'The following programme contains strong language
and scenes which some viewers may find distressing.'
We have been presented with a gift in this town.
It felt like...I was visited.
I don't trust them.
Joe, look at me!
The children are controlling you.
You don't love us.
You think we're bad.
No. We can live together. You can live here.
And if anything goes wrong?
Then I will bear the blame.
I'm going to have a little sister.
(BIRDS TWITTERING)
# Oranges and lemons
# Say the bells of St Clements
# You owe me five farthings
# Say the bells of St Martin's
# When will you pay me?
# Say the bells of Old Bailey
# When I grow rich
# Say the bells of Shoreditch
# When will that be?
# Say the bells of Stepney
# I do not know
# Say the great bells of Bow
# Here comes a candle
# To light you to bed
# And here comes a chopper
# To chop off your head
# Chip, chop
# Chip
# Chop
# Chip... #
(UNSETTLING THEME MUSIC)
Morning, Evie. Morning.
OK.
Right, here's your breakfast, love.
Erm, do you want to take some biscuits with you?
Chocolate, please.
Er, I think we might actually only have ginger.
Ginger's fine.
There you go, my angel.
(FOOTSTEPS ON PATH)
Morning, Carol. Morning, Doctor Zellaby.
How long have we been doing this? It's Susannah, please.
Sorry...Susannah. They're waiting for you. With Mr Westcott.
I didn't know Mr Westcott was here.
Yes, he came on the first train.
Firstly, I wanted to congratulate you
on the speed of the children's development.
Yes, they're doing well. They're doing better than that.
They're out-growing older brothers and sisters. They're five,
but they look and behave like highly gifted ten-year-olds.
Their mind is a akin to a remarkable piece of machine learning.
Yes, but they're not a machine, are they, Mr Westcott?
They're living beings. Just like you and I.
Well, I'm wondering if it's time to understand them better.
What's that? I'd like to take a couple of the children,
for some more advanced testing
at one of our research centres. It should only take a day.
At a military base? Outside of the town.
A couple of hours' drive away. It's a pilot project.
If it goes well, we might do more.
They... They won't let you do that.
We think they may. With respect, Mr Westcott,
you haven't been here. The children have never left Midwich.
They feel safe here.
They won't leave. As I understand it,
the children have been asking what lies beyond.
Asking who?
They came to us at Ward 300.
Why didn't they talk to me?
Perhaps... they didn't want to upset you.
SUPERHERO TOY: 'You are a man, I am a machine.
Other than that slight difference, we have a great deal in common.'
What is it, big brother?
I don't want to stay at Dad's this weekend.
I don't want you to either.
But your dad needs to see you.
I wish he wasn't my dad.
I wish I was like you.
(SUPERHERO TOY BLEEPS AND WHIRS)
Come on.
(SUPERHERO TOY BLEEPS AND WHIRS)
We should look at this.
(MIMICS A PLANE ENGINE)
Oh, no. Oh, no, the airport closed.
Oh, no. Can we open the door?
Just really, really one little bite. One little bite.
Yay, good girl. Very good.
Are you ready, Dad? We're late.
Sure. Yeah, ready...and willing.
Have a good day love.
Goodbye, Ellie. Bye.
CURTIS: David, get in the bloody van!
DAVID: I don't want to go!
David, I will not tell you again!
I want to stay with Mum. Just a second, babe.
David, get in the bloody van!
I don't want to go!
RACHEL: It's only until Tuesday, David.
David, get in the van!
Bye, David. You...
you shut up, you! Don't touch him!
Get in!
Ignore him, Hannah.
(TODDLER BABBLES)
(VAN DOOR SLAMS OUTSIDE)
Remember what Susannah said.
Curtis doesn't represent any of us.
(VAN DOOR SLAMS)
Feel free to experiment a bit.
We don't have to be too faithful to what you see.
Go on, Nathan. Express yourself. Hm?
What's wrong?
I have to do some tests at Ward 300 on Monday.
Erm...who says?
Uncle Paul. He'll pick me up from home.
Well, that's OK, isn't it?
OK. That's really good.
You're sure you're OK about this?
We trust you. But...
this wasn't my idea. If you'd come to me,
I could've planned it.
We could've talked about it at our weekly meeting.
Don't be angry, Granny.
I'm glad you're coming. I'm not angry.
I just... Well, I wouldn't be here if I hadn't insisted.
(ETHEREAL MUSIC)
OK, team, computers off, please.
David?
(SUPERHERO TOY BLEEPS AND WHIRS) David?
(SUPERHERO TOY BLEEPS AND WHIRS)
Ah, so this is where you are. TOY: 'You are a man, I am a- '
Come on, we are already late for school.
Turn it off mate, let's go. Why don't you live at home any more?
With Mum and Joe?
(SUPERHERO TOY BLEEPS AND WHIRS)
You know why.
So, the Incas should not have trusted the Spanish?
Well, there's a school of thought that says
history is the victory of the ruthless over the naive.
And certainly the Spanish consciously chose
not to co-exist with the indigenous populations.
But you are choosing to co-exist with us.
Yes, Connor. Because history changes and humans learn.
We learnt about you. You learnt about us.
And now we live happily together.
(HELICOPTER BLADES DRONE IN DISTANCE)
Case in point...
(SERGEANT MAJOR SHOUTING DRILL COMMANDS)
SERGEANT MAJOR: Present...arms!
SOLDIERS: One, two, three!
Present arms!
SOLDIERS: One, two, three!
Welcome to Winthorpe.
SOLDIERS: One, two, three, hah!
What is this place?
200 soldiers are based here.
It's kept out of the public eye as much as possible,
so it's perfect for our purposes.
The research station is there.
If it's all right with you children, we will go there now.
Nothing scary, a couple of brain scans,
some IQ tests, that sort of thing.
Of course.
(HELICOPTER ROARS OVERHEAD)
I'm afraid it's a limited-access area.
But we will be back soon.
SOLDIERS: One, two, three, hah!
(SERGEANT MAJOR SHOUTS ORDER)
(BIRDS TWITTER)
(KEYPAD BLEEPS)
(KEYPAD BUZZES)
(HE RATTLES SECURITY GATE)
(BIRDS TWITTER)
SOLDIERS: One. Two. Three. Four!
What are they doing in there?
What tests?
Why aren't we allowed in? I have no idea.
They told you nothing about this?
I heard half an hour before you did.
So much for no more secrets.
What does he want with them, Paul?
(CHESS CLOCKS TICK)
(KETTLE BEGINS TO BOIL)
(LAMP BULBS BUZZ)
(CHESS CLOCKS TICKING)
(TENSE MUSIC)
(HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING)
(BIRDS TWITTER)
(GATE HINGE CREAKS)
(HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING)
(SUPERHERO TOY BLEEPS AND WHIRS)
(ELECTRICITY FIZZES AND SECURITY GATE CREAKS)
(SECURITY GATE BEEPS CONTINUALLY)
(BIRDS TWITTERING)
(FOREBODING MUSIC)
(CONTINUOUS ELECTRICAL HUMMING)
(ELECTRICAL HUMMING INTENSIFIES)
(HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING)
(HUMMING CONTINUES)
(SUPERHERO TOY WHIRS)
(DAVID PANTS)
(GUNSHOTS)
(SOLDIERS CHANT)
SERGEANT MAJOR: Quick march!
Left, right, left, right, left, right!
Left, right! Left! Left, right, left, right left right!
Are you OK?
Yeah.
Left! One! Two! Three! Four! Left, right!
Left, right, left, right! Left!
Left!
David, I'm back.
David?
You here?
(BREEZE RUSTLING LEAVES)
David?
David, mate?
David, come out now.
David!
David, I am not angry at you.
David! David! Come out now!
(CHILD PANTING)
David!
David?!
David! David? David.
What's...
What's happened to you?
David, look at me. Look at me.
WHAT'S HAPPENED TO HIM?!
Let me see my him. What are you doing?
Let me comfort my son. Calm down, Curtis.
DAVID! DAVID! Curtis.
You can't be here.... How did you let this happen? What did you do?
What the fuck! Get him out of here.
DAVID?! DAVID?!
Get him to the station now.
You OK? Yeah.
Can I talk to David?
You remember Dr Zellaby, David?
Has he eaten anything? Nothing yet.
Thank you.
Hello, David.
I just wanted to have a quick chat with you
about what happened with your Dad.
You went to school. Do you remember leaving?
School.
Did you go home to your Dad?
School...
Yes, that's right, you...you went to school,
and then you left...
(INTENSE HUMMING)
(WHISPERS): School.
School.
Oh, my baby.
David?
Please...
Who are you?
Oh, no.
(SOBS)
(SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY)
He remembers nothing of his parents, nothing of his life.
It's like he's no longer there.
In some abuse cases, memory's suppressed.
It could be- Curtis.
Yeah. Yeah, it's not.
(SIGHS)
Something happened at Winthorpe. We both know it.
Yeah. But what?
All I know is that they're lying to us..
Act like you know nothing.
Make them believe that you're their friend,
and find out what they're planning.
Don't say anything to Bryony.
I don't trust her.
I don't trust a single one of them.
(INAUDIBLE CONVERSATION)
Hello?
Hey!
Come in. Sorry for the mess.
This is er... This is nice.
(CHUCKLES) I'm trying.
Listen, the reason I called...
Yesterday, Nathan and I weren't at Ward 300.
We were at a military base in the countryside.
And we were... we were told to keep it secret.
But I just... I don't want to lie to you anymore.
Erm...why did you go there?
They said it was just for tests.
But I don't believe them.
Now, a few days ago, I thought we had this under control.
Now I don't know anything
I don't understand. Why wouldn't Nathan tell me?
Have you noticed anything in his behaviour recently?
Hey, mate.
I don't want to leave you.
(ETHEREAL MUSIC)
(BIRDS TWITTERING)
(GATE HINGE CREAKS)
(SUPERHERO TOY BLEEPS)
I just found this at the school.
I saw David there the other day.
The day I passed out
You told anyone? Not yet.
Right, then, don't. Just throw it away.
Get rid of it. What? Please.
We have Ellie now.
That is all we have to think about.
BERNARD: Why is she still here? JOE: She won't leave him.
She stayed all night.
You made a mistake, letting him live.
He won't say anything.
It's a risk. For the project.
Trust us.
They all think it's the father. We know what we're doing.
(TENSE MUSIC)
Come on, sweetheart.
There we go, love.
Want anything else? Strawberry jam.
(TYPING ON KEYBOARD)
(MOBILE PHONE RINGS)
Rachel?
Susannah!
I'm coming to you now.
It's them.
Rachel? 'There we go, sweetheart.'
'Rachel, what's them?'
(SINISTER MUSIC)
(HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING)
Evie?
(DOOR OPENS)
Morning, love. Where are you off to?
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
(SHE EXHALES NERVOUSLY)
It's OK, baby. It's OK.
I'm so sorry. It's OK.
(BREATHES ANXIOUSLY)
I'm taking you somewhere safe.
(FOREBODING MUSIC)
(TYRES SCREECH)
(BREATHES HEAVILY)
(HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING)
(CAR REVS)
(GEAR STICK CLUNKS)
(HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING) (TYRES SQUEAL)
(STEAM HISSES)
(LOW-LEVEL CHATTERING)
Thank you. My name is Bernard Westcott
and I represent Her Majesty's government.
As the governing authority...
I would like to accept full responsibility for
what happened here... yesterday morning.
We let this happen on our watch.
As a result, the children no longer feel safe in Midwich.
Sorry, the children don't feel safe?
Stewart... Please... Thank you.
All they did was defend themselves.
That's right. You really believe that?
If we can just- She drove right at them. She tried to kill them!
It's on camera. Two years ago we were assured
this kind of thing would never happen again.
Doctor Zellaby negotiated a truce. It wasn't us that broke it.
A truce is an arrangement between enemies. Is that what we are?
Now, Rachel was out of her mind.
She hadn't slept... That's right.
Give it a break Cass.
What do you mean?
Rachel didn't deserve that. Whatever she did.
They're children. Nora.
And they're ours.
They're not children.
At least, not in a way that I can understand.
What would you know about it, Stewart?
You never wanted yours in the first place.
Well, I don't want mine now.
Jane... No.
It's too much.
I've spent five years colluding with their will...
convincing myself these are God's creatures.
You're nothing of the kind.
Are you?
You enabled this.
You told us we could trust them.
If I may continue. Having consulted with the children...
..it seems prudent to arrange their staggered departure from Midwich.
Hold on a second. What... What are you talking about?
The children will cease attending the school with immediate effect,
and plans will be made to ensure smooth transition
from their current homes to a governmental facility.
Susannah, what is going on?
The children don't want to leave.
And, and they're not going to, alright? Tell them.
Evie, tell them. Tell them that you want to stay.
Evie!
(UNSETTLING MUSIC)
Cassie.
(DOOR SLAMS)
Cassie.
Cassie, they lied to me too. They've deceived all of us.
Did you take them to that place, on that day?
Yeah.
This looks slow. Mm.
The Judge threw out our application for Curtis Saunders' detention.
Alright, let him go.
But David stays in Ward 300. Under our care. No visitors.
Not until the children leave.
Mum's upset.
We all are.
Can you talk to her?
I don't think she's interested in talking to me at the moment.
We're sorry about Rachel.
We had no choice. She tried to kill us.
And why would she try to do that?
I don't know.
But now we have to leave.
I thought I knew you, Evie. I really did.
There is no me, Granny.
No? No.
Sometimes I'm Evie
and sometimes I'm Connor or Sunny.
I don't believe that.
Take that ice cream, for example.
You always have that flavour. Only you.
Because you like it.
Very much.
So why can't we be special to you like that? Me and Mummy?
You're not an ice cream Granny. No.
We are your flesh and blood. We should be a thousand times
more important than that.
Evie, I really hoped that by, by living here with us,
you would start to enjoy the differences between you.
Difference causes problems.
No.
Difference gives us meaning.
We don't agree with that.
Your mother is gonna miss you. so much
She won't.
None of you will.
Daddy?
What were you talking to Mummy about?
Yesterday morning. Before I went out.
Nothing, Hannah.
Just about Ellie's new nursery.
(UNSETTLING MUSIC)
Listen, Curtis...
the government have a care order still active against you.
Now, it stops you from seeing David.
Now, if you, if wanna live with your son again,
you...you really must do what I say.
OK?
I'm serious.
There are things going on here that neither you nor I understand.
(SOBS)
(SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY)
(DOOR CLOSES)
Yeah, sure. I'll er...
Of course, I'll meet you there.
Erm...
Listen, I have to go to a meeting.
Up at the hospital. What now?
It's an emergency. About the departure.
Listen.
Cassie, there are things I have to tell you, things about Evie.
About Rachel. What? Tell me, then.
I will tell you everything when I get home. I promise.
Ten o'clock. Ten o'clock, I'll be back.
(TV PLAYS IN OTHER ROOM)
He made me promise only to tell you. He doesn't want Zoe to know
he said anything.
Where did he find it? Round by the cellars.
The outside cellar door is locked, but I have the front keys.
(KEYS JANGLE)
(DOOR OPENS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
David. David kept saying, "School. School."
And I thought he meant his own.
Something did happen here.
(SHE EXHALES ANXIOUSLY)
Wait here.
(TENSE MUSIC)
(TENSE MUSIC INTENSIFIES)
What are you two doing here?
Why are you here, Mr Haynes?
The cleaner found this in the cellar.
It belongs to David Saunders.
You know anything about this?
Are you sure? We're sure.
You should probably give us those keys, now Mr Haynes.
Don't tell me what to do.
(ELECTRICITY BUZZING)
(HIGH-PITCHED HUMMING)
Are you alone?
No, I've got a full SWAT team with me. What do you think?
You're funny.
(LIGHT SWITCH CLICKS)
(DOOR CLOSES)
(BREATHES ANXIOUSLY)
(LOCKS DOOR)
We like you, Mr Haynes.
We don't want to hurt you.
But you come with us now.
Evie?
What's wrong?
We're going out. Tell no-one.
No. No. No. No. I need to talk to you.
Not now.
Evie.
Evie, come back!
Evie, come back now!
Evie! (SOBS)
(UNSETTLING MUSIC)
(CAR DOORS CLOSE)
(THUNDER RUMBLES)
Nathan will stay with you tonight.
Don't tell anyone about this.
Don't leave the house again.
What are you gonna do... when you leave Midwich?
This will be over soon, Mr Haynes.
Just stay out of it.
Where are you going?
You've just missed our turn. Back to the school.
You can't go to the school.
They'll know I'm helping you.
What are you doing?
Why would you do that?
So they can't listen.
The pain blocks them.
(ETHEREAL VOCAL MUSIC)
'This is Susannah. I can't take your call now right now.'
Fuck. 'Please leave a message.' (ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS)
Yeah, hi. Erm...it's me.
Er...
Evie's gone and I don't... Yeah, I don't know what to do..
So can you just give me a call back, when you get this.
'My name's Cassie Stone.'
I'm just calling about my mother.
She was meant to have a late meeting there tonight,
and I was just checking in.
WOMAN: 'There was no meeting here tonight.'
(UNSETTLING MUSIC)
(LINE RINGING)
(PHONE CLATTERS ON WINDOW SILL)
(UNSETTLING MUSIC CONTINUES)
(MOBILE PHONE RINGS)
RYAN: 'Hey, stranger. Shop's open. What can I get you?'
(EXHALES ANXIOUSLY)
(KEY UNLOCKING DOOR)
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACH)
(LIGHT SWITCH CLICKS)
(SQUEAKING)
(LIGHT SWITCH CLICKS)
(DOOR THUDS SHUT)
(KEY LOCKING DOOR)
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