'Brave-ish Heart' by Patrick Ness

Searching for April in the caves of the Shadow Kin realm, Ram is found by one of Corakinus’ soldiers; he is rescued by April, who slays the creature with her scimitars and then declares that she is going to kill the Shadow King. At Coal Hill Academy, Miss Quill learns from Head Teacher Miss Ames that the mysterious governors are working to keep the school safe; they have been testing her ability to deal with alien threats, and will return her free will if she commits genocide: the destruction of the carnivorous flowers that are overwhelming the planet. Miss Quill proposes using Charlie’s Cabinet of Souls… At April’s house, Tanya tells Jackie and Huw the truth about their daughter’s heart, and Charlie receives a strange call from Miss Quill about flowers. While Tanya goes to find Ram’s dad, everyone else sets off for the school, which is now overrun with the deadly flowers. In the Shadow Kin realm, known as the Underneath, April tells Ram that she cannot cut a hole to get them back home; instead she leads them towards Corakinus’ citadel, by following the Shadow King’s thoughts – but then Corakinus uses their link to locate April… Miss Quill confronts Charlie over this lies about the weapon, wanting him to use it to destroy the Shadow Kin instead of the flowers; they are interrupted by Miss Ames, who reiterates using the Cabinet to destroy the tiny souls in the flowers. Miss Ames instructs Jackie and Huw to wait at the school for April, while she, Miss Quill and Matteusz return to Charlie’s home. Out in the school grounds and streets, the flowers claim more victims… As April’s parents bicker, they are joined by Tanya, who has brought Ram’s dad, Varun; then Jackie’s chest glows blue – just as April’s does in the Underneath. The two students soon arrive at Corakinus’ citadel, where they are surrounded by thousands of Shadow Kin, who have come to watch their king battle his usurper. Miss Ames asks Charlie to use the Rhodian souls to save the human race from the flowers; but Charlie refuses, so the head teacher pulls a gun on Mateusz as encouragement. When the woman vetoes the boys’ idea of tricking the Shadow Kin into killing the petals instead, Matteusz surreptitiously uses his phone to text a message to Tanya. Faced with the dilemma of losing his people or losing his lover, Charlie decides to use the weapon… After sharing a kiss with Ram, April fights the Shadow King with her scimitars; she realises that she now has a link to her mother too, and also knows that if she defeats Corakinus she will become the Shadow King. Meanwhile, Huw encourages Jackie to uses her love to reinforce the link with their daughter; this boost enables April to open a portal to the classroom, allowing Varun and Huw to go in after their children. The men watch as April defeats the Shadow King, holding him at her mercy – all she has to do now is slay him. Huw implores his daughter not to take a life, trying to make her see how she has used her anger to fight back at the world, which led to healing her mother. Realising that it is enough that the Shadow Kin have seen her beat their king, April takes over the mantle of their leader and orders that Corakinus be imprisoned in a tomb; she then leads Ram, Huw and Varun back home through the portal. Huw inadvertently touches some of the flowers, which begin feeding off his blood, reminding Tanya to give April the message from Matteusz. With the streets now choked with flowers, which smother the remains of their victims, Charlie opens the Cabinet of Souls and begins the incantation that will activate the weapon. Miss Quill urges the prince to kill the Shadow Kin, but Miss Ames reiterates the need to sacrifice his people to save the human race and the Earth. When the head teacher turns her gun on Charlie, Matteusz knocks her out and throws the weapon through the window. Meanwhile, April opens a rift and commands her army of Shadow Kin to destroy the petals A thick black cloud billows out, flowing through the school corridors and out into the streets, destroying the flowers without trace – and saving Charlie from making his fateful decision, much to Miss Quill’s frustration. The threat ended, April sends her army back to the Underneath, ordering them to destroy the portal as well. But then April collapses – Corakinus has severed the new link between them; to April’s relief, Jackie can still move her legs. Outside, Miss Quill vents her rage on what she believes is Miss Ames’ car, only to learn that it isn’t. The head teacher smugly reveals that the governors predicted Charlie’s decision - which would have only required one Rhodiann soul, as the petals had just one aggregate soul amongst them; now they have confirmation of the prince’s actions, the offer to help Miss Quill still stands, although she still has to do Parents’ Evening… Having said goodbye to Ram, April orders Huw to go away until she is ready to contact him, whenever that will be. April is strong enough to look after her mother alone, as Jackie learns to walk again…


Katherine Kelly (Miss Quill), Greg Austin (Charlie Smith), Fady Elsayed (Ram Singh), Sophie Hopkins (April MacClean), Vivian Oparah (Tanya Adeola), Jordan Renzo (Matteusz), Pooky Quesnel (Dorothea Ames), Paul Marc Davis (Corakinus), Aaron Neil (Varun Singh), Shannon Murray (Jackie MacClean), Con O’Neil (Huw MacClean), Moses Adejumi (Student 1)

Directed by Philippa Langdale
Produced by Derek Ritchie
Executive Producers Brian Minchin, Steven Moffat and Patrick Ness
A BBC Wales production

TX (BBC Three):
12th November 2016 @ 10.00

Notes:
*Featuring Miss Quill, Charlie, April, Ram, Tanya and Matteusz

*This episode was later shown on BBC 1 on 6th February 2017 @ 10.45 pm