Kung Fu (2021) s01e04 Episode Script

Hand

1 This box, it was recently brought to my attention by a highly regarded expert in the field.
Based on my research, I believe I've identified its location.
You're local, and from what I'm told, you're the best at what you do.
[man on phone.]
I don't work cheap.
Rest assured, you'll be paid handsomely for your effort.
I'll get it done.
[softly.]
No.
No.
[Jin clicks tongue, hums.]
- [Nicky.]
Mmm.
- Try this.
- [Nicky.]
Mmm! Mmm.
- [chuckles.]
- Is that Gruyère? - Swiss fondue dumpling.
It's fusion.
It's genius but Mama's never gonna let you serve that tonight.
- Too weird.
- She'll never know what's inside.
Tell that to Mama.
She loves surprises.
Surprises? Surprises are for people who don't have jobs.
Hey, you call this progress? What's wrong with your hands? Nothing.
See, I'm fine.
I'm just out of practice.
The Soongs are going to come in six hours.
Everything about this dinner has got to be perfect.
Or else Mrs.
Soong is gonna make that face.
- What face? - This face.
[laughs.]
Oh, ha ha ha.
Very funny.
Jin, there's more in the car.
In the car.
[Jin laughs.]
Bye.
[Jin hums.]
Ah, not gonna lie, Althea, this "Buying of the Bride" thing sounds The academic term is "bride price.
" "Buying of the Bride" is country.
And what does it sound like? One of those cow shows.
Cow shows? - Like a livestock auction? - Yeah.
Look, Dennis' parents aren't measuring my girth and bidding on me with cash.
It's a tradition in Mrs.
Soong's family.
I get some presents, the in-laws get to bond.
Then why aren't the Soongs hosting? Mama intercepted.
She's much more comfortable on home turf.
The Soongs wanted to have it somewhere chic with sustainable cuisine, like Chez Panisse.
They're friends with Alice.
Dennis' parents sound kind of snobby.
[groans.]
What's wrong with your hand? It's the burn.
- The pain's been flaring up.
- [cell phone vibrates.]
You're sure it's not carpal tunnel from being on your phone all day? Yes, I'm sure.
Oh, my God, Nicky, you're obsessed.
Okay, if you're looking at my browser history, Henry and I were just researching Actually, I moved on to your socials, and what it looks like you're researching is Henry.
- [chuckling.]
- Okay.
You know what? Hey Not that I blame you.
- Damn.
- We're friends.
- I was just - "Researching"? - Althea.
- [laughs.]
Hey, some big sister advice? Playing footsie over textbooks is nice and all, but this guy is eligible, totally hot, obviously into you.
- I don't know that he's into - Obviously into you.
Just saying, why not lock it down? At least figure out what's going on between you two.
What's holding you back? [cell phone vibrates.]
Mmm, he just texted, by the way.
- Okay, give me.
Thank you.
- [chuckles.]
- Hey.
- Oh, hi.
I see you're obsessed, too.
Uh, with what? The special key we found? Our only lead to maybe finding one of the weapons before Zhilan collects all eight, unleashes biange, and becomes unstoppable? Oh, right.
That key.
I was looking online, nothing matched.
Same here.
So I came at it from a different angle.
I thought, what does a key open? Doors, cabinets, boxes.
Okay.
What'd you find? Well, I dug up history, folklore, and I found this old Chinese children's story, a fairy tale called "The One True Warrior.
" It's about a little girl who goes on an epic quest and finds a box.
Hmm.
Girl, warrior, sounds pretty cool.
Look at the end.
[Nicky.]
Henry, the design on the box.
- Whoa.
- Same exact marking as our key.
No real details on the box or where it came from, or what's inside.
The story ends before she even opens it.
Henry, real key Real box.
Real story.
The fairy tale is true.
Now we know what we're looking for.
Nope.
Nope, that's not it.
- Bingo.
- [Nicky.]
That's it.
Mimi he, from the Yuan Dynasty.
Sold for $1.
8 million at auction.
Oh.
Who bought it? [Henry.]
A private collector.
Some hedge fund guy named Tom Travers.
He's based in SF.
After graduating from Wharton in 1996, Travers took a summer internship in Beijing, where he developed a life-long passion for acquiring Chinese antiquities.
Charming.
Says he lives alone in Napa Valley.
Nice digs for a bachelor.
Looks like he keeps all his loot in his house.
[Nicky.]
Look.
That could be it.
Okay, so what do we do? Like, drive to Napa, see if he'll talk to us? I doubt a guy like that will take a meeting with us, let alone let us handle his private artifacts.
You're right.
He's speaking at an emerging markets conference in Amsterdam this week.
It's all just sitting there in his house.
What are you suggesting? I'm suggesting we go on a little adventure.
[cell phone ringing.]
Hey, Brad.
- [Brad.]
The Evan-ator.
- Don't.
I hate it when you call me that.
And about that favor, I really shouldn't have asked.
Too late, bud.
Got the information you asked for.
Check your inbox.
So, what? - No, "Thanks, pal"? - Uh, yeah, thanks.
Okay, so how do we get inside? The front door.
The guy's rich.
Lock pick isn't gonna cut it.
Yeah, well, it's not my only trick.
Your tag.
So, if we get inside his house When we get inside When we get inside, what are we gonna do? We can't just rob him.
No, of course not.
We're just gonna sneak inside, use your key, take a little peek inside that box.
I can't believe I destroyed one of the best cups of coffee in SF with five packs of sugar, and you're not even drinking it.
I'm sorry.
I wasn't expecting you.
I'm slammed.
I can't find my stethoscope.
Look, I know you're busy, and that you've barely found five minutes to have a coffee date with me.
But if I find your scope, you're coming out with me.
Deal.
- See you at 7:00.
- Mmm-hmm.
[chuckling.]
Mm-mm-mm.
We are serving my great grandmother's Peking duck.
- What's wrong with our dumplings? - [sighs.]
The Soongs have a standing reservation at Chez Panisse.
They are not going to want our country food.
Our country food put three kids through college.
Did you see that pair of pants Althea was wearing today? It looked like it was made of solid gold.
A present from Mrs.
Soong.
Solid gold pants, huh? Sounds uncomfortable.
And the Cantonese lessons? She's turning her into one of them.
Or one of us.
[in Cantonese.]
[in Cantonese.]
[in English.]
So you think that duck's gonna solve the problem? Just because Althea eats fancy French food and wears expensive pants, that does not mean she's still not our own daughter.
[Althea.]
The pink suit or teal sequins? The pink suit.
You're just saying that so I don't spend another six hours doing a fashion show in my closet.
I'm saying that 'cause you look hot in it.
Plus, it's good luck.
Didn't you wear that when you got your last promotion? Too corporate.
I don't want your mom thinking I'm making some kind of statement in a power suit.
It's just dinner.
A dinner where I'll be appraised.
You've already been appraised.
Priceless.
And not just in my eyes, my mom's, too.
[gasps.]
What is this? Family heirloom.
And trust me, she wouldn't be giving this to you if she didn't think you were amazing.
[chuckles in awe.]
Does it narrow down what you can wear? Are you kidding? With these rocks, I could wear sweats.
[chuckling delightedly.]
Speaking of sweat, someone needs to take a shower.
Ew! [laughs.]
Go! [cell phone ringing.]
I thought I told you I don't wanna talk.
[Bridget.]
I'm not calling to pressure you.
I found another woman.
She's willing to go on the record.
The story's coming out tonight.
[sighs.]
He's done.
I thought you should know.
Thank you.
We need a code.
Baby powder? Watch and learn.
People only really touch their security code numbers.
The oil from their fingertips leaves a residue.
One, six, nine.
Four digit code.
Well, how do we know the order? We don't.
And we only get three tries.
He was born in 1969.
[error tone buzzes.]
Wait.
He was born in June.
June 6.
6-1-6-9.
[error tone buzzes.]
Slow down.
That article said he graduated Wharton in 1996.
Worth a shot.
[beeps.]
We're in.
The box was right here.
He must have moved it.
We'll split up, it could still be here.
Yeah.
You okay? Sorry.
Yeah, no, I'm fine.
It's just this sculpture, it's part of a series.
It was designed by an Italian painter and carved by Qing Dynasty royal craftsmen.
Anglo-French troops looted from the Old Summer Palace outside Beijing during the Second Opium War.
China's been trying to get this piece back for decades.
It doesn't belong here.
I'm fine.
Let's just keep looking.
Henry? This is it.
Okay.
Time to take that peek.
[Henry.]
Nicky, look out! [both grunting.]
[Nicky groans.]
[panting.]
[cell phone vibrating.]
- Well? - [man.]
I got the box.
It's done.
It was her.
Zhilan? You sure she had something to do with this? Think about it.
The only reason we got the key and started this whole quest is because of what we found in Professor Chau's office.
She kidnapped Chau.
Probably worse.
Exactly.
Who knows what she got out of him before then.
She's been following the same lead, looking for the same thing, and ended up at the same place.
The box.
She's always been one step ahead of us.
I guess we're back at zero.
Maybe not.
[Jin.]
Everything looks perfect, Mei-Li.
Here we go.
Come on.
- Welcome.
- Good evening, Mei-Li.
Hello, Jin.
Hello, Diana.
Alfred.
[chuckling softly.]
Oh! Thank you! [Diana.]
A little something for you.
Your skin.
You must tell me what night cream you use.
No, you look younger every time I see you.
- Something smells delicious.
- It's just a simple dinner.
- Oh.
- Hardly Chez Panisse.
Here we go.
Oh.
The year I emigrated.
- Mei-Li as well.
- Oh.
Althea mentioned it.
We came from Hong Kong in 1993.
Terrible year for champagne.
[all laughing.]
Please, please.
[exhales heavily.]
What? Were you expecting a calamity? Obviously.
[Nicky.]
Your contact that might know the thieves, he lives in a haunted house? [Henry.]
It's an abandoned factory my friend works out of.
[Nicky.]
Who is this guy? Less you know, the better.
- Okay.
Let's go.
- Hey, no.
You wait in the car.
This guy You can't even tell me his name? All right.
His name's Randall, but that's really all I can say.
You're just gonna have to trust me, okay? Lock the door.
[cell phone vibrating.]
Hey, Nicky.
Hey.
I saw you called.
Evan? There's something you need to know about Henry.
- What about him? - That break-in at Chau's office, there was security footage.
I saw you and Henry.
That wasn't Henry's idea, it was mine.
Well, there's more.
I looked into Henry's files.
I shouldn't have, but I did.
And he has a record.
A long one.
Breaking and entering, twice.
- Stop.
- Theft.
- He served time in juvie.
- Evan, stop.
If he was a juvenile, how did you even get access to his records? - Those are supposed to be sealed.
- Yes, I know.
I'm I think this conversation's over.
Nicky, I just want you to be careful, all right? How much do you really know about this guy? [hangs up.]
[sighs.]
[exhales heavily.]
You're gonna love this.
What? Randall knows the guy who stole the box.
- Razor.
- Razor? Yeah.
A thief.
Some kind of black market dealer.
Never met the guy, but he's kind of a legendary figure.
Big-time weirdo, has a passion for gambling.
The type of guy who'll make a bet on anything.
According to Randall, he steals to fund his habit.
How does Randall know this thief? They're friends.
They got some kind of deal, sharing intel and sources with each other.
Told you Randall was connected.
Thing is, we gotta move.
Razor lives deep in the woods in Marin.
Randall says that the buyer dispatched a courier to his house.
The box is getting picked up tonight.
Right.
[upbeat music playing on speaker.]
[singing.]
I want it, I need it I wanted to be Just a little bit infatuated I need a little bit I want it, I need it You got me so easy Why does no one give any love to the Bay Bridge? What about the Bay Bridge? Thing about an art show, kinda doesn't work if you don't actually look at the art.
I'm sorry.
It's just Mrs.
Phang, she's texting me About her UTI? Promise.
I'm done.
[breathes deeply.]
Anything? No.
It's just a bridge.
[chuckles.]
Maybe you're not looking close enough.
The photographer caught a skinny-dipper, bottom right corner.
- Really? - Mmm-hmm.
Where? I don't see it.
- [chuckles.]
- I'm hopeless.
Two strikes.
But I'll give you another try.
Come on.
- Here we go.
- [Jin.]
It was appealing.
Ooh.
[Jin.]
Peking duck.
Mei-Li's secret family recipe.
[Alfred.]
This looks wonderful.
Mei-Li and I want to thank you for welcoming Althea into your family.
You've raised a wonderful daughter.
Althea has become our ray of sunshine.
The pear tart she baked for Alfred's birthday was exquisite.
Althea, you baked? I just followed the instructions.
The Tartine cookbook, Mrs.
Soong lent it to me.
Oh.
Speaking of Althea becoming part of the family, we feel it would best to be open and honest from the start.
- Of course.
- [Jin.]
Absolutely.
We'd like Althea to sign a prenup.
[Althea.]
Uh [chuckles dryly.]
I just, uh You know I'm not marrying Dennis for money, right? Honey, you don't need to explain yourself.
- Did you plan this? - [cell phone chimes.]
[Alfred.]
We're just trying to protect our assets.
[Dennis.]
From what? [Alfred.]
From From variables.
[conversation continues indistinctly.]
But honestly, I don't know that we should ever discuss this.
Alfred, I told you we should wait.
I'm glad you didn't.
We're sorry, Althea.
And can I just say, my mother's necklace looks lovely on you.
Am I worth more with it on? Is that why you gave it to me? - I'm sorry? - That's what tonight was about, right? My bridal price.
And now with this prenup, my objective value? Let's just say it out loud and put it in writing.
[chuckles.]
But we won't do it in dollars because that would be tacky.
What about ducks? How many ducks am I worth, hmm? Let's have an auction.
I'll open up the bidding at, uh Four ducks for my legs.
Do I hear four ducks? Or what about my brain? I definitely got a 20-duck brain.
Uh, do I hear 25? No? Okay.
What about my body? I've been told I have nice curves for a Chinese girl.
Althea.
[sniffles, clears throat.]
Why am I negotiating? The object never has a say in what she's worth.
[Dennis.]
Althea [pop music playing softly on speaker.]
Uh, is this where you murder me? Take one step closer and you'll see.
Figured if photography doesn't do it for you, maybe something a bit more immersive would work.
Okay.
I don't really get art, but this is pretty cool.
Uh, yeah.
You're a bit of a Philistine.
Usually a deal-breaker.
Good thing you're cute.
I'm not a Philistine.
It's just I've never done this before.
Done what? I've had hookups, I've had dates.
I just never dated.
Multiple dates, same guy, dating.
Uh So you're a rookie.
Gayby.
Yeah.
If I've been hard to pin down, if I've been hiding in my phone, if I'm just really bad at this, it's It's because of that.
Does that throw you? Not really.
Besides I already knew.
It's kind of obvious.
[Joe laughs.]
You've been quiet.
Everything okay? I saw you.
With the statue.
I saw you give it to Randall.
You said we weren't gonna rob that house, that we were just taking a peek.
I never would've I traded it for information.
Information that we needed - You bought him off.
- Yeah.
Yeah, I did.
Randall repatriates stolen artifacts.
He'll get it back to where it belongs.
He's one of the good guys.
If that were true, why didn't you just tell me? What else aren't you telling me? - What are you getting at? - Evan called.
- Oh? - He told me about your record.
- You had him look into me? - No, I He did that on his own, which is a whole other thing.
But I guess I'm glad he did.
If you had questions about me or about my past you could've just asked.
We're here.
If you want to turn around, we can.
[man.]
Out of the car.
Didn't you see the sign? This is private property.
[Henry.]
We're here to see Razor.
We've got two little rabbits here to see you.
- [Razor.]
Get rid of 'em.
- Tell him we know Randall.
[Razor.]
Wait.
Let them in.
Let's go.
[Razor.]
You? The little cat burglars from the house? What, you come back to get your ass kicked a second time? - I'm a friend of Randall's.
- Yeah, I caught that part.
[Razor scoffs.]
So, Randall just told you where I live, huh? Disappointing.
Randall doesn't give up info lightly.
You must have made it worth his while.
- We're here for the box.
- The box is sold.
By the looks of it, for more than what you two could scrape up over many lifetimes.
Gary, take them out back.
- Wait, wait, wait, wait! - I don't like being trespassed on.
I'd like to give Randall a message of the cost of betraying your friends.
Gary - Whoa, whoa.
- No! Fight me for it.
- The box.
- Nicky.
- I thought we already did that.
- A fair match.
I hear you're a betting man.
All I'm proposing is a simple, friendly wager.
You win, you keep the box.
I win, we get whatever's inside.
In case you haven't noticed, I already have the box.
But you don't have this.
- Is it real? - 100%.
- And it's yours.
- If I fight you? Yeah.
Throw in this key, you could raise the price with your buyer.
Or I could have my man Gary just kill you, and I can take the key.
You could.
- But you won't.
- And why won't I? Because you have a code.
Win or lose, you keep the box.
Sale goes through as planned.
All we're fighting for is a little peek and claim to whatever's inside.
So fight me.
Okay.
You're on.
I can't go back in there.
Yes, you can.
I set my parents straight.
And honestly, I think your mom likes seeing them taken down a peg.
[both chuckle softly.]
But I don't think that outburst was about the prenup.
How could you tell? It walks like a duck [whimpers.]
[Althea.]
Please don't ever say "duck.
" Do you want to talk about it? Not quite yet.
Are you sure I didn't sound totally insane? [chuckles.]
You are by far the sanest one of us all.
[upbeat music playing.]
You Shaolin? [singing.]
La, la, la, la, la, la, la Yeah, get, get it going Get ready [grunting.]
Get ready Get ready Get ready My favorite movie of all time is Executioners from Shaolin.
Never seen it.
Leave it on the floor You want some more Get, get it going Get ready [Razor grunts.]
Pinnacle scene, the priest Pai Mei demonstrates he's mastered the technique of moving the weak spot in his body at will.
[grunting.]
Everybody has a weak spot.
[both grunt.]
- [groans.]
- Exactly.
- [groans.]
- Nicky! Stand down.
[breathes heavily.]
He learned to move his weak spot.
[both grunting.]
Imagine having that skill.
I wouldn't need it.
[grunts.]
[groans.]
I don't have a weak spot.
[upbeat music continues playing.]
Get ready They're here to pick up the box.
Yeah, tell them to wait in the car.
I wanna see this.
Go ahead, young Shaolin.
Oh, a scabbard.
Dope.
What's it for? A sword.
[Mei-Li.]
The look on that woman's face.
[Jin.]
It looked like she saw a ghost when Althea gave it right back to her.
We always taught our children to respect their elders and to not talk back.
[tutting.]
- I know.
- [sighs.]
Thank God she didn't listen.
[both laugh.]
I thought Nicky was the headstrong one.
Well, now we've got two.
I wonder who they take after.
At least the in-laws know how to pick a good champagne.
Mmm-hmm.
[both speak Mandarin.]
[both chuckling.]
How's your hand? Weirdest thing since I touched this, the pain just stopped.
Like it belongs to me.
Like I was supposed to find it.
That sounds crazy, but I know this scabbard matters.
And clearly Zhilan does, too.
But we beat her to it because of you.
You've gone on this journey with me, no questions asked.
Professor Chau's research, the key, Razor, it all led to us finding this.
I shouldn't have doubted you.
- Nicky, it's okay.
- No.
It's not.
We We both have our pasts, things we don't know about each other.
But it doesn't matter.
You asked me to trust you and I do.
Keep it safe.
For us.
I grew up pretty poor.
Was mostly raised by my grandmother, had a lot of unsupervised time, got mixed up in some some stuff.
- You don't have to explain.
- I want to.
After juvie, I ended up taking a Chinese history class at community college, and it all just clicked.
I found what I was looking for.
My roots, I guess.
And it saved my life.
I finally got out of that world, all the way out.
That's why people like Travers make me so angry.
That's why I know people like Randall.
Because history I mean, real history, it shouldn't be hoarded up in some fancy house somewhere.
It should belong to everyone.
The statue that I took from Travers, Randall's gonna make sure that it gets sent back to where it came from.
That's why I took it.
I'll tell you more, Nicky.
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Okay, tell me everything.
How was dinner? It was a hit.
There was some drama over a prenup, [chuckles.]
but Dennis is driving his parents home and assures me that's not happening.
Just one more thing crossed off the pre-wedding checklist.
Well, that's great.
I'm sure you're thrilled.
Okay.
I've been dying to talk to you all day.
It's been a ride.
[chuckles.]
Henry and I were Althea, are you okay? Althea? A profile of my boss was supposed to come out tonight, exposing him as a sexual abuser.
He assaulted a woman at work, but she dropped out of the story because she was scared, I guess.
Oh, my God [Nicky sighs.]
No, I know she was scared, because what he did to her he did to me.
[Nicky gasps softly.]
When? While you were gone.
It didn't happen all at once, not at first.
That's the crazy thing.
It's the steps.
First it was a comment on the tightness of my sweater, then a jab at how my chest is out of proportion with my ass.
Then I'm his favorite employee at work, and a promise of a promotion.
But then I've overstepped in some invisible way.
Then he freezes me out for a week, so I'm dying to get back into his good books.
I accept a whisky after hours in his office.
I don't fight back when his hand is on my knee.
So he grabs me and tells me he can't help himself, I'm irresistible, and he So he made a little mistake.
You can't ruin someone's reputation over a mistake, right? And that's why I couldn't talk to the reporter.
Because I was all mixed up.
Why I was so relieved to hear that another woman wasn't.
That she was braver than me.
Even though I was so sorry it happened to her, too, but [sniffles.]
relieved in a way? [scoffs.]
That sounds so awful.
Hey, no.
I am so sorry for what you went through.
For not being here.
[sobs.]
I know how that woman feels.
And I have the power to make her, God, others not feel so scared if I just spoke out, but But I can't.
I can't do it.
[Althea sighs.]
[chuckles softly.]
[sighs.]
[breathes heavily.]
[theme music playing.]

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