Original subtitles

Mr Clopot?

I'm Harmke Bot.

Good to see you in person.

You told me on the phone

that you have incriminating information about your employer Rombauts

Pharmaceuticals.

Quinten, I drew up a document allowing you to cut all ties with the company.

And the family.

You have to take over the reins. - I want to do it my way.

Lola... - When you were in hospital...

it seemed you wanted to tell me something about Lola.

She took part in a trial. Aspergon.

But it's rubbish. - What's wrong with it?

Severe side effects. Art is also taking it.

- Drop it, drop it. - I'm sorry.

Your grandson, is it? Drug smuggling.

I propose that we look for a solution for this situation.

Have you read it? - I was afraid to.

Can I read it?

It's so much worse than we thought.

8 The Promise

Julien. Got a second?

- Jerry, what are you doing here? - Have a seat, Julien.

Do you mind if we do this in Dutch?

I'll come straight to the point. You're done here.

Together with Jerry and some investors I've obtained a majority interest.

What? - Weren't you already planning to quit?

Hold on. What are you talking about?

We'll pay good money for the other shares, but your services are no longer needed.

It's not personal, Julien. But formally we now own this company.

No, that's impossible.

That's impossible.

The family owns over half the shares.

Your father's passing created a whole new situation.

Because? - Ludo also left Dries some shares.

Yes, but only a few. So this is impossible.

Quinten sold his share to Jerry and Dries.

With the investors and Mr Kwan's shares the family lost their majority interest.

Investors' confidence in your policy was already drastically waning.

They now support the new management.

I understand this could come as a shock to you.

But you anticipated this by moving half your shares over to Jerry.

You goddamn son of a bitch. Son of a bitch...

Mr Rombauts, calm down. - I swear.

Come with me. Come on.

Your security badge, laptop and work phone.

Seriously?

Arthur.

Arthur, why? Why are you doing this? We had a bond of trust.

I had one with your father. But unfortunately he's gone.

This is a family business. You're ruining Rombauts Pharma.

Me? You certainly don't need my help to destroy the business.

I'm trying to save it. - My dad's legacy of 30 years...

Is safer with Jerry Kwan than you and your sister. He knows what he's doing.

He can set up office in Shanghai for all I care. As long as it's profitable.

And another thing, Julien.

When your nephew is caught with drugs you can just buy your way out...

with a new plant in Bali, but we'd rather not invest in such rash projects.

Do you understand?

Dr Van der Geest.

Hey, kiddo.

Hey, Isabelle. How are you doing?

What is she doing here? - That's not very nice.

Van der Geest. A colleague. How's he doing?

He's severely weakened. Dehydration symptoms.

I just spoke to the internist. He probably contracted typhoid fever in prison.

And he's still disoriented, but that could be the fever or exhaustion.

I understand he was arrested for assaulting a customs officer?

Sounds a bit disinhibited.

It wouldn't surprise me if he had a severe reaction to the malaria pills.

What do you mean? - I've often seen backpackers...

suffer psychoses and hallucinations. - You've got to be kidding me.

Isn't it obvious? Art hasn't been himself ever since he started taking Aspergon.

I'm sure the doctor knows best. - Could be. I've seen it often myself.

He doesn't even take those. - How do you know?

We weren't there, Isabelle. - I'm taking him with me.

Bad idea. - I'm not leaving my son here.

Belle... Art is severely weakened. And he's running a high fever.

Typhoid fever could be fatal if left untreated.

So this has first priority. - But I don't want to leave him here.

I know. But what he needs now are rest and treatment.

It's the Aspergon, Ezra. That's what made him so sick.

This... This is Lola's diary. Will you please read it?

The last few months are particularly rough.

Thank you.

I have to go. I have to get my car.

Thank you for letting me stay with you.

Yes, Hamza? - I just received a phone call.

Clopot is dead. - Dead?

Yes. They say it was an accident. In his own lab in Bucharest.

You're kidding me. - I can't believe it either.

That's awful. - The only true expert on Aspergon is dead.

If we litigate now, Lola's diary is even more important. You still have it?

Isabelle?

Isabelle?

Do you still have the diary?

Can you hear me?

Can I call you back later? - Sure, we'll talk later.

The urns arrived last night.

There's one for you too.

Containing your father's ashes.

In the chapel. One for each of you. - You should take it to my dad.

The V-belt needs replacing. I'll give him a ring to say you're coming.

Okay, thank you. I will.

Now there, Art. How do you feel?

Do you know what day it is?

- I think I lost some days. - Do you know where we are?

Fever's down. That's good.

You're in hospital. Do you know how you got here?

Were you still taking Aspergon while you were travelling?

It's very important to keep taking them.

Regular intake will have you up and about in no time again.

Are you baking cookies? Who are they for?

No one in particular. It just calms me down.

Okay, what's going on?

Bloody Dries... He owes everything to your father.

Has your brother lost his mind? Unreliable junkie.

I should have kept a closer watch on him. Much closer.

Don't just sit there. Bloody hell, Julien.

Do something about it.

Isabelle.

Teddy told me you were dropping in. - Hi, Jacques.

My belated condolences for the loss of your father. I'm sorry.

Your father... I owe that man so much.

Nice place you got here. - We maintain all of Rombauts' cars.

Lease, maintenance, repairs. Everything.

Anyway...

You're not here to see an old man sobbing. What can I do for you?

It has trouble starting and it's making an odd noise.

Lads. Take care of this one first.

Bye.

Hello, Jannes.

The worst part is, I have no idea how he's doing.

He only called me once after he left.

That's the last I heard from him. Just like that he cut off all contact.

I'm sorry. It's even worse for you, as a mother.

Who was Quinten's supplier?

Excuse me? - That stuff, the cocaine.

Who did he buy it from?

Your father ran an honest business. He demanded the same of his employees.

He once sacked a man for lying about his mileage. Honest to God.

Did he really? How did he find out? - I kept records of every car.

Every car? - The entire fleet. With the use of GPS.

I know everyone's movements. I do.

Does anyone else know? - Only your father did. And now you.

Let me show you.

Here. This is a list of all vehicles.

I can track yours too, if you like.

That's Dries.

Excuse me a moment.

Hello, Jacques. Don't ask, but I need it tomorrow if at all possible...

and I'm dying for a cup of coffee. - Right.

Milk and sugar?

Thanks, Jacques. Just charge it to the company's account.

Thanks. See you. - Enjoy.

Hello, I would like to order a pizza. - Turkish or regular?

What exactly is the difference?

Well, one is a bit thinner and it's topped with sauce and lettuce.

I'll take the thin one. But leave the sauce.

Two with extra toppings.

Hello.

Hello? I would like some extra toppings too.

What do you mean? - I want extra toppings for my pizza.

Right... What toppings would you like? - I'm sure the kitchen knows.

What are you talking about? - You know exactly what I'm talking about.

I don't know what you're on about. I'm busy.

Ada. Isn't it?

Your mother is a member of our church choir.

Your brother's in security. Your father owns a vegetable shop...

he rents from our foundation. - So?

What do you want from me? - I want toppings.

In fact, I want all the toppings you have...

that have ruined the lives of dozens of people for years now.

Thank you.

Let me paint you a picture of what's about to happen.

Exactly fifteen minutes from now...

the police will be at your doorstep with a search warrant.

They will leave no stone unturned. So you will give me your entire supply...

and carry on doing what's expected of you.

Making pizza. Is that clear?

How's it going? Sorry, didn't mean to startle you.

I thought you were someone else. - I just finished my shift.

So I thought I'd check in.

He seems a bit agitated in his sleep. Should I be worried?

He just needs plenty of rest. How are you holding up?

I saw you with Hamza just now. - He was here for your court case.

He mentioned Lola's diary. That it could be very important...

and that a case like that can take a long time, years even.

But he's confident. And as far as compensation...

he's willing to go all the way. He was talking tens of millions.

But for me, what matters most in the case against Rombauts Pharma...

is that the truth will be revealed.

Did you read it? - I'm looking at it right now.

That girl was struggling. Based on her descriptions...

this could very well be a case of 'medication madness', as it's called.

But as court evidence? It will be hard to prove there's a causal relation...

between her psychosis and Aspergon. But it can't be ruled out.

It could take a very long time, I fear.

Juliana Park... Juliana. Amsterdam...

Right.

Still at work? - He was everywhere.

Who was? - Dries.

He was in Romania, when I was there, and even last Wednesday.

He was in England, Ireland and France...

visiting families of Aspergon victims.

And he was often in Amsterdam...

to meet with some journalist, Harmke Bot, but I'm not sure why.

At these three locations.

I fucked up.

No. No, that's not you. Those pills have messed you up.

They still give me those here.

Aspergon? - Yes.

When did you take them?

I don't know. Yesterday and this morning, I think.

So they're not cutting down at all. We have to get out of here.

You're not staying here any longer.

Mum, do you think that Lola suffered the same symptoms as me?

Yes, I do.

Yes? - Sorry to bother you.

I'm looking for Harmke Bot.

Harmke is dead.

Dear God... - I'm sorry, did you know my daughter?

Yes... No. I mean... - Where are you?

Coming, dear. Why don't you come in.

She took her own life, as they say.

Would you like a cup of coffee? I'll make some.

Where's the boat?

The boat. Where is it?

It's okay, sweetheart. The boat will be here shortly.

Alzheimer's. Come. - The boat. But I'm not going.

She taught French at a gymnasium.

Such a terrible disease. If only there was some miraculous cure.

I'm sorry, you were here for Harmke. What was it you wanted to know exactly?

Thomas Clopot, that researcher I talked to in Romania, is dead.

Do you know anything about it?

I just got back from Amsterdam... - Dries bought Quinten's shares.

Jerry Kwan and some investors now have a majority interest.

We're about to lose everything, the entire company.

What? - It's all over. End of story.

Kwan is named CEO, main office is set up in China.

I don't know what to do anymore, Ezra. - I understand.

There isn't a simple solution to all of this.

Mum, what is this? What's with all these notes?

Oh honey, that's Lola's.

Yeah, I know. It's awful. We have to destroy it.

Did you read it?

This is about me, Mum. She... She... She... She wanted to kill me.

Sweetheart, that diary, that wasn't her.

Why do you have it? What are you going to do with it?

- It's a piece of evidence. - What do you mean?

Her story... I want Aspergon off the market, I want it banned.

It's awful. It's about fucking scary shit. It's about me.

- Art... You have to give it to me. - No.

- Give it to me, Art. - No.

Art, it belongs to Maroesja. I borrowed it and have to give it back.

But then you must promise me, Mum, people have to know. It's awful.

No one should experience what I went through,

you have to let the world know what happened to Lola... to me.

You have to promise me, Mum.

I promise.

I promise. I promise.

I'm sorry Art got hold of that diary.

It wasn't your fault.

You wanted to tell me something earlier. - Yes, I...

I wanted to change the world of psychiatry back then.

Address malpractices. I have always regretted my way of going about it.

It may sound a bit odd coming from a psychiatrist...

but you can't fix the past. Only the future.

What do you mean? - I could have accomplished more...

by looking ahead. If I had stayed at the helm.

But I was stubborn and principled. Far too honest.

I was fired. Years of litigation, financial ruin...

isolation and loneliness, without the guarantee of change.

You need to ask yourself if that is what you want.

Do you want to go to court or do you genuinely want to change things?

I'm glad you could come. - Of course.

Before, I often asked myself:

What would dad have done?

I won't anymore. - He came here often. Did you know?

He would always go to confession after the service.

'Go over the business strategy with the Good Lord', he'd say.

I want to ask you something, Marie.

I need your help.

I have to talk to Julien and my mother.

Or rather, I want them to listen to me.

I have a plan.

I've been trying to reach you for a few days now. Where are you?

I would like to see you.

You're planning to go to court, I hear. - Wasn't that the plan all along?

You can't promise millions to people. - I didn't make any promises yet.

But when the time comes, they deserve compensation.

How long will that take? It could take years.

It could cause more harm than good. - It's a sure victory.

We have loads of evidence. Lola's diary, Anderson, Dumoulin, Damen, O'Brien.

They're all on board. They have a right to be compensated. They deserve the truth.

Come on now, Isabelle.

All I want is to prevent new victims.

Your way won't ensure that. - What do you mean, my way?

We need to do something right now.

Whoa. I thought you actually wanted to change things.

I'm going for the ultimate goal. Client compensation.

And I will burn Rombauts Pharma to the ground if I have to.

I know.

Rombauts Pharma's actions are unforgivable.

I'm about to say something I hopefully will never regret.

I think it's best to let bygones be bygones.

I won't forgive, but I am willing to forget...

if you're willing to help me and make sure Rombauts Pharma stays in our hands.

I believe we still have a fighting chance.

I want to extend our Aspergon patent...

to make sure no one else will be able to manufacture or copy it...

and we can take it off the market.

And I want us to further develop dad's Alzheimer's medication...

so we can help and cure people all over the world.

That means we'll have to block Quinten's transfer of shares to Dries and Jerry.

- Ready. - Are you ready? Let me see.

Wow, it looks great. But what do I know? It's like Chinese to me.

I just translated it.

Well then it should be fine. Let's put it in the envelope.

Dries?

Riekje...

What are you doing here? - I'm here to see you of course.

You don't have to say anything. Ludo always said: 'It's all in the game.'

But he wouldn't have approved of your actions.

You were like a son to him. You know that. He always treated you like a son...

even after his death. So apart from a corporate will...

he also left a letter that says, let me get this right...

'I consider Dries Lambrechts my own flesh and blood.

So he should also have the right to spread my ashes in a way he sees fit.

Thank him for his trust and his boundless loyalty.'

If only he knew...

He also left practical instructions, but they are no longer valid...

because of your actions, so to speak.

Why the hurry? - I want it over with.

I'm sad the company will cease to exist...

in the form Ludo spent decades developing.

But perhaps you were his most intelligent son.

The required travel documents are included.

In Chinese as well. Do whatever you want.

Ludo would have liked the idea his ashes are scattered across the world.

In all of Rombauts Pharma's locations.

So plant a nice tree near the factory in China...

or throw it over the Great Wall. Doesn't matter. Take it.

Before I regret my generosity of spirit.

No.

This wasn't my idea.

I wish you well, Dries.

Wherever you end up.

Joining me are Minister of Health Jacqueline van Herwijnen...

and Isabelle Rombauts of Rombauts Pharma. Welcome.

An unusual decision for the government to rescue a pharmaceutical company.

We wanted to preserve Rombauts Pharma for the Dutch, or rather for Europe.

But it is a remarkable intervention. - Absolutely. What it comes down to...

is that the minister mobilised state resources just in time...

to prevent Rombauts Pharma from falling into Chinese hands.

How so? - We were informed of a hostile takeover...

that wasn't in the people's best interest. - Please explain.

The cabinet doesn't usually get involved in business acquisition.

But when public health is at stake, as is the case here...

the government has to intervene. - So the company is back in family hands?

An intervention plan is set up, but I'll spare you the details.

But the family will indeed keep the majority interest.

So you're back at the helm? - Oh yes. For years now...

we've been a very dependable supplier to the European market...

and we wish to remain so. We're hopeful about the future.

Medication should be safe and accessible to all.

So I'm grateful to the minister for rescuing our family company.

Sounds very promising. So there will be no lay-offs...

This is it? - ...and everything remains as it is?

That's right. - The bank crisis was a similar situation.

But I wonder, Minister... - Nothing on Aspergon?

Bullshit.

She's a liar.

Art.

Hi, Ezra. Did you watch it?

What's wrong?

Art took off.

He doesn't want to see you for now.

China - Shenzhen

Okay, I'm sorry, I have no idea how that...

This is not mine, I guarantee you.

I can assure you that this was handed to me,

I did not know that this was in there, okay?

These were the remains of a good friend of mine, so I have no idea how...

I have no idea how this...

Guys, sorry, I will cooperate. Sorry.

This is not mine.

I will cooperate, okay?

But this is not mine, I assure you.

I understand if you don't get it.

I want to explain why I did what I did.

The truth would have been hard to prove. It would have taken too long.

Now I can take Aspergon off the market and at least prevent new victims.

Do you still have Lola's diary?

Hamza does, I think.

I'll ask him. - Please do.