Original subtitles

Don't you just love nature?

- You smell that? - Yeah, I do.

Don't you dare.

Mom, I'm not doing anything.

You promised. No texts, no games.

Fine. I'll turn it off.

Thank you.

Um, what are you doing?

- It's work, one second. - Mom.

You're low-key being a hypocrite.

- Oh, my God, Finn. - What?

The point is for you to realize the beauty all around you IRL.

Or we could just go home and both be on our phones.

You're right. I make the rules. I'm not above them.

No phones for anyone.

But first, a selfie.

Okay, here we go.

Oh, my God.

The light is perfect.

- Okay, I'm gonna tag you. - Please don't.

On all platforms.

Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com

Guys, Parker needs us to catch up on these ROIs.

Who wants to help out?

- Oh, love to help, love to help. - Ooh, yeah.

But I got tons of important things to... to think about.

Okay. Knight, leaves us.

Agent Knight, a word about the Anderson case.

Oh, uh...

The Anderson case.

What is the Anderson case?

Beats me.

Excuse me, Director, I think I'm a little behind,

- but what is the... - Anderson case? It's nothing.

I made it up. It's a cover.

Well, it's not a very good cover

because McGee's about to find out it's not a real case.

I know,

but it'll take him a hot minute.

Anderson...?

So, uh, I need to talk to you about something personal.

About Ziva having me monitor your sugar intake?

Yeah, I'm not thrilled about it.

It's not about the sugar. It's about my daughter.

And, uh...

I just, I feel like you're the person I should talk to.

- Because I'm a woman? - Yes.

Which means that you were once a teenage girl.

Guilty as charged.

So, when Tali first got to boarding school...

it was her decision to go...

she was calling me every night,

and she would text me constantly asking for advice...

You guys are close, that's great.

Yeah.

And then, the phone calls stopped.

And now, the texting has stopped.

And when I reach out to say hello,

all I get is a "K" in response.

Yeah, that's harsh.

I don't like the letter K.

I think I know what's happening.

Boarding school cult?

Dead Poets Society, but with skin care products?

I think Tali's made friends.

Boyfriends?

Like, a normal group of friends.

She's got a life and she's enjoying school.

Yeah, that's what Ziva said, too.

You need a second opinion?

I need an American opinion.

I mean, Ziva's upbringing is

just a little unconventional.

Hey, so we have a dead body at Little Falls Valley.

Parker, uh, wants us to meet him there.

Unless, you know, you need me to stay behind

- to work on this mystery... - No.

You go do what you got to do. I'll keep you in the loop.

Mm.

This Anderson case, it have anything to do

with the, uh, secret visitor you had recently?

No. And let's keep the secret in secret visitor.

So the Anderson case, huh?

Ooh, first rule about the Anderson case,

don't talk about the Anderson case.

Why, because it's classified? 'Cause I couldn't find

anything about it in the database.

Second rule about the Anderson case...

Don't talk about the Anderson case. I get it.

I just want to know why Tony, you know, asked you to help out.

Well, I have a particular set of skills

that makes me uniquely qualified.

Oh, yeah? Can your skills shed some light on who our victim was?

Petty Officer First Class Mark Brogan, 28.

Stationed at Andrews.

Judging by the disturbance in the dirt

over here, body rolled down the hill

before it landed in the tree.

The old dump and dash. Witnesses?

About 50 of them, actually.

Scattered all across the country.

Look, mother and son took a photo here this morning.

Posted that to their socials.

They had no idea their selfie was photobombed by a dead body.

I'm not surprised.

Smartphone distraction can be a real problem.

This one time, Victoria was so engrossed in her phone,

she followed a complete stranger around the Fair Oaks Mall

- thinking it was me. - Where were you?

I was watching her. Took her a while

before she realized that she was in the suit section

of the big and tall outlet.

I bet Victoria learned a valuable lesson.

Mm.

You learn anything about Petty Officer Brogan here?

Based on the fracture lines and

bone chipping, I'd say it was caused

by a slender chopping weapon.

So, we're looking for an actual axe murderer.

Yeah, well, look at his torso here,

confirmed that the wounds had some sort... Oh.

Okay.

Is that a costume?

Just like Superman.

No, that's not Superman. That's Ralph Hinkley.

Come again?

Yeah, Greatest American Hero.

It was a TV series. 1981.

A crime-solving show, but with humor.

Had a catchy little theme song.

I wasn't alive in 1981.

Uh, I'm sorry, the Greatest American Hero's name was Ralph?

Right. Yeah. Well,

the backstory was Ralph was an-an idealistic...

Hang on.

All right, that's gonna have to wait.

Torres found the victim's car a mile up the road.

All right, so the car is registered to Brogan.

And there's blood in the passenger seat.

So, our suspect

dumped the body, then the car, fled on foot.

Yep.

Could be a robbery.

Well, if it was, the robber left the best stuff behind.

My guess is about 50 grand.

What's the Greatest American Hero doing with all that cash?

Petty Officer Mark Brogan was

a Navy Information Systems Technician.

So, he's an IT guy.

What we don't know is why this IT guy

was dressed like a superhero.

Well, technically, Ralph Hinkley was an everyday teacher

who was gifted a power suit by alien visitors.

But he lost the instruction manual for how to use it.

That's right. Remember, he would... he would

fly around everywhere, but crash into everything.

Brick walls, uh, billboards.

A chicken coop one time.

But, yeah, it's true, uh,

we do not know why our victim was wearing a power suit.

Or why he was carrying 50 grand.

But we do know he hasn't been at work.

He has been on emergency leave for the past month.

Yeah, Brogan's got a sick kid.

- How sick we talking? - Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Curable, but he's been in and out of the hospital for months.

Man, a kid with cancer and a dead father.

That family's going through it.

Cancer treatment? That comes with a hefty price tag.

Maybe Brogan got involved

with some shady business to cover the cost.

Briefcase full of cash go a long way towards medical debt.

Actually, this briefcase full of cash

won't go very far at all.

Most of it is counterfeit.

Only a thin layer of bills on top is real.

Oh, flash cash.

It's a trick drug dealers use, right?

The buyer puts, uh, real bills around the fake bills.

Maybe Brogan tried a similar scam and got caught.

Brogan has a clean record. Nothing points to drug dealing.

Let alone scamming other drug dealers.

Yeah, but no telling what a desperate father

would do to help his family.

Brogan's wife has just been informed of his death.

She's at the hospital with their son waiting for us.

That's gonna be a tough interview.

I'll take it.

You're a good man, McGee.

- Here you are. - Thank you.

Sure.

I spent so much time staring at these walls.

The whole point is to distract you from reality,

but reality keeps coming.

How's your son?

Better.

Cole's new course of treatment is working.

His dad was happy.

Again, I'm-I'm sorry for your loss.

Mrs. Brogan, was there anything in Mark's life that

seemed off lately?

No.

If he wasn't working, he was here.

Just trying to make our boy happy.

He started dressing as this old TV superhero

just to make him laugh.

- Greatest American Hero? - Yes.

He looked ridiculous.

The kids in the cancer ward loved it.

Something I have to ask...

Were you having any financial issues?

Cole's on experimental cell therapy. What do you think?

I think cell therapy is not covered by insurance.

No. We struggled.

Got behind.

Then a few weeks ago,

Mark started paying the bills off.

How'd he manage that?

Some sort of Navy relief fund.

He was working overtime too, and...

we were grateful.

Actually, your husband, um,

has been on leave the last month.

That's impossible.

We think that Mark may have found another source of income.

We found a significant amount of counterfeit cash in his car.

Sorry, uh...

Y-You've come to my son's hospital

to accuse my husband of some sort of crime?

We're just trying to put together what happened.

What happened is that someone murdered a good man,

and instead of blaming him,

you should be looking for who did it.

Oh.

Hey.

Agent Knight, what a coincidence.

Hmm. Feels like you sprinted to get in here.

Uh, more of a speed walk these days.

I have an update on the Anderson case.

Oh, we're still doing that.

Your theory was correct.

- Tali, she has friends. - Ah. What's this?

I did some light research. Names, addresses, hobbies.

I didn't want to go crazy.

I thought you were dealing with

the Armed Services Committee today.

I have that under control.

I need to know my rules of engagement here.

Do I exploit my position? Take tactical advantage or...?

Uh, they are teenage girls,

not an enemy machine gun nest.

- Equally scary. - Mm.

I got to do something.

Nothing. You do nothing.

The Anderson case is closed.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Jimmy knows about the Anderson case?

I'm also the father of a teenage daughter.

I-I think it's healthy for

kids to want to break away from their parents,

you know, form new bonds.

I'm fine with new Bonds.

Sean Connery, Roger Moore. There can be two Bonds.

Tony, it's time for you to hang back, all right?

Waiting in the wings with a credit card and a hug.

Tali will come back.

Is that what happened with you and Victoria?

That's the hope.

- Let's change the subject. - Hmm.

Something easier to digest, like murder.

Well, there was nothing easy about, uh,

Petty Officer's murder here.

The head wound here is just icing on the cake.

There's also extreme rope burns around his wrists

and bruising underneath his fingernails.

- So he was tied up? - Mm.

They didn't just tie him up. Look at the bruising.

He was hung from something, and for a long time.

And that is not even the weirdest part.

Look what I found in his stomach.

Ugh.

Is that what I think it is?

That is a Mexican bark scorpion.

- Did that thing just move? - No, she's dead,

but might not have been when Brogan swallowed her.

The Emberá Cartel's been known to force their enemies

- to swallow scorpions. - And trying to scam them

with fake money is a great way to piss off the cartel.

Well, according to Kasie, there's only one

local pet importer who specializes in scorpions.

Okay, in what twisted world is that thing a pet?

Different cultures, different customs.

And the importer recently fulfilled an order

for Mexican bark scorpions.

Titan Collective. What is that?

All Kasie knows is that the buyer

wanted to remain anonymous,

paid in cryptocurrency,

had the package shipped to that warehouse in Anacostia.

Sounds like you're in for some gas station chili dogs

and bad coffee.

God, I miss stakeouts.

Steel reinforced door,

couple of big dudes out front.

Looks like a cartel hangout.

Might be a drug factory.

McGee, we got two possible suspects out front.

What do you got?

All we see are walls

and boarded-up windows here.

Whoever's inside doesn't want us to see in.

We could just knock.

Ask and see if they're breaking any federal laws.

Unorthodox. I like it.

Um, that's a giant pig.

Knight, McGee, move in.

Hands in the air now! Federal agents!

In the air. Get those hands up.

NCIS! Don't move!

Hello? Hands off the piggy.

Is this part of the challenge?

Cut. Cut!

- Cut! - Hey, don't move.

That's a cut.

Did Jordan send you guys as another gag?

'Cause those guns look super real.

They are real.

What the hell is going on here?

What's going on is you just raided the set

of Jackpot's Choose or Lose.

Choose or Lose?

It's the number one competition show on the Internet.

So...

it's not a cartel?

It's a game show.

Player eliminated.

Oh. Ooh, man!

Not sure I see the point of the game.

They stand with their hands on the piggy bank

until there's only one contestant left.

So it's Hands on a Hardbody?

It's Hands on a Hard Piggy.

Very different, legally speaking.

Chelsea Jacobs. I got this.

You, uh, you must be legal counsel.

And executive producer and...

pretty much anything else that needs an adult in the room.

We're so shocked to hear Mark Brogan's dead.

Camera loved him.

So Brogan was a contestant on your game show?

Jackpot's Choose or Lose isn't just a game show.

It's a sensation.

Jordan's got millions of followers.

You've heard the catch phrase, I'm sure.

"What's it gonna be..."

"...Choose or Lose?"

My kids watch.

Bottom line is, uh, these people do crazy stunts for cash.

Yes! Unc here gets it.

"Crazy stunts for cash" is the vibe.

Got five before we need you on camera, Jordan.

That makes you Jordan Jackpot?

Host. Creator. Innovator. Some say self-made genius.

Chelsea here likes to call me

"insurance liability."

Jordan, they're not interested in nicknames. This is NCIS.

Oh, man.

Uh, just heard about Superhero Sailor. Guy was fire.

Literally willing to do anything for money.

Does that include eating live scorpions?

Gnarly, right? Dude was pure aura.

Okay, dude has a name. Mark Brogan. Also has a family,

didn't know he was participating in this show.

That's standard.

Everyone signs an NDA.

The show's top secret, even to contestants' families.

You ask a lot of your contestants.

They have a lot to gain.

Grand prize is $3 million... cash.

Counterfeit or actual cash?

'Cause we found a briefcase full of fake money in Brogan's car.

Prop money. That's a Chelsea rule.

Can't be storing that much green here.

Don't let contestants take props home.

Camera's ready, Jordan.

Sorry. Kind of on a tight schedule.

Uh, we're kind of investigating

a murder, so, uh, the camera will have to wait.

Hey, I feel for this guy and his family, for real,

but whatever happened to Brogan

has nothing to do with me or my show.

- We don't know that. - Exactly.

So, until you can find evidence that Brogan's death is connected

to Jackpot's Choose or Lose,

I'm gonna have to ask you to vacate the premises.

Think I found some evidence.

There's another set.

Okay, this is our set

for the Jackpot Game of Throws competition.

It's axe throwing. Get it?

Throws, yeah, like the TV show.

It's my grandma's favorite.

Can we talk about these axes?

Straight fire, right?

The axes are real, but we do not throw them at people.

That's another Chelsea rule.

It's an everybody rule.

All right, how many axes

- are supposed to be here? - Seven.

After the, uh, seven kingdoms of Westeros. Why?

Because you're missing one.

Oh. Uh...

And our victim has an axe-shaped hole in their skull.

Player eliminated.

We'll cooperate with whatever you need.

I'm not just a sailor willing to do anything for his son.

I have a secret identity.

I'm the Greatest American Hero,

and I'll soar above the competition.

Wow.

- Mm-hmm. - He's a sailor

and a superhero?

Okay, now I see why Jackpot would pick him.

And he was true to his word.

He won every challenge he participated in.

Jimmy just confirmed that

the throwing axes that we found

on Jackpot's set match the wound patterns

on our victim's skull.

So, the missing axe is the murder weapon.

Which means that our killer is likely connected

to Jackpot's Choose or Lose.

Well, Jackpot sent us a crew list

and also a ton of the show footage.

We also watched the audition tapes.

The contestants all had one thing in common,

- they are desperate for cash. - Just like our victim.

Rhonda's been drowning in student loans,

Jeff's been unemployed for three years,

and Stephanie is in bankruptcy.

And with our victim on track to win $3 million, you can see why

they would want him out of the way.

Any of them stand out as particularly

vindictive about it?

Kasie is combing through 200 hours of show footage.

See if she's got a sense of, uh,

who had it out for Brogan the most.

If she hasn't died of boredom yet.

Whoa. Rhonda is totally putting the moves on Jeff.

Did you see the way she looked at him during the whole

"Wheel of Misfortune" debacle?

No way. It's a ploy.

Rhonda's smart.

She knows you catch more bees with honey.

She's a walking honey stick.

Why do you hate love?

Well, well, well. Look who's ready to like and subscribe.

Well, you got to keep up with the trends

if you want to keep up

with the kids. Speaking of which,

I took your advice regarding the Anderson case.

Oh. Do nothing and drop it?

- Was that your advice? - Yeah.

I did the opposite.

So you hired a mariachi band and had her escorted to class?

No. I invited Tali and her friends

to come to D.C. for the weekend.

Do a little shopping at Tysons Corner,

there's a viral pizza place in Georgetown,

and a VIP tour of the Smithsonian.

Being director has its perks. Can I come?

Wow.

I don't know your "wows." Was that a...

"Wow, you've done a good job" or

"Wow, that's a lot"?

Little of both.

I'm just trying to stay connected.

If Tali's friends are important to her now,

they are important to me, too.

If anyone can master the role of cool dad,

it is you, Director.

And if anyone can master crushing 200 hours

of game show footage, it's me.

Any of these contestants rise to the level of suspect?

They have been too busy trying to win $3 million.

Caleb Silver, however,

had nothing but time to contemplate murder.

Caleb Silver? He wasn't on the contestant list.

That's because he was kicked off the show two weeks ago

for violent behavior.

Just take it easy, man. It's just a game.

Just a game? Just a game?!

Whoa...

Ah! Get your hands off of me!

Caleb was angry he lost the challenge.

He blamed Brogan.

Then he was forcibly removed by security.

Wow.

Oh, that's a "wow" I can read.

Why aren't we kicking down Caleb's door right now?

Mainly because we don't know what door he's behind.

According to his friends and family,

Caleb took his camper and went off the grid.

Off the grid means woods.

I gave the National Park Service a heads-up, but...

Well...

Park rangers just spotted Caleb's van.

Park ranger says camper van is just up ahead.

This guy gets kicked off one game show,

comes out here to play Survivor.

It's been a few weeks.

Maybe he'll be happy to see another human.

Uh, I'm not getting that vibe.

Caleb Silver? NCIS!

You put a pinecone

- in the tailpipe? - Couldn't find a banana.

NCIS!

- Let me see your hands! - Okay. Okay!

Out of the van!

Okay. All right.

Ah!

Okay. Thank God.

I thought you guys were debt collectors.

Wait, NCIS isn't a bank, right?

Well, that's a new one.

We're investigating the murder of Petty Officer Mark Brogan.

Can't believe Mark's dead.

I heard you weren't a fan.

It was a game show. Mark was my competition.

We were rivals, but it was... all for fun.

Didn't seem like it was too much fun when you punched him.

- We have the footage. - I don't want to see it.

Come on, man. P-Put it away!

Sorry.

I-I...

I don't want to relive it.

Losing 20 grand would piss anybody off.

Yeah, sure, I was mad about the money, but

I wasn't thinking straight. Okay?

Jackpot barely fed us.

He kept us up all night. Humiliated us.

Yeah, he wants you to crack.

Exactly.

And if it happened on camera, even better.

More drama, more clicks.

I complained to Jackpot.

Next thing you know, he kicks me off the show.

- That seems kind of petty. - You got no idea.

Kid goes after anybody who's a threat.

That's why, when I told him that I was going to the police...

He didn't take it well?

Let's just say that somebody

leaked my personal information online.

I got my identity stolen.

It ruined my life.

All right, all right, so are you sure that it was Jackpot?

Well, it can't be a coincidence, but...

nobody believed me.

Nobody except Mark.

Mark?

The two of you have talked since you fought?

Yeah, Mark heard about my information getting leaked,

and he reached out.

Said he'd dig into Jackpot.

Look where that got him.

Blaming Jackpot for a leak, that's one thing, but murder?

Guys like him don't get rich by playing nice.

Speak of the devil.

Jackpot just posted.

You still follow him?

Guy destroyed my life.

Damn right I keep tabs on him.

Looks like Jackpot found a new target.

There's even a video.

"NCIS Violently Attacks Jackpot Studios."

Violently? Give me a break.

Looks like Jackpot just turned you into the villains.

Get ready for a season

so crazy, the Feds

tried to shut us down.

Wow. Great promo.

- For Jackpot. Terrible for us. - That's not what happened.

Well, that's the power of editing.

Recut some scenes, add new music,

and even The Shining can look like a warm family film.

Nobody's gonna fall for that.

His fans already have.

Our switchboard's been swamped all morning.

And I am even catching some heat from up top.

- SECNAV? - Worse.

Tali. She and her friends think

Daddy DiNozzo is trying to destroy their favorite YouTuber.

What does that mean for the Anderson case?

Who told you?

Lucky guess.

Well, the trip to D.C. has been canceled,

and I am back in texting jail, where all I get is "K."

Well, then let's lean on Jackpot to take down the video.

No, the Internet is forever.

There is no un-ringing that bell, but we can solve a murder.

So... what do we know?

We know that someone leaked a former contestant's

personal information online.

And Petty Officer Brogan was trying to figure out who.

Thought it might be Jackpot.

But before Brogan can prove it, he winds up dead.

If Jackpot is involved,

maybe he dropped this video to distract us.

I will not be influenced by an influencer.

I'll handle Jordan Jackpot and his little video, too.

We'll see if Brogan reached out to any other contestants.

Yeah, one of them might know something else about the leak.

Another "K."

Yes. I understand, but NDAs do not apply in federal cases.

Hello?

That is the fifth hang-up in a row.

I'm starting to take this personally.

Yeah, the contestants are using the NDA as a... as an excuse.

Yeah, they're afraid if they talk to us,

they're gonna lose the prize money.

Actually, we may not need them to talk.

Just read the show's contract.

Wait, what? All 60 pages?

Every single one. Look what I found buried on the last page.

"All contestant communication must be conducted

exclusively through the Jackpot's Choice App."

This kid already has a game show. He needs an app, too?

Maybe that's how Petty Officer Brogan

communicated with the other contestants.

How do we get it?

We don't. It's private. Invite only.

Yeah, no way that Jackpot will give us access.

And if he does, he'll erase anything incriminating first.

Maybe we can get the director

to scare Jackpot into giving us an invite.

The words "federal indictment" are pretty terrifying.

Look, if that doesn't freak him out, I don't know what will.

Jordan Jackpot here with NCIS Director

Anthony DiNozzo.

Hey, Tali. Love you.

Quick PSA, fam. NCIS and I just talked,

and we are all good now, so stop blowing up their phones

and roasting them online.

Chill out or lose!

Love you guys. Peace.

That was perfect. That's great. Thank you.

Hey, you, uh, you owned up to your mistake and apologized.

Mad respect.

I thought the director was gonna make Jackpot sweat a little.

Relax. He-he always has a plan.

The kid smeared us online.

The director should be tearing him apart.

Maybe he is.

Here's Jackpot.

He literally just took a selfie.

My daughter is gonna lose her mind

when she finds out about this.

Always happy to help out a fan.

Not gonna lie,

I thought you were gonna chew me out over that video.

You tripled traffic to our website,

which got me thinking,

would you ever want to do a recruitment video for us?

- Oh, my God, he's serious. - Seriously dead to me.

Have your people call my people.

Uh, look, I got to bounce, but I will post that video soon.

Actually, can I grab a copy for my public affairs office?

Sure. AirDrop okay?

- Yeah. - Yeah, right.

Thanks, J-Dog.

So, look, I know you want to impress Tali, but

this is not the way.

Okay, so people can trash talk

NCIS as long as they film an apology video?

The apology video was for PR.

This was for us.

You got a Jackpot authorization token?

When he sent you the original video, he didn't

scrub the export.

This got us access to the app that we needed.

Feel free to brag to McGee about this.

Told you. He always has a plan.

Did the director's ruse work?

Oh, yeah. I cracked the Jackpot's Choice App.

It's got everything.

Applications, schedules,

private chats. I was right.

Jeff and Rhonda were hooking up.

- And they are...? - Mortal enemies on the show.

- Mm. - Their chats are spicy.

You want to read some?

Uh, that is a negative, Ghost Rider.

I'm only interested in Petty Officer Brogan's messages.

Your loss. Brogan's chats are all P.G.

Call times, food orders,

boring stuff. Except for this chat

with a user who calls himself "TheHammer."

Not exactly subtle.

Brogan told TheHammer that he found a bug.

Called it illegal and dangerous.

Then Brogan demanded they meet up.

- Did they? - Chats ended after that.

Then Brogan ended up dead.

I'm starting to think TheHammer is more like "TheKiller."

You got an ID?

Working on it. Every account's tied to an email

except this one, so I cross-referenced log-ins, and...

Ooh. Just got the results.

Let's see who this Hammer man is.

Huh.

Look, my client already apologized to your director.

This isn't about Jackpot.

It's about TheHammer.

Not sure the nickname fits you.

You should see me in court. Maybe you will.

How'd you get these? They're private.

Nothing's private with a warrant.

We looked into the bug

that Petty Officer Brogan messaged you about.

Found it in the Jackpot's Choice App.

It's exposing user personal information.

It's exactly what happened to Caleb Silver.

That app ruined his life.

Brogan had concerns about the bug.

I told him the app is only used by contestants.

Worst case, only affect a few people.

Yeah, a few people today,

but next month? That could be millions.

What are you talking about?

Okay, you can drop the act.

We know that your boss is launching this app

with the new season of Jackpot's Choose or Lose.

Jackpot has 50 million followers.

That's 50 million users at risk.

I can call the company that developed the app.

They'll fix it.

No, they won't

because they're the ones that created the bug.

It wasn't a mistake.

That company wanted to siphon users' data.

- Why would they want to do that? - Because it's a front.

For the Russian Federal Security System.

The new and improved KGB.

You paid the Russians to build that app.

Oh, my God.

This isn't a software problem.

It's a national security threat.

No, no, no, look, I knew about the bug,

but I had no idea that the Russians were involved.

Jackpot gave me a tight budget.

I had to hire the cheapest developers I could find.

Your millionaire boss wouldn't give you the money?

That's your defense?

Jackpot's a child. He can't run a company.

You think I wanted to work for a Gen Z YouTuber?

I studied constitutional law at Yale.

Now, I get to argue over

who owns the copyright to a fart sound.

Didn't know you could copyright those.

After Caleb's information was leaked,

these developers completely ghosted me, so...

...I reached out to Brogan for help.

You approached Brogan?

He was a Navy cyber specialist.

I wanted to fix this, fast.

Why didn't you tell us about this?

If word got out that we put users at risk,

hundreds of people who work on the show would lose their jobs.

Brogan wasn't trying to expose the company.

He was trying to save it.

How many holes did we punch in the lawyer's story?

Surprisingly, none.

The lawyer's emails confirm

that she hired Petty Officer Brogan to look into the leak.

And the files she sent over show that

Brogan was working on the app.

In fact, every time he logged in,

it triggered a remote monitoring system.

Yeah, he was being recorded while he worked.

That's pretty creepy.

When was the last time he logged in?

Let's see.

The night he died.

Please tell me you have footage.

Queuing it up now.

I'd recognize that piggy bank anywhere.

Yeah, Jackpot Studios.

Jackpot swore no one was there that night.

Is that Jackpot's Choose or Lose theme song?

Hello?

Brogan wasn't alone.

That's all we got.

Brogan looks like he saw a ghost.

Or his killer.

Check the timestamp. It's right before he died.

Who else was there that night?

And why are they playing the game show's theme song?

Are you sure the song came from here?

Brogan looked right here at Jackpot's office

when he heard it play.

Maybe a computer or...

or a speaker somewhere?

Wow, check this out.

The Mic Drop Award for Creator of the Year.

Okay.

Ooh, that's the song.

And look what's underneath.

Whoa. Jackpot's got a secret safe.

Someone must've moved the award to get to it.

And Brogan must've caught them.

What are you doing in here? This is harassment!

Mm, well, not according to this warrant.

Who else has the combination to your safe?

No one. Just me. Why?

'Cause we believe Petty Officer Brogan

was murdered while someone was accessing it.

And you just said you're the only one with the code.

I wasn't here the night he died.

You have an alibi?

Maybe someone was just trying to rob me?

Okay. We need you to open the safe.

I mean, is that really necessary?

Okay, you have a choice here.

Either you open the safe, or you become a prime suspect

in Petty Officer Brogan's murder.

Choose or lose, Jackpot.

What's up, guys? It's your boy Jackpot here.

And if you want my money, you got to choose,

chug a jar of pickle juice or go home a loser.

Now, what's it gonna be?

Choose or Lose.

I'm confused. What does this video have to do with your case?

This video belongs to Jordan.

It was on a, uh, USB drive inside his safe.

And we think you stole it.

What?

Why would I want to steal some stupid home video?

Well, it's not just some stupid home video.

It's proof that Jordan isn't who he says he is.

You see that kid playing Jackpot?

It's not Jordan.

It's you.

You created the Jackpot character

and the game Jackpot's Choose or Lose.

Jordan built his empire

claiming that he was a self-made genius.

And if that video got out,

his entire reputation could be at stake.

Jordan and I have been friends since we were kids.

And yeah, I came up with Jackpot, but

Jordan was always better on camera.

I didn't care he took credit. I just...

liked making videos with my friend.

See? Told you this was a dead end.

Nathan wouldn't do this.

We've been friends since second grade.

That was a long time ago.

He convinced me to start making videos.

I mean, he believed in me before anyone else did.

People change.

Not Nathan.

I didn't steal anything, okay?

Jordan's USB drive logs every computer it's plugged into.

And it was plugged into your laptop

the night Petty Officer Brogan was killed.

You thought you were alone in the office.

But he caught you. You panicked.

Couldn't let him go to the police.

Things got out of hand.

I've worked with Jordan for 14 years.

He's always taken care of me. If I wanted revenge,

- why wait till now? - Because of the app.

When Jordan launches this app,

his media empire is gonna double.

And for the first time in 14 years,

you won't get a cut.

We subpoenaed the contract.

You're not listed anywhere.

I-I didn't know Nathan got cut out of the contract.

But you signed it.

Legal should've told me.

Well, it's Legal's job to protect the company.

It's your job to protect your people.

After everything the two of you built together,

Jordan cut you out.

That's an odd way to show that you're a friend.

He's not my friend.

Friends go out for drinks.

They take care of each other. They show up when you need them.

My mom died...

three months ago.

I kept waiting for Jordan to call.

But he never did.

I tried to talk to Jordan, but he was

in meetings or filming content.

So, you stole the video to teach Jordan a lesson.

I wanted Jordan to finally give me some credit.

I figured, once I posted the video, he'd...

He'd have to tell the truth.

The world needed to see the real Jordan!

He uses people, and then he forgets about them.

Nathan's mom... I kept meaning to reach out.

But you didn't.

I was just so busy.

You know, it's easy to do the right thing

when the cameras are rolling, but

it's a lot harder when nobody's watching, isn't it?

My friend needed me,

and I couldn't even make time to talk to him.

Hey.

Sometimes, people just need to know that you're there for them.

Got the final case report.

Ah.

Appreciate that.

Just goes to show...

...followers are a lousy substitute for friends.

Is that a new toy from DARPA?

Kasie helped me modify it, actually.

Tali has one in her room,

so when I touch mine,

it lights up on her end.

- Well, that sounds simple. - That's the point.

No texts. No emojis. No "K." Just...

love you.

Huh.

Who would've guessed that less talking was the solution?

I kept trying to fix things with more words,

but sometimes, your kid just needs to know that you're there for them.

What just happened?

She loves me back.

Well, you're not the only one who's feeling the love today.

Jackpot's giving us money?

Well, he came to realize that the show

was hurting more people than helping them,

so instead of launching an app, Jackpot is starting

a compensation fund for all the contestants as an apology.

I don't believe Jackpot actually wants to help us.

This is usually when Mark

would've shown up in his costume.

The kids are gonna be so disappointed.

Maybe not.

Hope I'm not too late.

I asked Jordan to help out.

It's a big cape to fill, but I'll do my best.

Mark would've liked that.

Where's your camera crew?

This isn't for the cameras. Which room?

- Oh, Doctor? - Yeah?

Can you please take Mr. Jackpot to see the kids?

Oh, sure, my pleasure. We...

Nice suit. Follow me.

Hey, kids, look who it is.

Thank you.