The Consultant (2023) s01e04 Episode Script

Sang

1
[GUN FIRING]
Unfortunately, Mr. Sang
cannot be with us today.
You'll find this illustrates
Mr. Sang's wishes.
So, you're saying this
guy just waltzed in
off the street one day
and got Sang to sign over
complete authority? I don't buy it.
[PATOFF] My friend
Milani has been struggling
with substance abuse for many years.
[GASPS]
[CRAIG] What's happening to me?
[PATOFF] You're having
a panic attack, Craig.
We work for a sociopath.
- You lied to me.
- [PATOFF] I had to know
- if we truly can be friends.
- [CRAIG] And?
[PATOFF] Let's just say I won't
be relying on you in a crisis.
Frank Florez. If you want
to know what he's made of,
find Frank Florez.

Hi.
Mr. Sang-woo, please.
- Do you have an appointment?
- I do not.
So, Sang has this policy
where he can't see anybody
without an appointment.
Mr. Sang-woo, please.
Like I was saying,
I could schedule you an appointment.
I'll wait until he becomes available.
[ELEVATOR MUSIC PLAYING]

Sir? Hi. Yeah. He said he
can give you 10 minutes.
[SANG-WOO] Yes, yes.
[IN KOREAN] Good afternoon,
Mr. Sang. My name is
[SANG-WOO] English. I
speak perfect English.
[PATOFF] My name is Regus Patoff,
and I've travelled a very long way
to offer you a gift.
You can leave it with my
assistant on your way out.
Unfortunately, this gift won't arrive
until after you're dead.
What good is it to me if I'm dead?
What if I told you that this
is the gift of immortality?
Hey! Why didn't you call
me back this weekend?
I left you, like, 10 messages.
I had to change my phone number,
my bank account, my passwords,
and my security questions.
Are you smoking an actual cigarette?
- Can you give me a puff?
- He has files on us.
They're locked away in
this tiny little room.
He knows the names of my parents.
He knows the name of the
gym that I hardly ever go to.
He knows everything.
[BEEPING]
Delivery for Mr. Sang Woo.
I'm sorry.
Every time I hear his name,
I picture his little face.
Okay. Hilltech Corp.
Do you remember them?
- Artificial limbs in Moscow.
- Yeah.
I did a deep dive into
their business this weekend.
I ran comparisons on how they were doing
before and after Patoff's arrival.
They had an annual
turnover of 26 million.
Now, it's up to more than 50 million.
He almost doubled their
output in six months.
Maybe he's just
really good at his job.
Okay. So, for shits and giggles,
I start doing research
into amputations in Russia.
- This was your weekend?
- Well, I gotta attend
a Catholic mass tonight,
so there's balance.
As a nation, they're averaging
around 150,000 amputations a year.
Suddenly, our friend Patoff
joins the arm and leg business.
Now, they're up to
290,000 amputations a year.
He almost doubles it. I mean,
what, suddenly there's
there's twice as many farmers
falling under the plough?
- It makes no sense!
- Numbers spike.
We have to take underlying
factors into consideration.
War. Land mines.
There's disease.
All right. Look at this picture.
This is Milani Morozov. She
works closely with this guy,
Viktor Kulzer.
Who signed the same contract as Sang.
Right. Three months after
this picture was taken,
Kulzer [CLICKING] Dead.
- She's pretty.
- Still is,
but she's had a few upgrades.
New arm. New leg. New jaw.
Wait. So, you're telling me
that he convinced her to
amputate half of her body?
Yeah, for the betterment
of Mr. Kulzer's interests.
I'm a busy man, so let's
cut through the bullshit.
What are you selling?
I can assure you that I'm
not a salesman, Mr. Sang.
I'm offering you my
services as a consultant.
I don't need a consultant.
Look around you, Grandpa.
I'm doing great.
On the contrary, Mr. Sang.
I have taken the liberty
of reviewing CompWare's
accounts and ledgers.
You can only continue to pay your staff
for another four months.
Who the fuck are you?
Regus Patoff.
I thought I made that
clear in our introduction.
Feel free to make a note
this time in your hand device.
You over-reward your staff
and undervalue your product.
People take advantage of
your age, race, and naiveté.
The banks won't lend you another dime.
When your investors learn
about this dire state of affairs,
they'll replace you
with someone competent.
Now, as uncomfortable
as these facts are,
you know them all to be true.
- Nobody talks to me like this.
- Three nights ago,
you stood on your 19th-floor
downtown balcony in tears
and wanted to jump.
My question to you, Mr. Sang, is this:
What stopped you?
How do you know that?
The only thing that kept
you on that ledge is the fear
of delegitimizing your own legacy,
of not being remembered.
I can see that you're upset, Mr. Sang.
I'll step out for a moment,
let you can gather yourself.
No. Stay.
- I work as hard as I can.
- And the problems compound.
I just need to come up
with the perfect game.
But your prayers go unanswered.
Engage my services, Mr. Sang,
and your concerns will cease to be.
When can you start?
Unfortunately, not
until after you're gone.
Gone?
Oh, did I not make that part clear?
Forgive me. You're my third
client meeting of the day,
and, uh, sometimes, conversations blur.
My contract begins when your life ends.
I'm good.
He locked himself in
there and won't come out.
Patoff ever tell you about
Frank Florez? Could be with a Z.
- Could be an S.
- Doesn't ring a bell.
The Russian doll was talking
about him and said that
if I wanna know about Patoff,
I gotta find Frank Florez.
Why didn't you tell me earlier?
Because there's 32
with Z and 1,100 with S,
according to How Many of Me.
I'm trying to narrow it down,
but there's nothing online
about a Frank Florez
amputee, either spelling.
You never told me how
Friday night drinks ended.
Ugh. Let's just say
that he went out of his way
to show me who the boss was.
How does Patti feel about that?
I didn't really tell her everything.
- How come?
- If she knows what I'm doing,
she's gonna think I'm
doing it to avoid work.
- Are you?
- No! This guy
he's not who he pretends to be.
[PATOFF] Denise DeLilo!
Denise DeLilo!
One of you must be Denise DeLilo!
Very well.
Why does that name sound familiar?
[KNOCKING]
In.
- Mr. Patoff?
- Yeah.
You were looking for Denise?
DeLilo. I have her right here.
$5,256.70 every month,
and her output is quite literally zero.
Perhaps she's a ghost?
Denise has been on long-term
sickness since January.
And Mr. Sang continued to pay her?
If he wants to avoid a
discrimination suit, yes.
What's wrong with her?
Stress.
Daisy Hoyte.
Allergies.
Dylan Garrety?
Undisclosed mental health issue.
I do not wish to speak ill of the dead,
but Mr. Sang did not have
a good head for business.
I think Sang saw himself
more on the creative end
of the spectrum, and he was only 20.
The situation is more
dire than I anticipated.
Unless we act now to reduce costs,
we will not survive another six weeks.
Six weeks?
If we cut everything back to
the bone, perhaps two months.
Hey. Hey. What do you think weighs more,
three hyenas or one male adult gorilla?
How long before this is ready to launch?
Ugh. There's no one out there
that can market this correctly.
- And if there was?
- Mm three months?
Well, you might want to
work weekends, hotshot.
We got six weeks.
Then none of us are getting paid.
What? Patoff told you that we
have six weeks until shutdown?
- Just now.
- I don't believe a word
that comes out of
that cocksucker's face.
Don't you see? This is another test.
Hey, Raul. What do we got
that's closest to Upskirt Jungle?
It's basically Catchy
Cubey but not in space.
And how long would it
take to reskin that old,
forgotten piece of shit?
It's mostly graphics.
If we get art on it,
we could probably have
a mock-up by tomorrow.
Let's aim for tonight.
You think you're gonna
save CompWare with that?
Interesting fact:
Three hyenas weigh the same
as one male adult gorilla.
Oh, my God.
I won a bid for a ping-pong table.
They said it had to be cash.
[PATOFF] You have life
insurance, do you not?
Of course I do.
How is this any different?
In the event of your untimely death,
what provisions have you
made to secure your legacy?
- None.
- Well, then now is the time.
Under my guidance, Mr. Sang,
people will idolize you.
One day, they'll kneel before you.
I should run this by my team.
Your team is the reason why
you are in this predicament.
When did Ahn Sang Woo
stop listening to himself?
No one tells me what to
do, that includes you.
You have accomplished so
much in your short life.
Think how much you can achieve in death.
[ELECTRICAL BUZZING]
[CHIMING]
Craig.
- He changed the locks.
- What?
In the records room.
I just looked to see if he
had a file on Frank Florez.
You still have his key?
I got it copied and
put the original back
in his drawer Saturday morning.
What has Nancy fucking Drew
learned from this experience?
That he knows somebody's
been down there.
Number one, yes. Number two,
he's fucking with you just like
- he did to me on Friday.
- What happened between you two?
I told you. I had too much to drink,
- and I went home.
- Okay. If I took him
to a hot yoga class and
then grabbed coffee after,
- wouldn't you be curious?
- [SIGHS]
He tried to get me to do something
that I didn't want to do.
Nothing sexual. Nothing like that.
Just, like really fucked up.
- Did you do it?
- What?
The thing he asked you to do.
No.
Good for you.
Thanks.
[KEYS CLACKING]
- [KNOCKING]
- In!
Mr. Patoff?
Is it important?
It could be half a million dollars.
I don't know if this is
a company asset or not,
but last year, Sang invested in a yacht.
- It sunk.
- Yes.
He didn't know that
when he wrote the check.
I don't know if it's salvageable,
but we could possibly
get something for it.
Mr. Sang was impulsive.
Impulsive people are easily fooled.
Are you impulsive, Elaine?
I'll have to get back to
you on that, Mr. Patoff.
- Raul, we done yet?
- Yeah, it's there.
It's buggy-as-fuck, though.
You sure you really wanna share this?
Trust me. It's good enough, baby.
[KNOCKING]
In!
Mr. Patoff, um, is it a good time?
Time will soon run out for us all.
Yeah.
Um I heard that we
were in a bit of a spot.
I might have something that can help.
Another sunken ship?
Uh, the game that you
liked, Upskirt Jungle.
I think if we put all
of our resources into it,
we can launch by the end-of-the-month.
We might make some quick
revenue if we market it right.
- So soon?
- We did a mock-up for you.
It's a reskin, but the bones are good.
You know what? I can just put
it on your phone if you want.
Then you can look at it anytime.
You can look at it in the bath,
You can look at it on the can.
All you need is a local
server and the go button.
I really enjoyed our
drink on Friday, Craig.
Thank you for inviting me.
Any time.
I hope the theatrics of
our little intervention
- didn't unnerve you.
- Oh. Me? No, no.
I just had a few too
many on an empty stomach.
Is that what it was?
[STAMMERS] Did you have any
luck finding your friend?
I'm afraid there is no
happy ending for Milani.
Since I've known her, she's
been on a run of misfortune
that you'd be hard-pressed to believe.
Huh. I can imagine.
It's the red button with
the CW on it. You're all set.
- Mind if I take the shortcut?
- It's always the best route.
[SANG] No money up front.
No share of profit. You don't
even pay yourself a salary.
- What's in it for you?
- Please do not concern yourself
with me, Mr. Sang.
I'm rewarded enough.
What have I got to lose?
That is our business concluded.
It didn't even cost me a dollar.
A dollar that you can
ill afford to spare, sir.
I suppose we'll never
see each other again.
We will not, but it's been
a great pleasure to meet you,
and I shall return in two weeks.
- Two weeks?
- To commence work.
There's a lot to do.
- But you said
- I can start sooner,
but that really is a decision
for you to make for yourself.
I once had a client who placed
a sharpened pencil up each nostril
and then lowered his face with
great vehemence onto a desk.
Most inventive. Remarkably brave.
I don't suppose you
have any use for pencils.
I am not about to die.
I believe I made that
very clear from the outset.
Without my intervention,
in a few months from now,
there will be no CompWare
and no Mr. Sang to continue.
It really is now or never.
There must be another way. I..
I'll do anything.
Come, come, Mr. Sang.
This is not the end.
This is the beginning.
The contract is signed.
Your legacy is secured.
There's nothing now to stop you.
Perhaps you would like me
to make arrangements on your behalf?
Arrangements?
Ninety-three percent
of my clients prefer
not to know the details.
Shall I go ahead and book for you?
There is a small administrative fee
that I charge for this service.
It's somewhat time-consuming on my end.
How much?
Your accounts are in such disarray,
I'd feel guilty charging you any money,
but perhaps there's another
way that you can compensate me.
- [PRIEST] The body of Christ.
- Amen.
The body of Christ.
[TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
[PHONE BUZZING]
Hey.
Hey. You left without saying goodbye.
[ELAINE] Oh, you looked
busy. I slipped out at 6:00.
Are you home already?
I I'm actually out to dinner.
I rearranged my date from Friday.
[CRAIG] Oh. How's that going?
If you're not feeling it,
you can just say the word "pineapple."
He asked for the check
and went to the bathroom.
[CRAIG SCOFFING]
Sigma male. Expects you to pay.
Those guys are so cool.
- What do you need, Craig?
- Okay.
So, Mr. One-in-a-Million, Frank Florez?
I think I found him, or at
least I found the number for him.
- How?
- I installed some stalker-ware
on Patoff's phone. He
doesn't have a clue.
So, as soon as he fired up the demo,
I grabbed the contact
from his phone, and bingo,
Señor Florez popped up.
No recent activity,
but we got the number.
- Did you call him?
- Not yet. I can.
I was thinking maybe a female voice
would be less threatening.
We don't know anything about him
and we don't wanna scare him off.
[ELAINE] Just send me his details,
and I will call him tomorrow.
Hey. It's okay, what we're doing?
Right? Going behind his back?
I mean, we're just
checking his credentials,
and if he's legit,
Patoff just might be
what CompWare needs.
I mean, maybe Sang did some
good business when he hired him.
[CRAIG] But he's not
gonna find out, will he?
Pineapple.
Hi.
[BEEPING]
[PEOPLE SINGING INDISTINCTLY]
[SIGHING]
[RATTLING, SHUFFLING]
Ah, slowly!

[CROWBAR CLATTERING TO THE FLOOR]
Hey.
- Hey. Did you call him yet?
- What am I?
- I'm not your assistant.
- Oh, right.
You're my creative liaison.
Frank Florez owns a
jewelry store in Pomona.
- That's pretty much all I got.
- How does Patoff know him?
I didn't wanna ask him
that over the phone,
so we're gonna have to
drive one weekend over there
- and meet him in person.
- Fuck!
I can't do it this weekend. I
signed up for a church thing.
- I'm not doing this alone.
- Okay. I'll think of something.
Jesus forgives, right?
Did you hear that he sent
an entire demo link to the
entire office last night?
I'm sure it's great.
You worked hard on it.
No. The stalker-ware's on that version.
I woke up this morning with
access to every fucker's device.
- So then delete it.
- Wow.
Thank God you know so much about
the intricacies of cyber-crime.
[TALKING INDISTINCTLY]
Mr. Sang will guide
us through the storm.

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