In the fifth episode of Gangs of London's thrilling third season, we are transported eight weeks backward from our present timeline to witness a poignant scene at an office. There, Lale, heavily burdened with pregnancy, laboriously navigates her way to the rooftop, her condition a stark reminder of the events that unfolded seven months prior.
It was during this time when Sean, abandoning her for dead, left her in the mercy of Asif and his ruthless henchmen. In a moment of desperation and ingenuity, Lale saved her own life by revealing her pregnancy with Sean's child. This revelation shifted her fate, albeit temporarily, from death's door to the confines of a Lahore prison cell, where she was held captive yet strategically utilized due to the fetus she carried within her.
Under Asif's watchful eye and the tight grip of his goons, Lale found herself ensnared in a political web of manipulation. However, her plight saw a glimmer of hope when Marian appeared, demanding Asif's release of Lale and her safe passage to London. With Asif's assets frozen, compliance seemed his only viable option. Yet, a phone call from London abruptly altered the course of his intentions. In an instant, Lale was ushered back into her room, the door bolted behind her, and Marian's rescue plan abruptly aborted.
Asif confronted Lale, his tone revealing a sinister deal brokered by an "old friend." He informed her that she would serve as a courier for some invaluable cargo, with her baby's welfare as the lever ensuring her compliance. Knowing the unyielding bond of love a mother shares with her unborn child, Asif was confident that Lale's maternal instincts would drive her to do whatever it took to safeguard her child.
Despite the odds, Lale arrived in London, accompanied by her family. And even with Asif's financial assets frozen, it seemed he had conjured another means to infiltrate the UK. In London, Lale bided her time, waiting for the opportune moment to break free. That moment arrived, and with pregnancy weighing heavily on her, she fled, her destination the apartment building that served as the backdrop of the episode's opening scene. However, fate had other plans; as she raced for freedom, the contractions of labor began to grip her, bringing her journey to a poignant and urgent climax.
This brings us to the riveting opening scene, where Lale strides confidently into an office, only to find herself unexpectedly overwhelmed by the onset of labor. It unfolds like a cliché television birth—a few halfhearted pushes, and the infant emerges almost effortlessly, with Lale displaying barely a flicker of exertion. She remains remarkably unfazed, scarcely breaking a sweat, and manages to hoist herself up and seek refuge in the ventilation shafts, all while her newborn remains eerily silent throughout.
Nonetheless, Lale's bleeding is severe, dripping persistently from the vents like a grim testament to her ordeal. The baby, at long last, begins to vocalize, and unfortunately, these sounds spell trouble. Despite her valiant efforts to hush him, it proves futile. In a desperate act, Lale abandons the child on the floor and employs the placenta as a makeshift weapon, using it to choke one of the men into submission. She then proceeds to fend off a multitude of others with remarkable ferocity before dashing off in pursuit of her infant, who has been whisked away by one of the assailants.
Ultimately, Lale's escape is halted by Asif, but in a moment of surrender tinged with resolve, she agrees to collaborate with him, driven solely by the love for her child.
