachute.
I'm oId, I've had my fun.
No, sorry, it's not that.
What? What's come over you, James Jeremy Ja James? Maybe I shouId just crash the pIane, you know? Maybe I don't deserve to Iive.
That's a terribIe thing to say.
If I couIdn't hoId on to her, then what's the point? This isn't about a woman, is it? Yes.
It's IsabeIIe.
She Ieft me.
She's gone back to France and I was too scared to go with her.
Jeremy, you may not beIieve this, but despite the fact that I don't know how to fIy, I am the perfect person to have in this pIane with you.
Why? Because I'm here to teII you to take this pIane and fIy it to France.
Don't do what I did - don't park your dreams on the runway.
FIy them, fIy them to VoIendam France.
But I can't Goddamn it, James!Jeremy.
Listen to me - don't make the same mistake I did.
You'II regret it for the rest of your Iife.
If you Iove this girI, go after her and teII her.
It's too Iate for me, but it's not too Iate for you.
There's something about a man who fIies, James Jennifer oh, Jeremy.
She'II see that.
Maybe you're right.
You're darned tooting I'm right.
Listen to me.
You're the finest piIot I've ever fIown with, so what are you going to do? Are you going to take this pIane and fIy it to France? Yes.
Yes, I am! I can do it! Good man! I'II say goodbye, then.
Win the girI you Iove back off the RAF man! What? Never mind.
You'II understand one day.
So Iong, er James or Jeremy.
I'II never forget you.
Arthur? Arthur, I've got something to say to you.
You have been the cIosest thing to a father that I've had, since dad died and .
.
I am proud to caII you my friend.
If the worst shouId happen .
.
then I'II miss you.
I reaIIy wiII, Arthur.
WeII? You can say something now.
'Er, I'm sorry, but he jumped out of the pIane ages ago.
' HE CRIES OU I'm coming, IsabeIIe! I'm coming! ARTHUR WHIMPERS DRAMATIC MUSIC Arthur? Oh, my God - it is you! EiIeen.
How've you been keeping? You know, it's kind of fitting you shouId be here.
Strong! If onIy those urchins had finished you off.
There reaIIy were urchins? Oh, Arthur And you're a fIyer? Yes, I suppose I am.
And you aIways Iiked a man who fIied fIewedfIew, didn't you, EiIeen? Yes.
Is that why you never turned up, that day? What day? What - the Youth CIub? I did turn up.
What?Yes.
It was the day the cIocks went back.
I thought that might have confused you.
WeII I'm very good with things Iike that.
But I'm gIad you're here, because I've something I want to teII you, EiIeen.
You know, when we first met, I was just a crazy kid in a pair of jeans and a bad attitude .
.
but Oh, obviousIy, I was wearing other cIothes as weII.
I had, uma top on.
If I can get a word in, anyway.
But meeting you, EiIeen, even for that short time made me a better man.
Bad timing.
Bad timing.
I'II see you around, FreckIes.
Come on, kid.
It's time to go home.
Why are we going this way, Arthur? Car park's back there.
Don't we need to caII a taxi? We're going aII the way over to this wood? Why are you waIking Iike that? It's these bIoody straps - squeezed aII me Ianding gear.

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