CHARLOTTE, ASH and EMMA have 2 TICKETS to the RESETTLEMENT ZONE. They’re at ASH’S PARENTS’ HOUSE, who have revealed that they have 2 TICKETS for the Zone. Charlie’s father BIG BILL and her sister AMY have told Charlie that she can have Amy’s ticket if Charlie comes to see them on the other side of LEAMINGTON SPA. But, knowing roguish Big Bill, Charlie thinks this could be a trap. Ash and Charlie are thoroughly embroiled in their extended family’s affairs.

 

Charlie wants to get Emma to the Resettlement Zone as soon as possible, and she wants to avoid her family. So she wants Ash to go talk to Big Bill while she tries to persuade VIDYA and ANAND to give her a 3rd TICKET.

 

Ash wants to get Emma to the Resettlement Zone as soon as possible, but he also wants to protect his parents. If the former jeopardises the latter, then he’ll look for another solution. He thinks that CORNWALL might be safe - maybe that’s a back-up if their plan to go to the Zone fails? He wants Charlie to go speak to her father because he thinks that’s most likely to secure them Amy’s ticket, because he’s worried Charlie will wheedle a ticket out of his lovely parents, and because he doesn’t want to see Amy and Big Bill.

 

They’ve flipped over who ventures out to Big Bill’s (into the unknown).

 

THE COIN is TAILS. CHARLIE WINS. A sweaty-palmed Ash is heading to Big Bill’s trap.

 

Ash is furious and scared. He begins to plead with Charlie: don’t ask my parents for a ticket.

 

This road will test what Charlie and Ash will do for, and to, their soulmate’s family.

 

Vidya interrupts Ash and Charlie’s private conversation, desperate to know if everything’s okay. Charlie tells Vidya that they’ve decided Ash will go get her sister’s ticket.

 

Anand interrupts. It’s 10pm. He shows the others a website page: it’s about a LEAK OF A GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT PREDICTING MASS CASUALTIES. Charlie flags up that this is evidence of how bad things are getting out there - we need to get Emma to the Zone as soon as possible.

 

Furious at Charlotte and worried for his parents, Ash feels a rush of adrenaline. He’s getting that goddamn ticket.

 

He insists that he needs to drive ANAND’S FAST CAR. This is an ongoing debate between father and son - Anand is very precious about his car. But, in the circumstances, Anand has to agree. Ash is excited.

 

Ash heads to the GARAGE and whips the dust covers off the car. It’s magnificent. He climbs inside and notices ANAND’S HOSPITAL CREDENTIALS on the passenger seat. Anand opens the garage doors behind him. Ash revs the engine.

 

Ash turns in the driveway. Charlie leans through the window to give him advice on Big Bill: watch out for any games Bill’s playing. Don’t get drawn into any schemes. You’re just there for the ticket - insist on having it immediately, and talk about Emma if you need to guilt them. In fact, don’t even go into the house. If either Bill or Amy act strange, then just get out of there - with or without the ticket.

 

Ash says goodbye to them all, feeling noble. And then screeches off down the driveway. Anand frets, certain Ash is going to wreck the car.

 

Charlie and the Dhumal Seniors call round more FRIENDS and RELATIVES to check for spare tickets. In between, Anand and Vidya float about, flirting with each other, playing with Emma, joking with Charlie. They’re clearly total legends.

 

And this is an obstacle for Charlie, because she wants one of their tickets.

 

Ash and Charlie’s problem in this chapter: their in-laws are in the way of their ensured survival.

 

Vidya gasps. She brings her phone to Charlie and Anand. It’s 10.30pm, and THE INTERNET IS DOWN. The only page they can get is the GOVERNMENT GATEWAY.

 

Charlie plays up the gravity of this. Yesterday she was looking at tickets for Disneyland Paris (i.e. another reference to FRANCE), now the borders are closed and they can’t even look up the weather.

 

Meanwhile, Ash speeds through the town. Suddenly a FRIGHTENED WOMAN (30s) rushes out in front of the car; Ash slams to a halt. The woman is begging for help.

 

Then her HUSBAND (30s) appears, panting, wielding a hammer. The woman darts round the side of the car, and tries to open the door. Ash hesitates - what should he do? He feels the weight of the COIN in his pocket.

 

No - he can’t flip over that! He goes to open the door - but the husband strikes the woman in the head with the hammer. Ash panics and drives.

 

Back at the house, Charlie segues from complaining about how unreliable her family can be, to asking Anand and Vidya about receiving the ticket alert - what were they doing at the time? This makes them very uncomfortable. She asks if they’ve double-checked their PICK UP TIME, etc. Vidya assures Charlie they’re on top of it.

 

When Vidya heads to the kitchen to make tea, Anand cracks out a tablet computer for some digital photo album reminiscences (and to change the subject). He shows photos of Anand and Vidya meeting Emma for the first time, and then all of them at Birmingham Holi, with Emma about 2. Then there’s an album of Ash when he was younger. There are photos of Ash and Anand fishing in Cornwall, and of a trip to India during Diwali to meet Vidya’s family. Anand shows Emma Vidya’s family, and tells her about them – they wanted to take her over to meet them one day.

 

Anand is incredibly reflective - almost like he’s trying to say goodbye …

 

He starts to tell Emma and Charlotte his and Vidya’s life stories. Anand’s family brought him over to England when he was 10. Vidya was already living here – her parents had moved from Gujarat. Both sets of parents are very religious. Anand and Vidya met in their early 20s, when Anand saw Vidya doing stand-up at a comedy club in Birmingham. He was blown away. He was this grumpy medical student, and for some reason she didn’t kick his ass and send him on his way. 

 

Anand starts to cry. Vidya returns from the kitchen and, seeing this, she rushes him away - claiming it’s to help with the tea.

 

Driving, Ash starts to pull around a PARKED JEEP. SOLDIERS (20s, white) step out from behind the jeep, and motion to Ash to pull in behind the jeep. He does.

 

He’s nervous as the soldiers approach and ask him to wind down his window. The soldiers are very aggressive – why’s he out? Doesn’t he know there’s a curfew on? Ash explains that he … is … a doctor. At Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. He’s been called in. He takes his father’s credentials, and shows them to the soldiers. The soldiers peer at the photo in the glare of their torches … 

 

Ash tells them it was taken on a very early morning. The soldiers agree that he looks terrible. Ash goes to start the car, but the soldiers want his take on the emergency. What are the hospitals saying? Ash makes up some bullshit. One of the soldiers says she’s planning to go abroad. Apparently everywhere’s refusing to take in the British – typical – but the crisis only seems to be in Britain. That’s what her superiors said, anyway.

 

Ash thinks that abroad is safe.

 

Another JEEP OF SOLDIERS passes Ash’s car, and parks beside the first jeep. A third soldier starts to talk to the soldiers in this new jeep. Ash watches. The soldiers look cagey; Ash hears the phrases ‘fuck them’ and ‘this is bullshit’. 

 

Leamington’s soldiers are acting strangely.

 

One of Ash’s inquisitors sees Ash watching the other soldiers - hey! The soldier orders Ash to get going. He does.

 

Charlotte goes looking for Anand. Vidya intercepts her, and corners her. She wants to offer Charlie some advice. 

 

Vidya seems to want to fix Ash and Charlie’s marriage.

 

She firstly pushes Charlie to reconcile with her family – whatever that takes. Secondly, Charlie shouldn’t lose hope for Ash to overcome … certain elements of his character. Vidya thinks Ash has inherited his father’s anxious young ambition and her flighty artistic tendencies – not the best combination. But, Anand mellowed out, and she settled down - so Vidya has hope for Ash yet. Finally, Vidya thinks that Ash and Charlie have got to stop using the COIN. (Reveal! Charlie had no idea they knew.) Vidya thinks that, while it might help in the moment, eventually it’ll blow up in their faces. You can’t avoid life like that. You have to face the tough decisions head on, take responsibility for them, and accept the consequences as an inevitable part of being human.

 

Caught off guard, Charlie snaps at Vidya. Then apologises, and goes to sit with Emma.

 

10:45pm Ash arrives at AMY AND BILL’S HOUSE - on a COUNCIL ESTATE in Leamington. He parks on the street nearby, psyches himself up, and heads to the front door. AMY (34) opens it as he approaches, and looks around for Charlie. She realises what’s happened - and isn’t happy.

 

Amy reluctantly tells Ash to come inside. Ash hesitates, remembering Charlie’s advice … but he goes in anyway.

 

Amy brings Ash into the KITCHEN. BIG BILL sits at a table. Amy tells Bill that Charlotte hasn’t come. Ash introduces himself to Bill, and tells them that Charlie was injured earlier in the night - a head wound - so she’s stayed as his parents’ house. Big Bill simmers, but keeps his cool. He offers Ash a whiskey; Ash doesn’t want one, but accepts out of politeness. Bill pours three whiskeys, and explains that he knows his daughter, and he knows that no fucking bump on the head would keep her from coming for that ticket.

 

So, Bill suggests that Ash is lying. Just like, Bill notes, the last time Ash saw Amy - when Ash claimed he’d give BILL’S LETTER to Charlie, and claimed he’d get Charlie to call them. This is the man that Charlie abandoned Bill and Amy for …

 

Bill starts to quiz Ash on the Dhumals’ ticket situation. Ash makes the mistake of saying they got two; Bill leaps on this - so then Ash can stay behind, right? Let Charlie and Emma go? Feeling guilty about this topic, Ash bumbles, and Bill derides Ash: this is the man that’s going to protect my daughter? My grandaughter?

 

Ash fights back: he has so far, and he’ll continue to. That’s why he will, of course, give up his ticket to Charlie if he has to. And that’s why he binned Bill’s letter.

 

Bill starts to get angry …

 

Ash says he can see why Charlie didn’t want to come here. This isn’t the best night for mind games, is it? They should all be supporting each other, possibly saying goodbye. But, at least, Ash says, Big Bill taught Charlie well … Her PREPPER TENDENCIES, her ABILITY TO FIGHT … Ash sees this idea begin to soften Bill, as he hoped it would. 

 

Ash may be ill-suited to much of this situation, but he can show, in moments like this, that he can be brilliant. You can see why he’s mates with all of their neighbours. You can see how he’s sold ideas.

 

We should have the growing sense - both from this road alone, and from having watched other roads and then this one - that if Charlie and Ash were to work together, they could survive this. Their opposing brains and skills, put together, could save them. And that it’s a tragedy when they don’t.

 

Ash tells them about all the preparations Charlie had put in place, and carried out tonight. Bill clearly likes this, and can’t help himself: he explains how he raised Charlie for this moment precisely. NUCLEAR ARMAGEDDON. Ash is genuinely interested, but he plays this interest up. Bill outlines his wild leftwing CONSPIRACY THEORIES, and Ash contributes ideas. Amy chips in, debating the theories - clearly her father’s daughter. They all start to get on quite well - Ash is winning them round.

 

But Bill is a man who sticks to his guns. So he shuts the chat down, and reveals that he isn’t going to give Ash AMY’S TICKET. They said they’d only give it to Charlie, and they meant it. That’s final.

 

Ash pushes back: you won’t save your own daughter?! Your grandaughter?! Bill points out that Ash can save them, and, besides, he knows that Charlie will figure it out - she’s a survivor, like Bill. Bill thinks that he and Amy might need to barter the ticket - they need a lift out into the country, for one thing.

 

Bill starts to leave the kitchen. Feeling guilty, Amy stops him and tells him she’s reconsidering this - shouldn’t they just give the ticket to Ash? Bill orders her not to, and leaves. Ash and Amy are left in a tense silence.

 

Vidya and Anand approach Charlotte and Emma in the living room. From their manner, Charlie is hopeful that they’re going to give her a ticket. Vidya announces that they have something to say. They want Charlotte to know how good they think she is, for Ash. How good a mother they think she is. They’re so glad she’s a part of their family. Charlotte thanks them, feeling guilty about wanting to jeopardise their safety. Then she clocks something … And asks them: is something the matter? Anand starts to admit that, yes, - But Vidya grabs him and takes him to one side. They begin to argue in Gujarati, in hushed tones. Charlie’s never seen them like this - it’s shocking.

 

Amy admits to Ash that she’s upset Charlie didn’t come. Amy wanted to meet Emma. Ash apologises - he would have liked that too. He prepares to leave.

 

11:30pm As he exits the house, Amy behind him, they both see a MOB attacking the nearby HOUSE OF A MIDDLE EASTERN FAMILY. It would appear that racist attacks - the result of CONSPIRACY THEORIES about the crisis - are growing in number and severity. 

 

Ash and Amy shout at the mob – what the fuck are they doing?! The mob threatens them, and one member attacks Ash. Amy steps in the way, protecting Ash, and fights the man off.

 

But another member throws a brick, the corner of which catches Amy on the temple. She’s knocked unconscious. A panicked Ash drags Amy back into their house, and closes the door.

 

He tries to wake her up, but can’t. He should take her to Anand and get her help. But - he looks at AMY’S BRACELET - he could take her ticket. No, he can’t. But they don’t even want it anyway! And taking her to his father for help could be risky. There are roadblocks everywhere. 

 

The Decision Point appears onscreen:

 

He takes out his COIN. He stares at the coin - is he really going to do this? He tries to wake Amy one more time. Then he flips.

 

Which road will you choose?

 

Are you going to make Ash a good brother-in-law, or a brutal traitor?