London was already shaken by the consecutive cyberattacks carried out against the nation in the very first episode of the Apple TV+ original, “Liaison”, and the national security agencies had realized that their cybersecurity was not strong enough to handle and contain these issues. Richard had hoped that her top agent, Alison, would come with some breakthroughs, but what he didn’t know was that she was keeping some secrets from everybody. We witnessed towards the end of the first episode of Liaison that Gabriel Delage was standing in front of her house because he had probably realized that Alison was the only person who could help him on foreign soil and get him what he wanted. It was not revealed in the first episode of the series, “Liaison,” how he knew her or what kind of relationship Alison had shared with him in the past.
A lot was at stake for the French as well as the British governments, as they knew that the intel the Syrian hackers, Walid and Samir Hamza, had at their disposal could potentially determine the fate of their respective nations. We had gotten enough evidence in the first episode that proved how treacherous, dark, and lonely the secret world of human intelligence could get and how it was just a one-way street where once an individual stepped foot in, he didn’t have the option of leaving. Gabriel Delage had expressed to his friend Mitzia that he wanted to start a new life because he was done risking his life and living like a nomad. Gabriel was an experienced campaigner, and he knew that what he wanted to do was not an easy task. Gabriel had gone to London to bring back Walid Hamza, but he wasn’t able to accomplish his task and also came under the radar of the security agencies. He was using the alias of a European diplomat named Jean Petit, but it was just a matter of time before his cover was blown and the English security agencies came to know his real identity.
Spoilers Ahead
Gabriel Asks Alison For A Favor
Gabriel left a note on Laison’s desk in which the address and time of an A.A. meetings were mentioned. Alison knew that it was Gabriel who had left that note, and she went there to meet him. It became evident that not only were Alison and Gabriel lovers in the past, but they still had feelings for each other. Maybe they parted ways due to conflicting interests, but the feelings were certainly still there. Gabriel told her about the Syrian hackers and how they had contacted the French government about giving them refuge. He told Alison that he wanted to know where they were keeping Walid Hamza, as he had the pen drive that contained all the secret intel. Gabriel said that Walid and Samir were cousins who had hacked into the Syrian Police servers and wiped out the entire data. He told her that the cousins had information about an impending terrorist attack on the United Kingdom, and that is why it was necessary to know who was planning the attack as soon as possible. Alison told Gabriel that Walid was being treated at Saint Callum Hospital, but before she could talk to him further, he suddenly got out of the car and left.
There was a collision on the York to London train line as the people who had conducted the earlier attacks had once again hacked the servers and turned all the signals green. Albert’s daughter, Kim, was also on the train, and as soon as Alison got to know about it, she rushed to the scene. Alison took Kim to the hospital, and she saw that Gabriel was already there. Gabriel had come there to take the pen drive from Walid, as he knew that in such a state of chaos, he could easily do the job without being recognized. After stealing the pen drive, Gabriel realized that it had a double security check, and after using the fingerprints of Walid which he had procured, it also needed a password to open. Alison met Gabriel once again, and she asked him to hand her over the pen drive as she knew experts who could hack it, but Gabriel told her that the algorithms used in it were unbreakable and that it would be a waste of energy to even try cracking it.
The Conflict Between Sophie And Didier
Sophie was quick to point out to the French president that Didier had made a mess of the situation. She was of the opinion that they should give the British government whatever information they wanted, as going behind their back and plotting to bring the hackers back to France was not a safe option. She speculated that it might be perceived as backstabbing and cause unnecessary conflict between the two nations. Sophie told the president that the United Kingdom was the primary target of the hackers and was under imminent threat, which made it more important to keep everyone in the loop and divulge the secrets as soon as possible. But Didier was against it because he knew that if the British officials had a chance of getting their hands on the secret intel that the Syrian hackers had, they wouldn’t even bat an eye before backstabbing the French government.
Didier told the president and Sophie that he had contacted Dumas, who was apparently a DGSE legend and was using his services to bring the hackers back. The president wanted to know if the U.K. was still a part of the E.U. cyber security agency, and at that moment, Didier lied to him and told him that the English had signed certain cooperation agreements. Based on the false information that Didier had given the president, he once again handed over the reins to Didier and asked him to deal with the issue. Later, after the London train attack happened, the French president got to know that Didier had misled him since the U.K. wasn’t a part of the E.U. cyber security agency since Brexit. The French president made up his mind to involve the DGSE in the proceedings and asked them to question the Syrian hackers and take the lead in the investigation once they stepped onto French soil.
‘Liaison’ Episode 2: Ending Explained – Who Was Behind The London Train Attack? What Was Richard And Alison’s Plan?
Gabriel Delage’s cover was blown, and DI Hobbs had learned his real identity. She came to know that he was working for a private contractor, Dumas, who ran a company named Telkis. DI Hobbs was of the opinion that Gabriel might have been involved in planning the train attack, but she was waiting for the French embassy to approve his arrest. At this moment, Albert pitched in and said that he could do something to lift his immunity and prove in court that it was not an illegal arrest, since he was being held responsible for the train collision. They were tracking Gabriel, and DI Hobbs ordered them to take him into custody. But Gabriel was a step ahead, and he knew that he was being followed. The English officers weren’t able to catch him, and he made a near escape. Toward the end of the second episode of “Liaison,” Toby Gleason presided over a meeting that was attended by Richard, Alison, and all the other people involved in the case.
Though there was speculation that Delage was involved in the conspiracy, they had no substantial proof. The British and French governments were clueless about who was the mastermind behind the attacks. Walid was still in the hospital, and Samir was last seen on a Megaline coach bound for Dunkirk, which implied that both of them were not behind the attack. Gabriel also didn’t have any substantial leads that could tell him for certain who the perpetrators were. So basically, everybody was in the dark, and all they could do was strengthen their defenses and hope that the next time they would be able to handle the situation in a better manner. That is why Alison proposed the need to strengthen their cyber security and ask for help from the European Union, as what they currently had was not sufficient to stop an attack of such magnitude. Toby vehemently opposed the idea, but Richard told him that though he might be close to the prime minister, the final call on matters of security was going to be his. Richard asked Alison to go to Brussels and negotiate a deal with the European Union. He told her to meet a person named Sabina Louseau, who would further help her.
Didier had come to know about the English government’s intention of entering the European cyber security agency once again, and he knew that he couldn’t let that happen. Fortunately, he knew Sabina quite well, and it seemed like they had shared quite an intimate relationship in the past and had a son together. Didier was a secretive man, and though he didn’t tell Sabina exactly why he didn’t want her to allow the U.K. to enter into an agreement with the European Union, we know that he surely had some ulterior motives and that he was not doing it for the welfare of his nation.
Both Gabriel and U.K. government officials got to know about Samir’s location, and in the subsequent episodes of “Liaison,” we would see them trying to get him into their respective custody. Gabriel still had the pen drive with him, but he knew that unless and until Samir told him the password, it would be useless for him. It was still unknown who was behind the attack, though it felt like Didier might have some information of great significance. It could be possible that there was involvement of a third party that the French and British governments were unaware of. Nobody knew, at least in the United Kingdom regime, that Alison had an affair with Gabriel in the past and that she had given him some top-secret information that could make her liable for treason. We will eventually get to know if she keeps her personal and professional lives separate or if she ends up becoming a potential threat to the nation due to her proximity to Gabriel.
