FRIENDS ARE SUPPOSED TO TRUST EACH OTHER, AND YOU CLEARLY DIDN'T TRUST ME TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.

I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOU-- YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE WORRIED ABOUT ME.

I'M NOT A CHILD.

CAN I HELP YOU?

HE DOESN'T KNOW.

JEAN-MARC: IT'S MY SON!

YOU UNDERSTAND?

KARL: ELISE, I FOUND HIM.

I FOUND SABAN.

HE'S ALIVE.

BB: I GOT 11 MISSING PERSON REPORTS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS ALL FROM FOLKESTONE.

THE LAST ONE IS A DELIVERY DRIVER.

HE WAS DRIVING A MEAT TRUCK.

[RESPIRATOR HISSING] [GASPING] [TRUCK DOOR OPENS, THEN SHUTS] IT'S SHOW TIME.

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOROUGH: ♪ VENEZ DANS MES BRAS ♪ ♪ CLOSER TO ME, DEAR ♪ ♪ DONNEZ-VOUZ MOI ♪ ♪ SET ASIDE ALL FEAR ♪ ♪ RESTONS ENLACES ♪ ♪ POUR L'ETERNITE ♪ ♪ YES, YOU SHALL BE MINE ♪ ♪ TILL THE END OF TIME ♪ [PANTING] ELISE?

PLEASE DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, KARL.

STOP, PLEASE.

[CELL PHONE RINGS] [RING] [RING] ANSWER IT.

HELLO?

HELLO?

LANA, IS THAT YOU?

CAN YOU HEAR ME?

LANA, I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU.

I HAVE FOUND SABAN.

LANA?

HELLO?

ARE YOU THERE?

THIS IS MY TURN TO TALK, DCI ROEBUCK.

AH.

HELLO, ANTON.

"THE GRUMBLING GREW TO A MIGHTY RUMBLING; AND OUT OF THE HOUSES THE RATS CAME TUMBLING."

CAN YOU SEE IT?

PICK IT UP.

DO WHATEVER THEY ASK.

OK.

I HAVE IT.

ANTON: THE TRUCK INSIDE THE TUNNEL IS FILLING WITH HYDROGEN SULFIDE.

THE PEOPLE INSIDE REALLY DON'T HAVE LONG TO LIVE.

PRESS THAT BUTTON, THE DOORS OF THE MEAT TRUCK WILL AUTOMATICALLY OPEN AND THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE WILL BE FREE, BUT YOUR FRIEND'S NECKLACE WILL DETONATE.

ANTON: YOU HAVE TO DECIDE WHICH IS WORTH MORE-- HER LIFE OR THE LIVES OF THOSE STRANGERS.

BUT, ANTON, LISTEN TO ME, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO ANY OF THIS.

DO YOU HEAR ME?

ANTON?

IF I WERE YOU, I'D HURRY UP AND MAKE YOUR CHOICE.

[HANGS UP] WHAT DID HE SAY?

OK. ELISE, WHAT DO WE KNOW?

WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN?

WHERE ARE THEY?

I DON'T KNOW.

I HEARD THEM DRIVE AWAY.

RIGHT.

THERE ARE 11 PEOPLE IN THERE.

I THINK THEY'RE BEING GASSED.

YEAH.

WE NEED TO GET THAT CONTRAPTION OFF YOU.

IS IT LIVE, DO YOU THINK?

I CAN HEAR IT TICKING.

I CAN'T SEE.

I DON'T-- I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IS LEFT.

OK. WINNIE: WHERE THE ... ARE YOU, ROEBUCK?

I'M AT THE ABANDONED TUNNEL IN THE CLIFF AT SAMPHIRE HOE.

THE COORDINATES ARE 51.1040 DEGREES NORTH, 1.2705 DEGREES EAST.

I NEED TO GET BOMB DISPOSAL SQUAD HERE IMMEDIATELY.

ELISE WASSERMANN IS WEARING A LOCKED COLLAR BOMB.

ALSO, THE MEAT TRUCK IS HERE.

THERE ARE 11 PEOPLE INSIDE.

THEY'RE BEING SLOWLY POISONED WITH HYDROGEN SULFIDE GAS.

THEY WILL DIE UNLESS I DETONATE THE BOMB.

I'M SUPPOSED TO CHOOSE.

MOBILIZE BOMB DISPOSAL.

KARL: HELLO?

HELLO?

YEAH, I'M STILL HERE, WORKING THERE NOW.

BOMB SQUAD WILL MOVE IN BEHIND YOU, BUT UNTIL THEY GET THERE, WE CAN'T INTERVENE.

HOW LONG WILL THEY BE?

HELLO?

HOW LONG WILL THEY TAKE?

WE'LL GET THERE AS QUICK AS WE CAN.

IF HE CALLS AGAIN, KEEP HIM TALKING.

YEAH, RIGHT.

OK.

HE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE IN MUCH OF A MOOD FOR CHATTING, BUT I'LL--I'LL TELL HIM A COUPLE OF JOKES, SEE IF THAT WARMS HIM UP A BIT.

THANK YOU.

BYE.

[SIRENS] [EXHALES] WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

YOU'VE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH ANTON.

MORE OF A, WHAT, ANECDOTE SORT OF FELLOW OR A... OR A KNOCK-KNOCK MAN?

IT'S OK. YOU CAN... YOU CAN SKIP THE SECTION ON ESTABLISHING OUR BOND.

YOU ALREADY HAVE MY TRUST.

DO I?

I THOUGHT I'D LOST IT.

I THOUGHT WE COULD EXPRESS OUR ANGER WITH EACH OTHER WITHOUT DAMAGING OUR FRIENDSHIP.

YOU'RE SO HARD TO HELP.

I'M SORRY.

UH, I--I, UM...

I'M SORRY IF I DID IT WRONG.

[CELL PHONE RINGS] [RING] HELLO?

ANTON.

TIME IS TICKING, DETECTIVE.

ARE YOU GOING TO PRESS THAT BUTTON AND SAVE THOSE POOR, INNOCENT PEOPLE?

ANTON, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ME.

I WAS WRONG.

SABAN IS NOT DEAD.

I WAS DECEIVED.

PLEASE TELL LANA.

I CAN BRING SABAN HERE.

HYDROGEN SULFIDE SMELLS LIKE ROTTEN EGGS AT FIRST.

THEN YOU START TO LOSE YOUR SENSE OF SMELL.

YOU THINK THE GAS IS GONE.

JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU'LL BE OK, ASPHYXIATION STARTS.

KARL: LISTEN TO ME.

THIS, IT'S OVER.

I'VE FOUND SABAN.

ISN'T THAT WHAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT?

PLEASE.

PLEASE!

LET ME SPEAK TO LANA.

ANTON: LANA ISN'T INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO SAY.

YOU SPEAK TO ME AND ONLY ME.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE YOUR WHOLE LIFE WITHOUT LOVE?

SHE MADE ME FEEL AGAIN, BUT YOU GOT BETWEEN US.

WELL, I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT.

TRULY, I'M SORRY.

TELL ME HOW I CAN FIX THIS.

WHAT--WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT, ANTON?

I CAN'T HAVE WHAT I WANT.

IT'S TOO LATE.

SO WHAT I WANT NOW IS FOR YOU TO MAKE YOUR CHOICE.

A TRUCK FULL OF STRANGERS OR YOUR FRIEND.

YOU HAVE MAYBE 5 MINUTES LEFT.

THEN THEY SUFFOCATE.

[CELL PHONE BEEPS 3 TIMES] WHAT'S GOING ON?

THE TRUCK'S FILLING WITH POISONOUS GAS.

THEY WANT ME TO CHOOSE.

WHAT GAS?

HYDROGEN SULFIDE.

[PEOPLE GASPING] YOU'VE GOT TO DO IT, KARL.

ELISE: YOU CAN'T MAKE ME RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THOSE DEATHS.

IT HAS TO BE ABOUT NUMBERS.

I CAN'T.

IF YOU PRESS IT, IT'S JUST ME.

IT'S JUST ONE LIFE.

AND YOU CAN SAVE THEM.

KARL, YOU NEED TO DO IT.

THERE'S NO CHOICE.

... HELP ME!

YOU NEED TO PRESS THAT BUTTON.

I CAN'T.

DON'T CARRY THIS WITH YOU.

IT'S MY CHOICE.

IT'S NOT THEIRS.

NO!

IT'S NOT YOURS.

GET JUSTICE FOR CHARLIE MOREAU.

ELISE!

AND THANK YOU FOR BEING MY FRIEND.

NO!

UH...OHH... ELISE?

ELISE?

[SIRENS APPROACHING] EXCUSE ME.

I'VE LOST MY FRIEND.

COME WITH ME, KARL.

KARL?

HELLO.

HI, KARL.

I'VE LOST ELISE.

YOU NEED TO COME WITH ME, OK?

SHE'S JUST COMING NOW.

HELLO.

OK.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

OK.

YOUR FAMILY ARE WAITNG FOR YOU, OK?

COME ON, SIR.

THIS WAY.

I'M JUST GONNA TAKE YOU UP HERE WITH ME JUST SO I CAN GET YOU CHECKED OUT.

[WHEEZING] COME ON.

GET YOU CHECKED OVER.

MAN: SUSPECT SIGHTED IN A STOLEN VEHICLE.

I REPEAT, SUSPECT SIGHTED IN A STOLEN VEHICLE.

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE HEADING UNDER THE A20 BRIDGE ON ABBOT'S CLIFF ROAD.

AERIAL UNIT IN PURSUIT.

GROUND UNITS, HOLD BACK.

SUSPECTS MAY STILL BE IN POSSESSION OF EXPLOSIVES.

WOMAN: POLICE!

POLICE!

I JUST HAVE TO GET SOMETHING FROM THE CAR.

NO, SIR.

I NEED YOU TO COME WITH ME NOW, PLEASE.

NO, NO.

STOP!

NO.

KARL, YOU SHOULDN'T BE DRIVING IN THIS STATE.

COME ON!

[HELICOPTER] BOSS, THEY'RE HEADING TOWARDS THE CLIFFS.

DCI ROEBUCK'S IN PURSUIT.

I THINK THEY'RE PLANNING A "THELMA AND LOUISE."

OH, ... [CELL PHONE RINGS] ... ARE YOU READY?

I'M READY.

AAH!

[GROANING] ANTON: LANA... LANA... OHH!

LANA, HELP.

HELP ME.

HELP ME.

RRGH!

DON'T COME ANY CLOSER.

I'LL SHOOT YOU.

YOU KILLED ELISE.

I OFFERED YOU YOUR SON, AND YOU KILLED ELISE.

MY SON IS DEAD.

NO, HE'S NOT.

I TOLD HIM TO PUT YOU ON THE PHONE.

SABAN IS ALIVE.

YOU'RE LYING.

ALL YOU DO IS LIE.

I'VE SEE HIM.

DO YOU WANT TO SEE A PHOTO OF HIM?

NO.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANYTHING.

SHUT UP!

HE WAS ADOPTED BY A FRENCH COUPLE.

THERE.

THAT'S YOUR SON.

ANTON: HE'S LYING.

THAT'S YOUR SON.

ANTON: HE'S LY-- HIS NAME IS FRANCOIS.

HE'S HAPPY!

HE'S GETTING MARRIED.

I TRUSTED YOU.

NO!

[GUNSHOT] [WHIMPERING] ...

PUT THE GUN DOWN.

TELL SABAN I LOVED HIM EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE.

HOW DARE YOU?

HOW DARE YOU?

I'D DO ANYTHING TO HAVE ONE DAY... ONE MINUTE WITH MY SON JUST TO SEE HIS FACE... [VOICE CRACKING] JUST TO SEE HIS FACE, JUST TO TELL HIM I LOVED HIM, AND YOU CAN HAVE THAT MINUTE.

YOU CAN HAVE IT.

YOU CAN HOLD HIM IN YOUR ARMS.

[SIRENS APPROACHING] ARMED POLICE!

STAY WHERE YOU ARE!

STAY WHERE YOU ARE!

DON'T MOVE.

[NO AUDIO] [SOBBING] [DOOR BEEPS, UNLOCKS] HELLO.

HELLO.

[DOOR BUZZES, UNLOCKS] EVELYNE CHAPELLE... TERRY HEANEY... LAWRENCE TAYLOR... FATHER FRANCIS PAINE.

OH.

SHIRLEY SOUNESS... ANTON STOKES.

LOOK AT THEM.

WHEN CAN I SEE MY SON?

LOOK AT THEM.

I WAS SINGING SABAN TO SLEEP WHEN THE SOLDIERS CAME.

AFTERWARDS, THERE WERE PILES OF BODIES LIKE RAG DOLLS WHO WEREN'T PEOPLE TO THEM, WHO WERE ANIMALS TO BE SLAUGHTERED.

WHEN YOU HAVE SURVIVED SUCH THINGS...

KILLING IS NOTHING.

I'LL LEAVE THE PHOTOS WITH YOU.

YOU HAVE SOME TIME ON YOUR HANDS.

WHERE IS MY BOY?

NOW... YOU GAVE ME A CHOICE BETWEEN KILLING MY FRIEND, WHO I LOVED, AND KILLING 11 RANDOM INNOCENT PEOPLE THAT YOU ABDUCTED.

I COULDN'T MAKE THAT CHOICE.

NOW I HAVE ANOTHER ONE.

DO WE LET SABAN GET MARRIED, GET ON WITH HIS LIFE LIKE ANYBODY ELSE, OR DO WE TELL HIM WHO HIS MOTHER IS AND WHAT SHE'S DONE IN HIS NAME?

I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THAT.

[PRESSES CODE ON KEYPAD] [DOOR BUZZES] MAN: MONSIEUR.

KARL.

I AM GLAD IT WAS YOU WITH HER.

SO... KARL: LET'S HONOR HER LAST REQUEST.

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?

THE DAY--THE DAY CHARLIE WAS TAKEN, THERE WAS A ROOM AT THE HOTEL L'ECRIN OCCUPIED BY THIS MAN, LAURENT MOREL.

HE'S A CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER AND PART OF A LARGER PEDOPHILE RING.

PHILIPPE: AND WE'RE PRETTY SURE FROM CHARLIE'S STATEMENT AND HIS MEMORY FROM LA BAIE DE SOMME THAT LAURENT MOREL WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK HIM.

ASTOR CHAPUT WAS IN CHARGE OF SOURCING WITNESSES, BUT THERE WAS NOT A SINGLE ONE FROM THE HOTEL L'ECRIN.

I JUST FOUND LAURENT MOREL'S LAST KNOWN ADDRESS.

LET'S GO.

ELISE SAW RIGHT THROUGH YOU, DIDN'T SHE?

ARE YOU PROTECTING SOMEONE?

YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF IF THEY'RE WORTH THROWING EVERYTHING AWAY FOR.

[RINGS DOORBELL] OUI?

SHALL WE LOOK ROUND?

IF CHARLIE WAS KEPT HERE, ANY EVIDENCE WOULD BE GONE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK I SHOULD DO ABOUT SABAN?

YOU WANT TO TELL HIM THE TRUTH?

ISN'T IT EVERY CHILD'S RIGHT TO KNOW?

NOT IN FRANCE.

ONCE A CHILD IS ADOPTED, IT'S THE PARENTS' CHOICE TO TELL OR NOT.

THE STATE DOESN'T INTERFERE WITH PARENTING.

ANOTHER GREAT GULF BETWEEN OUR NATIONS.

[CHUCKLES] WHAT WOULD ELISE DO?

TELL THE TRUTH.

SHE WASN'T ALWAYS RIGHT.

BONJOUR.

BONJOUR, MONSIEUR.

AS, UM...

HE'S YOURS.

[CHUCKLES] [SIGHS] COULD YOU DO SOMETHING FOR ME?

[DOOR BUZZES, UNLOCKS] SECURITY APPROVED THESE, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE THEM TO YOU MYSELF.

[KEYPAD BEEPS] [DOOR BUZZES, UNLOCKS] I'LL TAKE MAYA BACK HOME, GIVE YOU SOME SPACE.

[EXHALES] DON'T THINK I NEED SPACE.

WHAT CAN I DO?

DON'T KNOW.

I MISS YOU.

I MISS ALL OF YOU.

WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT THAT?

HUH.

DON'T KNOW.

[SIGHS] WHA-- LIFE IS TOO SHORT NOT TO GRAB WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY WHILE YOU CAN.

[CHUCKLING] HOW COME?

DUOLINGO.

HOW DO YOU SAY "NO CHANCE"?

[CHARLIE READING HALTINGLY IN FRENCH] [APPLAUSE] [SIGHS] SHE'S LIVELY.

HA!

HELLO.

YOU WANT TO SAY HELLO?

HELLO.

HELLO.

LET'S GO.

COME ON, THEN.

YOU ALL RIGHT?

YEAH.

[PEOPLE SPEAKING EXCITEDLY] [RIDERS CHEER] HI!

[CARNIVAL MUSIC] HIYA.

HEY.

HOW YOU DOING?

ALL RIGHT.

AND YOU?

VERY GOOD.

HEY!

HEY!

MAYA: LOOK!

DAD'S HERE.

DADDY!

SOLOMON GREY: ♪ I MELT BACK AND WASTE ♪ ♪ BEFORE YOU ♪ ♪ CAN FIND ME... ♪ [ALL SPEAKING AT ONCE] ♪ COLD PICTURES IN THE STORM ♪ ♪ THAT I LET ♪ ♪ IN THE MOONLIGHT... ♪ YAY.

WELL DONE.

BILLY?

MAYA?

HANNAH?

SOLOMON GREY: ♪ ...BREAK DOWN FOR ME ♪ ♪ OUT IN THE DARK TIMES?

♪ KARL: HELP.

COME AND FIND ME.

HELP.

♪ WHY CAN'T WE SEE THAT WE'RE ♪ ♪ A GHOST IN THE MACHINE... ♪ I'M LOST.

MAYA?

♪ ALL THE RESTED ♪ ♪ OOH OOH OOH... ♪ [EXHALES] ♪ OOH OOH OOH ♪ ♪ OOH OOH ♪ - Each season has a really different identity.

So first season, obviously, is in the musculature of its parent show, The Bridge.

The second season is very much Ben Richards version of The Tunnel, with his passions, his political obsessions, the things he's interested in really beautifully realized.

And for the third season, when we knew Ben couldn't come back because of other commitments, we needed a writer who would similarly bring a whole vision to the show, and make it feel utterly their own.

And we were very lucky to find Emilia di Girolamo, who comes at it from a very different place to Ben, but was utterly respectful of what The Tunnel was.

- It's a writer's dream to write on a show like this.

- She brings a very different kind of energy to the story.

- I mean, well, fasten your seat belts, cause it's a, it's a real, yeah that sounds real cliché to say it's a rollercoaster, but it really is.

- Emilia came up with a brilliant notion, which was about children, parents and children, lost children, the refugee crisis was something we were all really aware of and wanted to explore.

- What I love about The Tunnel is, that kind of mixing of politics, and what's going on politically with the crime genre.

So I was reading those articles that came out about the ten thousand missing refugee children, and just really struggling believing that that could happen, and that kinda no one cared.

That was kind of a moment that made me go, I have to write about this.

I have to tell this story.

I have to tell the story of one of those children or, you know, where are they?

What's happened to them?

Those are the questions we need to be asking.

And, and so, very quickly, I kind of realized that's what I wanted to write about.

- It's a story this time about lost children, and what ultimately is a human life worth.

- A toy car?

Why aren't forensics here?

- [Man] You'll have to ask the Governor.

The boat's going back to France later today.

- What starts as potentially a child smuggling operation, or at least an investigation into child trafficking, it becomes clear that somebody has done this for a very specific purpose, and to deliver a very specific message.

(eerie music) - It's real kind of topical and political edge that runs right the way through it.

But what kind of marries it with, with a, a thriller element as well.

- To know right up front, that I would be writing the last series was great.

Because you don't have that situation where you're thinking about hooks for next season and not knowing, that kind of uncertainty.

So having that really clear idea that this is the last season was actually liberating as a writer and quite inspiring.

Because then you think, how do I end this story for these amazing characters?

- You know your trouble is, you're meant to fail.

You should take a lesson from me.

I've got a PhD in ....... up.

- Not a work though, when you're passing a life.

- I'm in love with Karl and Elisa's relationship.

- I think Karl and Elisa's friendship is quite a special one I think for me it's unusual and refreshing watching a male and female partnership that is purely platonic.

- Thank you for coming.

- I think it's quite rare to talk about relationships between a man and a woman without turning it into some kind of romance somehow.

- Hello.

- Watching their friendship develop, how they pick it up again each season in a slightly different place, but finding that connection that only they share, is one that I really love watching.

- People have so much to watch on television, and if they don't love your character, and want to come back and spend more time with them and hang out with them, and for them to be part of their lives, they're not gonna come back.

- I've watched it since it came out religiously, and it's a real pleasure to go work on something that you've enjoyed watching, particularly when you've set out to tell the final chapter of the story.

- I hope there is something uplifting about the show.

I really, really hope it achieves something in terms of giving the audience a sense of everyday human heroism of wonderful flawed human beings being marvelous.

- I think will be emotional.

That's our aim.

- [Announcer] This program is available on DVD.

To order, visit shop.pbs.org or call 1-800-PLAY-PBS.