All language subtitles for billions.s07e09.2160p.web.h265-successfulcrab

[Kate Sacker]\NPreviously on Billions.

What is that?\NA fire crackling?

Yeah. Lobby bar. It’s homey.

- All of you are gonna get one.\N- This’ll track your sleep,

your resting heart rate,\Nand other vitals

in the name of well-being\Nand productivity.

You wear it 24/7.

- [loud crash]\N- FBI!

Spread out!

Dr. Gilbert,\Nmy name is Chuck Rhoades.

- You know I’m innocent.\N- Innocent?

No, I cannot credit\Nthat assertion.

We’ll make a dang fortune.\NAnd this is the kind of idea

custom-made to campaign on.

He’s one of the heads\Nof the firm.

Young guy named\NPhilip Charyn finds himself

on the opposite side of Prince.

Sounds Byzantine.

[Wendy] It seemed to me\Nthat he was asking me

to bring you\Nin on the situation.

- Do I need to call a lawyer?\N- You sent for me.

You didn’t tape an "X"\Nto a telephone pole,

but you asked for a meet\Njust the same.

[Wags] I love\Nthat you’re ditching

your race for Congress.

You should go long, Purell.\NI’m not ditching a thing.

But you’re still here?

Most important actions\Na president can take

are those that assure

that no nuclear weapon\Nis ever fired.

If a hostile nation state\Nwere going to initiate,

I would be open\Nto launching first

in order to shut them down.

Even if it may mean the end\Nof the world as we know it.

People without self-doubt\Nshould never put themselves

in a position of complete power.

They’re the only ones\Nwho should rule,

because the other people\Nlet self-doubt rule them.

That would never be me.

[Billy Joel:\N"I’ve Loved These Days"]

♪♪ Now we take our time ♪♪

♪♪ So nonchalant ♪♪

♪♪ And spend our nights ♪♪

♪♪ So bon vivant ♪♪

♪♪ We dress our days ♪♪

♪♪ In silken robes ♪♪

♪♪ The money comes ♪♪

♪♪ The money goes ♪♪

♪♪ We know it’s all ♪♪

♪♪ A passing phase ♪♪

♪♪ We light our lamps ♪♪

♪♪ For atmosphere ♪♪

♪♪ And hang our hopes ♪♪

♪♪ On chandeliers ♪♪

♪♪ We’re going long ♪♪

♪♪ We’re gaining weight ♪♪

♪♪ We’re sleeping long ♪♪

Hope you enjoy.\NTake your time.

Thank you, Sal.

Counselor, you’ve been\Neyeing me all night.

You’re the only other person\Nin the establishment.

Not sure where else\NI might look.

I didn’t say\Nyou were looking at me.

I said you were eyeing me.

Of course you’re looking.\NWe’re talking.

But, uh, your eyes\Nkeep searching my face,

trying to find an answer.

Only thing is, you’re\Ndancing around the question.

[chuckles] Oh!

Once a cop, huh?

Even in retirement.

Not observant ’cause I was\Nan officer of the law.

Reason I was an effective\Nofficer of the law,

reason I rose\Nin the ranks as I did,

that’s because, to start,\NI had the power of observation,

which, you want to know\Nwhat that really is?

I suspect I’m gonna hear\Nyour perspective on it.

So, yeah, sure.

It’s the refusal\Nto look away.

We all want to,

especially when\Nwe glimpse something

we’d prefer not to see,

or we notice something\Nwe’d rather not deal with.

You know, guys know their wife\Nis stepping out on them

months, years before\Nthey bring themselves

to accept that knowledge.

Same way an investor has that\Nsneaky feeling in his stomach

that his money guy\Nis lying to him.

But he writes it off to the last\Nveal parm he had for lunch...

And you think\Nyou’ve noticed something

in how my eyes\Nare alighting on your face?

If you stall much longer,

we’re gonna have to ask them\Nto open for breakfast.

And they didn’t even\Ndo that for Sinatra

when he was sitting back\Nover there

in the sanctified seats.

Well, I’m sure they would have,\Nif he’d asked.

[chuckles]

Chuck, we’ve supped.

We’ve libated.

Now’s the time.

Now is the time, huh?

Okay, okay.

Now is the time.

Just out with it, Rhoades.

The practice of making sure\Na guilty man goes down,

whether the evidence exists\Nor needs to be helped along,

when no doubt exists\Nin the minds

of the arresting officers,\Ntheir peers, et cetera.

It used to happen sometimes.

Still does, I’m sure.

Guy would stick a bag of dope\Nin a wife-beater’s car.

That kind of thing.

Because you knew the world\Nwould be better with him gone.

Yeah, but...

it never works the way\Nthe cop thinks it will,

flaking a guy.

Not really.

Somewhere between the idea and\Nthe execution, things go wrong.

You gotta have the evidence\Nof guilt of the actual crime,

not the crime\Nyou think he might commit

or also committed.

The one\Nyou’re arresting him for.

Or else?

Anima in periculo.

[laughs]\NOh!

You remember some of the Latin\Nthe nuns gave you.

That brings a smile.\NBut if I wanted to ensure

my soul would never be in peril,

I’d have become, I don’t know,\Na veterinarian.

[scoffs]\NYeah.

But still, this is different.

What it does to a person’s\Ninsides to frame someone.

And that’s still not why it’s\Non my "do not recommend" list.

The problem is,

the system collapses\Nunder its own weight.

Not right away. Soon enough.

Those lines on the road to\Njustice exist to serve everyone.

They should not\Nbe traipsed over.

But what if the guy\Nisn’t only guilty,

but a continuing\Nand enormous danger to society?

To the world?

So it is some kind of permission\Nyou’re after, not guidance.

I can’t grant it.

I won’t.

Bad for you.\NBad for the whole deal.

You want absolution in advance,

take it up with a commissioner\Nof a different department.

Why can’t you\Nget this guy

under the legitimate weight\Nof your own office?

Because this guy can’t be got\Nwith normal methods.

He’s a king.

But a mad king.

Now you said something.

Old days, when a king\Nwas confirmed mad,

that’s when his own court\Nwas ready to depose him.

Help depose him.

They usually ended up\Nwithout heads for their trouble.

Well, if they were in the court,\Nthey probably had it coming.

Find them.

Use their own outrage\Nagainst him.

I happen to care\Nabout at least one

of these particular courtiers.

[laughs]

Then there’s only\None thing to do.

Drink, my friend.

[wine pouring]

[sighs]

♪♪♪♪♪♪

I was sitting there at my desk,

waiting for everyone else\Nbut you to leave.

And I sat there\Nfor another hour...

deciding.

I think there’s a mutiny\Nin the works.

Evidence?

Circumstantial\Nbut strongly suggestive.

I was doing my usual\Npost-decision review process--

You do that? How often?

Once a week,\Nso I don’t get sloppy.

And whilst reviewing,\Nsomething came clear.

The moment I went to tell Prince\NI was leaving the firm.

The idea to do that,\Nto leave,

wasn’t really mine.

Who whispered it, then?

Wags put it in my head,

and I don’t think it was out\Nof the goodness of his heart.

You think he wanted\Nto get rid of you?

He came on like he was\Nlooking out for me.

He doesn’t do that.

And that insight made me\Nrethink something else.

A few times, when I’ve\Napproached small groups,

they changed the conversation\Nor stopped talking entirely.

Should we wake Prince?

Not yet. No.

When did this happen?\NWho are the groups?

I took contemporaneous notes.\NHere.

Let’s pull it up.

- Pull it up?\N- Yeah.

As old Warner Wolf used to say,\N"Let’s go to the videotape."

We record everything\Nexcept privileged conversations.

You record those too,\Ndon’t you?

Don’t we? Come on.

I have been walking and thinking\Nabout this all night.

After the eating and drinking,\NI mean.

Hmm. I inferred that part.

The kids are sleeping,\Nso let’s keep it quiet-ish.

Easy. Not that kind of drunk.

Ah.

The inquisitive kind.

Okay.

Come on.

Fire away.

How do you convince somebody\Nyou won’t hurt them

if you really mean it?

Do you need me to play along

like I think you’re asking\Ntheoretically,

or about some random person\NI don’t know?

I do not, no.

I have been ruminating\Nabout what caused you

to send your charge\NPhilip to me.

Sent him because he asked.

Do you need me to play along

like that’s true?

I do not.

No.

But I do need a reason\Nto keep this going.

The Philip thing\Nmade me fairly certain

that you see Prince\Nthe way I do.

Before I respond to that...

I need to know.

What do you see in him\Nthat’s different

than what you see\Nin any other target?

Well, the self-interest\Nis the same.

The scope and scale\Nof the ambition is not.

Nor the grandiosity of vision.

Sure, others of his general\Nstature bilk society

while padding\Ntheir own pockets,

but not a one of them\Nthat I have personally chased

had the desire or capability\Nto get to where his hand

was on the nuclear button\Nso he could press it first.

Yeah, well...

Yes, this guy would,\Nor could, at least.

"Could" is unacceptable.

What if I agreed with that?

What then?

I am back at my reason\Nfor the visit.

How do I convince you it would\Nbe safe for you to work with me?

In what way?

I can’t find a path\Nto get him within what I do.

But with someone on the inside,\Nthe path would reveal itself.

If not to bring him to justice,

at least to stop his ascent.

As you know, somewhere deep...

that I would stop short of\Ncausing you irreparable harm...

at this point, I, too, am close\Nto feeling that in the reverse.

Jesus, it’s late.

I sound like\NI’m in a Tennessee Williams.

[sighs]

But it doesn’t matter\Nwhat I feel

about how you’d treat me.

Not really.

What matters is,\Nfor what you want to try,

for it to have\Nany chance of succeeding,

I’d have to enlist\Nother people.

I have enlisted other people.

But I can’t vouch for you\Nto them,

because you would hurt them\Nif you had to

without more\Nthan a moment’s thought.

[scoffs]

Well, at least you grant me\Nthat I would take that moment.

I can see that you’ve grown.

But it doesn’t change\Nthe finality of my position.

I can’t vouch.

And even if I did,\Nthey wouldn’t believe me.

Not after...

everything they’ve seen you do.

Thanks for answering the door.

I’ve also felt the kind\Nof misalignment you describe,

but not from Wags.

Let’s just see\Nwhat was going on.

[indistinct chatter]

[Wags] ...zooming up\Nthe fucking polls...

[fast-forwarding]

...there is a potential\Nequal time issue.

[fast-forwarding]

[Wendy] We definitely\Nneed her out of here.

[Taylor]\N...running for Congress.

And duty for Prince?

[Wags]\NThe hazards of staying.

So the cameras\Nare pointed away

from the PMs\Nat their desk,

away from the Bloombergs.

There are zones of safety,\Nand with that,

this is mostly legal.

You take over\Nyour enemy’s company,

you put in\Nappropriate measures

without exposing Prince\Nunnecessarily.

I heard some talk about you\Ngiving out tracker rings

before I got here.

Decoys?

We assumed people\Nwould figure it out.

And stop looking\Nfor anything else.

Devious. In a good way.

If you had all this stuff\Nrecorded, why didn’t you know?

It’s like the NSA\Nunder the Patriot Act,

pulling down\Nall communications.

When you record everything,\Nyou can’t review.

So you wait until\Ncircumstance dictates.

Then look for keywords\Nand trust it’s all there.

I’ll have this sent out\Nand have the sound cleaned up.

But I can tell\Nby body language

they weren’t talking\Nabout the Knicks.

It was after that conversation\Nin the elevator

that he broached the idea\Nof me leaving.

You know,\Nfor my benefit.

I don’t want to dignify\Nthe colloquial,

but "suss"\Ndoes feel appropriate.

We should fire them all,\Nfor starters.

Maybe.

Look at this.

I had hoped the sixth sense\Nwas wrong.

This was taken when they were\Nin England together,

reportedly in the hotel.

Shit.

I hired an expert\Non English architecture

and antiquities weeks ago.

Still waiting\Nfor some kind of verification.

We will move quickly and\Ndecisively when we know more,

but we need\Nthe rest of it first.

So, we’re not waking him.

Not tonight. But soon.

You’re thinking\Nabout all the things

we can see\Nwith these cameras.

Don’t do that.

Pretend you don’t know.

The other way\Nis a path to despair.

Just tell me\Nthe bathrooms aren’t--

It was a discussion,\Nbut no.

That was a bridge too far.

Yeah.

I want out.

Out?

I wish I could just bail\Non all of it.

I wish I could, I guess,\Ngo backwards

to before I knew so much,

before there was\Nso much reason to be alarmed.

The burden of what you know

and what you believe\Nwill happen...

I can see why you’d\Njust want to erase it.

Or, if not erase,\NI could just leave.

Absent myself\Nfrom the situation.

From Prince Capital.

Let it all fall\Nwhere it will,

you know,\Ndespite what I believe.

What’s prompting this?

Today. Now.

Chuck came to see me.

Proposed joining sides.

You and he?\NWorking together?

On this?

And he’s right, tactically,

if I could trust him\Nnot to harm my people,

and I... I almost do.

I can see why this...\Nthis interaction, this question,

pushes you to make\Nyour own plans

to scale the wall\Nto freedom.

But picture yourself,

in whatever setting,

seeing Prince ascend...

whenever you turned on\Nthe television

or opened your browser.

[sighs]

Seeing Chuck with that kind of\Nhopeless conviction on his face

kind of convinced me that I\Nprobably can’t stop it anyway.

So if I was some other place,\Nsome other job,

maybe helping people,\Nmaybe lifting people up,

perhaps I’d feel I was doing\Nsome fucking thing.

Then explore that path.

Put the word out.

Which probably means\Njust checking that folder

you have in your inbox.

The one that has all\Nthe incoming from headhunters,

hiring executives,\NCEOs.

I have.\NAs soon as Chuck left,

I opened that very folder...

and saw a few things\Nworth considering.

Then consider them.

But also consider...

that as you get closer

to any moment\Nof huge import,

huge impact,\Nhuge challenge,

the desire to flee\Nbecomes almost overwhelming.

Sometimes that instinct\Nserves us.

And sometimes\Nit’s trying to protect

what doesn’t need protecting

and is, instead,\Nstopping us

from taking\Nthat very risk

we absolutely need to take.

♪♪♪♪♪♪

You’ve been out\Nall morning.

You rescheduled\Na court appearance.

You skipped the Chiefs’ meeting.

You have Allerd running\Nback and forth

to the records room\Nfor old case files all day.

What are you doing?

I had to reschedule\Nthat hearing

because I needed to be\Nat a different hearing.

What hearing?

A sentence-reduction hearing.

[scoffs]\NI’ve had a hell of a morning.

[judge] We are here\Non the Government’s Rule 35,

motion to reduce\Ndefendant’s sentence

for substantial assistance\Nto the government.

How is the government\Nrepresented?

Your Honor.

[scoffs]\NNo.

Wait-- uh, no.\NNo. Absolutely not.

This man is conflicted.\NHe-he’s gonna try and screw me.

Sir, the nature of this hearing\Nis to reduce your sentence.

Due respect, Judge,\Nnot with him.

It is a trick.

He visited me in prison\Nto harass me.

- He’s gonna try attack--\N- [judge] Sir.

Counselor,\Ncalm your client.

Trying, Your Honor.

The defendant is highly\Nagitated. I-I’m inclined to--

[Chuck]\NYour Honor, please.

Not what I’m here for.

I see there are visits by you.

Does the defendant\Nhave grounds for his claims?

Your Honor, the defendant has\Nprovided substantial assistance,

as described\Nin the government’s papers.

[Gilbert] He’s here to mess\Nwith me, I’m telling you.

He’s-- he’s getting\Nmy sentence reduced

so that he-he can lock me up\Nfor something else.

[judge] You will sit quietly

until the government states\Nits case, sir,

or you will be sent\Nout of the room.

Mr. Rhoades, I will give you\Nabout two short sentences

to establish the capacity\Nin which you’re here.

If I don’t like it, you’re out.

And we will figure out who else\Nwill represent the government.

Despite Dr. Gilbert’s\Nreasonable concerns

about my intentions,

I am here to argue\Nthat his sentence be ended now.

All final years lopped off.

Dr. Gilbert has tended\Nto fellow inmates.

He’s helped guards\Nwith their health care.

Taught CPR and other first aid\Nin the facility.

Saved lives.

That is impressive.

But that is really\Nwhat he’s supposed to be doing.

Rehabilitating.

I don’t see it\Nas grounds for reducing.

[Chuck] Your Honor,\Nin the current climate,

anyone who improves\Nthe prison system,

makes it more humane,\Nmore functional,

they are providing substantial\Nhelp to law enforcement.

Now Dr. Gilbert has provided\Nuseful information

and proven himself\Na valuable member of society,

both inside the prison and out.

[sighs]

Motion granted.

And sentence is hereby reduced\Nto 26 months,

which have been served.

Defendant should be\Nprocessed out

by the Bureau of Prisons\Nimmediately.

Would you like to return to your\Ncell to collect your belongings?

I’m, uh, happy to never go back\Nif I don’t have to.

Clerk, see about getting\Nthis man some street clothes.

[gavel bangs]

Enjoy dinner tonight\Nat home with your family.

Dr. Gilbert, before you go,

there’s one thing I would\Nlike do in return.

You have no right\Nto ask anything of me.

Not a goddamn thing.

What the hell do you want?

To give you the opportunity to\Nstate exactly what I did to you.

Give the full brace.

Leave nothing out.

I let the attorney general\Nconvince me

that breaking the law\Nwas necessary

to upholding the law.

Rhoades hoped-- No.

He knew that I would\Nreceive the maximum sentence,

and he got just that.

Planted evidence,

and left me to rot behind bar\Nfor his sins.

Not my own.

He betrayed me...

Okay, erase this insanity\Nright now.

- No, sir.\N- You got the man early release.

How about having him\Nsay that, at least?

Not the drill on this one.\NNeeded the damning stuff.

- It’s insanity.\N- Saying it twice

doesn’t make it so.

It was so before I said...

[sighs]\NChuck, man,

this is not the time\Nto blow yourself up

while making amends.

Oh, it’s always\Nthe time for that.

And it’s a nice\Nside benefit of this,

but that’s not\Nwhat I’m doing here.

I’ll wait you out,\N’cause the longer I do,

the longer this all stays\Nright here in the room with us.

If you stay, you’re\Nkind of co-signing,

uh, whatever he does.

I’m not.

Mr. Schirmer, did you try\Nto stop the defendant

from committing\Ncareer hara-kiri?

I’m not leaving.\NI’m not letting it happen.

Whatever the fuck it is.

Little favor,\Nif you don’t mind.

A company asked me\Nto give a talk.

Mental. Huh.

Telehealth start-up.

Even better,\Ntele-mental health.

Online therapy.

With the current microscope\Non Prince,

I want to make sure it’s a place\NI can be associated with.

Non-toxic.

Paid speaking gig. Nice.

Cha-ching.

It can be.

If you could just\Nskim their financials,

let me know they’re solvent,\Nthere are no red flags.

That’d be good.

Eu entend.

That’s Portuguese.

You know,\Ninstead of sitting there

with that Amerigo Bonasera\Nundertaker look on your face,

check the frame.

Or, no, give me your phone.

Maybe that’s better.\NYours is newer.

My phone is kind of permanently\Nin non-record mode these days.

Probably best.\NOkay, I’ll use mine.

I’m center frame?

Can you just nod?\NThat doesn’t make you complicit.

Maybe fill me in\Non the exact plan.

See these files?

These represent every case\Nwherein I cut a corner.

The blind trust violation\Nof Ice Juice.

Arranging voter suppression\Nto win my AG election.

Remember Hap Halloran,\Nthe municipal administrator?

Bribed him by providing a second\Nhoneymoon for his wife and him

in Puerto Rico.

Organized a heist,\Npulled by Jackie Connerty.

[laughs] My God!

Just hearing myself\Nsay it out loud.

Organized a heist.

- A heist?\N- [Chuck] Yes, sir.

No, that was a fun one,\Nactually.

A real peach, it was.

[Chuck]\NAnd it did someone a service.

Leah Calder.

We stole back the ring\Nher spoiled son gave

- her almost daughter-in-law.\N- You know, I-I-I--

I don’t really need to--\NActually, yeah, don’t tell me.

But it was wrong\Nand a dereliction of duty,

and as such,\NI have to catalog it

and speak it into that\Nrecorder right there.

You don’t.\NYou really don’t.

Assuming now these files are,\Nuh, your notes on all of your...

I hesitate to call them\Nyour illegal actions--

[Chuck]\NStop hesitating.

These files represent\Nthe wins only.

The video will be\Nthe full truth.

The breadth of the thing.

I intend to lay it out,\Nas with the Dr. Gilbert video,

case by case.

What do you keep\Nchecking for?

Well, when someone\Ndoes something batshit,

you call in reinforcements.

I had hoped they would show up

- before you rode the lightning--\N- [door opens]

I hear you’re going\Nfull Section 8.

Talk to me, son.

Got your due diligence\Non Mental.

That was fast.

That’s why they call me\Nthe cheetah.

They do not really\Ncall me that.

Anyhoo, their business model\Nis strong like bull.

They hire the doctors full time,\Nso no per diem work.

Nobody has to deal\Nwith the insurance company.

They do it for you.

Major employee\Nand patient retention.

They seem to be insulated

from the current\Nhealthcare crapshack.

And they have\Na strong market share.

So they’re a winner.

Not full-on Simone Biles,\Nbut close.

The bridge between\Nthe therapeutic piece

and the business piece\Nis not as strong as it could be.

But you’re just giving them\Na pep talk, right?

I believe so.\NDo-- Do you think I should pass?

No. I think it’s got potential.

It’s a cool comp.

In fact, I might want\Nto make an investment,

buy some shares\Non the private market.

Go ahead.

Thanks for the info.

[no audible dialogue]

"Batshit."

Ira texted that word to me.

I figured he was just\Nallowing his anxiety

to get the better of him,

as his people\Nhave a wont to do.

We come by it honestly.

The ones that didn’t\Nhave anxiety

got run through\Nby Cossacks.

[Senior]\NNo doubt.

And in this case,\Nas back then,

you were exactly right.

It’s the only word.

Batshit.

Destroying yourself\Nwhen you have enough people

wanting to destroy you already?

Confessing when no salvation\Nis actually available.

At least his people put their\Nsins on the head of a goat

and killed the damn goat.

Actually, we’d just leave it\Nin the woods.

And, uh, easy on the "my people"\Nstuff, how about?

Yeah, you’re right.

I’m tense because I’m watching\Nour boy fall apart.

So I’m-I’m letting fly\Nlike I’m at the club,

not out in world.

You’re right that I am not\Nafter salvation.

Oh, this is worse\Nthan even I feared, then.

You are wallowing in your guilt.

Do you think I’ve never\Nfelt guilt, Junior?

I’ve felt it rise up\Nto the bottom of my throat,

do a reach-around\Nand tickle my epiglottis.

But did I self-immolate?

- Guessing you did not?\N- [Senior] No.

I discharged it with a weekend\Non Isla Santana,

in the West Indies.

That’s real? Isla Santana?

One huge fee covers open bar\Nand unlimited assignations

with an international staff\Nof professionals, right?

I’ve-I’ve heard legend,\Nbut you’ve been?

You can confirm.

Oh, I-I have\Nemptied my pockets

and my glans\Nin that blessed place.

It is real.

So real that I had to play\Nsome golf

to get a break from all\Nthe discharging of guilt.

Came back a new man.

I don’t think a trip\Nto Debauchery Island

is gonna do it for me.

You should get tested\Nfor low T.

[Ira] Chuck,\Nyou’re obviously right

that true guilt\Ncan’t be assuaged

by a romp in the sun\Nwith nubiles.

But that doesn’t mean\Nthat this is the time,

is the place, is the venue,\Nis the forum--

[laughing]

You know, much as I have enjoyed\Nwatching you flail about,

assuming that I am determined\Nto bayonet myself,

I just-- I can’t let it go on\Nany longer.

[sighs]

You two are my most\Nloyal compadres, and as such,

I will invite you\Ninside the lean-to.

♪♪♪♪♪♪

Winner, winner,\Nchicken dinner.

Uh, just an afternoon\Ngreen juice for me.

No, no, I found one.

A winner, that is,\NI’m pretty sure.

I want to put it\Nin front of Prince.

A private company\NI think will be good for him.

For all of us. MPC.

Have you run it\Nby Philip and Taylor?

They’re occupado.

How would you like\Nto present with me?

Well, I wouldn’t.

You haven’t even heard the idea.

I’m sure it’s good.

I’m just not sure you’re sure.

What about Tuk,\Nor someone else?

Look, I know how you feel.

It’s not easy\Ngoing in and pitching.

But if it’s strong enough\Nto do with me,

it’s strong enough\Nto do on your own.

You just have to be\Nstrong enough.

[inhales sharply]

[sighs]

Hey there, boss.

I got a seat reserved for you\Non a bullet train

about to leave\Nthe fucking station.

Um, that is the way

the opening of a pitch sounds\Naround here, no?

I mean, some people’s.

Why don’t you just tell me\Nwhat it is while I take a look.

Can do, can do.

Company is called Mental.

In the telehealth space.

- You can see all the--\N- Yeah, we’ve been wanting

to get into health care since\Nwe quietly slid out of Korlera.

Cool model\Nwith video therapy sessions

and AI support.

Direct insurance billing,\Njuicy receivables.

They’re poised to be both\Nvery profitable and very good.

For, you know, da people.

Which is our brand.

Bingo.

I’m doing it again.

Where’d you come up with this?

Wendy.

[cell phone vibrates]

Yes?

Thank you.

I like it. I’ll consider it.

Can I have my tablet back?

Does not augur well,\Nall of us here.

We are not filled\Nwith lightness and joy, no.

Take a look at this.\NIt’s a screenshot I grabbed.

I see Taylor.

That’s the foreground\Nelement, yes.

They are at the hotel where they\Nstayed when they went to London.

You say "hotel" like it has\Nquotation marks around it.

Indeed. Sacker and I\Nhad suspicions

that there are mutineers\Nin the company.

And then I remembered\Nthis image.

I’m guessing it is not a hotel.

No. Not. Expert confirmed.

I have a printout of the report,\Nbut you don’t need it.

What you need to know is this:

This molding is a unique design.\NOne of a kind.

Decorating the walls\Nof Haddon Hall,

a castle owned and,\Nwhen this picture was taken,

occupied by Bobby Axelrod.

It is high risk.

High danger.

Asymmetrical return\Nif you’re right.

It is everything I have told you\Nto have the acorns to try.

Thank you.

Ain’t saying\Nit’s gonna work.

[laughs]

Just saying I understand.

And like Watson’s 17th hole\Nat the ’82 Open,

ballsy to claim when\Nyou’re staring down Nicklaus.

- And had he failed--\N- [Ira] But he didn’t.

Called the birdie,\Nhit the birdie.

May Chuck be so lucky.

I guess I’m not\Nyour attorney anymore,

so I have no real standing\Nto advise you against this.

And I won’t,

because as your friend,\NI get it too.

[sighs]

[camera chimes]

The first time\NI bent the rules.

Actually, let me be more clear.

The first time I abused\Nmy position of office

and broke the law--

the first I remember, anyway--

was back when I was\Na line prosecutor.

I had this witness\Nwho wanted to recant.

[sighs]\NSo, I made it clear to him

that that was not\Ngonna work.

[Alexis]\NSo, yeah, thanks for coming.

Really great\Nto meet in person.

Okay, are we gonna talk\Nabout the supposed topic

of my pretend speech?

Or do you want to tell me\Nwhat I’m really doing here?

- Of course.\N- Damn, she’s good.

The speech was a smoke screen\Nso you could get me in

and hire me as a consultant?

Since I have\Na combination of skills

in therapy and performance,\Nand a grounding in business.

Am I close?

You’re not far off.

The speech was a smoke screen\Nfor consulting,

which was a smoke screen\Nfor the real position.

Oh.

[Alexis]\NOur CEO is stepping down,

and like you said, you have\Nthe unique qualification

to take the seat.

You give us the best chance\Nto do good work,

and you can help people\Ndo and be their best

and build a profitable company\Nalong with it.

[Robin] You’d own a nice piece\Nof the company.

You’d be responsible\Nfor the day-to-day

- as much as you want to be.\N- A lot, we hope.

[Robin]\NPlus how and where we expand,

how to keep our therapists\Ndoing optimal work.

The vision of the company.

- [Alexis] Our former--\N- [Robin] Soon-to-be-former--

Right, soon-to-be-former CEO\Nhas a very limited vision

of what this company\Nreally can be.

As founders, we spend most\Nof the time pushing him.

Leading from behind.

We want someone\Nwho’s eyes-forward,

and we think that’s you.

The compensation package.

- We have to assume.\N- Come on, we know.

Yes, we know\Nthat Wags and Wendy

were also with Taylor,

and went to Axelrod\Nwhen they were in London,

supposedly on company business.

My allies, lined up against me\Nwith my enemy.

Fire them all. For cause.

That’s the feeling, yes, but...

[Luke]\NYes, but if you fire them now,

the bulk of the C-suite\Nof your eponymous firm,

you’ll look like a bad hirer\Nand a worse manager.

Things will feel unstable.

Plus, they will have\Na story to tell.

And they will find a way\Nto tell it.

Out in the world,\Nfree radicals.

It is far too dangerous\Nto keep them here.

I can create a pathway,

work it so that when\Nthey are fired,

they will be forced to sign NDAs

in exchange for our promise\Nnot to sue

and seek prosecution of each one\Nfor corporate espionage.

Not now, Kate, but...

Wendy. Come see me.

Meet in my office in 15.

Stay here.

Consider scenarios.

But do nothing.

[Chuck, on video] The first tim\NI abused my position of offic

- and broke the law--\N- [turns video off]

Despite what’s said on here,

it’s a lot of wins\Nrepresented on this video.

Big ones.

Cases and ops I was proud\Nto be a part of.

- And bad people went to prison.\N- I know, Karl.

And nothing that happens\Nwill change my scorecard.

Our scorecard.

This isn’t my swan song.

You don’t want me\Nto talk you out of it,

- I’m not going to.\N- Good.

Now I’m gonna want\Nall that on a drive

that can’t be copied.

All right.

What’s the thing?

I’ve become aware of Mental,\Nand your involvement.

I don’t think it’s a conflict.

I’ll be speaking and advising,

helping get their therapists\Nrowing in the right direction.

They’re giving me stock\Nas comp.

All okay.

I agree.

But I have info\Nabout the company

that might help shape\Nyour next steps with them.

The CEO is stepping down.

The board will want someone with\Nyour credentials to take over.

That tracks.\NThey hinted around it,

but I’m here.

I didn’t take the gig.

You know, one thing I’ve learned

about how to make my people\Nmore effective

is to let them stretch.

I won’t lose you if I\Nencourage you to take leaps.

I-I’ll still need you\Nto work with me

and my top performers.

But also, you could help train\Nsome of the Mental therapists

to work with our younger people.

Synergies are there.

Don’t mistake this as being\Nentirely selfless on my part.

I make a score\Non the company.

And I know that when I get\Nto the White House,

you won’t just stay here\Nwith the folks that are left.

But now, maybe I lock in\Nhalf of you.

[sighs]

Thank you, Mike.

[sighs]

[door opens]

So I wanted to sit\Nwith you privately

and ask you some important\Nquestions, because, in a way,

I feel like you speak\Nfor the whole trading floor.

Have any of you\Nconsidered leaving?

Hey, I just got back.

I signed a two-year contract.

I have two years left as well.

Okay.

Do you feel you’re growing?

[Victor]\NYou mean our books?

Our returns?

[scoffs]

It’s been hard.

[Tuk]\NYeah, it has been hard.

Hard to make progress\Nbuilding good momentum

when we’re getting\Nwhipsawed around.

[Victor] Yeah.

Drop hot foreign money.

No more ESG. Go domestic.

"Do good"?

Fuck’s sake,\Nthat’s not a strategy.

It’s been a real pain\Nin the boccis

trying to find the alpha\Nthrough this noise.

Wait, are you asking us about\Nleaving because you’re leaving?

Well, you all did kind of say\Nthat all I was good for lately

was performance coaching.

- But that’s a real need.\N- Duh.

Will there be a new resource\Nput in place for us?

[Dollar Bill] Hey!

They’re not gonna be\Nhalf as good as Wendy.

But...

if you train them,

and they can get us back\Nto where you get us,

then, hey, get your ya-ya’s.

This isn’t a session.

Or it’s a different kind\Nof session.

I’ve made a decision,

and I want to do this\Nin front of you.

Robin? It’s Wendy Rhoades.

I’m accepting your offer.

I’ve got the DocuSign\Non my iPad,

and I’ve had my lawyer\Nreview it,

so we should be good\Nto start Monday.

[laughs]

Me too.

And I will see you then.

[inhales deeply]

- [Mayer] Well...\N- [laughs]

You know, it’s true,

I... I can’t abandon\Nthose people at the firm,

despite the state\Nof my relationships right now.

But I also can’t abandon\Nthe prospect

of helping all those\Nother people out there,

Mental users who I might\Nbe able to touch

through this new company.

And I can’t run from what Chuck\Nhas put in front of me.

[inhales and exhales sharply]

I need to do it all.

Somehow.

And just think how good\Nyou have made me feel.

I will go home tonight\Nknowing that I, too,

have made a small difference.

That’s exactly\Nwhere I am going right now.

Home.

To try to do the same thing.

I’m bringing you something\NI didn’t plan on bringing you.

I get what you mean faster\Nthan most anyone you know,

but even I need, like,\None or two more words.

Prince is so smart.\NSo careful.

So intentional right now.

He just did something for me\Nthat I know

he couldn’t have wanted to do,\Nbut he did it

to make me even more beholden\Nto him, even more in his debt.

And I don’t matter at all\Ncompared to most of the folks

he’s gonna really be working.

Yeah. He got himself\Nto where he got himself

because he’s very fucking good.

So, the problem is,

if he is the existential threat\Nwe know him to be,

and he’s that good,

well, it brought me\Nto a certain conclusion.

The one that got you\Nto decide to bring us

whatever it is\Nyou weren’t going to.

The conclusion\Nthat we can’t do it.

Can’t stop him.

Not alone.

That we’re depriving\Nourselves of a weapon.

But that weapon...

Okay, now I am there.

You’re about to say\Nyour ex-husband’s name,

because while we have\Ncertain information,

he has tools\Nthat we don’t have.

Chuck? She’s about\Nto say Chuck?

Shit.

He came to me.

But not in his old way.

He approached\Nwith an earnestness.

I was moved, actually.

You’re saying he got you\Nto trust him?

He’s been working\Non himself.

Hold on.

Let me look at you.

This is bad.

You kind of look like\Nmaybe he got to you.

As if you opened\Nyour heart to him.

No. No way.

Maybe I wanted to hear\Nwhat he had to say.

[laughs]

Maybe I wanted to offload

some of the responsibility.

But, yes, I find myself\Ntrusting him again.

Adding law enforcement?\NThe top fucking prosecutor?

Making him privy to shit\Nwe’ve done and will have to do,

that’s bad for all of us.

I don’t care what it means\Nfor all of us.

I do, however,\Ncare what it means for her.

Shit.

[bottle clatters]

There’s something\NI have to do

before we go any further\Nwith this.

Are we supposed\Nto just wait here?

- [door closes]\N- Mr. Wagner.

You don’t know me.

Not really.

You may think of me\Nas a right-hand man,

a second-in-command,

a facilitator, a fixer.

You may not take me very\Nseriously because of that.

But know this:

when I set my sights

on accomplishing\Nsomething important,

I take dead aim,

and I systematically go over\Nor through everything in my path

until I have reached\Nthat objective.

So consider this your warning.

I know you’ve been\Nsweet-talking Wendy,

making assurances to her,

saying a lot of shit\NI’ve heard from you in the past.

But that woman is made\Nof the finest stuff

on this earthly plane.

Stuff that wretches like us

can only appreciate,

not truly apprehend.

She’s ripped herself open

to help the people\Nat our company survive

the roughest of transitions.

And she deserves\Nthe opposite of betrayal.

On this we agree.

Which is why I will not\Nallow you to hurt her.

And if somehow you find your way\Naround me and do hurt her,

if you cross her

or fuck her over,

then fucking you back\Nwill become my mission--

my sole motherfucking reason\Nfor being.

And then there’ll be nothing\Nfor you to hide behind,

because I will come for you.

I don’t know how,

but I will figure it\Nthe fuck out,

and I will get you.

It is not my intention\Nor my plan.

You have my word.

Your word means rat shit.

Bubonic plague rat shit.

Rat shit even the other rats\Nwon’t touch.

- You’re right.\N- I am right.

I mean, I know I’m right.

I’m right? You just said that?

Yeah. So, let’s go.

I think we’re just about\Nsquared away on Wendy for now.

One issue left.

Who do we actually trust\Nto oversee the place

once I put the others in a box?

Great. Done.

Call ’em in.

All of ’em.

Thank you all for coming\Nto this meeting,

this uneasy alliance.

That’s a fucking\Nunderstatement.

I have come to understand\Nwhat it will take

to make it possible for us to\Nwork together in this endeavor.

And I have gone\Nto those lengths.

This is a drive\Nthat cannot be copied.

It contains a cataloguing\Nof moves I have made,

extralegal and plain illegal,

that would flush me\Nfrom office

and public life irrevocably,

would get me disbarred\Nand jailed

if it were to come out.

Okay, and that proves what?

I have always\Nbeen highly skilled

at earning people’s trust\Nthrough means legit and illegit.

- And at betraying it, Chuck.\N- Yes.

That too.

And so I realize that\Nnow I need to give trust.

Wendy, I know if I hand you\Nthis material,

you will never\Nuse it against me,

even if I deserve it,

for the sake of our children.

Sadly true.

But Wags will not hesitate

to ruin me,

as he just made painfully clear\Nin my office.

So my only question is,\Ndo you trust him

not to burn me with this

if I do right by all of you?

With my life.

Then I do, too.

[Taylor]\NDo you have a plan,

now that we can all\Ntrust each other?

I have a goal.\NTake Mike Prince’s billions.

Separate him from the thing\Nthat makes him so powerful

and attractive to the voters.

Without his money\Nhe is Superman,

and the entire planet\Nis Kryptonite.

And we’re all suddenly supposed\Nto figure out how to do this

after we’ve been trying\Nand failing to do it,

jointly and separately,\Nfor months?

There is a way to us\Nfinding a way.

Another player,\Nsimilarly motivated,

who would be a great weapon,

and one who is near and dear\Nto your hearts.

[cell phones vibrate]

Prince calling me in for a meet.

Me too. Right now.\NAt his house.

Same. That ain’t good.

We have to go.

[Billy Joel:\N"I’ve Loved These Days"]

♪♪ We light our lamps ♪♪

♪♪ For atmosphere ♪♪

♪♪ And hang our hopes ♪♪

♪♪ On chandeliers ♪♪

♪♪ We’re going long ♪♪

♪♪ We’re gaining weight ♪♪

♪♪ We’re sleeping long ♪♪

♪♪ And far too late ♪♪

♪♪ And so it’s time ♪♪

♪♪ To change our ways ♪♪

♪♪ But I’ve loved these days

Are we...?

- [elevator chimes]\N- [elevator doors slide open]

This doesn’t even look\Nfun adjacent.

No. Not fun at all.

Wendy, Wags and Taylor have been\Nplotting an assassination.

My assassination.

Staying silent\Nis the first wise thing

any of you have done\Nin a long while.

Do you need me to get security\Nto escort them out?

I won’t be firing\Nthe three of them

and making this public.

Not yet.

No, they’re gonna be punished\Nin a different way.

First, they’re gonna lose\Nevery cent of bonus money

they have coming to them,

and their other money\Nis gonna remain in the fund,

gated, to insure\Nno further disloyalty.

They’ll also lose\Ntheir reputations

when they lose the corporate\Nespionage suit we’ve filed.

Oh, that’s right.\NWe haven’t filed it yet.

But that’s, uh...\Nthat’s good to go, right, Kate?

Yeah. Hey, it’s all ready.

Signed and sealed,\Nwaiting to be delivered.

You’re all frozen in place.

Wendy, you’re lame-ducked here.

You’ll execute\Nyour new CEO duties,

and if nothing else goes wrong,

you’ll fully onboard there\Nafter the election.

At which time you’ll be fired.

If you haven’t\Nfigured it out yet,

I’m a majority owner\Nof Mental through a shell corp.

Taylor, you’re done.

No authority.

No log-in privileges.

A figurehead.

Call it garden leave,\Nbut inside a glass box.

One notable exception to\Nthe outward-facing status quo.

Wagner, you’ll lose your ability\Nto authorize large trades.

And small trades.

And paystubs.

You can just kind of walk around

shouting nonsense mantras\Nto the traders.

So for you,\Nnothing really changes.

And Philip.

[Scooter]\NPhilip, my boy.

My boy.

Take a look at this.

[Philip, onscreen] Whatever\Nplan you’re considering,

leave me out.

Whatever you and Taylor\Nand I don’t know who else

are thinking about doing,\NI can’t.

Won’t. I don’t even want to.

I need, and I will have,\Ncomplete deniability.

As-is, right now, there is\Nnothing I could tell anyone,

nothing I should tell anyone.

I aim to keep it that way.

[Wendy]\NThen you do that.

My office?\NYou fucking can’t--

[Scooter] Before you complain\Nabout the violation

of your doctor-patient\Nprivilege, Wendy,

you should know\Nthat Philip signed a waiver

before that session,\Ndidn’t you, Philip?

Of course.

Yes, I did.

Philip will now be vested\Nwith the sign-off power

Wags has been stripped of.

We’re done with you.

So you can go.

You have the conn.

Make us some money\Nheading into the election.

Help me win.

Notify the on-call pilot.

Get the Global Express\Ngassed and fired up.

- Destination?\N- London.

I’m going to Haddon Hall.

[Billy Joel:\N"I’ve Loved These Days"]

♪♪ So before we end ♪♪

♪♪ And then begin ♪♪

♪♪ We’ll drink a toast ♪♪

♪♪ To how it’s been ♪♪

♪♪ A few more hours ♪♪

♪♪ To be complete ♪♪

♪♪ A few more nights ♪♪

♪♪ On satin sheets ♪♪

♪♪ A few more times ♪♪

♪♪ That I can say ♪♪

♪♪ I’ve loved these days ♪♪