01x02 - Favor for a Favor

[bunniefuu]

["Surrender to Me"
by FireCityFunk playing]

♪ Come on and tell me
Do you wanna be loved? ♪

♪ Wrap yourself around me
Like a skintight glove ♪

♪ Ooh, and squeeze me tight ♪

♪ One in a million, there ain't no doubt
Woman, you're turnin' me inside out ♪

♪ And I need to love ya, love ya tonight ♪

[music fades]

Good morning, sunshine.

- Come help with this.
- [gags]

If I have to do the butchering,

you have to help
load the suitcase in the car.

Division of labor.

I am not loading body parts into my car

until someone tells me why
I am suddenly in a family

where body parts
are being loaded into cars!

Ugh!

[closes zipper]

Who is...

was that guy?

No idea. Must be a local hire.

How do you know?

Because I would know
if there was a f*cking giant in Taipei.

There'll be others.
Whoever sent him wants us dead.

No. No, no. Okay!

Wants you dead.

- I don't have anything to do with this.
- Yeah, but it's only 7:00 a.m.

Dare to dream, little brother.

I don't understand why this is happening.

[groans]

Why are you here?

I'm here to protect Mom.

Why does Mom need protecting?

She's just a nurse!

- You'll have to ask her.
- [door opens]

- [door closes]
- B-b-b-b-breakfast, y'all!

Dude. Dude, dude.

I think I'm in shock.

[gasps] Are my pupils,
like, super dilated?

- Hey.
- What?

Why didn't you tell me
your family's gangster as hell?

[groans]

Maybe you can vouch for me
with your brother.

[whispers] I'm ready to step up.

Go put the suitcase in the car.

- Aye-aye, sir.
- Why the f*ck are you saluting?

'Cause you the f*ckin' man. Sir.

I'm so sorry. I...

- I'm so sorry.
- [Bruce] Come on.

[Charles] What is this?

That's a churro.

Uh, it's like a cinnamon sugar... youtiao.

[loud crunching]

- [epic music playing]
- [crunching echoing]

[Bruce] Good?

Ch... Charles...

[meditative ambient music playing]

Mom? What the hell is going on?

How long have we had
a... a bone saw in the house?

Not now, Bruce.

My whole life is a lie.

Not your whole life.

The less you know, the better.

Take the Giant's remains here.

It's a place recommended by
Auntie Cathy's cousin-in-law, Grandma Joy.

It's a reliable source.

Bruce can handle the drop-off.
I need to go on the offensive

before Sleepy Chan
sends his army after us again.

- Who's Sleepy Chan?
- No, no, no, no.

Bruce has a very important test today.
Eight percent of his grade.

I am in no condition
to take a test right now.

Baby, get in condition.

[Charles] We are under att*ck.

It's time for Bruce to step up.

Bruce is stepping up.

Soon we will deal with these problems,
and things will be back to normal again.

Then how wonderful will it be
to have a doctor on call?

He is not built for the shady life.

He'd be useless to you.

He's soft. Huh?

Look at him. He's skinnier than a girl.

[Bruce] Guys!

[in Mandarin] I'm not asking
for your permission. I'm telling you.

ID'ing the Giant
will lead us to Sleepy's LA crew.

Sleepy Chan, always Sleepy Chan.

You and your father are both
so concerned about Sleepy Chan,

you'd think there were
only two societies in all of Taiwan.

You have no idea
how aggressive the bastard has become.

In just the last year,
he k*lled Sammo and Hung on the docks.

And also broke Infected Earring's legs.

He brought the w*r here to America,
where we're isolated and vulnerable.

Which is why we need Bruce to do his duty.

Protect the family.

If something happens to you,
we are f*cked.

I've done just fine
looking after myself for 15 years

without Bruce getting involved.

Your father sent you here to protect us.

And the best way to do that
is to do what I say

and get rid of the body
that's rotting in my kitchen.

This isn't Taipei.

We don't have the cops in our pocket here.

I am the acting Red Pole
of the Jade Dragons. I'm in charge.

I am not a member of your black society.

I am your mother.

[in English] And drop Bruce off
at school on the way.

Wait, Mom. What? No, Mom. Uh...

What the hell is going on?

Bruce...

I know you have a lot of questions,

but right now, I want you to go to school

and keep acting like nothing's changed.

I saw you

cut up a body.

Mom, who are you?

I am still your mother,

and everything will be
back to normal soon.

I swear.

- Where are you going?
- Mahjong.

[tense music playing]

- [door opens]
- [sighs]

[door closes]

- [Charles] Let's go.
- Uh... yes...

[mysterious music playing]

♪ Leave me the f*ck alone ♪

♪ I'll eat your heart, limbs
Head and bones ♪

{an8}♪ Don't leave a message at the tone ♪

{an8}♪ Lala lala lala lala lala lala la ♪

♪ Leave me the f*ck alone... ♪

What's with the... head?

♪ Don't leave a message at the tone... ♪

Okay, uh, take this exit,
and it's to... to the right lane.

Can you just start mer...

{an8}Dude.

{an8}Where are you taking me?

I can't miss this test.

It's eight percent of my grade.
Mom said you would...

Do you do everything Mom says?

As far as she knows.

I will take you to school
after you help me out.

Does bao hu jia ren mean nothing to you?

Okay, my Mandarin is,
like, conversational at best.

Bao hu jia ren means "protect the family."

It was the first thing
that Ba drilled into me.

And it's my duty as a son
to look after the family.

It's about time
you stopped thinking only about yourself

and learned to do the same.

I could protect the family

as a doctor.

Uh... you guys must need
bulk orders of antibiotics

or... or painkillers, right?

Looks like you were getting a head start
on your career pushing dr*gs in that club.

- I needed the money for school.
- Mom's not paying for school?

No, she is. I...

I may have used the tuition money
for, uh... something else.

[clears throat]

Improv classes.

Hmm.

You see, it's, uh, kind of like acting,
but you make it up as you go along.

Does Mom know about this?

No.

She told me to stop,

but I kept going in secret,

because unlike you, I don't just do
what my parent tells me to do, okay?

I'm a rebel.

[Charles chuckles]

You're a rebel if she knows about it.

If she doesn't,

you're just a liar.

- ♪ Lala lala lala lala lala lala la... ♪
- Uh...

["Postman" by Toro y Moi playing]

♪ Mr. Postman ♪

♪ Did I get mail? ♪

[Charles] Take the suitcase in there.

- ♪ Did I get a letter? ♪
- I'm scared.

- ♪ Did I get a postcard? ♪
- You're delivering the package.

That's it.

You're basically FedEx.

FedEx doesn't deliver dead bodies!

[Charles sighs]

Not the head.

Just the suitcase.

♪ Ooh ♪

♪ Just another bill ♪

♪ To pay ♪

♪ Just another bill ♪

♪ Today ♪

♪ Whoo! Mr. Postman ♪

[song ends]

[squawking]

[Chinese ballad playing]

[cawing]

[chirping]

[yowls]

Um... Ahem. Hi. Uh...

My mom sent me?

[bird screeches]

[tense music playing]

[in Mandarin] f*ck!

[in English] What the hell is that?

He said it... it's a Asian water Minotaur?
It didn't come with papers or anything.

He said that we have to deliver it
to some house in Arcadia

or he wouldn't take the body parts.

He said you would understand.

Do you understand?

[sighs]

[dramatic music playing]

[bird squeaking]

[mouths]

[in Mandarin] I already told your mom...

- [grunts]
- [groans]

[gasping]

Do I look like UPS to you?

[yelping]

Am I wearing short, brown pants?

Favor for a favor!

You have no manners!
What happened to guanxi?

Don't quote guanxi bullshit at me!

We get rid of a body.
You get meat for your animals.

That's already favor for a favor!

No!

I can get meat anywhere.
A body is dangerous.

[panting]

You came to me through guanxi.
You must respect it.

You know the code.

You must respect the old ways.

Your family's honor depends on it.

[panting]

Who is he?

[man shrieks]

I have no idea.

[whimpering]

But the client
you're delivering the water monitor for

is an information broker called Spider.

If anyone can identify him, he can.

You must believe me.

[whimpers]

[bird singing]

[tense music continues]

[dialing]

[ringing tone]

[man answers]

He was just here.

Is he still there?

No.

Just leaving.

But... I can tell you where he's going.

[whispers] Oh my God.

[in English] Put it in the trunk.

Wait, really?
That favor for a favor thing is real?

Guanxi is a code of honorable conduct
in business and relationships.

If you don't respect it,
it means you can't be trusted.

He's called on me to honor that code.

I'm bound to it.

Because you're Chinese?

Because in my line of work,
traditions and respect are important.

We're surrounded by murderers and thieves.
Without a code of conduct, there's chaos.

Chaos is bad for business.

- Oh.
- Now put it in the trunk.

[water monitor hisses]

["Money" by LEISURE playing]

[camera clicking]

- Miss Kong.
- Alexis.

Miss Kong makes me feel like
I'm Donkey Kong's daughter.

Alexis, how about
you give me an hour with my crime scene

before you come in
and start stepping on my toes?

Mark. [chuckles]

You're here to collect evidence.
I'm here to make a case.

Makes no sense for us
not to be working together right away.

It's like farm-to-table,
just with crime fighting.

Except you only show up to help
when it's a case

that might get you some press.

In my world,

your entire career can be
defined by a single case.

[siren blaring]

So, you think this case
is your key to become president?

I'll start with DA.

Look, anything good
that's been accomplished in this world

happened because an ambitious person
made it happen.

Just... make it look like
I'm doing most of the work, okay?

The other guys give me a hard time
when they see us fight crime together.

Men and their egos.

What have you seen
on the security cameras?

This club doesn't have any cameras.

No, but... next door's a pawn shop...

- [gasps]
- And they do have cameras.

Yeah.

[banging at door]

Just leave it at the door!

- [banging]
- I said, leave it at the door!

[persistent banging]

You've gotta be kidding.

Yo, how did you not hear...

["How Does That Grab You, Darlin'?"
by Nancy Sinatra playing]

[sighs]

♪ You came by at two o'clock ♪

♪ You shoulda been by at ten ♪

♪ I said bye at three o'clock ♪

♪ And I ain't comin' back again, whoa ♪

♪ How does that grab you, darlin'? ♪

♪ How does that mess your mind? ♪

♪ How does that grab you, darlin'? ♪

♪ This girl is leavin' you behind ♪

[music covers dialogue]

♪ Now you ain't nothin'
But an old tomcat ♪

♪ Runnin' around my house ♪

♪ I'll tell you somethin'
You old tomcat ♪

♪ You just lost your mouse, whoa ♪

♪ How does that grab you, darlin'? ♪

♪ How does that mess your mind? ♪

♪ How does that grab you, darlin'? ♪

♪ This girl is leavin' you behind ♪

♪ There's more than one way
To skin a cat, you know ♪

♪ Rrrroww! ♪

[song ends]

Was there a time

when you stole Mom's car
so we could get shaved ice?

I was trying to think of the last time
we saw each other, and, uh...

you came home one day
and grabbed Mom's keys.

Yeah, I remember

holding your hand and waiting in line

and just, like, feeling like we were
about to get away with something.

Do you remember that?

No.

So...

did Dad start our g*ng

or were, like,
our grandparents in on it too?

Dad didn't start it.

He built it into what it is, though.

He's a great man.

The Jade Dragons are a society,

or Triad.

We can trace our heritage
back to the Qing Dynasty.

Nowadays, we're incorporated.

Some of us are in dr*gs,

gambling, prostitution,

smuggling, whatever the people need.

For a price.

But the one thing that hasn't changed
is that secrecy is our strength.

You can walk by a guy like Ba,

a Red Pole,

and never even know
he can make you disappear with a word.

Even other Red Poles don't know what
their rivals look like or their names.

But May knew who you are.

Chairleg.

Ba thought it was a waste
to have the world's deadliest w*apon

and not tell anyone about it.

My reputation helps prevent v*olence.

Guess you forgot to pack your reputation
on this trip.

You know Sleepy Chan's name.

That's not his real name.

A single Triad is like... a hornets' nest.

You can wipe one out,
but unless you know where every nest is,

there will always be more hornets.

If you had stayed in Taiwan,

Dad would have put you through the same
tests and training he put me through.

You may look like a child
who gets bullied a lot,

but you're a Sun.

It's in your blood, Bruce.

["Halfsharkalligatorhalfman"
by Dr. Octagon playing]

♪ With my white eyes
Gray hair, face is sky-blue yellow ♪

♪ Sideburns react
My skin is colored lilac... ♪

HAPPINESS

♪ In the limousine
People think I'm mixed with shark... ♪

Why don't you just take a picture,
instead of carrying around the whole head?

Because then I would have a photo
of some dead guy's head on my phone.

Stay with the lizard.
I'll send someone to come get it.

♪ Green elephants
I battle streets with a zebra ♪

♪ My mechanism is more
Than Dionne's psychic voodoo ♪

♪ African beads, snakeskins, cold script
Through you my medical passes ♪

♪ You can't see, with greedy glasses ♪

♪ Carbon dioxide
Pour right through 'em with gases... ♪

[girl] It's yours!

[woman] Faster, everyone!

The rest of the kids
are arriving in half an hour.

If you think this is great,
wait until the grand finale arrives.

My kid loves dinosaurs.

I got her a real dinosaur.

Serious. [laughs]

- ♪ Half-shark-alligator-half-man ♪
- ♪ Half-man ♪

- ♪ Half-shark-alligator-half-man ♪
- ♪ Half-man ♪

♪ Half-shark-alligator-half-man... ♪

Nice.

[men speaking Mandarin]

[dramatic music playing]

Oh sh*t...

- ♪ Half-shark-alligator-half-man ♪
- ♪ Half-man ♪

- ♪ Half-shark-alligator-half-man ♪
- ♪ Half-man ♪

THE AGE OF DOMINATING THE EARTH

- ♪ Half-shark-alligator-half-man... ♪
- [snorting]

- [door slams]
- [gasps]

You'll be dead before you get to that g*n.

Chairleg!

I heard you were in town! Uh, oh...

We met in Macau a few years back.

You k*lled a man in front of me.

Galaxy Hotel?
You impaled him with a pool cue?

I've k*lled a lot of people.

With a pool cue?

Doesn't matter.
Uh, surprised to see you here is all.

Expect you'd be lying low
after k*lling May of the White Cranes.

[in Mandarin] f*ck you.

- [in English] I didn't k*ll her.
- That's not what I heard.

I heard that Big Sun's w*r
with Sleepy Chan

has found its way to America.

It's Sleepy's w*r.
He's the one who took a sh*t at my father.

[laughs]

Aah!

Don't expect me
to say anything more on the matter

till I can get some guarantees
from the Jade Dragons.

Do you know who this is?

[gasps]

Get out of here.

How dare you
bring that curse into my home!

They could be here any second.
They'd follow you...

You have the Jade Dragons' protection.
Tell me.

If they are the ones after you,
no one can protect me!

Who?

[banging at window]

[muffled yelling]

- They're here already?
- Him? No, that's just my brother.

[muffled yelling]

Bulletproof glass.

I can't hear you. The glass is too thick!

Uh... There...
there are people in dinosaur co...

Dinosaur... dinosaur costumes!

They go...

[silence]

What is that?

He... does improv. [sighs]

Raaaar!

[silence]

He's not very good at this.

[screams]

No!

[man 1, in Mandarin]
The riddance of evil must be thorough.

[screams]

[Bruce, in English] Holy sh*t.

Hey. Here. Give me your hand.
Come on, come here.

Okay, all right. Are you okay?

- Oh sh*t.
- [r*fle clicks]

- [in Mandarin] Run!
- [g*nf*re]

[man 2, in English] Go! Go! Go, go!

[dynamic music playing]

[Bruce] Oh, oh!

[screaming]

Oh my God!

- [yelps]
- [Bruce groans]

[man 2 shrieks]

[Bruce wails]

Oh my God! They're gonna k*ll us!

- [grunts]
- [man 2 groans]

[Bruce whimpering]

[yelling]

[growls]

[Bruce screams]

[cartoon music playing through headphones]

[muffled screams and whimpers]

[dynamic music resumes]

[screams]

THE AGE OF DINOSAURS DOMINATING THE EARTH

Go, go! Oh my God.

Come on!

[yells] Noooo!

- [horn blares]
- Oh sh*t. Okay...

[panting]

Ow! Hey!
Hey, you can't hit me!

I'm family! Ow!

I was this close
to finding out who the Giant was,

then you show your stupid face.

Now I have no leads, a mystery head,
and a giant lizard in the trunk.

I saved you!

Uh... I'm tired of this!
Just take me to school.

We have to go to the animal dealer.
He sold us out.

I have my test!

It's eight percent of my grade!

You think I care
if you get into medical school?

You don't even want to go.

Wha...

- Yeah, I do.
- Mom wants you to be a doctor.

You wanna cruise around in a Lamborghini
and be a big, famous improv guy.

If you did what Mom wanted
and committed to school,

I could respect that,

but you have no sense of family duty.

- [phone vibrates]
- [sighs]

sh*t.

You shouldn't look at your phone
and drive.

Shut up.

- Hello?
- [Mama] Where are you?

- Who is it? Is it Mom?
- Sh!

Ma, that contact of yours was tainted.
He sent us into an ambush.

Why was he sending you anywhere?

Guanxi. He got 300 pounds of free meat.

We get rid of the body.
That's favor for a favor.

I was getting info on the Giant.

- He said...
- I told you not to worry about the Giant.

You should be worried about
the job I assigned you.

- Come on!
- Aiyah. Come home right now.

This is why I didn't want Bruce there.
Imagine if he was mixed up with this.

[sighs]

f*ck...

Oh-ho-ho!

- Somebody's in trouble.
- [sighs]

[whispers] It's you.

[alarm siren sound effect blaring]

Oh sh*t. It's Mom.

Tell her I dropped you off this morning.
You're at school.

Take the on-ramp to CSUSG and I will.

[in Mandarin] Bullshit.

[in English] You wouldn't dare.

Let me tell you, that shame
that Mom made you feel on that phone

ain't nothin'
compared to what she'll do to you

when she finds out that you forced
her little baby to come with you.

She will absolutely break you
with passive-aggressiveness.

Go ahead. I don't care.

[ringing continues]

Hey, Mom.

- Hey.
- [Bruce yelps]

[whimpers]

- [panting]
- [Mama] Hello?

Hello?

I'm just studying before my test.
Why? What's going on?

Oh, nothing. I just wanted to make sure
everything was okay with you.

Love you.

Love you too.

- [phone beeps]
- Kids.

Ah!

[in Mandarin] Thank you.

{an8}[door slams]

[sighs]

I'm never gonna break.

What you're lookin' at here
is an iron fortress of silence.

You f*cked up my high score too.

[keypad beeping]

[door buzzes]

Okay, okay.

I'm sorry I sold dr*gs, all right?

They were always to adults.
No one got hurt.

Except that guy that took too much molly
and fell off a table.

But that's not on me!

Look, look. Don't sh**t the messenger.

I'm just here
to supply everyone with a good time.

[Alexis] These two
were limping and covered in dust.

They were clearly in the room
when the expl*si*n happened,

and they got into your car.

[tense music playing]

Who and where are they?

[Bruce] Whew! Okay! Made it just in time.

Why are you even bothering?
You barely had time to study.

Standard Gibbs free energy change
corresponds to the change of G

for a process under standard conditions

of temperature, pressure,
and at a pH of seven.

I'm great at memorizing.

- I read the text once. I'll be fine.
- Oh, thank goodness!

I was worried.

You know, I barely remember you,

but what I do remember
is that we actually liked each other,

and you weren't a total assh*le.

Can't believe this test is worth,
like, eight percent of our grade.

I just took the biggest nervous poo
of my life.

Yeah.

Yeah, no.
I... I take one before, uh... every show.

I call them PSPs.

Pre-show poops.

Cool.

I'm Grace.

Oh, uh...

I'm Bruce.

[woman] Good morning, class.
Today we'll be taking a test

to assess your understanding
of the material we've covered.

["Heart Station"
by Sonia Barcelona playing]

♪ I see you looking
With eyes of hesitation ♪

♪ I know you got
A full mind of aspirations ♪

♪ Don't let it give you
The hives and perspiration ♪

♪ All that you need
Is inside of your heart station ♪

♪ Yeah... ♪

[hisses]

You're a genius.

[man] Security! Security!

- [ringing bell]
- Move, move! Security.

[Charles] Beautiful, with cinnamon.

Registrar said the kid's in room 16.

He's a pre-med student.

Wait. There's a cart down here
with the best churros in the city.

We're not stopping for churros.

Kid's a pre-med student.
He's not going anywhere.

♪ In every moment
You'll find an education... ♪

[guard] This is Billy. I'm on the corner
of the alumni quad by the churro stand.

I got a strange-looking guy here
eatin' churros. He's covered in blood.

I'm gonna approach.

♪ Back up in celebration ♪

♪ Just feel the b*at
Let it fill up your heart station... ♪

Excuse me, sir?
Do you have a pass for being on campus?

♪ Yeah... ♪

Can I get one more, please?

Sir, you need to leave campus.
It's not a request.

SGPD, is there a problem?

Yeah, he pushed me!

[in Mandarin] I'm sorry.

[in English] No Eng-rish.

Mark, let's get this kid and go.

Charles?

[gasps]

- [Mark] Wait, you know him?
- Uh... we grew up together in Taipei.

What do you have in the bag?

What's in the bag?

Wigs.

Tell your friend to drop the bag
and put his hands up.

f*ck you.

Mark! This is a school.

Let's not escalate this.

[Alexis] Charles?

Let's talk. Okay?

You look good, Alexis.

Would you mind stepping back a little?
It's about to get messy.

[exhales]

[students screaming]

[boy] Everybody, run! Oh, oh, oh!

[girl shrieks]

[hisses]

Oh f*ck!

[screaming continues]

Open it!

- [horn blares]
- [tires screech]

All you had to do was deliver the body.

And you brought your brother along
after I told you not to?

And he hit me.

And you hit him?

We don't hit family.

Ow.

That's right. It hurts, huh?

And you!

Go to bed.

- But I didn't...
- You were supposed to go to school.

- He... he forced me to go!
- And what? Did you fight back?

Or you just let it happen?

Get your rest.

You have a makeup test tomorrow.
Eight percent of your grade.

Go.

[in Mandarin]
You can't shield him forever.

What the hell?

What do you know about anything?

I know that you can't protect the family
by shopping all day.

I'm going to the animal dealer.

Someone has to figure out
who this Giant is.

His name is Nien-Jen Wang.

[in English] Giant man, giant shoes.

Only a few places in LA custom-make shoes,

and even fewer speak Chinese.

So I ask my friends
where these stores are. I go and I ask.

These places are very old-fashioned.

There's no online. No app.

But sometimes, they deliver.

This is the Giant's name and address?
You sure?

[scoffs]

[in Mandarin] You're in my world now.

And if you want to survive,
you better start listening to me.

Because unlike you,

I've been preparing for this moment
since before I left Taiwan.

I know you have sacrificed, Charles.

So much of yourself.

We do it because we have to.

We do it so our family can survive.

I know how to protect this family.

It doesn't just fall on you.

[door closes]

[TK, in English] Alexa, turn my sh*t on.

- [beep]
- [Alexa] Turning your sh*t on now.

[sighs]

[gasps]

[eerie music playing]

[Charles, in Mandarin, echoing]
What's wrong?

[eerie music continues]

[knocking at door]

[crickets chirping]

[in English] Hey.

Hey.

Was good to see you today.

I was surprised you recognized me.

- It's been 15 years?
- You mean because you used to be so fat?

What was your nickname again?

I can't remember.

- Oh, sure you do.
- Hmm.

It was really hard to forget.
Kind of impossible, actually.

- Hmm.
- Hmm.

- No. Doesn't ring a bell.
- Uh-huh?

Can I come in?
I'd love to say hi to your mom.

- It's been, like, forever.
- No...

She's...

uh, become a bit of a hoarder.

It's a mess in there.

How did you find me?

[Alexis] I didn't.

I found your brother

and then pulled this address
off of his driver's license.

You two were
at the Sure Sure Club last night.

You showed up on a security camera.

Oh, relax.

I'm not a cop, all right?

I'm a deputy DA.

I'm just here visiting family.

My brother and I,
we went to get a drink, and...

you know, just wrong place, wrong time.

How's your ba doing?

You know I still have friends
back in Taipei, right?

Friends who are reporters
who cover organized crime?

So, is he gonna be okay?

Triad boss gets sh*t.

Boss's son shows up in town
and sh*t starts blowing up.

That's kind of weird, right?

My father is a businessman.

Yeah.

That's what everyone told me
my entire childhood.

But I probably spent more time
in your house than in my own,

and some of the things that I saw there...

g*ns hidden all over the house.

Lots of cash.

Give me your phone.

I'm gonna call myself from it
so we have each other's numbers. Come on.

Give me your phone.

Wow.

Fancy.

We have so much to catch up about.

I don't talk to cops.

And I told you.

I'm not a cop.

See you around.

[in Mandarin] Little Fatty.

[knocking at door]

[in English] Mom. Mom, can we talk?

In the past two days,

I've seen, like...

ten people die.

Before that,
I've seen exactly zero people die.

I'm sorry you had to see that.

Have you seen that before?

Why didn't you tell me who we are?

A child doesn't have to know
everything about their parents.

Everything I've done
is to protect you and the family.

[sighs]

By lying to me?

By keeping you out.

Is that why we left?

[sighs]

[sighs]

Your father and I made
an arrangement for the family.

And for my part, I had to go away. Hide.

[somber ambient music playing]

But why? Just tell me.

[inhales]

All you need to know
is I know what's best for you.

You are a soft, kind boy.

Not like your brother.

Okay, we're done.

You need to rest for your test.

- Eight percent.
- I know. I know.

[Mama] Aw.

[Mama sighs]

Today, when those... dudes showed up
with their g*ns and machetes,

I didn't run.

I went toward the danger.

A soft boy would have run away.

You went to help your brother
because you're a good boy

who cares about his family,

and that means sometimes you would do
the same thing a k*ller would do,

but for different reasons.

Now go to bed.

[somber music continues]

[sighs softly]

[sighs]

[door opens]

[Charles] It was youtiao.

I stole Ma's car,
and we went to get fresh youtiao.

You were leaving for the States
the next day.

Youtiao used to be our favorite.

[door closes]

[sighs]

[Grace] Hi.

Did you see the Komodo dragon yesterday?

Actually, uh,
he's called a water Minotaur.

Do... do they know how it got loose?

It was obviously a frat prank, right?
Who else could do something that stupid?

- [chuckles]
- Yeah, frats.

- Those stupid idiots.
- [laughs]

Um, yesterday you said
you take a nervous poo before every show?

Oh, like, uh... improv shows.

Can I just tell you
I freaking love improv?

It's like anything can happen
at any moment.

No roadmap or fixed endings.

It's... it's just choices.

Yeah! Yeah, it's... it's terrifying.

[both laugh]

I, um... I wanna come see you perform.

Really?

I actually have a show
in a couple of days.

It's sort of a tryout
to get into the main company.

Okay, promise you'll invite me.

- Yeah, I... I promise.
- [both laugh]

Oh, thanks.

[sighs]

[quiet ambient music playing]

[music becomes tense]

Oh f...

[suspenseful music playing]