This programme contains strong language.
Sit.
During these uncertain times,
what we're looking for is those that have the courage...
Stand up.
...to take the leap into the unknown.
Follow the DS! Let's go!
Get a move on! Move it!
In this series, an elite team of ex Special Forces soldiers...
Get up, number 21!
HE GRUNTS
...are putting 21 men and women...
Come on, they're gonna kill the hostage.
Push, push, push.
...through the most gruelling stages of SAS selection.
SHE SCREAMS
Whatever's happening in the world, we need to switch on...
...cos the enemy are not gonna stop if you're scared or exhausted.
You need to know that you've got the inner strength to keep fighting.
Each task based on the real process.
What was that?
The recruits must go beyond the physical...
Get in there, now!
...to come face to face...
What would you do? ALL: Kill, Staff!
...with their true self.
Go, go, go.
In the Special Forces, you swear an oath to your comrades.
You're willing to give the ultimate sacrifice
to see them live another day.
No other test asks as much...
...or means as much...
Every single task seems like they're trying to kill us.
...to the few who make it through.
You're about to be in a whole world of pain.
Push the hips through.
Oh, oh, yeah.
Yeah!
HE LAUGHS
It's the start of the second phase of the course.
16 recruits, and the undercover mole, Anthony, remain.
The key emotions you go through on selection
is feeling like you're always failing.
Everyone outside now!
Move it. Move it!
So, you're constantly fighting against yourself.
All the way to the wagons. Let's go, let's go, let's go.
And ultimately, that question that we all ask ourself...
Move, move, let's go.
...am I good enough?
Fear can be a very handy tool if you know how to use it.
Some people crumble very quickly,
but people that make it to the end embrace it.
This way, move it.
To reach the next task,
the recruits must climb three kilometres to the start point.
Number 13, move it.
At the back is number 13, Holly.
Hurry UP-
My life has been a hard journey,
and it's important to me to be able to have control of myself
so that I can make my own decisions
and make progress with my life and journey.
13! Let's move. Go.
My mental strength might be good,
but physically I'm not up to the job.
What do you want to do, number 13?
I want to be honest with myself, face reality and fade away.
You should be proud of where you've got to.
Yes, sir. Amazing. Thank you, sir. OK.
Yes, sir. Well done. Absolutely amazing.
Make your way down the hill. No worries, thank you, sir.
Holly becomes the fifth recruit to leave the course.
Now, just 16 remain.
Take your bergens off, sit on your bergens.
Right, listen in.
We cover all sorts of terrain and ground in the Special Forces
and we employ a multitude of techniques to get up, over,
across and down obstacles.
What you're about to see is one of those techniques
and then, guess what?
You're gonna do it.
Stand by.
Go!
Number two, let's go.
Grab your helmet.
First up is number two, John.
Number two. You look like a Bond villain.
Look at me. Look at me.
Look at me! Calm the fuck down, OK?
OK, it's quite high.
Don't worry about that. Right, let's go.
Hips forward.
Lean forward, now walk.
Keep going. Keep going. That's it, come on.
Let's get some momentum built up. Let's go.
Forward. Keep going, keep going.
That's it, come on.
Right now, commit to this. Hips forward.
Horizontal. Let's go.
That's it, use that momentum!
Go! You keep that momentum. Good.
Come here, number two.
Shit yourself, didn't ya?
See, but when you harness that fear and you use it to your advantage,
it's a good feeling, right? Remember that.
All right, off you go.
That village is gonna get that idiot back, well done.
Number 16, move.
I expect a very good impression of Michael Flatley
going down this rock face.
Come on.
Really push those hips forward. Thrust them forward.
There we go.
Hips forward.
Keep it there. Good effort.
That's it. Keep your arm out. Keep your arm out.
Compose yourself.
Good effort, number 16.
One of the frontrunners of the course.
We expect big things from you. Go.
Start moving!
Let's go, let's go!
Hips forward.
The forward abseil is an insertion method.
Let's go, move!
Coming from above is a surprise.
It's not expected.
Control yourself.
It's an alien thing to do,
to walk over the edge of a cliff facing forwards.
SHE SCREAMS
What was that?!
Let's g0!
It's scary.
It tests bottle.
Move forward, get momentum. Move.
Good effort.
Number six, go.
HE EXHALES NERVOUSLY
Next is number six, Jake.
What's the matter?
Go with it. Stand up straight.
Do not bend your knees so much.
Lean forward.
That's not straight.
Don't gob off back. Do what I tell you.
Now stand up straight, lean into it.
Keep your legs straight!
HE GRUNTS
CRUNCH
Come on, come on, come on, no, come on, Jake.
Move forward, get momentum, move!
Get your right arm out. Move forward. Get momentum.
Move!
Move.
Get your legs back!
Diabolical. Pathetic.
Don't be sorry. What the fuck was all that about?
You're not fucking listening up here.
Fear's the number one emotion that we use to get us through.
If you can't harness it, there's no place for you here.
Well, you'll be lucky if there is a next time.
Fuck off over there.
Move. Move, number six! Move.
Get in the wagons, go. Move it!
He's right though, about controlling fear,
it's just an emotion, innit?
It's just an emotion.
Are you not?
Before arriving on the course,
each recruit undertook an extensive psychological assessment.
All right, number six.
After his emotional reaction to this morning's task,
chief instructor Ant has asked to review number six, Jake's results.
There's a couple of things that kind of really stick out,
which is why we wanted to kinda talk you through stuff.
One of the things is your emotions.
Number six, one minute you're up here.
Next minute you're down here.
Would you say that's a pretty accurate description?
Why?
HE SNIFFS
We're here to push you forward because we see something in you.
I don't want to see you go.
Go back into the accommodation. A few deep breaths.
Away you go. Good effort. Keep it there, number six.
HE SIGHS
HE SOBS
Does anyone need anything? Has anyone got a list?
Nail clippers?
How bad is your toenail?
Can you get through today?
We'll bite it off later.
HE CHUCKLES
Number five, Anthony, is today's duty recruit.
How you doing, mate? You all right? Good? Yeah.
Unbeknown to the other recruits, he recently left the Special Forces
and has been placed undercover by the DS.
Are you good? Yeah, yeah. Good, happy days.
My relationship with the other DS,
with Ant and Fox in particular,
I've known these guys for around about 15 years.
All good, mate. All good. Yeah.
We deployed together, we trained together,
and we had quite a close connection.
Who's pulling the wool over our eyes? Who's not playing the game?
Understanding each others' capabilities and fears
is vitally important, you know.
It will help shape who takes lead on certain aspects of the job.
Number two. He's a buffoon, but he's great for morale.
JOHN LAUGHS
Way out of his comfort zone.
Number 16?
Ox, up there.
He's not a fucking dancer. I'm not having it.
It's pissing me off that I have to hide at the back
and I can't go storming past him.
I know, mate. I'm like that, "Fucking hell!"
He's very clever. As an individual, he's fine.
He's a great individual, isn't he?
Number six? London guy. I think he's literally hanging on.
All good.
We're missing you, but you've got a couple of days now. Yeah, cool.
All right, away you go. Yes, Staff, yes. Move, move!
I look like I've been bit by about ten rabbits.
Let's move it. Let's go. Take your bergens off.
Put them in front of you.
Put your fleeces in your bergens.
The DS want to test the recruits' ability
to control their emotions in a military cold water drill.
Hurry up, let's go. You're not on a field trip.
Right, in the Special Forces, we must condition ourselves
to all the elements, to all environments,
especially in the Special Boat Service.
Six months of the year we train in water, cold water.
That's exactly what we're going to do this afternoon.
This is all psychological.
Conditioning the mind.
When I say go, you will walk forward until I say stop.
Understood? ALL: Yes, Staff.
Go.
Once you enter the cold water, you can feel it.
It stings your skin, literally seeping into your bones.
Turn and face me.
If you don't get your mind to prepare your body
for cold water immersion, then that's when fear can creep in.
Heads only above the water.
When that happens, fear can become contagious.
Get your shoulders below the water.
The key thing when you're in cold water is don't panic.
The recruits must fight
the body's natural defence mechanism to keep warm
by staying still in the near freezing water.
When I say go, you will fully submerge yourselves,
come back up, heads only above the water.
Is that understood? ALL: Yes, Staff.
Go!
Control your bodies through your minds.
When I say go, you will stand up and walk forward to me.
Go.
In one straight line.
Stay disciplined.
Stay structured.
Shoulder to shoulder. Hands by your sides.
Get a grip of yourself, number two.
To prevent the recruits from getting hypothermia,
the DS will now beast them on the shore.
I'm gonna demonstrate a fireman's carry. Grab hold.
In. Get him nice and high, lean over and up.
You'll go all the way to the top, to the DS.
Once you get to the DS,
you'll drop your casualty and you'll run down together.
You need to fucking get him or her out of here. Quick time.
Stand by.
Go, move! Move!
Hurry the fuck up.
A fireman's carry is probably
the most important carry in the military.
Up here! Now!
Go on. Come on.
If the shit hits the fan and someone gets injured or dies,
it's the quickest and most efficient way
of getting them off the battlefield.
Get up, number two.
Get up, number six.
Dislocated your shoulder? What do you wanna do, number six?
Make a decision now.
There's fuck all you can do about it.
You can't carry on, simple as that. Do you understand me?
Well done, number six.
Listen, go back, get your shoulder sorted.
Look at me. Good effort.
Number six, Jake, is medically withdrawn with a shoulder injury.
15 recruits remain.
Once you've gone up, drop your partner, come back down.
Number nine, move.
Paired up are number 16, Connor,
and the tallest recruit, at 6'4", number nine, DJ.
I'm worried that the DS will consider me
to just be this pretty boy
and they'll doubt me
and think that I don't know what a day's hard work is.
Number nine, if you don't wanna be here, give your number to the DS.
Get up!
But it's down to me to prove them otherwise.
Let's go, move!
UP, keep coming.
KIERAN GRUNTS Keep going.
Number ten, number two, let's go. One!
Do you wanna be here, number two? Yes, Staff.
Fucking move. Move. Use what's called a spine.
It's too heavy, man. I can't, I can't...
Number two! I suggest you move, or give me your number.
Number two!
I've never done anything like this before.
JOHN SCREAMS Go. Go!
I do wanna be pushed to the point where I break
and I wanna see where I break.
Number two, if you don't get a move on,
I'm gonna take your number off you.
Your efforts are pathetic.
Now get a grip of yourself and get a move on.
Do you understand me? Move!
Get aggressive.
HE GRUNTS
Come on, number two. Fuck's sake. Get up!
Line out as you was before. Let's go. Move, number two.
Number two, what's going on? What's wrong?
JOHN MUTTERS
Are you sure you wanna do this?
No.
When I say go, grab your bergens and you get in the wagons.
Is that understood? ALL: Yes, Staff.
Go, move. Let's make it happen.
Let's get out of here. Let's shift.
Move.
I've never had this before.
Being pushed to that point.
Never in my life.
Connon
Connor smashed it.
He fucking soldiered.
Yeah. Connor's a tank, isn't he?
Number two. Move it.
Concerned about his commitment to the course,
the DS bring in number two, john, for questioning.
Why are you so physically weak?
Why did you think you could come on my course in shit state?
I didn't think I was that unfit, I'll be honest.
Until? Until today.
Embarrassing.
Why do you think you're sitting here?
Cos of your fitness or cos of your attitude?
My attitude probably as well, yeah.
Do you use your mouth or your tattoos as a defence mechanism?
Cos that's what it looks like to us.
Yeah, I do it's a bit of a guard, yeah.
It's a bit of a guard. Yeah.
I'm not a bad person.
I just need to listen more and not gob shite.
I am cocky. What you running from? What you hiding from?
I thinkjust years of drug abuse in my twenties.
Well, I was bullied through my school years, all the way through.
Just, I did enjoy it, but it was a sort of,
I don't care, I'm gonna do it for four days.
No-one's gonna tell me I can't.
Even now, I don't like people telling me what to do
because it feels like those bullies are telling me what to do.
You still on drugs? You still go out partying?
No, no, no. Why not?
Because my mum and dad are both deaf,
and even talking to them in sign language,
they was like, "Look at you, you look like shit."
When they said that to me
I felt guilty about doing that to my mum and dad.
Yeah, I do.
Yeah.
OK.
Guard.
I'm a happy person but my natural reaction
is for me to get defensive and I don't like that.
Go.
I want something to break me and maybe open up a door inside my head,
and say, "Look, you don't need to be like that all the time."
Yeah, that was harsh.
And maybe drop that guard a little bit.
We've gotta learn some dancing.
We'll have a dancing afternoon.
I know.
Teach me, come on.
So, push, pull.
Yeah, and then you're gonna go, step...
Push, pull, step.
CHAIR CLATTERS THEY LAUGH
There's summat about 16. He's more than a dancer.
There's something more than dancing behind him, that's for sure.
It'd be interesting to see number 16 in the team. Yeah.
Yeah, let's get him in.
And if he can't Riverdance... HE CHUCKLES
We haven't even gone up 50 metres.
16!
Having excelled so far on the course,
the DS want to find out more about number 16, Connor.
Bit of a frontrunner today.
Ooh.
What are you doing here?
I find it hard to believe
that you have no military background whatsoever.
Where did you get your sort of military-esque discipline from then?
Stand up.
Show me some Irish dancing.
Anything that you want to do.
BOOTS CLICK AND ECHO
Sit down.
Good dancing, by the way.
Put it down to the boots.
You're doing well.
You're doing all the right things
but you need to start thinking
about what you're gonna be like under pressure.
And you're quite far out in front of the group.
Don't let that go to your head, cos if that's what you do,
you'll have a fucking bad day.
I've actually got a bit of a job for you.
It would be nice to have a little bit of information from the inside.
When we do this course, it's like,
who would we have in our team when we go on the battlefield?
That's what I want you to do.
Find out who you'd have in your team.
Is that understood?
Guard.
The roll of the informant
is to put the strongest recruits under pressure.
All right, john Travolta, fuck off.
It's for them to prove to us that they're even better than the pack
or to see if they crumble.
LAUGHS
It'd be a bit obvious, would it?
Get out. Bergens on.
Go out for a line-up here in one file.
For their next task, the recruits will be split into two teams.
Bravo this side, in one file.
Let's go. Stay in your teams.
Follow the DS. Let's go.
Behind the DS.
Down here. Hurry up. Alpha to my right, Bravo to my left.
Take your bergens off. Sit down on your bergens.
Since you got out the vehicles to here, how far have you come?
How far did we come?
400 metres.
You've come 275 metres. Why is that important?
Yeah, you do. You need to know where you are at all times.
Most important thing we possess is communication.
If we can't communicate, we can't get nothing done, can we?
OK, Team Bravo, on your feet. Up.
Stick that on your head.
Walk.
The DS will test how the recruits handle fear
by simulating a night-time operation behind enemy lines.
Keep walking, just keep walking.
Most of our operations are in the dark of some sort.
It gives you that element of surprise.
As you're walking, start noticing things.
There's gunfire, there's grenades,
there's screaming, there's shouting, there's dust.
Listen to the sounds.
It's almost like you've gone blind, and pretty frightening to be honest.
Throughout the task, the recruits will operate in pitch black.
Take off your hoods.
The DS will monitor them using military grade night-vision goggles.
90% of our work is done in darkness.
Your mission is to recover vital equipment and information
and, as always, the biggest restriction,
other than people trying to kill us, is time.
We have to get in as a team, get out as a team.
Communication kept to a whisper.
Do you understand that? ALL: Yes, Staff.
Turn to your left.
You are at the front, which makes you the leader right now.
Right hand.
Leading the first team, Bravo,
is the youngest recruit, number three, Justine.
Keep your team together.
Keep checking you've got 'em all together.
Come on, let's move.
To complete the task,
the recruits must navigate as a team in the pitch black,
through a network of tunnels...
...then locate an ammo box and bring it, with a light,
back to the start as fast as they can.
Keep moving forward. just keep moving forward.
The target area is the heart of the enemy homeland.
You cannot afford to hang around in there.
Get in, do the mission and get out.
You need to get to safety as a team.
How did you identify the equipment?
Well, how did you see it?
A fucking light?!
A light?! And you're walking in the dark? You dumb twat!
Why didn't you bring the light? Why?
Now we have to move in the dark again.
Go to the back.
You take over.
In a further test,
the DS separate number three, Justine, from the group.
The rule of thumb when you're operating as a team,
is you stay as a team.
You never become separated. It's safety in numbers.
Team Bravo successfully reunite after 90 seconds,
and make it back to the start.
Give yourselves a fucking pat on the back,
because as soon as I grabbed number three,
there was a quick and decisive move and there was communication.
Because of that, you redeemed yourself at the end.
OK, away you go.
Keep feeling in front of you.
Next, Team Alpha, led by number two, John.
Hold onto that rope. That's you're lifeline.
Then feel around until you find the next piece.
Tell everybody to stop.
Get control of it.
HE LAUGHS
What the fuck is wrong with you?
You now go to the back of the line.
Let the next person lead.
EQUIPMENT CLATTERS
Team Alpha have now been at the target area for three minutes.
SWP'
What is this? It's like a granny's meeting.
You've been told what your mission is.
You shouldn't be standing here now.
Having collected the ammo box,
Team Alpha make their way back to the start point.
With number nine, DJ, leading, and number 18, Tyler, at the back,
the DS separate her from the group.
With number 16, Connor, going in search of Tyler...
What are we doing? Let's go.
Yes.
...number nine, DJ...
...encourages the group to make their way back to the start point.
CLATTERING
Why are the team not behind you?
Connor has been searching for Tyler for the last ten minutes.
The DS call time on the task and reunite Team Alpha.
Connor, we're all here.
When I took number 18, you sent one person,
on their own, into the darkness.
You never do that.
You really let yourselves down.
Overall, I'm pretty disappointed.
That was just a total let-down.
Team Bravo were way ahead of Team Alpha.
Number two was like a rabbit in the headlights. Hadn't got a clue.
I grabbed 18.
16 was there like that, calling her name.
Completely lost. So, he went off by himself?
By the time I caught up with him,
he's gone through the smartie tube, back through,
and he's been wandering round in circles.
This is what I'm talking about, being a team player.
All he's done is create a bigger problem for his team.
Do you know what we're gonna do with him tonight?
We're gonna put the pressure on him.
Let's see if we can get his true colours out.
Tonight, we find out who deserves to be here.
Yeah. Happy? ALL: Yeah.
Everyone outside now.
Move it.
I'm gonna break you down into four teams.
I'm observing each and every one of you.
No more margin for error.
Turn and face that way. Go.
You've got to prove to us that you have a place on this course.
You know what you've got to do number nine, don't you?
Nothing less. Do you understand me?
Go over to the DS. Go.
Move. Move.
As punishment for number nine, and Team Alpha's poor performance,
the DS will beast all the recruits.
Standby. Go. Lift them up.
Get 'em up. Get your arms out. Get your arms out.
Keep them there.
Straighten your arms out. Number nine, no shortcuts.
Let's go. Ten burpees. Quick. Go.
Move. Ignore the distraction. Ignore the noise. Let's go.
Go! Move it! Number two.
Wanna give me your number?
Get it off of your head. Now!
I'll tell you what, I'll hammer you so hard into the ground,
you'll fucking end up on the other side of the world.
Do you understand me?
Get it up. Come on.
Come on! Don't quit.
Let's go. Let's go! Let's go!
THEY GROAN Get up!
Get in there, now!
Let's go. Good, good, number two.
That's what I want to see every single time from you.
Good effort. Let's go.
Go round into the tunnel. Move. Go. Move.
50 minutes into the beasting,
the DS have one last challenge for the recruits...
Come on. Let's go.
...the tunnel designed to test their ability to cope
with extreme claustrophobia.
Get in that mud, you muppet.
Number nine, what's up? Get in there.
The DS moves 6'4" number nine, DJ, to the front.
Have you quit? Have you had enough?
Get in there or give me that number.
Get in there or give me that number!
Get in there now!
My biggest fear is someone attacking my worst trait,
which is resenting authority.
Ah, oh, I can't go anymore.
I do have a temper on me.
I don't like situations where I'm not in control.
I've got quite a long fuse,
but I fear, because I wear my heart on my sleeve,
will I be able to disguise that? I don't know.
Grab your water bottle and get on the square, number nine. Let's go.
Where's my water bottle?
Don't fucking punch any equipment!
Now get on the square.
Get on the square now, or I'll fucking rip that armband off you.
Go!
Let's go, number nine.
Number nine, come over here.
Look at me. Look at me. Stand up, stand up, stand up.
Stand up!
Listen, what I told you, exposure, exposure, repetition.
That's how we evolve.
That's how we get stronger.
That's where you start to understand who you fucking truly are.
Do you understand me? Get in there.
Some of you need a rocket up your arse.
I think you know who you are.
When I say go, disappear.
Go. Move, move.
Let's go, let's go!
As an operator, you're living life on the edge.
Let's go! SCREAMING
You experience emotions at the top end of the scale.
G0, go! go!
SHE SCREAMS
Subtitles by Red Bee Media