03x05 - Whiskey and Sticky and All the Rest Can Wait

[bunniefuu]

[SOBBING]

[WATER SPLASHING]

[SOMBER MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[GROANS]

♪ ♪

[COUGHING]

[GRUNTS]

♪ ♪

- Go!
- Come on, let's move it!

- Come on, come on!
- Let's go, come on!

Move it, let's go!

[SPEAKING CANTONESE]

[GASPS]

[GROANS]

[SCREAMS]

♪ ♪

[SOBBING]

You, I said, get out!

Get out!

Hurry up. Let's go!

♪ ♪

[SOBBING]

♪ ♪

[CROWD EXCLAIMING]

[BOTH SPEAKING CANTONESE] _

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!

[DOOR CLANGS]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[DOOR CLANGS]

♪ ♪

No Chinese!

American. American.

Born in San Francisco.

You hear that?
This one says he's not a chink.

American. Born in San Francisco.

- Yeah?
- [LAUGHS]

You're a regular Abraham Lincoln.

[GRUNTS]

Get the f*ck back in line.

[DRAMATIC SPAGHETTI WESTERN MUSIC]

♪ ♪

The police will not let us see her.

They won't even tell us
what she is charged with.

I would like to approach
the Six Companies.

No.

They have friends at City Hall.

The Six Companies will not help us,

and I don't blame them.

Mai Ling invested that money
without our permission.

Her recklessness has left us weak.

What are you saying?

Perhaps the tong is best served

leaving Mai Ling where she is.

Be careful, Wu Jin.

Put your feelings aside.

You can't deny she's led us astray.

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Excuse me.

Li Yong, wait.

- Hey.
- You agree with them?

I would never go against you.
You know that.

But I see their side.

Did you know she was
investing with the ducks?

I knew she was considering it.

Do you know how much she gave them?

/ of the tong's cash reserves.

I assume she would
have consulted with you

over a major investment,
so did everyone else,

which makes you complicit.

I'm new here, so I see
things with fresh eyes.

And I can't help but wonder
how things would be

with a leader who served the tong

and not the other way around.

♪ ♪

This deportation center marks
a bold new era in our city,

one in which we will no longer tolerate

the damage being done to our society

by the lawless encroachment
of the Chinese.

m*rder, prostitution, and sl*ve labor

have gone unchecked for too long.

Through the efforts of my office

and the San Francisco Police Department,

we will put
these criminals and interlopers

where they belong, not on our streets,

but on boats back to whence they came.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

As mayor, I will work hand
in hand with the governor

to ensure that the Exclusion Act passes.

Together, we will restore
America to her former glory

and bring prosperity to the
honest, hardworking citizens

who built this great country of ours.

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]

Can we count on your vote?

Excellent speech, sir.

If only the crowd
shared your enthusiasm.

Well, more bad news, I'm afraid.

Thayer played it better than we thought.

The press is eating it up.

I can read.

Sir, even with
the Irish vote behind you,

it's starting to pose a real thr*at.

In that case, I suggest
you do something about it,

or I will find someone who can.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

If I don't weigh in,
what are you worried about?

Are you kidding? I count a dozen bulls,

and that's just on the outside.

We've taken on bulls before.

Not in their turf.

We could be walking into anything.

So we buy them off.

No, Chao says these guys report

to the new police chief.

They won't deal with the Chinese.

Look, the next boat leaves in two days.

We've got to do something now.

I know.

We just need to find a way in.

♪ ♪

[SHIP HORN BLARES]

[GROANS]

That's pretty nasty, huh?

You get used to it, sort of.

- Do I know you?
- No.

No, it's just, you're
the leader of the Hop Wei.

It's an honor, you know?

Hey, easy with that sh*t.

Come here.

- What's your name?
- Sicheng, sir.

You can call me Young Jun, OK?

How long you been here, Sicheng?

A couple weeks.

But I hear a bunch of us
are getting shipped out soon.

People are busting out
of here though, right?

I've seen a few try.

These bulls, they're not messing around.

You try to run for it, death sentence.

The Hop Wei gonna bust you out?

They'll tear this f*cking
place apart if they have to.

Look, my friends and I
got some bunks staked out.

And we even got some tobacco.

Safety in numbers, right?

I could use a f*cking smoke.

♪ ♪

Oh, thank you, Sicheng.

Mm.

Anyone got a light?

Just my luck.

That's the thing about luck.

You could have it for years,

and then one day, it just runs out.

You don't remember me, do you?

My father was a tailor.

He owned a shop on Grand Street.

I remember.
He had all those silk handkerchiefs.

Yeah, yeah, he even made
some suits for the Hop Wei.

Then my grandparents got really sick.

You know, we had to send more
money than usual back to China.

He couldn't pay the Hop Wei.

They busted up his shop.

Listen, man, I don't
know anything about that.

Zhang Yong's family
paid their life savings

for protection against the bull raids.

The problem is, they didn't get any.

The tongs turned Jinhai's
restaurant into an opium den.

And Qing's brother
was k*lled in a turf w*r.

He's nine years old.

♪ ♪

You know, in here,
Hop Wei doesn't mean sh*t.

We're all just cargo,

waiting to get shipped across the salt.

So what's one less onion?

[GRUNTING]

♪ ♪

- [BONES CRUNCH]
- Agh!

[GRUNTS]

♪ ♪

- Ahh!
- [GROANS]

sh*t, you trying to give me
a heart att*ck or something?

Right, OK, well,
I haven't seen her myself,

but they've got her in holding.

Buckley.

You know what he wants.

I get it.

Will he hold up his end
and let her go, right?

That's a gamble, my friend.

Get her out.

Whatever you say, boss.

♪ ♪

Did you do this? Is this your work?

[SPEAKING CANTONESE] _

Sorry, tight quarters back here.

[SPEAKING CANTONESE] _

Go easy. He doesn't understand.

I think he understands just fine.

- [COUGHING]
- Sir?

Are you OK, sir?

Who are you?

Sir, is everything OK, sir?

- What do you want?
- [COUGHING]

I apologize for the ruckus, ma'am.

We just need to ask you a few questions.

[LIQUID POURING]

This your father's shop?

Anyone ever ask you to print money?

Money?

We're investigating these bills.

We think someone might be
printing them for the tongs.

[BOTH SPEAKING CANTONESE] _

_

He prints sign, paper, no money.

Father good man.

Want no trouble.

See? Sick.

This upset make more sick, more bad.

[GAGGING]

I think we're barking
up the wrong tree here.

I'm inclined to agree.

Thank you for your time, ma'am.

Sorry about the mess.

♪ ♪

This moment requires
a certain moral clarity,

which Thayer's soft populism
can't accommodate.

You don't agree?

Walter, I do wish you'd
share your troubles with me.

I'm quite clever.

Maybe I could help.

My campaign is faltering.

Thayer is gaining traction,

and the election is mere weeks away.

He has a substantial w*r chest.

Perhaps we could court new donors.

It's not about the funds.

Campaigning doesn't
come naturally to me.

I've always preferred
the back office work,

steering men like Blake
from the shadows.

But you're much too smart and ambitious

to be some blowhard's fixer.

You've paid your dues.

This is your time.

I always saw the man in front as a fool,

a puppet.

And now that man is me.

Walter,

there is nothing foolish

about wanting something

and risking everything to have it.

I'm sorry. Did I overstep?

No, it's not you.

I haven't been with anyone
in a long time.

I promise...

You have everything I could ever want.

♪ ♪

[GASPS]

- Hey.
- You're late.

Sorry.

Things have been a little hectic.

Yeah.

The secret service was at my shop.

They were questioning my father.

Did they find anything?

No, no, they didn't go upstairs.

But you need to move those plates.

- What if they come back?
- Yeah.

- What my father finds them?
- OK, OK, OK.

I'm working on it, but the bulls,

they're all over us.

Hey, I'll talk to Chao,
try and find a place.

Ah Sahm, I don't know
how much longer I can do this.

Hey, I'm not gonna let
anything happen to you.

You can't promise me that.

[SOFT MUSIC]

♪ ♪

I would be lying if I said
it didn't bring me

a great deal of pleasure

to see you like this.

I take it you received the package.

Your Pinkerton was quite discreet.

Still, I cannot
emphasize enough how much

I dislike being blackmailed.

Well, you can't blame a girl for trying.

I suppose leverage is hard to come by,

especially for a Chinese whore.

But it does lead me
to wonder if our arrangement

has run its course.

Perhaps I should still
have you deported now

that you're of no use to me.

I wouldn't say that.

You still have an election to win.

From what I've read
in the paper, you're trailing.

I can be a very powerful ally.

We just arrested the heads

of two of Chinatown's biggest gangs
in a single night.

The press will make quite
a meal of that, believe me.

Who else did you arrest?

The head of the Hop Wei,
who will be deported

before the week is out.

Wait, Mr. Buckley.

I already know what you're going to say.

With both leaders gone,
there will be a power vacuum.

And if I don't fill it with you,

I will be left
with chaos on the streets.

Not chaos.

w*r.

And you can prevent this?

As long as it serves
both of our purposes.

And then?

And then I will crush the Hop Wei,

take their businesses,
and we will share the spoils.

[GRUNTS]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, buddy.

OK, just tell us, how many
guards and how many g*ns?

[GRUNTS]

I don't like this any more than you.

But my friend here,
he's built a little different.

He can go all night.

I already told you,

there's no way you chinks
are getting in there.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

And I told you, that's the wrong answer.

[CHOKING]

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Enough!

[CHILD WAILING]

Hey, hey! Let the boy go!

- Sergeant!
- Go, go!

Sergeant O'Hara, stand down.

So this is what we do now,

separate mothers from their children.

We enforce the law.

There were more than a dozen Chinese

squatting in a domicile
that was zoned for four.

These are not criminals,
for f*ck's sake.

They're just regular families.

What about this situation
seems regular to you, Sergeant?

Because what I see are a bunch of people

crammed together like vermin
spreading disease.

And it is my job, as it is yours,

to clean this mess up.

That boy was two or three years old.

What happens to him when
his mother is put on a boat?

He'll get taken
to a nice Christian orphanage.

And then, when his mother
goes back to China,

she goes with a clear message
to those who left yet

that there is nothing for them here.

I didn't sign up for this sh*t.
None of us did.

Sergeant O'Hara,

I have been more than patient
with you so far.

But if you are unwilling
to execute your duties,

then maybe you don't
belong here anymore.

[PEOPLE SCREAMING AND CRYING]

You're g*dd*mn right, I don't.

♪ ♪

[GROANS]

[GRUNTS]

[GROANS]

Still picking fights
you can't win, I see.

Father?

What are you doing here?

Looks like we both
f*cked up pretty good, huh?

[CHUCKLES]

Printing your own chop?

That's a ballsy move.

Cops were all over us.

Shutting down rackets.

I had to do something.

That doesn't explain
why you're here alone.

What about Ah Sahm and your brothers?

[CHUCKLES]

I guess they thought locking up
the bus would send a message.

How about you?

I thought you'd be halfway
to New York by now.

After I left, I traveled north.

Never seen land like that.

Wild, open.

I met some Chinese ranchers
and decided to stay a bit.

A week later, the duck mob
showed up, told them to leave.

When they refused,
they came back with g*ns.

f*ck.

It was f*cking ugly.

Next thing I know,

I'm in a wagon with
a dozen other onions.

We end up here.

I always thought I'd find
something better out there,

but I was wrong.

We have no power outside our own bowl.

I'm sorry you're here,

but I'm happy to see you.

You too.

[CHUCKLES]

Those wagons got
to be pretty big, right?

They bring food in every morning.

If we hide inside the delivery wagons,

we can get into the camp
without anyone seeing us.

If we can get in the wagons,

then we just have to find Young Jun

and escape an armed fortress
without getting k*lled.

That's not much of a plan.

We need an army to take them on.

We've got an army.
The boys are ready to scrap.

If it means getting Young Jun back...

- You're talking about...
- Every one of us would go.

A f*cking blood jam, Hong.

- We'd all get diced.
- He'd do it for us, man.

Look, I know sh*t's been
off between you two.

- No, it's not about that.
- But...

It's not about that. Listen, OK?

After I was skinned in, I got arrested.

And they could have bought
me out, but they didn't.

So what, you're holding a grudge?

No, no, I'm saying...
I'm saying they were right.

They had to put the tong first,
and so do we.

If we att*ck the camp head on,

we're gonna bring a f*cking
hurricane down on Chinatown.

And our brothers are gonna end up dead

or in the belly of a boat.

- What?
- Chao's here.

OK, cut him loose and drop
him somewhere in the pond.

Hey.

How did you get out?

Someone owed me a favor.

Well, maybe they owe you another one.

I wish it was that easy.

♪ ♪

I take it you heard about Mai Ling.

Yeah, she got pinched. So what?

So you haven't heard. She's out.

[SIGHS] Of course she is.

With Young Jun still locked up...

You think she's gonna make a move.

I think it's crossed her mind.

It sounds like I need
to have a chat with my sister.

Wait, there's more.

People are talking.

There are a lot of rumors going around

about the bulls raiding the Hop Wei.

I don't give a sh*t about gossip, Chao.

Good for you, but other
people might, like Happy Jack.

If he finds out we paid him
with fake chop,

Secret Service is gonna be
the least of your concerns.

You know, I think I like it better

when you bring me solutions,
not problems.

I have a notion.

Two birds, one stone.

But it's going
to be a very pricey stone.

♪ ♪

[FOOTSTEPS TAPPING]

The council will meet tomorrow

to discuss your leadership.

They're losing faith.

Well, are you with them?

I am the reason you're here.

The elders wanted to leave you inside.

I'm sorry.

I made a mistake.

I can't protect you when I
don't know what you're doing.

I know. It won't happen again.

The money,

can we get it back?

It's gone, but I'll make it right.

- The f*ck is this?
- We have same problem.

You hear what happened to Hop Wei?

Oh, got raided by the cops
and the f*cking Secret Service.

Heard they were looking
for counterfeiters.

Agent Richard Lee.

He live with your sister-in-law, no?

Oh, small f*cking world.

[CHUCKLES] And what is this?

More funny money?

You got balls just walking in here.

This real money. Apology from Hop Wei.

And this...

is for you to deal with problem.

You want me to k*ll your cop for you?

For us, Jack.

What, you no want him dead?

Well, let's just say, I have
complicated feelings about it.

Besides, I don't need
to k*ll him to get paid.

♪ ♪

I will take care of your problem,

but it can't happen
anywhere in my territory.

As far as my sister-in-law knows,

Agent Lee pissed off the wrong tong.

Sound like you solve problem, hm?

[LAUGHING]

Oh, I'm keeping that.

Think of it as a service fee.

For what?

Allowing you to keep breathing.

[BREATHES SHARPLY]

[DOG BARKING]

♪ ♪

[COCKS g*n]

- Whoa.
- Jesus f*ck!

Lee, I nearly sh*t you.

I'm not sure you could hit the
broadside of a barn right now.

What are you doing here?

I'm just wondering how
you live in this mess.

I don't need you
to clean the damn dishes.

[BREATHING HEAVILY]

Heard you quit the force.

So you just swung by to say,
"I told you so," is that it?

Actually, I came to see
how you were holding up.

Well, Lee, since you asked,

I've got no job, no family,
and no f*cking purpose.

But other than that, I can't complain.

I know Atwood ain't
exactly a warm summer breeze,

but I never thought
I'd see you up and walk away.

You were right all along.

The game's rigged.
We're not meant to succeed.

I guess I did tell you so.

You can f*ck off with that,
Mr. Secret Service.

I am not the only c**t on this porch.

[CHUCKLES]

[DOG BARKING]

[CHILDREN SHOUTING]

Look on the bright side.

Lucy always wanted you out of Chinatown.

I don't think going broke
was what she had in mind.

[LAUGHTER]

♪ ♪

It's no fun having to live with eyes

in the back of your head.

No sh*t.

I like being the boss way better.

So did I.

[SHIP HORN BLARES]

But we have bigger problems.

Is that our ride?

These poor bastards.

They gave up everything
to cross the salt.

They came looking for the gold mountain

only to find a pile of sh*t.

Now they're being sent back
to another pile.

What'll happen to us in China?

Nothing good.

We either die quick
at the hands of enemies

or slow through disease and starvation.

I always figured they'd send my
body back to China when I was dead.

That's the only way
I'm going back, get me?

When they herd us onto that boat,

we make a break for it.

What if we can't get past those guards?

♪ ♪

We take out as many of them as we can.

Go out strong.

♪ ♪

Go out strong.

♪ ♪

[CLEARS THROAT]

It's OK.

So how was jail?

I didn't care for it, so I left.

I'm glad you got out.

Thanks.

It's funny though.

When I got locked up,

I couldn't just leave
until you got me out.

You.

You bought yourself
some serious connections.

Bulls, the government,

it's how you dodged the crackdowns,

and it's why you're back on the street.

I know you didn't come here
to tell me what I already know.

Yeah.

Young Jun's in some camp
waiting to be deported.

I need you to get him out.

I can't think of a single
reason why I'd do that.

I can give you a thousand reasons.

Do we have a deal?

What are you doing? What are you doing?

- Hey!
- Oh, don't worry.

You can always print more.

What, you didn't think
your little operation

would stay secret from me, did you?

OK.

- What's it gonna take?
- Half.

Half? Half of what?

Of everything moving forward.

Come on, Young Jun,
he'll never go for that.

Young Jun is about
to cross the salt permanently.

I'd say % is the deal of a lifetime.

Ah Sahm.

You tell Young Jun this was
the only way because it was.

And we become partners.

Partners?

And what do you bring to the table?

Besides saving your boss's life,

the Long Zii will provide
a space to continue printing

free from police interference.

Like you said, I have the connections.

You and I can finally be
on the same side.

We can all get rich together,

or Young Jun
can take his chances in China.

♪ ♪

Thanks for coming.

You look beautiful.

What's all this about, for God's sake?

Don't get me wrong, it's lovely.

But you're scaring me.

Here you are.

I told you once, I had it
in me to be a better man.

And I thought I was trying to be.

Hell, I even believed
maybe I was sometimes.

I guess that's why I was
clinging so hard to being a cop.

I thought that no matter
what I did wrong,

I had that.

Something good.

But it's not.

It's not good because
of what it did to me,

to us,

and I am no good without you.

I...

You and the kids are the only
thing that matter to me,

and in all the mess,
I lost sight of that.

I lost sight of you.

- Bill...
- Let me finish, please.

I quit my job, turned in my badge.

I'll work for Horace.
I'll do whatever it takes.

I just... come back, and I swear to you,

I will never lose sight of you again.

Luce?

[SOFT MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Quit or fired?

I suppose that's open for debate.

So was that a yes then?

Yes. That's a yes.

[LAUGHTER]

[SPEAKING CANTONESE] _

_

_

Lai.

She's still angry.

And I think she blame me.

It's not your fault.

Strickland and his men
did this, not you.

Men att*ck us.

I do something worse.

I give her hope.

What Lai and these girls had in Sonoma,

that's the life they deserve.

You say.

But your law is not for us.

What happen in court?

The government took the land.

Maybe law not for you either.

Rich and powerful men like Strickland

will always find a way
to put a thumb on the scale.

But we can rebuild.

I found another piece
of land further up the coast.

acres with good soil.

I was thinking we could
take a look tomorrow.

No.

I not make same mistake twice.

What are you saying?

Better you not come here anymore

for the girls.

For the girls?

Or for you?

For all of us.

[BREATHES SHAKILY]

Let's go, let's go!

- Move along.
- Look at me, move.

I said, move your f*cking asses!

- Let's go!
- Filthy rats, come on!

Let's go!

- This way!
- Come on!

Come on! Come on, move it!

Wait until we pass the gate.

Then we take out the bulls
with the r*fles.

- You get me?
- I get you.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

Come on now, this way!

- Keep moving!
- Get your hands off me!

♪ ♪

[HEARTBEAT POUNDING RAPIDLY]

Stop, stop!

Stop! Let me through.

Hold here!

What the hell is going on here?

You're the guy to talk to?

Court order, right?

♪ ♪

Greetings from Ah Sahm.

You're coming with me.

♪ ♪

[LAUGHS]

He come too.

That's not the deal.

New deal.

I can't just walk
out of here with both of you.

New deal.

♪ ♪

[GRUNTING]

You're angry.

Good, be angry, but don't be stupid.

We need more time to plan, to heal

because anger won't be enough.

He will pay for what he
did to them, I promise you.

But not now.

[GRUNTING]

Lai, you're not ready.

And neither am I.

[LAUGHING]

Welcome back, m*therf*cker!

Oh, f*ck on, you dog c**t.

Sorry, boss.

It's just so damn good to see you.

Even if you do look like sh*t.

- Yeah, yeah.
- Come here.

Enjoy it while you can. [GROANS]

We all know that I'm still the
prettiest m*therf*cker in Chinatown.

[LAUGHING]

Seriously, though, how
the hell did you pull that off?

Yeah, uh...

♪ ♪

- Father Jun.
- Ah Sahm.

♪ ♪

Hong.

♪ ♪

Thank you for getting us
the f*ck out of there.

♪ ♪

So what's the story, man?

How the hell did you two
end up in there together?

♪ ♪

Whiskey, Hong.

Whiskey and sticky.

And all the rest can wait.

Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.

I can walk.

- You need a bath first.
- [LAUGHS]

♪ ♪

You made another deal
without telling me.

I know how it looks,
but I didn't plan this.

Ah Sahm came to me.

I'll be able to pay back what I lost,

which should appease
the elders and, hopefully...

Make peace with your brother.

♪ ♪

I've put you through a lot.

I know that.

But you have always protected me.

I haven't made it easy.

When I was sitting in that cell alone,

wondering if I'd ever see you again,

I realized,
you're the only person I trust,

the only person I've ever loved.

I want us to get married.

I think it's time, don't you?

I do.

[LAUGHS]

[TENSE MUSIC]

♪ ♪

[ALL SHOUTING]

Yeah!

It's good to be back!

[CORK POPS]

Oh! [ALL SHOUTING]

[LAUGHS]

See you later.

I am glad you are back.

It was a close f*cking call.

Yeah.

You good?

You made a deal with Mai Ling.

Think I wanted to go to her?

It was the only move I had.

Bullshit.

You were sitting on stacks
of f*cking fake cash.

You could have bought every
single guard in that place.

Come on. Maybe if I had two
months instead of two days.

You gave away the f*cking
store to our worst enemy,

who happens to be your sister.

What the f*ck am I supposed to think?

Don't talk to me about thinking.

Now you want to think?

Maybe you should've been thinking,
leader of the Hop Wei,

before you got yourself thrown in a camp

for starting a fight
with the f*cking police chief.

You know, I could have let them
put you on that f*cking boat

and taken over the tong if I wanted to.

Would have been
the easiest thing in the world.

I didn't make this deal with Mai Ling.

You did.

♪ ♪

I was thinking I'd be bad cop,

unless you feel
like playing against type.

Chao doesn't respond to threats.

Might be better he thinks I'm alone.

OK then, you can be the hero.

I'll head around back
in case he gets cold feet.

♪ ♪

You should really consider
locking your door.

No need. Chao is friend to everyone.

Drink?

You sent word you had information.

I'd just as soon take it
and be on my way.

Oh. All business, huh?

Is OK. Chao is businessman too.

- You bring money?
- Tell me what you know.

Then we can discuss a fee.

Thought you want new
relationship with Chao, no?

I know that you're part of all this.

What I don't know is why I'd
believe anything you tell me now.

Already too many cop in Chinatown.

Fake money bring even more.
Bad for business.

Give me a name right now,
or I'm walking out that door.

I don't think you are.

[COCKS g*n]

[g*nsh*t]

Ahh! Ah-ah-ah-ah.

Bad idea, cop.

Bad idea.

You set me up.

♪ ♪

As you say, Agent Lee,
new badge, new rules.

♪ ♪

You know, Chao,
I have a confession to make.

I'm still pissed about the fake cash.

Jack, that's why I paid you twice.

I know. I know.

But it's the principle of the thing.

Now you have principle?

[g*n COCKS]

f*ck me.

[GRUNTS]

[BLADE SWISHES]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[RAPPING IN A CHINESE LANGUAGE]

♪ ♪