Billions 4x12

1. Previously on Billions...

2. I thought I would outlast you.

3. I was wrong about Axe.

4. He's backing me.

5. I'm waving the white flag.

6. Willing to go back to supplying you.

7. You cut a fucking deal with Taylor?

8. I saw the friction

9. that it already had created between us.

10. So I let you off the hook.

11. We are here today to explore serious charges

12. against Doctor Wendy Rhoades.

13. If she acted in a medical capacity—

14. I did.

15. - FBI! Let me see your hands!

16. Don't you lay a hand on her!

17. If you answer my questions,

18. neither you nor your boy need be clapped in iron.

19. I'm not saying a damn thing to help you hurt my boy.

20. Have I ever told you

21. when I knew that you were gonna be my partner at all this.

22. You remember?

23. What kind of man would I be if I didn't?

24. Chuck, when did you know you needed to marry me?

25. I mean the—the exact moment.

26. I don't remember.

27. The kind of destruction you're considering,

28. the relationships that'll be ruined—

29. you ready for all that?

30. What else is on the unredacted tape?

31. What, exactly, was getting locked in the safe?

32. Bryan! Stop pushing me.

33. They were dancing around whatever they were doing—

34. if there's documentation to be retrieved...

35. I'm not ready...

36. Worm is always ready for the hook.

37. No. Not ready.

38. Let me down.

39. No. Seriously.

40. Red.

41. Ah. The safe word.

42. So you don't think you've earned your punishment yet?

43. Fine.

44. Don't come back until you have.

45. When you look at it,

46. do you see the innocence everyone talks about?

47. I guess. But I start thinking about the man who painted it.

48. Not so innocent.

49. 'Cause he was a stockbroker first? Unfair.

50. Oh, you relate to him?

51. Well. Let me see:

52. he was always broke, hounded by his creditors,

53. had a wicked case of syphilis and liked to marry teenagers.

54. So, you know, not really.

55. He could have lived like a king

56. for a lifetime on what you paid for this.

57. Not how it works, sadly.

58. The great ones— they all have to suffer

59. to make something like this.

60. And then usually they only get the recognition

61. once they're in the dirt.

62. There's no rule that says the greater you want to be,

63. the more you have to suffer.

64. Well. Sure seems like there is.

65. I mean, look at Wendy...

66. Mm.

67. I need a favor.

68. You know, this whole medical license thing—

69. she could do with a distraction, a reset.

70. What are you thinking?

71. A state changer.

72. In the Hamptons, a spa?

73. I have my chopper standing by at the ready.

74. No fucking spa. Um...

75. I have an idea.

76. Oh. Good.

77. Why not you?

78. I have the feeling she'll get a lot more out of your insights.

79. Sure.

80. Off to...?

81. Uh. Day trip. With Rebecca.

82. State changer. Or something.

83. Good.

84. Yeah. You let those shoulders drop.

85. I don't think they'll drop 'til

86. the exact terms of my suspension have been announced.

87. And probably not 'til it's all over.

88. While you're gone, I will be hard at it

89. trying to get those terms relaxed or done away.

90. Would have been easier ahead of time.

91. But, uh, there must be a lever out there.

92. Too much of that is what got me here.

93. Sure. But you know that now.

94. Wouldn't you rather repent with your medical license?

95. I suppose I would.

96. Then we've got to get it done now,

97. before they officially rule.

98. They all but have.

99. And in that tiny space

100. between "all" and "have"

101. lies our hope.

102. What's on the docket?

103. Karl, I need you to find out

104. what makes a certain man light up.

105. What might move him.

106. Now, this is a medical man, name of Zhang, a—

107. we have business.

108. What business could we possibly have, Generalissimo?

109. The business of men...

110. one nearly vanquished, the other ascendent again.

111. I was taught never to negotiate with kidnappers.

112. So, first return my old man, then, maybe we can—

113. Move your shit train, and maybe your old man

114. will be back in this shit-town the same day.

115. Done. And now our colloquy is over.

116. Eh. Palaver with me or just listen.

117. I give not a Tinker's-dam.

118. I am here to offer you the chance to resign

119. before I crush you, publicly,

120. and loud as a cow elk trying to squeeze out breached twins.

121. Oh. You have neither the power nor the authority.

122. You once offered me the chance to surrender

123. before being visited by the plagues.

124. I did not, and so I paid the price.

125. Now, I have no desire to bring dishonor on our profession—

126. Spare me your rodomontade.

127. This is the same bargain you put to me: the chance to walk away.

128. With just the bedrock certainty you had

129. when you stood in my kitchen.

130. You knew that train was already en route.

131. I know much the same.

132. You're done.

133. You know, you once remarked you knew all the fancy words I did.

134. That you'd gone to the same schools.

135. Yet you love to deploy the earthy, the homespun,

136. the language of the dirt road and the barefoot walk to school.

137. The language, in short, of your parents and cousins.

138. Well, I, too, can reach back into familial lexicon

139. for bracing truths.

140. And my, uh—My mother's father was from Italy...

141. yes, a Roman, you know.

142. And he taught me that when someone talks to you

143. as though you are of no consequence,

144. you have two choices.

145. The first is to wilt away.

146. And the second is get right in their face and tell them...

147. Sei fuori come un balcone, figlio di buona donna,

148. ti venisse un colpo, a te e a tutta la palazzina tua

149. ma guardati che sei, burino, cazzabubbolo, baciapile,

150. non ti vogliono manco li cani,

151. sei cosi stronzo che se pesti una merda fai scopa,

152. li mortacci tua.

153. Vaffanculo! Eh!

154. Oh! That's good.

155. That is real good, Chuck. Mm.

156. That was a good trick.

157. Ah, a good trick.

158. I don't understand a word you said.

159. Mnm. But I got the general feeling.

160. And I like it.

161. You know why? Hmm?

162. Because it tells me that you are not gonna pay heed.

163. So let me give you a final taste

164. of biscuits and white gravy American.

165. You know what happens to a lumberjack

166. who doesn't react when he hears "timber"?

167. He gets crushed by a tree.

168. This case against you will be complete,

169. and it is gonna land on you

170. like a clear-cut Ponderosa pine.

171. I'm getting back late,

172. so I will see you at the board meeting tomorrow.

173. Yeah. You bet.

174. Have a great day.

175. And thank you.

176. Hello?

177. Sandy. Lemme ask you a question:

178. You a man who likes a good breakfast?

179. Hell yes, I like a good breakfast.

180. Then you're gonna love what I got for ya.

181. I hate the expression "mistakes were made."

182. Because it avoids blame.

183. And you know, in all the time I worked for him,

184. there were two things I never heard Bobby Axelrod say:

185. "I was wrong." And "I'm sorry."

186. I'm here to tell you that that is the last time

187. you will hear his name come out of my mouth in this office.

188. Because I was wrong. And I am sorry.

189. I got baited.

190. Hooked in the mouth like a trophy marlin.

191. And narrowly escaped being mounted on the wall.

192. But escape I did. We did.

193. And now that's the end of it.

194. We are going to use this moment to officially, formally,

195. and in all other ways, move beyond rivalries,

196. anger, everything that doesn't clearly

197. and demonstrably help Mase Cap win.

198. Q is for quantitative, baby!

199. That it is.

200. We will return to our mathematical model.

201. And you are now free, all of you, to maximize,

202. without fear that I will be too distracted to notice,

203. or that I will squander the resources you are providing.

204. You are the smartest and best people in the industry.

205. And I am proud to retake my seat amongst you.

206. Damaged, but reborn.

207. Taylor Mason is back! Yeah!

208. More importantly:

209. Taylor Mason Capital is back!

210. Dad.

211. How are my—

212. Your consort and child are fine.

213. Don't do that.

214. Her name is Roxanne.

215. And we call the little girl Willow.

216. They're fine, anyway. How are you?

217. I am spent, to be honest.

218. When I was young I could've withstood a bracing like that

219. while standing on my fucking head.

220. But I felt myself fading.

221. You made it through.

222. Yeah.

223. But, Sonny, they are coming for you strong.

224. I hope you're ready.

225. I hope so, too.

226. You are my boss. So you get to have me stand here.

227. But you don't get to ask me the same question 17 times.

228. Or rather, you do, but I don't have to answer it.

229. Let me ask it differently then,

230. since I'm not doing it to fuck around

231. but rather to make a case, which is,

232. lest we think we are here to do the double dutch,

233. the entire reason for our existence.

234. Mm. Feels like double dutch.

235. Jumping in place. Tripping over ourselves.

236. No way you trip doing—

237. Nope. I can go for hours. But I bet you would.

238. Kate, this has gotten off track. I just need to know,

239. and not officially— but for myself, to plan—

240. if anyone is mentioned

241. in the privileged part of that recording.

242. Anyone material to the case.

243. Eighteen. And I can't answer, won't answer.

244. How do we know the agents stopped listening

245. at just the right moment.

246. Maybe, after— No, no.

247. They, and I, heard it all.

248. Best for everyone you don't listen.

249. Then I won't get Chuck.

250. Can you live with that— Oh. Say you do get him.

251. Do you think you can ratchet back the Jack Torrance shit?

252. Like from The Shining?

253. Yeah. You have that same obsessed look in your eye.

254. The difference is: I'm not seeing ghosts riding Big Wheels.

255. I'm seeing a wrongdoer getting away.

256. Once he's nailed— and Jock is pacified—

257. I'll be free of all this... stuff.

258. And the Southern District will become sovereign again.

259. In the cause of all that is good and nob—

260. and don't you want to be a part of that?

261. I do.

262. Then just tell me this:

263. does the recording spell out who the idiot is?

264. That's the one person who wasn't there.

265. But is mentioned. We could lean on him.

266. Nineteen.

267. And you could. If you knew who he was.

268. Can you give me a hint?

269. We are not fucking playing Password, Bryan.

270. This is for your good.

271. For my good.

272. For fucking good, you know?

273. 'Becca, Wendy!

274. - Hi, Mark. - Cubes!

275. I'm so fired up that you made it up here.

276. This is gonna be so much fun.

277. Wait till you get to ride on these things.

278. The power is incredible.

279. Anyways, this is my guy Phil.

280. He's gonna train you up and make sure you have a good time.

281. Place is all yours.

282. Thanks. Can't wait.

283. Sooooo, my Daddy,

284. and I know you'd think I called him father,

285. but he was Daddy and Mommy was—

286. Mommy? She sure was.

287. What Daddy said was: elbow grease alone

288. won't solve what elbow grease and a few silver coins will.

289. A real philosopher king.

290. He also told me to find a career that would justify

291. elbow patches on my sport coats.

292. "Because that would signify useful work, Pa?" I asked.

293. Pa, now? Pa. Yes.

294. And he said: no, Son,

295. because folks will believe you mean well.

296. All this to say...

297. Her trouble won't go away

298. because we smile nice and ask even nicer.

299. It's gonna take some institutional lubricant.

300. How much.

301. $25 million.

302. Ouch. Now I think I need the lube.

303. But fine. Do it.

304. Hey, Ayles, you actually even know your father?

305. Does anyone, really?

306. How was breakfast?

307. Eh. Went well...

308. Listen, I want you to stay on this with Ayles.

309. Make sure it happens. Never let her know we did it.

310. That might be hard. These places like to advertise.

311. Try. I don't want her to feel beholden.

312. You are that rarest of creatures.

313. An actual gentleman.

314. Basically, just for her.

315. But yeah.

316. You mean about the idiot

317. who stands to lose the most? Can I really—

318. You mean about the idiot

319. who stands to lose the most? Can I really—

320. Fuck.

321. Jock, I need some warrants...

322. No. No, Funt won't grant these.

323. I need your, uh, friendly judge.

324. Yeah.

325. Now, we can talk in here. It's been swept.

326. The fridge is stocked and I can order—

327. —Let's not do the whole service thing.

328. No food. No drink. We'll make it quick.

329. Sure. Pit stop at Le Mans,

330. tires, oil, back out of the chute.

331. Not a long night of necking at the drive in.

332. Definitely not. Yeah.

333. No. Here's the thing:

334. last time we sat here we talked about revenge.

335. And how we were to help each other achieve it.

336. And we have and will continue to—

337. About that.

338. Look, I got Taylor in the well,

339. it has applied the lotion from the basket.

340. All that's left is the skinning.

341. Which is to say: they will soon be hemorrhaging money,

342. vulnerable, desperate and ready to make the kind of move

343. that will make your job very easy.

344. You're always telling me how simple my gig is.

345. If it's all so basic, why don't you do the skinning?

346. I'll tell you: because it's bloody work. Grimy.

347. Then roll 'em up and sink 'em in up to the shoulders.

348. Oh, is that an order? It's shorthand.

349. But if you need me to curtsy and bow, just say the word.

350. It's one or the other. Not both.

351. And no. What I need is your expertise to do it right.

352. I set people up all the time, but to do it

353. without opening up an entrapment charge is difficult.

354. The right trap has to come from you.

355. If Taylor is floundering and desperate,

356. you know better than me what their next move will be.

357. What might tempt them to take a chance?

358. The answer to all their problems.

359. Yes. And then, we dangle that.

360. Now, uh, a corrupt associate.

361. Weak former employee? Someone you've let go.

362. Offering funds or a service

363. or an opportunity too good to pass up...

364. I know just the fella.

365. Something about the directness of the metaphor here

366. is going to feel absurd for a minute.

367. I need you to fight that off.

368. And own the fact that you are moving the fucking earth.

369. Because that's what you are and what you do in the actual world.

370. Yes!

371. Ah!

372. You were fucking right. We moved earth.

373. We were destruction.

374. Elemental. No gray area.

375. Being in the cockpit was like

376. hitting the stage with The Clash.

377. You had to be totally present to deal with it.

378. Got me right out of my head.

379. I figured it would work better than a day spa.

380. Thank you for taking the time.

381. I needed the reset, too.

382. Though I probably don't have to tell you what I need.

383. You already know in what— five minutes with someone?

384. Mm-hmm.

385. I'd love to work with you,

386. but you don't need much that you don't already give yourself.

387. That's what sets you apart.

388. Most people let their childhood bullshit run them.

389. You use yours to propel you.

390. And not in a way that you're hiding from it, either,

391. and it's gonna bite you.

392. You synthesize it.

393. Like you do information about companies.

394. You're doing exactly what you're meant to be doing.

395. That was amazing.

396. And you know it.

397. And you get off on it.

398. Well, I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing, too.

399. You ever want to be out on your own?

400. Have your own practice?

401. I've thought about it from time to time.

402. But I'm in the right place. Which is a good thing,

403. because if I was out on my own, this Med Board thing

404. would be putting me right out of business.

405. How are you handling it?

406. One thing that's come from this year:

407. I know I can handle fucking anything.

408. And Axe Cap, it's mine.

409. They really rallied around me—in their own weird way.

410. That's the upside of being on a team, I guess.

411. I can see that.

412. It's just not how I work.

413. I like owning a team.

414. Should we hit it?

415. You've had a few, you sure you're alright?

416. We can drive you back to your hotel—

417. Oh. Don't worry, we're not driving.

418. You're not going for 20 are you?

419. Nope. I went about this another way.

420. And you were right, and we are going to get them all.

421. Sounds like somebody did some old fashioned prosecutor work.

422. I figure, I'm behind the desk, maybe I should do the job.

423. So I did the job. And got some warrants and subpoenas.

424. And you are going to execute same.

425. On?

426. The sitting Secretary of the Treasury, Todd Krakow

427. and the safe of the father of

428. the sitting Attorney General for the State of New York.

429. You will go, yourself, to handle it.

430. Bring good agents with you.

431. These are the warrants.

432. And I'm on my way.

433. Hello everybody...

434. Sanford, surprised to see you here.

435. You passed on a board seat when it was offered.

436. I did.

437. But I have a real vested interest

438. in how this meeting goes.

439. Uh...

440. Alright, people.

441. Big announcement, big acquisition.

442. Of Kling Appliances.

443. We have taken ownership of the company

444. and will go back to rolling out their product.

445. Now, this strategic partnership—

446. We are not going to sell Kling products.

447. We will be using Kling to move toward profitability

448. in a wholly different way now.

449. Thank you.

450. Even I don't usually have an Iron Chef make my pancakes.

451. All you have to do is ask...

452. And send the plane.

453. Thanks for this, Alex.

454. Mm.

455. When a man puts on a show like this, it's rarely—

456. That's true. But also,

457. if we're gonna have to have this conversation, and we are,

458. we might as well have something this good.

459. Well, it's in our mouths now.

460. So—

461. Saler's is a sinking ship.

462. But I know how to get the chest of gold

463. before it hits the ocean floor.

464. You would do that to Rebecca?

465. For Rebecca.

466. It's helping her.

467. What I didn't realize, but see now,

468. is that she made the one sin that every

469. private equity investor knows they can never make.

470. And it happened because she is

471. as kind-hearted and good as she is smart.

472. And that is— Cares too much.

473. About this one in particular.

474. Mm. It's a suicide play at this point.

475. She's lashed herself to the side of this thing

476. and refuses to jump off.

477. We won't just be saving ourselves.

478. We'll also be saving her.

479. Yeah. I guess we will be.

480. You okay with it?

481. With getting the gold and doing the right thing?

482. Yes I am.

483. Now please pass the syrup.

484. These fucking things are delightful.

485. All Saler's locations will be closed,

486. effective immediately.

487. The real estate will be transferred

488. to a real estate investment trust,

489. controlled by Sanford Bensinger—and me—

490. where it will eventually be sold off at market value.

491. The clothing brands, home goods,

492. Treads For Tots shoe line, Maker Man Tools,

493. and the auto parts brand will all be spun off

494. for top dollar to private equity buyers who've been lined up.

495. Further, Saler's debt will be dumped

496. onto Kling's balance sheet

497. and that company will then be put into

498. Chapter 11 bankruptcy effective immediately.

499. Cute pitch, but I wonder

500. how the fuck do you think

501. you have the authority to do that when I'm CEO.

502. Well, young lady, unfortunately,

503. if you don't ratify the plan, you'll be removed.

504. I've converted my debt to shares with voting rights.

505. When?

506. Yesterday. So his shares,

507. along with mine and everyone else in this room,

508. make up the majority.

509. You can't stop it.

510. What about the 50,000 employees?

511. Well, we'll settle out their pension plans and benefits.

512. For a fraction of what they're owed.

513. I know people, and what those people will feel is:

514. something's better than nothing.

515. And you—you assholes— you're gonna go along with this?

516. Ugh. How could you?

517. Oh. They already did. The board voted.

518. Or gave me their proxies. Same thing.

519. It's because every shareholder will get

520. a massive one time windfall dividend payment.

521. And then we can all go our separate ways.

522. Keith, how many shares do you hold?

523. Thirty-three thousand.

524. Well, congratulations, Keith.

525. You just graduated from 300 grand in a bad stock

526. to thirty-three million in cash.

527. Rebecca, you could be making

528. close to a billion on this transaction.

529. Miss Cantu,

530. I know how this stings.

531. I had my paper route stolen from me

532. after I'd built it up to cover the entire city.

533. Damn newspaper took it in-house.

534. I felt steamed

535. 'til I bought the whole thing and sold it to a chain.

536. Oracular wisdom feels better

537. when the oracle hasn't just anally rended you.

538. Gentlemen, ladies, why don't we go work out the myriad details

539. in the back office and give them the room.

540. You snake motherfucker.

541. You sent me off and you set me up—

542. Your way was an arduous five year, capital-intensive crawl.

543. Now you've just cleared over a billion

544. in a few months' time.

545. It isn't about that for me and you know it.

546. I want to run this business for real.

547. This one wasn't fit to run.

548. You can build it back up from the ground, better,

549. without the negative drag of toxic fucking debt,

550. if you really want.

551. When did you land on your plan

552. to liquidate the company out from under me, hmm—

553. was it the first time that I told you about it?

554. No.

555. No, it was much closer to when you climbed into bed

556. and made a fucking pact with my sworn enemy.

557. But, hey, as you once told me,

558. you'll come to see the wisdom in this plan.

559. You already do—

560. Oh. Fuck you. We're done.

561. Well, you should think fondly of me

562. when the Street calls you a genius—for this plan—

563. as you approach your next venture.

564. I need to know what you told yourself.

565. I wanted to let it go—

566. what you did

567. by making that deal with Taylor.

568. I wanted to think of it the way you said:

569. not as disloyal.

570. Or an action against me.

571. But as a practical solution to a problem

572. that you— someone I loved— was faced with.

573. And so that night, I told you it was fine.

574. And I wanted it to be true.

575. I laid there in bed next to you,

576. and I just tried to breathe out the bad,

577. breathe in the good.

578. But with each breath,

579. instead of peace, love and understanding filling my lungs,

580. the old bile was there.

581. I stared at the ceiling,

582. with you sleeping next to me— beautiful and serene,

583. and I played out our relationship to its end.

584. I thought about marriage.

585. Let it land for me that it actually was

586. something I'd already assumed was going to happen.

587. Us having kids together, too.

588. I smiled at the notion.

589. It was hopeful.

590. Romantic.

591. The kind of thought a normal man would be having.

592. But then,

593. I felt something go cold in me.

594. And I knew the truth was in that cold.

595. And that eventually, it would turn hot.

596. To rage. And when it did,

597. I would blow the whole fucking thing up,

598. kids and all.

599. 'Cause, sure, your choice was rational.

600. But to me, it was traitorous.

601. And I wouldn't be able to live with it.

602. I'd wreck everything we had over it.

603. I would make you suffer tenfold

604. for what I had suffered.

605. Especially if I waited, without crushing Taylor.

606. Because by then, Taylor would be rich and safe.

607. So I decided: fuck it.

608. Might as well get my revenge

609. and rip the scab off this fucking thing

610. between us at the same time.

611. Then we'd be even, too.

612. Each fucked over.

613. Each aware of who the other really is.

614. Then...

615. Then we could find out what was still between us.

616. What's between us now is nothing.

617. Bobby Axelrod has control of Saler's.

618. Rebecca is out.

619. He's putting Kling into bankruptcy.

620. Our equity will be wiped out. Our position will go to zero.

621. Our firm will lose three quarters of a billion,

622. maybe a little more.

623. When news of that gets out,

624. we may not have a firm.

625. I can have Lauren get to the investors first,

626. try to gain a vote of— I wouldn't give me that vote,

627. they won't either. No.

628. What if we go Doug Flutie style, toss a literal Hail Mary?

629. Just make a huge bet, on, like, four names.

630. Double up or bomb out.

631. I'd like to work in this business again.

632. So, yeah. No. Fuck. We need time...

633. I might have something. A text I got earlier.

634. Mafee, we're going to a meeting with a friend of yours.

635. Mm. Seems I missed the party.

636. Taylor's P&L's been crippled.

637. They're ripe to make that desperate move.

638. I thought I smelled blood.

639. Everything's in place on my end.

640. Good. One more thing though.

641. I want you to arrest but NOT charge Taylor.

642. After everything I've done,

643. all the plans I've laid in, why would I do that?

644. Because it's what I want.

645. And 'cause I want Taylor back at Axe Capital, working for me.

646. Come again?

647. They're the best player I've seen in this league

648. in two decades. Real five-tool, you know?

649. Back at the beginning this was advertised as

650. me getting a Wall Street scalp.

651. But now that it's haircut time, you tell me no.

652. Why don't you just hire the kid back

653. and stop wasting my fucking time?

654. 'Cause they won't come for money.

655. But they will come from fear.

656. And from leverage. So leverage them and scare them.

657. And if anyone's been wasting fucking time here...

658. Hello?

659. Dr. Rhoades. I am pleased to tell you

660. that the Medical Board has taken into account

661. the fact that you willingly came forward.

662. And that you could have easily lied.

663. Really.

664. Yes. It showed that you are already making changes.

665. And that you are, at core, a doctor who cares.

666. We have also been provided with

667. dozens of letters to your character.

668. And that highlight how much you have given

669. of your time over the years

670. to those less fortunate.

671. So we've decided to set aside the findings of the proceeding.

672. And to give you a verbal warning instead.

673. Consider that given, and the matter concluded.

674. Thank you, Dr. Zhang.

675. Yeah. I'm just finishing up a few things,

676. you can head out for the night.

677. You mean about the idiot

678. who stands to lose the most? Can I really—

679. Yes. I can't listen to future plans.

680. But the things you've already done.

681. And the people with whom you've done 'em,

682. that I need to know.

683. Go ahead. Press on. Privilege was clearly in place.

684. Once I tell you who he is, Ira, we can't go back.

685. It's a real mindblower.

686. We should all brace ourselves for what's coming.

687. Yes.

688. Well. Do it, Dad. Say the name.

689. Well, I mean, at this point it's gotta be clear, right?

690. The idiot in question is Bryan Connerty.

691. Yes. Well. The rub of it is.

692. If Connerty is listening right now,

693. it means he's crossed all legal and ethical bounds

694. and our little plan is about to bear fruit...

695. But, uh you're not listening,

696. are you, Bryan?

697. 'Cause you don't break the law.

698. But, if he is "headphones on" right now,

699. it means he's gone completely over the line

700. and committed all manner of crimes that led to this,

701. and his arrest is, uh, moments away.

702. Which is why we dubbed the man 'the idiot'.

703. Should've called him the fucking idiot—

704. Ah, fuck.

705. You should probably say it again. Louder.

706. Cuz yeah. You are fucked.

707. Let's go.

708. Kate—

709. Bryan, I had them hold you in here, as a courtesy—

710. but what the fuck? I—

711. You kept asking if you would understand everything

712. if you listened to the tape.

713. I told you

714. unfortunately the answer was yes.

715. It was my hope you never found out what came next.

716. Whatever bullshit they were running on that recording,

717. tell me you recovered stuff from the safes

718. that will prove this thing for what it is.

719. Oh, I got proof from the safes, Bryan,

720. but not the kind you were looking for.

721. This isn't a contract laying out

722. your participation in some real estate scam.

723. No, but it is my participation in

724. a New York State sting operation targeting certain

725. corrupt members of the Department of Justice.

726. An overzealous prosecutor—

727. especially a US Attorney—

728. is a very dangerous thing...

729. And Rhoades Senior?

730. Don't ruin my box.

731. It's not what you wanted, but it is what was there.

732. Sonofabitch...

733. May I?

734. Keep it brief, we still have processing to do.

735. Oh. Bryan, it pains me to be here like this—

736. Does it? But you lined up against me,

737. and that just wasn't right.

738. We could've worked together.

739. But you broke ranks and tried to take me out.

740. So I had to make a contingency plan.

741. How far back?

742. Well, you know,

743. pretty far...

744. This development is my legacy.

745. Hell, it's your legacy too.

746. Well, I'm glad to see you've got your legs under you again, Dad.

747. Dad,

748. I know how we can spin this like a top.

749. We're gonna have to put on a hell of a show...

750. But, yeah, this will be our legacy.

751. I knew you'd be coming after me

752. and that you'd be up on me sooner than later...

753. There's no heat.

754. Sonny, my permits came back without a hitch...

755. And of course I knew that you knew

756. that Judge DeGiulio would deny

757. your wiretap request...

758. FBI observed father and son

759. on the building site in question.

760. You got a family portrait.

761. And come to me with that information.

762. Connerty came for a wire on you.

763. Did you grant it?

764. I killed it.

765. And that you'd be watching.

766. So we gave you what you needed

767. to secure those wiretaps...

768. You have your wire.

769. And I knew you'd do as I trained you to do,

770. programmed you almost, so you'd get on our phones.

771. I have run into a financing snag with my development.

772. What's the problem?

773. Now, I know you have some banking contacts these days.

774. I'll try to help.

775. So I needed to squeeze certain players for help.

776. You're probably wondering how you're gonna get out of this.

777. Indeed. It crossed my mind.

778. Well, you'll join me in a greater plan

779. for the greater good.

780. Listening and loving it...

781. I needed your boss fully engaged,

782. pushing you, breathing fire down your back.

783. So once I knew it was the thing that mattered to him,

784. I hit the election angle hard.

785. By the time I parked the shit train in his backyard,

786. both you and Jock were leaning in so hard,

787. it was just a question of playing out an ending for you.

788. I've taken the liberty.

789. For our comfort...

790. What's that rustling?

791. Did they paper this fucking deal?

792. I need to go back to D.C.

793. I have work to do.

794. Gentlemen.

795. I've got to admit that I was a little surprised

796. by how eager you were for the dirty tricks

797. and even crime.

798. It's the power, of the office, that gets you leaning forward.

799. It's dangerous and hard to ride,

800. like an unbroken horse.

801. That's something you never really heard me on.

802. It is not easy, not easy at all.

803. But I guess you'll have a long time to think about it.

804. They call this getting what you deserve, don't they?

805. It's coming for all of us.

806. What about Jock—

807. is he left standing?

808. I just caught up with the man...

809. You are a real troublemaker, Rhoades.

810. Runs in my blood.

811. Runs in your kind.

812. You take that to mean ethnic, fine.

813. Or New Yorkers. Or guys with hair all over their faces.

814. That's just like you—

815. focused on a man's beard with so much intensity

816. you miss his foot coming up to kick you in the gonads.

817. Good luck there, pard.

818. Ah. Don't need luck.

819. No.

820. You know, the last time we were in here,

821. in what was my office,

822. it didn't turn out well for me.

823. And I told myself I wouldn't step foot back in this place

824. until it was you who'd be sent packing.

825. And that is today.

826. That is right now.

827. How're those low hangers feeling?

828. Heavy, full, and ready to shoot.

829. You think just 'cause I had an overzealous underling,

830. that I'm gonna take a fall?

831. I am not.

832. Connerty acted on his own, of his own volition.

833. He screwed up.

834. So now he's screwed. Not me.

835. You came to me on biblical grounds a short time ago.

836. And when you left, it occurred to me

837. that faith can be a beautiful thing,

838. except when it's misplaced.

839. I'm not legally allowed to listen to this—

840. If I order it, it's fucking legal.

841. Now, you get your hands on that fucking tape—

842. So, the ballsack has to feel at least a twinge by now.

843. How the fuck...?

844. I had an instinct that

845. at least some of what Connerty did

846. would be at your direction...

847. We are running down some promising leads and—

848. This could be the call.

849. Connerty...

850. No, I'll be right there.

851. Good work.

852. Good luck finishing off the Rhoadeses.

853. You really did it...

854. got me right in the onions...

855. So, no, Bryan, no.

856. When it comes to me, the thing you've got to learn is:

857. no one's left standing.

858. My dude, that was... I have like tears in my eyes,

859. and I don't even own that Three Tenors album.

860. My father was a—

861. look, I'll sing for you another time.

862. For now, let's talk Nigerian Oil Warrants.

863. You talk. I'll listen.

864. They are highly illiquid instruments.

865. There's no real market for them.

866. So the few brokers who deal in them

867. can set almost any price.

868. You invest a few million dollars,

869. we wait a week, and I have them revalued.

870. How high?

871. Units that cost you, say, ten grand each

872. could suddenly be valued at a hundred grand.

873. Or two. Or five hundred.

874. For a few million dollars we can balloon these things up

875. and basically state that the firm is even on the year.

876. So, what do you think...?

877. Hello there.

878. You said I was foolish for wishing for a miracle.

879. But I guess they do happen—

880. when you make them happen.

881. I'm grateful you got my suspension lifted.

882. Well, I'm glad that it all worked out.

883. Grab me a glass.

884. I'll come join you.

885. Did you even fucking try?

886. No. I didn't.

887. I could explain.

888. But no.

889. Yeah. I thought not.

890. Watch the kids.

891. Where are you going—

892. Out.

893. When are you coming home? I don't know.

894. But you are coming home?

895. I don't know.

896. Hold up.

897. You're not under arrest.

898. But it would be good if you act like you are...

899. Let's talk Nigerian Oil Warrants.

900. You talk. I'll listen.

901. That right there is

902. the very picture of criminal conduct.

903. And the part where I refuse and walk out?

904. Thank you, Rudy.

905. But you were singing "Nessun Dorma" before,

906. which is about somebody hiding something.

907. Which makes me wonder why that particular aria

908. was in your mouth. So it's a no for now.

909. I'll learn to live without the Nigerian Warrants. And you.

910. You're a charming tenor.

911. Do more of that. Less of this.

912. It seems there was a camera malfunction...

913. I see.

914. Well, in that case, I'd like to speak to—

915. Or at least that was to be the case

916. when you balked at the illicit deal.

917. But, uh I've lost my taste

918. for this particular set-up right now.

919. Have you?

920. Mm.

921. When I look at the shambles my life has become—

922. from my firing, to my public disgrace,

923. to my election with strings attached,

924. to the destruction of my marriage,

925. to my family falling into disrepair—

926. ah, did I make mistakes to cause it?

927. Perhaps.

928. But a truer reckoning is:

929. it all tracks back to one source.

930. One man.

931. A man so corrosive, so virulently infective

932. as to strip me of every good quality I ever had:

933. my kindness, my empathy, my sense of justice.

934. Maybe even my ability to love.

935. And that very man

936. charged me with arresting you

937. in order to force you back into his employ.

938. He wants me to come back to work for him?

939. At Axe Capital. He wants that?

940. Yes,

941. which gives us an opening.

942. I don't want to force you.

943. I want you to go back willingly, but as if I had,

944. and I want you to help me take him down,

945. once and for all.

946. I should have known what would happen.

947. I once confessed to you that

948. competition brought on vertigo-like symptoms in me.

949. Well. I certainly feel faint right now.

950. Tighten your stomach.

951. It'll push the blood back up into your brain.

952. You'll feel better. Won't help my firm.

953. Or my balance sheet. Which you destroyed.

954. I didn't make you cook the books though.

955. That was all you.

956. I figured an extra quarter or two without redemptions

957. and disruptions and I could make a comeback.

958. Well. We always think we can.

959. But then you had your friend waiting to arrest me.

960. So I can't.

961. He's no friend of mine, believe me.

962. Just a useful tool.

963. And I wasn't gonna let him take you to jail.

964. As long as...

965. Yes. As long as I come under heel.

966. Well. Don't think of it like that.

967. Or do. Whichever.

968. But, yes, you are coming back to me.

969. You were such a worthy fucking adversary

970. that even with a much smaller bankroll

971. you cost me my relationship and pushed me to a stalemate.

972. Right until the very end...

973. So, yeah, I want you on my side.

974. It won't be forever.

975. I'll walk away soon enough and your firm will have survived.

976. Will it have?

977. That's gonna be up to you.

978. But it can. It should.

979. You're still you.

980. So how would it work— I keep my own shingle?

981. Yes. Under my banner.

982. And you and I are going to, what,

983. bullshit about ideas all day long?

984. We don't have to be best friends.

985. Or friends of any kind.

986. I just want your brain.

987. And it won't all be bad for you.

988. We'll pre-set a bonus structure.

989. And you will know exactly where you will end up.

990. That will be a signed document.

991. It will. And we will also have a separate,

992. special document, signed by Rhoades too,

993. that says at a date certain

994. whatever he has on you disappears forever.

995. Where we at?

996. I'm going back to work at Axe Capital.

997. Will you come with me?

998. In.

999. Chuck Rhoades wants to use me to help him nail Axe.

1000. Crazy.

1001. Are you going to do it?

1002. I told him I would.

1003. And I made Axe believe I was done trying to destroy him.

1004. But I learned something:

1005. they're both lined up to destroy each other.

1006. At the right moment when both have their guns raised,

1007. I'll step out of the way and let it happen.

1008. I'll help it happen.

1009. They'll put each other in the ground

1010. and I'll go about my fucking business.

1011. Hey.

1012. Hey.

1013. Some day.

1014. Yeah.

1015. Look, um, that thing with Rebecca,

1016. I didn't mean to put you in a—

1017. Nope. I'm not here for that.

1018. I want to thank you.

1019. I don't know how—

1020. You don't even have to.

1021. And I don't want to stay at home tonight.

1022. Oh.

1023. Or at some hotel.

1024. Oh...

1025. Oh. Shit.

1026. Six maids and they leave it like this...

1027. You can't sleep in Dean and Gordie's room,

1028. 'cause they have small beds.

1029. And art is piled all over the other rooms.

1030. You know what?

1031. We can do this.

1032. Welp.

1033. Text me what you want for breakfast in the morning,

1034. I'll let Chef Ryan know.

1035. And, you know, if you want to talk,

1036. I'm right down the hall.

1037. Have a good night.

1038. Hi, Taylor! Hi, Mafee!

1039. Shut the fuck up, Ben.

1040. Hi, Ben.

1041. Welcome home.

1042. Happy to be here.

1043. Now, I'm ready.