Billions 3x5

1. Previously on Billions...

2. He is a candidate for a drug trial in Pittsburgh

3. that's been yielding some pretty interesting results.

4. Maybe we shouldn't bring it up.

5. Thank you, Dr. Gilbert, for the excellent care.

6. I was told they weren't in any danger,

7. that a doctor was consulted.

8. A doctor?

9. You broke into my computer,

10. opened my files, and read my session notes.

11. You stole the evidence you needed.

12. I'm here to ask a favor.

13. Why would I do that?

14. Oscar Langstraat.

15. Good to finally meet you in person, Bobby.

16. I know who you are.

17. To the good we've done.

18. And will do.

19. I'll leave this to you two to carve up.

20. You will make a call to Bobby Axelrod.

21. You'll tell him that my father

22. has taken a massive position in a new IPO.

23. Ice Juice.

24. I believe I can do all that.

25. I'm a man of science.

26. But this isn't Jonas Salk.

27. It's Doctor Mengele.

28. Pure evil.

29. It's outrageous.

30. Imagine being so heartless

31. that you continue to put tumors in living creatures

32. even after you know the drug wasn't working.

33. No profit is worth that.

34. Only a monster would profit from an animal's misery and death.

35. And it's illegal!

36. Well, we're gonna blow the whistle, loud and long.

37. And I'm going to get you whistleblower protection.

38. I've already got the attorneys all lined up.

39. We need to go quickly.

40. They're trying to get one more stock bump

41. before it becomes public that—

42. Here's a little something to tide you over

43. in the fallout from your testimony against Mendham.

44. Waiting for anyone?

45. Wheels-up as soon as I hit the chair.

46. EDNY just grilled Dr. Gilbert.

47. We tracked them interdicting

48. every doctor you've gone to or made a donation to.

49. When they got to Gilbert—

50. We knew we had to pull you off the plane.

51. I was really fucking looking forward to the City by the Bay.

52. You want your slide back from my lab or...

53. No. Get rid of it for me.

54. For your foundation.

55. The slide.

56. What did he do with the slide?

57. Fingerprints live for years.

58. Decades.

59. Offering it up would give him

60. massive bargaining power with the Feds.

61. You were right to intercept me.

62. I need to see him.

63. You can't cancel.

64. I mean, you can, but tomorrow's opportunities

65. will be subscribed with or without you.

66. I'll send my CIO. Taylor Mason. You've met.

67. Sure did. Smart person.

68. Didn't seem like a fan of me or my work, but...

69. Well, we jerked them around a little.

70. So they felt jerked around.

71. But trust me, they are a huge Oscar Langstraat fan.

72. Don't make me spend time with that guy...

73. VCs are just hedge fund managers

74. who can quote the Tibetan Book Of The Dead.

75. Well, he has the pick of the best investments out there.

76. I need to manage our investments here.

77. Axe Cap goes wherever you do.

78. How'd it go with the doctors?

79. Not well.

80. There's something there, but—

81. Then you have to find it.

82. We know Axelrod used a doctor to help develop the toxicant.

83. You need to find out which and how.

84. Trying. You're very aggressive

85. when it comes to running down phantom leads,

86. but when it comes to real ones—

87. Dake, I've already seen literally dozens of doctors

88. with ties to Axelrod.

89. The trial is looming and you are not making progress.

90. Failure is getting to be a familiar refrain with you.

91. Don't let it become your anthem.

92. Wend.

93. I just heard from Dake.

94. Whatever it is, however bad, say it...

95. I can't unsee what I saw

96. when I read your session notes.

97. And something in them may be the key

98. to making sure that you and I don't go down.

99. But Axe does.

100. I can't unsee it.

101. And I know it's, uh—

102. What almost ended our marriage?

103. Yes.

104. But the information—

105. Axe convinced a doctor

106. not to give that experimental treatment to Donnie Caan,

107. to shorten the man's life.

108. He may have used the same doctor in his Ice Juice poisoning.

109. You didn't put the doc's name in the session notes.

110. I didn't have it.

111. I don't.

112. I'm gonna have to go to Donnie's widower

113. to get the name.

114. That's what I woke you to say.

115. And if it makes you feel better to tell me not to,

116. do so, right now.

117. But I promise not to listen.

118. Thank you.

119. Where you going?

120. Barcelona.

121. You're not supposed to tally up

122. your trial wins in advance,

123. but I've seen it a thousand times in my mind.

124. Jury shuffles in.

125. And Axe turns my way, rich fuck smirk on his face,

126. sure he's charmed them.

127. Certain he's won, because that's life as he's known it.

128. You know he thinks I'm a sucker for not taking the money.

129. For doing my job.

130. He thinks I don't understand the game.

131. And yet... why did the foreman just say "guilty"?

132. Must be a mistake. Must've skipped the "not."

133. But then they read the next count and the next.

134. "Guilty, guilty."

135. Is that what you're picturing when we're—

136. No.

137. Sometimes.

138. I might be able to tell the times that you do...

139. Anyway, lately that vision is slipping away.

140. Same as my case.

141. Bry, I have to go.

142. The corporate jet just got re-done—

143. they took Lawrence Boyd's initials off of it,

144. put the new CEO's on.

145. I want to get there early and make sure everything is right.

146. Sure...

147. How the mighty tumble.

148. One day your initials are all over the private jet,

149. next you're in jail—

150. And the next day you're out.

151. Crazy ride for the rich and infamous, right?

152. See you soon.

153. Mm.

154. You got me.

155. I'm here with Dollar Bill.

156. He wants to short—

157. Mendham Pharmaceuticals.

158. They're about to draw the ire of the libtards for cruelty

159. and the Street for missing targets.

160. You use that word so I feel rage

161. and then tell myself not to allow that

162. to make me predisposed against your idea. Smart.

163. And would work if I hadn't studied Agrippa, which I have.

164. Regardless, I support this if Compliance approves.

165. Fuck, yeah.

166. Welcome.

167. Hello.

168. Sorry, the office.

169. Oh. Do what you must...

170. Can I arrange some coffee?

171. You don't have Chromatic in New York, do you?

172. No, thank you—and no.

173. We have a pitch in a few.

174. I'll use the few.

175. It's Steve Wozniak.

176. Really?

177. No.

178. We're clear.

179. Doctor.

180. He'll hold your stuff.

181. Nice hobby.

182. My time of late has been spent in reflection.

183. Replaying pivotal moments in my life.

184. Yeah, I don't see how I fit in.

185. I need the slide that I left with you.

186. I disposed of it. As you asked.

187. Get rid of it for me.

188. Get rid of it for me.

189. I wouldn't lie to you.

190. No, no, of course not.

191. You've always been good to me.

192. But have I been good enough to you?

193. Absolutely.

194. I could have done more.

195. What can I do for you now?

196. I want for nothing.

197. Oh, you must want something. Give it some thought.

198. We'll meet again soon.

199. The Donnie Caan Success Academy.

200. Impressive.

201. When do you break ground?

202. Already did.

203. Should be completed by the end of the year.

204. Chuck—

205. I know who you are.

206. You're the man who made my husband's last days

207. a living hell.

208. Pressuring him to wear a wire,

209. to testify, inform.

210. Well, I'm not proud of every day of my life.

211. And I hope you don't think I'm speaking ill—

212. but I don't imagine that Donnie

213. was proud of every day of his.

214. He wasn't a saint.

215. Donnie made choices. Compromises.

216. He made decisions about how to live.

217. Unfortunately not how he died.

218. There was an experimental drug.

219. It probably could have given him another half a year.

220. But Donnie's doctor, bought and paid for by Bobby Axelrod,

221. withheld that information...

222. so Donnie wouldn't live long enough to testify.

223. His last Christmas with you and your kids,

224. was taken away.

225. What the fuck are you saying?

226. Donnie died when he did,

227. because that's when it was convenient for Axelrod.

228. Privilege prevents me

229. from being able to get Donnie's medical records.

230. You, as next of kin, can overcome that.

231. You can give me a waiver,

232. so that I can get access to who that doctor was—

233. His oncologist

234. was as compassionate and thorough a doctor

235. as I've ever seen.

236. He came to the funeral. He held my hand.

237. He was among the first 15 people to donate to this place.

238. Please accept my sincerest apologies.

239. I'll leave you in peace.

240. I have some questions about the legitimacy

241. of a certain charter school, its independence.

242. I have questions about the entire idea of charter schools.

243. No one knows if they work.

244. It's just because a bunch of rich people

245. - decided that they were— - Let's—let's take a long canoe

246. trip someday and discuss it.

247. But for now I need some records

248. and I don't want to start a whole official investigation.

249. I just need to know who invested in the launch of this thing.

250. Can you help?

251. Off the books?

252. You know I can.

253. Mm.

254. Nice digs.

255. But you didn't have me over to see them.

256. I needed to get you away from your place, from Chuck,

257. in the hopes that you'd see it, and him, clearly.

258. Because what I see disturbs me.

259. Chuck's fucked up. That's your big headline?

260. Chuck's done something fucked up.

261. And it's gonna take the whole office down...

262. unless you put some daylight between the two of you.

263. Why would I do that now, right after he promoted me?

264. What do you think I don't know?

265. The day Axe was arrested. The day you got promoted.

266. - The day I got transferred. - Busy day.

267. And yet before all that, something else happened.

268. Something you and I couldn't explain.

269. Why isn't Lawrence Boyd in prison?

270. Right. Tell her...

271. Oh, good. Good.

272. Let's hear what you have to say, Darren.

273. Everyone loves Table Service,

274. an app that connects millennial diners

275. to their favorite tables.

276. I knew this whole thing was a waste of time.

277. I'll be right back.

278. Figure a fella flies out here, you'd show 'em something

279. - they might be able invest in. - He's got a solid pitch!

280. And so your position in it must be thick as Nicki Minaj.

281. - You didn't even hear it.

282. I promised to show Axe investable start ups.

283. - That's what I— - You were testing me, us,

284. to see if we could tell that this was in your bottom tranche.

285. Hedge funds come out here, their time horizon is different,

286. they want to tell their investors they're diversified.

287. That's what I offered you.

288. Thank you for a very pleasant day.

289. Have your car take me to the airport.

290. Mr. Axelrod insists on hearing bad news at once.

291. Funny.

292. No. I wasn't testing you.

293. But if I was, you passed.

294. Stick around.

295. I think you'll enjoy the next pitch.

296. Go ahead, Darren.

297. A great-looking machine, huh?

298. All that chrome.

299. Grinder, tamper, knock box.

300. Quality and integrity.

301. After a full review

302. I can't say the same thing about you, Dollar Bill.

303. And I can't approve the Mendham short.

304. Are you fucking kidding me?

305. There's research.

306. That's not research. I know research.

307. This is caca de vaca.

308. I can translate if you—

309. Is everybody here under this nitpick fuck hole microscope

310. or just me?

311. I've been aware of your moves ever since my time

312. at the Securities Exchange Commission.

313. Y-You think because the cat's away

314. the Bill will play?

315. You motherfucking, needle-dicked,

316. six-figure pants shitter!

317. And if you need me to translate that, it means—

318. It's cagato addosso in Italian.

319. Hosenscheisser in German.

320. But also, let me say this in English.

321. Fucking stop this steel cage match right now.

322. No. I am the last line of defense.

323. Keeping us all out of prison.

324. If we were in prison, I would rent you out

325. for a fucking scoop of mashed potatoes.

326. Calm the fuck down, shut the fuck up,

327. and get into my office. Both of you.

328. Is this couples therapy?

329. Is this what couples therapy is like?

330. You've never been?

331. I've never been married but I've gone to couples

332. with three separate women.

333. Never did it.

334. Which may be how I stay married to two women.

335. This isn't couples.

336. But behind pretty much every shouting match

337. is a communications breakdown.

338. What we got here

339. is failure to communicate.

340. A failure to communicate.

341. Actually it's both.

342. Strother Martin says it one way, Newman another. But, yes.

343. Now I'm going to give you 30 seconds to say

344. what you think of each other— to really blow it out

345. into the open—and then we're burying that crap forever.

346. - Who wants to go first—

347. Bill is ego-maniacal. Greedy. Dangerous.

348. Crude. Juvenile—

349. Okay. Dollar Bill—

350. You're a pretentious, preening ass.

351. You're a parasite. You're not an earner.

352. You're a page pusher. You got no balls.

353. You're less than a man— and that's not sexist

354. because you're less than any woman I've ever shared

355. - a trading desk with— - Stop.

356. Dammit. I was just getting into a rhythm.

357. Wasted three seconds on that not sexist crap—

358. Can I add reckless to my prior list.

359. And borderline criminal, bigamist—

360. Enough. That was ugly.

361. We don't live there or we become ugly.

362. goals.

363. Simple. Make money.

364. Fucking craploads of green.

365. For myself. For my family.

366. For Axe Cap.

367. Earn a nice living?

368. Sure.

369. But my duty is to do so

370. while stewarding this company through safe waters,

371. avoiding regulatory scrutiny

372. and upholding our fiduciary responsibility—

373. I hate every pore of you—

374. Shit.

375. If this was couples therapy,

376. my prescription would be: break up.

377. Immediately.

378. But we are all more than married here.

379. And this is our unit.

380. And we are sticking together to win this fucking war...

381. You two will never, ever like each other.

382. This is like No Exit without the guy.

383. Or, fuck, I'm the guy.

384. Jesus.

385. I have nothing to offer except this:

386. I have never told Axe to fire someone for being a dick.

387. Don't become the first.

388. Dr. Gilbert would have to keep it refrigerated.

389. How long could it last on its own?

390. After 18 hours, give or take, the toxin would evaporate.

391. Unless refrigerated.

392. Do you want us to check his lab?

393. And his home.

394. He hasn't reached out yet. Hasn't asked for anything.

395. - You ever take

396. a get-out-of-jail-free card and just throw it away?

397. I think I've trained to have the discipline to do just that.

398. You would. I know it.

399. He ain't you. He has it.

400. And we have to make sure he gives it to us and not the Feds.

401. Bottle.

402. I don't literally mean bottle.

403. I always wondered if shrinks did that after a session.

404. They would if they had to deal with the bullshit I just did.

405. I'm sitting there talking to those two—

406. and I say this with love—idiots,

407. and all I can think is:

408. I have to do this with Chuck and Axe.

409. Why haven't I?

410. Because you're not insane.

411. And if you think that was a waste of your fucking time—

412. Why is it so crazy to think that these two brilliant—

413. Because Dollar Bill and Spyros may be oil and water

414. but your two other fellows are nitrate and glycerol.

415. You combine those...

416. Yeah. I know. Boom.

417. And, I really don't want you burning up with 'em.

418. Surprised you haven't already.

419. You know.

420. They would never admit this,

421. but when they first met, when Chuck and I

422. first started dating, they liked each other plenty.

423. More than that.

424. Smartest guys in the room. Saw themselves in each other.

425. Chuck was in private practice.

426. No reason he and Axe needed to end up here...

427. I miss the old days. Don't you?

428. Hell yeah,

429. doing lines off a hooker's hip bones,

430. my cell phone in one hand, and my—

431. Mnh-mnh.

432. I meant simpler times.

433. And as great a toll as that lifestyle took on you,

434. this one is kicking the shit out of me.

435. Some days, I don't understand how you're still ambulatory.

436. What's my choice, succumb to a case of the vapours?

437. Because it's either that or soldier on.

438. Come.

439. Is this a desk talk or a couch talk?

440. Lawrence Boyd.

441. Couch.

442. We made a deal to put Boyd in prison.

443. Boyd is not in prison.

444. And he's not Papillon. So...

445. The judge's order releasing him is under seal.

446. And it should stay that way for the foreseeable future,

447. so—maybe let that be enough.

448. It's Connerty asking.

449. I secured Lawrence Boyd's release.

450. He was instrumental in bringing Axelrod to justice.

451. Hmm.

452. But since neither of you could officially

453. be affiliated with that case,

454. you must have come up with something else...

455. active cooperation?

456. Against?

457. What would raise fewer eyebrows

458. than Boyd turning on his own employees?

459. But I haven't seen any new cases against Spartan-Ives.

460. I was hoping not to go back to Boyd.

461. But now we have to.

462. I'll need your help.

463. Why would I— You already decided.

464. Before you told me the Connerty piece.

465. We here at Rhoades Airlines know you have many travel options

466. and are grateful that you have chosen to fly with us.

467. You will be rewarded.

468. Your Honor, we request that you unseal your order

469. re-sentencing Lawrence Boyd to time served.

470. We're not saying a fraud has necessarily been

471. - committed on this court, but— - Excuse me, counselor.

472. Please wait for SDNY to respond.

473. This isn't an adversarial motion.

474. Then don't fight.

475. Apologies for my tardiness.

476. Kate Sacker, for SDNY.

477. We originally asked you to seal this order

478. as a matter of witness safety and investigative integrity.

479. Those same concerns still apply.

480. We'll keep it under seal.

481. And maybe the government could talk amongst itself.

482. You say it's a dead-end, then show up

483. - I'm Chief of Crim.

484. And if you remember that whole contest,

485. you know that Chuck likes to pit people against one another.

486. He thinks I'm working him, so he's using our friendship

487. - Wouldn't put it past him.

488. You gonna appeal?

489. See you in the Second Circuit.

490. This is the most private room I have.

491. No one will know you were at the office.

492. I've been in war rooms before—

493. love that frisson of danger in the air.

494. I've asked you here because I require cooperation.

495. I did what you asked.

496. Oh, that was entre nous.

497. Officially, I need you

498. to give up a few misbehaving moneylenders.

499. I never did repent for doing good,

500. nor shall not now...

501. I tell the judge you're not cooperating,

502. you go back inside.

503. And I tell him about our real deal,

504. you bunk with me.

505. Why, Chuck?

506. Why do you default to demanding and threatening?

507. Why don't you ever ask what I want?

508. What do you want?

509. Thanks for asking.

510. I like simple pleasures— butter in my ass,

511. lollipops in my mouth—

512. and taking my boat to Antibes free and clear.

513. I'll have your passport returned,

514. your supervised release restrictions removed.

515. names.

516. My boat.

517. - I need The Champlain back. - That's out of my hands.

518. The government seized it.

519. It's been deemed legally forfeit.

520. So navigate the swamp.

521. Until then, no names.

522. Sorry, pal, your credit, is no good here.

523. If he has... what you think he has...

524. you have a shot at a chain of custody argument.

525. Could convince the court that your fingerprints could have

526. been taken off a glass of Pappy and transferred.

527. How likely is that?

528. In reality or in the collective imagination of a jury?

529. Either.

530. Lightning striking the Powerball winner.

531. He called to meet?

532. On my way.

533. Is that the lightning bolt?

534. We'll find out.

535. Axe. I've been calling.

536. And I haven't been answering.

537. Don't you think that's maybe a sign it's not a good time?

538. You won't believe the bullshit that's going on in your name.

539. - Spyros is blocking me— - Unsafe.

540. Use the proper channels. I don't know where the ears are.

541. Strip or Retire!

542. What?

543. "Strip or Retire."

544. That's the motto that was carved above the palestra

545. in ancient Athens. Where they wrestled in the nude...

546. This is getting weird, Bill—

547. It means every man should have skin in the game.

548. His rep, his honor, fully on the line

549. because it means all.

550. Like mine.

551. You think you can't trust me, you're wrong.

552. Show me the wire, Bobby!

553. - Bill.

554. This is public. Very public.

555. And we look like we're having a lovers' tiff, at best.

556. Now, I got an important fucking meeting to go to.

557. So pull up your pants

558. and stop looking to me for help.

559. Help yourself.

560. I'm starting at the justifiable tradeoff point—

561. traceable user identity based on the human voice.

562. The whole thing utilizes extant voice technology.

563. All right. Thoughts?

564. Strong concept. My only concern is:

565. You don't own the tech you want to retool.

566. That's your thermal exhaust port.

567. My—

568. Flaw in the Death Star.

569. The two-meter wide gap

570. that runs directly into the reactor system.

571. Why I'm here.

572. I need help to seal it before I get blown the fuck up.

573. Let us talk.

574. I think we can figure out something you'll like.

575. That was nice.

576. - Yes, it went— - Yeah, that was good.

577. People are too harsh on the port.

578. They think it's a plot problem.

579. Like, "Why didn't they plug the hole?"

580. I know! Unfairly derided.

581. What material could withstand the heat expended

582. from that mammoth sphere?

583. Plus, it was fortified with gun turrets and—

584. —And a fleet of TIE fighters. Yes.

585. Nobody gets on Homer for the whole Achilles' heel situation.

586. She had to hold him by something.

587. Have dinner with me.

588. I can get a table at State Bird Provisions.

589. Sorry. When I saw how things were going earlier

590. I made other plans.

591. But now... well, shit.

592. Tomorrow?

593. Leaving first thing. Another time.

594. So, here's a chance to earn my trust.

595. What do you know about asset forfeiture?

596. You want to toot around in a drug pusher's Ferrari,

597. Sonny Crockett

598. I want to know how assets might wind up...

599. where they don't belong.

600. There's "the undercover brother."

601. Requisition the asset for use in a confidential investigation

602. that lasts... as long as you want it to.

603. Want the item out the door.

604. Mm.

605. What about running the old empty auction play?

606. Give insufficient notice on the Marshals' site,

607. then have a straw buyer snatch up the thing for a song.

608. Of course, you gotta cajole a Marshal.

609. But that's almost its own reward.

610. That.

611. And do it in stealth mode.

612. Roger. What's the vehicle?

613. Ah, a floater...

614. We're clear.

615. You got in touch with my guys.

616. Yeah, in the last day, I found my grant under review,

617. the lease on my lab suddenly in question,

618. nothing out of place at home— though I still feel

619. - like someone has been there. - Huh.

620. These tactics are deeply objectionable.

621. Well, you're a diagnostician.

622. So, before you form a hypothesis,

623. let alone reach a conclusion,

624. I thought you should have all the data.

625. Meaning that you can hurt me as much as the government can.

626. Who wants to hurt anybody?

627. All of this is unnecessary.

628. I told you: I disposed of the slide.

629. How?

630. How?

631. Wastebasket

632. Dumpster?

633. Talk me through it.

634. Okay. The slide was on my desk in a plastic bag.

635. You left, I took the slide

636. to my exam room.

637. I was going to put it in the biohazard bin,

638. and then I remembered it's emptied weekly

639. and had just been picked up that day.

640. I didn't want the slide sitting there for a week.

641. Oh. So you took it home?

642. No.

643. I went to my lab. We have a kiln.

644. That destroys slides?

645. Russians destroyed thousands

646. of doping samples that way.

647. How did you get there?

648. How did I—

649. Did you fucking beam yourself?

650. I walked down the hallway.

651. Did you see anyone?

652. No.

653. Yes.

654. Jenny. One of my assistants.

655. Did you say anything to her?

656. I just kinda nodded.

657. You need me to demonstrate the nod?

658. I'll let you know.

659. I tossed it in the kiln.

660. That was that. No one else there.

661. That's very cautious and precise.

662. I swear on my Hippocratic oath.

663. You have to trust me.

664. That's a very credible story.

665. But in my line of work, we aim to eliminate risk.

666. It's called downside protection.

667. Now, there's always a price for it.

668. The question is:

669. Am I going to pay it...

670. or are you?

671. Mafee!

672. What up, brawler?

673. Got a trade I want you to execute.

674. You want to go long on Mendham Pharmaceuticals?

675. Like Staubach to Drew Pearson.

676. Vintage ref. Nice.

677. I return to you your prized vessel.

678. Are you ready to name names?

679. It hurts me to do that to generally good men.

680. I'm sure the pain will subside

681. as the Côte D'Azur comes into view.

682. That it will.

683. So, as the venerable David Lee Roth once said:

684. Might as well jump.

685. Please speak those names to my associates.

686. They will oversee the case-making.

687. So you were saying?

688. I got you.

689. Knocking

690. Fire Dollar Bill Stearn!

691. I thought you already packed that peace pipe

692. and smoked it to the dome.

693. My software flagged him trying to slip the trade by.

694. He repackaged it.

695. Instead of shorting Mendham, he went long. Very long.

696. And hedged it with credit default swaps.

697. So, when Mendham tanks, we clean up.

698. You gotta admit, that's pretty fucking good.

699. The only good thing is that I ran down his little charade.

700. This trade fits Bill's MO to a T.

701. It is exactly what my compadres

702. down at the Commish salivate over.

703. So block it.

704. I did. That's not enough.

705. If he isn't fired, I'm gone.

706. And to make sure that I don't face any future charges,

707. I would need to document all of this and turn him in.

708. Compliance must be... complied with.

709. This is the Netrunner tournament, yes?

710. - Yep. - Taylor Mason,

711. - you should have my name... - Let me take a look.

712. You're good to go.

713. Good evening, gentlemen. Welcome to Daniel.

714. I've prepared a wonderful tasting menu for you tonight.

715. Enjoy your evening, and bon appétit.

716. Thanks for opening up for us, Daniel.

717. Good to see you, Axe...

718. Full restaurant buyout.

719. Impression made, Mr. Axelrod!

720. And Daniel of all places!

721. The precision of that man's kitchen is mesmerizing.

722. Puts me in mind of a formicarium I built as a kid.

723. That where you jerked off?

724. Ant farm—

725. He knows it's an ant farm.

726. That's some white burg—

727. —fleshy yellow apple, notes of starfruit—

728. Enough of that.

729. Spyros, tell me what you see as the difference

730. between your old job and your new one.

731. Ah. Well.

732. As you know, my career at the SEC was

733. rather distinguished.

734. I attribute that to one thing:

735. integrity.

736. Which I now bring with me

737. as I walk the other side of the same street for you.

738. Where I once policed violations, I now prevent them—

739. Wrong.

740. One word: risk.

741. Inside the government there is none.

742. Every action, every moment is backed

743. by the full power and credit— suspect as that may be—

744. of the United States of America.

745. Everything is all fucking covered by Big State.

746. Like a plump bosomed wet nurse.

747. But for us—

748. and for you too now—

749. everything is on the line.

750. We don't feel like coming into work one morning,

751. we make a series of fucked up calls—the lights get shut

752. and we are on the balls of our asses.

753. Testify!

754. But what do we get for taking all that risk?

755. Capital.

756. Value.

757. It's why you drive that gorgeous German engineered sports car.

758. She is a beautiful beast.

759. No one wheeled one of those into your office at the SEC,

760. no matter how good you were at that job.

761. You know what those click monkeys are looking for,

762. so while your title is Head of Compliance,

763. you are really here to help manage that risk

764. by pushing what we do right to the fucking edge.

765. So instead of fucking with us,

766. use what you learned in your distinguished career

767. to help us.

768. And Dollar Bill?

769. Oh, he stepped out of line,

770. so he doesn't get to do his deal—

771. which'll hurt him more than paying retail.

772. But no more of that him-or-me shit.

773. Oh, and you don't threaten to turn us in.

774. Ever.

775. You are us now.

776. And a man who turns on his own family,

777. he turns on himself.

778. You're better than that, aren't you Spyros?

779. You never told me I was family.

780. - Favorite son. - Like a brother.

781. Then, yes.

782. I will protect the family.

783. But there is one thing that I need...

784. I'm listening...

785. I've answered everyone's questions.

786. So why don't you just talk to your colleagues?

787. That's the last thing you want.

788. Because I know more than they do.

789. About your association with Axelrod.

790. About Donnie Caan. About that bacteria.

791. And if Axe knows the government is circling

792. oh, he must be pressing as well.

793. Well, if what you say is true,

794. I should just drown myself in that fountain.

795. I think I'm a better choice than self-harm.

796. Testify against Axelrod:

797. You will escape prison— for all your crimes.

798. I'd lose my license.

799. Probably. Yes.

800. My work has saved thousands.

801. Me being a doctor is too important to me and,

802. fuck it, the world, for me to give it up

803. so that you people can take one bad man off the street—

804. regardless of how rich or powerful or depraved he may be.

805. And, of course, for the record— I have absolutely no idea

806. what you're talking about in the first place.

807. We are gonna find a compromise.

808. I will pay four credits, rez the Adonis campaign,

809. put 12 credits and take three.

810. Nice.

811. I modeled for that.

812. The Adonis.

813. The Jerry West of Netrunner.

814. Mandatory draw.

815. I install, advance twice.

816. Bold.

817. Click one, I'll draw.

818. Click two. The Maker's Eye.

819. Ooh.

820. Sorry.

821. Why?

822. Luck.

823. I don't view luck as zero sum.

824. Good.

825. So... run on R and D.

826. Spending two credits

827. to break Wall of Static with Paperclip.

828. Spending three plus three and ong.

829. Gordian Blade to break tollbooth.

830. Do you want access?

831. Cards on the table...

832. yes.

833. I believe I do.

834. What do we know?

835. Problems are two-fold:

836. he had a clandestine meeting tonight.

837. - Unable to say.

838. We would have been burned if we got close enough to verify.

839. And?

840. We're not convinced that the good doctor can be bought.

841. I've bought him before.

842. We got into his banking history.

843. He actually did not personally benefit from your donations.

844. - It all went to research.

845. He lives pretty frugally. Has little debt.

846. Does not have a second home,

847. goes on bird watching vacations and...

848. Birds don't charge for a look.

849. Fuck.

850. Dig out a pad from, oh, six weeks ago.

851. From an old batch.

852. Ink will date properly.

853. You do the writing, this all pre-dated me.

854. Fabricating evidence.

855. Nah, evidence is real.

856. We're just massaging the dates.

857. For the right reason:

858. justice.

859. Do you want to tell Chuck to do it another way?

860. Late-night session.

861. How can this sustain?

862. You giving all of yourself to both of us?

863. It can't.

864. We're not alone.

865. She's discreet.

866. Eve, shut down.

867. This good?

868. What I'd have hoped for if I'd thought about it.

869. You need to know if you can trust someone.

870. You know I don't really do that.

871. You trust me.

872. Yes.

873. Is that intellect or instinct?

874. Some fusion of the two.

875. What are they telling you now?

876. Robert Axelrod funds my research

877. and buys a table at our annual fundraiser.

878. And that is the extent of our relationship.

879. He came to me. He had a toxin.

880. I advised on deployment.

881. It was some kind of revenge play.

882. I was weak. I did everything that he asked.

883. I don't have a read.

884. I know you were initially unimpressed.

885. I'm pleased you've come around.

886. Pleased as well to make this investment.

887. Be in touch.

888. Yes.

889. How many blocks extra you have to walk for that thing?

890. Buck saved, buck earned.

891. Bill, keep your clothes on.

892. Moving forward all your most creative trades

893. will flow through Victor Mateo's fund.

894. Okay that's... yes.

895. I'll bring him Mendham today—

896. Mendham's dead. You tripped the alarm. Twice.

897. There are now two records of Compliance flagging that trade.

898. It's busted.

899. Fuuck...

900. You at least gonna fire that latte con leche Spyros?

901. Not under consideration.

902. Bill, Bill, you're gonna have to apologize to him.

903. Publicly.

904. - I'm not— - Has to be done.

905. W—

906. Axe, please...

907. Has to be done.

908. Yes.

909. Axelrod, it's Dr. Gilbert.

910. Doctor.

911. I'd like to meet again. I have a proposal.

912. I'm very pleased to hear that.

913. You want us to preserve the status quo.

914. There are security implications.

915. Whose security? Not national security.

916. Not Lawrence Boyd's— He's free and walking around.

917. Boyd's person may well be in jeopardy

918. if the target of the investigation knew—

919. What is that based on? Have credible threats been made?

920. Perhaps Mr. Connerty, so used to his current trial

921. being in the spotlight, has forgotten that it's not always

922. best to scream "I'm coming for you" at the target.

923. Well, thankfully there's an easy way to avoid

924. putting the whole world on notice.

925. You can let me review the order in camera.

926. Mr. Connerty's motion is granted.

927. You and me. Your file cabinet.

928. And it's gonna be like Geraldo in Al Capone's vault—

929. only I'm gonna be happy to find nothing.

930. Happy?

931. Can I see what you have on the servers?

932. Nothing online. Chuck said cases were too hot.

933. Dead-tree only.

934. You wanted me to see this.

935. You lost in court, on purpose,

936. so I would see this and go away.

937. I would never lose on purpose.

938. Don't be a sore winner.

939. You might've just lost the privilege

940. of telling me how to be.

941. Do you know what this is about?

942. Somebody's birthday.

943. We're all getting a Fudgie the Whale.

944. I'm 99 percent sure you're lying.

945. But the one percent is bursting with hope.

946. All right.

947. In what I can only pray will not be a regular occurrence,

948. Bill Stearn will take a page from the Otis Redding songbook

949. and try a little tenderness.

950. Yeah, um...

951. okay.

952. Compliance is to be...

953. complied with.

954. Ari Spyros is a human man

955. worthy of the respect due to any freeholder.

956. And I apologize for the remarks

957. I made to and about him.

958. Oh, my god.

959. No Fudgie?

960. It was in this very room I learned the price

961. of trusting men in your line of work.

962. If that's a reference to Chuck Rhoades,

963. let me tell you this: I am nothing like him.

964. What other non-epiphanies do you have for me?

965. Hmm.

966. I know the supposed investigation

967. into Spartan-Ives is bullshit.

968. A cover for whatever agreement you guys really have.

969. I'm not after you.

970. I already got you.

971. But Chuck... I fear has begun to abuse his power.

972. That he's become something of a tyrant.

973. And you're gonna what?

974. Put one in his ear

975. during a performance of Our American Cousin?

976. Not how I'd phrase it.

977. I just wonder:

978. Wouldn't you like to fuck Chuck up?

979. Pitch it out.

980. What you think happened.

981. How Charles Rhoades, Junior took down Robert Axelrod

982. and got me out of prison.

983. A three-part mini-opera.

984. And you'll confirm or deny?

985. If you're good, you'll know by my face.

986. Chuck put his best friend's money in a company.

987. His father's money. His own. So it'd be enticing, convincing.

988. And you earned your freedom

989. by delivering that curly tail grub to Axelrod,

990. getting him to swallow it hook, line, and the rest.

991. The Nite Owl case made you.

992. Do you really want to tear that all down?

993. With a wrecking ball.

994. Wanna help me swing it?

995. Not even a little bit.

996. I'm leaving.

997. I'm going to get on my boat and disappear.

998. For a long, long time.

999. What the fuck?

1000. Oh!

1001. What the fuck?

1002. What the fuck are you—

1003. What the fuck?

1004. What the fuck!

1005. Fuck you!

1006. God's honest truth— I don't have the slide.

1007. By now whatever remains of the glass

1008. are ashes buried with tons of other biomedical waste.

1009. But we both know I don't need that slide

1010. to be a danger to you.

1011. I could just tell them the truth.

1012. But I've been pushed far enough.

1013. I want something for my troubles.

1014. Name it.

1015. Money.

1016. For your foundation?

1017. For me and my family.

1018. Two hundred million.

1019. I want to live a little.

1020. Okay.

1021. My people will take care of it.

1022. Well, I finally got my read:

1023. I'm fucked.

1024. He asked for money.

1025. But we know he doesn't want money.

1026. Especially for himself.

1027. He's made a deal with the government

1028. and he's stalling...

1029. We are gonna find a compromise.

1030. You're asking me to testify, I refuse—

1031. I don't see a position.

1032. Squint with me.

1033. If you don't want to get on the stand,

1034. then there needs to be physical evidence.

1035. Is there physical evidence?

1036. An item that could speak for you.

1037. If such a thing existed, I could make sure

1038. that it would appear where it needs to,

1039. and it would be the matador's sword.

1040. He would walk out of that court room right into his cell

1041. and you, my good doctor, would be free from all of this.