Original subtitles

- It's not your typical London one bed,

but I think once you've looked around,

you'll see why it's a bit special.

- Bloody hell. - Wow.

I mean, just wow.

It's like an art gallery or something.

♪ ♪

- It's amazing.

- Everyone says that.

- I've never seen anywhere like it.

- And this is in our budget?

- The owner sets an affordable rent

to people who live here the way he intended.

- The way he intended? - Yes, he's the architect.

He was going to live here himself at one stage,

I believe, but now he rents it out instead.

- So it's stuff like what? No smoking, no pets?

- It's a bit more than that.

No pictures, no ornaments, no carpets or rugs, no books.

- No books?

- No children, obviously.

No planting anything in the garden.

- Anything else? - Oh, yes.

- There's about 200 in all.

No drinks coasters, no magazines, no knick-knacks.

- How do you turn the lights on?

- He's not a fan of switches, either.

Everything's automatic.

- So who lives here now? - No one.

It's been empty for quite a while.

- Then why was the front door unlocked?

You just walked in.

- Again, all automatic.

You wear one of these, you don't even need a key.

Do you want to see upstairs?

- What's he like, the man who built this?

Pretty strange, presumably.

- People say he's charming.

You might get to meet him if you go for it.

- Might?

- He interviews prospective tenants personally.

Those who get through the initial stages.

There's a questionnaire to fill in first.

- Then, usually, we just get an email

saying thanks, but no, thanks.

- Not a fan of banisters, either.

- And what sort of people get accepted?

- Since I've been the agent, no one has.

- And how long has that been? - Three years.

- Pretty much everything you'll need is provided.

Linen, pillows, mattress, even toiletries.

He's effective like that.

Everything you see in the house has been...

♪ ♪

- Where do you put all your stuff?

- He's not really into stuff, either.

This is your only cupboard... - [scoffs]

- But just to warn you, one of the rules is,

nothing on the floor or left on the bed.

Everything has to be put away.

- Well, how would he know?

- Regular inspections are built into the contract,

and if the rules are infringed, we have to tell him.

- No way though. It's like school.

I'm not having someone tell me off

for leaving a pair of dirty socks out.

I mean, if it wasn't for all those rules then maybe, but--

and we're messy people.

And beside, the bed looks like a bomb went off in his honor.

- We could change.

- Yeah, right. Sorry, mate. It's gonna be a no from us.

- Sy?

- I'm just being practical. Where's the next?

- Right across. A one bed. It just came on.

A bit more conventional than this.

- So what do you think?

- I think somewhere like this shouldn't be left empty.

Not for three years.

Feels like...

It's waiting for someone.

♪ ♪

- Bye, house.

[child crying]

[indistinct chatter]

- Question one.

Please make a list of every possession

you consider essential to your life.

- And then he's left space for about five things.

[both laugh]

- Yes, but you can see his point.

He's a minimalist architect.

- Oh.

- If you design something for a certain way of living,

why let people just do what they want with it?

- Okay, you sure about this?

- Why wouldn't I be?

The house is amazing, honestly.

- I could help you redecorate that bedroom.

And you cou-- and you could just think

about getting some counseling--

- I don't want to redecorate the bedroom.

Besides, living in a different way,

a different place,

I think it'll help.

- "Please make a list of every possession

you consider essential to your life."

- Em, we're not doing it. - I'm just reading it.

You know what, though?

I think that's a trick question.

'Cause he's not really into stuff, remember?

I think the smart thing would be to leave that answer blank.

- Yeah, because we're not filling it in.

- Yeah, so we're agreed on question one.

Question two.

"Would you sacrifice yourself

to save ten innocent strangers?"

Maybe I could start a blog. "My Minimalist Journey."

Emma Matthews, the Princess of Less.

- You haven't posted anything in the last one you set up.

- Yeah, 'cause I've not had any time

because I'm always clearing up clutter.

- Oh, clearing up? - Hmm.

- This must be the only flat in London

where the burglar left it tidier than the occupants.

- Fucking hell, Sy. Not funny.

- Em. - You promised we'd move out.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

[thump] [door creaks]

[apprehensive music]

♪ ♪

- This is so cool.

- I know but, like, let's not get your hopes up yet.

It's just an interview.

[phone dings]

"Welcome, Emma and Simon.

Please make your way to the ground floor."

How do they know we're here?

♪ ♪

- Emma, Simon, hi. I'll take you to Edward.

They're here.

- Ah, come in. - Thank you.

- Coffee?

- It's good to meet you, mate. I'm Simon.

She's my girlfriend, Emma.

- Uh, please.

- Coffee would be great. Thanks.

- So.

Tell me why you'd like to live at One Folgate Street.

- Well, it would obviously be a great opportunity

to live somewhere incredible.

You've done such a fantastic job of designing it,

and we'll just try and do it justice.

And it would really just be our dream to live there.

Wouldn't it, Sy?

- Definitely.

- And I think it will change us.

- In what way?

- We were burgled.

Well, I was.

Simon was out with his mates.

The burglar had a knife.

- Carry on.

- I think One Folgate Street

could help me be a stronger person.

Someone who wouldn't just stand there

and let someone like that walk all over me,

if that makes any sense.

- Your coffee. - Thank you.

- [gasps] Oh! - Jesus, Emma!

- I'll get a towel.

- No need, no need, no need. Alyssia.

Dispose of them, would you? Don't worry.

Don't worry. They were very bad drawings.

I should have abandoned them weeks ago.

- Mate, I'm so sorry.

- Word of advice, Simon,

you never apologize for someone you love.

Makes you look like a prick.

I'll let you know.

Thank you for coming, Emma.

You too, Simon.

♪ ♪

- Look at how you struck off. By all means, try.

- For fuck's sake, I worked on that house for six months.

- It was a different house.

The house you worked on never would have won.

- Fuck you.

♪ ♪

- Jane Cavendish.

- Of course. Come in.

- Did you win? - Please.

Win what?

- That argument.

- Oh. That was nothing.

A former partner. We had different approaches.

- He wasn't a minimalist?

- I don't actually think of myself as a minimalist.

When you relentlessly eradicate everything

unnecessary or imperfect,

it's surprising how little is left.

My houses meet demands of people, Jane.

Peter, my technology planner, talks about something

called UX--user experience.

The housekeeper system gathers data

from whoever lives at One Folgate Street

to improve the user experience in real time.

- What sort of data?

- What spaces you use most,

the temperature of the shower set up, that kind of thing.

And some more psychological.

- That strange questionnaire I had to fill in.

- Once we have a baseline, we redo do it

from time to time to see how the answers are changing.

It's almost nothing Google or Facebook

wouldn't know about you.

- I don't think Facebook follows me into the shower.

- It's the price the tenant pays for living there.

Data instead of market rent.

We have no shortage of applicants.

- And yet you struggle to find anyone acceptable.

Three years, I understand.

- We need to find the right fit,

but perhaps we've found her.

- Look, I'm not going to give you

some long gushy spiel about why I want to live there.

Just that you've built a house with integrity,

and I'll try to live there with integrity too.

The agent mentioned

you were going to live there yourself originally.

- Not in that house.

A different building on the same site.

- Oh.

- That house never got built.

- Why not? - Ed, we need to talk.

The idiots are scrimping on the fiber optics.

- I'm so sorry, Jane. You'll have to excuse us.

- Of course.

- Alyssia, please see Ms. Cavendish out.

Thank you for coming. - Just this way.

- The only solution is for it to have its own satellite link.

That way we could get a low earth orbit of about five

to ten satellites that would create...

- I'll leave you here.

- Why didn't he build the original house?

He said it was going to be different.

- Well, Folgate Street was meant to be his family home,

then his family died.

Yeah, his-his wife and their son.

She was one of the partners here.

They designed it together.

I'm surprised he mentioned it.

He almost never does.

We'll be in touch.

♪ ♪

- And the bastard pulls out a knife...

And that's what I see mostly when I have the flashbacks.

- Well, that's a completely natural response to trauma.

- It was horrible.

Like they're real and I can't stop them.

- When bad things happen, sometimes the brain

doesn't process the memory correctly

so memories can feel like they're happening to you now.

And Simon?

Previously, you said you found his response

to the burglary somewhat trying?

- He seems to think if he was there, he could have

beaten the guy to a pulp

and made a citizen's arrest or something.

Truth is, he would have been stabbed.

- Society has a kind of construct

of what masculinity is in these situations.

When that's undermined,

it can leave any man feeling threatened.

- Yeah.

But I think Sy was like that before, actually, so I just...

- So...

♪ ♪

- It's my fault.

It's me.

- What do you feel is your fault, Emma?

- Nothing.

- Rachel. Hi.

- I'm so sorry to hear your news.

Um, I've got us a-a quiet room.

- Morning, Jane. - Morning, Jane.

- Good to see you.

I've had some thoughts, actually.

Different ways of structuring the team.

- Well, we are so looking forward to having you back.

- And I'm thinking about a strategy review.

- Right, so the-the thing is that I've, um,

I've spoken to HR,

and your maternity cover, Belinda,

well, we can't just, uh, terminate her contract,

so, um...

We have very generous compassionate leave.

Are you sure that you don't want to--

- What I want is to get back to work.

I need to keep busy.

- Yeah, of course.

So look, um,

I'm sure we can find an appropriate role.

Maybe not client-facing. Not just yet.

[tense music]

- So what have we got? Leona?

- Energy.

- Positivity.

- Dynamism.

- Reliability.

- Emma. - Hmm?

- You haven't written down dynamism.

- Well, isn't that the same as energy?

- I think the question we need to be asking ourselves

is what exactly is Flow to O's higher purpose?

- Supplying offices with water coolers?

- Water is life. Em, did you get that?

- I do love to see a room full of geniuses hard at work.

What's going down, Brad?

- Mission statement hell.

- How about to make more water cooler moments

happen every day?

- Saul, you bastard. Emma, write that down.

- How's it going, Em? Missing sales, yeah?

Best assistant I ever had.

Just don't get her on the shots.

[laughter] Laters, guys.

- Right, come on. Back to the task in hand.

[indistinct chatter]

- How was it?

- Um, it was dynamic, energetic, and life-enhancing.

I thought marketing was going to be

way more exciting than this.

Oh, my God. - What?

- I don't believe it. We got the house.

I got the house.

I got the house! [laughing]

- They don't deserve you.

- And of course, the maternity is so generous,

Belinda's still got another six months on the contract.

[phone buzzes]

Oh, wow.

- What?

- It's the house.

I passed the interview. I got it.

- Oh, good. Good.

You-you deserve some good news.

- It says I can move in next week.

[apprehensive music]

- How are you gonna survive with all this stuff in storage?

♪ ♪

[jazzy piano music playing]

♪ ♪

- What's this?

- Oh, um, the house chose it.

- Our house has a playlist?

- It's better than that.

Our house has moods.

Are we feeling peaceful?

This is peaceful.

Playful or productive?

- Hmm, playful.

- Playful it is.

- ♪ We're best friends ♪

♪ We hold hands ♪

♪ We're in love ♪

♪ Well, is there something that you like about her? ♪

♪ Yes ♪

♪ I like the way ♪

♪ That her body bends in half ♪

♪ And is there something that you love about her? ♪

- Come on, loosen up.

- I'm trying. - [laughs]

- ♪ Come on, baby ♪

♪ We get along ♪

[toothbrush whirring]

[device chimes]

[electronic hum]

[foreboding music]

♪ ♪

- Ooh, careful with that.

- Uh-huh.

- Hey, I'm not knocking it.

Clearly old Eddie Monkford has a thing for people

who spill hot drinks over him.

And now here we are in a really cool house

in a really tiny room.

- So you like it now?

- Yeah, I love it.

- It's my birthday next week.

- Is it? Shit, I've forgotten.

I've booked us a table for two at the new shop on Saffron.

- Or we could have a party.

- Are parties allowed?

- Just be a few friends to make them more jealous

of how grown up and sorted we are.

- Okay. Let's do it.

- We could invite Edward Monkford.

- Why would we do that?

- Yeah, you're right. Bad idea.

Night.

- Night.

[electronic hum]

♪ ♪

[apprehensive music]

♪ ♪

[phone rings]

- Alyssia, hi. It's Jane Cavendish.

I really appreciate the welcome flowers,

but it's just getting a bit much.

- Edward's in America, and if he was sending flowers,

he'd ask me to do it.

Is there a florist's name?

- Uh, let me check.

Oh, this one has a card.

"Emma, I will love you forever."

Who's Emma?

- I think you better phone the florist direct.

They're nothing to do with us.

[foreboding music]

♪ ♪

[laughter]

- Oh, wow. - Whoa.

- Told you.

- Martha, not the stairs.

- Uh, has it sent you crazy yet?

- No, actually.

The house and I are a good match for each other.

- Ah.

And the man who built it, could you

be a good match for each other?

- Behave.

And how are things with you?

- Oh, you know, um,

Charlie's firm's talking about redundancies.

Martha may have dyslexia.

Freddie's desperate for a guinea pig.

- Freddie, don't do that.

- Guys, come and sit on the sofa, come on.

- Ah, Charlie-- - Yeah.

- Get some toys or something from the car, could you?

- Yeah, sure.

- It's not really a garden for playing in.

- Where do you keep those, uh,

those wooden salad spoons?

- I was hoping you wouldn't notice.

They went to a charity shop.

- Oh. - I know. I'm sorry.

It's just there's room

for so few of my own things here.

Is it awful of me? - Oh, no, no, it's fine.

- Who's your admirer, Jane?

- What?

- I just found some bloke outside leaving you flowers.

- Jane. - Should I...?

- No, let's leave her.

- Wait. Wait a minute.

Why d'you--wait, why'd you keep leaving me flowers?

Who are you? My name isn't Emma.

- They aren't for you, obviously.

I only keep replacing them because you keep taking them.

It was her birthday this week.

She would have been 30. - Oh, my God.

[apprehensive music]

I'm so sorry.

Did she...?

- She died in that house three years ago.

- How? If you--

I know it's none of my business.

- Depends who you ask.

- Wh-what do you mean?

- People do die in houses.

It's where people used to expect to end their lives.

- Old houses, yes, and old people.

But this was someone our age.

You all right?

- It seems so perfect.

It's hard to imagine.

[foreboding music]

♪ ♪

Strange.

- Wow. You look gorgeous. - Thanks.

- Ow, ow.

- You okay? - Mm.

Don't think the house likes me.

- House doesn't have favorites, Sy.

- When you want it to turn the hob on,

you just, like, give it a wave.

- That is crazy. - Yeah. To turn it off.

- I want one of those.

[dance music playing]

[indistinct chatter]

- Oh! Sorry. [glass clatters]

- Don't worry, I've got it, I've got it.

♪ ♪

- ♪ I wanna hear you whisper ♪

♪ Right in my ear ♪

♪ Take off your clothes ♪

♪ And make you all mine ♪

♪ Let me get lost in you ♪

♪ Dance with me ♪

♪ Play with me ♪

♪ And I'll play with you ♪

♪ ♪

[laughter]

- Of course, I love you. Darling, my beautiful wife.

- Okay, let's go. Club, club, club, club, club.

- Come on, Saul, we're-- we're knackered, mate.

- When did you get so boring, man?

You're my right-hand man, man, I can't go without you, can I?

- It's a little too late. - Come on.

Let's go home. - All right.

- [laughs] - Thank you.

- Good-bye. Adieu.

- Bedtime? - Tallyho.

- Yeah.

- Ah, our first party at One Folgate Street.

- Mm-hmm. Went pretty well, I thought.

- You know what else we haven't done here?

- Sy, I'm not--

- Ugh.

- Sorry.

- You remember we crossing Cranley Gardens?

Every room within a week.

- Okay, and that was before someone came

and shoved a knife in my face.

- I know, I--

I know, I'm sorry.

I just-- [sighs]

There's no rush.

I just thought...

That you said you felt safe here.

- I do. I just--

I'm not ready. Not yet.

- I love you.

[apprehensive music]

♪ ♪

[electronic hum]

[phone buzzing]

- Hello?

- Um, uh, two minutes.

That was the police.

DS Willan and her boss.

- What?

- They're--they're outside.

They said they wanna talk to me.

- Maybe they've caught the bastards who burgled us.

Oh, fuck.

Fuck.

Come on in. Sorry about the mess.

- Hello, Emma, how are you?

This is my colleague,

Detective Inspector James Clarke.

- Have you caught him?

- A man matching the description that Emma gave us

has been arrested carrying out another burglary.

We've recovered a number of items listed as stolen,

including your phone, Emma.

- That's great, isn't it?

- Mm-hmm. Yeah, great.

- We do need to ask you some more questions.

Is there somewhere we can talk in private?

- Not in this house.

Not unless you count the shower.

- We could go to the police station, Emma.

I think it's best you do this on your own.

- No, I would come with Em, you know, to support her.

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- No, here's fine.

- I'm sorry to have to ask you this,

but when we examined your phone,

we found evidence suggesting that a man may have used it

to film himself forcing a sexual act on you.

♪ ♪

Is that correct?

- Emma, can you tell us who it was?

- Emma?

- He had a knife.

First, he took my phone off me,

and then he made me

do that, what you saw.

He said if I told anyone--

boyfriend or the police--

that he'd send it out to everyone in my contacts.

My family, work.

- I'm-I'm afraid we have to ask something else.

Is there any possibility he could have

left any DNA behind, um,

in the bed, perhaps, or-- or maybe on your clothes?

It can be really powerful corroborating evidence.

- You understand what we're asking, don't you, Emma?

- Yeah, I understand.

No.

No, he made me--

Sorry.

- There's no need to apologize. None of this is your fault.

- Please be aware that in this country,

any kind of forced penetration,

including forced oral penetration, is rape.

And that's what we'll be working to get this individual

convicted of, I give you my word on that.

[inaudible]

♪ ♪

- Hey.

Why didn't you tell me?

- I thought you'd find it difficult.

- You mean you thought I wouldn't be sympathetic?

You thought I wouldn't care?

- I didn't think, Simon. I was scared.

You would have told me to tell the police,

and I didn't want to.

- Em, I know I can be a bit of an idiot sometimes.

Of course, I wouldn't have made you

do anything you didn't want to.

What does this say about us?

That you couldn't talk to me about something as big as this?

- Doesn't say anything.

This isn't about you. Jesus.

♪ ♪

[phone rings]

- Hello? - Hi, Jane.

I've got a visitor here for you.

- Thanks. I'll be right there.

- Okay, thanks. Bye.

[indistinct chatter]

- Richard.

- Jane, they didn't tell me you were back.

You coming to the review?

And how is motherhood suiting you?

What did you have? - Richard, Linda Best.

Nice to meet you. - Linda, great to meet you too.

- I'm Jane Cavendish.

Y-you're my maternity cover. It's nice to meet you.

- Of course. Lovely to meet you.

We should catch up. Richard, shall we go through?

- We've taken the opportunity...

♪ ♪

- Oh, hello.

What are you-- - Hi, Jane.

I, uh,

I just wanted to apologize about the flowers.

I should've told you about the previous tenant.

I-I guess I didn't want to put you off.

- Well, it would've been good to know.

- For what it's worth, it was an accident

on the stairs.

It could have happened in any house.

Look, I'll, uh, I'll get out of your hair.

- Edward.

Do you wanna get a coffee?

- Yeah.

- Hi guys, what can I get you?

- I'll have a latte.

Eh, no, a milky cappuccino.

- Yeah.

- Double macchiato, please.

- Sure.

- They're very good here. They do their own roasting.

- I couldn't help overhearing you'd lost a child?

- Yes.

A little girl.

- Ah.

What was her name?

- Isabel.

I called her Isabel.

Thank you for asking.

Most people don't.

It was a stillbirth.

39 weeks.

You lost a child too, I gather?

- Hmm.

[sentimental music]

People trot out their platitude, don't they?

Sorry for your loss.

I always thought they didn't realize

just how accurate that word was, loss.

They had one man gamble with life, genetics,

and happiness, and I had lost.

When it comes down to it, grief isn't that different

to the-the feeling

of the most terrible crushing defeat.

- Yes, that is exactly what it feels like.

I can't help wondering,

"Did I want her enough?"

They're doing an investigation,

post-mortem, and so on.

I'm still waiting to hear.

- You mustn't blame yourself.

- They wouldn't even let me have a cesarean,

so my baby died,

and then three days later, she had to be born.

It just feels so wrong somehow.

- Yes.

For a child to die before its parents.

- Isabel wasn't, um--

Sorry.

- It's okay. Crying is good.

Something to do with the chemicals in the tears.

- Thank you. - Bastard.

[both laugh]

- I'm doing all the talking.

- I like listening to you.

Jane, there's something I want to ask you.

Please forgive my directness.

I would like to have a relationship with you.

- That's very direct.

- If it's too soon, just tell me,

and I will go away.

But there is something I need to explain to you first.

People answer very different to buildings, it seems to me.

It's all too easy to accumulate the unnecessary.

Valentine's cards, romantic gestures, date nights.

All the clutter of conventional relationships

that are doomed before they've even begun.

What if you strip all of that back?

What if you were to have a relationship unencumbered

by convention, expectation.

A relationship that lasts for as long as it's perfect

and not a moment longer.

- I quite like romantic gestures.

- But would you say they are essential to your life?

- Uh, I'm-I'm sorry, Edward.

I'm-I'm not really in that place.

A-a relationship-- for any relationship,

no matter how minimal.

- I com--I completely understand.

- I'd better get back.

- Of course.

[pensive music]

♪ ♪

- Hey, Em, you're not gonna believe this.

- What's that?

- I did some research on your crazy house,

and, uh, I think someone might have died there.

- What?

- Yeah, uh, two people when it was being built.

You didn't know? - No.

- Um, the architect was visiting the site

with his wife and baby when a wall fell on them.

Uh, "after a lengthy sabbatical,

"Monkford abandoned the original plans

"and rebuilt the house in the minimalist style

with which he's since become synonymous."

- Wow.

Like it's a monument or something.

[suspenseful music]

- My God.

Em, you need to see this.

That's his wife.

She looks just like you.

- She does a bit, doesn't she?

♪ ♪

- What's all this?

- Beef Welly Boot.

I, um, I wanted to do something special.

Say sorry for being such an insensitive jerk

who does not deserve to be with a supermodel.

And, um, this is for you.

Just a little early birthday present.

- Wow.

- Do you recognize it?

- "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

- Had it shipped over.

You really like it?

- I love it.

And I'm sorry, too, Sy.

[pensive music]

♪ ♪

What's wrong?

- Nothing.

- What?

- I don't know.

- Sy, what?

Sy, talk to me.

- I can't stop thinking about...

You know. - What?

- Wha--what he did to you.

I'm sorry.

Must have put me off.

- You mean you think I'm damaged goods?

- No.

- After everything that happened to me,

all you can think about is that.

- No, it's not like that. Em.

- You are so insecure I cannot breathe.

So needy.

Always wanting me to be your amazing perfect girlfriend

but I'm not, okay?

I'm sick of it.

- But you are-- - Mm!

- You are!

You're amazing, and you're perfect,

and I love you and-- and that's why

it's so difficult thinking of him violating you like that.

- I don't love you, Sy.

Not enough.

Not to stay with you forever.

- What are you-- - This isn't working.

This isn't what I want. I feel trapped.

- No, no, you don't mean that.

You're feeling vulnerable because of what that man did.

And it's this place.

You know, this place is like a pressure cooker.

It's impossible trying to live this way.

- It's not that.

I'm sorry.

I want you to move out.

[foreboding music]

♪ ♪

[electronic hum]

[ethereal electronic music playing]

♪ ♪

- ♪ I know it hurts ♪

♪ ♪

♪ You know ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I'd quench that thirst ♪

♪ I can treat you better than her ♪

♪ You say you're lonely ♪

♪ I say you'll think about it ♪

♪ 'Cause you're the only ♪

♪ One who resonates ♪

♪ That chase, mouth open like high ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Higher than a motherfucker ♪

♪ Dreaming of you as my lover ♪

♪ You're high ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Flying like a streamer ♪

♪ Thinking of new ways to do each other ♪

♪ You're high ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Pull out the incisor, give me two weeks ♪

♪ You won't recognize her ♪

♪ ♪

[foreboding music]

♪ ♪

[line trilling]

- Edward? - Hello, Jane.

- Hello.

I've been thinking

about what you said earlier in the cafe.

I think I'd like that.

♪ ♪

[suspenseful music]

♪ ♪