01x01 - ...And the Liftoff to Saturn

[bunniefuu]

Let me tell you
about the Swift family.

We're not nerds.
We're Black nerds.

Oh, and billionaires

with the fastest whips
that money can buy.

And swag.

That's me, and here's my family.

My parents and my cousin Lino.

We're not the Obamas,
we're not ballers.

Nobody won a championship.
We're inventors.

And for the past 80 years,
if it has an engine,

me, my grandfather or
my dad are the ones

who gave you the keys.

And today, we're
going to Saturn.

Want to come?

Has anyone seen Tom?

Has anyone seen Tom?

Barton is starting his speech.

I'll take your
questions about the launch.

Mr. Swift, you stake the fate
of your company on this venture.

Why now?

Why Saturn?

A successful mission to Saturn

will usher in a new era

of commercial space travel
for Swift Enterprises.

Can your chief
of special projects engineering

tell us about the ship?

You mean my son, Tom.

Tom... I...

Tom...

I'm Claire Cormier, SVP
of Special Projects.

I'll take the question.

You're asking about the ship.

As with everything with
Swift Enterprises...

My word, Zenzi! Zenzi!

Oh! Hi. When did you get in?

Two hours ago. Oh.

Not a bag, not
a wrinkle. Ugh.

Uh! I need your nighttime
routine immediately.

I will tell you
later, Aunt Lorraine.

They need Tom at the
press conference.

We're not the
Obamas, we're not ballers...

Lino, do you know where Tom is?

Your uncle's press conference
already started, and...

What are you doing?

Tom and I built these jump shoes
to help me with my vertical.

They're not finished,
but I'm not waiting.

Oh, there's Isaac. He
must be on his way to Tom.

Don't walk away!

Goodbye, Lino. Isaac?

Isaac? Tom is late

for the most important
press event that we've...

Welcome back.

Careful. They just waxed.

Tom, you're late!

It's done.

Barclay, start the
propulsion system.

Outstanding.
Your best friend is here.

Hi, Zenzi.

Hi, Barclay. How's
my favorite AI?

I'm well.

Ooh, I'm impressed.

You spent a full year
playing house in Atlanta

and didn't get thick.

You know the press conference
started ten minutes ago.

Come on. They're
looking for you.

You know this is unnecessary.

You're safer when you're alert.

I'll make sure the transport for
the propulsion system is secure.

Maybe I can just hire
a man to treat me

as good as your
bodyguard treats you.

Barclay, search for candidates
for Zenzi's new man.

Do not search, Barclay.

We have to go.

Tom.

Uncle Barton.

Zenzi.

Welcome home.

Thank you.

I heard great things

about your work for us
in Atlanta. Well...

Well.

Would you excuse us?

Um...

Sure. Thanks.

You pulled the propulsion
system without notifying me?

I upped the reaction
rate to make sure

you get to Saturn and
back in one year's time.

It's ready for
Mission Control now.

Boy, have you lost
your damn mind?

While I'm gone, you
need to grow up.

Be a man.

A man meets his deadlines.

A man doesn't prance
around half naked

and wear pants that are

vacuum-sealed to
his ass. Got it.

Be a man. Will do.
You look at me

while I'm speaking to you,

and you watch your tone.

You will have more
responsibility heaped upon you

than you even know.

You're just not ready yet.

And your sensitivity...

is why I'm making
Claire interim CEO

instead of you.

What?

I'm the one who
found a meteorite

and turned it into the fuel

that will get you
to outer space.

My sensitive ass and
tailored pants are the reason

you can even go on
this journey at all.

And my last name is the reason

why you have an
observatory to play with.

You can learn a lot

from how Claire runs the
company while I'm away.

I taught her
everything she knows.

Well, if being CEO means

being like you and Claire,

then I'm good.

Well, if you feel
that way, then...

there's no reason for you
to come to the launch.

Bye, Dad.

Make sure that
you mention in your speech

that the company is
not overextended,

and after your father
returns from Saturn

our stock value will skyrocket.

Tom? Hi, honey.

Tom, Justin is about to
become the youngest partner

at my favorite IP
firm.

I wanted you two to meet sooner,
but Tom has been so busy.

He was on the cover
of Vanity Fair.

I saw the Complex video
on your shoe collection.

It's my crowning achievement.

Not revolutionizing
space travel?

Doesn't everyone do that?

Well, I'll let you two
get better acquainted.

I need to go freshen my lipstick

before my husband turns his
spaceship around. Mm-hmm.

And if I may be so bold,

"Thomas and Justin Chase-Swift"
would be an excellent monogram.

Sorry. She's very extra.

Yeah. She's not wrong, though.

I'd put you on main. Ooh.

I'd maybe give you
story.

So, what does a
genius inventor do

when he's not inventing
or genius-ing?

I have been known to
eat and also drink.

Okay.

We could maybe go do that.

Oh...

I just need to make
a quick rescue.

Excuse me. You dropped this.

Thanks.

Congressman Eskol. Hey, Tom.

Hey. Hi.

Are you trying to
steal our hottest,

youngest, singlest
executive? Oh.

Would you stop? He was just

offering career advice.

And I won't keep you. That
call's about to come in, I hear,

so, good luck. Thank you.

I haven't talked to my dad
since he got on the ship, Zenzi.

I think he's still
too disappointed...

Stop, stop.

You are the reason
we went to space.

Ladies and gentlemen,

your attention, please.

The moment we have
all been waiting for.

This is your victory lap.

Today, Swift
Enterprises has proven

that the sci-fi dream of
long-distance space travel

is possible.

Barclay, take us to Saturn.

Hey, Dad, can you hear me?

Now this would be a bad time

to leave me on read.
I mean, what's up?

TOM: Okay...

Uh, looks like we're having
some technical, uh...

Tom!

No! No.

No, no, no, no.

Dad?

Barton lived his
life without apology

and without fear.

I was proud to
call him a friend.

: Thank you.

Son.

Thank you for being the man
your father taught you to be.

: Sorry.

Barclay, run another simulation
of my father's flight path

with the variables
that I wanted.

They're waiting for you.

Thank you all for
coming.

I...

Well,

my father is...

My-my father...

You pulled the propulsion
system without notifying me?

While I'm gone, you need
to grow up. Be a man.

Tom!

He's dead.

And it's all my fault.

He's dead.

Uh, he's, uh...

We will miss your father, Tom.

I know you must be so shaken.

You know, my favorite
memory of your dad is from

when I used to visit
your house as a kid.

I would b*mb around Swift
Manor on my little pink bike.

You know, the one with the
streamers on the handlebars.

And everyone would tell me
to slow down, or I'd crash.

And one day, I did.

And when your father
found me in the bushes

with my knees all scraped up,

he didn't yell.

You're
just not ready yet.

And your sensitivity is
why I'm making Claire...

He walked me back

to my bike and taught
me how to ride faster...

...safely.

I'll keep riding
fast, Uncle Barton.

Goodbye.

Boy, have you
lost your damn mind?

You want to get out of here?

Um... sure.

I need to go feel
something else.

I am sorry Tom disappointed you.

Oh, that's not fair.

His father just
d*ed. He's grieving.

And he's in pain.

No. I understand that, but

from what I just saw,
he may not be ready

for what the Tubman
social group requires.

We need leaders for
The Mountaintop.

Where is Tom, anyway?

My sensitive ass
and tailored pants

are the reason you can even
go on this journey at all.

Tom!

Are you ready to go
back to the repast?

My father was right about me.

I'm sensitive,

and I am weak.

I respectfully disagree.

Tom, I ran the
simulation you wanted.

TL;DR, but the expl*si*n
started outside the ship's hull.

Then it wasn't my fault.

My propulsion
system didn't fail.

I didn't k*ll my dad.

I'm gonna find out what did.

I need to collect satellite
data for my dad's ship

as it passed through
its early flight plan.

I'm going to reconstruct
what happened.

I'll put in a request
with the House Committee

on Science, Space
and Technology,

but it's going to
take time, Tom.

Congressman,

my parents bankrolled
your last campaign.

Right? So, unless

you want to go work the pole
for small-dollar donors online,

you're gonna get me what I
need, and you're gonna get it...

Watch your tone

when you're talking
to the congressman.

Okay, bodyguard.

Give your mother my best. Mm.

Got a prospective
client for you.

Ward Chemicals.

They're requesting that
you engineer a good soap.

Oh, like, soap soap? Yeah.

No. We build clean energy
systems and navigation tech.

If they want soap, they
can go to the corner store.

Listen, those clients
are a lifeline.

Swift Enterprises'
stock is in freefall.

We need a win to
change the narrative

that we did blow all of our
assets on a project that...

didn't go as... planned.

Meanwhile, Claire

wants to make her interim
CEO position a forever thing.

She is trying to
steal your company.

You are watching too
many Hamlet TikToks.

The board will name a permanent
CEO at the end of the year,

and it could still be you

if you would just stop
punishing yourself.

Zenzi, the only thing
punishing me is that eyeliner.

Goodbye. Bye.

Mm-hmm.

Rooibos or Earl Grey?

Earl Grey. Mm-hmm.

I've been looking into what
happened to Dad's spaceship,

and, um... Tom,

I just want to drink
some tea, darling.

So,

did you have a chance to
talk to Justin at the repast?

He's a decent...

conversationalist.

He's perfect. No.

He's that Mayor Pete, but with
an upper lip and a better jaw.

I'm sorry about the speech, Mom.

And I know you were
overcome with grief,

in front of all those people.

But there won't be
crowds on Saturday.

The dedication of your
father's memorial.

I'll be there.

I promise.

I've
analyzed all the data,

and there's no way that
expl*si*n was triggered

from inside the ship.

I need to see if anything
hit my dad's ship

when it left the atmosphere.

Isaac, have you ever accessed
classified satellite data?

Yes, but not without a SCIF.

A sensitive compartmented
investigation facility,

like the retinal scan folder
where you keep all your p*rn.

Seriously, bro?

What-What about a lab?

Or a university.

Every MIT reject's
favorite safety school

is Windsor Polytechnic.

It's a half-hour from here.

And you think they'll just let
you borrow their SCIF thing?

No.

Barclay, compose an email
to Windsor Polytechnic.

"Dear Dean of Students, my
name is Tom Swift... yes,

"that Tom Swift...

"and I'd like to
endow a scholarship

"for Black engineering students.

"Would $20 million work?

"We'd need to throw
a VIP reception

"announcing the
gift by end of week.

"Please respond by EOD.

Thank you."

Send message.

They may not let
me borrow the SCIF,

but they'll sure as
hell let me endow it.

Which car, Tom?

G-Wagen. We're gonna need space.

The SCIF room's covered
by an alarm system,

activated by sound.

Oh, I have
something for that.

Dampeners. They'll keep us
from setting off the alarms.

Uh-huh. Barclay, put
this on the screen.

It's like a selfie-steam.

It's a nano-polymer
camera I developed

for taking better nudes.

So the steam
is taking the photo.

We'll pipe it into
the SCIF so I can see

what's on the screen inside it.

I'll take over the workstation.

Isaac, I want you to get us

into the restricted area,

k*ll the door alarm
and pick the lock.

Lino, you will stay on
surveillance at the G-Wagen.

Look at me.

Stay focused. No Overwatch.

Come on! I want to go for real!

And... you get to disable the
cameras so I can break in.

Huh? Ah.

And now we just need someone
to distract the dean.

Somebody who asks a lot
of unnecessary questions.

No. No,
absolutely not.

I'm not doing crime.

Girl, it's not
crime. It's research.

Don't you want to find out what
happened to your godfather?

I also want to keep
his company afloat.

So, I need the soap revolution
we promised Ward Chemicals

by Thursday.

Weekend. Friday.

Done.

I want a wardrobe budget.

Com-strips.
Earbuds felt passé.

Wow.

Eskol came. I saw his
name on the guest list,

but, I... Oh, is that why
you wore that breakup outfit?

Tom.

Dean Brooks. We're so
grateful for your generosity.

Oh, it's my pleasure.
My pleasure.

With your donation, we're
gonna be able to build

the Swift...

the plan to sort of help
get us through this...

Coast is clear. Go now.

Yeah, yeah, he wouldn't
let us do that.

Gonna get a drink.

Okay.

So, good talking to
you. Uh, Dean Brooks,

have you met our congressman?

No, I haven't.

Please allow me
to introduce you.

Wow, Zenzi. Good
evening, Congressman.

Running the footage back
three seconds, and...

looping it.

Like you were never there.

Barclay, you should be able to
begin the data transfer now.

Someone's
coming, Tom. Get out!

He can't. There
are terabytes of data left.

75% there.

Hurry up, Tom.

See? There's no one here.

Our
security system said

there was a breach
on your watch.

I thought you were making
a lifelong commitment

to the organization. I am.

Leadership knows that.

I've proven my loyalty.

Yes, I've spoken with them.

They've decided to
treat you with leniency.

I'll wipe the
surveillance tapes.

Take care of this.

Tom, where the hell are you?

I don't have him.

Me, neith...

Oh, wait! Binary code!

"leave without me..."

Barclay, you and Tom
have a secret language?

It's cipher code he
invented when he was nine.

Now he's says, "Seriously,
Isaac, get Z and leave."

Take off your clothes.

We need to leave
here undetected.

I know D.C. has a lot to offer,

but I'm putting down
roots in New York.

Ah, that'll be D.C.'s loss.

Lovely party, Congressman.

Tom says, "Don't
make a scene, act natural."

Didn't know you could dance.

My ex-girlfriend
insisted we take lessons.

Girlfriend? What?

You don't think trans
guys have annoying exes?

I didn't think Army
Rangers could foxtrot.

You and I have never danced.

Something must've
happened to Tom.

Where did that man in
the suit come from, huh?

A-And what organization is he
working for? The government?

A private group? And how did
you know I would need rescuing?

I was just a guest at the party

who saw something
about to go down.

Oh, come on. Don't give
me strong silent top.

Somebody had to know
we were in there.

People are watching
you, Tom. What people?

This way!

Nice nails, though.

The congressman into glitter?

Look, where I'm from,
nothing was pretty,

so I like to see something
beautiful every day.

If you would just
answer my questions.

Why did you get involved at all?

You're Eskol's bodyguard.

And why did you risk your
actual neck to help me? Huh?

Because you deserve to know
what happened to your father.

How do you know my father?

Wait. H-How do you...
Wait. I... I...

Wait. Wait. Wait! Wait!

All right? Isaac,
he helped me.

He's a friend.

I hope you find
what you need, Tom.

Thank you.

I don't know your name.

Rowan. Rowan,

have a good day.

Where have
you been all night?

I got detained.

Did you get the
data? What happened?

Okay, I-I need to work on this.

No time for the Zenzi show.
I... I'll explain later.

Uh, I-I think you
mispronounced "thank you."

I just helped you with
an illegal mission?

Okay, Zenzi, thank
you for helping me.

I got what I needed, and
I'm okay. Are you good?

You done? All right.

Gonna ignore that.

You need to stop treating
us like the hired help.

Uh, by "us," you mean the
people who work for me?

I mean your brother,
who loves you,

your mom, who's done
literally everything for you,

me, who is constantly
picking up your slack.

Girl, everything
you have, you have

because you're my playmate,
so maybe stop right there.

Oh, okay. Well, as your
business colleague,

I put everything on the
line for you tonight while

all you've done is embarrass
me with Ward Chemicals.

No. You're asking me to do
soap in the middle of all this?

I am telling you that
while you're on your quest

for justice, people's
lives are on the line,

but you're too
selfish to see that.

Excuse me? Your father

never would have blown
off this project.

Your father would have made
sure his thousands of employees

kept their jobs.
Yeah. Uh, uh...

And that's why your dad
chose Claire to be CEO

and not you, because
you are a spoiled brat

who would rather play
fix-it with his stupid toys

than to lift a finger
to help anyone else.

You're right.

I don't stop trying
to fix things,

because I will never fix me.

Uncle Barton loved you.
No, no, no, no, no.

He never would
have said otherwise

because it wouldn't
be socially acceptable

for him to admit that he was
embarrassed to have a gay son.

So I will never be the man
my father wanted me to be.

Now he's dead.

I've analyzed all the
data you stole from the SCIF,

and I found something
interesting.

When your dad's ship left
Earth's thermosphere,

it passed right by a satellite

that took a sh*t
at him. "sh*t"?

C-Can you show me

what you compiled from
those satellite images?

Whatever they sh*t
at Barton's ship,

it was very sticky.

And then, six months later...

It k*lled my dad.

Which satellite
fired the projectile?

I couldn't find any
info on it. Okay.

Go through your visual memory
cache in the past two weeks.

Have we seen that
symbol anywhere?

Is it in any graphic
database online?

I need to give you a tune-up.

You're skipping.

Found it in the
selfie-photo steam.

Phone should be ringing,
'cause you called it.

Barclay, text Justin:

"You up?"

He
already texted you back.

Barclay, send text:

"Can you use your lawyer
connects to find out

who owns this satellite?"

Sent.

I think he was disappointed

that you didn't
text a selfie back.

How do you know
he's disappointed?

The dots go slower
when he types.

Sad boys type slow.

Oh, wait, he sent an audio text.

This logo doesn't exist
in any corporate register.

But the launchpad belongs
to a private company.

You know its founder.

Your good friend,
the congressman.

So Eskol is
allied with neck-breakers

and he m*rder*d your dad.

Ready to send your reply? No.

Is this paper?

How timeless.

I couldn't say it over the
phone, but Eskol's company,

Stone Corporation...
Okay, could he have tried

to call it something less evil?

They're rumored to be a front

for an Illuminati-scale group

called The Road Back.

Supposedly, The Road
Back wants to prevent

the technological
advancement of humanity.

My father was m*rder*d

by a group working to undermine

everything Swift
Enterprises stands for.

Hey, hey.

I'll help you find more info.

Lorraine will k*ll me

if I get her
favorite young lawyer

wrapped up in this mess.

Crap.

Lorraine. I-I have
to go. But...

Mom.

I'm sorry I missed
the dedication.

But I've been trying...

Reverend Jones said your
absence proved you're not ready

to move up in the
Tubman social group.

I-I don't care about the
reverend's dinner club

for old people. I've been
trying to tell you...

That is quite enough, Tom.

I'm just happy your
father isn't here to see

the trifling behavior
of his only son.

You know, I-I have shielded you

from more than you
will ever know.

I thought someday
you would grow up

and realize your potential.

I see now it was a mistake.

Your father's gone.

Now it's up to me to pick
up where he left off.

If I can't fix my life,
I'll fix these shoes.

Make some soap for Zenzi.

I designed a nano-hydraulic
system to work

with the compacted bioethanol
I threw together last night.

Whoa.

It's spotless.

Bro, the biofuel just
cleaned this t*nk.

I multi-tasked.

Meet the state-of-the-art soap

that we're licensing
to Ward Chemicals.

This non-flammable liquid
dissolves surface particles

while purifying air on contact.

Oh, you're welcome.

I just saved the company.

I know what my
father thought of me.

That I'm too "sensitive"

to be CEO, but that's only

because he thought
in order to lead,

you had to be boring...

and basic and ordinary.

Like you, Claire.

But I know that
having an imagination,

a willingness to learn and
the balls to try new things

will take you much further

than kissing the
right asses will.

So...

I'm not giving up my company.

I'm coming for the crown.

Then you better not miss.

That file size
doesn't make sense.

It says there are ten
terabytes of data there,

but it's only a
few seconds long.

Barclay?

What if this data can't be
accessed by newer means?

What if we got to
go retro and use

an old-school method instead?

Pull up a command-line
interface.

I'm gonna do this manually.

Tom, listen to me.

My ship has been destroyed.

I escaped into the
starboard bay that broke off

and sealed itself
during the expl*si*n.

This is timestamped three
hours after the expl*si*n.

When he should've been dead.

I have one working
research pod left.

It's where I'll be hiding.

I'm sending a
hypervelosic capsule

back to Earth that will
give you everything

you need to find me.

It cannot wind up

in anyone's hands but yours.

And, Tom...

one other thing.

I want you to know...

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

Recover the rest
of that message!

I can't. It's gone.

But the capsule is on its
way through the atmosphere.

Call Zenzi. We're
going for a ride.

Barton's message
capsule is headed for splashdown

in the Hudson River,
12 miles away.

You got this, Tom.

Now you've got a vantage point

on the landing spot
that I projected.

The capsule should
be incoming shortly.

So your dad's alive.

He sent you a capsule.

And Eskol is very bad?

Hmm, yeah, well, I
guess all the good ones

are married, gay or
criminal masterminds.

Thanks for looping us in.

I know I was harsh... on you.

And I was a d*ck.

Yeah.

Sometimes I forget
that I don't...

I don't do anything alone.

Mm.

And it's not "the Zenzi show."

It's that I can't
do this without you.

Is that self-awareness and
humility from the Tom Swift?

Are you sure we're
looking for a capsule

and not a flying pig? Okay.

Glad you worked it out.

But now I suggest we call
NASA and ask them for help.

We don't know if NASA has been
infiltrated by The Road Back.

And Uncle Barton will ration

his supplies until we find him.

Uncle Barton climbed
Everest with no oxygen

and a broken foot.
Saturn is light work.

Uh-oh.

The capsule's signal just
broke up into pieces.

It must have
shattered upon re-entry.

Fragments are spreading
out as we speak.

Closest one is now headed
for the South, maybe Georgia.

Others will drop
down in Oklahoma,

Utah, California.

The message got destroyed?

Wait.

Not destroyed.

Disassembled.

Each piece should
survive re-entry.

Those fragments are scattering
across the entire country.

Oh, no, if only we
had the resources

to go out and find
them. Barclay,

track the pieces of the
capsule as they fall to Earth.

Tracking now.

I've been wanting
to take a road trip.

Zenzi, Isaac, pack your bags.

Wheels up in an hour. Gonna
find the capsule pieces,

and reassemble the message
that my father sent.

Come on.

That's how we'll rescue him.

We can't let anyone
know what we're doing.

We can only trust each other.

Isaac...

I owe you an apology.

I know I can be a
touch self-absorbed,

but Zenzi read me down,

and... I'm so glad

you're in my life.

I can't do this without you.

Also, your refusal to wear

anything other than
black is enraging.

So...

I have a slightly more stylish

monochrome fit waiting
for you on the jet.

32 waist, right?

Thank you.

Look, I'll be home
as quick as I can.

And you let me know if that
Claire person is with Mom.

Yeah.

Let us not depart in silence.

How about this one?

I'm pleased we were
able to compromise

the AI network undetected.

Barclay, he calls it?

Once our spyware works its way

through the AI's
operating system,

we'll have full control.

I can count on you all to

keep Tom Swift from
discovering our plans?

Yes, sir.

No matter what.