Recap / Around The World In Eighty Days 2021 S 01 E 02

Passpartout: Crazy man.
Abigail: But brilliant.
Passpartout: But crazy.
Abigail: But brilliant.
Passpartout: What are you going to do?
Abigail: Find out which one he is, I suppose.

Everyone is wrestling demons as the travellers enter Italy and board a train. Fogg's confidence takes a hit when the a widowed Italian businessman struggling to connect with his son questions his ambitions, while Abigail questions her decisions and Passpartout struggles with grief.

Disaster strikes, and the train reaching its destination in time becomes a matter of life and death, and only a daring plan from Fogg can save a life...

Tropes:

• Action Girl: Fogg's plan involves Passpartout sitting at the front of the train with a bucket of coal dust to scatter on the tracks for traction. Abigail has been firmly placed in the rear for her safety. However, when the train starts moving, Passpartout drops the bucket which falls far out of reach. While the men argue about what to do now, Abigail calmly climbs over to the engine, grabs another bucket, fills it with dust and climbs towards the front over Fogg's observations as he realises what she's doing. She takes her place next to Passpartout and they scatter dust on the tracks together.
  Abigail: [To Passpartout] You had one job.
• Ain't Too Proud to Beg: When his son is gravely injured and Fogg's crazy idea is the only thing that could get him to a doctor in time, Moretti begs Fogg to try it despite his earlier derision of Fogg's character. It works.
• Armor-Piercing Question: Unhappy with Fogg stealing his thunder, Moretti challenges him on how much travelling he's done before (basically none) and mocks him for thinking he can complete his journey.
• Celebrity Paradox: Fogg and Alberto bond over their shared love of From the Earth to the Moon, written by Jules Verne, who also wrote Around the World in Eighty Days.
• Cliffhanger: A man in Port Said gets a telegram, burns it and stands up looking purposeful. A shot of the burning telegram reveals that it says, "£500. Stop Fogg. Bellamy."
• Cowardice Callout: During their After Action Patch Up, Abigail calls Passpartout the kind of man who disappears when things get tough; he left France after his father died, she gathers (rightly) that there was some trouble that prompted him to leave London with Fogg, and she guesses he's planning to leave Fogg once the train leaves Brindisi. His expression suggests she's right about that too.
• Fantasy-Forbidding Father: Moretti is a self-made wealthy industrialist who looks down on dreamers and idealists like Fogg and his own son, Alberto, and resents how well they get along when Fogg shows interest in the same books and ideas as Alberto. This results in Moretti finding excuses to shout at Alberto and Fogg, although he seems to regret his actions later.
• I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine: Anthony Flanagan, who plays Kneedling, appeared in an episode of Doctor Who with David Tennant.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Moretti is clearly a man of action and purpose, an industrialist who has trouble connecting to his dreamer son and deals with the problem as he would a problem with his business; by bullying him to do things his way, and getting frustrated and angry when that doesn't work. He lashes out when Fogg arrives and gets the attention that was previously Moretti's and gets along with his son better than he does. However, the next morning he does appear regretful of his actions, and is perfectly willing to eat humble pie when Alberto is injured and Fogg has an idea to save him.
• Life of the Party: Relegated to the third class of a train, Passpartout is soon making friends with everyone, complimenting food other passengers have given him to try, getting a singsong going and being invited to a poker game.
• Missing Mom: Moretti's wife has recently died, leaving him the only parent to Alberto, who it's clear he has trouble relating to.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: Played With. Fogg and co.'s Run for the Border in a hot-air balloon was pretty successful, taking them over the Alps and into Italy. After that, however, they do inevitably succumb to the fact that Fogg's knowledge of hot-air balloons is entirely theoretical, and crash. Luckily, they do so near a railway line and a train is due.
• Trapped by Gambling Debts: Variation: Bellamy is informed by his bank manager that his investments in American railways have backfired badly, meaning he has very little time to pay off his debts before his house is repossessed. He gets more time by claiming he's going to come into some money very soon, clearly referring to the wager with Fogg. This means Bellamy needs Fogg to fail or he'll be ruined, leading to him hiring Kneedling to stop him.
• Wham Line: The train stops suddenly when the bridge ahead is all but collapsed, meaning they have to go back. Unfortunately, Alberto was injured in the stop and Passpartout is adamant that he'll die in the eight hours it will take to reach a doctor that way. The only doctor close enough is ahead, over the damaged bridge, meaning there is no way for Alberto to get help in time. Then Fogg speak up.
  Fogg: It can be done.