Banksters (2026) s01e02 Episode Script

1
What made you come to me?
This is a serious matter, Mr. Arslan.
The district attorney will bring
charges.
Four bank raids, burglary,
two counts of robbery, bodily injury.
Damages for 1.2 million.
Have you got a pen?
I need access to the files
and, above all,
I need to hear your story.
You have to tell me everything.
It's a standard contract.
Ask away.
Did you have any accomplices?
I'm not ratting anyone out.
I'm going to be late.
Where?
The bank.
They might suspect me otherwise.
Come on.
Hey, come on!
You're not mad someone reported you
to the police?
Anonymously too.
Who other than one, or all,
of your accomplices
could that have been?
No idea who it was.
So you had accomplices?
Yes.
What do you want?
Do you think I'm going to let
Yusuf be the scapegoat
for what you all did?
You're going to turn yourself in.
I don't know who'd betray him.
And why just Yusuf?
And who'd steal his share?
What?
His money's gone.
That's the least you could do:
Give him his money back.
Can you stop doing that?
I've got diabetes.
Who are the others?
Turn yourselves in today.
Or I'll give them your name.
You're a trainee at a bank
and commit bank raids.
The banks look like idiots.
So do the police.
Maybe you'll manage not to talk,
but the police won't let up
until they find your accomplices.
One of them will talk,
they will pin everything on you.
And then you'll lose control.
Everything's negotiable,
but I won't give anyone up.
We agreed.
And the most important thing:
nothing can happen to my family.
And you have to tell my father.
I haven't decided
if I'll represent you
I need you to cooperate.
I'll tell you my story.
Without reference to the others.
How will that work?
You'll go along with it,
because I know you'll represent me
one way or another.
Pro bono.
And you'll do everything in your power
to get me the shortest sentence.
Well then, see you in ten years.
The snack bar on Stuttgarter Platz.
Arslan.
Arslan. That's your father.
The snack bar.
You represented the insurance company.
They didn't want to pay
because he was in arrears.
Gas pipe leaks,
his snack bar burns down.
Why didn't he just pay
his installments on time?
Because he hadn't set up
an automatic payment.
The money was just two days late.
That's the system for you.
Two months later,
you hand in your notice
and switch to criminal law.
You thought it was unfair.
Have you been following me?
I started feeling ill this morning.
I don't know when I'll be better.
I don't want to make anyone else sick.
Thanks. Bye.
- Do you think they'll buy that?
- Absolutely.
I didn't rat him out.
Why should I believe you?
Did you deliberately plan
to apply for the internship
and rob banks at the same time?
I applied for the internship
for my father.
Why?
NINE MONTHS
BEFORE THE ARRES
I'll make a deal with the bank.
Win-win situation.
They'll refinance.
They get their money back
and Baba gets another chance.
I don't know, Yusuf.
Paying off one debt
by getting a new debt?
He needs to wise up to the situation.
Mom's right. It can't go on like this.
Imagine if he proves
he can get his act together.
No more debt.
Start up something new.
And Mom
What?
And then Mom will come back?
I've thought of it all.
Higher payments, less interest.
The bank will lose some money,
but that shouldn't be a problem.
And your boss?
Is he cool?
The branch manager decides
whether or not
to refinance a customer's debt.
That shouldn't be a problem, right?
LOAN APPLICATION
Mr. Borchert?
- I wanted to ask you something
- Later.
It's just a very quick
Then you see the big picture.
The money multiplies by itself.
At our bank.
If they've bought a house,
they may still think,
"Maybe we'll buy another house,"
and we can finance that, you see?
How's he doing then?
Did you think I hadn't recognized you?
You closed your savings account
so the ship wouldn't sink.
Now, an internship here.
Is that a coincidence?
Mr. Borchert, I'm
Hungry.
You're hungry.
Come on, then.
Giacomo!
Si, signore Borchert.
- More aglio next time.
- Yes.
You don't like it?
That capo is up to his ears in debt
with me.
And he thinks he can make it better
with bruschetta?
Mr. Borchert, I have a request.
I need to refinance my father's debt.
Please, accept my apologies.
Thank you, Giacomo.
You're a native Turkish speaker, right?
Your compatriots must get so homesick
when they look into those lovely eyes
of yours.
Listen.
We don't earn money from rich people.
Niente. Nothing.
My point is this,
are you a compatriot first or a banker?
Because if you want
to be a banker first,
then you have to make assessments, right?
Then, at some point,
make the right move.
What's this got to do
with my father's refinancing?
We make good money
off people like your father.
Why should I refinance him?
Or all the others?
How many brothers does he have?
Am I a charity?
If you want to be a banker first
and Turkish second,
you'll have to make money
off of the other Turks.
That's why you're working for us.
Linguine con tartufo.
Buon appetito.
Why didn't you report that?
What was there to report?
The whole system's fucked.
They're all in it together.
Enjoy!
Borchert would never
have helped my father.
On the contrary.
Get them.
And repeat after me:
I can't open an account
I can't open an account
without a mortgage savings plan.
Without a mortgage savings plan.
I'd like to open an account
for my father.
We can speak Turkish.
We'd like to open an account.
I can handle this.
Great. Thanks.
We can talk Turkish with him.
What shall we do with the money?
Can we bring it here?
Follow me, we'll discuss everything.
Let's go with him.
And that's when I realized:
I wouldn't get anywhere
if I stuck to the legal route.
If they could rip off my father
and all those others,
I'd rip them off too.
It doesn't mean "bank"
The only question was how and when?
That's where the money changers
and lenders were. Real scoundrels.
They invented it, but today,
they're broke.
Picture this:
For a few hundred years,
Athens was the financial hub of Europe.
Nowadays, they can throw their money
straight into the Mediterranean.
Seriously now,
as I'm sure you understand,
the main point here
is the perpetual need for capital
from private financial customers.
People live beyond their means.
They always have.
And that's where we come in.
I'm thinking about where to apply
for an internship.
Wherever's cooler:
Manhattan, London, Paris.
Manhattan?
Can you even speak English?
No, but I can speak French.
- Did he really just say that?
- You have a big mouth!
Come on, let's get ice-cream.
And a doctor for him, the psycho.
Look at them.
How could you possibly
have a good time with these guys?
I'm Malte.
Yusuf.
You'll get there.
Manhattan, London, Paris.
And you?
I need a coffee, before he starts again.
It's on me.
With sugar, please.
You robbed a bank?
A bit.
You want to fuck the bank over?
I'll tell you how to do it.
Credit cards. Super simple.
You pick five customers
who regularly pay by credit card.
Then you block their card.
You blocked my credit card?
Is that your standard practice
when one turns 80?
No, let me have a look.
People are so mad they don't realize
they're showing you everything.
It's not you, or your age
- No, it's not me!
- It's to do with digitalization.
Only half of them realize.
And the insurance pays for it.
They all get their money back.
- A lot of risk, little reward, right?
- How come?
You transfer it to your own account?
Do you want to get caught?
It's so obvious.
It's all about the thrill, man!
Did I hear you correctly?
Fraud needs to be added
to the charges?
Yes, that's right. There's that too.
How much did you and your accomplices
get from that?
I didn't keep track.
Before we got professional about it,
it wasn't much.
Got professional?
My God.
9 MONTHS
BEFORE THE ARRES
Sorry. I didn't see you.
Are those?
Are those yours?
They're really good.
They're not mine. I'm not a student.
You made these?
Steven makes them.
He sells them at the school entrance.
They add their photo
and they're officially older.
You bad boy, you.
You're a real gangster.
- How much do you make with that?
- What do you have in mind?
Just imagine we do it right.
Good idea.
Whatever you're planning,
it doesn't feel right.
Something's happening in your life
for once. Isn't that good?
Hey, Steven!
Do we have to kill him now,
because he knows too much?
I'll get a coffee, okay?
Hi.
I wasn't born yesterday, okay?
You're thinking,
"If he can fake student IDs,
he can fake proper ID cards too?"
Well, he can.
My dad worked
at the federal printing office.
I had the foils and paper to work on.
The rest was actually quite easy.
Dad always said,
"Those idiots don't listen.
They're not interested
in hearing about any weak spots."
Well, it doesn't matter now.
Why?
He's dead.
Pancreatic cancer.
Sorry about that.
It's fine. Do you want a drink?
- Who are they?
- No idea.
From the passport photo booth
at Zoo station.
If people don't like their photo,
they throw it away.
The ten most common names in Germany.
Here.
Sorry. You've got to go.
My mom will be here any minute.
These are great!
And
I talked to Malte.
We'll split it three ways?
It was fun.
I don't know, it was fun. It was nice.
Nice? You idiot!
We were all loners!
Who wants to be friends
with a psycho like Malte?
Or with someone like me?
All of a sudden, we had something.
We had each other.
We came up with an idea and it worked.
None of us could have done it
on our own.
SONER
BUSY
What about the others?
I want to meet them. Now.
I can't betray any of us.
But it wasn't any of us, anyway.
Definitely not!
Steven?
Steven, where are you?
What do you think?
Will she remember the names?
- Or should I tell her the whole story?
- No way.
Yes, Melanie?
Yes.
- What?
- Can you hear me?
I can't hear you. What did you say?
Stevie, can you hear me?
Listen, I have a plan.
We should turn ourselves in.
What do you want to do? I can't hear.
We'll tell them everything
Please, come now.
Melanie! What? Don't go in there!
Shit!
Who was that?
- I'll be back in a bit.
- Steven, where are you going?
Wait!
Steven, who's that?
Thanks.
Thanks.
I'm no expert,
but the thing with the customers
5000 euros a week,
a top salary in Germany.
Why didn't you leave it at that?
It wasn't enough.
EIGHT AND A HALF MONTHS
BEFORE THE ARRES
- Yusuf?
- Coming, Baba.
Where's the money coming from, Yusuf?
Don't look at me like that.
These are cash deposits, 5000
1000, 3500, 2500, 5000.
Where's the money come from?
You've got to get out of your overdraft.
Son, that's my overdraft, right?
It's none of your business.
Okay.
Yusuf, what is that?
Baba, I was
Where's this money from?
Day trading. Shares.
In cash? Don't treat me like a fool.
Buying and selling on the same day
because the rate is different.
And then I withdraw the cash.
Is that legal?
Baba
You have to think
about what you really want.
What you can do.
Then the money will follow
if you're good at what you do right.
Son, cut the crap. I don't like it.
And stop this too.
Okay?
My father can cook,
but he can't do math.
And at the same time,
it was just so incredibly easy.
Despite the advanced digitalization
of the payment system,
for many customers,
especially business customers,
the handling of cash
is of the utmost importance.
The money is received at the branch,
value-dated to the account,
verified at head office,
and then credited into the account.
How much time goes by
since the money is deposited
until the review at head office?
That can take up to 24 hours.
Longer, if it's over the weekend.
Thanks.
Let's get back to the point now
Over the weekend.
Friday, Saturday,
Sunday, Monday morning.
For four days, they don't know
how much money is really in the bag.
No matter what figure you write on it.
Four days.
What does that mean in money?
ACCOUNT NUMBER / ACCOUNT HOLDER /
AMOUN
Have a nice weekend.
1000 EURO
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MAMA
Happy birthday!
Sorry, Steven.
- See you next week.
- Hopefully. Bye.
Bye.
How are you?
Good.
Good.
You?
I'm looking at an apartment next week.
Maybe it'll be good.
Who's the apartment for?
For us.
And Baba?
I don't know.
Cut it up nicely, don't hack away at it.
I can hear the difference.
I waited in the rain outside the tutor's
and you were at the soccer field.
You always say I should exercise more.
That doesn't mean standing around,
drinking soda and chatting.
He hasn't done any studying at all.
He's got a test tomorrow.
- Dad, what am I meant to do with French?
- You need it for your diploma.
Go and wash your hands.
And count to 100.
Baba will handle this.
Watch the onions, will you?
And wait till they are glistening.
What am I meant to do with French?
I don't like it.
Listen
Years ago, I had the chance to work
in a really nice French restaurant.
"À tout à l'heure", "bonjour",
"oui, oui"
They kicked me out straight away.
I'd have loved to work there.
Look.
Son, make a fist.
- How old am I?
- Fifty.
I can speak German and Turkish.
I can do construction work
and I can cook a bit.
You're good at geography.
You're good at IT.
You speak English,
you speak German, you speak Turkish.
And we can carry on.
If you learn French now,
you'll already have more
than your baba.
- How old are you?
- Thirteen.
Right.
Now think of all the things you can do.
Each one offers you an opportunity
to do something in your life.
This one goes back in.
Why?
Because you eat too much candy.
That's why.
Wash your hands.
Dinner's in half an hour.
Okay.
That's looking good.
Baba?
HEISMER
REALTORS
Yeah.
Why can't you open a restaurant?
Is he really that good of a cook?
Yes. Why?
He's awesome.
And he's opening a restaurant
with your money?
What's the problem?
He's got a buddy, Dariusz.
On paper, he's the leaseholder.
It won't just be you in trouble,
they'll see your father
as an accomplice.
Because he benefited from it.
My dad has no idea about this.
He thinks I was day trading.
Can you prove that?
The restaurant is run solely
through Dariusz.
There's no connection, believe me.
Hopefully, no one will notice.
What if she's already gone in?
Look, that's her.
This is Selda, Yusuf's sister.
Hi.
Have you been in already?
No, I was waiting for you.
I thought it'd look better
if we went in together.
- Is the money in there?
- Let's go!
What?
Is the money in there?
No. It's clothes.
Enough for about five days.
And the money?
You can't just go in empty-handed.
What kind of confession is that?
You won't get off
due to mitigating circumstances.
Let's go and rethink this.
Yeah? Are we all just going to go home
and leave my brother in jail?
Is that what your friendship means?
What do you want from us!
Turn us in, go on!
Get the fucking money!
Shall I call you a cab?
I can't go home.
I told Olaf I was going away
with a friend for a few days.
Let's get away from here at least.
What are we going to do?
Who ratted us out?
No idea. Let's get out of here first.
- And if they catch us? We need a plan.
- What then?
What if Yusuf starts talking?
He'll never do that.
I'm sure the cops
have the best people on the case.
Hello. Katrin Hermann.
I'm here to give you a hand.
Shut up. I need to think.
What are you working on?
Is this all from the apartment search?
I've read up on the case and, if there
really are three or four perpetrators,
then there should be
a quarter of a million in each home.
But all you've got here is garbage.
Maybe Yusuf Arslan invested the money.
I mean, he is an expert.
Shut up, I said.
Property is an investment.
But there isn't enough evidence
for the judge to issue a warrant.
After all,
we left the apartment empty-handed.
You've got a point there!
What was your name again?
Katrin Hermann.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Kramer.
Yes, that's my name.
Let's take a look at this.
If we find the money there,
it's no more Mr. Nice Guy.
Quietly.
Here.
Thanks.
We'll have to get the money
to Yusuf's sister by tomorrow morning.
And
What if we run away together?
What? Us two?
What about your mom?
And your boyfriend?
Soner?
Soner!
Where have you been?
Running around all day.
Steven doesn't know anything.
The girl was at the police station.
I'll go and see Malte tomorrow.
What about you?
- I've
- He's been doing math.
Mom?
Come into the kitchen,
and tell me everything.
- Why didn't you say anything?
- What could I say?
Why is it locked?
Luckily, I'm prepared.
It's for punks like them
that I do all this.
They think
they don't have to follow rules.
They take what they can get,
regardless of the consequences.
They act super smart,
but two generations ago,
they were still riding donkeys.
Aren't you taking all this
a bit personally?