Original subtitles

(birds chirping)

(foreboding, sombre music)

- Who are you?

Yeah you.

Who the fuck are you?

You want a drink?

After how long?

You think that's gonna solve this?

That's going to remedy the situation?

He needs you.

Don't fuck it up.

This is the army.

This is war.

(upbeat music)

(phone ringing)

Yep.

Yeah, I've seen it.

Yeah, I'm doing it.

Now, when are you coming back?

What do you mean you're not?

You can't just leave me at a, Chef.

So, you're just gonna walk away?

Let everyone down?

Oh, fantastic person you are.

Absolute twat.

Fuck.

Holy fuck kid.

You scared the crap out of me.

- Sorry, it's just the door at the front, it was open.

I'm looking for George.

- That's me.

- Cool.

I'm Trevor.

- Alright.

If you're a new waiter, than you're either

really early or you're really late,

because I have to do my shop now, so,

- I'm your son.

- You're my what?

- Your son.

- This is the army.

This is war.

- [Duck] You used to be so passionate.

So driven.

And now what?

You think that I'm gonna solve tonight's problems.

- I haven't had one in six years.

- [Duck] So, you think you can just have one?

You know you can't.

It's a slippery slope.

You know what you need.

- To rewind the clock.

Yeah.

I heard you the first time kid, but, that can't be true.

- It is.

- Have you got any proof or anything,

or some papers, or,

- No, but,

- Who's your mum?

- Gail Taylor.

- Fuck.

She said she was on the pill.

That must have been from my time in Spitalfields.

But the last time I saw her, she didn't say anything.

- So, how have you been?

- Yeah, I'm good.

I've only been there a little while,

but it's alright so far.

The chef's a bit of a dragon, but that's pretty standard.

The Chef de Partie Captain Awesome,

he knows how to poke the bear.

Those two really don't get on with each other,

so it's a little bit worrying.

- Oh.

I'm sure you're there to separate them.

- Well, I have to be.

- So you're Sous?

- Sous chef, yeah.

- Wow.

That's great, well done.

- Thanks.

- And you're off the booze?

- How about you?

Are you still in London?

- Yeah, I am.

Do you ever think about coming back?

- Sometimes.

I miss the city a bit, but, you know, I can't.

Not anyway, not 'till the dust settles.

I miss you, though.

- It's okay, George.

Everyone knew about you.

Except for me, of course.

- I'm sorry.

I guess I didn't really know myself.

- Plus he was the hottest waiter there.

- I am, sorry I mean.

I am sorry.

- But you're married?

What's her name?

- What makes you think she's a she?

- You know, because for some unknown reason,

you still like to keep your secrets.

And if it wasn't, then you wouldn't

be wearing that ring on show.

- Must have been from my time in Spitalfields,

but the last time I saw her she didn't say anything.

- She wouldn't.

- Because?

- Because she didn't want you to quit

your job here and she couldn't

move out into the sticks and she knew

that you couldn't go back to London.

- That's not a reason.

- That's what she told me.

- How do I know this isn't a wind up?

- 16th of November, 1999.

She said that if you didn't believe me,

I'd just have to tell you that

and then you'd know, only you two know.

- So, what do you want from me?

Money?

'Cause I haven't got any.

- Thanks.

- I'm sorry, but this is a lot to take.

- I know.

It's a lot to just dump on your doorstep.

- So what do you want from me?

- Honestly I, I don't know.

I thought I'd just, I'd just come here

and I'd see you and I'd know, but,

- Okay.

Okay.

Do you want some food?

- [Duck] You need to make amends for what you've done.

When you go back to London,

you have to fix the mess you started.

Otherwise it'll haunt you until you die.

- Like you?

- [Duck] I'm just your conscience, mate.

I'm just telling you what you already know.

You know not to sip on me,

and become what you were.

And you know you have to fix the problems you created.

Step up, and take responsibility for yourself.

- But that beer, you,

will make all the pain go away.

- [Duck] Not entirely.

For only a short time.

By solving your own problems,

you'll have a lifetime of closure.

- Why can't it be Alain Passard or Michel Brass

sitting here talking instead of you?

- [Duck] Consider me, Scrooge, no wait,

who was that guy who turned the one

who hated Christmas into liking Christmas?

- The ghosts of Christmas past.

- [Duck] Yeah.

Consider me all of them wrapped up in a bow.

- Do you think I can be a father to him?

- [Duck] With Chef doing a Houdini,

you've got to be the kitchen's father now,

until the new chef turns up.

You've been running this kitchen family for months.

Why not learn to be a father to this kid?

- You know why.

- [Duck] Yeah, I do.

Because this one is flesh and blood,

and the kitchen can come and go.

They're expendable family, but this kid,

this beacon of a future, he's for life.

And you've never had something so positive

come into your life.

- So what are you gonna do now?

So, where are you living?

- Finsbury Park, with Mum.

- You came all this way on your own?

- I did.

- Jesus Christ kid, your mum's gonna kill you.

- I guess.

- When did she tell you about me?

- Last month.

- Last month?

Why'd you think she didn't say anything?

- I don't know.

She had a boyfriend so, she probably just,

- Wanted some stability for you.

- [Trevor] Stability, yeah.

- Yeah.

- Like, with your wife?

- Oh, ahem.

It's different.

- So.

Do you have any kids?

- No.

Well, no.

- She said you, you met in restaurant, in London.

- We did, yeah.

- Why did you leave?

- Things got, complicated for me in London.

- I see.

She was a waitress.

- Yeah, she was.

Head of, front of house manager.

She used to give everyone shit

if they didn't pull their weight.

It was quite funny to watch.

- What, even you?

- Especially me.

- Thanks, it was really good.

- Oh, you're welcome.

- So, have you always wanted to be a chef?

- Uh, since I was about your age, actually.

- Wouldn't it make more sense

for your career to be in London?

- Yeah, but, it's uh,

- It's complicated, yeah, you said.

- Yeah.

- So.

So, I'm here now, like, what's your viewpoint on that?

- I need to speak to your mum.

- You don't believe me?

- I do, I do.

I just need to speak to your mum, that's all.

- You don't believe that I'm your son?

- That's not what I'm saying, I just need

to speak to your mother.

- Mum said that you had an affair,

that's why you broke up?

- It wasn't just that.

- What else was it?

- Do you, forget it.

- What?

- No, honestly.

- Gail, just say it.

- Do you think that, what I mean,

if what happened didn't happen,

then we'd still be together?

- We'll never know.

- You know I'm sorry for my part in all that.

- It's okay.

I can't blame anyone for my choices.

Does he still yearn

- For your blood?

Yeah, very much so.

- You haven't told him I'm here?

- No.

So far he thinks you're in Spain.

You know he sent a couple of guys

out there to see if the rumours were true.

They came up with nothing.

And maybe, if you ever sit down with them, maybe they'd--

- Kill me, yes, I am aware.

- I still love you, you know.

- Should fucking hope so too.

Look, why don't you come back tomorrow

and we can have lunch or something,

and I'll speak to your mum.

I trust her, so, if she's happy, then I am.

And I know you don't want any money,

but surely you want some sort of relationship or something.

- Did you know about her drug problem?

- Um, I knew she did a couple of lines,

but everyone did in that place.

- Why did you cheat on my mum?

- Look, don't start getting angry with me

about not being a father, I only knew

you existed about 15 minutes ago.

- I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at,

- At the world, I get it, and I was too at your age,

but what you need to understand is that,

- Do you know what he did?

- Who?

- Mum's boyfriend.

- No.

- You know how kids go home and they eat dinner,

well, I'd be lucky if I got that.

I got it maybe once every three days,

and all the times I didn't get it,

I had to go out on the street

or go around my friend's house.

- Why?

- Because, he was so busy drugging Mum up,

and fucking her until she passed out.

And then I was the bastard stuck in the middle.

Any time Mum tried to stand up for me,

he used to beat her.

Any time I tried to stand up for myself,

he used to beat me.

- Didn't go to the police?

- We lived in fear.

I thought he, I thought he was my dad.

Obviously, that was a lie.

- Where's Gail now?

Trevor, where's your mum now?

Trevor?

Trevor.

Trevor, where's your mum?

- [Duck] So what are you gonna do now?

- I'm going back to London with him.

The shower's in there if you want it,

and there's some teas and coffee there.

- Are you going to be here in the morning?

- Kid, my head chef just walked out on us

leaving us in the shit, so, I won't do the same to you.

Alright.

Just, just have a good night's sleep.

God, don't do it.

Don't do it, don't do it.

Fuck it.

- [Duck] So what are you gonna do now?

- [George] I'm going back to London with him.

- [Duck] I meant about me.

- For the past four fucking years,

I've done everything that anyone's ever told me.

I've done the ordering, I've done staff control,

I've done the rotas, I've done every single special

this place has seen.

I'm just wanting a beer.

Just one beer, is that too much to ask?

- [Duck] Now here's the choice.

Make that choice and decide

what sort of man you want to be.

Because after this decision, there's no going back.

(sombre music)