Messiah (2020) s01e01 Episode Script

He That Hath an Ear

[CICADAS CHIRPING.]
[DOG BARKING.]
[CHILD, SPEAKING ARABIC.]
Mother? Mother? I had a nightmare.
I saw them shoot him, in the dream.
[WOMAN SPEAKS ARABIC.]
[SIGHS.]
Mama, why did he die? [SIGHS.]
Because that is what's written in God's book.
Say, "Nothing shall befall us, except what God has ordained.
" Did God not love him? God loved him so much He took him sooner than we wanted.
Does God love me that much? Yes but God has a different plan for you.
[CHILD.]
How will I know? [DISTANT EXPLOSION.]
[MOTHER.]
He will reveal it to you when you're ready.
[DISTANT EXPLOSION.]
[SNIFFLING.]
Mamma.
[EXPLOSION CLOSE BY.]
[GUNFIRE.]
has come under criticism once again with the resurgence of ISIL in Syria.
Since allied forces left the region in 2019, several cities have fallen to the caliphate in swift succession in its expansion south.
The city of Damascus has been under siege for months now, worsening the refugee crisis.
It seems nothing but an act of God can stop the ancient city from falling to the caliphate.
[MAN YELLING IN ARABIC.]
Today, God gives us Damascus! [RADIO CHATTER IN ARABIC.]
[CROWD CLAMORING.]
DAMASCUS, SYRIA DAY 85 OF REBEL SIEGE Help us! We're trapped! Please let us out! We'll die here! Help us! Let us out! [DISTANT GUNFIRE.]
[MAN, IN ARABIC.]
Jibril? When did you escape? Samer? They said you joined the rebels.
Your family was worried about you.
Where's your family? [DISTANT GUNFIRE.]
[MEN SPEAKING ARABIC.]
[MAN.]
Listen to me! Listen to me, my brothers and sisters.
They pretend to preach God's word, and all they do is twist its meaning.
It is written in The Book.
"They shall be held up to shame in this world they have incurred God's most inexorable wrath a shameful defeat awaits them!" A defeat awaits you! [IN FARSI.]
May the Devil swallow you up! I've looked the Devil in the eye.
He cannot swallow me.
[IN ARABIC.]
It is written.
Say, "Nothing shall befall us, except what God has ordained.
" Say, "Nothing shall befall us, except what God has ordained.
" [MEN SHOUT OUT.]
[MAN.]
It is forbidden to misquote the scriptures! [PREACHER.]
Look at you.
You've suffered more than anyone on this earth.
You're surrounded by enemies who want to eradicate you.
[CROWD CLAMORING.]
[MAN.]
Load the artillery! Quickly! The sandstorm's upon us! Believe me when I say God will defeat your enemies! Because God wants you to live.
Mark my words! On this day, mark my words! God's hand will turn them away! Salvation is at hand! [ROCKET FLYING OVERHEAD.]
Everybody, get inside! [SCREAMING AND YELLING.]
Salvation is at hand! There is nothing to be afraid of! Heed my words! This is their last gasp their dying breath.
[SAMER.]
Jibril [YELLING.]
[PREACHER.]
Mark my words the scale has tipped! History has ended! [CONTINUES PREACHING IN ARABIC.]
[CROWD YELLING AND SCREAMING.]
[NEWSREADER.]
It lasted a record 43 days, a sandstorm of biblical proportions, covering the city of Damascus in a blanket of dust.
The devastation is still untold.
Roads and motorways have been rendered inoperable, the city's international airport closed for weeks, virtually stranding the city, causing hundreds of businesses to shut down.
- [CROWD YELLING.]
- But despite the catastrophe, there were celebrations across Damascus today, as ISIS militia finally withdrew troops from their long-held position outside the ancient city, after the month-long sandstorm literally buried their ground forces, cutting off the chain of supply.
The White House announced today the end of ISIS as a threat in the Middle East.
This was ISIL's last stronghold in Syria after the resurgence of 2019, and this finally spells their end.
So, yes, we're very grateful for the weather.
[KENEALLY.]
The president said he was hopeful this development would open up All right, you can sit up - and get dressed now, Ms.
Geller.
- [SIGHS.]
Has the doctor gone over everything with you? Uh, yes.
You'll probably feel funny for the first few days I know.
This isn't my first time.
[MAN ON TV.]
We are this is one of the many southern California, it's barely recognizable - [SIGHS.]
- [PHONE ALERT.]
[SOBBING.]
[SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
- [MS.
GELLER.]
You're a philosophy major.
- [MAN.]
Yes, ma'am.
[MS.
GELLER.]
So, why do you wanna work for the CIA? I think it's one of the most important jobs a person can have.
Keeping our country safe.
Upholding its values.
What's a misconception that some people may have about you? That I'm judgmental.
- So, you're not? - Not really.
I accept all different kinds of people.
Would you accept a criminal? If he'd served his time and was remorseful.
- Would you trust him? - No.
Not with everything.
What wouldn't you trust him with? My family.
- A secret.
- [BEEP.]
[MS.
GELLER.]
The truth? Would you trust him to tell you the truth? Well, the truth has many different versions.
So it's hard to say.
The truth has many different versions? The truth is pretty gray.
I'm gonna stop the interview there.
I know I shouldn't be telling you this, but I won't be recommending you.
Uh, why not? The CIA is like a holy order.
It's a doctrine that you live by.
People's lives depend on the decisions that we make, the actions that we take.
When you're in the trenches, you need to know who your enemies are.
The truth may look gray, but I assure you it is not.
I'm sorry.
[BLEEP.]
[BLEEP.]
[CROWD CHANTING IN ARABIC.]
[SIGHS.]
[CHANTING IN ARABIC.]
Messiah! Messiah! [CHANTING CONTINUES.]
[INCREASES VOLUME.]
Messiah! Messiah! Messiah! [BLEEP.]
Messiah! Messiah! Messiah! [CHANTING CONTINUES.]
[PAUSES VIDEO.]
[ALL YELLING.]
Messiah! Messiah! [CHANTING.]
Messiah! Messiah! [CHANTING CONTINUES.]
Messiah! Messiah! [JIBRIL.]
Imam? Where do you lead us, Imam? To our destiny.
Messiah! Messiah! Messiah! [HORNS BLARING.]
[CHANTING FADES.]
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[SIGHS.]
[PHONE ALERT.]
[SIGHS.]
[PHONE ALERTS.]
[SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
- [PHONE CHIMES.]
- [SIGHS.]
Dad, what part of "I'm working" don't you understand? Well, I was just wondering how it went today at the clinic.
[SIGHS.]
Fine.
Just just like last time.
- What are you doing working? - Please, Dad.
No, you need your rest.
You're not taking this seriously.
Of course I'm taking it seriously.
[PHONE ALERT.]
- I gotta go.
- All right.
Get some sleep.
Good night.
I love you.
- [BLEEP.]
- [SIGHS.]
What do you got? Rumor is he's from Egypt.
I listened to those other files.
I'm hearing, uh, some other accent.
Iranian, maybe, which likely means he's Shi'ite.
He just led 2,000 Syrian Palestinians into the desert.
What's a Shi'ite doing leading a bunch of Sunnis? Yeah, feels like trouble.
I'll put him on our watch list and get eyes on him in the morning.
- Thanks, Q.
- Okay.
[CHIMING.]
[SIGHS.]
[MEN SHOUTING.]
[IN ARABIC.]
"If you look for truth, you may find comfort.
If you look for comfort, you will never find truth.
" [MAN.]
Why do you quote an infidel? Who are you to judge who's an infidel? - People are hungry, Imam.
- Don't interrupt, boy.
Why do you call me Imam? Because you are great.
No greater than you.
"There is no deity but God.
" But you turned away evil as you said you would.
He turned away evil.
But He works through you.
"Did He create you in jest? Without purpose?" You expect a shoemaker's son to know the scriptures? Do you serve God? Yes.
Then He works through you.
He works through everyone.
You mean He works through all who righteously follow Islam.
Don't tell me what I mean.
Why are there no women here? [LAUGHTER.]
[CLERIC.]
Surely you're not serious.
[LAUGHS.]
[CLATTERING.]
Go find a woman and give her your seat.
This man is the Devil.
He has led us into the desert with no food.
And to leave me now is to perish.
I'm here to tell you to throw away your assumptions about God.
Stop clinging to what you think you know.
In this hour, mankind is a rudderless boat.
Cling to me.
[SIGHS.]
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING.]
[SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
[DISTANT SIREN WAILING.]
[SIGHS.]
[COUGHS.]
- [WAITER.]
Hey, we're closing in 20.
- Already? It's three a.
m.
I'm sorry.
Am I stopping you from getting home? It's my job.
Gotta be here anyway.
[HE SIGHS.]
[HE SIGHS.]
The Clash of Civilizations.
Samuel P.
Huntington.
How you finding it? Dry.
Poli sci? - Yeah.
- Senior year? Uh-huh.
When's your paper due? Tomorrow.
The only thing you have to remember is that he was right.
Huntington predicted that the primary axis of world conflict after the Cold War would be along cultural and religious lines.
It's exactly what's happening in world politics today, so just center your paper around that argument.
- Uh You teach? - No.
Just a nerd.
[CHUCKLES.]
My boss calls you Ms.
Night Owl.
I have a nickname? I think he likes you.
I'm Eva.
Keon.
Nice to meet you, Keon.
Wait, so, what do you do if you don't teach? I work in international relations.
That's what my uncle used to say.
He worked for the CIA.
- You a field agent? - I never said I worked for the CIA.
He died.
My uncle.
In Turkey.
- [SIGHS.]
- Last year.
That bombing.
Terrible.
I'm sorry to hear that.
He was doing what what he loved.
[CICADAS CHIRPING.]
[PRAYING IN ARABIC.]
[SAMER, IN ARABIC.]
What is he doing? Hm? [JIBRIL.]
Talking with God.
He looks crazy.
He stood for 30 days on the Gate of St.
Thomas and preached without food or water, during a sandstorm, while we hid in a building, fearing for our lives.
[SCOFFS.]
You don't believe he really did that, do you? He is Isa returned.
al-Masih.
[AL-MASIH.]
Jibril! Sit down with me.
Do you know there is a star for every soul? Do you believe me? Yes.
Imam is my mother in a good place? She's where God wants her.
She is with Him? Do you think He would forsake a soul as good as hers? I miss her.
I want to see her.
It's good you're thinking about the next life.
Why have you come now? It's pointless to question these things.
I'm here in this moment because I have always been here in this moment and so have you.
You have light in you, Jibril but God is going to ask some hard things of you.
I am ready.
Pack up the camp.
We're moving.
[CROWD CHANTING IN ARABIC.]
Messiah! "Masih" in Arabic means "Messiah.
" [CHANTING.]
Messiah! Messiah! So, this is a cult? Possibly.
ISIL use this type of apocalyptic propaganda all the time, and to good effect.
This guy's just taken it to the next level.
So, he's some rival faction? Al-Qaeda? We don't know who he's associated with.
What do we know about him? That's the concerning thing.
He's come out of nowhere and he's leading desperate people into the desert.
To what end? Well, if it's a cult, he could be leading them to their death.
Or he could be creating an army.
An army of sick and starving refugees? He's creating a cause, in the hope that other people will join him.
That's a lot of speculation, Eva.
It's my job to speculate, ma'am.
He has over 2,000 followers.
What if he turns out to be another al-Baghdadi? I'd like to keep an eye on him.
Minimal resources.
Thank you, ma'am.
[WHIRRING.]
What do you have over Syria? [CROWD APPROACHING.]
We'll lose range in about four minutes.
What are we looking for, exactly? Can you zoom in on that? Closer? There we are.
They're nowhere near Damascus.
[EVA.]
Where are we? [TECHNICIAN.]
There's Damascus.
- And that's - Israel.
He's led us to our deaths.
He's led us into battle! [CHEERING.]
[ULULATING.]
Collect all the weapons.
[EVA.]
Get me Director Bailey.
We need to get a message to that security post in Israel.
Imam, what do you want us to do? Dig a hole and bury them.
Then how do we fight? [POP MUSIC PLAYING.]
[MAN SINGING IN HEBREW.]
[WOMAN.]
Shit.
[MAN, IN HEBREW.]
What? We've got a crazy fucker.
[MAN SIGHS.]
Hello there, crazy fucker.
Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit.
[WOMAN MUTTERS IN HEBREW.]
Fuck.
[MAN, IN HEBREW.]
Patrol house 283ip.
Repeat, 283ip.
Request immediate reinforcement.
[RADIO CHATTER IN HEBREW.]
[BOTH SPEAKING HEBREW.]
- [WOMAN.]
Shit! - [MAN.]
No! - [YELLS IN HEBREW.]
- [RADIO CHATTER.]
- No, no, no! - [BOTH SPEAKING HEBREW.]
[SCREAMING.]
[IN ARABIC.]
Be strong.
God is with you.
[IN HEBREW.]
Hands up! Hands away from your clothes! [FEMALE SOLDIER.]
Get down! - [ON RADIO.]
Hold fire! - Where the hell is reinforcement? [IN HEBREW.]
These people need food.
Lebanon is that way.
Lay down on the ground.
I said lay down! [MALE SOLDIER.]
Hands up! Stand down.
Arrest him.
took place at the Israeli border [ARABIC.]
The occupying forces have refused the Palestinian refugees entry back into their homeland, led by a man they call al-Masih.
- man from Lebanon - Israelis to the Syrian border - so far refused the refugees passage, - criticised by Muslims worldwide - a caravan of asylum seekers they claim they are entitled passage into the West Bank as rightful citizens.
Okay, we'll go again.
And someone fix my hair.
I look like Phil Spector.
[HELICOPTER ENGINE.]
[MAN GRUNTING.]
[PHONE RINGING.]
[SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
[RINGING CONTINUES.]
[SIGHS.]
Shit.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[SIGHS.]
- [WOMAN, IN HEBREW.]
What are you doing? - What's it look like? You can't just let yourself in.
I pay for this place.
There's my princess.
Daddy! Let me look at you! I'm all sweaty.
Ah! You're supposed to call and let me know you're coming.
They're the rules.
talk around your daughter.
Oh, like she never heard that from you? - Where are you going? - I need to take a shower.
[IN HEBREW.]
This isn't a hotel.
Do you ever clean up? come here to judge me? When are you going to move your shit out? arrested this morning, when attempting to cross the border.
- He is being held in - Hey.
- Hey.
- What are you doing here? - [PHONE RINGS.]
- I came to see Eli.
[IN HEBREW.]
Oh, so you bothered this week? [IN HEBREW.]
Have you got a job yet? look after our daughter.
You should try it sometime.
Go get your coat, princess.
Hello.
Yeah? It's my day off.
When? Okay.
to break her heart again? REFUGEE LEADER ARRESTED We'll eventually pull something on him, but it's gonna take time and resources.
The fastest way to get to know him is to meet him.
He's not our detainee, so, for the moment, he's not our concern.
Israel's handling it.
[EVA.]
I wouldn't underestimate this guy, sir.
This wasn't just aimed at Israel.
He knows that America has to defend Israel's position, and as long as those starving people sit at their border, the more indefensible that position becomes.
We'll get dragged into something we don't want.
Why don't you let the politicians worry about that? That wasn't very politic.
But it's the truth.
My God, you're like your father.
[HORNS BLARING.]
[CLANKING.]
[DOOR SLAMS.]
[WATER DRIPPING.]
I don't want you to waste my time, so it would be best if you just answer my questions.
Why are you here? Welcome to the Holy Land.
- So, I'm free to leave? - I ask the questions here.
Who are you? [IN HEBREW.]
The Word.
[AVIRAM, IN HEBREW.]
The Word? know what that means? - Yes? So, you are "the word"? Okay, Mr.
The Word, I don't care if you sit here and rot, I just don't want you to waste my fucking time.
So, where did you learn all your Hebrew? Here.
So, you're from here? Originally.
From where? Ramat Gan? Jerusalem? Where? - Why, you assume I'm Palestinian? - Oh, you're not? - So, you're Jewish? - Originally.
Originally.
And now, you're what? I'm with God.
God.
I don't see him.
You will.
Will I? Why don't you take God and stick him up your fucking ass? What were you doing in Syria? Delivering a message.
- A message from who? - My father.
And who is your father? [IN HEBREW.]
That will be revealed in time.
Why not save me the fucking suspense and just admit it now? it's not time.
Who told you my name? [IN HEBREW.]
No one needed to tell me your name.
You are in my father's book.
Don't fuck with me.
You don't want to know about my anger.
[IN HEBREW.]
You hold onto hatred like it's a prize, when it's the weight around your neck.
like they hurt you.
You talk a lot of shit.
You hurt a lot of people.
It's part of my job, yes.
You enjoy it.
I take pride in my work.
Except for that boy.
What boy? The boy, in Megiddo.
Is that when you stopped believing? I ask the questions here.
[IN HEBREW.]
He is waiting for you, Aviram whenever you are ready.
[CHAIR SCRAPING.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
- DELETE FILE - Hey! [IN HEBREW.]
Put him in the hole.
- [POOL BALLS CLICK.]
- [SIGHS.]
[IN HEBREW.]
Have you seen Omer? [IN HEBREW.]
Why would I do that? Because he's your brother.
He did something stupid, I'm not going to take pity on him.
[SIGHS.]
I love your compassion.
The country's crumbling and he decides to rob a fucking store.
He deserves what he gets.
[IN HEBREW.]
You're angrier than usual.
[SPEAKS HEBREW.]
You You've never mentioned Megiddo to anyone? Why would I do that? Why are you even talking about it? Nothing.
[WHIRRING.]
[BLEEP.]
[BLEEP.]
0% MATCH [SPEAKING HEBREW.]
- Hey, thief.
Give it back.
- [MUTTERS.]
Goodnight.
[ALARM CHIRPS.]
[GRUNTS.]
[GASPING.]
You know how many times I've sat opposite that hood? And every time, it was me.
We could go on doing this forever, you know? It's up to you.
This is no solution.
Who are you? The better question is who are you, Aviram Dahan? I'm the one asking the questions.
Are you? [GRUNTS.]
[SHUDDERS.]

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