The Copenhagen Test (2025) s01e02 Episode Script
Glass House
1
Michelle: Help me, please!
-I can't.
I only have room for one.
-No, I'm an American citizen,
please!
Alexander:
I can't leave him.
Michelle: No,
they'll kill me! Please!
interviewer: You've been
an intelligence analyst
at The Orphanage
for two years, correct?
-That's right.
interviewer: I saw
something on your file
about a panic attack?
-[pants]
One time thing?
Alexander: Yeah.
Never happened again.
-On the house.
-Alexander.
-Michelle.
Don't leave me.
[echoing]
-Hey, weird question,
do you like to travel?
-Upstairs is triggering a review
of all personnel in this room.
Our intel chain
is compromised.
-Someone's turned on us.
Marlowe:
That's a Wi-Fi signal.
Broadcasting everything
you see and hear.
You're the mole, Alexander.
-If they think the hack
is still undiscovered,
we can use that.
Moira: We need to find
whoever is watching
and destroy them.
Are you in?
[♪♪♪]
[indistinct radio chatter]
-Okay, we're on.
Get ready.
-So, who is this guy?
-Jesus, are you new?
Don't ask that.
-It helps me
do my job better.
-You don't need to know
anything about him.
You just got to be a helpless,
super grateful piece of ass.
Think you can handle that
or do I need to find
someone else?
-It's not my first time.
-[scoffs]
I bet it's not.
-[alarm blaring]
-[gun firing]
[soldiers
screaming indistinctly]
Hey.
It's got to look real,
Juilliard.
[exhales]
-Help me.
Please, help me.
[theme music playing]
Frances: That's what
Chinese intelligence
passed on to the North Korean
secret police.
It's likely how they knew
the identity of our Assets.
That computer screen
is one of ours.
An intelligence analyst
named Alexander Hale.
-Who else has seen this?
I thought our screens
were photo-protected?
-Yeah, they weren't
using a camera.
That's the, uh,
shadow of a nose.
[♪♪♪]
Moira: You were right.
The issue
was inside our house.
-I take no pleasure in always
being right, you know.
-I've noticed.
We don't know for how long
we've been exposed.
-We'll need to use it,
obviously.
[♪♪♪]
Forty-five years
without a crack.
It's nice not to be
dreading it anymore.
Peter,
somewhere out there
is someone
who tried to warn us
this could happen.
We didn't listen.
Give that person a job.
-[indistinct chatter]
-[footsteps approaching]
[man clears throat]
-How's the salmon?
-It's really good.
-Do you know who I am?
Then tell me.
-Tell you who you are?
You're Director Moira.
-And?
-I'm sorry.
-You're Samantha Parker,
predictive analyst.
You've been with us
about a year and a half.
Before that, you worked
for the Cobble Hill Group
after quitting Yale Drama
because you couldn't quite find
your niche as a playwright.
It's a tough business.
Theater.
You think
you're twenty-nine,
but your parents lied to you
about how old you are.
You used to be
in our Narrative group,
but the cover stories
you wrote for field agents
were deemed
overly complicated
and too "outside the box."
You then requested
to be moved
to our predictive analysis group
to imagine potential threats,
where, so far, everything you
predicted has been thrown out.
And sometimes,
you get so obsessed
with the trees,
you miss the forest.
Now,
who am I?
-You're Director of Operations.
You share
second-in-command powers
with the Director
of Intelligence,
but everyone
is more scared of you.
The rumor is, you came up
working Assets on the ground,
so you're suspicious
of intelligence
that doesn't use
real informants.
You're overly competitive,
so I'd guess that
you have siblings.
You're probably the oldest.
-And what's a weakness
of mine?
-I was in a briefing with you
about five months ago.
And it seemed--
You hate not making decisions.
So, you'd rather make one,
even if it's wrong.
You're impatient.
Sir.
And the salmon here is awful.
-You wrote a memo
warning about the need
to protect ourselves
from hacking
inside of our brains.
That's ridiculous.
We should be worrying
about more likely scenarios,
don't you agree?
-No, sir.
I stand by what I wrote.
-Good.
And I'm the youngest,
by the way.
-Was that true about my age?
-Welcome to the team, Parker.
To the rest of The Orphanage,
we are a boring
training exercise.
They can't know
what we're doing.
We report only to the head
of The Orphanage, St. George.
-Wait, s-she's real?
I thought that that was just
something that--
-Meet our mole.
Alexander Hale.
His eyes and ears
have been hacked
using the Cassandra
RU-two-five-eight technology.
There's a chance
he doesn't know
that he's been hacked.
But either way,
every moment
that he's broadcasting
compromises our Assets
and our organization.
So, I wanna build
a world around him
and control everything
he hears and sees
without him or whoever's
watching on the other end
ever knowing that we know.
-You're gonna leave
the hack open.
-Yeah.
We know nothing
about who did this,
but we know one thing
that they don't,
that we found the hack.
That's how
we're gonna catch them.
I need someone who thinks
outside the box.
You saw this coming
when no one else did,
and now I need you
to think ahead of our enemy.
I need a story
that will play out in front
of Hale's eyes and ears
that will explain why we are
moving him into our new world.
And, most of all,
I need to know
what Hale's gonna do next.
I need you to predict him.
He's the ultimate unknown
in all of this.
Study him, figure out
what's driving him.
Something simple,
don't let it get complicated.
Put it into seven words
or less.
And then we'll know
how to use him.
Alexander:
We would speak Mandarin
if it was just us
in the house.
Uh-- [chuckles]
Unless my dad was mad at me.
If I was really in trouble,
he'd speak Hakka.
But if there were guests
in the house,
or, uh, if we were in public,
or even just on the phone,
it was always English.
Um, my parents were careful
not to draw
any extra attention.
interviewer: Why do you think
your parents
raised you that way?
Alexander: I think
it's because they knew
they had to work harder
than everyone else
in order to fit in.
interviewer:
How'd that make you feel?
-I don't know.
No one asked us to be here.
interviewer: How long
were you Special Forces?
Alexander: A couple years.
interviewer: And why'd they
pull you from the field?
Alexander:
I don't know.
I was just assigned
to a desk job one day.
interviewer:
Why'd you wanna be a spy?
-Well, I'm fluent
in Mandarin and Cantonese.
-Cantonese. I guess I--
Alexander: I, uh-- I guess
Alexander and Parker: I thought
that I could be useful.
interviewer: Why are you
applying to go Upstairs?
-I applied
for Operation Poseidon.
It just happened
to be Upstairs.
interviewer:
That's a lie. Try again.
-I wanna work in the field.
I feel like it's where
I'd be more useful.
And you can't work in the field
unless you work Upstairs, so
interviewer:
I'm gonna ask you again.
Why did you wanna be a spy?
-Because only the people
we really trust
get to be spies.
- We need
to infiltrate his life.
Someone who has
deep cover experience.
She can be by his side
in the wild.
With combat training
in case she needs
to save his life
or take him out.
If you're selected,
the assignment
will limit your ability
to do work in the future.
Your face will become known.
-Because I'd be on camera.
Moira: And we don't know
who's watching.
-I'd be considered burned.
-For our purposes, yes.
When it's over,
you'd be done.
You can live with that?
-Yes, sir.
Who am I?
-Uh, you're Michelle.
You're a bartender.
Probably from
a lower-to-middle class
upbringing,
but you're working to--
-I'll take it from here.
-Oh.
-[Michelle laughing]
Oh, my God.
You're so funny.
This one's on the house.
You remind me
so much of my dad--
-No, that's wrong.
Sorry, I-- I just--
I mean--
Well, he's not gonna
respond to that.
The giggling little girl
in trouble thing?
He responds to challenges.
You're throwing him
a gauntlet.
You're saying, "Here's the kind
of person I wanna be with.
"Here's the man you can be."
-It's funny.
My dad used to work homicide,
and he was--
Well, he was very obsessive.
He had the highest
clearance rate
in the entire precinct.
He was the best.
His buddies always thought
he was trying to show them up.
Alexander: Hmm.
Michelle:
But they didn't get it.
Alexander: No, he wasn't
competing with them.
Michelle: Exactly.
He was trying to prove
something to himself.
Because that's the voice
that keeps you up at night.
Alexander: Hmm.
Michelle: Yeah, something
tells me you understand that.
-We have
a cross-contamination.
I found the un-redacted
Copenhagen test results.
Look at the date.
The CIA used her
for his test.
-Why didn't she tell us?
-She interacted with him
three years ago
for roughly sixty seconds.
They might not recognize
each other.
It might not stay that way.
-We can't switch yet.
It'd be too sudden.
We'll have to wait.
What're the odds
of two different agencies
picking her for an op
on the same guy?
-We were both
just doing our jobs.
She's his type.
Michelle: The trick is just
learning to accept that
it just happened to be you.
-Yeah.
Wow, you are, uh
very good at your job.
Michelle: I know.
Now, go. Live your life.
Get out of here.
Something wrong?
Alexander:
Hey, weird question,
do you like to travel?
[♪♪♪]
Moira: You think he knows?
If he knows,
what would he do next?
[Parker sighs]
Why aren't you running?
Why aren't you running?
Why aren't you running?
I know I'm being watched.
I know they lied to me
about being watched.
Therefore, they don't trust me.
Therefore
[♪♪♪]
[sighs]
When you know
you're not trusted,
what do you do?
-Is he going
to the ground floor?
signals tech: Yes, sir.
Moira: Remy, are you there?
Remy: I'm in position.
Alexander: I think
it's because they knew
they had to work harder
than everyone else
in order to fit in.
-Intercept him, please.
Remy: Understood.
-Well, I'm fluent
in Mandarin and Cantonese.
And I figured those skills
would be useful.
Because only the people
we really trust
get to be spies.
- Everyone, wait!
He'll come back.
He wants to be trusted.
-Hold.
[tense music playing]
[Parker sighs]
[trembling breath]
[exhales]
Moira: So, last question:
Are you in?
[beeps]
-What're they saying?
-The terms
of his involvement.
-Hi. Samantha Parker.
-Patricia.
-And what do you do,
Patricia?
[sighs]
-Prep Ellie.
We'll say a secure briefing
eliminated any doubt.
You saved his life today.
Now we need to see
if he can help us
figure out how this happened.
[♪♪♪]
[suspenseful music playing]
man [over PA]: Now arriving,
Kohl Street.
Doors will open
on the right.
woman [over PA]:
For your safety,
stand behind
the yellow line.
Please allow passengers to exit
before boarding the train.
[♪♪♪]
Alexander: Some sort of
metallic nanite residue inside.
-What is this?
-It's anti-anxiety medication.
For panic attacks.
I didn't want it to impact
my chances
of getting in the field.
-When did
the panic attacks start?
-Three years ago,
there was an op in Belarus
that went wrong.
[sighs] And
I thought
I left someone to die.
And after that,
in unpredictable moments, um,
it felt like
I was back there again.
-The Copenhagen test.
-Yeah, well, now I know
it's not even real.
-How frequent are the attacks?
-I haven't had one
in a while now.
-How long have you
been taking the pills?
-About eight months.
Uh, but the headaches
started four months ago.
That's probably
when it started broadcasting.
-That gives us
a timeline. Good.
Where'd the pills come from?
[sighs]
Your entire life
is the mission now, remember?
There's no part of you
that I don't get to know about.
It's all in play.
-Rachel Kasperian.
My ex-fiancée.
She's a doctor,
but I don't know
where the pills came from.
I doubt that she even knows
what's inside.
-We'll get you
some clean pills.
They might take a bit
to work.
We can take it from here.
-Okay, so
what do I do?
-Nothing.
-Well, if you're looking
into Rachel,
you're gonna wanna use me.
-They see everything
you see, Alexander.
If you're looking at Rachel,
they're wondering
why you're looking at Rachel.
They will start to wonder
if you know.
She's not involved,
and you suddenly
come back into her life,
it might encourage them
to eliminate any loose ends.
You wanna protect her?
Show them
you're not thinking about her.
Convince them you're
not worried about anything.
- How was
the secure briefing?
-Yeah, fascinating.
-Hmm.
Should I be jealous
of all the secrets
I don't get to hear
or should I be grateful?
I should be grateful, right?
-Jealous.
-Oh!
-Definitely jealous.
-I knew it.
Moira: Think like the enemy
for a moment.
What do you think
they'll do next?
What should we
be prepared for?
-Well, the story
that we've told them
is that he's no longer
under investigation.
He's welcomed
into the inner circle.
They'll need to see
if that's true.
That we haven't
found the hack.
-And if they
didn't buy the story?
-Well, they'll have
to destroy the evidence.
-And either way?
-They're sending someone.
They have to check
his feed somehow.
Make sure that we haven't
mirrored the signal
or inserted a tracing code
or something.
And if it appears
to be clean,
well, they resume operation,
and if not
they kill him.
-This is our chance
to see who shows up.
But they can't know
that we're watching them.
We have to observe
from a distance
but be close enough
to save his life.
-How're we gonna do that?
-I was hoping
you'd tell me.
Write me a scenario
for out there.
Something we control.
Keep telling the story
that he's starting over,
that he has no doubts.
He lied to me
about the panic attacks.
Because he doesn't
trust us yet,
and I need him
to trust us implicitly.
To earn his trust,
we have to know
what's driving him.
You have it down
to seven words yet?
[♪♪♪]
-Wait--
Which way's the exit?
Moira: Weren't you
paying attention?
[sighs]
[cell phone buzzes]
[♪♪♪]
[♪♪♪]
[keyboard clacking]
-Please just help me
get out of here!
-You know you can tell me
anything, right?
[gasps]
I don't want us to have
secrets from each other.
-What's he doing?
-Trying to not look
like he's distracted
and questioning
everything about his life.
Ellie,
how are you
at picking pockets?
-Alexander.
Hey!
I think you might've
dropped this.
It was in the kitchen.
I know protocol is to log it,
but I don't know,
it seemed personal.
-Yeah, thank you.
-Is it?
Personal?
-Kinda.
-Are you into this Michelle?
-[chuckles] Uh yeah.
But, uh,
I'm not sure
if she's into me.
-You know
you can find that out.
Text her.
Don't wait too long.
-Yeah.
[soft music playing]
[notification chimes]
[typing]
-Yeah, I got to figure
that part out.
Alexander: I wanna be
an Upstairs field operative.
interviewer: The Upstairs
watches the other
clandestine organizations
and internal affairs.
Some people
would have a problem
with that kind of work.
You?
Alexander: I just wanna
know that what I do
for my country matters.
I just wanna
know that what I do
for my country matters.
[♪♪♪]
[♪♪♪]
[exhales sharply]
[cell phone buzzes]
[pants]
Moira: This bookstore
on Seventeenth Street.
- People go to bookstores
on first dates?
-You do.
You'll enter here.
Spend at least an hour
in the store.
-You're using us as bait.
-What makes you think
the enemy shows up to check him?
-We're telegraphing for them
exactly when and where
he's gonna be.
And it's in a public place,
so they won't draw attention
to themselves.
It's too good
an opportunity to miss.
-Whoever shows up
to check on you
is our link
to who did this.
But you can't see or hear
any of that
while it's happening.
-Do nothing.
Moira: If the two of you
need to communicate openly,
there's a rare book room
in the basement
where signals are blocked.
-Uh, that's a fallback plan
in case Alexander's life
is in danger.
-If this goes the wrong way,
we abort
and you get out of there.
You'll exit through here.
To the back.
A van will pick you up.
-If I run,
they'll know that we know.
-It's not worth your life.
If you can get out,
get out.
-Except he won't
run from danger.
He'll follow his conscience
instead of an order.
-What makes you think that?
-Because
about three years ago,
he left you behind in a forest
to save the life of a child.
You recognized him,
didn't you?
-Does he know who I am?
-He figured it out.
You should've told me
you'd been assigned
to him before.
Okay [sighs]
I don't know what
your relationship was like
with your other handlers,
and I know that
I'm new to this. I mean--
I literally sit
at a desk all day
writing instructions
in that novel
while you're the one actually
out there risking your life.
But this can work.
We just have to
trust each other.
-I think you're going to do
just fine at this job.
They all say
something like that.
The brief said we either
save the mission
or save his life.
You're trying to do both.
-Yeah.
-This guy has to walk
an impossible tight rope
without making
a single mistake.
Are you sure
this will work?
-Shadowboxer approaching
from around the corner.
-Any sign of our visitors?
comms 1: Rooftop's clear.
comms 2: Clear.
-[laughs] Hi.
-Hi.
-Um
how was your shift?
-[sighs] Uneventful.
I realized I never asked you
what you do.
-Yeah, I'm a, um--
I'm a National Archives,
uh, researcher.
-Okay.
So, what do you do?
-Yeah, so, basically
whenever we need to establish
if a letter or document
is authentic, um
I'm a part of that team.
Yeah.
-Impressive.
So, how many--
-And what do you do besides--
Sorry, I didn't mean to inter--
-No, what were you say--
[Alexander chuckles]
You go.
-Okay. Okay.
Um, I was just gonna ask
what you did
besides bartending.
-"Besides"?
-Yeah, sorry,
I didn't mean
to assume that
you had another job.
There's nothing wrong
with bartending.
Just bartenders
sometimes have
a, like a passion, or--
[chuckles] Sorry--
-I'm playing with you.
[both laugh]
-Okay.
-I'm going
to divinity school.
-Divinity-- Really?
-Yeah.
-Uh-- [laughs]
Prove it.
-What?
-[Alexander chuckles]
-[Parker sighs]
Michelle: How--
What do you--
-You know, it-- it's a bad joke.
-Oh, no, sorry. Yeah.
Alexander: Yeah?
Michelle: Yeah, I'm--
-Yep.
Michelle: Sorry, yeah.
-It's a first date.
It's supposed to be
excruciating to watch.
But next time, brief her.
Alexander: Good.
comms 3: Osiris and Shadowboxer
are headed in. Falling back.
-Remy, it's your show now.
[♪♪♪]
-Thanks.
-Once more unto the breach,
dear friends.
Once more.
-Show me inside.
[keyboard clacking]
Now we see what surfaces.
-I know what we can do.
Why don't we each
pick a book
that we either
loved or hated
from this general area.
A little "get to know you"
exercise.
-Sure.
-Okay.
-Okay.
[♪♪♪]
-We got company.
[suspenseful music playing]
There's two more.
[sighs]
[static buzzing]
-Do they know
that we're watching?
If they knew,
they wouldn't have tipped us off
that they knew.
They just don't want a record
of what's gonna happen next.
-They're coming.
[tense music playing]
-You ready?
-Yeah.
[Alexander chuckles]
[both chuckle]
-Is that the one
you loved or hated?
-You first.
Michelle: You know what?
This was a bad idea,
wasn't it?
For a first date.
-Well, maybe we just
haven't found
the right books yet.
-Let's find the right books.
[suspenseful music playing]
-There's something
in his hand.
[♪♪♪]
He's standing there.
[faint rhythmic whirring]
-I can hear it.
It's a scanning device.
He's checking
Alexander's data stream.
Seeing if the signal's
been modified
or tampered with
in any way.
-Remy, back away.
[device beeps]
[whirring]
[beeps]
-That's a good one.
-They're leaving.
[sighs]
-All right, Afterparty,
our three new friends
are gettin' ready to leave.
Make sure you follow
at maximum distance.
Rooftops, are we clear for--
-bookstore employee: Hi, folks,
just a reminder,
the bookstore will be closing
in fifteen minutes.
[high-pitched feedback]
[suspenseful music playing]
[men grunting]
[grunts]
[men grunting]
-Hey.
I'm going to use
the bathroom.
I think, uh, you should
keep browsing and I'll find you.
[♪♪♪]
[♪♪♪]
Sorry.
[static crackling stops]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[tense music playing]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[groans]
[grunts]
[Alexander coughs and gasps]
[grunts]
[both grunting]
[groans]
[pants]
[both grunting]
[yells]
[groans]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[woman groans]
[grunts]
[pants]
[man grunts]
-[Alexander breathing heavily]
-It's okay.
-[gasping]
-Hey, it's okay.
It's just the adrenaline.
You're gonna feel
something real
in the room. Grab that.
Here.
Feel its texture.
I'm gonna grab your hand
now, okay?
Feel my heartbeat.
Good.
That was incredibly brave.
And incredibly dumb.
You knew
you were supposed to run
if you were compromised.
-Then the mission
would've failed.
[chuckles]
Hi. I'm Alexander.
-Natalie.
Thanks for not
leaving me behind.
Well, again.
It's okay.
-I--
-You know how many
of those I did?
Every single one decided
to leave the kid behind
except for you.
It was a nice change of pace
to have someone
do the right thing.
-I'm just glad you're okay.
-Yeah.
We have a contingency in place,
so we can't be down here
too long. Are you good?
-Yeah.
-Come on.
-[grunts]
-Oh, and I'm--
I wasn't really supposed
to give you my real name, so.
It's between us.
-Yeah, sure.
Hey, um,
when we get back up there
-Yeah.
-is there anything
you need me to do differently?
I've never done
field work before.
-You're doing great.
Maybe just relax a little bit.
Be yourself.
-Yeah.
-Is there anything
you need from me?
-Oh, no. You're--
You're already good at this.
-Well,
you're easy
to pretend to fall for.
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct
police radio chatter]
-Oh.
Hey.
-Hi.
-What happened?
-Oh, customer had
a heart attack.
-Oh, wow.
-Yeah.
-How awful.
woman: Mm.
Alexander: Yeah.
[indistinct
police radio chatter]
Thanks.
-Osiris and Shadowboxer
coming out.
Broadcast stayed clean.
Operation intact.
[exhales]
[sighs]
[♪♪♪]
Marlowe:
How's the head, Clarissa?
We know who you are.
We know you're CIA.
We also know
you've been taking payments
from foreign governments.
This is what we do.
We keep track
of compromised agents
like yourself.
Here's what happened tonight,
one of the two
had a heart attack,
which almost blew your cover,
but you were able
to get his scanning device.
You're gonna send
the encrypted result
of the scan.
Results that show no change
in the data stream.
Everything's on track.
You're done.
You want your money.
Don't contact you again.
That's what
you're going to say.
Then you're gonna tell me
everything you know
about the person
who hired you.
By the way, your other friend
is in our custody,
so you're gonna
do this quickly
before I change my mind
about which of you
gets a second chance.
[door shuts]
-A man with a cane
with a flawless American accent.
She never saw his face.
He threatened to expose her
if she didn't work for him.
He knew
that she was compromised.
In fact,
all three of them tonight
were American agents
we've been looking into.
Yeah.
Whoever's behind this
is using the hack
to find compromised agents
and then they flip them.
We supplied them
with an army.
-A man with a cane.
Sounds like the beginning
of a fantastic limerick.
I like the Parker girl.
[♪♪♪]
[sighs]
Michelle: This guy has to walk
an impossible tight rope
without making
a single mistake.
Are you sure
this will work?
-No.
I'm missing something,
I just can't figure out
what it is.
-Well, if--
if he's such a good guy,
then
part of him will feel guilty
that I've been assigned
to fall for him.
-That's good.
-"You're easy
to pretend to fall for."
-You should tell him
a real name.
You look like a "Natalie."
-Really?
-A little.
-I'm Natalie.
And don't worry
about Belarus.
Do you know how many
of those I did?
Every single one decided
to leave the kid behind.
Except for you.
It was a nice change of pace
to have someone
do the right thing.
-That'll work.
I'll update the pages.
-Pretty confident,
given you've never even
met the guy.
-I think we're both chasing
the same kinda thing.
[♪♪♪]
Cobb: Thanks for meeting me.
I really needed your advice.
-How's that little
problem inside your house going?
-It's been answered.
To their satisfaction.
-But not to yours.
-I think there's a risk
that they are not
taking seriously.
-Hmm.
It's a challenge
we all encounter
in this life
at one time or another.
My first mentor at MI6
used to say
"Sometimes, the greatest service
you can provide those above you
is to assume they're fallible."
Find out
who shares your concern.
It's your duty
to ask the hardest questions.
To be continued.
[Victor laughs]
The meal was a triumph,
my old friend!
-Oh, you're too kind, Henry.
-This young man is the nephew
I've told you so much about.
And this is the man
who once saved my life.
-Ah. [chuckles]
It's always nice to meet
a fellow traveler.
-Likewise.
Henry: Come,
join us for a drink.
-If I must.
-We can tell
some war stories together.
Victor: All right.
-Oh, let me move that.
[instrumental music playing]
Michelle: Help me, please!
-I can't.
I only have room for one.
-No, I'm an American citizen,
please!
Alexander:
I can't leave him.
Michelle: No,
they'll kill me! Please!
interviewer: You've been
an intelligence analyst
at The Orphanage
for two years, correct?
-That's right.
interviewer: I saw
something on your file
about a panic attack?
-[pants]
One time thing?
Alexander: Yeah.
Never happened again.
-On the house.
-Alexander.
-Michelle.
Don't leave me.
[echoing]
-Hey, weird question,
do you like to travel?
-Upstairs is triggering a review
of all personnel in this room.
Our intel chain
is compromised.
-Someone's turned on us.
Marlowe:
That's a Wi-Fi signal.
Broadcasting everything
you see and hear.
You're the mole, Alexander.
-If they think the hack
is still undiscovered,
we can use that.
Moira: We need to find
whoever is watching
and destroy them.
Are you in?
[♪♪♪]
[indistinct radio chatter]
-Okay, we're on.
Get ready.
-So, who is this guy?
-Jesus, are you new?
Don't ask that.
-It helps me
do my job better.
-You don't need to know
anything about him.
You just got to be a helpless,
super grateful piece of ass.
Think you can handle that
or do I need to find
someone else?
-It's not my first time.
-[scoffs]
I bet it's not.
-[alarm blaring]
-[gun firing]
[soldiers
screaming indistinctly]
Hey.
It's got to look real,
Juilliard.
[exhales]
-Help me.
Please, help me.
[theme music playing]
Frances: That's what
Chinese intelligence
passed on to the North Korean
secret police.
It's likely how they knew
the identity of our Assets.
That computer screen
is one of ours.
An intelligence analyst
named Alexander Hale.
-Who else has seen this?
I thought our screens
were photo-protected?
-Yeah, they weren't
using a camera.
That's the, uh,
shadow of a nose.
[♪♪♪]
Moira: You were right.
The issue
was inside our house.
-I take no pleasure in always
being right, you know.
-I've noticed.
We don't know for how long
we've been exposed.
-We'll need to use it,
obviously.
[♪♪♪]
Forty-five years
without a crack.
It's nice not to be
dreading it anymore.
Peter,
somewhere out there
is someone
who tried to warn us
this could happen.
We didn't listen.
Give that person a job.
-[indistinct chatter]
-[footsteps approaching]
[man clears throat]
-How's the salmon?
-It's really good.
-Do you know who I am?
Then tell me.
-Tell you who you are?
You're Director Moira.
-And?
-I'm sorry.
-You're Samantha Parker,
predictive analyst.
You've been with us
about a year and a half.
Before that, you worked
for the Cobble Hill Group
after quitting Yale Drama
because you couldn't quite find
your niche as a playwright.
It's a tough business.
Theater.
You think
you're twenty-nine,
but your parents lied to you
about how old you are.
You used to be
in our Narrative group,
but the cover stories
you wrote for field agents
were deemed
overly complicated
and too "outside the box."
You then requested
to be moved
to our predictive analysis group
to imagine potential threats,
where, so far, everything you
predicted has been thrown out.
And sometimes,
you get so obsessed
with the trees,
you miss the forest.
Now,
who am I?
-You're Director of Operations.
You share
second-in-command powers
with the Director
of Intelligence,
but everyone
is more scared of you.
The rumor is, you came up
working Assets on the ground,
so you're suspicious
of intelligence
that doesn't use
real informants.
You're overly competitive,
so I'd guess that
you have siblings.
You're probably the oldest.
-And what's a weakness
of mine?
-I was in a briefing with you
about five months ago.
And it seemed--
You hate not making decisions.
So, you'd rather make one,
even if it's wrong.
You're impatient.
Sir.
And the salmon here is awful.
-You wrote a memo
warning about the need
to protect ourselves
from hacking
inside of our brains.
That's ridiculous.
We should be worrying
about more likely scenarios,
don't you agree?
-No, sir.
I stand by what I wrote.
-Good.
And I'm the youngest,
by the way.
-Was that true about my age?
-Welcome to the team, Parker.
To the rest of The Orphanage,
we are a boring
training exercise.
They can't know
what we're doing.
We report only to the head
of The Orphanage, St. George.
-Wait, s-she's real?
I thought that that was just
something that--
-Meet our mole.
Alexander Hale.
His eyes and ears
have been hacked
using the Cassandra
RU-two-five-eight technology.
There's a chance
he doesn't know
that he's been hacked.
But either way,
every moment
that he's broadcasting
compromises our Assets
and our organization.
So, I wanna build
a world around him
and control everything
he hears and sees
without him or whoever's
watching on the other end
ever knowing that we know.
-You're gonna leave
the hack open.
-Yeah.
We know nothing
about who did this,
but we know one thing
that they don't,
that we found the hack.
That's how
we're gonna catch them.
I need someone who thinks
outside the box.
You saw this coming
when no one else did,
and now I need you
to think ahead of our enemy.
I need a story
that will play out in front
of Hale's eyes and ears
that will explain why we are
moving him into our new world.
And, most of all,
I need to know
what Hale's gonna do next.
I need you to predict him.
He's the ultimate unknown
in all of this.
Study him, figure out
what's driving him.
Something simple,
don't let it get complicated.
Put it into seven words
or less.
And then we'll know
how to use him.
Alexander:
We would speak Mandarin
if it was just us
in the house.
Uh-- [chuckles]
Unless my dad was mad at me.
If I was really in trouble,
he'd speak Hakka.
But if there were guests
in the house,
or, uh, if we were in public,
or even just on the phone,
it was always English.
Um, my parents were careful
not to draw
any extra attention.
interviewer: Why do you think
your parents
raised you that way?
Alexander: I think
it's because they knew
they had to work harder
than everyone else
in order to fit in.
interviewer:
How'd that make you feel?
-I don't know.
No one asked us to be here.
interviewer: How long
were you Special Forces?
Alexander: A couple years.
interviewer: And why'd they
pull you from the field?
Alexander:
I don't know.
I was just assigned
to a desk job one day.
interviewer:
Why'd you wanna be a spy?
-Well, I'm fluent
in Mandarin and Cantonese.
-Cantonese. I guess I--
Alexander: I, uh-- I guess
Alexander and Parker: I thought
that I could be useful.
interviewer: Why are you
applying to go Upstairs?
-I applied
for Operation Poseidon.
It just happened
to be Upstairs.
interviewer:
That's a lie. Try again.
-I wanna work in the field.
I feel like it's where
I'd be more useful.
And you can't work in the field
unless you work Upstairs, so
interviewer:
I'm gonna ask you again.
Why did you wanna be a spy?
-Because only the people
we really trust
get to be spies.
- We need
to infiltrate his life.
Someone who has
deep cover experience.
She can be by his side
in the wild.
With combat training
in case she needs
to save his life
or take him out.
If you're selected,
the assignment
will limit your ability
to do work in the future.
Your face will become known.
-Because I'd be on camera.
Moira: And we don't know
who's watching.
-I'd be considered burned.
-For our purposes, yes.
When it's over,
you'd be done.
You can live with that?
-Yes, sir.
Who am I?
-Uh, you're Michelle.
You're a bartender.
Probably from
a lower-to-middle class
upbringing,
but you're working to--
-I'll take it from here.
-Oh.
-[Michelle laughing]
Oh, my God.
You're so funny.
This one's on the house.
You remind me
so much of my dad--
-No, that's wrong.
Sorry, I-- I just--
I mean--
Well, he's not gonna
respond to that.
The giggling little girl
in trouble thing?
He responds to challenges.
You're throwing him
a gauntlet.
You're saying, "Here's the kind
of person I wanna be with.
"Here's the man you can be."
-It's funny.
My dad used to work homicide,
and he was--
Well, he was very obsessive.
He had the highest
clearance rate
in the entire precinct.
He was the best.
His buddies always thought
he was trying to show them up.
Alexander: Hmm.
Michelle:
But they didn't get it.
Alexander: No, he wasn't
competing with them.
Michelle: Exactly.
He was trying to prove
something to himself.
Because that's the voice
that keeps you up at night.
Alexander: Hmm.
Michelle: Yeah, something
tells me you understand that.
-We have
a cross-contamination.
I found the un-redacted
Copenhagen test results.
Look at the date.
The CIA used her
for his test.
-Why didn't she tell us?
-She interacted with him
three years ago
for roughly sixty seconds.
They might not recognize
each other.
It might not stay that way.
-We can't switch yet.
It'd be too sudden.
We'll have to wait.
What're the odds
of two different agencies
picking her for an op
on the same guy?
-We were both
just doing our jobs.
She's his type.
Michelle: The trick is just
learning to accept that
it just happened to be you.
-Yeah.
Wow, you are, uh
very good at your job.
Michelle: I know.
Now, go. Live your life.
Get out of here.
Something wrong?
Alexander:
Hey, weird question,
do you like to travel?
[♪♪♪]
Moira: You think he knows?
If he knows,
what would he do next?
[Parker sighs]
Why aren't you running?
Why aren't you running?
Why aren't you running?
I know I'm being watched.
I know they lied to me
about being watched.
Therefore, they don't trust me.
Therefore
[♪♪♪]
[sighs]
When you know
you're not trusted,
what do you do?
-Is he going
to the ground floor?
signals tech: Yes, sir.
Moira: Remy, are you there?
Remy: I'm in position.
Alexander: I think
it's because they knew
they had to work harder
than everyone else
in order to fit in.
-Intercept him, please.
Remy: Understood.
-Well, I'm fluent
in Mandarin and Cantonese.
And I figured those skills
would be useful.
Because only the people
we really trust
get to be spies.
- Everyone, wait!
He'll come back.
He wants to be trusted.
-Hold.
[tense music playing]
[Parker sighs]
[trembling breath]
[exhales]
Moira: So, last question:
Are you in?
[beeps]
-What're they saying?
-The terms
of his involvement.
-Hi. Samantha Parker.
-Patricia.
-And what do you do,
Patricia?
[sighs]
-Prep Ellie.
We'll say a secure briefing
eliminated any doubt.
You saved his life today.
Now we need to see
if he can help us
figure out how this happened.
[♪♪♪]
[suspenseful music playing]
man [over PA]: Now arriving,
Kohl Street.
Doors will open
on the right.
woman [over PA]:
For your safety,
stand behind
the yellow line.
Please allow passengers to exit
before boarding the train.
[♪♪♪]
Alexander: Some sort of
metallic nanite residue inside.
-What is this?
-It's anti-anxiety medication.
For panic attacks.
I didn't want it to impact
my chances
of getting in the field.
-When did
the panic attacks start?
-Three years ago,
there was an op in Belarus
that went wrong.
[sighs] And
I thought
I left someone to die.
And after that,
in unpredictable moments, um,
it felt like
I was back there again.
-The Copenhagen test.
-Yeah, well, now I know
it's not even real.
-How frequent are the attacks?
-I haven't had one
in a while now.
-How long have you
been taking the pills?
-About eight months.
Uh, but the headaches
started four months ago.
That's probably
when it started broadcasting.
-That gives us
a timeline. Good.
Where'd the pills come from?
[sighs]
Your entire life
is the mission now, remember?
There's no part of you
that I don't get to know about.
It's all in play.
-Rachel Kasperian.
My ex-fiancée.
She's a doctor,
but I don't know
where the pills came from.
I doubt that she even knows
what's inside.
-We'll get you
some clean pills.
They might take a bit
to work.
We can take it from here.
-Okay, so
what do I do?
-Nothing.
-Well, if you're looking
into Rachel,
you're gonna wanna use me.
-They see everything
you see, Alexander.
If you're looking at Rachel,
they're wondering
why you're looking at Rachel.
They will start to wonder
if you know.
She's not involved,
and you suddenly
come back into her life,
it might encourage them
to eliminate any loose ends.
You wanna protect her?
Show them
you're not thinking about her.
Convince them you're
not worried about anything.
- How was
the secure briefing?
-Yeah, fascinating.
-Hmm.
Should I be jealous
of all the secrets
I don't get to hear
or should I be grateful?
I should be grateful, right?
-Jealous.
-Oh!
-Definitely jealous.
-I knew it.
Moira: Think like the enemy
for a moment.
What do you think
they'll do next?
What should we
be prepared for?
-Well, the story
that we've told them
is that he's no longer
under investigation.
He's welcomed
into the inner circle.
They'll need to see
if that's true.
That we haven't
found the hack.
-And if they
didn't buy the story?
-Well, they'll have
to destroy the evidence.
-And either way?
-They're sending someone.
They have to check
his feed somehow.
Make sure that we haven't
mirrored the signal
or inserted a tracing code
or something.
And if it appears
to be clean,
well, they resume operation,
and if not
they kill him.
-This is our chance
to see who shows up.
But they can't know
that we're watching them.
We have to observe
from a distance
but be close enough
to save his life.
-How're we gonna do that?
-I was hoping
you'd tell me.
Write me a scenario
for out there.
Something we control.
Keep telling the story
that he's starting over,
that he has no doubts.
He lied to me
about the panic attacks.
Because he doesn't
trust us yet,
and I need him
to trust us implicitly.
To earn his trust,
we have to know
what's driving him.
You have it down
to seven words yet?
[♪♪♪]
-Wait--
Which way's the exit?
Moira: Weren't you
paying attention?
[sighs]
[cell phone buzzes]
[♪♪♪]
[♪♪♪]
[keyboard clacking]
-Please just help me
get out of here!
-You know you can tell me
anything, right?
[gasps]
I don't want us to have
secrets from each other.
-What's he doing?
-Trying to not look
like he's distracted
and questioning
everything about his life.
Ellie,
how are you
at picking pockets?
-Alexander.
Hey!
I think you might've
dropped this.
It was in the kitchen.
I know protocol is to log it,
but I don't know,
it seemed personal.
-Yeah, thank you.
-Is it?
Personal?
-Kinda.
-Are you into this Michelle?
-[chuckles] Uh yeah.
But, uh,
I'm not sure
if she's into me.
-You know
you can find that out.
Text her.
Don't wait too long.
-Yeah.
[soft music playing]
[notification chimes]
[typing]
-Yeah, I got to figure
that part out.
Alexander: I wanna be
an Upstairs field operative.
interviewer: The Upstairs
watches the other
clandestine organizations
and internal affairs.
Some people
would have a problem
with that kind of work.
You?
Alexander: I just wanna
know that what I do
for my country matters.
I just wanna
know that what I do
for my country matters.
[♪♪♪]
[♪♪♪]
[exhales sharply]
[cell phone buzzes]
[pants]
Moira: This bookstore
on Seventeenth Street.
- People go to bookstores
on first dates?
-You do.
You'll enter here.
Spend at least an hour
in the store.
-You're using us as bait.
-What makes you think
the enemy shows up to check him?
-We're telegraphing for them
exactly when and where
he's gonna be.
And it's in a public place,
so they won't draw attention
to themselves.
It's too good
an opportunity to miss.
-Whoever shows up
to check on you
is our link
to who did this.
But you can't see or hear
any of that
while it's happening.
-Do nothing.
Moira: If the two of you
need to communicate openly,
there's a rare book room
in the basement
where signals are blocked.
-Uh, that's a fallback plan
in case Alexander's life
is in danger.
-If this goes the wrong way,
we abort
and you get out of there.
You'll exit through here.
To the back.
A van will pick you up.
-If I run,
they'll know that we know.
-It's not worth your life.
If you can get out,
get out.
-Except he won't
run from danger.
He'll follow his conscience
instead of an order.
-What makes you think that?
-Because
about three years ago,
he left you behind in a forest
to save the life of a child.
You recognized him,
didn't you?
-Does he know who I am?
-He figured it out.
You should've told me
you'd been assigned
to him before.
Okay [sighs]
I don't know what
your relationship was like
with your other handlers,
and I know that
I'm new to this. I mean--
I literally sit
at a desk all day
writing instructions
in that novel
while you're the one actually
out there risking your life.
But this can work.
We just have to
trust each other.
-I think you're going to do
just fine at this job.
They all say
something like that.
The brief said we either
save the mission
or save his life.
You're trying to do both.
-Yeah.
-This guy has to walk
an impossible tight rope
without making
a single mistake.
Are you sure
this will work?
-Shadowboxer approaching
from around the corner.
-Any sign of our visitors?
comms 1: Rooftop's clear.
comms 2: Clear.
-[laughs] Hi.
-Hi.
-Um
how was your shift?
-[sighs] Uneventful.
I realized I never asked you
what you do.
-Yeah, I'm a, um--
I'm a National Archives,
uh, researcher.
-Okay.
So, what do you do?
-Yeah, so, basically
whenever we need to establish
if a letter or document
is authentic, um
I'm a part of that team.
Yeah.
-Impressive.
So, how many--
-And what do you do besides--
Sorry, I didn't mean to inter--
-No, what were you say--
[Alexander chuckles]
You go.
-Okay. Okay.
Um, I was just gonna ask
what you did
besides bartending.
-"Besides"?
-Yeah, sorry,
I didn't mean
to assume that
you had another job.
There's nothing wrong
with bartending.
Just bartenders
sometimes have
a, like a passion, or--
[chuckles] Sorry--
-I'm playing with you.
[both laugh]
-Okay.
-I'm going
to divinity school.
-Divinity-- Really?
-Yeah.
-Uh-- [laughs]
Prove it.
-What?
-[Alexander chuckles]
-[Parker sighs]
Michelle: How--
What do you--
-You know, it-- it's a bad joke.
-Oh, no, sorry. Yeah.
Alexander: Yeah?
Michelle: Yeah, I'm--
-Yep.
Michelle: Sorry, yeah.
-It's a first date.
It's supposed to be
excruciating to watch.
But next time, brief her.
Alexander: Good.
comms 3: Osiris and Shadowboxer
are headed in. Falling back.
-Remy, it's your show now.
[♪♪♪]
-Thanks.
-Once more unto the breach,
dear friends.
Once more.
-Show me inside.
[keyboard clacking]
Now we see what surfaces.
-I know what we can do.
Why don't we each
pick a book
that we either
loved or hated
from this general area.
A little "get to know you"
exercise.
-Sure.
-Okay.
-Okay.
[♪♪♪]
-We got company.
[suspenseful music playing]
There's two more.
[sighs]
[static buzzing]
-Do they know
that we're watching?
If they knew,
they wouldn't have tipped us off
that they knew.
They just don't want a record
of what's gonna happen next.
-They're coming.
[tense music playing]
-You ready?
-Yeah.
[Alexander chuckles]
[both chuckle]
-Is that the one
you loved or hated?
-You first.
Michelle: You know what?
This was a bad idea,
wasn't it?
For a first date.
-Well, maybe we just
haven't found
the right books yet.
-Let's find the right books.
[suspenseful music playing]
-There's something
in his hand.
[♪♪♪]
He's standing there.
[faint rhythmic whirring]
-I can hear it.
It's a scanning device.
He's checking
Alexander's data stream.
Seeing if the signal's
been modified
or tampered with
in any way.
-Remy, back away.
[device beeps]
[whirring]
[beeps]
-That's a good one.
-They're leaving.
[sighs]
-All right, Afterparty,
our three new friends
are gettin' ready to leave.
Make sure you follow
at maximum distance.
Rooftops, are we clear for--
-bookstore employee: Hi, folks,
just a reminder,
the bookstore will be closing
in fifteen minutes.
[high-pitched feedback]
[suspenseful music playing]
[men grunting]
[grunts]
[men grunting]
-Hey.
I'm going to use
the bathroom.
I think, uh, you should
keep browsing and I'll find you.
[♪♪♪]
[♪♪♪]
Sorry.
[static crackling stops]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[tense music playing]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[groans]
[grunts]
[Alexander coughs and gasps]
[grunts]
[both grunting]
[groans]
[pants]
[both grunting]
[yells]
[groans]
[grunts]
[grunts]
[woman groans]
[grunts]
[pants]
[man grunts]
-[Alexander breathing heavily]
-It's okay.
-[gasping]
-Hey, it's okay.
It's just the adrenaline.
You're gonna feel
something real
in the room. Grab that.
Here.
Feel its texture.
I'm gonna grab your hand
now, okay?
Feel my heartbeat.
Good.
That was incredibly brave.
And incredibly dumb.
You knew
you were supposed to run
if you were compromised.
-Then the mission
would've failed.
[chuckles]
Hi. I'm Alexander.
-Natalie.
Thanks for not
leaving me behind.
Well, again.
It's okay.
-I--
-You know how many
of those I did?
Every single one decided
to leave the kid behind
except for you.
It was a nice change of pace
to have someone
do the right thing.
-I'm just glad you're okay.
-Yeah.
We have a contingency in place,
so we can't be down here
too long. Are you good?
-Yeah.
-Come on.
-[grunts]
-Oh, and I'm--
I wasn't really supposed
to give you my real name, so.
It's between us.
-Yeah, sure.
Hey, um,
when we get back up there
-Yeah.
-is there anything
you need me to do differently?
I've never done
field work before.
-You're doing great.
Maybe just relax a little bit.
Be yourself.
-Yeah.
-Is there anything
you need from me?
-Oh, no. You're--
You're already good at this.
-Well,
you're easy
to pretend to fall for.
[indistinct chatter]
[indistinct
police radio chatter]
-Oh.
Hey.
-Hi.
-What happened?
-Oh, customer had
a heart attack.
-Oh, wow.
-Yeah.
-How awful.
woman: Mm.
Alexander: Yeah.
[indistinct
police radio chatter]
Thanks.
-Osiris and Shadowboxer
coming out.
Broadcast stayed clean.
Operation intact.
[exhales]
[sighs]
[♪♪♪]
Marlowe:
How's the head, Clarissa?
We know who you are.
We know you're CIA.
We also know
you've been taking payments
from foreign governments.
This is what we do.
We keep track
of compromised agents
like yourself.
Here's what happened tonight,
one of the two
had a heart attack,
which almost blew your cover,
but you were able
to get his scanning device.
You're gonna send
the encrypted result
of the scan.
Results that show no change
in the data stream.
Everything's on track.
You're done.
You want your money.
Don't contact you again.
That's what
you're going to say.
Then you're gonna tell me
everything you know
about the person
who hired you.
By the way, your other friend
is in our custody,
so you're gonna
do this quickly
before I change my mind
about which of you
gets a second chance.
[door shuts]
-A man with a cane
with a flawless American accent.
She never saw his face.
He threatened to expose her
if she didn't work for him.
He knew
that she was compromised.
In fact,
all three of them tonight
were American agents
we've been looking into.
Yeah.
Whoever's behind this
is using the hack
to find compromised agents
and then they flip them.
We supplied them
with an army.
-A man with a cane.
Sounds like the beginning
of a fantastic limerick.
I like the Parker girl.
[♪♪♪]
[sighs]
Michelle: This guy has to walk
an impossible tight rope
without making
a single mistake.
Are you sure
this will work?
-No.
I'm missing something,
I just can't figure out
what it is.
-Well, if--
if he's such a good guy,
then
part of him will feel guilty
that I've been assigned
to fall for him.
-That's good.
-"You're easy
to pretend to fall for."
-You should tell him
a real name.
You look like a "Natalie."
-Really?
-A little.
-I'm Natalie.
And don't worry
about Belarus.
Do you know how many
of those I did?
Every single one decided
to leave the kid behind.
Except for you.
It was a nice change of pace
to have someone
do the right thing.
-That'll work.
I'll update the pages.
-Pretty confident,
given you've never even
met the guy.
-I think we're both chasing
the same kinda thing.
[♪♪♪]
Cobb: Thanks for meeting me.
I really needed your advice.
-How's that little
problem inside your house going?
-It's been answered.
To their satisfaction.
-But not to yours.
-I think there's a risk
that they are not
taking seriously.
-Hmm.
It's a challenge
we all encounter
in this life
at one time or another.
My first mentor at MI6
used to say
"Sometimes, the greatest service
you can provide those above you
is to assume they're fallible."
Find out
who shares your concern.
It's your duty
to ask the hardest questions.
To be continued.
[Victor laughs]
The meal was a triumph,
my old friend!
-Oh, you're too kind, Henry.
-This young man is the nephew
I've told you so much about.
And this is the man
who once saved my life.
-Ah. [chuckles]
It's always nice to meet
a fellow traveler.
-Likewise.
Henry: Come,
join us for a drink.
-If I must.
-We can tell
some war stories together.
Victor: All right.
-Oh, let me move that.
[instrumental music playing]