07x01 - Tower of London

[bunniefuu]

[CHUCK] Previously on Billions.

[PRINCE] I'm not Axe. I'm different.

And I'm willing to put the time
and effort in to prove that to you.

With Axe, I didn't have to pretend

I was making glittery cupcakes

while shivving a m*therf*cker
who needed shivving.

Maybe Prince's way is more powerful.

Welcome to Michael Prince Capital, Kate.

Where do I work?

[CHUCK] There comes a time, Lucien,

when ideology meets reality.

Even in the newspaper business.

I want your comment on
the story I am running.

[PRINCE] We both share the same vision

of what a Summer Games in
New York should look like.

I thrive in peacetime.

But the best way to peace is
through overwhelming force.

[WOMAN, ON TV] The Games

can no longer be held in New York City.

Chuck can be removed as AG.

How do we pull the lever?

[MAN] Charles Rhoades Junior

is hereby removed as attorney general

of the State of New York.

The Senate names Miss Daevisha Mahar

as acting attorney general

for the remainder of Mr. Rhoades' term.

You want to know why Axe
is satisfied with freedom?

Why Chuck is priapic for warfare?

Because they are lesser Caesars.

You want to be a greater Caesar?

Michael f*cking Prince
is running for president.

President of the United
States of America.

- And one of us...
- Both of us.

...could be running Michael
Prince Capital very soon.

[WENDY] For you to succeed
at being whatever it is

you want to be,
you need to stop lying to yourself.

[PRINCE] Let's not forget about you

and what you want out of all of this.

[CHUCK] Prince is funding
Mike Money with crypto.

[NICK] Ten incorrect attempts
and it'll encrypt itself,

making it impossible to
access whatever's on it.

If we go down this road,
one of you is ending up in jail.

[PRINCE] This night's cost
me $. billion already.

[DAVE] We're gonna destroy
Mike Prince together.

The world will think
you're under indictment,

right up until the minute
we lock Mike Prince up.

You got a deal.

Find me Wendy f*cking Rhoades.

She's actually here?!

What is so f*cking wrong about me

that you're sure I shouldn't
be f*cking president?

["BECAUSE I'M AWESOME" BY THE DOLLYROTS]


♪ Uh-huh ♪

♪ I've got the new style
Uh-oh ♪

♪ And I'm walking
Right down your street ♪

♪ I'm on your speed dial
You know ♪

♪ The one everyone
Wants to meet ♪

♪ I always tell you
How cool you dress ♪

♪ It's 'cause
I'm fashionably socialized ♪

♪ You're smarter, better
No, the best ♪

♪ Just look at me ♪

♪ I'm a leader, I'm a winner ♪

♪ And I'm cleaner ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm awesome ♪

♪ I don't need you ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm neato ♪

♪ And I b*at you
'Cause I'm awesome ♪

- ♪ I'm a leader ♪
- ♪ I'm a leader ♪

- ♪ I'm a winner ♪
- ♪ I'm a winner ♪

- ♪ And I'm cleaner ♪
- ♪ And I'm cleaner ♪

- ♪ 'Cause I'm awesome ♪
- ♪ 'Cause I'm awesome ♪

- ♪ I don't need you ♪
- ♪ I don't need you ♪

- ♪ 'Cause I'm neato ♪
- ♪ 'Cause I'm neato ♪

- ♪ And I b*at you ♪
- ♪ And I b*at you ♪

- ♪ 'Cause I'm awesome ♪
- ♪ That's right ♪

♪ Rah, rah, rah, rah
Rah, rah, rah ♪

- ♪ I'm awesome ♪
- ♪ Rah, rah, rah, rah ♪

- ♪ Rah, rah, rah ♪
- ♪ That's right ♪

♪ Rah, rah, rah, rah
Rah, rah, rah ♪

♪ I don't need you
'Cause I'm awesome ♪

♪ Uh-huh ♪

[PRINCE] This is part two, Wendy.

Just you and me.

Part one was the day you grilled me

right here all alone. This is...

Part two, yeah. You said.

I need to go deep.

We do.

That's my specialty.

[PRINCE] But now you
need to do it for me.

I've been doing a kind of internal

chiropractic adjustment,

trying to align myself to
find the parts in there

that are fighting the whole, but...

Yeah, you can't do that alone.

But you could have just
walked through that door

and asked me to dive in.

Instead, you cleared the office. Why?

Well, I can't just let anyone,
not even you,

all the way inside without being sure.

So you plan on interrogating
me the way I did you?

- I pass.
- Don't think of it like that.

Where I'm going, I need loyalists.

Not blind loyalists,
open-eyed believers.

Like Nirvana fans back in the day.

No. Most of them didn't understand Kurt.

I need to know that you get me.

You want me to be your Courtney Love?

No. My Dave Grohl.

Lay down a monster b*at
and keep me on it.

Well, I could say
I wouldn't be standing here

if I weren't prepared to.

Uh, I'm not sure that's good enough.

We need to get to your why.

Here's a why.

Why are you so confident
I'll play along?

Why don't you think
I'll just turn around,

pack out my desk and leave?

Because I didn't sign up for this.

Not many people would walk away

from the kind of access
and power you'd have

if you hang in close.

You talking about your run for office?

Twenty-eight is a long way off.

Oh.

Timeline's shifted.

I'm going to do things differently, yes.

I'm announcing on my own timeline.

I'm going to run and win in...

- .
- I need it now.

Before it's too late.

Assuming I'll win, I'll need to know

that I'm not just ready
for this job, but primed.

I have blind spots. Everyone does.

But I need to know that
you're in to expose them to me

so that I can see and fix them.

Fair enough.

But I'm-I'm still not sure what
it is you need to hear from me.

Well, start by finishing this sentence.

"Michael Prince is..."

Michael Prince is going
about this all wrong.

Because instead of trying to extract

a loyalty test from me,

what he should be doing is
using every second of his life

trying to convince me
and everyone like me

that he's worthy of my investment.

Look inward for sure.

But look outward to engage all those

you're gonna need to get you there.

Just tell me this.

Are you still capable
of getting it done?

That is not what you
really want to know.

What is it you really want to know?

Why is it so hard for
you to do it for me

when it was so easy for you with Axe?

No one would use the word "easy."

But he was direct.

He wanted the things he wanted.

And once we cleared out
the inner conflicts,

he just went after them and got them.

So you turned him into
a targeted m*ssile.

Oh, I just tweaked the
guidance system a little.

He was already a m*ssile.

You can't help but smile
as you talk about him.

What is it that makes you smile

when you think about
where you want to go?

[LAUGHS]

- We're starting.
- We are.

[SIGHS]

[WENDY] So?

Why are you the one right now,
this second,

to do this?

Not the stem-winder
you'll give on the hustings,

but the real answer you give yourself

in the mirror at : a.m.

Because of my ruthlessness.

Say more.

Think of it this way.

If you're out on a climb

and you fall and break
your femur in half,

you don't need someone who
knows how to talk a good game.

You need someone who
knows how to fix it.

Someone who's willing to
do what needs to be done,

even when there's no
anesthesia out on the trail.

Someone who will ignore
your screams of pain

until the bone is set and ready to heal.

That someone is me.

And our country is the femur.

Damn right it is.

Strength.

People want that when they
believe it's not put on,

but real.

People?

Where it went wrong was when politicians

thought they had to listen to people.

Not smart people. Not educated people.

Just people.

There is such a thing as worthy dissent.

The First Amendment.

The Founders never
wanted a true democracy,

but a constitutional republic.
You know this.

So when you get there
to the Oval Office...

Truman had a sign on his desk that said,

"The buck stops here."

Mine's gonna say, "I am the buck."

Let's f*cking get you there.

[LAUGHS]

That's my girl.

Uh, doctor. Uh...

Yeah, you're on a different stage now,

so don't do that.

- Copy.
- [DOOR CHIMES AND SLIDES OPEN]

So you didn't clear the whole day.

Oh, I knew you wouldn't need it.

And I have someplace
I very much need to be.

[DOOR CHIMES AND SLIDES OPEN]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Wags, when was the last time
you had egg foo young?

Old-school style with the pork just so?

Because whenever that was,
the next time is tonight.

[IRA] My client has no prior felonies,

no pending criminal matters.

He's already surrendered his passport.

Mr. Rhoades is a man of some renown,

which makes flight even more unlikely.

The GPS ankle monitor,
Judge, is an unnecessary

and extraordinary measure.

Well, Chuck and I go way back.

And I know him to be an
extraordinary character.

Thank you?

Uh, Judge Wailand,

I'd call you by your first name,

but we don't want that kind
of thing on the record.

You're treating me like
some kind of lamster.

But fleeing jurisdiction is the move

the guys I chase like to make.

Please don't address the bench directly

unless the bench addresses you...

as I'm about to do.

But how, exactly,

is this device causing
you undue trouble?

You'd be still expected to
continue your supervised release

and check-ins for pre-trial
services regardless.

But this thing on my leg,

what the kids call a Coney
Island Crunk-o-Meter,

is chafing me.

I am chafing.

Emotionally and physically.

Literally and figuratively,

if the distinction even exists anymore,

and I haven't been
convicted of a damn thing.

[WAILAND] I can't see how your itchiness

is something this court
should be worried about.

This is all going the
way it's supposed to.

Yeah. Good. I see.

But you called this meeting.

Because, while I'd like to
think what I have is enough,

this is Chuck we're dealing with.

You don't think you have enough?

Could always use more.

I want to bring the garlic,
the crucifix,

the stake through the heart.

Well, there's plenty out there.
The guy's pathological.

He has history with Taylor Mason,

Wendy, obviously,
and others that used to work there.

- And that's my company alone.
- Sure.

Love to talk to them,
with your permission.

Kate Sacker, too, if she's allowed.

They might not be comfortable with it,

but I'll let them know I am

for the purposes of winning this.

But once I open the door,

it's up to you to get them talking.

To that end, shouldn't you be there

to make sure he doesn't win this thing?

I know how this is going to go.
Request denied.

[WAILAND] Request denied.

[GAVEL BANGS]

Let me know when that door is open.

This is how you and Dave
drew it up, right?

Certain aspects of it, yeah.

This is the hard stretch.

This kind of reversal lends credibility.

In a way, it's the best thing
that could've happened.

So you say, partner.

[SIGHS]

What you got to understand is this.

This is good news.

This is the good news express
right here. Climb aboard.

This is not what good news looks like.

No. Good news at this place
comes via text or email,

or is delivered by one of these men.

When it's the two of them
coming in hot like Turner and Hooch...

Who's the dog in that?

- Whatever they're selling...
- Yes.

Yeah, who's the dog?

Whatever you're selling,
we're all full up.

We don't want any.

First of all,

and before we go any further,
congratulations.

You got into the ESG
space right on time.

Early, even, and have done very nicely.

More than nicely.
You've kicked royal ass.

You're giving heavy dad-rock right now.

Well, but it's true.
So Michael Prince believes...

- He knows...
- Yes.

He has decided that
early-in leads to early-out.

[SCOOTER] So that the two of you
can focus fully on this place.

This entire place. See?
This is good news.

This is growing up.
This is the major leagues.

- This is...
- You k*lling my business.

- Our.
- Absolutely. Our business.

My brand. Environmental, social

and governance-centered investing is...

Is oversaturated and picked over.

Plus, if Prince has a carve-out
that specializes in ESG,

it means the main firm disregards ESG.

- You see?
- I do.

The key at this place is,
it's one brand now

that the two of you are running.

Don't think of it as
k*lling what you had.

[LAUGHS] No one is k*lling anything.

Taylor Mason Carbon will be sunsetted,

but you will be right here at
the head of one unified firm.

These offices will be upgraded

and turned into your command center.

We don't have a voice in this?

Of course you do,
and that voice is going to be heard.

And then it is going to say, "Yes!"

- I don't like it.
- Taylor doesn't like it.

And neither do I. We have to...

total and complete respect to
the two of you, of course...

but we have to take
this directly to Prince.

Don't think of this as
us going over your heads.

Just know we are going over your heads.

And the dog...

whichever one of you

happens to be barking
loudest at the moment...

you're Hooch.

You wearing your invisibility cloak?

It's at the cleaners.

Well, I must be wearing mine,
'cause Prince can't see me.

There it is.

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

Oh, come on!

He isn't free.
Isn't going to be, for you, all day.

I have the plan.

And the authority to hear you out.

Good, we can go to your office and...

I'm in with him right now.

Later. Maybe tomorrow. I'll find you.

[CAR HORNS HONK]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER CONTINUES]

[WOMAN GIGGLING]

[MAN LAUGHS]

Hey, Kev, move around.
Let me face the room.

No, Pop, I'm good.

[SENIOR] If the seat
doesn't suit you, son,

we can retire to my place.

I'll have them send the food over.

Oh, yeah, we have plenty in the freezer.

Could reheat last night's
dinner from Le Bernardin.

We have a Gaja just coming into its own.

Yeah, let's go eat at Grandpa's.

No. Nonsense. We will eat right here.

And if it's a chewy Gaja you want,

let's get that going right now.

Just go ahead and take the seat, Chuck.

You know, I'm surprised you came, Wend.

A pleasant surprise,
but a surprise nonetheless.

I have a work dinner after this,

so I just kind of stopped by to,
you know, be here

for the kids, say hi to your dad.

Be here for the...

Oh, oh, oh.

It makes sense.

Ah, the super-early bird dinner.

Me facing the wall,

you here as a buffer of
sorts against the world.

I get it now.

Oh, the children don't
want to be seen in public

having dinner with an indicted man, huh?

We're not embarrassed of you.

Oh, goodness, you're embarrassed of me.

Remember how it was for you
when I had my troubles?

Perhaps the kids feel that way.

You were a slum lord.
I was doing the public good.

Junior!

Keister. Seat. Now.

[SIGHS]

It's important that we all remember:

I am not, and will never be, convicted,

because I have done nothing wrong.

Totally.

Absolutely, Dad.
You'll always be our father.

[CAR HORN BLARING]

[DISTANT WOMAN SHOUTING]

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[WAGS] Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Thank you.

Can you get a message to him?

No. He hasn't sent one to me.

It's safer this way.

Why do you need him?

It was one thing to help
keep the trains running

when it was just about Prince
staying rich and getting richer.

But I have decided that he is dangerous.

And I can't be part of another strongman

entering the world stage.

Ah. There's always strongmen.

Maybe if you know this one,
you can influence him.

And maybe he ain't that bad.

"Maybe he ain't that bad"

is the w*r cry of the
meek and the defeated.

It's what got us the
last few f*cking winners.

It's the key that unlocks
the door that lets the demons

run free,
and I don't want to be holding it.

So drop it and split.

I would, but that leaves
everyone who works there behind.

I'm not prepared to do that.

And I can't think of anyone else

who could stop Prince's rise.

Axe couldn't when he tried.

Look, the time to think about
this was the before-time.

Wherever he is, whatever he's doing,

he ain't looking backwards.

Don't you miss him?

That's a bit like asking a
caveman hiding from a dinosaur

if he misses the sun. Of course he does.

But if he goes outside the
cave when it's light out,

he might get eaten.

The cavemen and the dinosaurs

didn't walk the earth at the same...

As I can hardly believe we were
really and truly here with him.

The whole world is different.

Yes.

Yes to every single word.

Somehow, we have managed to keep living

without that warm glow.

[SIGHS] But I'll tell you,

it's hard living without daylight.

And I really need his counsel

on how to at least
direct Prince to not, like,

end the f*cking universe.

Maybe it's just not
your problem to solve.

So you're okay with just
making the best of it as is?

I am at Wo Hop

with one of my three
favorite people in the world.

This is about the best version of me

making the best of it I know of.

Mm-mm. Mm!

Hey, give us a minute, would you?

How sure are you?

It might be as simple as this.

There's nothing more dangerous

than a man who's sure he's never wrong.

Add in the money, add in the intellect.

Smarts is good.

Not when those smarts are
used to strengthen the idea

that no one else's opinion counts.

And in add his ability to lie to himself

about who he really is, and finally,

fold in a textbook God complex.

He thinks he's God now?

This is a man who's accomplished

everything he's ever set out to do.

Again. That's supposed
to be a good thing.

Yeah, it's good.
Right up until the moment

that he decides that what he needs to do

is take out Russia or China

or whoever's next on the list,
preemptively.

Or that he really needs to do

is to shut up the dissenters right here.

And then, suddenly,
he's gassing Des Moines.

But, like, that's what half
the guys in office want to do.

Bureaucracy stops 'em.

Not this guy. He steamrolls it.

My job is to listen
to what these men say

and to parse it.

If he gets there,

he won't be stopped by red tape.

Our only chance is to
stop him beforehand.

Otherwise, in his own words,
the country will scream.

And he'll just keep on going.

Then I hope you find Axe.

Because he is the only one

who might have a chance to prevent it.

[WENDY] Thank you for meeting me here.

You offered up a slice of Joe's.

And you're you.

Who's saying no?

[CHUCKLES]

I need you to get a message to Bobby.

If I accept your message

and you told a court
of law I accepted it,

they would interpret it
as my having knowledge

of his whereabouts.

I knew you'd say that,

and I asked you here anyway.

Why would you want to locate him,
theoretically?

Same reason you, uh,
look up your exes on Instagram, I guess.

[CHUCKLES] I don't do that.

Neither do I. But people do.

Makes them feel both connected
and aware of their own growth.

Yeah. That's not why you want to know.

Everything is murky right now, Orrin.

Bobby isn't. Never was.

He is clarity.

That is what we need right now.

If by "we" you mean this city,
country and world,

you're damn right we do.

Which is a funny thing to say,
considering he cost me

my good standing with
the bar for six months.

He was worth what he cost.

Is.

I see it the same.

I only wish I was the one
who could deliver him to you.

- You're not?
- I've eaten.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

- [DOOR CREAKING]
- Festive spot.

Especially at the witching hour.

Yeah.

Well,
like Uncle Junior's doctor's office,

I have this place.

The final resting spot of a
long line of dead Rhoadeses.

My great-grandfather Elijah.
His wife Tig.

Uh...

Grandpa Crawford.

Uncle Cleveland.

And, uh,
that one there is earmarked for me.

And you might as well
slide me in right now

'cause I am a dead man walking.

Let's not get operatic.
You knew the deal.

What I knew was you were
going to tell me the deal.

So I signed, as anyone would
when the choice was steel bars,

but I'm still waiting.

It's better out here
than where you were.

All right, let's not do it like this.

I want to find areas of agreement.

Yes, it is better out here,

but now I need to really
understand your plan

- so I can go along...
- No, no.

Not going to reveal the whole thing.

- [LAUGHS]
- I'm just going to do it.

You play your part better

the less you know about
how I'm working it.

I can have all the info.

That way, I not only play the scene,

I play the whole film.

That sh*t might work in a
f*cking Michael Bay movie,

but this...

this needs to be Kubrick.

Quiet and creeping,

and then suddenly shocking and perfect.

Dave, I'd never
second-guess a player like you,

but I need be free of this bullshit

sooner rather than later.

All right. I heard you in court.

And you know who else heard you?

Mikey Prince.

So while I'm insistent on my stance,

I will give you this much:

I am making inroads at his company,

with his employees.

I get close, I bleed them for info.

And not the kind of info
they think they're giving me,

but the kind we need.

And you just keep playing possum

in the crosshairs of justice.

[SCOFFS]

What you're doing

is key to my gaining their confidence,
so keep it up.

[SIGHS]

See you tomorrow.

Or is that already today?

To me,
it's all one long day run together

since I was put on the chain g*ng.

[DAVE, SIGHING] Oh, my God.

The strategy I built
for Taylor Mason Carbon

was designed to play out
over longer than a few years.

The results aren't in yet,

but I'm feeling a
"results now" vibe here.

Prince says you should revamp it.

Transfer the investments
over that still apply.

It's all the same ownership anyway.

This isn't satisfying,
talking to the lawyer.

It's true,
and that's exactly what you sound like:

the lawyer.

That's a sad characterization.

I'll get over that on my own time.

And to be honest,
nobody owes you an explanation.

Legally, Prince can do what he wants

to your entity. He controls it.

But I am here explaining,
listening, as a courtesy.

Because we're all throwing in
here now, right?

You on the financial side,
me on the operations side.

So don't think of me as the lawyer,

think of me as a part of Prince's brain.

He's downloaded the things
he wants me on top of.

Whatever happened in
that interrogation room

- clearly forged a bond.
- It's true.

I guess you come apart
at the seams and blubber

all over your lawyer's shoulder,
you get tight.

Is that what happened?
Like Cutler and Gotti?

Or Von Bülow and Dersh.

You won't get a rise out of me,

but what you're missing
is this is good for you.

You're not being partitioned
or siloed off anymore.

You run this entire place.

Trade how you like,
within the parameters,

but, uh, the expectations
are for a field-b*ating year.

So my crew, computer-driven
and ESG-focused airborne troops

are expected to wade
into the long-short mud

like infantry grunts and win?

That's something I'll have
to go back to Prince with

and, uh, swing back to you.

[PHILIP] Better that we see
him and press him on that.

Have to convince him to
keep our internal structure

and offices intact.

[POWER TOOLS WHIRRING]

Yeah, you might be
a little late for that.

[MAN] Wait, that's our wall.

Hey.

So I get someone there to turn.

Who's the most likely,
in your opinion, Chuck,

to know enough but also
to be willing to roll?

All those guys will roll if
the leverage is strong enough,

don't you think, big guy?

The old Uncle Mike quote applies.

"The plan crumbles upon impact."

Think he said it a
little more colorfully.

- [CHUCKLING] Hard to imagine.
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]

We have a situation.

Reporter out there.

Was signed in by an
assistant AG on a pretext,

blew right by the assistant
AG and marched over to me.

Guy says you need to see him.
If you don't, bad for you.

I can meet him in the lobby.

Says he followed Mr. Rhoades here.

Knows you are together.
Wants to talk to both of you.

Send one of the comms people, too.

Reporter said he'll file his story

the moment he sees a comms person,

and that it'll explode like Tex Cobb

in Raising Arizona.

Get him. Bring him slow.

We need to rearrange ourselves

so this looks like a plea conference.

Oh, f*ck. This guy.

You got that right.

- This guy.
- [CHUCK SIGHS]

Only with a different angle.

Hello, Attorney General Mahar.
My name is Lucien Porter.

- I write for...
- I know who you are, Mr. Porter.

But you have to know,

you can't just barge
into a plea conference.

And you have to know,
Miss Mahar, I-I just did.

What do you want?

I want to see both of
your reactions to this.

And any response you may have.

Are we off the record?

Oh, no, we are as on the record

as BB King at Sun Studios in
cutting "Mistreated Woman."

[LAUGHS]

Yeah, the king of the blues

recorded there years
before Elvis the King.

But let's not get off track.

Uh, I'm gonna walk my client out of here

unless you can give me reason not to.

How's this for reason:

I have come to think the world was wrong

about Charles "Chuck" Rhoades, Jr.

A point of possible agreement.
Fascinating.

Wrong how?

Well, I think what I,

and the rest of the world, missed,

is that this man is a crusader.

[DAVE] A criminal

twice removed from office.

You just made my point.

What if working inside the
structure of the government,

especially in the
years under discussion,

it wasn't possible to really
do the people's bidding

while following the letter of the law?

I have sources who have told me...

compelling and convincing sources...

that Mr. Rhoades was twice removed

because he refused
to back down to power.

That he was determined
to bring to justice

those few that control all.

Normally, I'd be thrilled by this,

but I don't trust your agenda, man.

Good instinct.

[PORTER] I'd see it same from your seat,

Chuck, but I've watched it.

You're the only one who
stood up to the billionaires

with more than words.

The only one who paid a price.

Twice removed,
as the attorney general said,

prosecuted now, and for what?

[DAVE] For breaking the law.

I prosecute infractions, not intentions.

That'll be your quote then.

Rhoades, you want to say something?

Nah. I'm not talking to you.

Even as I agree that I
have been railroaded,

I'm gonna fight my
case and win in court,

and then go about my business.

As you should go about yours,
Mr. Porter, out there,

and leave me to mine in here.

I'll go,
but that doesn't mean I'm leaving you.

Oh. Set that sentiment to music,

and maybe you'll make
something out of your writing.

- [CHUCKLES]
- Goodbye.

It's him. Big Red.

Is he sending out a flare?

Does he want us to see?

If he didn't, how would I spot it?

Were you chiefing up at the
moment of this big revelation?

That's an insulting question.
And hurtful.

Why does it have to be
that I was chiefing up?

You've been known to partake,
even during work hours.

The idea that I can't hold my
weed is the disrespectful part.

Okay, Mafee, how did you spot it?

[MAFEE] Now, I did happen to
be chiefing up, as discussed...

enjoying some Nautical Twilight,

as a matter of fact...
at the time I saw it.

- [TYPING]
- No.

Couldn't be.

No way.

But maybe.

So I switched to a sativa

to think through this one.

Diablo Wind, which,

despite its frightening
and evil-sounding name,

is actually cerebral and perfect

for getting things done.

- [TAYLOR] Mafee!
- Sorry. Anyway...

at first I'm thinking

I'm looking at some noise trader.

But then I notice a
technical component to it.

But the sizing was too great.

Yet it wasn't an institution.

- And then...
- When the smoke cleared?

...I realized I was looking at
Semi-Strong Form Efficiency.

Let me see.

Whoever it was, he was fast,
aggressive, sure-footed.

You know I know Axe's trading
style better than anyone.

I've studied it.
And this is him. I'm sure of it.

Uh-huh.

Who put you up to looking, Mafee?

No. No, this was on my own.

But I didn't want to,
like, commit to the idea

that it was him without
running it by you.

I wasn't going to tell anyone about it.

Wasn't, you know, tasked.

[COMPUTER CHIMES]

- Oh. Hello.
- [TAYLOR] Help me figure out

who asked Mafee to find
Axe through Axe's trades.

I did it. I need to reach him,
but he's gone to ground.

So I figured he could track him,

and then you could bait him,
using what Mafee knows.

[TAYLOR] No. No one could bait him.

And no way Mafee sees this
if Axe didn't want to be seen.

Just a sec.

[PHONE VIBRATING]

Ah, the Count Basie Orchestra

together again.

Only the Count himself is missing.

Here's how I figure it.

You followed protocol,
said he was unreachable,

then told him I wanted to connect

because you can reach him,

and then he had to have a little fun.

Ah.

Did Mafee notice a certain
signature trading style

in the energy sector?

I was right! f*ck yeah!

I knew there was
something about that guy.

Chief on that.

I think the big guy just
wanted to know how serious

you were about connecting.
And now he does.

I am tempted to engage in all of this,
but not enough.

I'm done with intrigue,
with palace coups.

I just want to keep
building my w*r chest.

Just keep making money
and strengthening my rep

in this f*cking business,

which is becoming increasingly difficult

with the latest bullshit at the firm.

We're not done talking about this.

We are for now.

But it is weirdly perfect timing, Mafee,

I'll grant you that.

I've been thinking
about you and your shop.

Its demise, really.

[CELL PHONE BUZZES]

[LAUGHS]

Wow.

Hello, Pop.

[LAUGHS]

Oh, no, I will accept your
congratulations for sure,

- even as this is a small...
- [CALL WAITING BEEPS]

Oh, I got another call coming in.

Let me get you back.

Eisen!

Capital to hear from you, my good m...

And thank you for letting
me know you saw it.

Yes.

It is good to see that the
right story is finally...

- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
- Uh, there's my front door.

Yeah.

Okay.

Back to you soon, pal.

[CHUCKLES]

Holy fuckballs.

That Lucien Porter, he did it!

- This piece...
- Hmm.

...this piece basically says

you're the Robin Hood of New York City.

It says you were the only
person in the city, the country,

who risked personal welfare

to try to put the crooked
billionaires away.

Well, I was.

I am.

You...

you acted surprised
when Porter barged in.

But you weren't, were you?

Well, get to our age,
nothing much surprises, does it?

- If this gets momentum...
- Sure.

If everything lined up just so,

if this really was the time for
me to assume my rightful pl...

The message that Porter is
putting out in the world,

that the very government I
was supposed to be working for

instead fought against me
to stop me from doing

the exact thing the people wanted...

They're holding him up as a hero

who actually does what he says.

...arresting bad-faith actors
of great wealth and power,

well, now who knows what
could sprout from that.

Students who got a taste of fairness

when they thought their
loans would be forgiven

might take to the streets!

I could see your Al Sharptons
and your Nicole Wallaces

getting into the act.

Your Warrens, your Sanderses, your AOCs.

All righteously outraged

that a true champion who
tried to carry their fight

was snuffed out.

This might make that same champion

into the kind of public hero
who's very hard to keep down.

[NO AUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

Yeah, and even harder to prosecute.

The president's going to let
the State of New York decide

whether this case against
Mr. Rhoades is warranted.

So you set all that up, too, didn't you?

It's gonna happen.

Once again, I think it's fair
to say it won't surprise me.

I have a spot in my pod
if you're interested.

I've clocked some of your trades.
I like what I see.

Okay, rad. I've come to see
you are a many-sided figure.

I mean,
more than the eyes and ears first.

- Uh, cool. We'll join you.
- Yeah, cool, where do we...?

There's one seat available.

One.

Both of us together, or neither.

I'm gonna go with neither.

Good luck.

That was really heartening,
the way you backed me.

It reminded me of seventh grade

when I was the new kid
in the cafeteria and...

Save it, s'il vous plaît.
That's French.

Hold the roll, you two.

We're not accepting this new reality.

Find a place to post up for the moment

until I can talk to Prince.

Pod next to us is open.

We can compare notes.

Yeah. I know what it's like
being a bird without a nest.

It sucks.

Mmm.

In my envisioning,

this isn't like a hierarchal thing.

This is just like two guys
making decisions together.

Two alphas.

Pearl and Clyde in the
Knicks backcourt together.

Earl "the Pearl" Monroe
sacrificed ten points a game

to come to New York.

I mean, he went from being
the leader of the team

and top scorer in the league

to being the third
option on Clyde's team.

Do you want me to be the third
option on Michael Prince's team?

They won championships, Mark.
And with all the good

that you're doing with the drug thing...

The drug thing is Cost Plus dr*gs.

If you're going to run for the top slot,

if you're going to run
the press gauntlet,

you're going to do that.

I'm just putting it out there
that we could do it together.

Announce a year before anybody
puts their VP list together.

I take the bulk of the scrutiny,

and we are kicking butt
like Nick Bockwinkel

and Ray "the Crippler" Stevens.

Look, I'm more a Terry Funk guy,
but regardless.

The only thing that matters more to me

than my country is my family.

And there's just no way
I'm gonna put them

through an election cycle.

Especially not to be
your VP or anybody's VP.

But, you know, I really get the sense

that you asked me up
here just to find out

if I was gonna run against you.

You really just wanted to
confirm that the coast was

clear for you to run as an independent.

Well, I'm not, and it is.

But come on, Mike.

Next time, just call me and ask me.

Save us both some time, okay?

I assume you've seen this?

Ah, the epic tale of our
city's very own Eliot Ness.

[DAVE] Do you know where it will lead?

Because I do.

Into the annals of folklore.

Which is not where I want
to take my prosecution.

- No, it can't be an accident.
- I saw it going down.

It didn't turn out the way I thought.

Isn't that, like, Chuck's specialty?

Look, we both want
this guy found guilty,

which is what you were promising to do.

What is it you want me to do about it?

You're a brilliant player.

Make some of them bold moves.

Make the Bezos play.

- Buy the paper?
- Yeah!

But go farther than him.
k*ll stories like this.

Have them write the opposite ones.

Yeah, a purchase like that
doesn't fit my needs right now.

Nor does taking shrapnel
for steering the editorial bent

of a major paper.

Oh, of course, I forgot.

Is it too soon to start
calling you Mr. President?

It is. But it's not too soon
for you to put Chuck away,

which is what you promised to do,

instead of leaving openings
for him to exploit.

I don't tell you what
stocks to buy and when,

so you can save your dime-store critique

of my case-building, dude.

Sorry to interrupt, but this

is about business of the day.

You were told to wait,
to talk to Sacker and Scooter and Wags.

We did talk.

Guess it didn't take.

We were told you wanted
us to run your company,

so we need to talk to you about it.

I'm... I'm sorry about this timing,

but this is kind of urgent.

- If you could...
- [DAVE] Yeah, yeah.

Thanks, Mike.

Seems like everything's
running great for you.

The whole idea was that you
weren't going to micromanage.

This is macro.

The whole place, right?
The structure of the place.

The physical plant.

Within that structure,
you two make the calls.

- Stepped right into that one.
- But you are right.

This is an operations call,
and we are operating the firm.

Except our square peg personnel

are getting muscled into round holes.

This functioned perfectly
in a separate...

I can't...
we can't have two different vehicles.

It can't appear that
you have split focus,

- and you can't have split focus.
- Because you're going to.

I focus fully on
whatever I'm looking at.

And when those walls came down,

you had to know they
weren't going back up.

- So, what do you want?
- Let me.

Taylor, Philip,

this whole place needs to feel
that it is looking to you two,

and that you two are looking back.

A direct engagement.

And you know who else
needs to feel that,

that you are wholly,
% invested in making money,

gobs of it, for Michael Prince Capital?

Is that guy right there.

It's the one thing that will free him

to go and get done that which he must.

For all of us.

What she said.

Fine. We accept the new conditions,
but with a demand.

We need to make a key hire or two

of the kind of folks who understand

that whole "gobs of money" thing.

Especially in...
even in the kind of markets

we are dealing with now.

I'll meet your prospectives,

just to rubber-stamp...

No way. Unless we f*ck one up,

we hire who we want to fulfill
our needs. That's our condition.

[PHILIP] And we need to be
able to get time with you

when we need counsel. Sacker is great.

You're great, Kate.
As are Scooter and Wags.

But there are big decisions we will need

the direct Mike magic on.

You'll keep Wags and Scooter informed.

And Sacker on anything
legal or legal adjacent.

And I'll make myself available weekly.

But you two need to run
this place profitably

while I work on banging this
country back into shape.

It's been said one is
either a hammer or an anvil.

Good people have been
the anvil for too long.

I know you're tight with them,
that you have relationships,

and it's no fun taking the
position you have to on this.

But it's necessary, and I appreciate it.

Hey, I'm your house counsel.

The gig is to protect you
against all threats,

foreign and domestic.

And I can't get to where I'm going

until you get to where
you're going first.

You hear that sh*t?

Hammer and anvil?

That's f*cking h*tler
from Munich in '.

Is he hoping people won't notice,

or that they will?

[SCOFFS] I'm not sure.

But we've got to figure
this the f*ck out.

♪ The jig is up
The news is out ♪

♪ They've finally found me ♪

♪ The renegade
Who had it made ♪

♪ Retrieved for a bounty ♪

- [DOLLAR BILL] Working here!
- It'll only take a minute.

["RENEGADE" BY STYX BLARING LOUDLY]

What the f*ck?

I got to nail the doggy door shut.

Your wife let us in.

[TURNS MUSIC OFF]

Who's he, your dentist?

I don't even know what that means.

We've met, like, twice.

What happened?

You had a whole office and a company.

Now you have a garage and a bathrobe.

If I think the word "blowjob,"

I want to be able to say
the word "blowjob."

- Naturally.
- You're trying to be funny,

but you get it, right?

I mean, the Street these days,

it's a woke f*cking preschool.

You miss rolling out mats for naptime

and skip juice boxes once,
it's a major f*cking felony.

You had culture problems at the office.

Culture. Ugh.

You either earn, or you do not.

And you started losing your analysts,
then your traders,

and even your back office.

Then your outside money.

- Then, even Mafee.
- He told you?

I smelled it on him.

Well, despite all that bullshizzle,

I'm still a gunslinger.

And a gunslinger's what we need.

[SCOFFS] For what?

Philip and I run Michael
Prince Capital together.

Yeah, I heard something about that.

Props to you.

We're here to offer you a PM job.

- Is that right?
- [TAYLOR] Yes.

We'd start you off with your own book,

% more capital under
management than when you left.

Yeah, and what about the
Great Gazoo over there?

How long before he starts
getting up in my business?

You mean Prince? He won't.
He left it to us.

It's true.
He's busy with other projects.

And while he did dictate
overall expectations,

he leaves the strat and execution to us.

A lot of latitude. A lot of freedom.

Yeah, I know latitude means
freedom in this context.

Can I say "blowjob"?

Yes, but not to anyone.

Yeah, not in anyone's presence,

but you can think it loud as you want.

Then I pass.

- So you're happy here?
- Like a pig in sh*t.

Blowjob, blowjob, blowjob!

♪ The jig is up
The news is out ♪

♪ They've finally found me ♪

♪ The renegade
Who had it made ♪

♪ Retrieved
For a bounty ♪

[CLEARS THROAT]

Oh.

Now that's my kind of approach.

We were supposed to be in this together,

but you decided to go off-roading.

Well, you made me ashamed
to be seen in public.

Divided my family.

And you shut me out.

It created a vacuum of trust.

Chuck, this is making my job harder.

And you were the one who
wanted to take him down

- in the first place.
- Yeah.

I am the one supposed to take him down.

Or maybe I'll do nothing.

Either way, I won't do it in custody.

[WHISPERING] Oh, my God.

You're a student of history,
so you know that Federal Hall

was the original seat of
government in the colonies.

Sure. It's where George Washington

took the first oath of office.

Bunch of very conflicted
men with a lot of flaws.

Lots.

To be sure.

But they were trying
to transcend themselves

with what they were doing in there,
what they were building.

They weren't doing it so that
one day a bunch of plutocrats

could live with more power
than the king they'd fled.

You set this whole thing up, didn't you?

Even though you were under a gag order.

Maybe for once,
something just worked out.

No. There are calls for your
release all over the city.

Politicians. Civic leaders.

There are g*dd*mn marches being planned,

making it real tough to
empanel an unbiased jury.

I've got the governor on my call sheet,

and I have a feeling
I know what it's about:

dropping the case against you.

I were in your shoes,
I'd tell them to f*ck themselves.

Of course,
we know where that attitude got me.

Bounced out of office. Twice.

You're making your only
friend into your enemy.

Not the first time.

All right, you m*therf*ckers!

When that bell rings,
I'm coming out of the gates

like I ain't been fed for a week.

Better try and stay with me

or get ready to look real f*cking bad

come comp time.

I'm not sure I like this.

Am I supposed to like this?

Like you said,
we had to give them something.

This guy, though?

I can't have a whiff
of how he used to do it.

I can't have it.

I'll be sure to keep
him on a tight leash.

Make it a choke collar.

[SLIGHT CHUCKLE]

[CHUCK] This smells good, doesn't it?

- [WOMAN] Hi, Chuck.
- Nice to see you, Chuck.

- It's great to see you.
- Everybody's talking about you.

Well, that's good to hear. Thank you.

You seem to be enjoying yourself.

Well, you do the right thing
for the right reason,

the rest just seems
to take care of itself.

It's supposed to, yes.

- Hey, care to join us?
- No.

I just, uh, came to drop off Eva's bag.

She left it at my place.

She's staying with you tonight.

- I have a thing came up at work.
- You know, old days,

busy as you were,
you rarely missed a night with the kids.

Old days.
Yeah, well, a lot was different.

Uh-huh. Bye.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[TOUR GUIDE] Right this way, folks.

I know, it's impressive, isn't it?

- Very old.
- [MAN] It's crazy.

[TOUR GUIDE] Keep together
for a good look at the tower.

At various times a prison,

a fortress, a royal residence.

For hundreds of years,

this was the start of a procession

to Westminster Abbey

for the coronation of a new monarch.

[AXE] Stirring spot, isn't it?

And I think I understand
why you picked it.

But I was surprised this was the meet.

I thought I'd have to take
a longer flight to see you.

Maybe blindfolded,

so I couldn't lead them back to you,
even under duress.

[CHUCKLES]

Well, you know, geopolitics is fluid.

Early in the conflict,

Ukraine wanted Javelin anti-tanks,
other things.

Western governments weren't
able to get them there first.

You?

Structured the deal.

Took care of the financing.
Arranged a friend...

a guy you would not expect...

to find and deliver the actual arms.

Bought me a great deal of goodwill

all across the continent, EU and here.

Who's better than you at
seeing something like that

and figuring out how
to make a trade of it?

Your guy Prince must be better, right?

Don't call him my guy.

Even for you, that's harsh.

You're at that company every day.

He must be doing something right.

I didn't come over here for the cracks.

I came over here for your help, Bobby.

Walk away.

Not how I roll.

We built that place, you and me.

If I leave...

Look, it's still intact, for now.

But it won't be if the
guy who's running it

keeps going the way he is.

The people won't be intact.

What am I supposed to do, fix it?

It's not just the firm
I'm worried about.

I'm worried the damage he's going to do

is even greater outside.

But, yeah, let's...
let's start with figuring out

how we protect the thing that we made.

If that's why you've come,
you're not alone.

["LONDON CALLING" BY THE CLASH PLAYING]

Well, sh*t.

Look what we have here.

Luke, Leia, and Chewie.

All that's missing is Han
and the Millennium Falcon.

I guess that's where I come in.

♪ London calling
To the faraway towns ♪

♪ Now w*r is declared
And battle come down ♪

♪ London calling
To the underworld ♪

♪ Come out of the cupboard
You boys and girls ♪

♪ London calling
Now don't look to us ♪

♪ Phony Beatlemania
Has bitten the dust ♪

♪ London calling
See, we ain't got no swing ♪

♪ Except for the ring
Of the truncheon thing ♪

♪ The ice age is coming
The sun's zooming in ♪

♪ Meltdown expected
The wheat is growing thin ♪

♪ Engines stop running
But I have no fear ♪

♪ 'Cause London is drowning ♪

♪ And I live by the river ♪

♪ London calling
To the imitation zone ♪

♪ Forget it, brother
You can go it alone ♪

♪ London calling
To the zombies of death ♪

♪ Quit holding out
And draw... ♪