Counterpart (2018) s01e03 Episode Script

The Lost Art of Diplomacy

1 EMILY PRIME: Midnight Station called me two hours ago.
There's a rendition order in your name.
[GUNSHOTS.]
DWYER: Three men are dead.
There was no rendition last night.
Someone was trying to kill you.
But whoever ordered it is trying to pin it on me, so Is Howard working for you, Pope? It's not about you.
It's Howard.
Whatever bullshit he's into.
There's been some infighting in leadership on my side.
Why do they want to hurt my wife? Why not yours? PRIME: On my side, Baldwin is an assassin.
The other her is a violinist named Nadia Fierro.
You need to kill her, before they use her to get to you.
- Won't be easy.
- ALDRICH: Take a shot.
- No! Stop! - [GUNSHOT.]
You have the slightest clue how much you've escalated this thing? You let a crosser get into police custody.
[WIND WHISTLING SOFTLY.]
- [TIRES SCREECHING.]
- [CRASH.]
- [ALARMS BEEPING.]
- [URGENT CHATTER.]
- - Emily Silk.
- We have questions about her history.
- How bad is it? Um, she's in surgery.
- There's swelling in her brain.
- Oh, God.
Previous surgeries? She, uh, had her appendix out when she was a kid.
She Three years ago, she broke her arm.
There's, uh, um, pins in her elbow.
Okay.
- She's gonna be okay, right? - [ALARM BLARING.]
Personal information.
Is there someone we can call? No, it's just us.
There's a waiting room right through there.
I will find you.
[MAN SPEAKING GERMAN OVER P.
A.
.]
[EQUIPMENT BEEPING QUIETLY.]
[PHONES RINGING.]
- [MONITOR BEEPING STEADILY.]
- [VENTILATOR PUMPING.]
Told you about the promotion I was up for.
Well, it turns out I actually got it.
It's been, uh quite a day.
The whole world is changing while you sleep.
CITIZENS AND FAMILIES FOR A HEALTHY EUROPE.
[QUIETLY.]
: You don't trust me anymore? I don't trust who might have come in your place.
This didn't come easy.
The only authorization code I could pull from the Midnight Station.
Are you absolutely sure this is correct? That's the one who sent you to retrieve your ex-husband the other night.
Will I see you at the office later? There was a shooting, just a few hours ago on their side.
A woman from our world was arrested an assassin.
The management's furious.
Everyone's being called in.
I never saw it like this.
What's the woman's name? They call her Baldwin.
EMILY PRIME: Thanks.
Hi, Cara.
I need a favor.
I need to get to the other side.
[INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER.]
[WOMAN PANTING.]
[MOANING SOFTLY.]
Time almost up.
[SIGHS.]
[PHONE VIBRATING.]
All right, get dressed.
Keep quiet.
Qu-Quayle here.
MAN [OVER PHONE.]
: Who's the girl? Sorry? Late last night, Berlin PD arrested a young woman with no identification who bears an uncanny resemblance to a dead girl who she was found with.
She's in police custody? Her siblings already called, they want to negotiate for her return, so I got to know, was your team after anyone illegal over here last night? We should-we should probably talk about this in person.
Look, wh-where are you right now? - I'm standing in your office, Peter.
- Where are you? I'm just trying to get in a morning run, actually.
My office, please.
One hour.
Price is the same.
Whether you finish your run or not.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
QUAYLE: Let me-let me just straighten this out, since obviously I'm the last person to hear about any of this.
I leave this operation in your hands for one day.
I say retrieve the girl, kill her, I don't give a damn.
The only way you can really mess it up is by making this into a public matter.
Which now involves my fucking father-in-law, by the way.
Diplomacy knows about this? I mean, do you realize, any of you, just quite how fucked this is? You got a little swelling there.
All right, look, if Diplomacy knows about this, that means my side's already reached out, trying to start a negotiation.
Yeah.
And, no, I cannot stop it.
My side is gonna want to horse trade her for intelligence.
Yeah, and if she sets foot on my side, whoever sent her will make sure she never answers a question again.
Right, so, quite the nice little mess you two have whipped up.
Spirit of mutual fucking collaboration.
All right, let me go to the embassy.
- Your embassy? - Why? At least stall the negotiations, buy us some time.
Sorry, I thought your presence here was supposed to be low-profile.
Yeah, well, it's a little too fucking late for that, now, isn't it? Your man in the police department, he's on duty today? Of course.
Okay, you go there, you see what you can find.
Baldwin knows who's behind this.
Get something from her.
PRIME: And bring the other me.
That's a new condition.
I want him promoted.
- Strategy, full clearance.
- That would be a mistake.
Hey, look, we wouldn't be in this situation if it wasn't for your fucking guy here.
From now on, I want me or other me looking over his shoulder.
I'm sorry, what possible utility could he have? He's got a brain.
At least we can be reasonably confident he won't be shooting up a fucking concert hall.
Fine.
Go to the police station, take him with you.
- This is a waste of time.
- This is a waste of time.
This is a waste of my fucking time.
Go to the police station, bring him with you.
And you better get through to your embassy, because by the time my side comes to a deal with your side, she's gone, she's going home, and we lose her.
[PRINTERS WHIRRING.]
DWYER: So this contractor on the other side, Baldwin It's a total clusterfuck.
Let's have an inquiry team sent over there as soon as possible.
Management wants you to get answers while Diplomacy negotiates for her return.
- I'll take care of it.
- Take Emily Burton.
- Well, she's not cleared to pass.
- I know.
- Never been across.
- Call came from upstairs.
She went over our heads on this one.
There's nothing I can do.
[SIGHS.]
How many chips did you trade to swing this? I don't want to be a scapegoat for some shady internal dispute.
- Howard's over there.
- Well, so what? I need to clear my name around here.
He's the only one who can help me.
I don't want that bastard anywhere near you.
Ian.
I'm sorry for crashing in on your team, but please, just do this for me.
[IAN SIGHS.]
I think we're caught up in the middle of something, whether we want to be or not.
CYRUS: I hear your ambassador's a real character.
How do you think you're gonna get him to slow down the negotiation? I have no fucking idea.
I'll just rely on my natural charm, I guess.
Wait for me down the block.
[SPEAKING GERMAN.]
- INES: 32, still.
- LAMBERT: Are you sure? - I feel taller.
- [CHUCKLES.]
If we go 33, you'll just be back in my shop next week.
That would be terrible.
[DOOR OPENS.]
PASCAL: Visitor.
He just walked in.
Silk.
Silk, yes.
I believe we met once.
A cocktail party, back on our side.
I had the sense you didn't really enjoy it very much.
We gonna do this with him here? Pascal? He works for me.
He can hear everything I have to say.
He can't hear everything I have to say.
- [TRAIN PASSING.]
- [HORN HONKING.]
And the police know about what you do? Of course not.
How do you have any pull with them? Let's make something clear.
We don't have much time to question this woman before the other side gets her back.
So your job is to keep quiet and let me do mine.
- [PEOPLE SPEAKING GERMAN.]
- [POLICE RADIO CHATTER.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
ALDRICH: Stay here.
Long night? I'm going to ask you a few questions.
Whether you leave this place depends on your answers.
You were there last night? It was your man who killed her? I will talk with the other one.
Only to him.
HOWARD: Hi.
I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to say here.
I'm, uh, I'm not One of them? Right.
You come from this world? I do.
But the other you does not.
You saw us both at the concert hall? You were trying to stop them.
[CHAINS RATTLE SOFTLY.]
Why? It was wrong.
Your other She-she had nothing to do with any of this.
She was innocent.
I I can't imagine what it was like.
For you to watch her You're different from your other.
What do you think of him? I think, um [SIGHS.]
I wish I'd never met him.
So you were involved in last night's unfortunate affair.
News travels fast today.
I prefer to know the illicit activity that occurs across the fence line, but, uh, Section Two You like to surprise me.
It'll serve both of our interests not to send her back.
Once she's in our custody, I'd like to keep her here.
Why would I do that? Because she's not Section Two.
She's here illegally, and I need to find out who sent her.
It's so sexy, this work that you do.
Ah, what I'd give to have the unrestricted rights of travel.
You know, I have to fill out a request every time I want to eat out, every time.
But you, you're a liberated child.
Leaving the adults to clean up your mess.
I have a luncheon to make.
The inquiry team will be here shortly.
They're certainly better off speaking to you than to me.
I'm sure there's a lot you can tell them.
[DOOR OPENS.]
HELEN: I'll warn you, he's on his fourth cup.
Came in before I did this morning.
That's good to know.
[KNOCKS.]
FANCHER: Yeah.
Peter Quayle's here.
MAN: We have the solution to climate change.
Everyone, you-you all know my son-in-law.
WOMAN: If we can get anything about how they've increased the corn production in Yunnan, I think that But we've asked for that before.
WOMAN: Even just the raw data? MAN: I am telling you hep C vaccine.
Who gives a shit about hep C? A very independent report says they have figured it out.
Do you have any idea of the value inherent in that? Okay.
People, come on.
Now, we're talking about a real negotiating chip right now.
This woman waltzes into our dimension, murders a police officer.
These are exceptional circumstances.
I don't want to walk in asking for corn yields or vaccines, when we could have a-a windfall on our hands.
Peter, how valuable is this woman? Any angle from Strategy? She's a contractor.
And she's not officially with the Office on the other side.
She's operating at the request of someone unknown.
How badly will they want her? Well we have it on good authority there could be an internal dispute playing out.
I-I would say "very.
" Very.
Very.
You hear that? Real asks.
One hour.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
We're meeting their ambassador for lunch.
I'd like you to be there.
- On the negotiation? - The situation is messy.
I could use your point of view.
And it'd be kind of nice to spend some time together.
Been busy.
- Hey, how's my granddaughter? - Wonderful.
- Did you get the package? - We did, yes.
Thank you.
- I picked it out.
The color.
- Did you? That's very thoughtful.
She loves it.
Thank you.
See you at lunch.
There's a, um [QUIETLY.]
: Uh, there's a, um There's something you should probably know about these negotiations.
Certain complexities on the Strategy side I can't talk about.
We've been trying to find out who sent this woman over here.
There's an intelligence advantage to consider.
If we were able to stall these talks somewhat, just a day or two, for our team to question the woman.
You do complicated work, but I am a diplomat.
You know what this woman is to me? - Currency.
- More valuable she is, the more we get.
Good work on this.
See you at lunch.
SHAW: I was there six months ago.
How many more of these bloody things do I have to have? This inoculation is every three months now when you cross.
SHAW: Three months? Fuck that.
CUSTOMS AGENT: This visa lasts for six hours.
It grants you access to the embassy, and the embassy alone.
You are not to take any measures to observe their world beyond that.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
You will not make contact with anyone, familiar or otherwise.
This includes eye contact, physical contact, verbal contact, and written contact.
Those who do not comply with these regulations will be subject to punishment beyond the domain of international law.
Just remember this, you do not belong to that world.
Nothing in it belongs to you.
Do you understand these guidelines as they have been communicated to you? Yes.
[DOOR BUZZES.]
[MAN SPEAKING GERMAN.]
We all have to go through alone.
[DOOR BUZZES, CLICKS.]
- [TONES BEEP.]
- [MECHANICAL CLACKING.]
[LOUD CLACK.]
[LOW RUMBLING.]
[MECHANICAL WHIRRING.]
[TONE BEEPS.]
[DOOR BUZZES.]
[DOOR BUZZES.]
[WOMAN SPEAKING GERMAN OVER P.
A.
.]
[MAN SPEAKS GERMAN.]
[QUIETLY.]
Thanks.
This way.
- MAN: Headed to the embassy? - SHAW: Yeah.
[LOCKS CLICK.]
EMILY PRIME: Lovely weather.
Follow my lead.
Inquiry team? Ian Shaw, Emily Burton.
Where's Lambert? The ambassador's been called out on diplomatic business.
Fortunately, we've detained a man involved in the incident.
Right this way.
Of course.
SHAW: Take a seat, Howard.
We have a lot to discuss.
Or you can stand if you like.
But we are going to talk.
We're inquiring after the arrest of a local contractor on foreign soil.
- Contractor? - Come off it, Howard.
I don't want to be here any more than you do.
- All we want is the truth.
- Pertaining to? The extent of the glorious fucking mess you've made over here.
Okay, first of all, I don't believe you.
- I don't care what you believe.
- Think you do want to be here, and you're anticipating the perverse pleasure of watching me squirm.
Both of you.
And I guess we know the answer now to the question "Who do I have to fuck to get on this team?" Huh? According to what we know about the arrest How do you know what you know? Excuse me? It's a straightforward question.
I'm curious, so I asked a question.
'Cause I got to say, you two coming here, Lambert in the know People are reacting awfully quickly today for a covert op no one is supposed to know anything about.
Are you here to stop Baldwin, the contractor who came over from the other side? I don't recall.
Just answer the bloody question, Howard.
No, Emily, I can't.
I don't trust anyone in this room.
Not you, not you.
I don't even know who this fucking guy is.
Definitely not you.
Think we established that earlier.
So may I go? Ian give us a moment, please.
PRIME: Better listen to her, mate.
You know how she gets.
EMILY PRIME: Just shut up, Howard.
I'll be right outside.
Give them the room, please.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[DISHES CLATTERING.]
LAMBERT: Ah, voila.
Here he is.
[CHUCKLES.]
FANCHER: The two of us together in the same room.
I'm sure there's something to apologize for.
No, just glad for the day out.
- Shall we? - Thank you.
Well Oh, no, no, not for me.
I, uh, prefer the shellfish on our side.
Cleaner oceans, of course.
Yes, I'm sure everything is better over there.
Uh, not always.
Your fruits and vegetables, for instance.
Genetic modification is is wondrous.
As much as I enjoy this time together Yes, indeed.
First of all, I would like to apologize.
I have been given multiple assurances that the actions of this contractor, whomever she is, were in no way sanctioned by anyone on my side.
Of course you have.
And as per the 1993 accord, it is illegal to conduct any undisclosed operations across the fence.
- And yet - The woman acted on her own volition.
For reasons we are yet to understand.
We ask for her to be returned so we can get to the bottom of it.
She killed a police officer, Claude.
Obviously, we'll be taking this into consideration.
Now I have been authorized to offer you restitution for the damages your side has suffered, in exchange for her immediate return.
I think you'll be pleased.
Italian vaccination numbers and a classified seismic summary of the 2009 earthquake.
Well, this is a very generous offer, but, as my father always said, the first offer is never the best.
Unless time is of the essence.
We want the last three American census reports - That's impossible.
- and the geocoordinates for the petroleum deposits found near your Mariana Trench.
You ask for the world.
Well, your world.
[PHONE VIBRATING.]
[VIBRATING STOPS.]
Sorry.
LAMBERT: No, no, it's fine.
You think we haven't had our glimpses every now and then? It's amazing to-to think what you have created over here.
All this innovation is possible with the luxury of time, while we, of course, have been too busy fighting ourselves back from extinction.
- Okay, Claude.
- Was the topic off-limits, Fancher? The implication that we bear any responsibility for that I would never say such a thing.
We know that your world had no part in the pandemic that decimated our cities, just as we had no part in the killing of a police officer on foreign soil.
Okay.
Maybe we keep the girl.
This incident is unfortunate, I-I grant you, that doesn't mean we should abandon all reason.
Well, when one of our people is caught butchering yours, then perhaps we can all get together, sit down, and talk about what is reasonable and what isn't.
Census reports I can do, but nothing after 2011.
What? And not the oil reserves.
Search your heart, my friend.
What is it you believe she knows? I don't know.
That depends.
What is it you believe she's worth? EMILY PRIME: You were right, about the rendition order.
- It was entirely off book.
- This is not the time or place.
Well, don't you want to know why? Two months ago, I was sent to retrieve a director - who'd run away to Istanbul.
- Emily I don't care if they're bugging this conversation.
[EMILY PRIME SIGHS.]
This director he told me his life was in danger, that there was a faction in management that was planning an illegal operation on this side.
But by morning, he was dead.
And it fell on my head.
We're after the same people, Howard.
And they tried to take me out.
They might try the same with you.
Well, do you know who they are? Fine.
Well, I know one of them.
I did some digging last night.
I thought you might be interested to hear who was behind the attempt on your life the other night.
This is the action code that was used to authorize your rendition.
Recognize who that belongs to? Let me guess.
You heard about an illegal operation on this side from one of your dodgy sources, God knows who.
You didn't know who to trust, so you went to him.
- This isn't right.
- As you always go to him.
Miserable old codger.
It was Alexander Pope.
He was the one who ordered the attack against you.
And whether you care to admit it to yourself or not, your loyalty to that bastard will be the end of you.
Who is your source? Someone gave you this intel.
HOWARD: They want to know who you work for.
They won't let me live much longer.
[HOWARD SIGHS.]
The woman in the hospital the other night is my wife.
She is everything to me.
And you were going to take her away.
I do not know her.
Is that who you are? You're-you're a just a ruthless killer? That's not who your other was.
Don't you think that somewhere inside of you is a-a person who's could've had a real life.
Not possible.
You will see.
You think you're better than him but someday you'll find where you meet.
We cannot escape who we are.
- We need more time.
- For Christ's sake, the deal is done.
Th-They're hammering out the final points as we speak.
She's talking.
Do you want what she knows or not? Just do your job, all right? I'll do mine.
Bunk said something about a birthday dinner coming up.
Yes.
No, she's in full on entertaining mode these days.
It's actually quite frightening.
- [CHUCKLES.]
- Huh.
I never pictured her as the doting type.
Well, she's happy, I'm happy.
That was a good deal we made today.
Thank you for your help.
Uh, I'm sorry, I have to ask you again.
Can we sleep on this? - I can't let it grow old on the table.
- Just 24 hours at the most.
There's something else at play here.
This situation is unusual.
Can I ask you a question, Peter? Why is it you think we go through all this trouble? Keeping the doors open.
The effort it takes to keep this secret under control.
Isn't it easier to just, I don't know, shut it all down? Go our separate ways? The knowledge we gain is more valuable to our collective way of life than all the spy games you and your Strategy boys will ever play.
The differences between our worlds might be minor, but when exploited, they're priceless.
We wouldn't have HIV treatment if it weren't for them.
We'd still be deciphering the human genome.
It all happens because of us, the deals we make.
This data That's all that matters.
[CHUCKLES.]
And here I was thinking you actually wanted my counsel.
Do you remember the day I recommended you for this post? Conversation we had? Mm-hmm.
You're a good kid, Peter.
You make my daughter happy.
That's fine.
All your life, the right doors have just opened up for you.
But sitting at the table, that's something you actually have to earn.
A few months ago, I started getting these letters, coded.
Hand courier from a source over here.
They contained details about a dispute on our Fourth Floor.
- In management? - Yeah.
Over methodology? Methodology, ideology.
Who wrote you the letters? I came here in good faith.
Why do you always have to shut me out? [EMILY PRIME SIGHS.]
Is this is how it's always gonna be.
You're never gonna trust me, are you? Never gonna forgive me for the one simple fact I didn't fold you in.
That all those years ago, I never told you what I was.
It was a lifetime ago, Emily.
If there's any water left, it's gone under the bridge.
[SIGHS.]
I think I understand now what pulled you to this place how it took you away from us.
Emily I don't blame you.
But I do sometimes wonder how it went so wrong.
Are we still together over here? Are we happy? [DOOR OPENS.]
[EXHALES.]
Oh.
- Mr.
Lambert, Emily Bur - Emily Burton Silk.
- Emily Burton's fine, thank you.
- Ah.
Please forgive me, I hoped to join you for this inquiry.
It's just my lunch didn't sit quite as well as I would've liked.
Don't worry.
We were just finishing.
Please send my regards back home.
Emily.
Would you light a candle by my mom's picture at St.
Christopher's for me, please? In case I'm delayed.
Of course.
[DOOR OPENS.]
Em.
[DOOR OPENS.]
It's over.
We made a deal.
She's going home.
PRIME: If she goes home, we lose the intelligence.
LAMBERT: Not my concern.
Who authorized you to make the deal? Not your concern.
We can't allow you to damage this fragile diplomacy we worked so hard to create.
Consequences exist for those who cause trouble.
When your visa expires, your travel privileges will be revoked.
It's wonderful seeing you again.
Pascal will show you out.
He didn't give you anything? No.
And you expect me to believe that? Please, Ian.
If I told you anything now, it would be a lie.
This fucking place.
Ruins people.
The temptation.
The knowledge that there is something else out there.
It breaks people down.
We should just We should just build a wall and never come back.
[TIRES SCREECHING.]
- Problem! - What are they doing? - Shit.
[TIRES SCREECHING.]
[MEN SHOUTING IN GERMAN.]
[GUNFIRE STOPS.]
[FOOTSTEPS ON VEHICLE.]
HOWARD: Aldrich! HOWARD: Aldrich.
- Aldrich, open the door.
- - They'll kill us all! - Leave them.
[CAR DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
[MAN SHOUTS IN GERMAN.]
[ENGINES STARTING.]
[TIRES SCREECHING.]
[TIRES SCREECHING.]
[EXHALES.]
What the hell was that? - Wasn't right.
- Wasn't right? You didn't give them anything, did you? Are you all right? Well, didn't see that one coming, did we? [QUAYLE SIGHS.]
Where's Aldrich? He's back at the Office, tearing his hair out.
What the hell happened at the embassy? It was fucking theater.
All they wanted was for you to make the deal, - bring her out into the open.
- Wait, what do you mean? Lambert, the ambassador.
Revoked my visa.
Could've just given me a slap on the wrist, but played his hand a little too hard.
Think he might be working with these people.
So wait, you're saying-you're saying your fucking ambassador is now part of this group behind the killings? A lot more people are a part of this than I thought.
So what do we do now? Let me see that watch.
- This was Dad's.
- Yeah.
In 12 hours, my side is expecting me home.
If I don't go, it'll spark a diplomatic crisis.
If I do, I won't be able to come back.
Meaning we're fucked.
Not if we send this one back in my place.
Are you out of your fucking mind? - A week.
Shouldn't be more.
- No.
Once we get this straightened out, I can unfreeze my visa.
You want me to inhabit your life? Honestly, that's the last fucking thing in the world I want, but I don't think we have a choice.
No.
You go back tomorrow, Aldrich can look at Lambert.
Do you really not get what's going on? Your side is compromised, as bad as mine, maybe worse.
Somebody knows every move we're gonna make before we make it.
I'm not saying it's your department, but I'm sure as hell not saying it's not.
This is the only way.
You really expect me to just leave her? Howard, she'd be dead right now if I hadn't been here.
How long you think she stays alive if I go home? [SIGHS.]
[QUIET CHATTER.]
[WIND WHISTLING SOFTLY.]
[SIGHS.]
EMILY PRIME: "Howard I trust my last letters have reached you safely.
I don't know if there'll be any more.
I think they know I'm your source, so my time is short.
If something should happen, there's something I need you to do.
You're the only one I can trust.
If I'm to be harmed, I need you to reach out to the other Howard.
To protect him, no matter what happens next.
He knows nothing about any of this.
Or me.
I beg you that he never learn who I really was.
I do regret having held him away all these years.
I've always done it for his protection, as I'm sure your Emily probably did for you.
[CRYING SOFTLY.]
I'd do anything to keep him safe.
Please, watch over him, in any way you can.
Emily.
" [EXHALES.]
[SNIFFLES.]
[KEYS JINGLE.]
[LIGHT SWITCH CLICKING.]
Ugh.
Ow.
[EXHALES.]
[GROANS.]
: Oh, God.
[PANTING.]
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
[DOOR OPENS.]

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