All language subtitles for VEED-subtitles_BILLIONS

[Philip]\NPreviously on Billions.

I buy a half hour

on every major network,\Nlive speech.

Solicit honest feedback\Nfrom your employees.

Use it as fuel for the speech.

He goes into the speech\Nconfident, he comes out sailing.

I’ve been told\NI needed to see you.

When Wendy wants something,\Nshe’s very persuasive.

And that’s why I called her.

With Bradford running point,

the feedback’s\Ngonna be jet fuel.

So you want us to go back around

and troll for negative feedback?

This could implode MPC,

as well as the campaign\Nand all of our places in it.

I would consider it\Na personal favor.

[Chuck]\NWe are gonna do something

extremely hard.

When did I become\NLex Luthor?

Someone’s quitting\Nisn’t capitulation.

So I shouldn’t worry

about seeking real love.

I’m saying the way to get it\Nis to be a winner.

Thank you...

for not keeping me safe.

The destiny is in me.

I put him back together

after you kicked the pieces\Nacross the floor.

I’m Mike Prince.

Mike is trending\Non every platform.

It’s done.

I saw.

Someday, and that day\Nwill definitely come,

I will call upon you\Nto repay this debt.

This is totally amazing.

That’s how I do. I aim to amaze.

You’ve done it. I thought it was\Nonly a theoretical model.

It was, back when you were\Na Stanford Cardinal.

It’s viable now.

What compressive strength\Nhave you managed to achieve?

As you know, the standard crap\Nranges from 3,000 to 5,000 psi.

My little baby\Ngets close to 6,000.

- Damn.\N- Plus, when the cracks form,

the bacteria creates\Na self-healing effect.

It’s an organic, high-tech mimic\Nof the lime clasts

and volcanic ash\Nfrom Ancient Roman concrete

that’s had those buildings\Nstanding for thousands of years.

- Beautiful.\N- Yeah.

It’s almost ready\Nto go to market

and present\Nto the Cement Masons unions.

That’s why I moved the lab\Nhere a little while back.

Before you do,

you gotta let me walk you\Nin to my guy.

[thud]

[engine turns off]

[Quinn]\NOkay, so you are gonna want

to practice your starts,\Nyour stops, your signals,

and your merges\Nbefore your next road test

so you don’t have to do\Nthis whole Phi Slama Jama

a third time.

So I definitely failed?

Flatter than a pancake.

And when you’re ready\Nto give it another go,

you just head to the website\Nand book another test.

[Senior] Well, since-- since we\Nknow he’ll pass the next one,

how’s about we save everyone\Nthe trouble.

He was so close this time.

There must be a way\Nto shave a point or add one?

Close? No.\NNot a word I’d use.

The bus was close, though.

Which bus?

The bus that your young charge\Nalmost sideswiped,

like Rick Mahorn did Wilkins\Nthat time.

Phi Slama Jama.\NRick Mahorn.

You’re a sports fan.

And unlike the boy, sir,\Nyou are a quick study.

[laughs] That I am.

What’s your name, sir?

Quinn. Ern Quinn. Mr. Quinn.

Well, Ern,\NI think the thing to do

is for you to get some tickets\Nto see a game,

which is expensive, I know.

So, what I’m thinking is,

we make that happen...

and then you make\Nthe driver’s license happen.

- [police siren blurts]\N- This is ridiculous.

I was social friends\Nwith Robert Moses!

Don’t say your daddy’s name.

I’ll tell them\Nto call Mom.

No. She’ll flay me.

I should have made one of them\Ncome with me.

These DMVs--

Stands for Dumb Motherfucking\NVarmints, by the way!--

just want to charge\Na higher price.

I got this.

[exclaims]

To build.

That’s man’s impulse.

Well, mine, anyway.

But the best-made structures,\Nhow long do they last?

Not long enough that future\Ncivilizations won’t use

the rubble of ours\Nas a mere foundation.

Until now.

Bio-inspired\Nvascular concrete.

It recognizes the weaknesses\Nwithin the concrete system

and is able to enzymatically\Nrepair itself.

This will revolutionize

the country’s crumbling\Ninfrastructure.

This material\Nrebuilds the past,

fortifies the present,\Nsecures the future.

This is magnificent.

It really is.

This is a game changer.

But the path\Nfrom innovation to market

is fraught with danger.

It’s Rock ’Em Sock ’Em Robots\Nout there.

This can’t be one of those\Nthat doesn’t make it.

[laughs] Uh...

What danger, exactly?

Deep-pocketed competitors,\Ncopycats,

foreign governments\Nwilling to steal it.

As you know,\Nall those things and more

can destroy\Na young company.

But I can protect it.\NAnd you.

[typing]

[sighs]

You see, man’s impulse\Nis also to buy.

I want to get behind this\Nin a big way.

I can take care of knocking out\Nthe competitors,

as well as all\Nthe execution stuff,

the blocking and tackling

you don’t need\Nto get bogged down with.

This is something\Nthat will help the world,

and we’ll all get rich doing it.

I’m having in-house counsel join

so we can move quickly\Nand aggressively.

I’m prepared to purchase\Nyour entire company

and back a more robust\Ntimetable,

rolling this out\Nin the next 14 months.

No, no, I’m not\Nhanding you the reins.

This is my life’s work.

Which you’ll lose no matter what

now that you’ve stuck\Nyour head out.

But we can prevent that.

We will prevent it.

This way, your vision\Nis protected

and you get paid fairly.

You don’t buy me out.

I made my bones when you were\Ngoing out with cheerleaders.

So, a Moe Greene no.

What ended up happening\Nto old Moe after that?

Thank you all\Nfor your time.

And the fucking scones.

I’m not selling.

[door opens]

[door closes]

[clears throat]

[sighs]

Look, he put his whole\Nprofessional life into this.

I just think he didn’t see\Nthe blitzkrieg coming.

I didn’t either.

Maybe you can go\Nand talk to him.

I can. I’ll try.

But he is stubborn.

I mean, real stubborn.

Yeah, okay, you do that.

Talk some reason into him.\NThis is the way he wins.

Because if I can’t have\Nhis company this way,

I want his tech.

And I’ll get it.

Legally. Aboveboard.

Fins up, you know\Nwhat I’m saying, Kate?

We’ll make a dang fortune,\Nand this is the kind of idea

custom-made to campaign on.

A new foundation\Nfor America.

I’m on it.

[door opens]

[door closes]

[sighs]

[cell phone vibrates]

Hello, son.

Dad, I’m fine.

Kev, that’s code\Nfor "not fine."

I fucked up\Nand said your name.

[Chuck] To whom?

I found the one sorry\Nson of a bitch at the DMV

that doesn’t know the difference\Nbetween a gratuity and a bribe.

Don’t say another word,

either of you.

I’m planning\Non telling Mike

he should punt\Non the performance reviews.

Oh, you’re planning.

Well, I mean,\Nif you want to,

I’ll of course\Nstep back and--

I thought that’s why\Nyou said it that way,

so I would do it for you.

For Mike. For the firm.

It’s not something\Nthat can be punted.

After those truth-telling\Nsessions, folks are queasy.

I think the staff knows\Nthat Mike would never use

performance reviews\Nas a way to exact vengeance

on people who merely spoke\Nthe truth about what they felt.

Yeah, well, the mere fact

that you just referred\Nto them as "staff"

says a lot about how\Nthey’ll feel being judged.

Well, I guess your finger\Nis just lodged

right on the carotid of--

[Wags] No guesswork.

That’s all anybody talked\Nabout at movie night.

Movie night? Is that\Na colloquialism for something?

Popcorn. Big screen.

I’m surprised\Nyou decided to skip.

Oh, shit.

Didn’t know\Nthis was a thing.

Wasn’t invited.

I should have\Ndouble-checked their list.

- I just assumed they’d--\N- What’d you watch?

Double feature.

Glengarry\Nand Wolf of Wall Street.

[chuckles] Of course.

Do they even know what Wolf\Nis really saying?

Victor does.

Sacker, obv. Rian.

The rest,\Nthey think they should know

how to sell a pen better.

- You’ll come next time.\N- Oh, no.

You’re the man of the people.\NI’ll remain where I belong.

Slightly above the staff.

Your words, not mine.

Scooter just texted me.

I understand the concern\Nabout the performance reviews.

- When the fuck did you--?\N- You don’t get here

without being able\Nto multitask.

Like how you can do\Na double shot of Michter’s

while re-enacting your favorite\NNikki Dial-Rocco Siffredi scene.

Who are those people?

[both]\NBetter you don’t know.

Okay.

I’ll recuse myself\Nfrom the review process.

I was planning\Non doing it anyway.

I can’t be seen as rewarding or\Npunishing anyone on the team...

Team. Not staff.\NThere you go.

...just because they said\Nbad or good things about me.

Still, we have to do it.

Can’t go forward\Nwithout a thorough look back

and a real evaluation of trading\Ntendencies, habits, all of it.

How does that work\Nwithout you in the middle of it?

You two will run the thing.

I’m glad to leave it\Nin your able hands.

I need in there. Thank you.

Dad. Kevin. What?

It’s just\Na bureaucratic squabble.

This aged man’s attempt\Nat bribing me

failed as badly as this young\Nman failed his driving test.

- He called the cops.\N- You called the cops?

I called the cops.

[officer]\NIf money changed hands,

we’re going to have\Nto arrest and charge.

[sighs]

Don’t make me\Nask the question.

What question is that?

Please.

Yes, I know who you are.

But it’s a tight spot here.

Can we have a moment\Nwith my father?

[sighs]

Charles, why are you\Neven here,

and what did you think\Nyou were doing?

Making sure it went well.

- [scoffs]\N- That peon had it in for Kevin

the moment he saw the Jag.

It intimidated him.

And like I said,\Nhe didn’t know the difference

between a bribe and a tip.

[Quinn] I heard that.

You’re going to jail.

And Rhoades, Kevin,\Nwill be prohibited

from holding a license to drive\Nin New York state.

Jesus!

[Chuck] I am aware\Nthat attempted bribery--

if that is in fact what can be\Nproved to have happened here

- -is a serious offense.

I can guarantee his appearance\Nat arraignment,

but if you will do me\Nthe courtesy

of releasing him\Nand referring this

to the DA’s office\Nfor investigation,

it would be appreciated.

I’d have to check\Nwith my superiors.

Well, check with the commish.

I have Raul Gomez\Nin my favorites.

Thank you.

[scoffs]

The Department of Motor Vehicles\Nis not a playground

for the well-connected\Nto do as they will.

Ha!

That is a clerk’s mentality...

and a clerk you will always\Nfucking be.

Dad! Not helping.

Uh...

You know,\Nthe sad fact is

that some senility\Nawaits us all

in the golden years.

Oh, bullshit.

Oh, are you saying he’s...?

There are over\N100 types of dementia.

So, it can be tough to pinpoint\Nwhich we’re talking about,

but I think it’s clear\Nthat something...

My last med workup\Nsays I’m sharp

as a goddamn titanium tack.

Can you say the same?

The commissioner\Nis granting your request.

You’re free to go.

But he is indeed\Nreferring it

to the DA’s office.

Great. Swell. Perfect.

Wouldn’t have it\Nany other way.

Thank you, officer.

And thank you, sir,

for your fealty\Nto the auto safety corridor.

I note the sarcasm,\Nfor the record.

[sighs]

Bowing and scraping\Nlike that?

- [Chuck sighs]\N- I thought you had juice!

Can we just get out of here,\Nplease?

Well, this should be more fun\Nthan movie night.

No one thought\Nyou would want to come.

And right they were.

[Philip]\NOkay, on the screens

in front of each of us\Nare dossiers

covering the P&Ls, activities,

results and tendencies\Nof each person who works at MPC.

We will conduct interviews\Nand do the feedback sessions

after we--

We aren’t at\Nthe feedback stage yet.

- You’ll be called in.\N- Yeah, no, we won’t.

My man speaketh the truth.

I’m not sure why I just used\Nthat biblical version of speak,

but I did, so...

Because what we are saying\Nis as monumental

as that language implies.

Yes. Yeah.\NWe were elected to tell you

that we all reject\Nthe framework of this panel

judging us and our work.

The employees can’t reject--

- Team members.\N- Absolutely.

The team members\Ncan’t reject the idea

that their performance\Nis being evaluated.

Well, we are rejecting you,\Nall of you,

as the ones evaluating.

You don’t get to pick\Nhow management decides.

Management does.\NThat’s how business works.

Upon a time it did.\NNot now.

It’s true, Wags.

We are in an un-brave new world.

I mean, no offense,\NScooter,

but you’re not in touch\Nwith the rank and file.

You don’t even come\Nto movie night.

- I wasn’t inv--\N- ’Cause we knew you wouldn’t

want to and didn’t want\Nto put you in the position.

As I said.

Look, the only one with\Nthe right to decide our fate

is the actual decider.

But you all said that once you\Ngave your evaluation of Prince,

you weren’t comfortable\Nwith him conducting this review.

That is right and true.

Yeah, well, he decided\Nto change everything,

so we all reject\Nthe whole of it.

You roll it all\Nfor a least a year.

No performance reviews\Nuntil then.

Or you can do it without\Nany performers to review.

You do know that comp\Nis directly tied

to performance review?

Not this year,\Nit isn’t.

Well, fuck.

Indeed.

Well, you really brought out\Nthe all-star team

for this vital matter of state\Nsecurity involving my father.

As have you, Chuck,

with the great and powerful\NFreddie Eisen in your corner.

He always brings a gun\Nto a knife fight.

Yeah, it’s just like\Nthe government to lard it on.

You’re always looking for\Na chance to squander resources.

[chuckles]

Uh, no offense, Chuck.

Yeah, sure, Eisen.

Look, I think we all know

the bright light\Nof attention

is on this matter\Nbecause of me.

You’re trying\Nto bleed me here.

Bleed you? For what?

A notch in your hatchet.\NUh, making a quota.

Some time in the limelight.\NWho knows?

Rubbish. We have kept\Nthe press out of it so far,

and that’s proof\Nthat you’re off base.

But this is\Na chargeable offense.

Ah. This is where I come in.

- Mm.\N- Uh, rubbish.

You’re gonna have an impossible\Ntime proving anything

beyond giving\Nan unlawful gratuity,

which is a class "A"\Nmisdemeanor.

So, no jail time,

a fine,

and a course... maybe.

There is no driving course\Non how not to be an asshole.

But in this case,\Nmaybe we invent one.

[whispering inaudibly]

Okay.

But we expect\Nthe maximum on the fine,

and even that may not placate\Nthe DMV folks.

Agreed.

You got a good deal here.

A real sweetheart.

[clicks tongue]

Better than you deserve.

If my client will take it.

I’ll let you know.

[door opens]

Well, if the bank\Nwants to call that loan,

you tell them you’ll move\Nthe corpus of the trust

to another institution.

Dad, don’t conduct your\Nso-called business from here.

We have to resolve\Nthis situation--

Some birds are chirping\Nin the background.

I can’t hear a thing.

Get back to me with good news.

There is nothing to resolve with\Nthe DMV as far as I’m concerned.

Well, as counsel,\NI have to disagree.

At least present you\Nwith the deal we were able to--

Well, no matter how good a deal\Nyou think you struck

with your colleagues,

I won’t sign it.

They should apologize to me.

And Kevin.

Thank you for your efforts,\NFreddie.

[sighs]

You picked the wrong guy\Nto try to charm, Pop.

So now you have to--

That examiner\Nwas a power-mad little man

who should have passed Kevin\Non principle alone.

[laughs]

Uh...

what principle is that?

That the Rhoades family\Nhas contributed more

to this city and state than--

Tell that to the bus driver.

No, no.

You see, close call or not,

Kevin avoided that bus.

- Ah.\N- And that’s all that matters.

- That’s real life.\N- [laughs]

Near collisions. Near disaster.

That’s when the mettle shows.

Our boy has it.

Shows he’s got the skills.

That still doesn’t speak\Nto the attempted bribe.

Boyo, if I take the fall\Nfor unlawful gratuity,

that DMV apparatchik\Nshould go down for accepting it.

[laughs]

He didn’t accept it.

He allowed you to complete\Nthe criminal act to bust you.

Don’t be such an asshole.

Ah.

If you saw the look\Non Kevin’s face

when he heard\Nthat he had failed...

you’d have done the same.

That’s called love.

Yeah, but I didn’t see it...

because I wasn’t there.

That is true.

He asked you to take him.

Not Wendy or me.

[laughs]

I had been so overtaken\Nwith the idea

that you insinuated yourself

into the situation\Nwith the examiner,

I hadn’t stopped to think--

Well, it’s high time you did.

He reached out\Nto a paternal figure

who was not, in fact...

his father.

Maybe he knew I’d risk\Nlife and liberty on his behalf.

Maybe he counted on that.

Maybe he knew\NI was the only one.

[sighs]

Who’s the asshole now?

Who’s the asshole...

now?

[tapwater running]

What the hell\Ndid you do to me?

To you, or for you?

I went over his proposal,\Nand there’s a ton

of upside there.\NAnd what he was saying

about the pitfalls facing\Na young company--

You don’t think I know\Nabout the pitfalls?

I told you and your\Nlab mates about them

chapter and goddamn verse\Nback in the day, if you recall.

This is different.

This is a robber baron making\Na move on a proprietary process.

I’m telling you, Mike Prince\Nis one of the good guys.

- [laughing] Oh, jeez!\N- Does he have sharp elbows?

Of course he does.\NHe has to.

And you want him to.\NIt’s what you need.

But he’s got the company’s\Nbest interests at heart.

Is that why\Nhe’s started an attack?

Your "good guy" Prince

has begun buying up\Nrival patents.

Even ones vaguely related\Nto what my process does.

Which gives him standing\Nto sue me for infringement.

Which will block my work\Ndue to injunction,

potentially for years.

It’s called patent sharking.

And it’s not\Nwhat good guys do.

"Fins up." Fuck!

Yeah-- Shit, look,

it may not be exactly what you\Nwanted, but similar terms,

some compromises\Nwere always gonna be a reality.

Selling to Prince\Nwithout a fight

is the best move now.

If you do,\NPrince will relent

and the company\Nwill be spared all this.

You hope.

You will be credited\Nfor creating

this self-healing concrete.

The Nobel Prize doesn’t go\Nto the hedge fund dude

who financed the thing.

Let me lay out a look\Nat a slightly different future:

yours.

You, Philip...

have been slowly,\Nor not so slowly,

selling your soul.

And soon,\Nthere’ll be none left.

You’ll never be happy\Nat Michael Prince Capital,

because the longer you stay,

the more you’ll learn\Nabout Michael Prince...

and the more\Nyou’ll hate yourself.

I’ve been\Na scientist-businessman

and a businessman-scientist.

And when one serves\Nthe other, it can work.

The other way\Nis just a slow death

of everything\Nyou ever hoped to be.

Marc, come on,\Nyou still have a chance

to win big on this\Nright now.

You just got to show\Nsome flexibility.

It’s a wonder I ever achieved\Ntenure without your counsel.

[typing]

In Will Guidara’s book\NUnreasonable Hospitality,

he tells a story about how,

when someone misses\Na few meetings or is late,

the instinct is\Nto get right in their face

and give them\Nmassive guff about it.

Instead, Will says\Nthe thing to do

is check in\Nabout their welfare first.

I’m hunky-dory. Peachy keen.

Look, I had stuff\Nto take care of.

Business stuff, and--

No. Or, yes, but...

whatever’s getting in your head,\Ndistracting you from your work,

because you did miss\Ntwo meetings,

in which I covered,\Nof course, but--

No, really, it’s a business\Nthing I was seeing to.

The Ruloff thing.

You need to talk to Wendy.

Your breathing, your cadence,\Nthe pitch of your voice

tell me there’s plenty\Nof emotion

mixed in there\Nwith the business.

I’ve been there with\Nan innovator I cared about,

thinking there was a balance\Nto be struck.

And was there?

No.

I should have focused\Nonly on the business.

Because the corrosive,\Ncontrolling part

was already in the inventor,\Nas it is with your Dr. Ruloff.

That’s why he doesn’t want\Nto partner, he wants it all.

I think you got him wrong.

Wendy’ll help you\Nfigure that out.

[knocks]

[sighs]

I fucked up.

Huge mistake.

How much is it gonna cost\NPrince, the firm?

No.

The opposite, I think.

But despite that,\Nif something isn’t done,

if I don’t do something to\Nchange what’s about to happen,

I don’t know how the hell\NI’m gonna be able

to live with myself.

Well, then\Nyou’d better have a seat.

Start at the beginning.

I’ve likely extricated you\Nfrom legal trouble.

Your friend down at the DMV’s\Ngonna get promoted.

And his boss has a kid

who’s gonna get\Nan internship at Justice.

So they’ll quietly accept\Nthe misdemeanor.

But what we have to discuss now

is the line of succession\Naround here.

I just want it to remain clear\Nthat I am a viable alternative

if the two of you are unable\Nto fulfill your parental duties.

That’s all very\Nwell and good, Charles,

but Kevin,

you need to know--

Your mother and I\Nare your first calls

and your last.

But I did.

[sighs]

"Mom, my driving test\Nis Monday morning.

Can you take me?"

"I have a meeting that morning.\NHave you asked your father?"

"Dad, Monday morning, DMV?"

Uh-huh.\N"Is it possible to reschedule?"

It wasn’t possible.

Kev, if you’d answered "no,"\NI’d have found the time.

As would I have,\Nif I’d known

your father responded\Nhe couldn’t.

This is about you communicating\Nyour needs more directly.

I did. I called Grandpa.

And I stepped forward,\Nonce more into the breech.

I believe Kevin has\Nwhat the kids call receipts.

[scoffs]

None of us behaved\Nperfectly here.

Ah, shit, Kev,

the immediate answer\Nshould have been yes.

I know that.

I get caught up.

We both do.

This is...

I’m just glad\Nthis is the extent

of the price we’re paying,

and that it was your grandfather

and not you\Nwith the bribery.

I will go say good night\Nto my granddaughter.

And for the record,

Kevin drove the hell\Nout of that Jag under my watch.

Hmm.

My boy, there was a time\Nwhen a Benjamin Franklin

was the key to the city.

My mistake was not accounting\Nfor inflation.

[Chuck groans]

[laughs] Oh, God.

Just when I thought\Nmaybe we weren’t too bad

at this parenting thing.

Yeah. Evidence to the contrary.

You and I need to communicate\Nevery day about them.

That’s where we fucked up.

Because if we’d been talking\Ndirectly, one of us...

- No doubt. No doubt.\N- ...would have--

As far as working together\Nbetter...

I pledge to do my part.

As do I.

[Chuck sighs]

I had a strange convo\Nat work today.

I have to imagine\Nthat’s, uh, the norm there.

Kind of your job.

Yeah, but this...

I’ll share,\Nsince it wasn’t a formal,

privileged conversation.

I sat him on the couch\Ninstead of the chairs.

Uh-huh.

One of the heads of the firm.

Young guy named Philip Charyn.

There’s a real\Nbare-knuckle business thing

that an outside figure,\Nyoung Philip,

finds himself\Non the opposite side of Prince.

Emotionally, though.

That’s not a position\Nhe can take publicly

within the firm.

Sounds Byzantine.

It seemed to me\Nthat he was asking me

to bring you in\Non the situation,

to pursue the issue\Non his behalf.

Huh.

And what did you indicate back?

Oh, I talked to him\Nabout the blood-brain barrier.

How it keeps bacteria,\Nviruses, fungus,

parasites in the bloodstream\Nout of the brain.

Parallel health achieved\Nby no cross-contamination.

Well, sounds about right.

And, uh, we should\Nkeep it that way.

For the health of the family\Nand, uh, our individual sanity.

That’s exactly what I said.

[laughs]

Wow.

In this arena,

communication has never\Nbeen an issue.

We each know exactly\Nwhat the other means,

no matter what the other says.

It’s somehow reassuring...

and horrifying\Nat the same time.

Quite so.

[laughs]

Do I need to call a lawyer?

You sent for me.

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

but you asked for a meet\Njust the same.

I don’t want to talk to you.

Of course you don’t.

Your mouth is dry.

You look like you put in\Nsome hard miles.

You need to hydrate.

Marc Ruloff is a good man,\Na great man.

And I put him\Nin Mike Prince’s crosshairs.

That’s on me.

What if you could\Nunwind it?

Find a way to save Ruloff’s\Ncompany from Prince?

Well, I can’t. I’ve tried.

Maybe I can.

Can you give me\Nan illegality I can pursue?

That’s why we’re here.

There aren’t any.\NThat’s the problem.

What about you?

You’re the guy that likes\Na big idea,

that likes the grand gesture,\Nright?

Mm-hmm.

So put a stop\Nto patent sharking.

And these sharks\Ntroll published patents

and buy everything\Nthat could credibly allege

the invention\Ninfringes on it.

So they can sue.

Did you know there is\Na plasma substitute

that could save soldiers’ lives\Nwounded in theater?

But the inventor\Ncan’t roll it out

because she’s surrounded\Nby sharks.

That is a great injustice,

but I can’t change it.

Nor can I change the fundamental\Nnature of the enterprise

that is Michael Prince.

Because your Dr. Ruloff,

great man that you say he is,

is actually just a harbor seal.

And sharks will shark.

Harbor seals\Nwill harbor seal.

That is the way of the ocean.

[metallic rattling]

Gather around,\Nyou malingerers.

[Scooter]\NFirst, we heard you.

After this year,\Nwith all the changes and drama,

we will not proceed with\Nthe planned performance review.

It is more important that\Ninstead of judging each other,

we come together. So...

we are going to have\Nthe inaugural

Michael Prince Capital\NCasino Night at Gotham Hall.

Everyone will be there.

Because you have to be...

and because\Nyou fucking want to be.

This group will\Ncome together as a--

[Rian]\NDon’t say "family."

That whole\N"work unit as family" thing

really stamps you\Nas a Boomer.

- Gen X.\N- We’re not Boomers.

Not even close.

We read Doug Coupland\Nin hardback.

You did.\NI’m much younger.

The point is,\Nwe will come together as a--

Goddamned family,\Nor die trying.

Wags, Scooter. Need you.

[tokens rattle]

Kate has an angle\Non the Ruloff thing.

I wanted you to hear it.

We just set it in motion\Nan hour ago.

Enzy-Novo, biotech firm.

They create the bacterial enzyme\Nthat Ruloff’s process uses.

And that, the enzyme,\Nit’s proprietary, I imagine.

As patented as Carla Fracci’s\NGiselle.

As Jordan’s turnaround fadeaway.

- Ah.\N- Yes, of course. Yeah.

By buying\Ninto this company

and the underlying patent,

Ruloff will be neutralized.

Without Enzy-Novo, Ruloff is\Njust making everyday cement.

It’ll take him years to replace\Nor create his own bacteria.

Mm, I’d love to see\NRuloff’s face when he finds out

he can’t have the starter\Nfor his concrete sourdough.

So, that second,\Nwhen he’s gut-punched,

is when we go back to him\Nwith our last and best offer?

He’ll sell whether\Nhe wants to or not.

He’ll have to, because he’ll\Nhave no other choice.

He’ll end up grateful, Mike,

when he sees what you do\Nwith his idea.

How you blow it out.

And, knowing you,

you’ll be sure\Nto credit him, too.

You know I will.

But all those hugs\Nwill have to wait

for the other side\Nof the war.

[typing]

I have to sign off.\NWho can become the host?

[secretary]\NUh, he’s in a meeting.

[Ruloff] I’ll tell you and your\Nlawyer at the same time.

Your attempted purchase\Nof Enzy-Novo has hit a snag,

and that snag is named\Nthis guy right here.

I wouldn’t dignify this,\NI were you, Mike.

I didn’t hear some rumor\Nneeds confirming.

I’m in an exclusive negotiation\Nperiod with them,

so they had to tell me as soon\Nas your offer floated in.

Well, when your period ends,

I’ll be there\Nwith a wheelbarrow full of cash.

You won’t outbid me.\NI need it more.

That’s not something you admit\Nto a guy

with unlimited resources.

That’s why you should do\Nthe magnifying glass/slide stuff

and leave the transactions\Nand wire transfers to me.

I’ll focus on the science\Nof kicking your ass.

[laughs] You want to get\Ninto a buying war with me?

You’re firing a pea shooter\Nat a tank.

Maybe I have\Na tank of my own.

You can go around\Nbuying adjacent stuff.

Meanwhile,\NI’ll publish my work.

Acclaim, prizes,\Nmedia attention will follow.

I’ll be the man credited with\Nrebuilding the world, not you.

Philip...

if this guy has\Na vulnerability, a weakness,

a quirk of character\Nthat we can use against him,

now would be\Nthe time to share it.

[sighs]\NI’d love to help,

but I’ve got nothing\Nto help with.

I was an admiring student.

I’ve never seen that contentious\Nside of him before.

I’ve known him as nice.\NConscientious.

I don’t know how to get inside\Nhis head and turn him around.

[clicks tongue]

He’s a process guy.

He had a 1966 emerald-green\NKarmann Ghia 1300.

He loved that car.

Talked about\Nhow the Karmann Ghia 1300

was made for the road.

They weren’t durable cars,

so sometimes\Nyou’d see them in garages.

That really bothers him,

the thought that it might\Nhappen to his.

So he bought an entirely\Ndifferent Karmann Ghia

and stripped it for parts\Nto save the green one.

Had someone\Nin the engineering school

match the paint perfectly.

So he’s an obsessive.

[Philip]\NI’d put it slightly differently.

He’s a man\Nwho follows his passion.

Who builds something\Nand then takes care of it.

That’s where\Nthis is coming from.

I mean, he used to take that car\Nout to these rallies

with whales from\Nthe Stanford Board of Trustees.

They used to try\Nand buy it off him,

but he wouldn’t sell.

The smile on his face\Nwhen he would drive off in it...

pure joy of someone who loved\Nsomething enough

to take care of it in a way\Nthat it served him perfectly.

Good. Good. Yeah.

That’s just the story\NI needed to hear.

Kate, I’m betting\NRuloff cozied up

to some billie board member\Nof the university

to back his war against me.

We still need to outbid him.

Well, what if we can’t?

Yes, if he did get himself\Na bigger tank,

that might be the case.

So we sue for injunctive relief

on behalf of one\Nof our other patents.

We won’t win that,\Nwhich you obviously know.

Winning won’t matter.

As Philip’s story tells us,

Ruloff will sacrifice everything\Nbut the central project,

the central idea.

He’d cannibalize\Nperfectly good cars

just to keep his on the road.

It was the getting it on the\Nroad that was everything to him.

Still is.

If we can keep him in court,

and his prize Karmann Ghia\Nin the garage,

it’ll drive him crazy enough to\Nshare the Karmann Ghia with us,

as long as it gets it moving.

That tracks.

I know what to do.

A hearty welcome to all of you\Ngamesters, sports, speculators,

pikers, and punters.

Tonight, we offer you the chance\Nto test your luck

and skill at roulette,\Nblackjack, craps,

baccarat and Texas Hold ’Em.

Drinks are free, and everyone\Nstarts with 5,000 in chips,

with unlimited rebuys\Nat your own expense.

Proceeds go to charity,\Nof course,

but the chip leader\Nat the end of the night

wins a special prize.

And what a prize it is.

Private air travel and\Nall expenses paid to Ireland,

to coincide with the Open.

And VIP rounds\Nwith this year’s champion

at Royal County Down, Portrush,\NSligo, and Ballybunion.

Release the hounds!

[all cheer]

["Funk 49"\Nby James Gang plays]

Odd numbers only.

7, 17, 23, 24.

Let’s go.

♪ I know where you’re going ♪

♪ I don’t think\NThat’s acting right ♪

♪ You don’t think\NIt’s showing ♪

[chips clink]

Split ’em.

Split.

♪ Falling down\NDon’t misunderstand me ♪

♪ You don’t think\NI know your plan? ♪

Again?

Gonna raise.

Point is 9.

I’m backing up mine.

And give me\Nall the hard ways.

Backing up mine.

You’re wrong-way betting me.

Your future\Nis in your hand.

Damn right it is.

Rebuy.

Already?

Don’t worry.\NI have a system.

Do you take Venmo?

- There we go!\N- [excited chatter]

All right,\Nlet’s bet some columns.

[blows]

[dice rattling]

- [croupier] Seven.\N- Oh!

Ah-ha. Mama’s got\Na brand-new bag.

Fuck!

You gooched me.

Well, sometimes\Nthat’s what mamas have to do

to get the brand-new bag.

[crowd cheers]

That is the sound\Nof success.

Tonight’s a hit.\NA palpable hit.

While you do your thing,\NI am going to visit the tables.

- Baccarat?\N- I know it’s house odds,

but I’ve been a sucker for it

ever since the original\NCasino Royale.

[indistinct chattering]

Mm! Grey Goose martini.\NShaken.

Or stirred.\NI don’t really give a shit.

Ah, yes, chemin de fer.

Or as you vulgarians\Nlike to call it, baccarat.

I usually play with tiles,\Nbut this will have to do.

Mm!

Banco!

Vanessa.

- What do we got?\N- Oh, we’ve got it all.

So, most of these folks,

the abstraction of having\Nchips instead of cards,

it’s throwing their sense\Nof value off instantly.

Break it down for me.

[Vanessa] Okay.

This guy Victor, he’s over there\Nrolling it up at roulette.

Aggressive, but smart.

On the other hand,

Tuk Lal’s already made his\Nthird visit to the rebuy cage.

He seems to think he has some\Nsort of system at blackjack.

I don’t know.

His buddy Ben Kim over there...

he’s squeezing\Nhis original 5K in chips

hard enough to turn them\Ninto diamonds.

But scared money’s\Nnot gonna win tonight.

Taylor Mason,

clearly a high-level\Nthinking poker player,

is crushing everybody\Nat Texas Hold ’Em.

And over here, the one\Nthey’re calling Dollar Bill,

he’s a total nihilist\Nat the craps table.

Keep going. Deep dive.

Tell me how their behavior here\Ntransfers to the workplace.

So, Ruloff,

far from letting himself\Nbe sharked,

got a killer whale\Nto protect him,

but it ain’t working.

Or it was working so well

that Prince had to come at him\Nanother way

to strike the fatal blow.

Uh-huh. What was the move?

Filed suit to block\NRuloff’s purchase of Enzy-Novo.

In California. It’s gonna end up\Nin the 9th Circuit.

Where it’ll be years\Nbefore it’s settled out.

These two are gonna be like

the Lazarus A and Lazarus B\Non Trek.

Fighting into eternity.

I don’t like it.

Neither one of these guys\Nshould be spending their time

trying to win at all costs.

If this thing is as good for\Nthe world as it promises to be,

they should only be focused\Non bringing it out.

And worry about the money,

of which there will be plenty,\Nlater.

I mean, think about it.

Louis Pasteur’s\Nfirst order of business

was doing the good thing,

not cashing in\Non his breakthroughs

like these two brigands.

No single person should control\Nsomething like this.

There’s got to be a way

to take them both\Nout of the equation.

Unless the whole thing\Nis a setup.

Wendy comes to you,\Nyou go to the kid,

he gets you\Nto swallow the poison,

thinking it’s just wine.

Oh, Wendy and I aren’t\Nout there

in that particular bad place,\Nin that particular way.

And, I mean, if we are,\Ngive me the poison now.

Get it over with.

Or just be careful.

How come he didn’t make a move

to stop things on his own?

His move was reaching me.

What else could he do\Non the inside?

Well, just play it out.

Don’t drink whatever goblet’s\Nput in front of you.

And then it doesn’t matter\Nwhat’s inside it.

Fine. Yes.

We proceed without allowing\Nany kind of opening,

as we always do.

But proceed we must.

How do we get it done?

The only word\Nthat comes to mind:

Spielbergian.

Is that a word?

It ought to be.

I just got a nasty text\Nfrom Marc Ruloff.

That’s ’cause it’s over.

You blocked him\Nand beat him?

Nope.

But it’s over all the same.

The Department of Defense\Ndid a march-in.

The entire project\Nwas declared classified

by the federal government.

Your patent,\Neverything in this office,

and everything\Nassociated with this work

will now be controlled\Nby the federal government.

You have rights,\Nand there is a process

which will now be overseen\Nby the Department of Defense.

You dropped the dime\Nto the government?

Could he have\Ntipped them off himself?

Killed it instead\Nof letting you have it?

Don’t think so.\NDoesn’t matter now.

The government\Nwill sit on this discovery

like the Ark of the Covenant\Nin that endless warehouse.

Why won’t they get it\Ninto the market?

Well, first of all,\Nthey’re inept.

Then, you know,\Nthink of the special interests.

The unions.\NThe conflicts.

Yeah. They’ll use\Npotential unknown

health or structural liabilities

to get the government\Nto keep testing it.

Yeah, so, no.\NIt’s not coming to market.

Not now.

So no one gets the benefit.

It’s like everyone\Njust literally said,

"Fine,\Nkill the damned infant."

Well, the upside is that\Nwhen I take the oath of office

and I do declassify it\Nand release it,

it’ll start us off very,\Nvery nicely.

Better: you hold\Nuntil right after

you announce\Nfor a second term.

Eight years in office\Nfor President Prince locked up.

Ooh, I like that a lot.

Hold it, then splash.

Maybe Ruloff did me a favor\Nby trying to stop me.

Let me go over your debt, find\Nyou some corridors out of this.

I think...

No. You’ve done enough.

More than enough.

Our engagement ends\Nwhen you walk out that door.

Before I do, I just want you\Nto know that my intentions--

I misspoke.

Our engagement ends now.

[door opens]

We’re here to set the terms\Nfor the performance reviews.

Should we wait until Philip\Nis here before we start?

He’s not coming.

Oh, well,

there is a new harmonious spirit\Non the floor.

We think there’s\Na road to compromise

that you’ll find productive.

It’s irrelevant at this point.\NWe have what we need.

How’s that?

You all said nothing\Nbut told us everything.

I’ve taken Vanessa Selbst’s\Nraw research

and put it into language\Nthat discloses

what the usual comp process\Ndoes, and much more.

Using prospect theory,

as based on\NKahneman and Tversky’s

Nobel Prize-winning research\Nrecognizing loss aversion

that veers directly\Ninto sunk cost fallacy...

along with many other\Nrelated pathologies

that were revealed\Nthe other night...

the participation\Nof the employees

is no longer required.

[Victor]\NShit.

Casino Night wasn’t\Nsome team-building exercise.

It was an observation chamber.

Yes, we already know\Nwhat we need to know

in order to gauge the employees’\Nrisk assessment,

strategic approach,\Nexpected outcome,

performance in general.

Thanks for your time.

Son of a bitch.

What’s next,\Nthe Milgram experiment?

You want to see if we’ll\Njoin in shocking each other?

Oh, who was the winner\Nof the big prize?

Peach took it down.

Fuck me.

- Wow, wow, wow.\N- Does she even golf?

I hear she’s about to flip it\Nto a PM at another firm

for 300 grand.

Shame they’re so upset.

Victor and Rian had\Nsome of the best approaches.

Unlike the bulk of those losers.

Including you, Wags.

You were in on the gag,\Nand yet you bled off

$4,900 in chips at baccarat.

Me?

I thought I was on the inside,\Nthat I’m exempt.

[laughs] Oh, no.

No one’s exempt.

Goddamn it.

Scooter, you’re definitely\Nnot getting invited

to mini golf next week.

None of you are.

Everything I did\Nwent to shit.

I tried to run\Na performance review,

and it turned into\Na psychological study.

I tried to help the firm\Nand ended up with nothing.

I tried to help my old teacher,\Nhe lost everything.

I hoped to change the world,\Nit went nowhere.

You’re giving yourself\Na lot of credit

for how much\Nyou supposedly control.

[sighs]

No, you’re right.

I should give you some.

Because when I went to you\Nand your ex-husband,

that’s when the crap\Nreally started flowing downhill.

Instead of handing out\Nthe kudos and the blame,

why don’t we talk about\Nturning this mess into action.

Because I saw you\Nin his office,

and I know how you feel.

Whatever plan you’re\Nconsidering, leave me out.

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

are thinking about doing...

I 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.

Then you do that.

You have an old friend\Nat Defense, don’t you?

Did you talk to him lately?

Maybe ask him to, well,\Nclassify something

that could really help\Nthe country,

just to screw over a rival?

If my actions hurt the man,\Nthat is the way it is.

I presume he intends\Nto declassify it,

if and when\Nhe gets into office.

But I can keep\Nthe wolf at bay for now.

See how that works out.

Right.

A lot of ways\Nthis could have gone

once you connected me\Nwith that fella Philip Charyn.

But then you knew that.

Yep. I suppose I did.

[door opens]

Well, some things\Nturn out just fine.

Yes, they do.\NA lot of things.

["Drive" by R.E.M. plays]

♪ Smack, crack, bushwhacked ♪

- ♪ Tie another one ♪\N- Congratulations.

♪ To your racks, baby ♪

- [Wendy] So proud of you.\N- [Kevin] Thank you.

[Chuck]\NNice. Good job.

♪ Hey, kids, rock and roll ♪

♪ Nobody tells you\NWhere to go, baby ♪

♪ What if I ride?\NWhat if you walk? ♪

♪ What if you rock\NAround the clock? ♪

♪ Tick-tock ♪

♪ Tick-tock ♪

♪ What if you did?\NWhat if you walk? ♪

♪ What if you tried\NTo get off, baby? ♪

♪ Oh ♪