06x11 - Lost Ones

[bunniefuu]

♪ Hard work, yeah, dedication ♪

♪ Know I'm great, it ain't no debating ♪

♪ Always know the people waiting ♪

[ALARM DINGING]

♪ Ran it up just to make a statement ♪

♪ Hard work, yeah, dedication ♪

I thought that me and this sign would be

somewhere more permanent,
but business has changed.

I thought I handled talent
like Zaara and Annika.

But what I really handle is inspiration.

Sure, my dad isn't sold on the plan,

but Dad hasn't seen my
new roster of clients...

like Deanna, a TikToker who's huge

in the vegan celiac community.

What is more inspiring than
a working digestive system?

Or Magnus, a motivational speaker

who's conveniently
taken a vow of silence.

- And I'm not just his manager.
- [PHONE CHIMES]

♪ Ran it up just to make a statement ♪

- _
- Hmm.

- _
- I'm also his client.

It's all in the mission statement.

Get, period.

The, period.

Bag, period.

So, if you've got a talent...

or better yet, a
following... come through.

And, yeah, 2,000 coffee sleeves

sure did put a dent in my profits,

but it's like they always say...

inspiration is always
right around the corner.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER,
CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING]

Oh, my God, it's the new Squid drop.

The Squid strikes again.

I hear The Squid's going to Art Basel.

Oh, my God, Malia Obama
just reposted my Squid photo.

So did Complex.

[ETHEREAL SYNTH MUSIC]

Wow.

Who's The Squid?

And are they seeking representation?

BOTH: ♪ Watch out, world ♪

♪ I'm grown now ♪

♪ I'm grown ♪

♪ Learn something new every day ♪

♪ I don't know so I'ma feel my way ♪

♪ Got the weight of the world on me ♪

♪ But no regrets ♪

♪ This is what I say ♪

BOTH: ♪ Watch out, world ♪

♪ I'm grown now ♪

♪ I'm grown ♪

♪ You can't tell me nothin' ♪

BOTH: ♪ My heartbeat is so loud ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Mama, look, I'm grown now ♪

♪ I'm grown ♪

♪ ♪

[PLUCKY STRING MUSIC]

[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]

Guys, I think I found my next client

who's gonna make me a ton of money

and get me a nice office
I can rub in my dad's face.

Hold on, brother... it's
a staring contest going on.

Oh.

All right, fellas. I call draw,

because I lost interest
five minutes ago.

Yes! I'm undefeated.

My eyes stay moist.

Guys, I'm going to manage...

The Squid.

What's The Squid?

I got this, Andre.

See, squids are
ocean-dwelling creatures.

They're like a mixed-race octopus.

[SIGHS]

If you guys are wondering
why I'm getting advice

from these three billy
goats instead of my A-team,

aka The Girlies,

they actually have lives.

No. No.

The Squid is a street
artist who recently inked

- the Business School building.
- Ah.

- The anonymous Cal U artist.
- Yes.

- They're going by "The Squid"?
- Yeah.

Yeah. The Squid is their tag.
Their identity is unknown.

Wait, but how do you make
money off of graffiti?

Well, a ton of prominent artists
got their start in graffiti.

I think The Squid has the potential

to become the next Banksy.

I could manage the next Banksy.

I could be a cultivator
of taste worldwide.

I could be like the... the
DJ Khaled of the art world.

[IMITATING DJ KHALED] Another one.

Alas, what happens when an
unstoppable manager meets

an unknowable force?

Mm. That's deep.

Cole, are you The Squid?

Well, that doesn't make
sense, considering the fact

that you just told me they exist.

Yeah, I mean, The Squid
is clearly white...

you know, damaging
public property and all.

- Mm.
- Mm-hmm.

- And they got to be a woman.
- What?

I-I can't elaborate for
fear of sounding sexist.

This is the teamwork we need, though,

if we're gonna find The Squid,
so let's keep it up, boys.

- Let's put our heads together.
- Hey, guys, I'm all-in.

You know I love a good
mystery, all right?

I don't know if you guys know this,

but I actually read every
Agatha Christie book,

even the original r*cist versions.

She would hate me, but I love her.

Then it's settled. Let's
go find this white lady!

- Let's do it.
- Let's do it!

Any ideas? Where are we looking first?

- Ah.
- Starbucks.

- Let's just go with it.
- Starbucks.

That's a good place to go.

When is Svetlana gonna realize

Brett only does that when he's drinking?

- She's blind to the red flags.
- That's the point of the show.

Ah, you're right.

You've done it again,
"Blind Drink Love: Kosovo."

You have done it again.

Brother, I, uh, do appreciate
you having me hibernate here

in my post-Sloane breakup era.

It's triggering, man.

All I see are women, bikes,

and the men that could be married

to the woman that I'm dating.

Except for Edie. I
know she's not married.

- You do?
- Mm-hmm. Yeah.

I blew my paycheck on a private doxxer

for my friends, family,
and acquaintances.

That's how I knew that
Andre wasn't living here.

- Mm-mm.
- Are y'all good?

Uh, you'll have to ask him.

Also, as for Edie, she won't
be hanging for a few days.

Why, you ask? Is she traveling?

Work retreat? Medical procedure?

Essence Fest? Who's to say?

Man, why is it that we're
always up in one place

and then down in another?

You know, it's like I'm
making strides in business,

and then as soon as that happens, boom,

Sloane has this sneaky link
of a husband she lives with.

I think you might be the
sneaky link in that situation,

but please continue.

We're not side pieces. We're entrées.

Put some respect on our names.

I really don't know
what got into me, man.

Why would I give Sloane's son a bike?

What is the universe trying to tell me?

I wish the universe
would tell me anything

about my relationship with Edie.

Is it even a relationship,
or am I just a Costco sample?

Because, yeah, sure, you
eat it because it's free,

but you're never really
gonna buy bulk poutine.

- Know what I mean?
- Okay. Enough.

This is like the blind
leading the blind,

and we're not... we're not
going down this road again.

We need professional
help, and I have it.

There's an exotic dancer...

- Not like that.
- Oh.

- Kind of like that, actually.
- Okay.

But she gives the best advice.

Bro, she started off
dancing 'cause she wanted

to pay for her psych studies, yeah?

And then she realized
she would make more money

just asking men about their past traumas

- while dancing to "Pony."
- Simultaneously?

- Yes. Absolutely.
- Interesting.

If we need to find what's
next, we need to find Destiny.

Destiny... that's her name?

That's a little on the
nose, don't you think?

No, her name's actually Rebecca.

- Oh, okay. When do we leave?
- Tomorrow.

I mean, as far as I know,
she does not dance on Fridays.

But isn't Friday, like, a big night?

It's Shabbat.

- Ah.
- Mm-hmm.

With four sets of eyes,

we can spread out and look for evidence.

You know, a good Agatha Christie trope

is that the answer is right there,

- often overlooked.
- Exactly.

So we're looking for paint chips, trash,

eyewitness testimonies,

"Law & Order" style.

I can't believe the university
would paint over a Squid original.

As they come, so they must go.

- Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
- You can't do this.

This could be worth millions one day.

Oh, yeah. So were my
baseball cards as a kid, okay?

But here I am.

Hey, man, just 'cause
you don't have taste

or a keen eye for alternative
art doesn't make this trash.

And what's next?

You've heard of those famous
criminal profilers, hmm?

"Mindhunter," chick from
"Silence of the Lambs"?

Yeah? Well, that's gonna be me, okay?

But with The Squid.

Uh, but not in a...
not in a m*rder*r-y way.

And with the phone
cameras, the geotagging,

and all that digital footprint nonsense,

we're getting close.

You better believe we're getting close.

- Wow. You're intense.
- Mm-hmm.

These days, no one can
stay anonymous for long.

See you soon, Squid.

Hey, yo, who is he talking to?

sh*t! I have to find The Squid

before this weirdly
motivated security guard

deep-fries them like calamari.

When inspiration strikes,
it's important to strike back

before it's taken from you or arrested.

Bro, have you slept?

I'll sleep when The Squid is safe

in the Andre Johnson
Entertainment aquarium.

Yeah, but if Cal U finds The
Squid, won't that help you?

No. What?

If Cal U knows who The Squid is,

then everybody knows who The Squid is,

and then the value of the art decreases

because everyone knows
who the artist is.

I am protecting The Squid's identity

so that I can protect my bag.

[SOFTLY] All right.

Squid has dropped a
new piece every night

for the past week.

They keep getting
taken down immediately.

- But thanks to the FindTheSquid subreddit...
- Wait. Hold...

They already have a subreddit?

Mine's been pending since 2014.

Yes, and fans are posting
theories and locations

on where they think The
Squid is gonna drop next.

Wait, but what about the camera footage?

No. There's no footage.

The Squid keeps posting in blind spots.

Whoever they are, they are brilliant.

You just know there's a deeper
message behind all of it.

Brother, this looks like a lot of work.

Wouldn't it just be easier
to stick with the influencers

- you've been working with?
- No.

Influencers make pennies in comparison

to what I have planned for The Squid.

And, uh, what is that exactly?

A bigger canvas, longevity.

Why look for what's at
the end of the rainbow

when The Squid is the rainbow?

You know, Banksy
doesn't have to do deals

with energy-drink companies.

His last piece of art
sold for $25.4 million.

- That's a lot.
- Hold up.

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

[CAT MEOWS]

What are we looking
for? What am I missing?

♪ ♪

The buildings.

♪ ♪

- Oh, oh.
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]

- They're yours.
- Partridge.

Bam. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

Straight to Lepore.

What are we cooking with, good-lookin'?

Lepore to Enoch.

And you are Kudus.

He's gonna get them like this.

Partridge, Lepore, Enoch, Kudus.

Partridge, Lepore, Enoch, Kudus.

What does that mean?

♪ ♪

I know where The Squid's
gonna strike next.

A new building is being
dedicated in Derek Wright's name.

I'll explain in the car.

[HIP-HOP MUSIC]

I thought this was where Rebecca worked,

but at least the bouncer was cool enough

to tell us where she transferred to.

Yeah, he told us that after
we paid the cover charge.

Here's what I think we should do.

We go back inside for
investigation purposes only,

just to make sure we're
headed in the right direction.

I had a great OJ in there,
so let's just go back in.

- Professor Jackson?
- Huh?

Or we can go right now.

Our Uber's probably still right there.

[DISTANT SIREN WAILING]

Every building The Squid
has hit so far was funded

by an exploitative capitalist.

Thurman used child labor.

Kudus manipulated the markets.

And Derek Wright is just the worst.

I tell you, that's some
darn good detective work.

Agatha Christie would
have been so proud.

I mean, a little conflicted, but...

- Yeah.
- So proud.

Dawg, 5-0 is everywhere.

[TENSE MUSIC]

Bro, you sure The Squid would risk it?

If I know The Squid...

and after the last 24
hours, I feel like I do...

they're close by.

Damn, we've been out here all day.

Hey, yo, you know, we should go get

some hold-us-over snacks, you know?

- Oh, smart.
- Yeah.

Yo, there's an
army-surplus store nearby.

- Word.
- They got some face paint,

night-vision goggles,
and some trail mix.

Come on.

[ANDRE SIGHS]

- [DOOR SLAMS]
- Mm.

- Good God.
- Could not have been louder.

Well, looks like we've got first watch.

- Fine by me.
- [PHONE CHIMES]

- _
- [GROANS]

My client who Griddys in grocery stores

- wants me to take him to Kroger.
- [CHUCKLES]

He can't take a bus?

No, he got permanently banned

for Griddying too
close to the bus driver.

I just... I'm not gonna text back.

I can't deal with this right now.

You can't do that.
You're his manager, no?

On paper.

I just thought being a manager

would be more than
handling travel arrangements

and tracking Cameo residuals.

You don't want to be a manager, do you?

I do. I just want to be more
than a manager, you know?

When I first got into
this, I was so focused

on getting clients that I
wasn't focused on their work,

until I saw The Squid's art.

So I'm gonna make sure that
The Squid is everywhere,

and then I'm gonna show
my dad to prove to him

that he was wrong for
not believing in me.

- Hmm.
- It's gonna fix everything.

For you?

I hope that's not your pitch.

♪ Make it rain, yeah, I make it snow ♪

♪ If you want the best,
better add the zeroes ♪

♪ I get the bread,
yeah, I get the dough ♪

♪ Stacking up the bills
underneath my pillow ♪

♪ Tooth Fairy lit,
one for the money... ♪

Okay, okay, okay. We're
good. We're in the clear.

Nobody from our personal
or professional lives.

No Rebecca.

Maybe she's in the back somewhere.

- Yo, y'all trying to party?
- No, we're fine, but thank you.

I would love to party with you, yes.

- No.
- What?

Never go for the first dancer.

If they approach, it's not worth it.

Fine. Fine. Fine!

All right, well, all this searching
has got me hungry, dog.

- So I'm gonna come over here.
- Do your thing.

All right, Doug-y boy, you
go get yourself a lap dance,

while me and this shrimp
scampi and scrambled eggs...

we're gonna stay on
the lookout for Rebecca.

I love a dance, man,

especially when I have
no one to go home to.

Well, there's plenty
of shrimp in the sea.

It should be easy.

Bro, like, look at this
Asian one right here, right?

Love her. I love her.

- Gorgeous.
- Nice.

- But she's not Black.
- [INHALES SHARPLY]

I like to keep it in
the Black community.

Who you telling? I only buy Black.

♪ Money, money, money,
money, money, money ♪

♪ You heard? ♪

♪ Money, money, money... ♪

- Oh, she's gorgeous.
- Yeah, she is.

Oh. She looks like Edie.

- A little bit.
- [SIGHS] Damn.

♪ For a dollar? ♪

♪ You'll do all this for a dollar? ♪

♪ ♪

She's probably married, too.

She's got a lot of tattoos
of men's names on her arm.

You got room for one more?

- Go for it.
- Okay.

♪ Lickety split, banana
ice cream sundae ♪

You sure you don't want any shrimp?

Absolutely not.

Hey, Doug. I've been waiting for you.

Rebecca. We've been
looking for you so long,

they restarted the playlist.

Oh, we have a celeb who
practically lives back there.

- Mm.
- Okay.

Don't ask who, 'cause I can't say,

but his name rhymes with James Harden.

- Okay.
- So what's bothering you?

Wait, how does she know?
Wait, you were right.

She knows that we need
help. Are you psychic?

No, you're just the only guys
in here eating warm shrimp.

- Step into my office.
- Okay.

And leave the plate, Bubba Gump.

♪ Money, money, money ♪

[SNORING]

[PHONE CHIMES]

Hello, my celiac kings and queens.

You've been asking, so here it is...

part 12 of my kale-salad series.

[MUSICAL CHIME]

Oh, my God. Enough with the kale.

- [PHONES CHIMING, VIBRATING]
- Ooh! Ooh!

- Squid!
- They're here!

Man, they're not here.

Yo, The Squid hit another location.

What?

Somewhere we know?

Yeah. We're pretty familiar.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Can they move out the way?

[HORN HONKS]

[DRAMATIC MUSIC]

♪ ♪

Whoa.

Well, I guess you
were right about Wright

but wrong about Wright.

Right?

Whoever The Squid is,
they're [BLEEP] with me.

Hold on.

This piece couldn't
possibly be The Squid's work.

Yo, maybe it's bedtime, fam.

No. No, no, no, no. Look.

The brush strokes are discordant.

This is shoddy work.

The Squid's style is very intentional.

Every color glows with inspiration.

"Glows"?

Yeah.

The Squid's work speaks to me

in a language I just can't describe.

It inspires me to slow down and breathe,

smile, cry...

live.

This doesn't make me feel any of that.

Mm.

This isn't The Squid's work.

Boys, I think we have
an impostor on our hands.

- Mm.
- Uh, I got to be honest...

I have no idea what's going on.

♪ You ain't ready for this, ah ♪

♪ Wait till I give you that... ♪

She's treating me like a simp.

I'm just mad that I'm
being so manipulatable.

Whoa, whoa, Doug. The floor lights up.

It sounds like you two
are at a crossroads.

So...

which way will you go?

Uh, which... whichever
way you think we should go.

Song's over.

- Oh, God.
- [GRUNTING]

I need to know what to do next.

She's got to tell me which way to go.

Bro, we've already done 13 songs,

and at the end of every
one, she says the same thing.

It's like advice "Inception."

You're right.

This room is the crossroads,
and the only way to go is out.

- We got to leave.
- Let's go, man.

[CHUCKLES] You guys are sweet,

so this next one's on the house.

- BOTH: Okay.
- We can stay.

Plus, the Grizzlies
are in town on Tuesday,

and one visit from their backcourt

will pay off my Land Rover.

♪ Let me tell you one thing ♪

- I'm gonna be candid, okay?
- That's exactly what we need.

Yeah?

- Aaron.
- Yes, ma'am?

What would happen if you got
handsy with me in this strip club?

I-I think the security guards

and bouncers would throw
me out Jazzy Jeff style.

Mm. And how do you know that?

Well, I know that because they have
house rules located on each wall.

Your problem is, you agreed
to the rules with Edie,

but you keep expecting
something different to happen.

What's wrong with me?

If you don't accept the situation as is,

- you're gonna keep getting hurt.
- [GASPS] Ooh. Okay.

You're saying be more like the
door and less like Jazzy Jeff.

- Yeah.
- Me. Do me next, please?

She wasn't done. She wasn't... Hey.

She wasn't done with me yet.

You need to accept that
what happened with Sloane

has nothing to do with you.

Grieving can look like
anger in a lot of men.

Mm-hmm.

And you need to release your grief...

Oh.

Not anger...

and get closure however you can.

Session's over.

That'll be two grand.

And I'll just have to accept
that feelings aren't facts.

Okay, is the tattoo located
on your lower back...

is that the QR code
for your Venmo, or...

Oh, yeah, it sure is.

I'll just... thank you.

And who... who should
I make this out to?

Oh, Rebecca Shapiro is fine.

♪ ♪

I can't believe that
crazy security guard

ended up being the fake Squid.

He must have lost himself in the search.

You don't want to help?

Uh, I'm helping a different way.

But I got a new clue.

You can toss that. I'm done.

I'm sorry that I kept you guys
awake with all this craziness.

Trust me...

you're gonna want to see this.

[SOFT SYNTH MUSIC]

♪ ♪

You're The Squid.

No, I'm Cole...

who is The Squid, so...

yeah, I guess I am The Squid.

What? Then... then why did you deny it

when I asked you if you were The Squid?

No, I didn't. Look, you're not crazy.

I was gonna hit the
Derek Wright building,

but you didn't catch me because...

You were there the whole time.

Overlooked, in plain sight.

Wow.

What made you want to
reveal yourself now?

You weren't trying to
expose or exploit The Squid.

You were trying to protect
and preserve the art

and the artist.

I got so worried it was
just all about money.

When you saw my work,
then I knew you saw me.

I feel you.

You know what? I'm gonna...
I'm gonna keep quiet.

I know you don't want a manager,

and I know that you just, you know...

- you don't want to sell out.
- You're right.

I don't want to sell out.

Yeah.

But I do want to buy in.

Cole, I'm running on fumes here.

Can you just tell me what you mean?

All right, look,

we both found something new
we weren't expecting today.

You found clarity,

and I found a manager.

Wait, you want me to represent you?

I'll consider it on
a handshake agreement.

That... [CHUCKLES]

You never know when inspiration

is going to find you...

or how long it will take
to track down inspiration

and embark on a mutually
beneficial relationship.

But trust me... you'll
know it when you see it.

And if you're lucky,
maybe it'll see you, too.

We did it!

Yeah! Stole a bike from a child.

- Not something I'm proud of.
- Oh, no, I'm proud.

- You know why?
- Why?

Closure.

Hey, well, look, man,
petty theft or not,

there's no one else I'd
rather run out of money

and walk through the L.A. streets with.

I do agree.

Once this blister on my foot heals,

I'll be able to fully
appreciate this moment.

And even after all the
sh*t that we went through,

- I'm glad I did it with you.
- Same. Love you, man.

Love you, too, man.

It would have been a
lot cheaper, though,

to remember that before
we spent a mortgage

- on strip club therapy.
- Eh.

But then we wouldn't
have had this great idea.

[YAWNING] You're right.

- You're right.
- Closure.