The Count of Monte Cristo (2024) s01e04 Episode Script

1
SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER
How long?
It's close.
You call me when it's done.
I'll be downstairs.
It's a boy, sir.
You have to leave now.
- But I still have to clean the babie's
- No, no. Forget about that. Come on.
- How much do I owe you?
- 10 francs.
- You know who I am?
- I know, Mr. Villefort.
You know what I do?
I prosecute criminals.
Don't ever mention a word
of this to anyone, ever.
- Understand?
- Yes, sir.
You're fine to do that in Italy,
Jacopo, but not here in Marseille.
The devil?
Caderousse,
why are you not in Paris?
Jacopo sent word that you were
putting into Marseilles today,
so I thought I'd come in person
to give you the news I have.
- What news?
- It's about the midwife, so
Listening.
Can I not sit with you and Jacopo
and have some lunch?
Tell me about the midwife.
Well, it seems that she did
something rather foolish.
She went to Villefort
only to try and blackmail him.
Either way, she was promptly arrested
and committed to a lunatic asylum.
I gleaned all this from an orderly
that still works there.
And by the way, the house in question,
where the birth took place,
that belongs to Villefort's
mother-in-law from his first marriage,
and now lies abandoned
and is up for sale.
Is there anything
else I need to know?
There is. Did I
Did I mention that Mercedes
and Fernand have a son?
- How old?
- 18.
His name is Albert.
The woman I love
The only woman I have ever loved
as a son, and you omitted
to mention it to me.
Count, they've been together,
married for 19 years.
Plenty of time to have a child.
But why didn't you
mention it to me earlier?
I myself have only
found out recently.
The boy's been away at a boarding school
all the years I've been in Paris.
And why are
you telling it to me now?
Because it's come to my attention
that Albert is presently
on a tour of Italy with a friend
and he's planning to attend
the carnival in Rome.
Do you know where
they're staying in Rome?
Hotel de Londres.
Jacopo, arrange a carriage.
I'm going to Rome.
Splendid.
I've never been to Rome.
No, you won't be coming.
You'll be going back to Paris
to buy the abandoned house.
The boys have arrived
and checked in.
Good.
- What's the name of Albert's friend?
- Franz d'Epinay.
They complain like crazy
that they can't hire a carriage.
Sit, Jacopo.
They must not get any inkling
of what's in store for them.
If they do,
everything will fall apart.
I understand.
The important thing is
we make them feel comfortable.
That they trust us.
If it all works out,
Paris will be much easier for me.
- Albert is your ticket.
- Precisely.
- Are you Albert, the Viscount de Morcerf?
- I am.
My master, the Count of Monte Cristo,
would like you to join him for lunch.
- Who is this Count?
- He's a very powerful man.
Whatever you need,
the Count of Monte Cristo can give it.
Well, tell the Count
we'd be honored to join him.
Why not? Yes, splendid.
Yes, we've heard about this place.
It's very impressive.
The food in Florence was good,
but this
This is sublime.
I've heard the cuisine in Paris
is second to none.
Have you ever
been to Paris, Count?
Not yet, no.
What other plans do you gentlemen
have whilst in Rome?
Well, we're set
into visit the Colosseum.
And take in the old opera.
And hopefully meet some of the lovely
young women this city is famous for.
That's what Albert's after anyway.
I think Franz is talking
about himself now.
Viscount, your father,
the Count de Morcerf,
is a military man, is he not?
He was. He resigned
his rank many years ago.
Distinguished himself
greatly in Algiers
when he was still known
as Capt. Fernand Mondego, I believe.
Yes. They say he was fearless
in the face of fire.
And now he's a member
of the Chamber of Peers in Parliament.
Very impressive.
Can't be easy living up
to someone as powerful as him.
Indeed.
I sometimes find
his reputation intimidating.
I assume you're attending
the execution today.
What execution?
Two criminals are to be executed
before the carnival begins.
My room overlooks the square
where it's about to take place.
You're welcome to join me.
You've never been
to an execution before?
No.
Well, it's very interesting
to witness a man facing death.
And afterwards, you'd be more than welcome
to the use of my calash for the carnival.
Splendid.
How will he kill them?
The first one,
the braver of the two, Peppino,
is one of Vampa's band.
He'll have his head chopped off.
The other
will be cudgeled to death.
Look how differently
they approach it.
The one behind Peppino
is utterly terrified.
It's normal. It's fear.
Yes.
But this type of death
is not true atonement.
You don't think death
is punishment enough for them?
Imagine a man who forced you
into an existence of pain and misery.
Is it enough for him to feel only
a few seconds of pain and then what?
And then it's all over?
It would be fairer to exert vengeance
on them slowly
equivalent to the pain
they inflicted on their victims.
Stop! Stop!
Stop the execution
by order of the Pope!
"By the supreme mercy
of His Holiness Pope Gregory XVI,"
"I order that grace be shown
to the condemned man Peppino."
You are free to go.
Why him and not me?
Why?
Release me! Release me!
I also want to live!
Why him and not me?
Why him?
Why?
Come now, gentlemen. Men have
been dying since the world began.
The signal the carnival can begin.
I arranged some outfits and masks
for you to change into.
There's room for you here, too.
Come.
- What's your name?
- Call me whatever name you wish.
I shall call you Delicious.
Will I see you again, Delicious?
Did you see the way
she looked at me?
She was looking at me, actually.
Delicious! Come to me!
Come to me, please.
I'll shower you with love.
- Give me a chance.
- Follow me.
- I'll see you back at the hotel.
- What?
Wait.
Where are you going?
- What is this?
- Read it.
If you want your friend
to see the sunrise tomorrow,
you'll bring me the money.
I'll be waiting here.
I'm terribly sorry
to bother you, Count
- Franz?
- but
Look at this.
Come inside.
"Franz, I have been kidnapped
by some brigands."
"You need to give 4,000 scudi
to the man who delivered this note,"
"or they will kill me.
Albert."
What happened?
I don't know. Albert run off
in the middle of the carnival.
- Is this his handwriting?
- Yes.
What am I to do?
I mean, he doesn't have the money.
And neither do I.
Where's the man
who gave you this note?
He's outside, waiting.
Jacopo!
I need you to bring my carriage
around to the front.
And make sure you have
two loaded pistols with you.
Pistols?
- Do you know who I am?
- How the hell should I?
I'm the Count of Monte Cristo,
and the man you kidnapped
is a friend of mine.
You're
- I'm sorry, sir. We didn't know.
- Where is your leader?
He's at a deserted castle,
a league from the city walls.
Take us to him.
Why did that man
pay you such homage?
I have a reputation.
I'm no man to be trifled with.
Follow me.
Who's there?
What brings
the Count of Monte Cristo here?
You imbecile.
You fool.
The Viscount de Morcerf is a personal
friend of mine and you kidnap him?
Hold him to ransom like a dog?
Are you mad?
He is your friend?
Bring him to me. Now!
I'm completely ashamed of myself.
What are you standing there for?
You do not hear the Count?
- Albert!
- Thank God you're here.
Jacopo, take this gentleman
back to the carriage.
I shall see you there anon.
Follow me.
- How did you get the money?
- I didn't.
The Count here
somehow knows this
this devil and arranged
for your release
Take that silly thing off now.
- It's hot in there.
- Where is Peppino?
Safely on his way to Marseille
with the passport you arranged.
Good.
This Pope changes his mind
on a whim.
Did you have to pay
a lot for Peppino's life?
Let's just say the scales between us
are still tilted very much in my favour.
- How was my performance?
- Theatrical.
But effective.
Well done.
Count, where do you know
those brigands are from?
Good day to you, gentlemen.
Wait.
This is a dangerous road, sir.
There are brigands operating
in this area, led by Luigi Vampa.
I had an encounter
with them a few months ago,
which happened to end
favorably for me.
Which one of you is Luigi Vampa?
How do you know my name?
I just passed a squad of soldiers
who told me they were hunting
a band of brigands led by you.
You should hide, don't you think?
- Why did you not betray us?
- I have an aversion for authority.
It seems I am indebted to you,
sir.
Well, perhaps you can help me.
How can I repay you for this?
Think nothing of it.
All it cost was a bit of time.
But there must be something
I can do to repay you, surely.
Well
I was thinking of coming
to Paris in a few months.
Well, that's perfect then.
You don't know the city.
I'll show you around.
I'll introduce you to everyone.
And to my parents.
We'll see. At this point,
I'm still toying with the idea.
Welcome to Paris, Count.
Nice looking house, Jacopo.
Yeah, it costs too much money.
So, what do you think?
Do you like it?
I didn't know you had
such good taste, Jacopo.
It's not me.
People called interior decorators
did everything.
Take care of my baggage,
will you?
Yes, sir.
I've been counting the days
to your arrival.
- Are you well, Count?
- Extremely.
Do come inside, please.
Everyone is looking
very forward to meeting you.
You like Pinot's painting style?
This is very striking.
It's a portrait of my mother.
He painted it some six years ago,
but I don't think she's
aged a day since then.
You'll see.
She'll be joining us soon.
She's very excited to meet you.
Will your father be joining us,
too?
Unfortunately, he's giving
a speech today in the Senate.
May I introduce you?
Mr. Beauchamp, editor of the Enquirer.
And Mr. Debray, Secretary
to the Minister of the Interior.
The Count of Monte Cristo.
- Delighted to meet you.
- Pleasure.
- Albert tells me you're new to Paris.
- It is a very pretty city.
I'm sure you'll take to it
like a duck to water.
No wine, Count?
No, I don't drink alcohol.
Count, how lovely of you to come!
My mother,
the Countess de Morcerf.
Countess, it's a
I've been so looking forward
to this moment.
I want to thank you personally
for saving my dear son's life.
My husband and I would be eternally
grateful for what you did.
Think nothing of it.
I believe
this is your first time in Paris.
Yes.
- Which hotel are you staying at?
- I have no need for a hotel.
I have two houses.
One, a stone's throw from here,
on the Champs-Élysées.
And the other in Auteuil.
How did you acquire those properties
if you only arrived yesterday?
I sent my steward on ahead
to arrange
my residential requirements.
But
Mama?
Are you all right?
Please, excuse me.
What's the Count's birth name?
I have no idea.
They're all there,
with their families.
- All three?
- All three.
- And they didn't see you?
- No, no. I made sure of that.
Good.
Tell Ettore to bring
the carriage round.
That's him, Papa.
There!
I'll introduce you
during the interval.
I thought that box was taken
by the Austrian ambassador.
The Count bought it off him
for the season.
Cold in every vein
I feel the blood flowing
The shadow of the son and blood
The shadow of the son and blood
Fills me with terror
Fills me with terror
Fills me with terror
You stay here.
Take these.
I'm going to point them out
to you, one by one.
I was so looking forward
to introducing you to my father,
but unfortunately my mother took ill,
and he's taken her home.
- I hope it's nothing serious.
- I'm sure it will pass.
But there are others
I can introduce you to.
It would be wonderful.
My future parents-in-law.
Baron and Baroness Danglars,
the Count of Monte Cristo.
I believe you're a banker, sir.
Indeed.
Lovely to meet you.
We've heard so much about you,
Count.
- It is a real pleasure to finally meet you.
- And you, madame.
One of these days I intend
on paying you a visit to open an account,
depositing a fairly large sum.
- How large?
- Four million francs.
- Is it too little?
- Hardly.
There's someone you have to meet.
Mme. and Mr. Villefort.
Mr. Villefort
is the Chief Prosecutor of Paris.
The Count of Monte Cristo.
Pleasure to meet you, sir.
Mme. Villefort.
And Mr. Villefort's daughter,
Valentine.
Valentine, lovely to meet you.
All of Paris
is talking about you, Count.
I don't merit the attention,
I assure you.
You know our people exaggerate.
It's one of our weaknesses.
I'm sure in your profession
only the simple facts are relevant, yes?
Truth is all that counts,
in the end.
And in the beginning?
I'm afraid I don't follow you,
sir.
We should return to our box.
That that was only
the first bell, Valentine.
Even so, I don't like leaving
Grandpapa alone for too long.
- Do you excuse us, Count?
- Of course.
- Are you all right, Count?
- Yes, I
I have a slight headache.
I think I'm going to leave now.
I wanted to invite them all to the opening
of my house in the country.
Could you do that for me?
I'll send out formal invitations later.
Certainly. Count
Sit.
There was a lot to unearth, Count.
The midwife,
does she know our intentions?
She does. And she's
more than willing to comply.
I've bribed an orderly at the lunatic asylum
to give me time with her.
We can spring the midwife
tonight, if you wish.
Arrange it for tomorrow.
Anything else?
Release her.
I want double for her.
No, no, no.
We had a deal.
I don't care.
I'm taking too much of a risk.
- I can't.
- Double, or I call the guards.
I only have with me
what you asked me for.
Then go. Leave.
My God
- Are you mad?
- Did you hear what he said?
What happened?
Oh, yeah, I
I had to kill the orderly.
But they will think
she took a knife off him,
cut his throat, stole his keys.
Neat and clean, no?
Murder is never neat and clean,
Jacopo.
Is this the house
where it happened?
It is.
Show me the room
where the birth took place.
It's exactly as I remember it.
Show me where the box
was buried.
It was here.
Describe the box to me.
It was wooden,
rectangular, with a lid.
Take her to the townhouse.
She will need a new wardrobe,
new everything.
Most importantly,
she must be kept out of sight.
I will ensure your safety.
God bless you, Count.
Thank you.
Yes?
Inspector Boville to see you,
monsieur.
Make it quick, Boville.
I'm late for court.
The midwife has escaped.
The midwife you committed
to the lunatic asylum.
The one that was spreading lies
about you.
- Escaped?
- Somehow she got hold of a knife.
Murdered an orderly,
took his keys and
You find her.
I don't care whatever it takes.
You find her.
And this time she won't be
going back to the madhouse, no.
I shall send her straight
to the guillotine.
The first guests have arrived.
Welcome.
- What a lovely house.
- Thank you.
- Where are your parents, Albert?
- My mother dragged my father away
to the house near Marseille
for the weekend.
What a pity.
Please, Jacopo,
escort this gentlemen inside
and have the butler
serve them champagne.
This is quite a coincidence.
This property belonged
to the parents of my first wife,
Valentine's grandparents.
- So you've been here before, Mr. Villefort?
- Yes, on numerous occasions.
You've transformed
the place considerably.
Thank you.
Please, after you.
Good day, Baron.
Good to see you.
- Baroness
- Good day, sir.
- Everything all right, Baroness?
- Fine.
So in here, I have my study.
I love coins.
- Are these sailor knots?
- Yes.
Yes, I find them symbolic.
Our lives so often
end up in knots.
Tangled in unexpected twists.
Do you know how to tie
all these yourself?
Yes, though some
I struggle to untie.
You have coins here from Japan.
Come.
There's another room
I want to show you.
I've studied chemistry
since I was a young man.
How extraordinary.
And on my travels,
I have found many plants that,
when processed in certain ways,
can both heal and kill.
These here, for instance,
I call "the mortals".
Four drops from this vial
will kill a man within a few seconds.
- What is it?
- Brucine.
- Does it leave any trace?
- Not in the body, no.
And why do you have
these poisons?
Veterinarian purposes.
Sometimes animals need
to be put out of their misery.
I see.
Count, my dear son
suffers from seizures.
Heloise! Now's not the time.
No, no, please.
Now is as good a time as ever.
They occur on average
once every fortnight, and
it takes him so very long to recover,
leaving him exhausted and irritated, and
- I wondered if
- You may take this and try it.
Marcinez,
derived from the bark of a tree
found only in Cambodia.
How do you process it?
The bark is boiled,
the liquid distilled,
and then the concentrate
left to turn into crystals,
which are then
dissolved in alcohol.
Fascinating.
How old is the boy?
- Eight.
- One drop will suffice.
But be careful, three drops
will lend him unconscious.
Although I do have
an antidote for that.
Do you have an antidote
for Brucine?
No. For the mortals,
there is no antidote.
Isn't Monte Cristo an island
off the coast of Italy?
It is, yeah.
I bought it
from the Grand Duke of Tuscany.
Hence your title?
May I ask your birth name?
Zaccone.
- Zaccone?
- Zaccone, yeah.
I must say, sir, you've done
a superb job here with the house.
It's almost unrecognisable.
When the Saint-Méran put it
on the market, nobody wanted it.
Am I right, Mr. Villefort?
One wonders why,
because the estate is a paradise.
The notary I went through
told me a grim story about this house,
which apparently put buyers off.
What story?
I don't want to upset the ladies.
But you won't upset us.
Tell us! You can't leave us
in suspense like this.
Very well.
After lunch, I'll show you.
I decided to leave this room
exactly as I found it.
They say a terrible crime
was committed here.
An infanticide.
Madness!
An unwanted baby
was born in this very bed.
The father of the child
put it in a box.
Would you like to see
what became of that box?
Yes!
The box was buried right here.
My gardeners unearthed it
and showed it to me, but
It was empty.
Where is this box now?
I had it burned.
I need to sit.
You don't tell
that kind of story to women!
But your wife insisted I tell it,
did she not, Mr. Villefort?
You're sure that's the man?
Yes.
Pull yourself together, Hermine!
- And, my God, that's the woman.
- What woman?
The woman sitting on the bench.
That's the one that gave birth that night.
Pull yourself together, Hermine!
- We need to talk.
- No. Not here.
Smile.