Kung Fu (2021) s01e12 Episode Script

Now that they're all together,
there's an energy.
- Can you feel it?
- I must confess I can't.
But I can certainly feel you.
And to think this is nothing.
The weapons barely have a
trace of their full power.
What do you mean?
That the powers have
diminished over time.
They need to be brought
back to the source.
Oh. The source?
You've spent weeks decoding the scroll.
You've kept me at a need to know
I mean, I accept that.
And yet
The weapons need to be returned
to an ancient temple called The Forge,
hidden for many centuries.
Only then can the weapons
reach their full potential
and only then can Biange truly begin.
Where's The Forge?
I'm working on that.
Translating the scroll led me to
the shape of Lau's constellation,
which led us to Lau and the last weapon.
Your tattoo. You have the
stars imprinted on your body.
But there's more in here.
I've only been able to
translate parts of it.
But I can feel it. I'm close.
- Is there anything I can do?
- Mm-mm. No. You can rest.
Oh, no, I can't.
Not without you.
I have work to do.
That's it.
What aren't we seeing?
Maybe I transcribed the star map wrong.
No. You did it perfectly 5 times.
This is an exact copy of the stars
projected from the scabbard.
Okay. It has to be the map to The Forge.
We just can't see it yet.
Okay, so, we know the
star map is accurate.
All the stars and their
placements check out.
Except for Simon's constellation tattoo.
His doesn't match any
known constellation
from western or Chinese astronomy,
- so, what is it doing here?
- Maybe it's made up. Superimposed.
"One of these things
is not like the other."
If the map leads to The Forge,
the constellation has to be some
kind of key to decoding the map.
Well, it's made up of 8 stars.
There are 8 weapons.
We're trying to find the
birthplace of those weapons.
- What else?
- I'm sorry.
I'm out of my depth here.
- We may need to bring in an expert.
- No, we don't have time.
Zhilan already has all the weapons.
She doesn't have the scabbard.
The scabbard may not be
the only clue to The Forge.
For all we know, she already
found another way.
We'll figure it out.
We'll get there before
Zhilan does. Together.
Yeah.
You never came to bed.
I solved it.
Solved what?
The scroll.
Once I figured out what Lau's
constellation actually was,
all the symbols just
snapped right into place.
It was the key.
The key to translating the whole thing.
The scroll told me everything I need.
I know how to find The Forge.
He was with Zhilan in Vegas.
Kerwin Tan
son of Russell Tan.
Wait, that surveillance
photo you showed us.
Zhilan just robbed Tan's headquarters
a couple nights ago.
What's his son doing
running around with her?
Maybe he's working against his dad.
Russell Tan is one of the
richest men in the world.
And one of the most powerful.
He's got his fingers in everything
fossil fuels, data systems,
AI development.
And now Zhilan has access
to the resources of a billionaire's son.
Sorry, I just I thought maybe
I was getting ahead of her.
Plus, Althea's wedding is this weekend.
My Po Po's flying in from China today,
so, everyone is gonna
be walking on eggshells.
Can't go worse than her last visit.
That was my bad.
- I didn't get us to dinner on time.
- Mm.
I think it was more about the guy
you showed up to dinner with.
Um you should go.
Your family needs you.
I'll keep digging into the Tans.
Maybe find something you can
use to catch up to Zhilan.
Thank you, Evan.
Hey, Nicky?
I know you feel hopeless,
but whatever you're looking
for, you'll find it.
How could you know that?
Because you're Nicky Shen.
I'm here, I'm here!
Sorry I'm late. Hello?
Mama? Baba?
Where have you been? Go. Stir.
Okay. Where is everybody?
Funny you should ask.
Dennis, Ryan, and Baba went
paintballing with the groomsmen.
They promised it'd be a quick stress
relief before Po Po showed up,
but then they got stuck in traffic
and then Po Po's flight came in early,
so, Mama had to drive to the
airport and pick her up alone,
leaving me to cook and clean
and get the whole house ready by myself.
Okay, soup's fine. Sweep.
I can do the counters, too.
Althea, please, sit down. Relax.
Relax? Ha! You know how Po Po is
and how Mama acts when she's in town.
Everything has to be sparkling clean.
The food has to be prepared perfectly.
And everyone must be
on their best behavior.
"A happy Po Po makes a happy Mama."
And now a happy Althea.
You do realize no matter
how hard you try,
she will find something to criticize.
- Just stick to the script.
- Okay.
Business at Harmony Dumplings
has been booming.
Mm-hmm. How about Ryan? Does Po Po know?
No, she does not.
So, Mama and Baba are just
shoving him back in the closet?
Actually, that was Ryan's idea.
Says he's still trying to get over Joe.
The last thing he wants is Po Po
digging into his personal life.
And my script?
You're a lawyer now. Congratulations.
- Mm.
- You got a big job at a firm downtown.
Just try not to mention
dropping out of college,
running away to a Shaolin monastery,
fighting gangsters or
international criminals,
or anything regarding
the family sword legacy.
Last part will be the hardest.
I know Po Po rejected the legacy,
but she's still part of the bloodline.
What if she knows something?
Even if she does, do you think
she's gonna share it with us?
Please, Nicky, just wait until
after the wedding is over.
The last thing I need
is a Po Po explosion.
- Stir, Nicky, stir!
- All right.
So, we get there, to The Forge.
The weapons get recharged.
All 8 weapons, fully powered,
brought together, then
Biange occurs?
Yes.
My father always said
it was a transformation,
a global sea change
wielded by whoever brought
together the weapons.
But he always made it sound like
the power would be harnessed
by just one person,
and that's you, right?
Only one can wield the power.
It's my father.
Yeah.
I'm sorry, Dad. It's over.
You've lost.
Perhaps, but it's not too late for you.
What's that mean?
Come home and this family
will be whole again.
This family was never whole!
You turned us against each other,
made us compete for your love.
And now I have something you want.
I know who you're with
and what that Zhang woman is capable of.
You cannot trust her, Kerwin.
Tell me this, Father. Ahem.
Does your offer still stand if I come
home without the weapons?
Would you forgive me then?
Yes, son. I would.
There is much you don't
know about all of this,
and it's so much more
than just the 8 weapons.
For now, please come home.
I am home.
She's here. It's happening.
Did we scrub the bathroom?
No.
Hi, Mama.
Po Po!
Ohh. Nicky.
Eh? Why isn't everyone here?
- Uh, traffic is really bad today.
- Yeah. They'll be here any minute.
Traffic's clear.
Dennis isn't answering his
phone and neither is Ryan.
I have no idea where they are.
Althea, are you ready
for a tea ceremony?
- Yes, Po Po. Everything is set.
- Good.
I want to see you in your qipao today.
Of course. I love a fashion show.
California supposed to be warm,
yet this house, it is always cold.
Well, Po Po, it's San Fran
I will start a fire.
And I will make some tea.
Mmm!
I ran out of time.
I didn't make it to the store
for her favorite oolong.
Oh. I think they're here.
Dennis?
- Hey, babe.
- Let's get him in a chair.
What happened?
Dad was a Terminator
in the paintball court.
- Took Dennis down fast.
- Not his fault. I tripped.
Pulled a tendon. I should be able
to walk normally by the wedding.
- Should?
- He'll be fine.
- Jin
- Baba
Oh.
This is the groom?
- Uh
- Yes, Po Po.
This is Dennis.
Oh!
Ha!
Ryan.
This house is too hot.
Yes, Po Po.
Maybe this weekend is not
as stressful as we thought.
Uh, heh. I'll get cleaned up. Heh.
A personal fashion show for Po Po
is the last thing I need right now.
What happened to pleasing
her at all costs?
I have a thousand details to
go over before the wedding,
and how is Dennis supposed
to walk down the aisle
when he can't even walk?
I think he'll look cute in a cast.
He's wearing dress shoes to
that wedding if it kills him.
So. Is Henry coming to dinner tonight?
Shens only.
Besides, introducing Henry to Po Po?
Ugh. That's like, no.
Maybe in a few years. Maybe decades.
Huh. Years. Decades.
I see someone's already
thinking long term.
Let's focus on one wedding
at a time, please.
Mm.
Pretty.
Let's do this.
Okay. Here she comes.
Althea.
No. It's wrong. All wrong!
Take off.
You have to take it off.
Come, come, come! Come!
Not right.
Not right at all.
I worked so hard with the designer.
I made that dress perfectly.
Dennis just left.
Po Po wouldn't let him go.
Says she can't wait to see him tomorrow.
Well, at least he's passing the test.
Did you tell her? About Auntie Mei-Xue?
I can't even say Mei-Xue's
name in front of her.
I can't find my antacid.
I'll need them before dinner.
Uh, there must be some in the suitcase.
I'll get it.
Hey. Any luck?
I spent a few hours zooming
with an astronomy expert.
We didn't find anything.
- What are we missing?
- I'll keep looking.
We'll find The Forge somehow.
- Nicky?
- Sorry.
I found a photo of Mei-Xue
in Po Po's wallet.
I guess she keeps this photo close.
I think I found something else.
A photo of Po Po maybe,
like, 50 years ago. I
What is it?
Henry, she's holding the sword.
I think Po Po was a warrior.
It's not exactly what I pictured.
I thought The Forge would
be something grander.
Historic, even.
It's just a little side trip.
Something I need you to see.
Come.
I grew up a 10-minute walk from here.
I passed these graves every
day on my way to school.
Your parents.
They passed when you were so young.
Before I was born, my father
worked at an old textile factory.
That factory
was built by your father.
I I didn't know he owned
something so far into the country.
Runoff from the factory
made its way into the soil,
then the groundwater.
When my mother was pregnant
with me, she got sick.
My spinal condition, her
death during my birth
all the work of your father.
The great Russell Tan.
Zhilan hey.
I'm not like my father.
I never knew my mother.
And according to my father and sister
she was a kind woman, a strong woman.
But not strong enough
to defeat her illness
to survive giving birth to me.
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
For tomorrow's deposition.
Thank you, Nadia.
Any luck with the Tan files?
I put in the request yesterday.
I thought it'd clear by now.
Yes, they came.
D.A. Hughes kind of intercepted them.
She wants all your requests
going through her from now on.
Even on cases I'm assigned to?
Hmm.
Okay. Thank you for letting me know.
I'm sorry, Evan.
I know you're trying to do good
here. It's such a shame,
those files just sitting
in D.A. Hughes's office
and they'll be there all night
until I return them to the
hall of records tomorrow.
Yeah. That's a shame.
So, you think Po Po was a
warrior back in the day?
Swinging that mystical
sword around, kicking ass?
Maybe. I don't know.
Ahh. I mean, I just don't see it.
I mean, look at her.
She's only comfortable within
a 3-degree temperature range.
Everything gives her heartburn,
a headache, or muscle cramps.
Have you seen the dispensary
she travels with?
I know it's hard to imagine now,
but this photo was a long time ago.
Po Po may be the only person who
can help me get ahead of Zhilan.
Don't go digging, Nicky.
You could blow up Althea's whole week.
Hey, what's taking so long?
Po Po's waiting.
Coming.
Why did you bring me here?
Is it revenge?
Revenge against my father?
That seems so small.
His empire is so much
more than you understand.
AI technology, predictive algorithms.
He's on his way to data mining
everyone on this planet.
Then there's his banking interests,
the defense contracts.
With the power of Biange in his hands,
no one will be safe.
No one will be free.
Only with Biange can
I wipe his fingerprints
off the face of the Earth.
- You want to erase him?
- Not just him.
Everything he holds in this world.
You want to erase me?
No, I don't want to. Kerwin, I have to.
No. I know you feel what I feel.
I do.
I fell in love with you, Kerwin.
It was an accident.
It wasn't part of the plan.
But loving you,
it doesn't change what you are.
- What am I?
- A liability.
I love you, Kerwin.
But I'll never completely trust you.
Attack me if you want,
but I won't fight you.
Po Po, would you like a jiaozi?
So, who's getting married next?
- Ryan?
- Ahem. Hmm?
Is there lucky woman in your life?
I told you, Po Po. Too busy.
- Yeah.
- Medical school. Rounds at clinic.
You are a man. You got some time.
But you, there must be
some good men at law firm.
Tell me about your job.
Yes, um, the law.
I work at Yan Hartley and associates.
Long hours. Lots of paperwork.
At your age, you should be working hard.
You 3 keep working hard
and maybe it will have
been worth it after all.
What was worth it?
Your mother leaving me years ago
when I had just lost a child.
To open a restaurant, of all things.
Mama
A bride, a doctor, a lawyer.
You see? All good.
I'm not a lawyer.
I didn't even graduate college.
Dropped out one semester shy.
Nicky!
Stop joking.
Po Po doesn't appreciate your humor.
Yeah, Nicky. Stop being so silly.
- Tell her about the benefits.
- No.
I'm not lying anymore.
Po Po, I didn't go to law school.
I spent 3 years at a Shaolin
monastery learning kung fu.
My shifu Zhang Pei-Ling
taught me more about life
than I ever learned at Harvard.
I've sat here all night watching
you guys tie yourselves in knots
to keep the truth from you.
But I know you keep secrets,
too, Po Po, this photo.
- You held the sword.
- What photo?
I need to know what happened to you.
How did you
You went looking through my things.
- How dare you? Ah?
- Ma. Ma
Sorry.
Oh, boy.
Ma, Nicky is a warrior.
I have made mistakes,
but I am so proud of the
woman I have raised,
and I will not apologize
for who she has become.
Mama
Like Mei-Xue
Nicky deserves the truth.
The whole truth.
It was almost 50 years ago,
before you and Mei-Xue were born.
I knew almost nothing about
the sword or our warrior blood
until she came
the woman in the photograph
Fang-Su.
Your shifu's mother.
At first, I was so scared.
This stranger knew so much about me.
She was desperate for my help.
Fang-Su was the keeper of the sword.
Its guardian. It was the first
I learned about guardians,
about the sword, about the 8 weapons.
Fang-Su warned of the mysterious energy.
- Biange.
- Yes.
Fang-Su said a band of thieves
had a plan to steal the sword,
and without me to defend it,
Fang-Su worried they would win. Heh.
Can you imagine how that sounded?
I was a chosen warrior
meant to keep a powerful energy
from falling into the wrong hands.
It actually doesn't
sound so crazy to me.
She showed me how to use the sword.
The sword was communicating with me.
Its energy it became part of me.
Then the thieves found us.
I doubted I was ready, but
with the sword in my hands,
I felt like I had been
training my whole life.
The sword's power scared me.
In the heat of battle,
it felt as if the sword controlled me
as much as I controlled it.
I didn't want that.
I wanted the life I had,
the life I had planned
A family. Children.
To be a warrior,
I would've lost all that,
and I had promised to myself
that no one in my family
would bear the burden
of the warrior again.
And that's why you tried to stop Mei-Xue
from going after the sword.
Yes. I wanted to protect her.
Let it go. All of it.
This isn't something I can run from.
Destiny brought me to Pei-Ling.
She was a guardian, like her mother.
She died trying to protect the sword.
Pei-Ling's sister wants
Biange to herself.
She has all 8 weapons.
She's already so dangerous,
that kind of power can't
end up in her hands.
Choose another path.
I didn't choose this path, Po Po.
It chose me.
What is it? Let me see.
Do you recognize the symbols?
These symbols represent the 7 struggles.
Great battles fought with the 8 weapons.
7 struggles, 7 battles.
Does that mean anything?
Well, the defeat of Kublai Khan's army
in Southern China was one,
and we found a few more
in the history books
Battles we thought might've
involved the weapons,
but we didn't have a way to prove it.
What'd she say? Did she know
where the 7 battles were?
Um, she read them off my hand.
Chongqing, Lingzang,
- Jiading, now called Leshan.
- Hang on. Slow down.
Chonqing Uh-huh.
Then there was Sicheng,
Baoqing, and Nanning.
- Nicky
- What?
That's it. That's Lau's constellation.
- What do you mean?
- The scabbard map.
We've been looking up at the sky
trying to find the answers in the stars.
We should've been looking at the ground.
The locations of the 7 struggles
match the stars in Simon
Lau's constellation.
Okay, but Simon's tattoo had 8 points.
What if the eighth point is The Forge?
Nicky, it's in Yunnan.
I think The Forge is at the monastery.
This whole time
Zhilan could already
be on her way there.
The monks, my sisters.
I have to go now.
I'll call you back.
How much of that did you hear?
Enough.
So, you're leaving?
You're gonna miss the wedding?
I'm sorry, Althea.
But I don't know what choice
Yeah.
You do.
I hate this, but
You have to go.
I'm sorry.
Ahem.
Nicky has something to tell us.
I'm leaving.
Where are you going?
The monastery.
Mama, the sword, this birthright
Our family has suffered for
generations because of it.
Po Po, you ran away because
you were afraid of its power.
Auntie Mei-Xue went into hiding.
Mama, your secrets
nearly tore us all apart.
It has to end.
How? It's been this way for generations.
I don't know how.
But I'm going back to where it began,
where the weapons were made.
I think the answer is there.
Nicky, you don't know the danger.
I can't pass it on to Althea's
kids or Ryan's kids or my kids.
When?
Tonight.
Zhilan has all 8 weapons.
I can't wait.
I'm going to free us.
I'm going to end Biange
once and for all.
Hey. Almost ready.
Feeling like I should bring everything,
but I don't think I could
fit a corkboard in my bag.
You got your passport, right?
Henry I think I should
do this on my own.
This is my fight for my family
and I dragged you into this,
and you've been amazing,
- but it's time I let you go.
- Let me go?
But I want to do this.
I know.
That's what makes this so hard.
Is this about Vegas?
Tan's son gets the jump on me
- and now I'm not fit to come with you?
- No, it isn't that.
Seeing you hurt
Seeing Simon killed
It felt It felt like the
night at the monastery.
Watching Pei-Ling die,
losing so many of my sisters.
I was powerless to stop it
like I was powerless to protect Simon
and what if I can't protect you?
- What if
- Nicky, that's not your job.
I love you.
I love you. And I can't lose you.
And because I can't lose you,
I can't risk worrying about
you while I'm there.
What about me, huh?
What, am I supposed to stay behind,
with no idea what you're doing,
if you're safe, if you're even alive?
I can't.
I can't let you go alone because
I love you, too.
I believe in you.
But there's so much that we
don't know about The Forge,
about Biange, and if Zhilan finds you
I know.
I'm scared.
Then let me help.
You have.
It's my choice.
I have to go.
Did you know?
That I was a warrior?
Your warrior?
What do you think?
I think that your mother
trained my Po Po.
I think that our families
have been intertwined
for over 1,000 years.
How could you not know?
Why didn't you tell me?
You know I cannot answer that.
It doesn't matter.
Either way, I have to do this alone.
Links in a chain hold strong together.
If being home has taught you anything,
it is that the people around you,
the people you care for,
are what make you strong.
I can't let anyone
take this risk with me.
This warrior destiny is my burden.
The Nicky Shen I met
did not like following
the path laid out for her.
She always chose her own way.
What is in your heart, hmm?
What do you want?
My favorite candy.
Used to sneak out of the Wushu Academy
into Beijing just to buy these.
Can't get these in the bay area.
- I'm glad you're here.
- I'm glad you changed your mind.
- Well?
- Po Po!
What do you think?
And it fits like a dream.
I can actually breathe in it.
Most importantly, it will hold its shape
when you bend and serve me tea.
- Oh!
- Oh.
Psst. Hey.
How's it going up there?
- Looks like they're having fun.
- What?
Like actual relaxed fun.
What?
Nicky's gonna be okay, Baba.
Whatever happens, I believe in her.
I do, too. Speaking of your sister,
she left you something.
On the living room table. Come on.
Ahem.
"The Althea Shen Man of Honor Playbook:
- Hmm.
- "How to Guarantee Althea's Wedding Day
is the Best Day of Her Entire Life."
She wanted to make sure you got it
and follow it to a tee.
It's almost like a part of her
knew she wouldn't be here.
Wherever she is,
I hope she finds what she's looking for.
It's beautiful here.
Yeah. I've missed it.
I'm just glad I was able to see it.
Did you know they were restoring it?
I knew they were rebuilding, but
seeing it myself
You know her?
I'll introduce you.
Hua?
Nicky?
Hello, Henry, and welcome.
Thank you for allowing
me into this space.
The monastery
What you all have done is incredible.
Pei-Ling would be proud.
Why did you come back?
Is everything okay?
The woman who killed shifu
is more dangerous than ever.
Whatever comes, we are ready.
We train every day,
preparing ourselves to defend our home.
This time, we won't be caught unaware.
Nicky?
- Biyu.
- Oh!
It's so good to see you.
Did Hua show you? What we discovered?
This way.
This was covered with oak,
a false wall.
The wall was burned in the fire.
What's inside?
Had it not been for the fire,
we never would have found this.
Nicky, do you know what this is?
It looks like some kind of door.
To what?
I think it leads to The Forge.
- What's that sound?
- Intruder.
What are you doing here?
I'm here for you. For Biange.
Nicky Shen, we have
so much to talk about.
Greg, move your head.