02x04 - Hail Mary

[bunniefuu]

[KRIS] This is today.

Your current approval
rating is percent,

higher than Michelle Obama,

Oprah, golden retriever
puppies, and orgasms.

Who are these insane
nine percent of people

who don't like those things?

Some people just like to
watch the world burn.

I mean, Lyndon LaRouche got votes
in the ' presidential campaign,

and he was running from jail.

All I know is that JFK had to
get sh*t to pull these numbers.

My mother said that she had an affair

with JFK at the Mayflower Hotel,

but she was a habitual liar.

My son has wanted to be in
politics since he was a child.

I know. I actually worked
for his competition

on the Saint Sebastian student
body president campaign.

He's the one who recommended
me to you for this job.

Oh, yes. Forgive me, sweetheart.

I have a thing where
I forget young people.

It's a tic I have.

I never understood the draw of politics.

It's so transactional.

So much work to get support from
people whom you don't even respect.

But I understand it now.

There are jobs that feed the ego,

and there are jobs that
make a difference.

Politics does both.

It's vanity without
the bitter aftertaste.

I would strike while the
iron's hot and come up with

some normally impossible-to-accomplish
policy proposals.

Voters would follow you into battle

or even give up chocolate
for you at this point.

But that doesn't sound fun.

How about...

we bury all of the power
lines to prevent wildfires?

- [EXHALES]
- No.

- Okay, no. Something more bold.
- Yeah.

Um...

How about we ban plastic
from the state of California?

Checkpoints at every border crossing.

The Great Pacific Plastic Garbage Patch

is over , tons and growing.

I refuse to let the future
independent nation of California

- contribute even one ounce.
- [MAN] Mmm.

- Ah, ma'am, your ice bath is ready.
- Oh!

Excellent.

I will not be satisfied

until that approval rating
reaches percent.

I can't see what could
get in your way, ma'am.

[KRIS CLEARS THROAT]

[MACHINES BEEPING STEADILY]

[GASPS] Mrs. McCutcheon, you're awake.

How long have I been here?

You've been in a coma
for almost three years.

We need to call the doctors.

No, you need to call the press.

But first, I'm gonna
need hair and makeup.

Do you want us to contact your husband?

No. No.

That dickwad can hear what I have
to say with the rest of the world.

[SUFJAN STEVENS'S "CHICAGO" PLAYING]

♪ I fell in love again ♪

♪ All things go, all things go ♪

♪ Drove to Chicago ♪

♪ All things know, all things know ♪

♪ You came to take us ♪

♪ All things go, all things go ♪

♪ To recreate us ♪

♪ All things grow, all things grow ♪

♪ We had our mindset ♪

♪ All things know, all things know ♪

♪ You had to find it ♪

♪ All things go, all things go ♪

[KNOCKING AT DOOR]

[WHISPERS] Anyone see you?

Not yet. If you don't
open the door, they will.

Okay.

I have something. It's good.
I don't know how good,

- but good.
- [EXHALES] Okay.

- All right. Lay it on me.
- "Lay it on me"? Who are you?

Just, what is it?

[SIGHS] Okay, so Dede's ahead, right?

So, there's basically nothing
for me to do over there.

I mean, there's nothing
for anyone to do.

And you know I'm a woman, right?

- Yes.
- Like, you know

I have a woman's intuition,
how that's an actual thing?

Okay, so there's something
up with Hadassah.

At first, I was like, no, she's happy

because she's going to
win, but then I realized

no, she's different.

[DOOR SHUTS]

Frappuccino, Sherry.

- I'll take that if you don't want it.
- No! She put something in it.

[MCAFEE] She used to just bark at me.

[HADASSAH] Hey!

[MCAFEE] And then suddenly,
she seemed to almost like me.

McAfee, come in here.

Do you know anything about spicy lube?

[SPUTTERS] I'm sorry, what?

You know, like for... intercourse?

Do you mean warming lube?

Because I'm pretty sure spicy
wouldn't feel good down there.

Yeah! Yeah, that's it.

Where it's tingly for him and her.

- Have you ever tried it?
- No.

But I've seen it at the store.

Oh, great. I need you to go get me some.

But don't bring it back here, okay?

Bring it to my place and
leave it with the doorman.

No, don't. Don't, don't, don't.
He'll look inside. Tell you what...

just leave it in the nightstand,
next to my bed.

Right side, top drawer. Got it?

- Sure.
- And don't tell anyone

you got me spicy lube, got it?

- Got it.
- Okay.

Good. Go!

We're gonna call this...

"Operation...

Spicy Lube."

- Hello?
- [MCAFEE] So, she's obviously

having sex with someone, right?

And I'm dying to find out who it is.

Not even for the campaign,
just for, like, myself.

I was fascinated.

So she's got this closet, right?

So many shoes.

Like, so many.

It's like she went to Bergdorf's
and bought out the place.

No way she's worn half of them.

- I don't care about the shoes.
- Fine.

Then I saw that half of her
closet is formal wear,

stuff that she's probably
touched once a month.

And I knew she didn't
have an event that night.

You didn't.

I did.

[HADASSAH] All right.

What have we got here?
Let's see, let's see.

Okay.

Oh, it's your lucky night, baby girl.

[MCAFEE] So she got back around :,

and she picked out
this sexy little number.

She talked to herself the whole time,

and then at around :, he shows up.

Who?

William.

[PAYTON] Wait. Wait, wait, wait.

Threesome William?

- [MUTED MOANING]
- The spicy lube, both of them loved it.

Like, really loved it.

Like, it seemed so effective
that I might consider trying it.

In fact, I'm going to.

Stop talking about the lube. Hold up.

You just, what? You stayed all night?

Just until they fell asleep.

They're both crazy snorers,
so I knew they wouldn't hear.

- Good night.
- Doorman saw me,

but he didn't think anything
of it. It was, like, :.

I called you, then I came straight here.

I mean, I don't know if
this wins us the race,

but if we leak the whole
throuple thing is a sham,

I mean, that's so weird.

That's, like, a crazy
lie for her to tell.

And like it or not, voters
don't tolerate a woman

whom they perceive as a liar.

They'll accept it from a man,

but I think it makes Dede look
underhanded and craven.

It destroys her whole "older
women are sexy" thing.

I mean, she's gonna have
to explain what's going on.

I think she loses ten points

and still wins, but by instead of .

And suddenly, you're set
up for the next campaign.

No, this is big.

This could push her out of the race.

This is exactly what we needed!

This is our Hail Mary.

Okay.

I'm getting dressed. I know
what the next move is.

[KNOCKING] You have a second?

[WHISPERS] Get in here.

You...

- have got to try it.
- What?

The spicy lube. It's...

oh, boy! Spicy.

Yeah, I just wanted to tell you

I was at the front desk,
and some guy called,

William, I think he said. Um, he
said he was trying to reach you,

- but his phone was dying.
- Oh!

Said it was urgent.
Something about a proposal?

What?

- A proposal?
- Yeah. I don't know what it would be.

Um, maybe he's an outside
contractor for the campaign.

Anyway, he's at Balthazar.

Okay, I'll be back.

[DOOR SLAMS SHUT]

[PANTING]

[PAYTON] Hadassah!

Hi!

- What are you doing here?
- Just sit. I'll explain.

So, here's what's going on.

You and Dede are lying.

There is no throuple

because you're in a
relationship with William,

who clearly is not here now.

[GASPS] You son of a bitch.

So, we have some options.

I could go to The New York Times.

It's splashed across the front pages

the last few days of the election.

Dede wins, but not by much.

She loses the VP slot,

and I live to see another campaign.

- Oh, you slimy little...
- Mm-hmm.

Or you could get her to pull out.

Right? She can't be all that jazzed
about yet another two years

as "majority leader," you know?

And she keeps her VP hopes alive.

You arrogant little prick.

Just hang on one second.
There's also you personally.

I really think it's you
that's in the most danger.

Dede Standish's sloppy seconds?

Not a good look. And whatever
she does decide to do,

it's not like she can
take you along with her.

Your career will be... over.

You hateful, double-dealing little futz.

Yep, yep, yep. Just one more thing.

So it's Friday now.
Uh, the election is Tuesday.

So you have hours, and
then I will go to the press.

[SIGHS, CLEARS THROAT]

Oh, you can go now.

[CHUCKLES]

- You know what?
- [PAYTON] Mmm?

Four days left. Dede is so far ahead,

she drops out today, she still wins.

Candidates who die before election
day have been known to win.

Yeah, but think about it.

You know, your voters, no offense,

they skew a little bit older, right?

And she made such a
thing of this throuple,

this sexual, powerful
woman of a certain age.

I'm sure it caused many a
conversation over dinner,

probably even caused
some people to express

very strong opinions about it

to their spouses, to their friends.

So for that to now be exposed as a lie,

as a weird political ploy...

[WHISTLES]

... I think a lot of her voters
stay home on Tuesday.

- [WHISPERS] Wouldn't you say?
- [CHUCKLES]

You're good.

I give you that.

- You're going places.
- [PAYTON LAUGHS]

- I even admire you a little bit.
- [WHISPERS] Now get out.

But you forgot one thing.

What is that?

I'm not telling you.

Run your story.

I don't give a sh*t.

[PAYTON SIGHS] Thank you
for suggesting we take a walk.

Nothing works better to clear the mind.

I think it was, um, Henry
David Thoreau who said...

- I'm pregnant.
- [PAYTON LAUGHS]

Okay, no. I don't think
he ever said that.

Not Thoreau. Me.

Your child grows in my womb.

Okay. Okay, okay.
The suddenness of this news

has made me numb to any
feelings about it, good or bad.

So, while my emotions recover,

let's just discuss how
exactly this happened.

I mean, we always use condoms.

Not always.

As you know, I meditate every
morning before getting out of bed.

It calms and energizes me for the day,

but it also creates a oneness
with my reproductive system

that allows me to know
the days when I'm fertile.

The days when I'm sure
it's safe are the days

when I allow you to enter me

without protection.

Usually.

This month, I may have been...

less cautious than usual.

Why?

I don't know.

[VOICE TREMBLING]
I think it's possible that I've...

subconsciously been
feeling jealous of Astrid.

Perhaps on that day, I was
feeling particularly needy

to have something that
she's never had with you...

the closeness of unprotected sex.

I know I made you withdraw,

but apparently, you were a little late.

But it's all right. [CHUCKLES]
I've thought it all through.

- What do you mean?
- First of all,

abortion is a political liability.

Not in true blue New York,

but in a national
campaign, it's dangerous.

- [PAYTON] Mmm.
- What always works, however,

locally and nationally,

is the joy of a young,
attractive family.

- JFK, the Obamas.
- Mmm.

We should tell no one,

not even our team.

Then the night before the election,
we should announce the pregnancy

and our engagement,

simultaneously.

Contrast our youth and fertility
with Dede's menopausal campaign.

[SIGHS]

You're right.

You're right. This is good.

Wait, we... we haven't even
discussed how we feel about it.

[ALICE SNIFFLES]

[WHISPERS] This is great.

I'm really happy.

Me too. [LAUGHS]

I'll need to go shopping
to buy new clothes

- to accentuate my baby bump.
- [BOTH LAUGH]

And I'm setting a meeting
to break it off with Astrid.

Engaged, pregnant couples
don't have threesomes

unless they work in music.

- [PAYTON] Mmm.
- [ALICE] Mmm.

- Wow.
- [BOTH CHUCKLING]

- Names. What do you think?
- [ALICE CLEARS THROAT] Well...

I was thinking John

- or Payton Junior...
- Well...

- Payton Junior. Mmm.
- ... for a boy.

[DEDE] Oh, my God!
Oh, that's unbelievable.

- I feel like I'm again. [GASPING]
- [MARCUS] I... I...

- [LAUGHING]
- I... I... Ay-yi-yi-yi-yi. [LAUGHS]

- I can't believe it. [SIGHS]
- Oh...

Suddenly, this marriage
makes sense again.

- [BOTH] Mmm...
- I love you, Dede.

- Happy to be of service.
- [DEDE AND MARCUS] Oh!

- Happy to be served.
- [ALL LAUGHING]

This... This is... unbelievable.

I don't miss William at all.

I get to be the filling in the
ice cream sandwich again.

- [MARCUS CHORTLING]
- [DEDE MOANING]

Who wants a drink?

- I do.
- Okay.

- Yes? Okay.
- Me too.

You are fine.

[MEN CHUCKLING]

But are you fine signing the NDA, right?

- 'Cause this...
- He...

- ... cannot get out.
- Yeah.

- Absolutely.
- Oh. Ahh...

[DEDE] Ahh...

I can't believe this.

I... It was just so organic.

And you were making eyes
at us across the restaurant.

Well, I knew from the news that
you two were a little kinky, so...

- [DEDE] Oh...
- ... I just came over.

[DEDE SIGHS]

[MARCUS] You know,

this needs to be a thing,

- but not just a one-time thing.
- [MAN] Mmm.

- Here, here.
- Yeah.

You're not going anywhere.

- [MARCUS] Mmm...
- [DEDE SIGHS]

- [PHONE VIBRATING]
- [DEDE] Oh!

- God! Here. Hold that, sweetheart.
- Yeah, sure. Got it.

[DEDE GROANS]

Oh.

Yeah?

Wait, just s... slow down.

I can't understand you.

[EXHALES SHARPLY] Oh...
Okay, we'll... we'll be right there.

It's Hadassah. She's freaking out.

- About what?
- [DEDE] I don't know.

- We'll find out.
- Here.

In a while.

[DEDE] I can't believe it!
So he knows everything.

It's all my fault.

I should've picked up the
spicy lube on my way home.

I'm across the street
from a Duane Reade!

No, I blame the both of you.

The three of us were fine.

We were together, happy,

and on our way to the
f*cking White House!

I'll resign. I'll hold
a press conference,

admit I had an affair,

say you knew nothing about it.
Dede can play the victim,

I'll be the bad guy. [SOBS]
And my career will be over.

[WILLIAM SPLUTTERING] No! Hold on.

Listen, these past couple of weeks,

they've been a real emotional whirlwind.

Am I expected to... what? Just...

Just be a part of the
throuple again, or... ?

- Uh, well, I don't quite know...
- [MARCUS CHUCKLES]

- ... how to put this...
- We found someone else.

- What?!
- Jesus Christ, are you serious?

How could you do that to me?

Oh, so now we're the bad guys.

You dumped us, William!

- This is sick! We're all sick!
- [DEDE] No...

I used to be a nice
Jewish girl from Paramus.

Now I'm part of this?

This isn't even a love triangle.

It's like a... a sex pentagram!

Okay, everybody, calm down!

First of all, it's not
gross to be over

- and still have sexual urges.
- [MARCUS] Mmm.

You keep saying that like
we were or something.

We're way over , Dede.

Maybe it is gross.

[DEDE] Just stop it. I'm still the boss.

I don't want you to resign.

I don't accept that.

What else can we do, Dede? Come on.

Someone's gotta fall on a
sword here to win this race

and get Tino to say yes.

- I... I understand, um...
- [PHONE CHIRPS]

... but I... I'm not gonna
decide on that tonight.

I wanna sleep on it.

[MARCUS] Mmm.

- [REPORTERS CHATTERING ON VIDEO]
- What? What is it?

- [REPORTER SHOUTS] Mary!
- [OVERLAPPING CLAMOR ON VIDEO]

- Mary!
- Mary! Mary!

Mary McCutcheon woke up.

[MARY] Thank you for coming.

My name is Mary Moskowitz McCutcheon,

wife of Senator Tino McCutcheon.

And as I'm sure you all know,

I have spent the last
several years in a coma,

following the side effects of
a severe case of trichinosis.

And... let me just take a moment to say

to all the children of the world,

never accept a pulled pork taco
from someone you don't know.

Now, as you can see, I am now recovered.

And based on the things that I heard
Tino say to me and to others,

- I am filing for divorce.
- [LOW MURMURS]

From the very first days
of my incapacitation,

Tino McCutcheon repeatedly
asked the hospital staff

if, were they to pull the plug,

exactly which plug would it be?

[LOW GASPS]

And then, as it became clear

that my hospitalization would be
long and the outcome uncertain,

my husband took to whispering
things in my ear, like...

Really go to sleep, sweetheart.

This is costing an arm
and a leg, you know.

[WHISPERS] Walk into the light, Mary.

- Come on.
- After his successful Senate campaign,

Tino took to telling me...

I mean Senate, it's boring as sh*t,

but two years from now,
I'm running for president,

so, if you wouldn't mind...

moving this process along.

[MARY] And most recently,

my husband took to describing
his sexual conquests

with a one Georgina Hobart.

I mean, that ass,

it just hangs there,

all perky like gravity doesn't
affect it or something.

And the sex is just...

oh, it's just head and
shoulders above you, darling.

[CLICKS TONGUE]

You used to kind of just...

lay on me.

I didn't think about
it much at the time,

but now I'm like, you just weren't
good at sex. [CHUCKLES]

I'm actually kinda...

"... pissed about it."

End quote.

[CROWD GASPING]

To the people of Texas,

to my fellow citizens
all across this land,

you should be afraid.

Tino McCutcheon is a monster,

and he is dangerous.

I fear for the future of this country.

- What the f*ck?
- He wanted her to die.

Oh. [CHUCKLES] Oh, wow.

Mmm, yeah, this... this is a problem.

A problem?

Dede, this is like a
four-alarm dumpster fire,

but the only thing in
the dumpster is manure!

- How do you mean?
- What? Are you high?

This is two kinds of horrible!

Number one, our campaign is,
and I'm putting this delicately,

not exactly where we wanted to be

- four days out, and number two...
- But...

... Tino is a monster who's
shtupping Georgina Hobart!

- So?
- [PANTING] So?

So, she's a younger woman running
for office, likely to win.

It's obvious he's grooming her!

He's gonna pick her!

Not necessarily.

He's not dead yet,

and particularly if she's on his side,

she's the most Teflon
candidate I've ever seen.

If anybody can drag him out of this,

- it's her.
- Oh, Dede...

- Dede... Please, Dede.
- As you just heard, Carter,

the senator is alleged to have claimed

that intercourse with
Georgina Hobart was,

quote, "Head and shoulders
above you, darling,"

and that he is, again I'm quoting,

"actually kind of pissed about it."

- This is all a bunch of bullshit!
- [CRASHING]

We shouldn't have lined
the computers up like that.

James, I get it, okay?
I understand why you're upset.

Because you left me out of
the most important decision

of your campaign?

Because you made us look like fools

without letting us know
what was going on?

- You're the only one who is upset.
- It worked. We have a sh*t now.

- [JAMES SIGHS]
- [MCAFEE] Sorry to interrupt,

but Mary McCutcheon just
woke up from her coma,

and Tino is dating your mom.

I don't have the bandwidth for that now.

- It's okay.
- Copy.

I don't know if I trust you
anymore, any of you.

What else are you doing that
you are not cluing me in on?

I don't know if I wanna
work for a campaign

where I don't trust anybody!

Boo-hoo, James! Then quit.

You should be saying,
"Thank you, McAfee,

for buying spicy lube and
hiding in a walk-in closet

for literally hours, listening
to loud, acrobatic sex

between a bisexual man
and a -year-old woman.

Maybe you saved the campaign."
[EXHALES SHARPLY]

- Can I have your vape pen?
- Why?

I'd like to puff on it.
I'm trying to calm down.

I quit.

- Wait, really?
- When?

Just a couple of weeks ago.

It's a personal choice,
it's not a big deal.

Okay, can I remind everyone
that I'm still mad?

Okay, James, I'm gonna send tough
love your way right now, okay?

The reason you're upset, it's because
I placed my trust in McAfee

and not in you.

And do you know why?
It's because I know what you'd say.

You'd say, "Don't do it." Right?

You are risk-averse, James.

When it really comes down
to it, you're not a k*ller.

And because you felt the
campaign to be over,

you showed zero interest

in spending the last day and a half

registering young black
and brown voters,

which we, everyone else, did.

And now we've got almost
people who've never voted

headed to the polls on Tuesday.

Okay, all right. I get it.
Everybody, stop talking. [SIGHS]

I get it. I'm the worst,
and I'm not mad anymore.

And we didn't need those computers
anyway, so let's just drop it.

But next time, please,

can you actually keep me
informed as to what is going on?

- No.
- [PAYTON] McAfee.

Fine.

- Fine.
- [OFFICE DOOR OPENS]

Oh, God. Guys?

I just want to say that what you two did

has thrown our entire life into chaos.

The past hours,

I've had to watch the woman I
love endure more than anyone...

I'm sorry, I just have to ask,
is she really the woman you love?

Because she's, like,
years older than you.

Well, that's ignorant and
ageist. How dare you?

Am I surprised as you that
it happened? Absolutely.

But after what you did,
for you to sit there and...

Okay, okay, uh, let's not
get sidetracked, all right?

Look, William,
I'm honestly so very sorry

that this campaign has stooped
to this level, and when it's over,

I think that we all have some
serious soul-searching to do.

But can I please just ask you:
what exactly brings you here?

I'm here to make an offer,

in exchange for you dropping
this thing with me and Hadassah.

Who is, I'm telling you,
the most loving, warm,

- passionate partner...
- Okay. Okay. What is it?

[WILLIAM SIGHS]

I'm just gonna say it.

[MUFFLED SHRIEK]

They're in a new throuple already.

- My third of the bed was still warm.
- Wait, really?

I did some digging.
His name is Hamilton. Gross.

And he is, as it turns out,
a PhD candidate of Marcus's.

I'm not sure Dede knows that.

- Wow, okay.
- Another thing

that Dede doesn't know, and I do,

is that Marcus is not
the most honest man.

He has, in the last several years,

secretly written papers
for undergraduates

at several prestigious
universities across the country

in exchange for money.

Kind of a lot of money.

They pay in cash, and he
does not report the income,

but it's in the mid-six figures.

Wait, wait, wait. You think
Dede doesn't know this?

I know she doesn't.
He told me not to tell her.

She's the rare politician who
doesn't do that sort of thing.

She's clean.

[PAYTON] Huh.

Which is why I'm telling you.
If this were to get out,

along with the fact that
Dede had no idea,

Marcus could be the one who
gets thrown to the wolves,

not Hadassah.

What do you wanna do?

This is exactly what
I'm talking about, guys.

I should be in on this.

[REPORTERS] Georgina!

- [CROWD GROWS QUIET]
- [GEORGINA] Yes, it's true.

I've been having an affair
with Tino McCutcheon.

It's also true that I
am spectacular in bed.

I work unusually hard for a
woman as attractive as I am.

That affair is now over.

I ended it with the following text:

"Loser, bye."

I had no idea what kind
of man Tino really was,

and I would like to apologize
to his recently revived wife.

Thank you.

[REPORTERS] Georgina!

- Georgina!
- Oh, I have Senator McCutcheon for you.

[REPORTERS CONTINUE CHATTERING]

[TINO] Please don't do this to me.

At least pretend until after I announce.

You've lost me, but you don't
have to lose your campaign.

You do need a Hail Mary, though.

You need to announce your VP
candidate, and make it a woman.

So, it's not a good
look, to say the least.

I get that. I did not behave well.

That's obvious.

But, and you know, the truth is,

and this is the political
angle, I think, too:

How many people really know

what it's like to have
a spouse in a coma?

They have no idea what it's like.

It's a trauma.

And when a person is traumatized,
and they've done studies on this,

that person is literally not themself.

Sure, but you did kind
of suggest to your wife

that if she were to die,

that would sort of be the
outcome you'd prefer.

I didn't want to see her suffer.
And, not to be crass,

that press conference,
I think a lot of people said,

"Well, yeah, if I was married to
that lady, I'd want her to die too."

But that gets me to the polling.

My favorables among the women
has taken a hit, sure.

But among men? Hasn't moved.

- [SCOFFS]
- So, really, I'm still in good shape.

[DEDE] Mmm.

And if I were to announce you, and soon,

and you came out in a strong,
full-throated defense,

we think that stops the bleeding.

Wait, I'm con... confused. How soon?

Tuesday night.
After you win the election.

You fold it into your acceptance speech

about policy, not personal failings,

being what elections should be about.

We spend the next few days
showing a little leg together.

Then I announce my run
with you on the ticket.

It can all happen really fast.

Okay.

Let me think about it.

[HADASSAH CHUCKLES SOFTLY, SOBS]

[WHIMPERS]

[DESPAIRING SIGH]

I'm so old.

[SOBBING]

Listen... What... What...
What... What are you doing?

What does it look like
I'm doing? [SNIFFLES]

I'm not gonna clear out
of here after I do this.

I'm gonna do the press
conference this afternoon

and go straight home and
watch What Women Want.

Would you please stop a b*at?

- What is it?
- I'm flying to California.

- I'm gonna talk to Georgina Hobart.
- [CACKLES]

Good luck with that.

[WHIMPERING CHUCKLE]

Not to take anything away from your son

who is an extremely talented politician

with a very bright future,

but if I could just leave you with
these two very important points:

No one has done more for women

in the state of New York than I have,

and by taking me out,

it not only hurts me, but it
sets back the entire struggle.

And second, by weaponizing my throuple,

he's casting judgment on it.

- He's slut-shaming me.
- [GEORGINA] Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, I get all that.

Um, if I'm honest,

the reason that I agreed
to have lunch with you

is because I... am just fascinated

by how this whole throuple thing works.

I mean, I tend to get bored in
relationships very quickly,

and I always thought that it was
a combination of lame choices

and intimacy issues.

But now I'm thinking

that maybe being with one person
is just inevitably boring.

So, I'm happy to get into
detail with you about that,

- but I really think...
- Great, because I was wondering

if you think this works with
two women and one man.

[DEDE] I'm happy to get into that,

but, um, my election is in two days,

and the situation with
Payton is acute and urgent.

Look, you seem great, really,

and, um, I've only been in
this politics thing for a month,

so, mad respect to you

for being in the game so long,
especially as a woman.

But my son, he's his own man.

I don't control him nor would I try to.

It's just... It's not
my style as a mother.

You know, his victories are
his, and his mistakes are his.

My mother was like that too,

but that's just because
she needed to work two jobs

to put me through Brearley

and, um, pay for our little
one-bedroom apartment

on th Street.

[VOICE TREMBLES] And my...

my father left us when I was seven,

and, um, he started a whole new family.

He seemed happy. I would... I would
see him around town sometimes.

Suddenly, you living with two
men makes a lot more sense.

I tell you this not for sympathy

but to let you know that I am a fighter,

and I will do whatever it takes to win,

even if it means hurting
your son to do it.

Sounds great. Should we order something?

Sir?

[SIGHS HEAVILY]

- Where the f*ck is Astrid?
- She wasn't feeling well.

[DOOR SLAMS]

Sorry, I came as fast as I could.

- Okay, good. Now we can start.
- [JAMES] Uh, sorry.

Is McAfee so important that we
can't start a meeting without her?

If I was the last to arrive,
you guys would've started.

- Jesus, James.
- For God's sake.

[PAYTON] Okay, everybody,
please just shut up. Okay?

Listen, I've been thinking
very hard about this,

about the campaign so far,

about the futures of every
person in this room,

and what I'm about to do in four hours

when I sit down with Riva
Mandel from the Times.

I think doing this to Dede's wrong.

[SCOFFS]

I agree.

I've thought about it, and I think
that destroying this woman

in this way is wrong, and I
don't think we should do it.

This was your whole thing.

I know, James. I was the one in
that closet, listening to the sex.

Payton, we're way behind, but
your numbers are on the way up.

The focus on climate emergency,

the appeal with young voters,
you have a brand now,

a national brand.

And if you smear this woman
in the way you're about to,

you tarnish that brand,
and I think it's permanent.

Suddenly, you're not
a kid with convictions

who's willing to lose an election
for the sake of those convictions.

You're just a politician
who'll do anything to win,

when what young people
want is authenticity.

You have that now.
You have these voters.

You could lose this election,
and they will follow you.

- I can't believe this.
- I'm not so sure you can say

we definitely are gonna lose this one.

We've registered more
than new voters.

Who's to say they don't
put us over the top?

They might, but we have to
tell her voters to stay home,

and we do that by going
to The New York Times

and telling them she's swampy.

- But she isn't.
- But she is if her husband is.

She is if her household's
collecting cash payments

for college cheating.

This is a no-brainer.

This is the only thing that's
gonna give us a sh*t.

But what if it doesn't?

You know? What if...

What if we run with this

and it ruins all the work
we've done so far,

and then I still don't win?

You know? Am I still the same
candidate I am right now?

Am I still a rising star,

or am I just a young,

rich assh*le...

who played very dirty and still lost?

[SIGHS] Alice?

Don't do it.

Win or lose on your own merits.
Fight another day.

- Skye?
- I agree.

We've done a lot of really
good work. Don't ruin it.

- James?
- [SCOFFS] Does it matter what I think?

- I'm outvoted.
- Yes, I want to know what you think.

[JAMES SIGHS]

I agree.

Don't do it. It's not a good look.

Okay. Okay, James, call Riva,
tell her there is no story.

I need to try and get some sleep.

I'm proud of us, you guys. All right?

This was the right move.

[OFFICE DOOR OPENS, SHUTS]

Are we just gonna leave
that there on the table?

[ASTRID] Sorry.

[PAYTON] We use condoms
when we have sex.

Are you sure it's mine?

You're the only people
I've banged in months.

So unless it's some
immaculate conception...

Condoms are only . percent effective.

So I guess your swimmers snuck in
through that . percent window.

[SIGHS] God, my sperm's
as ambitious as I am.

I'm pregnant, too.

Get out.

Wow.

I guess it is true what they say

about women's cycles
lining up. [CHUCKLES]

- [PAYTON] Yeah.
- What are you planning on doing about it?

- What are you planning on doing?
- We're...

going to make an announcement

and get married.

It's good politics, and I won't
have my child being a bastard.

So where does that leave me?

You get to wear the big, white dress
and be queen for the day, again,

and I'm, what,

some... knocked-up whore?

You joined our relationship, Astrid.

You knew where you fell
in the order of things.

There's no need to be cold, Alice.

Listen, whatever you choose to do,

we will support you financially and
emotionally the very best we can.

And you'll have to sign an NDA
with very specific language

to make sure no one ever finds
out I'm the father, but...

I'm not collateral.

I'm not a problem on a checklist.

I am having exactly the
same experience as Alice.

Hers is no better than mine.

Screw you both.

I'm out.

You know what?

Maybe I'll just have to have a
press conference of my own.

Hi.

Payton was going to cancel,
but I have the story.

All right, sh**t.

Dede Standish is a swamp creature.
Pretends she's clean,

but her husband makes upwards
of six figures in cash every year

ghostwriting for college
kids all across the country.

He's been doing this for years.

Jesus. Who's your source?

William Ward.

He will also tell you he's
banging Hadassah Gold.

They live together.

That throuple stuff,
it's all smoke and mirrors.

When she aired that ad,
it was already over.

The guy that Dede and
Marcus are porking now...

is one of Marcus's students.

Holy sh...

[INSTRUMENTAL THEME MUSIC PLAYS]