01x10 - Choice

[bunniefuu]

Ryan, you're gonna wear
a hole through the floor.

She's been listening
to the tapes for hours.

First time Mama's heard
her sister's voice in decades.

She needs time.

Well, since we're just waiting here,
your plus-ones for the wedding?

We're getting down to the wire.

- Totally forgot.
- Can't it wait?

Not if you don't want to sit
at the singles table.

Median age 56.

What's the big deal?
You're bringing Joe, right?

- He hasn't even met Mama and Baba yet.
- Yeah, they have.

They haven't met him as... You know?

Your boyfriend.

- They'll love him.
- Yeah, just rip the Band-Aid off.

Okay, Nicky, how about you?

What about me? I don't have a boyfriend.

Yeah, 'cause you've been
dragging your feet.

Henry has been barking up your tree
since the day you've met.

And apparently,
Evan's back on the market.

What?

You should really
check your socials more.

No wonder he had time
to go on that road trip.

Wait, are you sure?

He and Sabine
unfollowed each other on Instagram.

Guess you've got a choice to make.
Huh?

No.

- It's too complicated.
- Well, uncomplicate it.

Didn't your little three-way adventure
give you any clarity?

Can you please not call it a three-way?
And, yeah...

Althea, Ryan, I'm gonna need a moment
with Nicky.

Are you okay?

It's been hard knowing she's gone.

You know, I've missed her so much
for so long

and I never had a chance to say goodbye.

Mama...

Yeah, but she said goodbye to me.

In one of the tapes, so, thank you.

There are messages in here
I can't understand.

Something called "biange."

The Mei-Xue I knew,
she wasn't scared of anything.

But there is something
about this word "biange."

Every time she mentions it,
I can feel the fear in her voice.

So, Nicky, promise me

you will be careful.

I promise.

You've been staring
at that dusty old thing for days.

You need a break.

If you're trying to lure me back
into bed...

it won't work.

I thought our little adventure in
Myanmar was a smashing success.

We got the a*.

My dad's excavation team
was none the wiser.

Don't you think we deserve a little fun?

Hmm.

Well, I might be more amenable
to some leisure time

if we had the rest of the weapons
in your family's vault.

I thought the plan
was to get the meteor hammer first.

The hammer's warrior bloodline d*ed out
generations ago.

Its guardian, however,
I may have a small lead.

But that will take time.

Your family's vault
is just waiting for us.

You're not afraid, are you?

That sounded like a challenge.

I like a challenge.

Did you see the news
about the Long case?

Yes. I'm surprised he took the plea.

Well, the kid realized he'd be facing
25 years if the case went to trial.

No new evidence. Nothing changed.

- He just flipped.
- He's guilty, Evan.

You know,
they're not all uphill battles.

The plea goes before a judge tomorrow.

Take the win.

The power of biange

was harnessed as a force for good.

But in the wrong hands,
it would lead to catastrophe.

Utter destruction.

The history books tell of a battle
Kublai Khan waged in southern China.

Scholars of the eight weapons
speak of the role the weapons played...

On the tapes, anything good?

Oh, uh...

Lot of stuff we already know.

Still got a long way to go.

How about the journals?

Yeah, actually.

When we look at
all of Mei-Xue's travels,

I noticed a change in the mid-'80s.

She's in parts of China that none
of our other research connects to.

- And she definitely shifted her focus.
- What kind of shift?

Well, she started her journey
obsessed with the weapons,

but then around this time,
something changes.

She starts talking about
something different.

A place.

- The Forge.
- Does she find it?

I haven't gotten there yet.

You okay?

Yeah, I'm good.

Just gonna get back to it.

The monks imbued
the weapons with biange energy.

Chi is life-force. Biange is power.

The power to transform destiny
to one's will.

Henry.

Call it
mind control, call it brainwashing,

but it's much more powerful than that.

The monks knew that
when all eight weapons were together,

the powers were too great.
Too dangerous.

So, they anointed guardians,

individuals whose job it was
to keep the weapons separate.

The monks had built a fail-safe.

They knew that over time,
the w*apon's power would weaken.

A reemergence of that great
unstoppable force can only occur

if all the weapons were brought back
to where they were created,

to where biange energy
is the strongest, to the Forge.

That's what the source is.

The place where the weapons were made,
this Forge.

She found it.

Did you read ahead?

She ran away, hid herself
from everything and everyone

to keep a dangerous secret.

This has to be it.

Zhilan's been ahead of us
collecting the weapons,

but we may know something she doesn't.

What?

Mei-Xue said biange
can only be brought about

if all eight weapons
are brought back to the Forge.

We have to find the Forge
before Zhilan does and protect it.

That's the only way we can stop her
and stop biange.

I know the decision to speak out against
your abuser was incredibly difficult.

But before I can move forward
as your attorney,

you need to know,
as hard as that choice was,

the scary part, that starts now.

Whatever it takes to destroy him.

Chase Matheson will distort the truth.

He'll try to discredit you.

Then there's the NDA.

The fact that you took Matheson's money.

He'll use the NDA
to drag you through the mud.

Call you a gold digger.

I gave that money
to my brother's clinic.

It doesn't matter how you spent it.

Althea, once you do this,
your life will change.

When people search your name,
the first thing they'll see

is the story of your abuse.

If you're going to do this,
I need to know that you're ready.

Come here. Come.

Something smells good.

Try.

Oh!

Please.

It's out of this world.

- What is it?
- The plum sauce my mother used to cook.

It's Mei-Xue's favorite.

I thought I would add it to the menu,
like a tribute.

Well, we haven't changed
the menu for years.

Maybe we'll change more than that.

Now, have you thought about
taking over back here?

Look, I'm a good cook,
but you are a magician.

You always were.
The only reason you stopped cooking

was because it was easy for you
to watch your children that way.

It's obvious that makes you happy.

I have missed it.

Then it's yours again.

- Okay.
- Huh?

- Okay.
- Okay.

Althea?

Everything okay?

Yeah.

- No.
- Wanna talk about it?

Not really.

- Can we talk about anything else?
- Okay.

Like, what's going on with you?

- Me?
- Nicky, you're glowing.

And you've got that little smirk smile.

Did you make out with someone?

What?

No. That was forever ago.

What was "forever ago"?

I kissed Henry.

You kissed Henry?

Why have you been holding out on me?

Hey, it only happened once
and it was amazing

and I haven't been able
to stop thinking about it.

But things got in the way

and I don't really know
how he feels about me after all that.

He told me
I need to "figure my stuff out."

"Your stuff," meaning Evan.

Yeah.

I love Evan.

Always have, always will.

I mean, he's my best friend.

You know, and I hurt him a lot.

Blew up his life
with his perfect girlfriend, Althea.

- Her hair...
- She does have amazing hair.

What if I tell him how I feel
and I lose him again, forever?

All you can do is tell him the truth.

The rest is up to him.

Ryan, the crazy thing was
these organizers that I've admired

were asking me questions
about graphic design and agitprop.

It was like I had
something to teach them.

Wow. That must have been amazing.

I've never felt like I could use
both of my passions like that before.

- It was just incredible.
- I'm glad.

Selfishly, look...

I'm really happy to have you back.

Me, too.

Should we head back to my place?

We should.

But I haven't eaten
since my flight this morning.

How about Harmony Dumplings?

Won't your parents be there?

I'm game if you are.

Okay, I'll go pay.

- Hey.
- Nicky, hey, what's up?

I just thought we could talk.

Knew you'd be getting off work soon.

Yeah, sure.

Well, it's a nice night out.
I saw a coffee cart across the street.

That sounds great.

Evan Hartley.

Cody Long is innocent.

Excuse me?

There's video. Find the footage.

How did you...

You okay? What was that about?

I think I'm sending
an innocent kid to prison.

The witness statement says

this Cody kid slipped GHB
into the victim's drink?

Yeah, four of the frat members
of that party

told detectives they saw him do it.

No physical evidence,
but it was enough to keep him in jail

and ultimately get a confession.

You think his confession was a lie.

I don't know for sure.

We had a good case against him,
but he's a poor kid.

Got into school on a scholarship.

When the evidence
started pointing his way,

he got stuck with
an overworked public defender.

And he couldn't afford bail,
so he'd been locked up for a while.

It happens.

Doesn't sound like
he had much of a chance.

That anonymous call

told me to find footage.

Footage that would exonerate Cody.

The thing is, we subpoenaed

the phones and laptops of every witness,
every frat member at that party.

And it all came back clean.
Not a shred of video evidence.

A frat party without any video?

I thought that was weird, too.

But the DA was hot to close the case,
so we pushed forward.

Plea deal goes
before a judge tomorrow...

After that, it could take years
to get him out, if ever.

Look, Nicky.

I gotta stay. Dig back into this case,
see if there's anything I missed.

My hands are pretty tied
by my boss, but...

I wanna help.

If this kid is innocent,
we have to do everything we can, right?

Besides, your hands might be tied,
but mine aren't.

Safe is in there.

And you're certain this is where
your father keeps the weapons?

I'm dead certain.

When we were kids, he took me
and my siblings into the safe.

He showed us the weapons.

Lots of planning to do.
It's going to be a long night.

Kerwin!

Sorry.

Did I catch you at a bad time?

- Edgar?
- Tie them up.

Yes, even my boy.

- How did you find me?
- I always find you.

I have several trackers
on you at all times.

After all, it is my job.

Kerwin, who the hell is this?

Edgar, my father's head of security.

And an old friend.

Having second thoughts?

Maybe a little.

Hey!

Wow! What a nice surprise.

- Welcome, Joe.
- Baba, what's with the tie?

- Hey.
- And where's Mama?

Cooking. I'm taking over
the front of the house.

We're changing things up
around here a little bit.

- You are?
- Yeah, come on. See it for yourself.

- Mama!
- Huh?

Joe, right?

Are you guys hungry?

Can I get you anything?

Uh, sure.

Can't believe you're finally
mixing things up around here.

Lots of changes. I got my pencil out,

working on a new logo, a mascot.

I mean, you know,
Joe does this stuff for a living.

Oh...

What do you think?

Lil Dumpy.

That mascot.
I have thoughts about that name.

Pretty cool, Mr. Shen.
Just clean him up,

give him a pop of color
and this little guy could be a star.

I get this art software program,

yet I never got past installing it.

I could teach you a few things.

You pay me back in dumplings.

It's a deal. Come on.

You know, if you guys
are on a date right now,

you could have dressed
in something nicer.

What? Mama.

What? Why must everything be so casual?

What's wrong with this jacket?

What's wrong with a blazer?

- Let me try.
- Okay.

All right. Okay.

What are you doing here?

We want to
ask you a few questions.

Haven't I answered enough questions?
You already got your plea deal.

I told you I was innocent.

You said you were
going to find the truth.

Then last week your boss comes here,
all shock and awe,

telling me I'll go away for 25 years
if I don't plea out.

The press was bad enough. My parents...

- I couldn't put them through that.
- Through what?

The trial. DA convinced me
I'd lose anyway.

This isn't just about the DA's thr*at.

It's about your parents.

They made so many sacrifices for me.

At least with the plea, I'd be able
to get my name out of the news.

My parents, they'd be able to move on.

- They'd...
- Save face?

Look, Cody, I get it.

But if you'll let us, we want to help.

We got a tip.

There might be footage from that night,
footage that could exonerate you.

Do you remember anyone filming
the night when Rick d*ed?

I blacked out.
That night's really fuzzy. I...

The thing is,
Sigma Eta is obsessed with image.

Justin, the frat's president,

he wants to be a senator.

Seniors keep that stuff tight.

They run the frat socials
like dictators, but...

But what?

Logan and Mookie
were constantly recording video.

Pranks, parties,

even when they were hazing pledges
during rush week.

Cody, you have any idea
where that footage might be?

No.

I was a new pledge. A freshman.

We have to find it.

Thank you.

Do you really think
you can get me out of here?

We're gonna try.

In all my years
of keeping an eye on you,

well, I've pulled you out of
much worse digs.

Let's just say Master Kerwin here
used to have a thing for slumming it.

Edgar, what are you doing here?

Myanmar.

You call me out of the blue,

sniffing out the status
of Daddy's excavation.

And the next thing I know,

the site gets raided.

Sloppy, Kerwin.

Very sloppy.

Now, the raid itself
was a thing of beauty.

If I hadn't already been suspicious,

nobody would have noticed.

I hate to admit it,

but I'm proud.

How many times
have I had to clean up after you?

No matter what you chose to pursue,
it always ended the same way.

You get bored and you move on.

But this time, you really pulled it off.

Seems this woman has had
a fantastic influence on you.

You know, I can't go back
to your father empty-handed.

You have the a*.

You're mistaken.

We don't have the old man's toy.

You really did a number on him.

Okay. Fine.

Your turn.

Where's the a*?

Anything on the frat's cloud?

Nothing much. Photos of
volleyball tournaments, parties,

event flyers for the frat.

Sorry. They're squeaky clean.

- Damn.
- Watch it, Nicky.

That's as close to a real curse word

I've ever heard from you
since the monastery.

I take it your little talk
hasn't happened yet?

And you're roping me into this
oh-so convenient quest for justice

- so you can keep putting it off?
- No.

Okay, maybe, but it's not just that.

I know Evan.

He's not gonna be able to live
with himself if Cody gets put away.

Besides, I think he's innocent.

It's just a feeling.

He's like us. First generation,
taught not to make waves.

I think he took the plea to end this
for his family, not because he's guilty.

How mad was your boss?

Livid, but she said she can't stop me.

Actually challenged me
to prove her wrong.

Speaking of, how are we doing with that?

Sorry, Evan. Hacked into their
cloud and found nothing.

I should have done something sooner.

What if it's not on their cloud?

If this frat is so tight about image,

wouldn't they want all that data
somewhere secure?

We subpoenaed everything.

Unless they held something back.

Flash drives, hidden computers,
something offline.

I don't have time to file
for a new subpoena.

And I can't hack
an unnetworked computer.

No. But I can get inside the frat.

Uh, you wanna sneak in?

Anything you find
wouldn't be admissible.

If I lead you back to it
through an anonymous tip,

you can follow up legally.

Well, she can't sneak in,
not tonight.

Big party at the SE house.

There'll be frat boys everywhere.

Then I guess
I'm going through the front door.

Nicky...

Look, I want to do this.

For Cody. For you.

Looks like you're going back to college.

Mom would be so proud.

My employer could use someone
of your cunning and determination.

He rewards his allies very handsomely.

I don't work for anyone but myself.

I've been tasked with cutting
a lot of women out of Kerwin's life.

I can tell you,
they don't always look like you,

dress like you,

live like you.

Nor do they have an interest
in rare and ancient weaponry

as you apparently do.

Fear usually does the trick.

If you think that I'm afraid...

you're sorely mistaken.

Not your fear.

His.

- No!
- Kerwin.

Don't.

I'll show you.

I'll show you where the w*apon is.

Good boy.

Althea, I'll k*ll you for this.

Uh, you were gonna go
with a fleece and baseball cap.

How would that have played
in the room?

- What do you see?
- I don't know. It's a party.

- It's a party!
- Yes, girl.

Cody said the seniors' rooms
are on the second floor.

Can you get up there?

Mmm-hmm.

Oh, no.

Sorry.

Oh, my God. I'm sorry.

Having any luck?

Maybe. There's a door.

Only one with a dead bolt.

- Oh, hey.
- Hi.

This room's off-limits.

Sorry, I was looking for a restroom.

Downstairs.

So, what's in there?

Executive lounge.

Well, could you show me
where the sh*ts are?

Follow me.

Four weapons.

Impressive.

You know, your father
doesn't have to know about any of this.

Bring him the four weapons.

This could be it.

The thing that finally changes
his opinion of you.

You care about her,

so this next part won't be easy.

But we can't leave any loose ends.

I know when it matters.

You do what needs to be done.

You're right.

Kerwin!

He calls it the executive suite.

Twenty bucks
there's a stripper pole in there.

If there's something here,
it's definitely in that room.

We know he has the key.

He's watching me.

- I need an easier target.
- One step ahead of you.

Pulling up photos of Sigma Eta seniors.

Other guys who would have room access.

We're sending pictures now.

Bingo.

Those Jell-O sh*ts, right?
Here, this will help.

Come on. Sit with me.

Okay. Sure.

Oh, whoa!

Here. Let me help you.

Hey.

Hey, bro.

Your friend's got his job
cut out for him.

Graphic design software.

Look, I love your father, but he's just
getting the hang of texting.

What do I call him?

Friend? Your boyfriend.

Um...

Boyfriend's good.

Okay. I like him.

You'll get the hang of it, Mr. Shen.
Just keep practicing.

- More lessons, right?
- Anytime.

Can't wait to see you at the wedding.

- Mama.
- Mmm?

What? You haven't invited him?

Okay, we're going.

Your parents are great.

You seem to bring out the best in them.

That was not normal.

And I'm sorry Mama b*at me to the punch,

but I'd like to ask you for real.

Will you, Joe Harper,
be my date to Althea's wedding?

What?

Okay, I'm in.

That Justin guy is onto me.
I gotta hurry.

Find the computer.

- Okay, there's nothing in here.
- Flash drives,

external hard drives, anything?

- No.
- Nicky, you tried. Get out of there.

It's a screening room.

- What?
- There's a projector.

Maybe this is where the video is.

Okay, there are a bunch of files.

- Anything for February 20th?
- Looking.

Some kind of initiation thing.

Lovely.

Ladies and gentlemen,
we have ourselves some loser freshmen.

Yeah, throw some pucks at 'em.
Throw some...

Look, he's sleeping like a bitch.

I think this is it.
This is the night it happened.

Hey, you're next.

Guys, come on.

Relax, Margo. It's gonna be funny.

- Hey, Rick.
- What's up?

- Hey!
- What's up, Justin?

Ricky, we made you a drink.

- What is it?
- Don't ask. We drink.

It's the video of the victim.

- Bottoms up.
- Drink, drink!

Yeah!

The frat drugged Rick.

This whole thing was a cover-up.

What the hell are you doing?

You did it. You drugged Rick.

That was an accident.

The cover-up wasn't.

You set Cody up but kept the footage.
Movie night with the boys.

Pranks, hazing, manslaughter.

Get her phone.

It's over.
You've got no proof.

Your phone's toast.

SIM card's totally jacked.

Yup, along with the video.

That was our silver b*llet, Evan.

It would have easily exonerated Cody.

Hey, Nicky, it's okay.

Wait. We still have a sh*t.

There was a girl on the video.

Margo. She was a sorority girl
and wearing Chi Gamma sweatshirt.

- A witness?
- Mm-hmm.

And she did not like what she saw.

We find her, get her to talk.

We could take the frat down.

Why didn't you tell me sooner?

They only texted me
a couple of hours ago.

But in Chicago?

I didn't know
I was being recruited. I...

But this job is all I ever wanted.

When does it start?

Next week.

Look, I have been racking my brain.

I don't want to lose you, but I don't
know how I can say no to this.

You can't. It's what you're meant to do.

- Ryan...
- No, I can't.

We found video.

We know you saw
what happened that night.

I knew you'd brought him in,

but I thought he'd get exonerated.

Without your testimony,
Cody will go away for a long time.

Why couldn't you
figure this out yourself?

- Find the evidence and...
- It was you.

You called Evan. Gave him the tip.

What are you so afraid of?

Everything.

Justin threatened me.
Said he'd make my life a living hell.

Coming forward...

he said he'd blow up my whole life.

Coming forward sucks.

It's big, it's messy, ugly.

But you know what's simple? The truth.

You can get stuck in your head torturing
yourself about the consequences

and the complications, but the truth...

is simple.

The main living room
of the frat house.

It was the end of the night,
so most folks had left.

It was Justin.

He did it.

...but don't go behind
my back again.

I won't.

How'd she take it?

Said she wasn't mad about what I did,
just how I did it.

But Cody Long will be released
by the morning.

Time to start building our case against
Justin and his accomplices in the frat.

You did good, kid.

Thanks. But to say
I couldn't have done it without you?

It's huge understatement. Massive.
You know that.

You don't seem that happy.

This wasn't the first case
I had my doubts about.

Putting people away...

I'm not sure this is
the right job for me.

Not exactly how I pictured my life

when we made those five-year plans
back in high school.

Oh, my God. Me, either.

Yeah, kinda got that
when you ran away to a monastery

to avoid becoming a lawyer.

Uh-huh, yeah.

Yeah, we're not the people we were then.

No, we're not.

I'll never stop caring about you.

And having those feelings
can be confusing, but...

You want to be with Henry.

Yeah, I do.

Well, if you'd come in here
and told me the exact opposite,

I'd probably go for it.

I got a bit of a weakness
where you're concerned.

God, I envy you.

You broke from your path.

Five years later, I'm still on mine.

And now I don't know what I'm doing.

Thinking maybe I need to find
my ancient Chinese monastery.

There's got to be
a BuzzFeed quiz for that, right?

You know what, yeah, probably.

Friends?

Always.

The first time, it's always the hardest.

k*lling someone you cared for.

Edgar checks in with my father often.

Soon enough, he'll know he's gone.

That'll complicate our plans.

It's time to move. Fast.

- Hey.
- Hey.

Everything okay?

Let's call the lawyer in the morning.

You sure?

Whatever they throw at me...

I'm ready.

- Hey.
- Hey.

I've been listening to the tapes.
Fascinating...

Henry, I don't want to talk
about the tapes.

- Okay.
- Will you be my date to the wedding?

- What?
- Althea's wedding.

Yeah, I know, but...

I know I've been,

however I've been,
obsessed with this quest,

mixed up with my family,
confused about my past.

- I...
- But through everything,

you've been right there with me, close.

Helping me, understanding me.

The thing is,
this whole time I've wanted you closer.

And I know we're finally on the cusp
of something, something big.

And biange is scarier than I thought,

and it seems like Zhilan
will be impossible to stop.

And right now, it feels like
a crazy time to start anything.

But ever since we kissed,
all I've wanted is more.

I want to be with you, and I don't know
how you feel, and I don't know if...

waiting for me to figure things out
has changed anything, but...

Nicky, things haven't changed.

- Do you hear that?
- Yeah.

It's Mei-Xue. I thought I hit the end
of the tape but I just let it run.

Some kind of hidden track?

"The light through the turtle tree
leads the way to the source."

With that song, little warrior,

our song,
I've given you everything you need.

Let the words guide you,
guide you to the Forge.