Billions (2016) s05e05 Episode Script
Contract
1
[SENIOR] Previously on Billions
You know why I can see Yonkers' future?
[AXE] 'Cause I can see its past.
Mike Prince is Axe's real enemy.
You know the house he
lives in now was my house.
Come on back, and have dinner with us.
I'll make meatloaf.
Can't wait.
Dinner at home in my hometown.
Only I'm not gonna allow
you to do any work.
I'm gonna bring my chef.
We should do it
turn Mase Cap into an impact fund.
- Together. Within Axe Cap. But ours.
- Yes.
[WALKER] We were thrilled to
hear that you might be interested
[WALKER] in teaching here at
the Law School this semester.
Professor Rhoades. I'm
Oh, I know Catherine Brant.
I heard you were up here.
You know my new artist Tanner
I got working on commission.
- [WENDY] Yeah.
- [AXE] He's not working.
You're on the precipice
of the kind of success
very few artists ever have.
Look.
There we go.
You'll be the first to
see it when it's done.
I better be.
I'm fine with you winning in Yonkers.
[PRINCE] Yonkers is you.
[PRINCE] You are Yonkers.
You've never really left.
[PRINCE] You stink of the place.
[PRINCE] And now you're back in it.
I've gotta get the fuck
out of this dipshit town.
Baby brother.
But you suddenly showing up here
Must mean you want something.
The one thing you do with
those hands better than fight.
There's a safe?
My father called me.
His alliance with Axe isn't over.
[CHUCK] What other venture
are they embarking upon?
[SACKER] They're going into banking.
Then so are we.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Well, I want to be ready
I want to be ready
- I want to be ready
- I want to
Walk in Jerusalem just like John
Well, I want to be ready
- I want to be ready
- There you go.
- I want to be ready
- I want to walk in
To walk in Jerusalem just like John
Well, my God told me just what to do
Walk in
We have to fire him.
"Have to" is a bit strong.
We have to breathe.
Have to find shelter.
Food to eat.
We don't have to fire Winston
"Should." I can co-sign should.
We should fire him.
- Then we will.
- Will we?
We said no exceptions.
The exact words were:
"Strive for no exceptions."
- Meaning
- So Winston's the perfect fit.
- You said
- No.
Winston's Tony Stewart in 2005.
Cocky 'cause he drives fast,
but too brazen, too cutthroat.
He'll punch you on pit row,
or run you over.
But like Stewart, he gets results.
Sure. At Taylor Mason Capital.
But we're building something new.
Tell me he sees the Matrix
and we're done here.
I can't tell you he sees the Matrix.
I saw the Matrix before they
even made the fucking movie!
And I was like five years old then.
Rest my case.
Wait, you really want to fire me?
I thought I was gonna
get a two percent slice
of the new company.
Dave Mustaine thought he
would return to Metallica.
I get the new slogan:
No more ass-pounding the planet.
Earth-positive approach.
We go to Phish concerts
with our investors.
But we still love money too, right?
The math works the same no
matter the names we own.
And that is where you
will always need me.
"Need." Again, that overstates it.
Sell us on what you alone
add to this particular
kind of investing.
Back to you soon.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
What we need are true believers
with hard and soft skills.
If they don't work here now,
we have to find 'em.
[CALDER] I know, honey.
She's just a bad pony
But it's better you found out now,
rather than later.
Well, she'd better
give Grammy's ring back
that's meant for a wife not a slut
Oh, uh. Alright. Listen, I gotta go.
I'll talk to you later.
Yeah. Love you.
Well, Ms. Calder.
Ah.
Not every day the top legal officers
of the state pop up on my calendar.
Kind of like a digital rectal exam.
- What's on your mind?
- Bobby Axelrod.
Specifically, an application he
submitted for a bank charter.
- I'm aware of it.
- Well, we would like you
to stall the approval.
And then deny it.
And why would I do that?
All of the preliminary
paperwork seems fine.
We need straight-up banks in this state,
and he's like an old Jack
Kramer stored without a press:
permanently warped.
You can prevent crimes
before they happen
just by saying no.
This isn't Minority Report.
Now, we follow a process.
A crime happens, you deal with it later.
Certainly an expert in banking
like yourself understands
the concept of taking
out a line of credit.
Well, imagine what I can
pay back with interest.
Not every day the top legal officers
of the state pop onto your calendar.
- Go on.
- Do this for us,
and if you're ever in desperate straits,
reach out for us,
and just watch what we can do.
Oh. You mean like prosecuting
someone to settle a political grudge.
Oh.
I would never prosecute someone
unless they had actually
but, uh, yes.
- Sure.
- Yeah, yeah.
You know what?
Um, see, I don't walk around
with a McCarthy list
- like you do, so
- [SACKER] Mm.
You seemed awfully upset
about someone when we arrived.
Yeah, that was about
my son's ex-fiancée.
That bitch broke off the engagement,
but she won't give the ring back.
- Oh.
- That ring was smuggled
out of Germany
sewn into the lining of my father's coat
[CALDER] right at the
beginning of World War II.
[CALDER] I mean, that that
It's a family heirloom
Well. There may be legal remedies.
We could go after her in
court and get it back.
That would give you a very
special place in my heart.
Drag your feet on the
approval to give me a chance.
Alright. Let's go get this fucking bank.
Give me the sign when
you want me to play
- bad cop in the meeting.
- No call for that.
They have the documents.
They've signaled to us
that this process should go
as smooth as a freshly waxed
Prom queen?
PBA lane.
That's Professional Bowlers Association.
Ah. Right.
- You sure you don't want a bad cop?
- We're sure, Wags.
But I love bad cop.
I've been rehearsing all morning.
Spyros, why the Alfred the Butler getup?
Naturally, I assume you'll
want your eques of equities,
your consul of compliance,
to join you in the assault
on the ramparts of
government regulators.
Bad cop. Go.
When the meeting calls for
an organ grinder's monkey
to come shake his
cappuccino cup for nickels,
we'll let you know.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Sorry. I-I can't approve this just yet.
There's another bank
representing that zone.
There is not.
If you look in the papers
right in front of you there,
- you'll see
- Vark Community Bank.
Vark isn't even FDIC-insured.
- You can't possibly expect us
- Vark is a shining jewel
in the Banking Development
District Program.
They serve many hardworking,
undocumented customers.
Now, you run Vark off the ranch,
and where else are these
people supposed to graze?
I dunno. Immigration Services?
If that's humor, it's left me cold.
And if it's your real answer,
then it's left you out in the cold.
Now, we are not going to proceed
[CALDER] with issuing a charter
unless you can convince me
that there is a greater
banking need in this zip code.
Go ahead.
Show me a competitive
analysis that says so.
Oh, and also,
you're gonna need to propose, um,
a suitable candidate for CEO.
[CALDER] You better
have someone captaining
this ship that's legitimate,
or the ship doesn't leave the dock.
Turns out we didn't need the good cop.
You're right about that.
It was all naked fucking
Harvey Keitel in there.
- It doesn't make any sense.
- It does.
Harvey Keitel was Bad Lieutenant.
- He's saying the banking person
- He knows, Wags.
He means the timing is odd.
The sudden turn against us.
- Mike Prince?
- Maybe.
Him or Chuck.
Get Hall with the banking
team working on Vark Bank.
And get with Lauren
and find another CEO.
Someone who is squeaky clean,
but ya know
Someone who doesn't squeak
when they need to get dirty.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You should've gone to
that dinner with the kid.
Yeah?
And you should've gone to law school
instead of journalism school.
You'd be able to buy
yourself a decent jacket.
That's probably true.
Doesn't matter now.
- But the dinner?
- Yeah. Matters.
We made such a public
spectacle about you attending,
that kid, his mom
My chef presented them
with a three-star meal
- pasta course, meat and fish
- Yumilicious.
But it was never about the meal.
And because you left 'em hanging
- Ah, fuck, really?
- Yeah.
Local reporter in Yonkers is on it.
Looking to do a hit piece.
It's the only way a journalist
can get enough clicks
to buy himself a decent jacket.
Hmm.
Actually, there is another way.
You make this disappear, Randy,
[AXE] I'll buy out the
fucking Armani store for you.
'Cause if it looks like I used this kid
Savion as a prop to get
the O.Z. deal approved
It'll make you look like a plutocrat,
parking assets
to save on cap gains taxes, while
Costing me my fucking bank.
How much time we have?
It'll run in the next day or two.
Soon as he gets an interview
with Savion or the mother.
Mnh-mnh. Can't fucking happen.
Get with this reporter,
and think about how to move him off.
And you?
Heading back to Yonkers
- Yo, take the ball.
- Give me that.
Learn how to play some "D." Yo.
Yo. Watch out, dawg. Watch out.
Alright, homey, you good?
Hey, we good.
Um, I'mma catch up with y'all later.
Oh.
There you go.
She dumped me.
What'd she say?
Nothing.
Ghosted.
That's a lot of texts.
From you. Unanswered.
Maybe you should have pumped
the brakes after three.
Or four. Or five.
Now, instead of thinking about
yield curves and PE ratios,
all I can think about is
Em and where it went wrong.
Look, you said, uh,
before she complained about
My cuddle noises.
Yes.
I'm an affectionate person.
My cuddling takes on a vocal aspect.
- You think that's why
- Yeah, well, sounds
like it was a little too much too soon.
Maybe pace yourself
on the cuddling next time.
And dead the noises
until you're sure they're welcome.
I'm sorry, I have a meeting.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
Rian.
You turned me down when
I tried to hire you
as an analyst at Axe Capital.
I wasn't emotionally prepared
for that whole sitch.
Why, specifically,
did you reject that offer?
Axe Cap is a profit juggernaut.
Cool. But not for me.
Sorry, not sorry.
This is different.
It looks the same.
It's at the same address.
There are many of the same faces.
So why would my answer be
anything but thanks but nah?
This place in here
is also for profit,
and will soon be a juggernaut too.
But this is an impact fund.
[TAYLOR] Not just no harm,
[TAYLOR] but positive social
and environmental impact.
We're looking for responsible gains.
And to expand the adoption
of renewable energy.
Swick.
That's a mashup of swag and slick.
It sure is.
So how exactly does your algo work?
Um. Half the human
population spends at least
three decades on a menstrual cycle.
We're talking four billion people.
A huge chunk of that market sector
needs feminine hygiene
supplies every 28 days.
And many don't have access yet.
What's your data set?
With public health records,
cotton and shipping
prices around the world,
we can triangulate the most
effective way to get resources
where they're needed most
and anticipate demand.
Are you solving one problem
by creating another?
- How so?
- Landfills. Polluted oceans.
Biodegradables address that.
There are companies out
there ready to scale up.
They need capital.
Let us discuss it and get back to you.
It's called the Taco Algo.
[CHUCKLES]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
- Well?
- She's sharp as fuck. Nice call.
I'll backtest her program,
make sure it's not bullshit.
But yeah. Good.
Recruiters make whole careers
delivering talent like that.
Ah. You want to discuss equity.
Axe is in for half,
so it's up to us to allocate the rest.
What do you think?
Ten percent was my initial instinct.
Shit. I was thinking
we'd be equal partners.
No you weren't. But you have to
say that in order to negotiate.
- I hate posturing.
- Me too.
So make me your best offer.
Because I'm feeling devalued.
You are an integral part
of this endeavor, Wendy.
I do value your contribution.
You may hate posturing,
but you're doing it.
Ten percent is a non-starter.
Give me some time to
think about what's fair.
This was your idea.
Don't break balls.
Make it worth it for
me to keep it going.
Message received.
Nice meeting you. Yeah. Have a good one.
See ya.
Seriously, dude. What the fuck?
Don't you see what's happening?
We're getting picked off one by one.
Wendy brought her in.
Yeah, Rian told me. Seems cool.
Really knows her shit.
Her name is Rian?
- Are you serious?
- With an I.
Badass.
Fuck. We are so screwed.
We're living Ex Machina.
Chill out, 8Chan.
They just need to bring on some
new analysts for the new
Meaning less room for Taylor's
people and more for Wendy's.
- It's a consp
- Conspiracy? Sure.
Start a subreddit, it'll go great
with the Stevie-Wonder-can-see truthers.
Hey, they have a point,
have you seen him play
They do not have a point.
Whatever.
You seem awfully comfortable
for a guy who knows firsthand
what Wendy Rhoades is capable of doing.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Ex-fiancée lives in a doorman
building on the Upper East Side.
Recently called for a
locksmith to change her locks
and put all Calder family
members on the no-visit list.
No indication she has a safe deposit box
or has tried to pawn any jewelry.
So she's keeping it.
Likely at home.
We help the kid bring suit.
Law's a little mushy on this.
Ring is a conditional gift.
Condition is marriage. She owes it back.
She'll claim it's a legal gift.
No condition, nothing owed.
Also depends on who broke it off.
Not in the eyes of the law.
She could also offer to repay the value,
keep the ring itself.
Shit.
Like I said: mushy.
Why are you so quiet?
Because I have an idea that I
really shouldn't say out loud.
I made with the devil for my soul
I saw a ring of fire down
You familiar with "contract", Savion?
Yeah. Deal you sign.
Mm.
That's a contract, not 'contract.'
Contract is an
understanding between men,
that they see things the same way,
that they'll keep code.
That they'll honor the
spirit of their relationship
even in unforeseen circumstances.
Like some nomadic dream
Like that, uh
the arrangement we had
when we told the story
that should hold
even if attempts were made
to re-tell that story.
I made a deal with
the devil for my soul
Understand?
Jesus, oh, Jesus
Lord, what have I done?
I have lived a life of sin
Word is bond.
Yeah. That's a good way to put it.
Maybe someday soon like Judas
I'll be hanging from a rope
I made a deal with
the devil for my soul
It's bullshit though.
You got what you needed,
and then you flaked on dinner.
Ain't the first time.
That's a pattern,
and I recognize it from my own life.
No matter how far you run
So that other shit
He always knows where you are
is null and void.
He's around every corner
And you?
At the end of every road
Well, shit.
I made a deal with the devil
You can fuck off.
For my soul
Someday soon,
I will have to pay I know
I made a deal with the devil
For my soul
Why am I here?
Tell him, Karl.
Because skels like you,
who show twelve grand a year
in legitimate income,
don't go window-shopping for Bugattis.
[ALLERD] Because we know you're
actually casing the place.
And because we know you
know the night porter
from a stint in Coxsackie Correctional.
Grand theft auto is a heavy charge.
One we're saving you from.
Sit.
Thank you, Karl.
You know who we are?
[DOOR CLOSES]
Not only do I know who you are,
Mr. Connerty,
I bet I know the wishes in your heart.
And I'll grant them if you rub the lamp.
I'm not gonna rub anything of yours.
[CHUCKLES]
You want your brother
in a safer facility,
with full privileges,
closer to home for visits.
Yes?
Well, I need a specialist,
someone with a particular set of skills
to help me recover some stolen property.
Wait. I-I-I swear
I've seen this movie before.
Don't tell me.
There's a safe.
There might be a safe.
- There's definitely a locked door.
- [CHUCK] Mm.
I'm guessing there's a reason
you didn't call a locksmith.
Best we run silent,
run deep on this one.
Protect everyone involved.
Except my ass.
No, especially you.
Imagine how grateful Bryan would be
to know you had a hand in his
move to Otisville Prison Camp.
Only an hour and a
half outside the city.
So much easier for you and
your ma to visit more often.
I mean, the place has got a gym,
a library,
vending machines with candy bars,
[CHUCK] salt 'n vinegar chips,
and soda pop.
There's one with deli sandwiches.
I hear the tuna's actually pretty good.
Still prison.
And you two are the ones
who fucking put him there.
Your brother made choices
against my advice,
might I add
that landed him where he is.
That's not on us.
[CHUCK] But if you help us,
there is no telling what
kind of recommendation
we could make to the parole board.
[SIGHS]
[CLEARS THROAT]
I'll do this. On one condition though.
- Name it.
- You gotta go pay him a visit.
- For what?
- Not you.
Just you, Rhoades.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
He has something he wants to tell you.
In person.
Something private.
Looking a man in the eyes.
The way we used to do
back in the old days.
Old school I can do.
Why should we hand our bank over to you?
I'm glad you asked.
I've been waiting for that question.
I'm glad you asked.
- I'm talking, people, about the same old game
- This is great.
Did you have anything else?
Sure. Why should we hire you
and not one of the other candidates?
- I'd be glad to answer.
- I'll be glad to answer.
I'll be glad to answer.
The game itself will hold you back
Check out your mind
and don't be blind
To the numbers game
Strong set of potential bank CEOs.
Not strong enough.
They had all the qualifications
Not strong enough!
It has to be someone very special.
Not just a financial wizard,
but someone respected outside and in.
They have to vibe with Axe.
And gain his trust. The
search must continue.
[DOLLAR BILL] Okay, come on. Focus.
- [TUK LAL] Oh, yes!
- That was out.
No, no, no, no!
It was right there.
[DOLLAR BILL] Come on. Come on.
Come on, man. You got this.
You got it. Yes!
- Oh!
- Oh, could not be better!
- [MAN] Oh!
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What, am I paying you all to sit around
and make like George Blanda
with your fingers all day?
We got something.
It's been a week since the honeymoon.
We couldn't even get
married in our countries.
Lucky we met here.
In America.
Land of the free.
We're so in love.
- Mm.
- Can't wait to settle down.
We're hoping you can
help us with a home loan.
Mm-mm-mmm.
WTF's with that noise?
I can't help it
That's great, guys.
Congrats on your nuptials.
We're prepared to offer you 8.5 percent.
That's way above prime.
Yeah.
You're not great credit risks.
No one else will even give you this.
And, uh, did you say your countries?
Does that mean you're not U.S. citizens?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
They hosed us on the rate.
We also have
'em on tape saying we could fill out
our immigration status any way we wanted
and they wouldn't verify it.
That's fraud. Actual
And not all rates are,
shall we say, equal.
Okay, Mister Martin.
Looks like we can lock you in at 2.8.
So close to prime we're not
even making anything on it.
You're a friend to the working man.
[BOTH LAUGH]
[DOLLAR BILL] White
guy gets the good rate.
Xenophobia, homophobia, racism
we can serve them up
all three or slice it any way you want.
We caught everything on camera.
I was going for a Dog Day Afternoon vibe
with the footage,
but the lighting in there was not
Good work, Victor.
Hey. Give props where props are due.
This was Eveready's.
I learned a lesson the hard way
when I was buying an
apartment in the City.
Sometimes it's better to
let your white fiancée
from Riverdale do all the talking.
So should we deploy the munitions?
Nah. Hold off a beat.
I can use this in trade to
help me with my reporter issue.
Excellent work, men.
[CHEERING]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
How much did she ask for,
how much did you offer?
Fifty. Ten. Like you suggested.
Big gap.
It's a question of value
- Excuse me.
- Okay.
and loyalty.
[TANNER] You like staring
at screens all day,
or you wanna see something
fucked up and beautiful?
Is that you or your
paintings you're describing?
Mm. We know it's both.
You looking for a power boost?
[TANNER] Oh, no.
[TANNER] That sounds like celery
and wheatgrass in human form.
But I would like to hang.
I'd like to hang. Yeah.
[WENDY] I'll drop by later.
Good.
[BUZZER]
[DOOR OPENS]
[BUZZER]
[DOOR OPENS]
You can uncuff him. We're fine.
[HANDCUFFS CLICK]
I understand you have
something to say
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES]
[BUZZER]
Fair's fucking fair.
Come on!
Come on. Come on. Let's go. Let's go.
Yeah, so, we have at least four,
maybe five.
[AXE] Mm-hmm.
Alright.
Hold on.
You're back.
Met with the local reporter.
I offered the story on the bank
in exchange for killing the one on you.
And?
It made him know he had something.
- No trade.
- Oh. Fuck.
Yeah.
Can I run with the bank story?
Will that help?
Both of us.
Yeah.
Get with Victor for the footage.
Great. You?
Heading back to fucking Yonkers.
Again.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[DOORBELL RINGS]
Bobby.
- Hey, Ma.
- Hey.
[SIGHS] I don't know.
It just sounds so
Come on, Ma.
Everyone in town respects you.
Go to Savion's mother.
Convince her to steer her
son to abide by local code
Don't talk.
[SIGHS]
I'll give it what I got.
Hey, whose is that Honda
Pilot in the driveway?
Oh.
Me. Mine. Who else?
No, I mean,
where's the Lexus I bought you?
I sold it.
And downgraded?
It just had all these
features I didn't need.
So I got something simpler.
I hope you're not offended, honey.
Nothing you do could offend me.
- Mwah. Thank you.
- Okay.
Alright.
[DOOR OPENS]
Hall
Pull up my mother's auto registration.
Recent transactions.
See anything strange, let me know.
Poor guy lost the girl and the ring.
Well, we're giving him back
the one we can.
It'll help a little.
You don't seem like the
type who'd need a ring.
Oh, I can be traditional in my needs.
Oh, yeah? Well.
Tell me more about 'em, these needs.
I think not.
Come with me.
To the, um the jewelry heist?
Jewelry repo.
And yeah. Fuck yeah.
No.
Wait for me outside?
No.
Meet up after the job?
Maybe.
Mm. That's not a no.
It's also not a yes.
We're in the Age of Consent now.
That doesn't mean that
we've stopped enjoying
how it feels to break the rules.
[CLEARS THROAT]
[SCOFFS]
[CHUCKLES]
Okay.
Her yoga class is about to start.
I should go get set up.
I'm in the water.
Swimming.
Coming up for a bit of air now.
Is that how you think of your process?
Like being submerged?
Ah. To call it "my process"
makes me sound like a prick.
Like I'm full of myself.
You give a shit what other people think?
No. To me.
I-I sound like a prick to myself.
I mean, this shit should just
flow without any thought.
Definitely no thought of the self.
That's always the goal.
It's the hard part.
Yeah.
See? I-I knew you would know.
You'd understand.
Really?
We just met.
Yeah, but you see more than most.
Obviously.
Being around you makes me feel
a lot.
It's good.
It's also very exposed.
Hmm.
Prefer to expose yourself
in those, right?
No. I prefer to live in them.
Not care about the rest.
You know. About opinions.
But I want yours.
I have one.
And you'd like it.
But I'm not ready to offer it yet.
And I'm not sure I should.
The artist doesn't need me
to tell him what he's saying.
You know,
I've thought that if I met Miles Davis
or Hank Aaron
that, uh, I wouldn't need to use words
to tell them why they mattered.
I-I would just meet their eyes.
And they would know.
And then I would know.
I could never be that cool
in a situation like that
if I met Megan Rapinoe
or Murakami.
Yeah, well, I-I said
I thought I knew how I would be.
But I actually met Hank Aaron
ten years back once.
You know what I did?
Tell me.
I asked him to sign my fucking hat.
[BOTH LAUGH]
I did. Before I knew it
the words just came out.
The only thing he saw in my
eyes was a pain-in-the-ass fan.
I want to show you something.
[LAUREN] I'm gonna ask
you a couple of questions.
Is this like an online
quiz or something?
No.
And don't try to add 'em up,
see what I'm getting at.
Just answer one at a time.
- And then
- Ask away.
How smart is Wendy Rhoades?
General intelligence: top one percent.
Person to person, with EQ included,
top one half of one percent.
How good is Wendy Rhoades at gameplay?
In the important games,
the ones not played on boards or fields:
again, top one half of one percent.
Why do we like Wendy Rhoades?
Because we do like her.
Is that real?
You asked me not to jump ahead.
But I have to
You're really wondering
why we're trusting Wendy
and you are suggesting
that maybe we shouldn't.
I'm not the only one feeling this way
It's a coup d'etat.
I didn't think so. But he convinced me.
We're through the looking glass here,
people.
Wendy Rhoades is pushing
Taylor Mason loyalists out of power.
Me, I would almost understand
after the whole Garbage Person Incident.
Mafee, you have nothing to worry about.
- You sure?
- Positive.
- He doesn't but I do?!
- Mm.
- I knew it!
- Phew.
And Stevie Wonder?
- Blind.
- Told you!
[LAUREN] If we look at
it through this lens,
it's possible Wendy has taken an
interest in me to fuck with you.
And has agreed to work with you
to destabilize the entire endeavor.
Yes. It's possible.
- But not what's going on.
- Push comes to it,
she will always stick with Axe over you.
And because we know that
all of us know that
that danger won't present.
Well, I'm going to put her on notice.
- To protect you.
- No.
I appreciate your loyalty.
But I'm protecting you
when I tell you not to.
Do not get in the middle of this.
Fine.
Then at least make sure
you retain control.
Cut her in, but limit her.
Yes. I'm willing to go to 25%.
Cap it at 15%.
Anything more and you're
giving away too much ownership.
Giving her too much negative control.
Just so you know,
the minute I see a rat, I'm outta here.
Come this way.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[WENDY] How did you get
access to this place?
I know some people.
- Oh, you do, do you?
- Mm.
I used to work on a demo
crew back in the day.
You studied that the way other
painters study landscapes.
It called to me.
Yeah.
How close is this one to coming down?
Well, they're just stripping
the last bits of value now.
It's the copper piping.
And the fixtures.
That's the way it goes in the end.
Buildings. Relationships.
Empires.
We're always trying to hold
onto what we think matters.
We almost always get it wrong.
And that's your subject, isn't it?
What we grab onto while
everything comes down around us.
Or I just like watching destruction.
Oh.
You'll be here when it falls.
Well, I'm hoping
that we'd be here together.
And this way,
when the world is crumbling around us,
I know I'm holding onto something good.
How often are you going
to show up to our dates
with a new bruise?
Mm.
- No, this wasn't, uh
- I'm kidding, Chuck.
Yes, of course.
But I suppose you have questions
Oh. You need to know I
don't judge in that area.
Whatever works for you.
But not everything works for me.
No. Of course.
Uh.
Does my
modality, um
No. I can have fun in that modality.
It just can't be the only modality.
Mm-hmm.
If we say modality again,
I'm worried the whole thing's gonna turn
into a science project.
So. Ask me anything.
And be as direct as you possibly can.
Some subs I've known
don't like
Shit. Fine.
I'm just gonna ask it:
Do you like penetrative sex?
Does it work for you?
Oh, uh, in the right setting,
it really works.
Oh, the father taught me
To walk in Jerusalem just like John
Oh, tell 'em about the wood,
I just can't
Walk in Jerusalem just like John
There he is.
I'm gonna walk, walk,
walk, walk, walk
Walk in Jerusalem just like John
Mm-mm-mmm!
Gonna walk, strut, singing tall
Walk in Jerusalem just like John
Well, I want to be ready
Yeah, I want to be ready
- Yeah-ah I want to be ready
- Well
To walk in Jerusalem just like John
Hey, hey, hey
- I want to be ready, yeah
- I want to be ready
- Yeah
- I want to be ready
To walk in Jerusalem
Just like John
Dad. What happened? What's wrong?
Nothing to worry about, none of you.
Same reason I-I sent Roxanne
and Willow home, goddamnit.
I don't want any any pity.
Wendy.
Chuck.
- Oh. This is
- [WENDY] Cat Brant.
I read The O Gap.
I found it very informative.
Helpful even.
Glad to hear it.
This is Tanner.
- Hey.
- Ah.
A painter, huh?
Well. Pleased to meet you.
Although I'm not entirely sure
why it's standing room only in here.
It's what happens when you
don't answer your phone, Chuck.
They go through the
emergency contact list.
I got the call, Wend. And came running.
I think maybe I'll just
Yeah. I'll just step outside.
What the hell happened here?
His kidneys. Renal failure.
Oh, for Christ's sake.
Dad, were you in pain
and not telling us?
You get fucking old If I reported
on every ache and pain,
it'd be a daily bulletin.
One minute I was playing
with your little sister.
Next thing I know,
I'm on my back staring up
at a fucking paramedic.
How serious are we talking here?
The doctors are running some tests,
but they think he'll need a
kidney transplant in order to
survive.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
So, did you, uh
Good news.
Mm.
Bad news. You're not finished.
Chuck wants it placed.
We never discussed that.
Mm. You'll do it as payback for
setting him up to get punched.
- Ah.
- Yeah.
You like that your little scheme worked.
Don't you?
You got Chuck a busted-up face.
I do at that.
Hmm.
Well. I guess your brother deserved
the chance to crack him one.
You're complicated.
Smart.
You don't know the half of it.
I want to, though.
I want to know the whole thing.
Is it always like this after the heist?
The rush.
Why do you think I do it?
I dunno.
The girls?
I don't like girls.
I go for smart, complicated women.
Mm.
Andiamo.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
These fucking ingrates at this hospital.
I've built a wing.
Raised a fund to build another.
And they have the nerve to tell me that
because of my age,
liquor and cigar intake,
I'm ineligible to be on the
fucking transplant list.
Dad, we'll sort it all out.
No doubt.
Let me get on it.
You know I don't rattle easy, Sonny.
But I really need you to
come through for me now.
Cuz I'm scared shitless.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Boom! And there it is.
Boycotts began when video surfaced
[KORNBLUTH] showing lenders
engaging in a systemic practice
[KORNBLUTH] of discrimination.
[KORNBLUTH] This sparked an outpouring
[KORNBLUTH] of similar
stories from the community.
It wasn't long after that that
the rush to withdraw began,
and deposits on hand weren't sufficient
to cover withdrawals.
[KORNBLUTH] And now,
no one seems to know when,
[KORNBLUTH] or if,
Vark Community Bank will reopen
Yeah!
That is one dead community bank.
We fucking did it, fellas.
Ben Kim, take our reporter
Randy Kornbluth to Armani
and get him a new suit.
And Dollar Bill,
take these boys out for steaks.
In Paris. Or Vegas.
Or just buy em each a goddamned steer!
Let's go, boys!
Thanks.
- That sounds awesome.
- Yeah.
I'll get Bach to get us
with the banking lady asap.
Yeah. You got a CEO for us?
Still cogitating on it.
What?
Are you Wilford fucking Brimley now?
Less coge, more action.
Any word on the other
Yonkers story breaking?
So far, so quiet, so good.
Good. Better stay that way.
Or that bank charter may
still not land in our laps.
[DOOR OPENS]
Your, uh
Your mother didn't sell her car.
Yeah. No. I saw she was lying.
She gave it away.
Out with it.
To your father.
They're in contact?
Her phone records show, yes. Recently.
That fucking grifter is back in town?
And preying on her?
He was in California for a while.
He made his presence known
in the card rooms there,
got chased for bad credit,
headed for Arizona
home repair business
fled the state behind that bankruptcy.
Then, yeah, he landed here.
Sought out your mom.
I'll bet he did.
You playing angles or coming legit?
No angle.
I've spent my life trying to help
other people fulfill their potential.
For a change,
I want to help build
something that's truly mine.
- And Taylor's.
- Of course.
- It's just you didn't say it.
- Doesn't need saying.
They own most of it.
And while we're talking I'll just say:
I've only gotten a taste
of this new venture,
but I am energized and fucking
inspired to be involved.
Is that so? Because I think
Lauren, I asked you not to do this.
Yeah, well,
I asked you not to trust her blindly.
Looks like we both ignored the requests.
The path of our negotiation
leads to 25% of my piece.
Yes. I think that's fair
Which is why I'm giving you 40.
[TAYLOR] I need to be senior,
but I need you fully
invested and without doubt.
And are you? Without doubt?
There's uncertainty in almost
everything that comes next.
The essence of our job
is to overcome that
and take calculated risks.
But in this moment,
I'm sure there's no way forward
without Wendy and I working in concert,
as partners.
But Lauren, you are essential
to the success of this entire thing.
If you have doubt, or seed doubt
Once you two shake on it, that's it.
I'm in.
And I want to be proven wrong.
You will be.
Mm-hmm.
Bobby, you get my message?
She said she understood,
but she has no idea
what the kid's gonna do.
He's a total wild card.
She thinks she's probably
gonna listen to her son
Mm. Which is what you should have done.
Listen. I did what you asked.
I'm sorry I couldn't
change her mind for you.
[AXE] The car, Ma.
I know what you did
that you gave it to Dad.
You have your people snooping on me now?
What, he try to con you out of it,
blackmail you, what?
- No.
- Then why the fuck
would you do anything to help him?
After everything we've been through.
Okay, look. I saw him.
He was at a bus stop, Bobby.
We spoke.
[LAUREL] He said he was
having trouble finding work.
He couldn't get around.
I felt sorry for him, Bobby.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
That's fine, Ma.
You did what you did,
[AXE] and you know I love you.
But I'm warning you now:
If you ever speak to him again,
I will know it, and I will cut you off
and you will be left with nothing.
Just like him.
Settling in okay, Rian?
Already feels like home.
Of course,
I left home the second I got the chance.
But yeah. Settling nice.
Crowding me a bit,
if anyone's concerned about that.
Not so much, actually.
Well. You should be.
Instead of deciding
whether to keep me on,
you should be trying to
convince me to stay on.
Because while you've been
plotting how to replace me
with Gal Gadot's quirky sister,
I've been busy.
I've figured how to offload
all the non-green investments
from Mason Capital to
ease your transition
to becoming an impact fund.
Wow. Good catch.
Can you add as well as you subtract?
Are you kidding me with this?
Well. It actually helps
that he's outside the camp,
don't you think?
Studies have proven that
a diversity of opinions
really strengthens an organization.
Impact funds really benefit from having
a capitalist douche on
staff as a bellwether.
I mean, if you can sell
impact plays to him,
you know they'll be viable to anyone.
Well, then we have to keep him.
Welcome back aboard.
I've been aboard, the whole damn time.
Be happy and don't be so fucking needy.
That's what my first girlfriend said.
And my last one.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
So. Whose name is on the
application for the CEO?
While all the candidates
were deeply flawed,
I finally know the right one
Moi.
You're going full Dick Cheney?
Wags, no one loves you more than me,
but the rules say I need someone
with prior banking experience.
I did the Chemical Bank summer
program back during college.
I was a teller and everything.
You'd have to step
down as COO of Axe Cap.
Officially. You said you wanted someone
technically clean but
willing to get dirty.
Huh.
Look at you,
in all your sartorial splendor.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Did you get a manicure?
I did.
Straighten your fucking tie, let's go.
You want a state banking charter
because you won't have to divest
your non-banking activities.
I don't want to give you
a state banking charter
for that very reason.
See, the shit you want to do
is the shit this office
is not comfortable with.
Wait a minute,
if there was a conflict all along
then why weren't we notified?
Consider this notification.
Who got to you?
Excuse me?
Someone's won you over somehow,
got you to see the world
the way they see it.
Instead of the way it really is.
Am I right?
Because we all know
this rap about conflict
- is total horseshit.
- Mm.
- Damnit, I was gonna be a CEO
- Wags!
I'm insulted by your insinuation,
Mr. Axelrod.
[CALDER] Now,
if you have any evidence of collusion,
I invite you to take it up
with the oversight committee.
Otherwise, I suggest you leave
before I consider an outright ban.
How's your father?
Oh. We're not in the clear yet.
But, uh, he's an ox.
It'll take more than renal
failure to kill that man.
Will it?
Yes. No. It can be fatal, I know.
I'm working on it.
Good.
And thank you for coming along with me.
It's not what you signed up for.
I'm always a fan of family drama.
So what next?
Do you have your kids tonight?
They happen to be with
the nanny at Wendy's.
Our night got interrupted.
Let's get it started again.
[MID-TEMPO MUSIC]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
Yo, I see you flexing with this move.
And buying this house.
Bought us that other one, too.
So, what, am I gonna have to owe you for
the rest of my life now?
Nah. We're square now.
I appreciate you keeping your
mouth shut to that reporter.
Yeah.
I don't talk.
I see that.
Before you leave
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
and from one man of
the house to another,
I want you to know
that your father will sniff you out.
He will find you in the
rarified air of Scarsdale.
And the even more rarified
air of living debt-free.
He'll want to re-enter your life.
That life.
Try to chip off a piece.
Don't let him.
Yo, my pops is gone.
He ain't coming back.
No. He will
And no good will come of it.
Take a look around this place.
Go on.
Let your eyes drink it all in.
All the people, your friends, the rest.
And then forget about every
single last one of 'em
and move the fuck on.
Done.
One more thing,
we may never see each other again,
but if you ever need anything
if you're ever stuck,
you need a doctor, or a lawyer,
or a plane to get you out of somewhere,
you know that you can call
me and I'm there for you.
Of course.
I mean, we got contract.
[MAN] We're good.
Think it's bad luck to be
empty-handed for the toast.
Luck? There's probability,
plausibility and actuality.
Luck is superstition.
Luck is lazy math.
That's what I always say!
Hey. Maybe we should
Don't press.
Right.
[GLASS CLINKS]
Thank you guys so much
for staying late
later than you normally work
but we have something
we want to show you.
I want to officially welcome each of you
to Taylor Mason Carbon.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
[CELLPHONE VIBRATES]
Hey. We're having a little party.
You should come.
[AXE] Nah not now.
Oh.
You need me
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[WENDY] Your old room.
Never thought I'd find myself
back in this place again.
The things it's drawing back up for me.
Fuck.
Tell me one.
I'd sit here, you know,
waiting to see how his car
would come down the road.
I could tell, just from the way
he turned into the driveway,
the way his keys jangled in the door,
the kind of night it was going to be.
And if it was gonna be a bad one.
I'd try to distract him.
So he wouldn't start in on her.
So he'd leave my mother alone.
Tell him something that
happened in my day.
A fight I got into
or a kid's ass I kicked or
Sometimes it worked for a while.
But never for very long.
Eventually
I felt so fucking
powerless sitting here.
I didn't know how I was going to do it,
but I swore one day
I'd put myself in a
position where no one
and nothing had power over me like that.
That's why you didn't
show up here for dinner.
You couldn't.
You cleared it out pretty nicely.
You gonna burn it to the ground?
I'd like to.
And the whole town with it, huh?
I can't give in to
that kind of thinking.
But
But I can make sure no one ever lives
in this fucking place again.
And that's enough?
All you need to make
yourself feel better?
Almost.
[MAN] Hey!
[MAN] Hey!
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
Twenty four and there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two
Love lost, such a cost
Give me things that don't get lost
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you
Old man, take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love
me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
And you can tell that's true
[SENIOR] Previously on Billions
You know why I can see Yonkers' future?
[AXE] 'Cause I can see its past.
Mike Prince is Axe's real enemy.
You know the house he
lives in now was my house.
Come on back, and have dinner with us.
I'll make meatloaf.
Can't wait.
Dinner at home in my hometown.
Only I'm not gonna allow
you to do any work.
I'm gonna bring my chef.
We should do it
turn Mase Cap into an impact fund.
- Together. Within Axe Cap. But ours.
- Yes.
[WALKER] We were thrilled to
hear that you might be interested
[WALKER] in teaching here at
the Law School this semester.
Professor Rhoades. I'm
Oh, I know Catherine Brant.
I heard you were up here.
You know my new artist Tanner
I got working on commission.
- [WENDY] Yeah.
- [AXE] He's not working.
You're on the precipice
of the kind of success
very few artists ever have.
Look.
There we go.
You'll be the first to
see it when it's done.
I better be.
I'm fine with you winning in Yonkers.
[PRINCE] Yonkers is you.
[PRINCE] You are Yonkers.
You've never really left.
[PRINCE] You stink of the place.
[PRINCE] And now you're back in it.
I've gotta get the fuck
out of this dipshit town.
Baby brother.
But you suddenly showing up here
Must mean you want something.
The one thing you do with
those hands better than fight.
There's a safe?
My father called me.
His alliance with Axe isn't over.
[CHUCK] What other venture
are they embarking upon?
[SACKER] They're going into banking.
Then so are we.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Well, I want to be ready
I want to be ready
- I want to be ready
- I want to
Walk in Jerusalem just like John
Well, I want to be ready
- I want to be ready
- There you go.
- I want to be ready
- I want to walk in
To walk in Jerusalem just like John
Well, my God told me just what to do
Walk in
We have to fire him.
"Have to" is a bit strong.
We have to breathe.
Have to find shelter.
Food to eat.
We don't have to fire Winston
"Should." I can co-sign should.
We should fire him.
- Then we will.
- Will we?
We said no exceptions.
The exact words were:
"Strive for no exceptions."
- Meaning
- So Winston's the perfect fit.
- You said
- No.
Winston's Tony Stewart in 2005.
Cocky 'cause he drives fast,
but too brazen, too cutthroat.
He'll punch you on pit row,
or run you over.
But like Stewart, he gets results.
Sure. At Taylor Mason Capital.
But we're building something new.
Tell me he sees the Matrix
and we're done here.
I can't tell you he sees the Matrix.
I saw the Matrix before they
even made the fucking movie!
And I was like five years old then.
Rest my case.
Wait, you really want to fire me?
I thought I was gonna
get a two percent slice
of the new company.
Dave Mustaine thought he
would return to Metallica.
I get the new slogan:
No more ass-pounding the planet.
Earth-positive approach.
We go to Phish concerts
with our investors.
But we still love money too, right?
The math works the same no
matter the names we own.
And that is where you
will always need me.
"Need." Again, that overstates it.
Sell us on what you alone
add to this particular
kind of investing.
Back to you soon.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
What we need are true believers
with hard and soft skills.
If they don't work here now,
we have to find 'em.
[CALDER] I know, honey.
She's just a bad pony
But it's better you found out now,
rather than later.
Well, she'd better
give Grammy's ring back
that's meant for a wife not a slut
Oh, uh. Alright. Listen, I gotta go.
I'll talk to you later.
Yeah. Love you.
Well, Ms. Calder.
Ah.
Not every day the top legal officers
of the state pop up on my calendar.
Kind of like a digital rectal exam.
- What's on your mind?
- Bobby Axelrod.
Specifically, an application he
submitted for a bank charter.
- I'm aware of it.
- Well, we would like you
to stall the approval.
And then deny it.
And why would I do that?
All of the preliminary
paperwork seems fine.
We need straight-up banks in this state,
and he's like an old Jack
Kramer stored without a press:
permanently warped.
You can prevent crimes
before they happen
just by saying no.
This isn't Minority Report.
Now, we follow a process.
A crime happens, you deal with it later.
Certainly an expert in banking
like yourself understands
the concept of taking
out a line of credit.
Well, imagine what I can
pay back with interest.
Not every day the top legal officers
of the state pop onto your calendar.
- Go on.
- Do this for us,
and if you're ever in desperate straits,
reach out for us,
and just watch what we can do.
Oh. You mean like prosecuting
someone to settle a political grudge.
Oh.
I would never prosecute someone
unless they had actually
but, uh, yes.
- Sure.
- Yeah, yeah.
You know what?
Um, see, I don't walk around
with a McCarthy list
- like you do, so
- [SACKER] Mm.
You seemed awfully upset
about someone when we arrived.
Yeah, that was about
my son's ex-fiancée.
That bitch broke off the engagement,
but she won't give the ring back.
- Oh.
- That ring was smuggled
out of Germany
sewn into the lining of my father's coat
[CALDER] right at the
beginning of World War II.
[CALDER] I mean, that that
It's a family heirloom
Well. There may be legal remedies.
We could go after her in
court and get it back.
That would give you a very
special place in my heart.
Drag your feet on the
approval to give me a chance.
Alright. Let's go get this fucking bank.
Give me the sign when
you want me to play
- bad cop in the meeting.
- No call for that.
They have the documents.
They've signaled to us
that this process should go
as smooth as a freshly waxed
Prom queen?
PBA lane.
That's Professional Bowlers Association.
Ah. Right.
- You sure you don't want a bad cop?
- We're sure, Wags.
But I love bad cop.
I've been rehearsing all morning.
Spyros, why the Alfred the Butler getup?
Naturally, I assume you'll
want your eques of equities,
your consul of compliance,
to join you in the assault
on the ramparts of
government regulators.
Bad cop. Go.
When the meeting calls for
an organ grinder's monkey
to come shake his
cappuccino cup for nickels,
we'll let you know.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Sorry. I-I can't approve this just yet.
There's another bank
representing that zone.
There is not.
If you look in the papers
right in front of you there,
- you'll see
- Vark Community Bank.
Vark isn't even FDIC-insured.
- You can't possibly expect us
- Vark is a shining jewel
in the Banking Development
District Program.
They serve many hardworking,
undocumented customers.
Now, you run Vark off the ranch,
and where else are these
people supposed to graze?
I dunno. Immigration Services?
If that's humor, it's left me cold.
And if it's your real answer,
then it's left you out in the cold.
Now, we are not going to proceed
[CALDER] with issuing a charter
unless you can convince me
that there is a greater
banking need in this zip code.
Go ahead.
Show me a competitive
analysis that says so.
Oh, and also,
you're gonna need to propose, um,
a suitable candidate for CEO.
[CALDER] You better
have someone captaining
this ship that's legitimate,
or the ship doesn't leave the dock.
Turns out we didn't need the good cop.
You're right about that.
It was all naked fucking
Harvey Keitel in there.
- It doesn't make any sense.
- It does.
Harvey Keitel was Bad Lieutenant.
- He's saying the banking person
- He knows, Wags.
He means the timing is odd.
The sudden turn against us.
- Mike Prince?
- Maybe.
Him or Chuck.
Get Hall with the banking
team working on Vark Bank.
And get with Lauren
and find another CEO.
Someone who is squeaky clean,
but ya know
Someone who doesn't squeak
when they need to get dirty.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You should've gone to
that dinner with the kid.
Yeah?
And you should've gone to law school
instead of journalism school.
You'd be able to buy
yourself a decent jacket.
That's probably true.
Doesn't matter now.
- But the dinner?
- Yeah. Matters.
We made such a public
spectacle about you attending,
that kid, his mom
My chef presented them
with a three-star meal
- pasta course, meat and fish
- Yumilicious.
But it was never about the meal.
And because you left 'em hanging
- Ah, fuck, really?
- Yeah.
Local reporter in Yonkers is on it.
Looking to do a hit piece.
It's the only way a journalist
can get enough clicks
to buy himself a decent jacket.
Hmm.
Actually, there is another way.
You make this disappear, Randy,
[AXE] I'll buy out the
fucking Armani store for you.
'Cause if it looks like I used this kid
Savion as a prop to get
the O.Z. deal approved
It'll make you look like a plutocrat,
parking assets
to save on cap gains taxes, while
Costing me my fucking bank.
How much time we have?
It'll run in the next day or two.
Soon as he gets an interview
with Savion or the mother.
Mnh-mnh. Can't fucking happen.
Get with this reporter,
and think about how to move him off.
And you?
Heading back to Yonkers
- Yo, take the ball.
- Give me that.
Learn how to play some "D." Yo.
Yo. Watch out, dawg. Watch out.
Alright, homey, you good?
Hey, we good.
Um, I'mma catch up with y'all later.
Oh.
There you go.
She dumped me.
What'd she say?
Nothing.
Ghosted.
That's a lot of texts.
From you. Unanswered.
Maybe you should have pumped
the brakes after three.
Or four. Or five.
Now, instead of thinking about
yield curves and PE ratios,
all I can think about is
Em and where it went wrong.
Look, you said, uh,
before she complained about
My cuddle noises.
Yes.
I'm an affectionate person.
My cuddling takes on a vocal aspect.
- You think that's why
- Yeah, well, sounds
like it was a little too much too soon.
Maybe pace yourself
on the cuddling next time.
And dead the noises
until you're sure they're welcome.
I'm sorry, I have a meeting.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
Rian.
You turned me down when
I tried to hire you
as an analyst at Axe Capital.
I wasn't emotionally prepared
for that whole sitch.
Why, specifically,
did you reject that offer?
Axe Cap is a profit juggernaut.
Cool. But not for me.
Sorry, not sorry.
This is different.
It looks the same.
It's at the same address.
There are many of the same faces.
So why would my answer be
anything but thanks but nah?
This place in here
is also for profit,
and will soon be a juggernaut too.
But this is an impact fund.
[TAYLOR] Not just no harm,
[TAYLOR] but positive social
and environmental impact.
We're looking for responsible gains.
And to expand the adoption
of renewable energy.
Swick.
That's a mashup of swag and slick.
It sure is.
So how exactly does your algo work?
Um. Half the human
population spends at least
three decades on a menstrual cycle.
We're talking four billion people.
A huge chunk of that market sector
needs feminine hygiene
supplies every 28 days.
And many don't have access yet.
What's your data set?
With public health records,
cotton and shipping
prices around the world,
we can triangulate the most
effective way to get resources
where they're needed most
and anticipate demand.
Are you solving one problem
by creating another?
- How so?
- Landfills. Polluted oceans.
Biodegradables address that.
There are companies out
there ready to scale up.
They need capital.
Let us discuss it and get back to you.
It's called the Taco Algo.
[CHUCKLES]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
- Well?
- She's sharp as fuck. Nice call.
I'll backtest her program,
make sure it's not bullshit.
But yeah. Good.
Recruiters make whole careers
delivering talent like that.
Ah. You want to discuss equity.
Axe is in for half,
so it's up to us to allocate the rest.
What do you think?
Ten percent was my initial instinct.
Shit. I was thinking
we'd be equal partners.
No you weren't. But you have to
say that in order to negotiate.
- I hate posturing.
- Me too.
So make me your best offer.
Because I'm feeling devalued.
You are an integral part
of this endeavor, Wendy.
I do value your contribution.
You may hate posturing,
but you're doing it.
Ten percent is a non-starter.
Give me some time to
think about what's fair.
This was your idea.
Don't break balls.
Make it worth it for
me to keep it going.
Message received.
Nice meeting you. Yeah. Have a good one.
See ya.
Seriously, dude. What the fuck?
Don't you see what's happening?
We're getting picked off one by one.
Wendy brought her in.
Yeah, Rian told me. Seems cool.
Really knows her shit.
Her name is Rian?
- Are you serious?
- With an I.
Badass.
Fuck. We are so screwed.
We're living Ex Machina.
Chill out, 8Chan.
They just need to bring on some
new analysts for the new
Meaning less room for Taylor's
people and more for Wendy's.
- It's a consp
- Conspiracy? Sure.
Start a subreddit, it'll go great
with the Stevie-Wonder-can-see truthers.
Hey, they have a point,
have you seen him play
They do not have a point.
Whatever.
You seem awfully comfortable
for a guy who knows firsthand
what Wendy Rhoades is capable of doing.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Ex-fiancée lives in a doorman
building on the Upper East Side.
Recently called for a
locksmith to change her locks
and put all Calder family
members on the no-visit list.
No indication she has a safe deposit box
or has tried to pawn any jewelry.
So she's keeping it.
Likely at home.
We help the kid bring suit.
Law's a little mushy on this.
Ring is a conditional gift.
Condition is marriage. She owes it back.
She'll claim it's a legal gift.
No condition, nothing owed.
Also depends on who broke it off.
Not in the eyes of the law.
She could also offer to repay the value,
keep the ring itself.
Shit.
Like I said: mushy.
Why are you so quiet?
Because I have an idea that I
really shouldn't say out loud.
I made with the devil for my soul
I saw a ring of fire down
You familiar with "contract", Savion?
Yeah. Deal you sign.
Mm.
That's a contract, not 'contract.'
Contract is an
understanding between men,
that they see things the same way,
that they'll keep code.
That they'll honor the
spirit of their relationship
even in unforeseen circumstances.
Like some nomadic dream
Like that, uh
the arrangement we had
when we told the story
that should hold
even if attempts were made
to re-tell that story.
I made a deal with
the devil for my soul
Understand?
Jesus, oh, Jesus
Lord, what have I done?
I have lived a life of sin
Word is bond.
Yeah. That's a good way to put it.
Maybe someday soon like Judas
I'll be hanging from a rope
I made a deal with
the devil for my soul
It's bullshit though.
You got what you needed,
and then you flaked on dinner.
Ain't the first time.
That's a pattern,
and I recognize it from my own life.
No matter how far you run
So that other shit
He always knows where you are
is null and void.
He's around every corner
And you?
At the end of every road
Well, shit.
I made a deal with the devil
You can fuck off.
For my soul
Someday soon,
I will have to pay I know
I made a deal with the devil
For my soul
Why am I here?
Tell him, Karl.
Because skels like you,
who show twelve grand a year
in legitimate income,
don't go window-shopping for Bugattis.
[ALLERD] Because we know you're
actually casing the place.
And because we know you
know the night porter
from a stint in Coxsackie Correctional.
Grand theft auto is a heavy charge.
One we're saving you from.
Sit.
Thank you, Karl.
You know who we are?
[DOOR CLOSES]
Not only do I know who you are,
Mr. Connerty,
I bet I know the wishes in your heart.
And I'll grant them if you rub the lamp.
I'm not gonna rub anything of yours.
[CHUCKLES]
You want your brother
in a safer facility,
with full privileges,
closer to home for visits.
Yes?
Well, I need a specialist,
someone with a particular set of skills
to help me recover some stolen property.
Wait. I-I-I swear
I've seen this movie before.
Don't tell me.
There's a safe.
There might be a safe.
- There's definitely a locked door.
- [CHUCK] Mm.
I'm guessing there's a reason
you didn't call a locksmith.
Best we run silent,
run deep on this one.
Protect everyone involved.
Except my ass.
No, especially you.
Imagine how grateful Bryan would be
to know you had a hand in his
move to Otisville Prison Camp.
Only an hour and a
half outside the city.
So much easier for you and
your ma to visit more often.
I mean, the place has got a gym,
a library,
vending machines with candy bars,
[CHUCK] salt 'n vinegar chips,
and soda pop.
There's one with deli sandwiches.
I hear the tuna's actually pretty good.
Still prison.
And you two are the ones
who fucking put him there.
Your brother made choices
against my advice,
might I add
that landed him where he is.
That's not on us.
[CHUCK] But if you help us,
there is no telling what
kind of recommendation
we could make to the parole board.
[SIGHS]
[CLEARS THROAT]
I'll do this. On one condition though.
- Name it.
- You gotta go pay him a visit.
- For what?
- Not you.
Just you, Rhoades.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
He has something he wants to tell you.
In person.
Something private.
Looking a man in the eyes.
The way we used to do
back in the old days.
Old school I can do.
Why should we hand our bank over to you?
I'm glad you asked.
I've been waiting for that question.
I'm glad you asked.
- I'm talking, people, about the same old game
- This is great.
Did you have anything else?
Sure. Why should we hire you
and not one of the other candidates?
- I'd be glad to answer.
- I'll be glad to answer.
I'll be glad to answer.
The game itself will hold you back
Check out your mind
and don't be blind
To the numbers game
Strong set of potential bank CEOs.
Not strong enough.
They had all the qualifications
Not strong enough!
It has to be someone very special.
Not just a financial wizard,
but someone respected outside and in.
They have to vibe with Axe.
And gain his trust. The
search must continue.
[DOLLAR BILL] Okay, come on. Focus.
- [TUK LAL] Oh, yes!
- That was out.
No, no, no, no!
It was right there.
[DOLLAR BILL] Come on. Come on.
Come on, man. You got this.
You got it. Yes!
- Oh!
- Oh, could not be better!
- [MAN] Oh!
- Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What, am I paying you all to sit around
and make like George Blanda
with your fingers all day?
We got something.
It's been a week since the honeymoon.
We couldn't even get
married in our countries.
Lucky we met here.
In America.
Land of the free.
We're so in love.
- Mm.
- Can't wait to settle down.
We're hoping you can
help us with a home loan.
Mm-mm-mmm.
WTF's with that noise?
I can't help it
That's great, guys.
Congrats on your nuptials.
We're prepared to offer you 8.5 percent.
That's way above prime.
Yeah.
You're not great credit risks.
No one else will even give you this.
And, uh, did you say your countries?
Does that mean you're not U.S. citizens?
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
They hosed us on the rate.
We also have
'em on tape saying we could fill out
our immigration status any way we wanted
and they wouldn't verify it.
That's fraud. Actual
And not all rates are,
shall we say, equal.
Okay, Mister Martin.
Looks like we can lock you in at 2.8.
So close to prime we're not
even making anything on it.
You're a friend to the working man.
[BOTH LAUGH]
[DOLLAR BILL] White
guy gets the good rate.
Xenophobia, homophobia, racism
we can serve them up
all three or slice it any way you want.
We caught everything on camera.
I was going for a Dog Day Afternoon vibe
with the footage,
but the lighting in there was not
Good work, Victor.
Hey. Give props where props are due.
This was Eveready's.
I learned a lesson the hard way
when I was buying an
apartment in the City.
Sometimes it's better to
let your white fiancée
from Riverdale do all the talking.
So should we deploy the munitions?
Nah. Hold off a beat.
I can use this in trade to
help me with my reporter issue.
Excellent work, men.
[CHEERING]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
How much did she ask for,
how much did you offer?
Fifty. Ten. Like you suggested.
Big gap.
It's a question of value
- Excuse me.
- Okay.
and loyalty.
[TANNER] You like staring
at screens all day,
or you wanna see something
fucked up and beautiful?
Is that you or your
paintings you're describing?
Mm. We know it's both.
You looking for a power boost?
[TANNER] Oh, no.
[TANNER] That sounds like celery
and wheatgrass in human form.
But I would like to hang.
I'd like to hang. Yeah.
[WENDY] I'll drop by later.
Good.
[BUZZER]
[DOOR OPENS]
[BUZZER]
[DOOR OPENS]
You can uncuff him. We're fine.
[HANDCUFFS CLICK]
I understand you have
something to say
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES]
[BUZZER]
Fair's fucking fair.
Come on!
Come on. Come on. Let's go. Let's go.
Yeah, so, we have at least four,
maybe five.
[AXE] Mm-hmm.
Alright.
Hold on.
You're back.
Met with the local reporter.
I offered the story on the bank
in exchange for killing the one on you.
And?
It made him know he had something.
- No trade.
- Oh. Fuck.
Yeah.
Can I run with the bank story?
Will that help?
Both of us.
Yeah.
Get with Victor for the footage.
Great. You?
Heading back to fucking Yonkers.
Again.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[DOORBELL RINGS]
Bobby.
- Hey, Ma.
- Hey.
[SIGHS] I don't know.
It just sounds so
Come on, Ma.
Everyone in town respects you.
Go to Savion's mother.
Convince her to steer her
son to abide by local code
Don't talk.
[SIGHS]
I'll give it what I got.
Hey, whose is that Honda
Pilot in the driveway?
Oh.
Me. Mine. Who else?
No, I mean,
where's the Lexus I bought you?
I sold it.
And downgraded?
It just had all these
features I didn't need.
So I got something simpler.
I hope you're not offended, honey.
Nothing you do could offend me.
- Mwah. Thank you.
- Okay.
Alright.
[DOOR OPENS]
Hall
Pull up my mother's auto registration.
Recent transactions.
See anything strange, let me know.
Poor guy lost the girl and the ring.
Well, we're giving him back
the one we can.
It'll help a little.
You don't seem like the
type who'd need a ring.
Oh, I can be traditional in my needs.
Oh, yeah? Well.
Tell me more about 'em, these needs.
I think not.
Come with me.
To the, um the jewelry heist?
Jewelry repo.
And yeah. Fuck yeah.
No.
Wait for me outside?
No.
Meet up after the job?
Maybe.
Mm. That's not a no.
It's also not a yes.
We're in the Age of Consent now.
That doesn't mean that
we've stopped enjoying
how it feels to break the rules.
[CLEARS THROAT]
[SCOFFS]
[CHUCKLES]
Okay.
Her yoga class is about to start.
I should go get set up.
I'm in the water.
Swimming.
Coming up for a bit of air now.
Is that how you think of your process?
Like being submerged?
Ah. To call it "my process"
makes me sound like a prick.
Like I'm full of myself.
You give a shit what other people think?
No. To me.
I-I sound like a prick to myself.
I mean, this shit should just
flow without any thought.
Definitely no thought of the self.
That's always the goal.
It's the hard part.
Yeah.
See? I-I knew you would know.
You'd understand.
Really?
We just met.
Yeah, but you see more than most.
Obviously.
Being around you makes me feel
a lot.
It's good.
It's also very exposed.
Hmm.
Prefer to expose yourself
in those, right?
No. I prefer to live in them.
Not care about the rest.
You know. About opinions.
But I want yours.
I have one.
And you'd like it.
But I'm not ready to offer it yet.
And I'm not sure I should.
The artist doesn't need me
to tell him what he's saying.
You know,
I've thought that if I met Miles Davis
or Hank Aaron
that, uh, I wouldn't need to use words
to tell them why they mattered.
I-I would just meet their eyes.
And they would know.
And then I would know.
I could never be that cool
in a situation like that
if I met Megan Rapinoe
or Murakami.
Yeah, well, I-I said
I thought I knew how I would be.
But I actually met Hank Aaron
ten years back once.
You know what I did?
Tell me.
I asked him to sign my fucking hat.
[BOTH LAUGH]
I did. Before I knew it
the words just came out.
The only thing he saw in my
eyes was a pain-in-the-ass fan.
I want to show you something.
[LAUREN] I'm gonna ask
you a couple of questions.
Is this like an online
quiz or something?
No.
And don't try to add 'em up,
see what I'm getting at.
Just answer one at a time.
- And then
- Ask away.
How smart is Wendy Rhoades?
General intelligence: top one percent.
Person to person, with EQ included,
top one half of one percent.
How good is Wendy Rhoades at gameplay?
In the important games,
the ones not played on boards or fields:
again, top one half of one percent.
Why do we like Wendy Rhoades?
Because we do like her.
Is that real?
You asked me not to jump ahead.
But I have to
You're really wondering
why we're trusting Wendy
and you are suggesting
that maybe we shouldn't.
I'm not the only one feeling this way
It's a coup d'etat.
I didn't think so. But he convinced me.
We're through the looking glass here,
people.
Wendy Rhoades is pushing
Taylor Mason loyalists out of power.
Me, I would almost understand
after the whole Garbage Person Incident.
Mafee, you have nothing to worry about.
- You sure?
- Positive.
- He doesn't but I do?!
- Mm.
- I knew it!
- Phew.
And Stevie Wonder?
- Blind.
- Told you!
[LAUREN] If we look at
it through this lens,
it's possible Wendy has taken an
interest in me to fuck with you.
And has agreed to work with you
to destabilize the entire endeavor.
Yes. It's possible.
- But not what's going on.
- Push comes to it,
she will always stick with Axe over you.
And because we know that
all of us know that
that danger won't present.
Well, I'm going to put her on notice.
- To protect you.
- No.
I appreciate your loyalty.
But I'm protecting you
when I tell you not to.
Do not get in the middle of this.
Fine.
Then at least make sure
you retain control.
Cut her in, but limit her.
Yes. I'm willing to go to 25%.
Cap it at 15%.
Anything more and you're
giving away too much ownership.
Giving her too much negative control.
Just so you know,
the minute I see a rat, I'm outta here.
Come this way.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[WENDY] How did you get
access to this place?
I know some people.
- Oh, you do, do you?
- Mm.
I used to work on a demo
crew back in the day.
You studied that the way other
painters study landscapes.
It called to me.
Yeah.
How close is this one to coming down?
Well, they're just stripping
the last bits of value now.
It's the copper piping.
And the fixtures.
That's the way it goes in the end.
Buildings. Relationships.
Empires.
We're always trying to hold
onto what we think matters.
We almost always get it wrong.
And that's your subject, isn't it?
What we grab onto while
everything comes down around us.
Or I just like watching destruction.
Oh.
You'll be here when it falls.
Well, I'm hoping
that we'd be here together.
And this way,
when the world is crumbling around us,
I know I'm holding onto something good.
How often are you going
to show up to our dates
with a new bruise?
Mm.
- No, this wasn't, uh
- I'm kidding, Chuck.
Yes, of course.
But I suppose you have questions
Oh. You need to know I
don't judge in that area.
Whatever works for you.
But not everything works for me.
No. Of course.
Uh.
Does my
modality, um
No. I can have fun in that modality.
It just can't be the only modality.
Mm-hmm.
If we say modality again,
I'm worried the whole thing's gonna turn
into a science project.
So. Ask me anything.
And be as direct as you possibly can.
Some subs I've known
don't like
Shit. Fine.
I'm just gonna ask it:
Do you like penetrative sex?
Does it work for you?
Oh, uh, in the right setting,
it really works.
Oh, the father taught me
To walk in Jerusalem just like John
Oh, tell 'em about the wood,
I just can't
Walk in Jerusalem just like John
There he is.
I'm gonna walk, walk,
walk, walk, walk
Walk in Jerusalem just like John
Mm-mm-mmm!
Gonna walk, strut, singing tall
Walk in Jerusalem just like John
Well, I want to be ready
Yeah, I want to be ready
- Yeah-ah I want to be ready
- Well
To walk in Jerusalem just like John
Hey, hey, hey
- I want to be ready, yeah
- I want to be ready
- Yeah
- I want to be ready
To walk in Jerusalem
Just like John
Dad. What happened? What's wrong?
Nothing to worry about, none of you.
Same reason I-I sent Roxanne
and Willow home, goddamnit.
I don't want any any pity.
Wendy.
Chuck.
- Oh. This is
- [WENDY] Cat Brant.
I read The O Gap.
I found it very informative.
Helpful even.
Glad to hear it.
This is Tanner.
- Hey.
- Ah.
A painter, huh?
Well. Pleased to meet you.
Although I'm not entirely sure
why it's standing room only in here.
It's what happens when you
don't answer your phone, Chuck.
They go through the
emergency contact list.
I got the call, Wend. And came running.
I think maybe I'll just
Yeah. I'll just step outside.
What the hell happened here?
His kidneys. Renal failure.
Oh, for Christ's sake.
Dad, were you in pain
and not telling us?
You get fucking old If I reported
on every ache and pain,
it'd be a daily bulletin.
One minute I was playing
with your little sister.
Next thing I know,
I'm on my back staring up
at a fucking paramedic.
How serious are we talking here?
The doctors are running some tests,
but they think he'll need a
kidney transplant in order to
survive.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
So, did you, uh
Good news.
Mm.
Bad news. You're not finished.
Chuck wants it placed.
We never discussed that.
Mm. You'll do it as payback for
setting him up to get punched.
- Ah.
- Yeah.
You like that your little scheme worked.
Don't you?
You got Chuck a busted-up face.
I do at that.
Hmm.
Well. I guess your brother deserved
the chance to crack him one.
You're complicated.
Smart.
You don't know the half of it.
I want to, though.
I want to know the whole thing.
Is it always like this after the heist?
The rush.
Why do you think I do it?
I dunno.
The girls?
I don't like girls.
I go for smart, complicated women.
Mm.
Andiamo.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
These fucking ingrates at this hospital.
I've built a wing.
Raised a fund to build another.
And they have the nerve to tell me that
because of my age,
liquor and cigar intake,
I'm ineligible to be on the
fucking transplant list.
Dad, we'll sort it all out.
No doubt.
Let me get on it.
You know I don't rattle easy, Sonny.
But I really need you to
come through for me now.
Cuz I'm scared shitless.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Boom! And there it is.
Boycotts began when video surfaced
[KORNBLUTH] showing lenders
engaging in a systemic practice
[KORNBLUTH] of discrimination.
[KORNBLUTH] This sparked an outpouring
[KORNBLUTH] of similar
stories from the community.
It wasn't long after that that
the rush to withdraw began,
and deposits on hand weren't sufficient
to cover withdrawals.
[KORNBLUTH] And now,
no one seems to know when,
[KORNBLUTH] or if,
Vark Community Bank will reopen
Yeah!
That is one dead community bank.
We fucking did it, fellas.
Ben Kim, take our reporter
Randy Kornbluth to Armani
and get him a new suit.
And Dollar Bill,
take these boys out for steaks.
In Paris. Or Vegas.
Or just buy em each a goddamned steer!
Let's go, boys!
Thanks.
- That sounds awesome.
- Yeah.
I'll get Bach to get us
with the banking lady asap.
Yeah. You got a CEO for us?
Still cogitating on it.
What?
Are you Wilford fucking Brimley now?
Less coge, more action.
Any word on the other
Yonkers story breaking?
So far, so quiet, so good.
Good. Better stay that way.
Or that bank charter may
still not land in our laps.
[DOOR OPENS]
Your, uh
Your mother didn't sell her car.
Yeah. No. I saw she was lying.
She gave it away.
Out with it.
To your father.
They're in contact?
Her phone records show, yes. Recently.
That fucking grifter is back in town?
And preying on her?
He was in California for a while.
He made his presence known
in the card rooms there,
got chased for bad credit,
headed for Arizona
home repair business
fled the state behind that bankruptcy.
Then, yeah, he landed here.
Sought out your mom.
I'll bet he did.
You playing angles or coming legit?
No angle.
I've spent my life trying to help
other people fulfill their potential.
For a change,
I want to help build
something that's truly mine.
- And Taylor's.
- Of course.
- It's just you didn't say it.
- Doesn't need saying.
They own most of it.
And while we're talking I'll just say:
I've only gotten a taste
of this new venture,
but I am energized and fucking
inspired to be involved.
Is that so? Because I think
Lauren, I asked you not to do this.
Yeah, well,
I asked you not to trust her blindly.
Looks like we both ignored the requests.
The path of our negotiation
leads to 25% of my piece.
Yes. I think that's fair
Which is why I'm giving you 40.
[TAYLOR] I need to be senior,
but I need you fully
invested and without doubt.
And are you? Without doubt?
There's uncertainty in almost
everything that comes next.
The essence of our job
is to overcome that
and take calculated risks.
But in this moment,
I'm sure there's no way forward
without Wendy and I working in concert,
as partners.
But Lauren, you are essential
to the success of this entire thing.
If you have doubt, or seed doubt
Once you two shake on it, that's it.
I'm in.
And I want to be proven wrong.
You will be.
Mm-hmm.
Bobby, you get my message?
She said she understood,
but she has no idea
what the kid's gonna do.
He's a total wild card.
She thinks she's probably
gonna listen to her son
Mm. Which is what you should have done.
Listen. I did what you asked.
I'm sorry I couldn't
change her mind for you.
[AXE] The car, Ma.
I know what you did
that you gave it to Dad.
You have your people snooping on me now?
What, he try to con you out of it,
blackmail you, what?
- No.
- Then why the fuck
would you do anything to help him?
After everything we've been through.
Okay, look. I saw him.
He was at a bus stop, Bobby.
We spoke.
[LAUREL] He said he was
having trouble finding work.
He couldn't get around.
I felt sorry for him, Bobby.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
That's fine, Ma.
You did what you did,
[AXE] and you know I love you.
But I'm warning you now:
If you ever speak to him again,
I will know it, and I will cut you off
and you will be left with nothing.
Just like him.
Settling in okay, Rian?
Already feels like home.
Of course,
I left home the second I got the chance.
But yeah. Settling nice.
Crowding me a bit,
if anyone's concerned about that.
Not so much, actually.
Well. You should be.
Instead of deciding
whether to keep me on,
you should be trying to
convince me to stay on.
Because while you've been
plotting how to replace me
with Gal Gadot's quirky sister,
I've been busy.
I've figured how to offload
all the non-green investments
from Mason Capital to
ease your transition
to becoming an impact fund.
Wow. Good catch.
Can you add as well as you subtract?
Are you kidding me with this?
Well. It actually helps
that he's outside the camp,
don't you think?
Studies have proven that
a diversity of opinions
really strengthens an organization.
Impact funds really benefit from having
a capitalist douche on
staff as a bellwether.
I mean, if you can sell
impact plays to him,
you know they'll be viable to anyone.
Well, then we have to keep him.
Welcome back aboard.
I've been aboard, the whole damn time.
Be happy and don't be so fucking needy.
That's what my first girlfriend said.
And my last one.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
So. Whose name is on the
application for the CEO?
While all the candidates
were deeply flawed,
I finally know the right one
Moi.
You're going full Dick Cheney?
Wags, no one loves you more than me,
but the rules say I need someone
with prior banking experience.
I did the Chemical Bank summer
program back during college.
I was a teller and everything.
You'd have to step
down as COO of Axe Cap.
Officially. You said you wanted someone
technically clean but
willing to get dirty.
Huh.
Look at you,
in all your sartorial splendor.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Did you get a manicure?
I did.
Straighten your fucking tie, let's go.
You want a state banking charter
because you won't have to divest
your non-banking activities.
I don't want to give you
a state banking charter
for that very reason.
See, the shit you want to do
is the shit this office
is not comfortable with.
Wait a minute,
if there was a conflict all along
then why weren't we notified?
Consider this notification.
Who got to you?
Excuse me?
Someone's won you over somehow,
got you to see the world
the way they see it.
Instead of the way it really is.
Am I right?
Because we all know
this rap about conflict
- is total horseshit.
- Mm.
- Damnit, I was gonna be a CEO
- Wags!
I'm insulted by your insinuation,
Mr. Axelrod.
[CALDER] Now,
if you have any evidence of collusion,
I invite you to take it up
with the oversight committee.
Otherwise, I suggest you leave
before I consider an outright ban.
How's your father?
Oh. We're not in the clear yet.
But, uh, he's an ox.
It'll take more than renal
failure to kill that man.
Will it?
Yes. No. It can be fatal, I know.
I'm working on it.
Good.
And thank you for coming along with me.
It's not what you signed up for.
I'm always a fan of family drama.
So what next?
Do you have your kids tonight?
They happen to be with
the nanny at Wendy's.
Our night got interrupted.
Let's get it started again.
[MID-TEMPO MUSIC]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
Yo, I see you flexing with this move.
And buying this house.
Bought us that other one, too.
So, what, am I gonna have to owe you for
the rest of my life now?
Nah. We're square now.
I appreciate you keeping your
mouth shut to that reporter.
Yeah.
I don't talk.
I see that.
Before you leave
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
and from one man of
the house to another,
I want you to know
that your father will sniff you out.
He will find you in the
rarified air of Scarsdale.
And the even more rarified
air of living debt-free.
He'll want to re-enter your life.
That life.
Try to chip off a piece.
Don't let him.
Yo, my pops is gone.
He ain't coming back.
No. He will
And no good will come of it.
Take a look around this place.
Go on.
Let your eyes drink it all in.
All the people, your friends, the rest.
And then forget about every
single last one of 'em
and move the fuck on.
Done.
One more thing,
we may never see each other again,
but if you ever need anything
if you're ever stuck,
you need a doctor, or a lawyer,
or a plane to get you out of somewhere,
you know that you can call
me and I'm there for you.
Of course.
I mean, we got contract.
[MAN] We're good.
Think it's bad luck to be
empty-handed for the toast.
Luck? There's probability,
plausibility and actuality.
Luck is superstition.
Luck is lazy math.
That's what I always say!
Hey. Maybe we should
Don't press.
Right.
[GLASS CLINKS]
Thank you guys so much
for staying late
later than you normally work
but we have something
we want to show you.
I want to officially welcome each of you
to Taylor Mason Carbon.
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
[CELLPHONE VIBRATES]
Hey. We're having a little party.
You should come.
[AXE] Nah not now.
Oh.
You need me
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[WENDY] Your old room.
Never thought I'd find myself
back in this place again.
The things it's drawing back up for me.
Fuck.
Tell me one.
I'd sit here, you know,
waiting to see how his car
would come down the road.
I could tell, just from the way
he turned into the driveway,
the way his keys jangled in the door,
the kind of night it was going to be.
And if it was gonna be a bad one.
I'd try to distract him.
So he wouldn't start in on her.
So he'd leave my mother alone.
Tell him something that
happened in my day.
A fight I got into
or a kid's ass I kicked or
Sometimes it worked for a while.
But never for very long.
Eventually
I felt so fucking
powerless sitting here.
I didn't know how I was going to do it,
but I swore one day
I'd put myself in a
position where no one
and nothing had power over me like that.
That's why you didn't
show up here for dinner.
You couldn't.
You cleared it out pretty nicely.
You gonna burn it to the ground?
I'd like to.
And the whole town with it, huh?
I can't give in to
that kind of thinking.
But
But I can make sure no one ever lives
in this fucking place again.
And that's enough?
All you need to make
yourself feel better?
Almost.
[MAN] Hey!
[MAN] Hey!
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
I'm a lot like you were
Old man, look at my life
Twenty four and there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two
Love lost, such a cost
Give me things that don't get lost
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you
Old man, take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love
me the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
And you can tell that's true