Episode 2 SS-GB

This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

Why is an SS Officer coming here?

You'll be working closely with Dr Huth.

We're going to be busy.

It's Barbara Barga, New York Times.

American. A journalist.

And a liar.

Jimmy, I need you to check on someone.

Draw a pistol and keep your wits about you.

-What are they going to do?

-I don't know.

-Who are they?

-Heroes, not collaborators like you lot!

-He's called John Spode.

-He's after Douggie.

Why would he want your son, sir?

John Spode is Resistance.

They want to control me and get to me through my son.

# The service of my love. #

# I vow to thee, my country

# All earthly things above

# Entire and whole and perfect

# The service of my love

# The love that asks no questions... #

Superintendent Archer.

Headmaster.

So vital we keep up our standards.

Yes. DOOR OPENS

DOOR OPENS

Enjoying the show?

A hymn about a patriotic sacrifice.

How quaint.

Where's the man in charge?

What's the meaning of this outrage?

Outrage? Please.

Don't talk to me like that.

It sets such a bad example.

Who are you?

I'm the headmaster.

Where is he?

Speak up!

A man called John Spode. With one arm.

He's working with the choir.

The new fellow? He... I don't know.

He... He's due here, he might be somewhere.

Then we must find him.

The man is a suspected Resistance fighter.

Then, of course, I hope you find him.

TRANSLATION FROM GERMAN:

The area is being secured.

Sir, the SS is not needed here.

Spode is the subject of my investigation,

I must insist that his civil liberties are not infringed.

I will be the one to take him into custody.

Come on, Superintendent. You'll have scared him away.

But we'll have a thorough check all the same.

We are here to help -

not shoot him, if that's what you fear.

This man Spode, I don't know him.

Tell them!

You're working with them, I know you are.

Tell them I'm innocent!

My God, man, are you going to just stand there and watch?

Sir.

Douggie. Douggie come here.

Have you heard anything more from your secretary, Sylvia?

I know about the Trafalgar Square business.

You were followed, of course.

Of course.

But surely she was followed too?

The man assigned to her was not experienced enough.

Not for an agent like her.

You did not realise? A man like you?

We should have put her in the bag when we had the chance.

She smelled trouble and got out.

Or perhaps someone warned her.

Stay here.

Ah, Sergeant. You can take Inspector Archer's son home for him.

We have work to do.

Where's Mrs Sheenan?

She's gone to collect Bob.

The bastards are down at the school, ransacking the place, I hear.

Can I go to Tim's?

No, you're going nowhere.

-But why?

-Because I said.

DOOR CLOSES

Thanks, Harry.

Glad you could trust me for something.

Why didn't you tell me you were onto this Spode?

You know damn well why.

You trust that bloody kid Dunn more than you trust me.

And I've known you for 15 years.

If you'd have just called me,

we could have rolled this up,

without those Nazis terrorising kids

in a church, for God's sake!

Do you think that was the last thing I wanted?

Spode's Resistance,

and I wasn't sure you wouldn't put your country above a friendship.

I wouldn't blame you.

One thing I will tell you...

..that kid, Dunn...

..he doesn't have the experience to handle a case like this.

It's too dangerous.

FRONT DOOR OPENS

Move. It's fine. Don't think about it.

DOOR CLOSES

Hello, Mrs Sheenan.

The children were held back.

Processed.

Some older ones taken away.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Take off your coat.

Mrs Sheenan?

I'm going to The Two Brewers with Sergeant Woods.

Don't answer the door to anyone.

What is it you want?

Hmm?

No Resistance?

No hope? Huh?

What I want is PC Dunn as well as you working on this case.

Young blood. All right?

Christ, did you see the way Mrs Sheenan looked at me?

And she likes me.

Yeah, you're in a pickle all right.

But what are you going to do, resign?

Get your work permit, your ration book taken away?

-You've got a son.

-Don't I know it.

Murderers need catching. That's what you've always said,

and that's what you should keep doing,

cos you are Archer of the Yard, aren't you?

Piss off, Harry.

Oh, I nearly forgot. You got an invitation.

Do you remember someone called Sydney Garin?

Yeah, little Armenian art dealer.

Yeah, Graf von Garin now.

Famous expert on Aryan art.

Sell paintings, art treasures to the Germans - sell for them.

Anyway, he phoned and invited you

to some big do tomorrow night.

Black tie.

Oh, that's new. I wonder what he's got planned for me.

Well, maybe you shouldn't go.

An antique dealer might know something

about the Shepherd Market murder.

Or maybe he thinks you're in with the Germans,

just like he is.

I'm worried about you, Doug.

You walk around with your eyes half-shut.

You don't see the changes, you don't see what we've lost,

and it's only going to get worse.

And you don't trust me.

And you can't trust yourself.

You're wrong, Harry.

You know, being Huth's man...

..doesn't look good to some people.

You be careful out there, on the streets.

Thanks for the beer.

So good of you to come and see me.

There. Fantastic. Yes, fantastic.

How do you find, er, Standartenfuhrer Huth?

Enigmatic.

Yes.

Well, the Shepherd Market murder seems to have piqued his interest.

I understand that he's trying to piece together

some charred remains of some documents you found.

You expect him to find anything?

It would be easier to put Humpty Dumpty back together.

Humpty Dumpty!

What is that?

This is your famous Archer, yes?

Perhaps the celebrated policeman can explain to his confused superior

the niceties of property law under military occupation.

Well, I have to admit, some of the niceties elude even me, General.

Military intelligence.

Old von Ruff is disconsolate

that control of Britain will soon be passed

from the Commander-in-Chief of his beloved Army

to a Reichskommissar from our own SS ranks.

Then we'll see who has the King's horses.

Curiously named -

they call it Rotten Row.

Blame the French.

Rue de Roi.

Rue de Roi.

Rotten Row.

They must have known something.

DOOR OPENS

FOOTSTEPS

Scientific formulae.

Years of work, probably, and he burned it.

They steal the papers and destroy them.

These Resistance are playing a funny game.

My guess is they'll try to contact you again soon.

Probably not the girl next time, could be anyone.

Say yes to whatever they want.

Get their proposition.

Their proposition was to kidnap my son.

To blackmail you.

Show them they can trust you.

They'd do better by negotiation than by terror attacks.

I want to control this situation.

And will the Resistance really do better by negotiating?

Well, that's what I want you to tell them.

I'm a reasonable man.

Let me hear their demands.

Whoever gives me Spode can expect favours.

15 Resistance men are due to be hanged - or not, if I intercede.

-PHONE RINGS

-They should know that.

Yeah?

HE HANGS UP PHONE

We have a tip-off about your secretary.

Is this her?

Yes.

FOOTSTEPS ON STAIRS

I'll check the roof.

Can't get away this time.

I suppose you've brought your friends to catch me?

Did you help John Spode go after my son?

I warned you, didn't I?

-I told you.

-What were you thinking?

Douggie would have been safe with me.

John wouldn't have harmed him.

How the hell would you know?

Sie bleiben hier.

Anything?

The door was damned hard to open.

So she wouldn't have been able to?

No.

Did you know she was modelling for this decadent?

She's full of surprises.

She has friends in low places, this Sylvia.

Meet me at the Ministry of Information tomorrow, 1600 hours.

A routine check uncovered a Resistance vehicle.

A film can was hidden inside the spare wheel.

Have a seat.

Film ab, bitte.

TRIUMPHAL MUSIC PLAYS

'As the citizens of benighted Europe are drafted en masse

'into the German war machine,

'Uncle Sam considers which way to turn.

'Great Britain is pinning its hopes on this gentleman.

'"I'm your man!" says Rear Admiral Connolly.

'He claims to be the representative of the British nation,

'confirmed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill

'before his rumoured execution.

'But lawyers for Herr Hitler are denying his claims.

'They want to take control of the British Embassy in Washington.

'Good luck, Admiral - you're going to need it.'

Such even-handed reporting.

This is two weeks old.

The only way it could have been smuggled into the country

was on board the inaugural flight from New York.

So there was a sympathiser on board the plane?

I think that's an SS matter, sir, not police business.

I happen to know that an American reporter from that flight,

a Miss Barbara Barga,

has been asking questions about you of our press attache.

Well, I suppose I make an interesting story for outsiders.

All encounters with her I will expect to be reported.

Understood?

Any progress in your investigation, any hunches?

Nothing worthy of your attention, sir.

Don't let me detain you, then.

JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS

You have a wonderful Turner there, Superintendent.

Mr Garin. Good of you to invite me.

Oh, you're particularly welcome, Superintendent.

Quite a melange tonight.

Everyone here except the Prime Minister.

I've seen this before.

Ah, what a memory you have.

It once belonged to the Tate.

And now it's for sale?

Well, all the museums have to get rid of things.

No more state subsidies,

can't expect the German administration

to finance our art museums, can we?

Oh, God, no.

We find it cleaner and more business-like to buy from museums

then re-sell to our clients in our own time.

Well, and more profitable too, I should imagine.

The mind of a policeman.

Something a little more specialist?

Some of our German friends can't get enough of the occult stuff.

We had half a notion that Herr Himmler himself

was going to grace us with his presence this evening.

-Himmler's in London?

-So they say.

Well, I hope the Resistance don't hear that.

They'd probably launch a mortar attack.

Garin, good evening.

Of course, you know Bernard Staines from Oxford days.

-Hello.

-Bernard.

I was coach of the eight when Douglas got his blue.

Yes, I never see you at the Oxford and Cambridge, Douglas.

Well, these days people like to go to their clubs and let their hair down

without worrying a policeman might be listening.

-If you'll excuse me, gentlemen?

-Good, good.

Yes, well, if anyone thinks he can relax anywhere in this town

without a block warden or a policeman listening to him,

he's a fool.

You're right, Bernard.

And don't you forget it.

Things will get better.

But only if we make them better.

And how would we do that?

Do you really want to know?

Yes, I do.

Good. Well, then, maybe we should have a chat later.

There's someone here I'd like you to meet.

Of course.

Splendid. I'll catch you.

Hello, Miss Barga.

What a nice surprise.

You may compliment me on the dress.

It's a Laurenti from Paris, cost me three months' salary.

It left me speechless.

Nice recovery, Superintendent.

Are you buying tonight?

Sadly, I've no more space on my walls.

Though I do like the Turners.

Apparently it's being shipped off to Goering tomorrow.

And he's getting eight or nine decadent surrealist pieces

confiscated from non-Aryan owners.

He plays the game well, does Garin.

Smooth as silk and twice as slippery.

But he sure knows how to throw a party.

Takes me back to my days in high school.

In the Midwest?

Wisconsin.

My boyfriend was on the football team and I was a cheerleader.

Well, I suppose you know how to dance, then.

We could give it a try.

# Never stray

# From my side

# If you love me... #

Say, you're good, Superintendent!

Well, you mustn't believe everything you read

about policeman and their feet.

I used to dance quite a lot at one time.

I heard about your wife, Superintendent.

That's a terrible thing.

And you have a little boy too.

I'm not alone in misfortune.

I like that you still wear the ring.

So you've been making enquiries about me?

It's a part of the job.

Though I should have caught your name

and realised you were Archer of the Yard.

Do you mind not being recognised?

Not being recognised is part of my job.

So what happened to the football player in Wisconsin?

I married him.

Any progress on that murder case?

But what the hell, you didn't ask me to dance

to talk about murder cases, did you?

Well, I...

I'm going to be very offended if you say yes to that one, mister.

Are you still married?

Now, that's more like it.

I love this song, you know that?

-SHE SINGS QUIETLY:

-# Never stray from my side

# If you love me

# Do not hasten to bid me adieu. #

Don't go home without me, will you?

Excuse me.

Thank you for tearing yourself away from Miss Barga.

You know her?

Yeah, I've spent a bit of time in Washington and, er...

she's a popular girl.

And you seem popular with her.

Married woman.

Divorcee.

Hello, Archer. Good to see you.

Colonel Mayhew.

How's your friend Harry Woods?

Useful prop, back when I used to play.

Grumpy. He's finding it difficult.

Difficult for us all.

I wonder, have the family factories been taken by the Germans?

Just a question of time, my boy.

A question of time.

It's bridge. Penny a point.

Never thought I'd see the day

when I'd have to start an evening like this with a pack of used cards.

Archer.

We met at a counterintelligence briefing before the war.

Mayhew here reminded me.

There's no man I'd rather have with us this evening.

Thank you, Sir Robert.

But I'm afraid bridge isn't my strong suit.

Whist, then.

Wonderful.

Haven't played whist since the trenches.

Thank you.

I have the character flaw of only enjoying cards if it's for money.

Awkward, as Cabinet Secretary, if it came out - hence the secrecy.

Well, our host seems to be nicely in with the Germans.

It may be that Mr Garin's closeness with the Germans

isn't entirely selfish.

I had wondered.

In light of present company.

At least with a pack of cards, you can understand the rankings.

With the Germans I find it quite mystifying.

SS, SD...

Gestapo, Wehrmacht.

You're probably the best-placed Briton in the country

to have any understanding of this, Archer.

What a thing to be.

I'm guessing that the SS are trumps. Would you agree?

Not exactly.

Yes, they can only be tried in their own court,

but the same is true of the German armed forces.

The SS can't touch them.

Come along, we're playing cards.

I'm glad that you confirm that.

Some of the army chaps have been most helpful to us.

With the Gestapo on their tail, they might have to be more circumspect.

Some of the army are anti-Hitler?

Prussians aristocrats, mostly.

Old-school.

Can't abide the SS and their bully-boy ways.

And, erm, what about these fellows with honorary SS ranks?

Well, Himmler uses those to muzzle and bribe his opponents.

Some of those men are his most bitter enemies.

God, I've made a trick.

So the SS is divided within itself and at war with the German Army?

And yet they managed to beat us.

What about this fellow countryman of ours, Rear Admiral Connolly?

Well, he's a cool customer.

To walk off an aircraft carrier in Nova Scotia

and declare yourself the leader of Free Britain...

..and yet he's only a Commander on the Naval List.

And the rest are ours, I think.

Oh.

Mm.

Thank you.

Remember that French Army officer, de Gaulle?

He escaped to England when France fell.

He did more or less the same thing, as I remember -

promoted himself to General

and declared himself the voice of France.

But it never really came to anything.

This is different.

Connolly was acting on the instructions of the War Cabinet.

It was Winston's idea,

when he himself refused to go on one of the flying boats

that left for Iceland at the very end.

So I heard.

But no-one on this side of the Atlantic

really knows anything about it.

That's less important than shoring Connolly up for now.

His position in Washington is tenuous.

It's dicey. The Germans might take over our Embassy,

and that would be a bad blow for Connolly's prestige over there.

So you're in touch with him?

Have you heard the rumours that the King is unwell?

Some people are saying he's been moved

from the Tower of London to St George's.

Well, I know there's an SS Special Security Battalion

that's been quartered beside it at Hyde Park Corner.

It's quite a force.

You can't be thinking of trying to free him?

Of course not.

Why was I invited here this evening?

Is there some connection with the Shepherd Market murder?

Let's just stay on track, shall we?

We need nothing of you.

Except loyalty to your country.

We're at the knife's edge.

What about this fellow Huth?

Could he be of value to us?

In what venture?

There's bad blood between him and General Kellermann,

they loathe each other, but how can that help you?

We just want to open channels,

as we have with the German Army.

That's what he wants.

Though it could easily be a trap.

He wanted me to be "open to offers".

Well, do you trust him?

Could he be...

..useful to us?

Well, I don't know him.

He's clever, but unpredictable.

And Kellermann?

Predictable and not so clever?

I think that's the way he'd like to be seen.

Harry Woods calls them Laurel and Hardy.

God, and we're occupied by them.

I'll be the go-between.

Tell me what I have to do.

Now, wait a minute. Bernard...

Let's...

I need to get to know him better.

This is a massive risk to take.

Well, we...

We all of us have to take risks, Douglas.

We've taken one by telling you as much as we have.

You have nothing to fear.

I think that's enough for tonight.

I have to get going.

Ah, just a moment.

These gentlemen owe us money.

Cough up, Staines.

Thank you, Sir Robert.

Thank you.

SHE SIGHS

All those terrible people there tonight.

I've seen the same sort of greedy-eyed politicians

from Chaco to Addis Ababa.

Brown shirts, red shirts, black shirts...

They're all after the same thing.

Coloured shirts? SHE LAUGHS

That...and grabbing as much of the world as possible.

Sounds like you've been in a lot of wars.

I was 18 when my paper sent me down to Paraguay

to cover the fighting in Chaco.

Since then, I've filed stories from China, Ethiopia, Spain.

And last year, I was in Abbeville

when the German Panzer Divisions arrived.

-It's a strange job for a woman.

-Oh!

Don't be such an English stuffed shirt!

So you were 18 when you saw your first war?

What did your father say?

He owned the newspaper.

Ah.

And you...

You went into the police force?

Is this off the record?

You can trust me.

I wanted to set the world to rights.

Hold the front page(!)

I know.

This isn't the way to The Dorchester.

Who said I was still there?

I'm renting now.

My lady.

I'd ask you in for a drink,

but they need the cars back for the other guests.

That's all right.

I can phone the Yard for a car.

Your own car. You must be important.

That's what people keep telling me.

You know they've had 14 break-ins along here

in the last three months.

Well, I can stand by the window if you like.

Well, this looks like a suite at the Dorchester.

But a lot more private.

Only problem is it's cold.

LIGHTER CLICKING

Let me.

Coffee, Superintendent?

Douglas, please.

People are calling me Douglas now.

It's all part of the new mood of informality

that the newspapers say that war brought.

Douglas, eh?

I think I like that better than Superintendent.

So would you?

Would I what?

Like coffee?

I have real grinds. They're hard to come by.

How real is your brandy?

Plenty real. Bring it over.

Winter in this town is going to kill me

if I don't find some way of keeping warm.

Maybe there I can help?

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

See how freezing I am?

Maybe you're cold blooded.

I must be.

Well, that's cosy.

Don't tear anything.

I might not get another Paris gown as long as I live.

You're not going?

-I must.

-To go home?

Well, it's a bit early for the office.

Don't be irritable.

I'm just trying to discover if there's someone else.

Not that I know of.

I have to get back for my son.

(Kiss me.)

Those people you spoke with tonight...

Sir Robert Benson, Colonel Mayhew and Staines.

Don't tell them "no."

Tell them "yes."

Tell them "next week,"

or tell them "maybe."

But don't tell them "no."

-Was it them who told you to go along to the antiques shop that day?

-No.

Then what were you doing there...

-..asking about a roll of film?

-Lay off, will you, Doug?

Any other advice for me?

Just that a friend, a guy who covers the White House,

says that Bernard Staines met with Roosevelt

three times in the last month.

One of those meetings took place on the Presidential yacht

and lasted nearly two hours.

These guys are into something big, Douglas.

I'm telling you, don't go back there and say "no deal."

What if I did?

Then they'd kill you.

You know too much now to be allowed to stay uncommitted.

Like I said,

I've seen a thousand guys like this all over the world.

If it came to choosing between your life

and a chance to get US government recognition of the Connolly set-up,

do you think they would hesitate for one moment?

Can I use your phone?

CID duty officer.

-HUTH:

-You fool, Archer!

Why do you think we authorise a car service for these big parties?

So we know where everyone goes.

Are you still with the girl?

Yes, sir.

Stay there. I'm sending someone to bring you to me.

AEROPLANES OVERHEAD

Herr Archer.

FOOTSTEPS

If you are as clever as I am told...

..you will have deduced how important this case is to us.

And why would that be?

Spode was an atomic physicist.

It looks like the Resistance killed him

because he was continuing his work under the Germans.

But not under the SS.

Or Dr Huth wouldn't need to bring in his own expert

-to determine what caused those burns on his corneas.

-Hmm.

Go on.

Well...

Given the rivalry between the SS and the Army,

the Army being in control of a secret atomic programme

puts them in front, doesn't it?

Only if an atom bomb really is within their grasp.

It would have the ability to wipe out perhaps even an entire city.

That is why it is imperative

that we find the brother alive.

Schlussene.

The final act.

Your operation to take control of the atomic bomb.

Precisely. Then the Reich will be truly invincible.

I was under the impression you thought you already were.

HE CHUCKLES

There's always room for improvement, Archer.

With Germany holding the super-bomb, it will be an end to all war -

the final phase of our ascendency, prosperity and order.

We'll bring our industries here.

Bosch. Siemens.

Your people will be fully employed.

This country will be transformed.

Into what?

There's a standing instruction, Superintendent.

All senior police officers provide a contact address,

or phone number, day and night.

Yes.

Come on. I'm going to give you a lesson you will never forget.

Just wait. You will see what your friends are like.

This is the area where I used to live.

Why are you bringing me here?

What's going on?

This was my home.

GENERATOR STARTING

Jimmy!

"I was an English hunting dog, working for the German huntsmen."

The gallant British patriots.

Are you proud of them?

Don't turn your back, man. This is your doing!

HE LAUGHS

So at last a flicker of emotion.

I thought I would never see it.

Jimmy was just doing his job.

The gallant patriots of the Resistance murder him.

And you punch me.

My wife died here!

They were the ones who chose to put the body here.

-When did they find him?

-22:47 hours.

Foot patrols on the clock, every two hours.

Not exactly making things difficult for The Partisans.

This is an announcement that they intend to kill you

unless you do as they say. You realise that, don't you?

No feelers yet?

Nobody asked you any subtle questions

about how you like working for the Huns?

No.

Curious.

Since your reputation has grown

I would have expected some whining and sniffing around you by now.

Yeah, well I'll go home and wait for a carrier pigeon!

Save your humour for Harry Woods.

Sergeants have to laugh at their superiors' jokes.

What about Barbara Barga, the American journalist?

She just wanted a story.

Everybody wants something, it seems.

These are dangerous people.

Don't try and play both ends against the middle.

Just remember, the axe never mourns the tree it fells.

Are you all right, Mr Archer?

Go to bed.

Is it your wife you're thinking of?

-I know how you must feel.

-How can you possibly know...

..how I must feel?

-I'm sorry, I...

-Leave me in peace.

Please.

Yeah.

HE SOBS

Jimmy was our last boy left.

-Whoever did this...

-No, it was you, Doug.

You did this.

These people will turn on anyone they start to doubt.

Let him go!

What the hell are you doing here with German Army Intelligence?

I'm hoping to make an arrest, Captain.

Listen to me! Listen to me! We don't have much time.

I'm not a spy, Douglas.

I hear people lie to me all the time.