The Honorable Woman

Episode 1

The Empty Chair

Thu, Jul 31, 201460 mins

As a child Nessa Stein and her younger brother Ephra witnessed the murder in public of their father Eli, an Israeli arms dealer. Twenty-nine years later Nessa, her father's heiress, has turned the firm around, specializing in promoting communications between Israel and Palestine and establishing a charitable foundation for which she has been made a peeress in the English House of Lords. Nessa is about to deal with Palestinian businessman Samir Meshal, to the annoyance of family friend Shlomo, a deal which attracts the attention of Hugh Hayden-Hoyle, an MI6 operative on the verge of retirement, and Monica Chatwin, his rival and designated successor. Meshal kills himself, a death Nessa finds suspicious and she is reminded of a successful attempt to kidnap her in the Gaza Strip eight years before. Sadly there is another abduction in the present, when Kasim, the little son of Ephra's nanny Atika, is kidnapped . Nessa gives chase and the abductor draws a gun on her. He is killed by Nathaniel Bloom, Nessa's minder, but he too is shot and the abductor gets away with Kasim.