02x06 - Short to the Point of Pain

[bunniefuu]

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING)

REPORTER: (OVER COMPUTER)
... double check their shorting closure

amid a resurgence...

- (COMPUTER BEEPS)
- (PHONE RINGING)

Have I got a Christopher Stefanowicz

in research?

CHRISTOPHER STEFANOWICZ:
(OVER PHONE) Speaking.

- You look at UK pharma, right?
- CHRISTOPHER: I do, yeah.

Do you cover FastAide Chemist group?

Anything behind the rally
into the close? I... I thought

it might be the ex-Amazon
guy becoming the new CTO.

CHRISTOPHER: Uh, that's
quite a bullish signal,

yes, but it's already priced in

and we don't really
publish about it anymore.

Uh, try the cash equity
guys in New York.

- Sorry, I'm out to dinner.
- (LINE DISCONNECTS)

REPORTER: When asked about institutional

- investors' sums...
- (COMPUTER BEEPS)

Is there a pharma trader on
the desk I can speak with?

NY TRADER: (OVER PHONE)
Yeah, is that London?

It's a small UK-listed equity,

but can you tell me what's
going on with the name

FastAide Chemist Group?

I'm wondering why it keeps
ticking up even after market.

Where is it indicating to open?

NY TRADER: Sec, sec... um, plus .

What the f*ck? Sor... uh,
excuse me for the ripe language.

NY TRADER: (CHUCKLING) Don't apologize.

Stock's a piece of sh*t.

Uh, you know, I guess it
tends to be very choppy.

Oh, wait, hang on, one
sec. I'll be right back.

Nah, you seen Reddit?
Check Wall Street Bets.

FastAide's mentions are out of control.

Guess it makes sense. Enormous,
short base, busted company.

Retail investors on Reddit
are trying to save it

from hedge funds, but,
you know, they're short

- and want it to fail, so...
- People keep saying,

that it's the "darling of
the British high street,"

- whatever that means.
- NY TRADER: Retail investors

are obviously nostalgic about it,

the same way they were
about GameStop, Nokia,

Blackberry. (CHUCKLING)

Well, hold onto your hats
if you're short though

'cause this is about to rally.

I told my biggest client
to be short, in size.

I told him FastAide was going to zero.

NY TRADER: Well, is he a hat guy?

I mean, tell him to hold onto it.

I'd get him out ASAP.

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

(SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES)

(COMPUTER BEEPS)

(PHONE RINGING)

BLOOM'S ASSISTANT: (OVER PHONE)
Good evening,

Mr. Bloom is currently unavailable,

but please feel free to
leave a message with me.

Okay. It's Harper Stern
from Pierpoint calling again.

I... I need to talk to him
about his FastAide short.

BLOOM'S ASSISTANT:
I'll be sure to pass that on.

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

(MILD TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING)

- WAITER: Here you go ladies.
- Oh, my God.

Why do they keep bringing us these?

I feel like every time I
finish one, there's another

- waiting to be dispatched.
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)

I asked them to keep them coming.

(HUMS)

(BOTH HUM)

(BOTH LAUGH)

("NEW ROMANCE" BY BEACH HOUSE PLAYING)

♪ Days go by, no reply, ♪

♪ The smoke high ♪

♪ On the avenue... ♪

KENNY KILBANE: Ladies. (CHUCKLES)

My antenna were up for
overt displays of joy.

Drew me over.

So, how about a few to celebrate
Yasmin's big move to PWM?

- On me? Not in me, obviously.
- Yeah, I hear the tonic water's

really great here. And
why don't you f*ck off back

to the bar and buy yourself
one as a leaving gift to me?

(CHUCKLES)

YASMIN KARA-HANANI: Kenny.

Wow. That seemed like

- an outsized reaction.
- It was undersized, trust me.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(CHUCKLES)

(GROANS) I am so glad
to be leaving. (CHUCKLES)

CELESTE PACQUET: All right.

I'm looking forward to working on you.

(CHUCKLES) Sorry,
with you... My English.

You see? (CHUCKLES)

I think your English
is better than mine.

(IN FRENCH)

(IN FRENCH)

(CHUCKLES, IN ENGLISH) See?

Simpler.

(SIGHS) It's, uh...

It's not a good idea.
It's the best idea,

but it's not a good idea.

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- (MUFFLED LAUGHTER)

SADIE SACKEY: Nothing
quite like a promotion

to make your life feel worthwhile.

What are you doing here?

(CHUCKLES) Came down a day early.

- (GUS SACKEY CHUCKLES)
- (GASPS)

Thought it'd be nice to
see you outside the usual

- family context.
- Oh, thanks.

SADIE: Tell me all
about the new job.

GUS: I haven't actually moved up, yet.

It's not exactly a "SPAD" role,

but she needs some help organizing

this anti-competition thing

that's taking up all
of her time and, uh...

- That's so exciting. Well done.
- (SCOFFS)

- (BOTH CHUCKLE)
- (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING)

It's great to have someone
to fight for our interests

- on the inside.
- Mm. How's it been?

(GROANS) Better,
obviously. But you know.

They've advised we have PTSD therapy.

- Oh.
- But I don't have enough time.

I think I've got an
opportunity to move to Chelsea

and Westminster hospital,
if I make consultant though.

I've been doing night shifts,
and found myself half applying

for an MRes in Experimental
Neuroscience at Imperial.

(CHUCKLES) Then I drift off,
wake up and get back to work.

(SADIE SCOFFS)

I don't think I'm going
to take the promotion.

I know it sounds a bit New Labour,

but I feel like I'm
making a difference in ways

I can actually see.

And it's tiny and tiring, but...

it's definitely there.

(CLICKS TONGUE) You gotta
do, what you gotta do.

But Mom would be f*cking relieved,

- if you took the new job.
- I'm enjoying what I'm doing.

You know she knows you
left Pierpoint, right?

- Sadie... - SADIE: The
world's best worst-kept secret.

GUS: The only person I told
about you was Auntie Mama.

And A, they don't speak,
and B, I wasn't specific.

I just said I was writing a book.

- Lord have mercy.
- (CHUCKLES)

- And what did she say to that?
- She told me to "stop dancing"

- and "find employment."
- (GROANS)

Are you seeing anyone at the moment?

Yes.

- (CHUCKLES)
- Do you want to go up to Eton

together tomorrow?

I'm going to get there early
and have lunch with Isaac.

I've got to be here.

Hmm.

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- (PHONE RINGING)

- Uh, Rish?
- RISHI RAMDANI: Yeah?

Where's FastAide indicating to open?

Plus percent. Still top of Reddit.

- Power to the people, eh?
- DANIEL VAN DEVENTER: Ah, the illusion of power.

Dunno, you know, these
retail investors, man.

Any clueless knobhead with a phone

shouldn't be allowed to download an app,

punt around and move the market.

Why not? It's democratic.
We're just clueless knobheads

- but with more screens.
- And better tailoring.

You know my mom bought my
baby formula from FastAide.

Be a shame if it went
tits up like Woolworths.

I don't think a couple
of clueless knobheads

- are gonna save this.
- (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

Rish, does this squeeze have any legs?

It'd be f*cking painful to be short.

DVD: Uh, Pierpoint's axed the right way.

Even if Reddit's just noise,
it's... it's not harmful noise.

Remember, the, uh, Bloomberg
Invest conference today

has the potential to
be a dynamite catalyst

in the medical space. There's
a lot of flow around it.

RISHI: Yeah, this is a day of
bloodletting and king-making.

DVD: It does have an
atavistic feel, yes.

RISHI: You what?

DVD: Oh, atavistic. Uh, like, um...

Primal.

That's f*cking right mate.
That's f*cking... right.

Tell me you got Jesse to buy FastAide.

The guy's now percent
of the desk's flow.

I gave you the autonomy to cover him,

and part of that contract
means you need to sell him

on the desk's ideas.

JESSE BLOOM: It's bring
your kid to work day.

I wanted to see where Mommy worked.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(TENSE MUSIC FADING)

You look smart, if a
little uncomfortable.

Yeah, I better get used to it.

Gucci ties for fireside chats.

Can't exactly go to a
Bloomberg conference wearing

a Black Dog Tavern T-shirt from ' .

You're going to Bloomberg Invest?

Can't you just send a senior PM

to present your firm's top three ideas?

- (WATER POURING)
- (GLASS CLATTERS)

Sometimes, it's not about the idea,

it's about the suitably
attired presenter.

They want me to talk to
the future of telemedicine.

For all intents and purposes,
my investment in Rican

makes me look like a
thought-leader there.

They don't know I got you into it.

Mm-hmm. Plus, I'm thinking of taking

on a more ambassadorial role.

Presidential even.
Out of the day to day,

you know, chart watching.

I owe you a tremendous
apology for going AWOL.

I had some personal stuff.
It will never happen again.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

People have personal stuff
going on all the time.

That's literally what being alive is.

You know, I didn't come
to London to, uh, work.

How is Leo?

How the f*ck would I know?
You see him more than I do.

Look...

when I met you in the hotel,

I had no intention of talking
to you quite as much as I have.

But given that I've
invested all of that time,

and given the opportunity cost
of all that time invested...

how dare you not pick up
the f*cking phone to me?

(OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING)

I tried calling you several times.

After missing several of my calls.

Jesse, I have done everything
to facilitate your business.

I got you into Rican
at an amazing discount.

- (SIGHS)
- HARPER STERN: The telemedicine play.

And I took you short

on FastAide, their biggest competitor.

How's that going for us?

I even took the flow
away to Goldman to do it.

It was that high conviction of view.

It simply hasn't worked yet.

There's a group of
Reddit school sh**t

trying to force me out of
that f*cking FastAide short.

There's no way that they know

you have a position. It's not personal.

What do you know? They
f*cked me on GameStop too.

They think I'm a vulture profiteering

off of everything bad in the world.

All my peers are stopping out.

Well then that's their
loss because FastAide

is going to zero.

What if Bezos comes back
down to Earth and decides

to make FastAide Amazon's next pet?

Brick and mortar is dead.

If not today, then tomorrow.

No matter what any tech bro tells you.

JESSE: There he is. (CHUCKLES)
Dimples , over here.

(CHUCKLES)

I was just telling Harper here,
how my, uh, coverage at Goldman

has advised me to stop
out of my FastAide short.

Your, uh, you're short on
my favorite equity story?

JESSE: Uh, I think Goldman
thinks it's unbecoming

that I'm getting pounded

by a group of involuntary celibates.

- (CHUCKLES)
- JESSE: Think I should, uh, cut my losses,

before I'm too deep in the red

and I end up on the front
page of the Journal.

Well, the Reddit squeeze is a
distraction from the acquisition story.

The Amazon guy joining
is just the first signal.

Amazon buy FastAide, uh,

I reckon they become favorites
to win the hot NHS contracts

and blow competitors like
Rican into irrelevancy.

(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

Harper.

What would you do? Would
you stop out of FastAide

or would you run it?

Obviously, as a member
of the Pierpoint CPS desk,

I would have never taken you short.

Wouldn't you?

But if I were your coverage
at Goldman, I would say...

"What is your threshold for pain,

if you believed in the
idea in the first place?"

Danny, final thing. If
your coverage had gotten you

into a structurally broken
company like FastAide,

with a massive short base,
and then hid when it began

to rip the other way, what would you do?

Call them an amateur and pull the line.

Oh, yeah, without a
doubt, line out, finished.

Yeah? So what have we done
to deserve your presence?

Oh, well, I just wanted
to make Harper look

like a, uh, rock star on the desk.

(CHUCKLES)

DVD: You gonna tell me
what the f*ck's going on?

I don't know what you're talking about.

(CHUCKLES) Spare me.
What was that dance?

- He's eccentric.
- You're his coverage.

(PHONE RINGING)

Our highest conviction long
this quarter has been FastAide.

Why is he short at the point
of pain? Explain that to me.

Do you really think he listens to me?

I'm a f*cking third year analyst.

He keeps me around because I'm young

and a woman and I nod at him.

Do you expect me to buy that sh*t?

Whatever happened in
Berlin, whatever is happening

between us personally, we...

we established a very
healthy working relationship.

So if you're in trouble, just say.

RISHI: (OVER HOOT)
I can't believe I'm talking

about this on the hoot, but
for better or for worse...

- But don't lie to me.
- RISHI: ... loads of kids...

- on the internet...
- We don't come back from that.

RISHI: ... are making FastAide
the market story of the day.

I have nothing to do with this.

This is why guys like
Bloom are so hard to cover.

You're... (SIGHS) ... you're disposable.

He's probably got a Harper
working at every other place

- on the street.
- I doubt it.

RISHI: (OVER HOOT) It's
about over, plus percent.

So, I'll be fielding questions
on flow color for ten minutes,

and ten minutes only.
This is beneath me. Thank you.

That's your ego speaking.
You might have heard

Adler's coming over for
Rif, but that's just a ruse.

Between us, I'm not
supposed to say this yet,

but colleague to colleague,
I've earmarked you for New York

when we subsume the London desk.

You can cover Jesse from there.

You can have whatever glory you need.

But I'm gonna help you call the plays.

You've made Jesse too
important to us now.

That decision's already been made?

What about the rest of the desk?

Couple of weeks ago. Firmly.

They're still deciding who
to take to New York, but...

CPS London's cooked.

HARPER: And you've known
the whole time. Right?

Adler talked to me a
couple days ago and...

he asked me who was worthy of being

beamed up to the mothership. I said,

you. And, of course, Bloom.

All we have to do now is
sing from the same hymn sheet

and everything will be golden.

You told me not to give a
f*ck about your personal life.

Just don't lie to me
in here, Harper. Okay?

KENNY: You still up for
Tough Mudder next week then?

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Oi, Hanani. Is it possible to
be long vega but short gamma

on an option structure?

- Uh, I don't know.
- Oh, answer the question,

you ditzy c**t.

Yeah, yeah, answer it, you silly bitch.

Have you ever been horrible
to anyone in your life?

That was f*cking pathetic.

Sorry, I have no idea what's going on.

Whoo! (CHUCKLES)

- f*cking hell.
- Got you a gift.

You shouldn't have.

- (CHUCKLES)
- (JACKIE WALSH CHUCKLES)

Wow. (GASPS) Is it Tiffany's?

- Oh, f*ck off, clean-shirt.
- (YASMIN CHUCKLES)

In case you get bored on
the way to the meeting.

Well, that's very thoughtful.
Thank you. (CHUCKLES)

Shame Wyndy's not here.

Yeah, thoughts and
prayers. Anyway, uh...

I didn't realize...

how much I enjoyed having you around.

I appreciate you.

Nice one.

Kenny. Uh, I'm really
sorry about last night.

I'm not exactly sure what I
said, I know it was heinous,

- given that I woke up ashamed.
- Ah...

they asked me to weigh in
with a practical joke as well.

I didn't know if it was
inappropriate or not.

And also, I didn't know
how long it was gonna take,

but once it was started,
I was all in, so...

(HUMS VICTORIOUSLY)

- (CHUCKLES)
- (KENNY CHUCKLES)

(YASMIN CHUCKLES)

- I don't really use a stapler.
- Yeah, I had to Amazon it.

Joke still stands though.

(GRUNTS, HUMS "DISCO
INFERNO" BY THE TRAMMPS)

(CHUCKLES)

(CROWD LAUGHING, APPLAUDING)

TRADER: Is that like a sober thing?

- I'm really lost.
- You should, uh...

you should really watch
more telly. (CHUCKLES)

- Good luck. (CHUCKLES)
- (PHONE RINGING)

Thanks, guys.

(PHONE RINGING)

- Nice one. f*cking LOL.
- Uh-huh.

Pierpoint, Yasmin speaking.

CELESTE: (OVER PHONE)
It's your new boss.

Can you take an hour off for lunch?

Yeah. Sure.

I'm very free.

CELESTE: You're based
in Notting Hill, right?

(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

(EXCLAIMS) FastAide
opens up at percent.

That is wild, wild sh*t.

How'd they pull themselves away

from their stepsister p*rn
long enough to buy the stock?

HARPER: f*ck's sake, go
down you piece of sh*t.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

DVD: Uh, you know it's
like CVS or Boots in the UK.

Oh, do you have, uh,
a Robinhood account?

Yeah, they're... they're not...
actually not allowed here.

I know we haven't really
spoken, um, since Berlin.

I'm here to talk about
it whenever you want.

I mean, obviously, not
right now. (CHUCKLES)

Whenever else.

There's nothing really to say.
Super fun trip though, right?

Yeah. Super fun.

You sure you're okay?

I've drunk myself
into infamy. (CHUCKLES)

Can I have one of
your vitamin C tablets?

I have a client lunch, um,

- need to equilibrate the brain.
- You don't have to ask,

you can just come take it.

It's my last day on the desk today.

Nice. Congratulations.

It means we're not going to be
seeing so much of each other.

I'm not gonna be in your eyeline.

- It's not a very big building.
- It's quite big...

Sorry, is there something
else that I can help you with?

It's just this morning
has been a bit crazy.

f*ck's sake, I should
have been in long PA.

This thing is moving.

You sure you're not gonna miss this?

Well, you should come
over for dinner sometime.

I've got a new pizza oven,
in the garden and it's harder

to get going than a nuclear reactor.

You might be able to work it.

H, have you seen Bloomie? Gus' boss

just got elevated to Health Minister.

So that's bearish
FastAide, bullish Rican?

Nah, it's bullish
FastAide, bearish Rican.

- That's right, ain't it, Harper?
- Sounds good. Let's find a time.

- I'll miss you.
- Miss you too.

What, when Bono retires?

What?

RISHI: f*ck the FCA, mate.
I think I'm gonna have to get

a burner and download Robinhood.
These geeks are making money.

JAMIE HENSON: Turin in ' ,
I bunked onto the plane,

- and bumped into the ground.
- GUS: You did?

The first time we played
Juventus since Heysel.

It was f*cking heavy,
lad. F... Police escorts,

f*cking raining bottles
of piss and coins.

That's when you feel alive.
I went missing for two days

- after, you know?
- You stop going?

Sorta fell away, you know.

Tickets were expensive
and then my mates...

they stopped sorting me
'cause I kept going missing.

Hey, I think I'm too much for
some people, you know, lad.

- Nah, you're all right mate.
- Yeah?

- (SNICKERS)
- Hey, listen, look have you, um,

have you managed to find a counsellor?

No, it's just, look, um...

It's just that I've been given, a...

A few months wait they said.

- Well, come on, given what?
- (SCOFFS) Nothing.

But look, it's... I'm not
qualified to talk to you

about that kinda thing.
It's irresponsible.

What about the guy I connected you with?

Oh, him? Nah...

crap.

There's this service
we're hoping to roll out

to the public eventually.

At the moment, it's a bit pricey,

but I'll be happy to cover
you for a few sessions.

Nah, you don't have to do that, lad.

GUS: No, no, look, as many as
you need. Just go to the app store

and look for Rican.

(CHUCKLES)

- Hey, what's funny?
- Oh,

you got no idea, have ya?

- What? (CHUCKLES)
- A f*cking app store on that?

- That's your phone?
- JAMIE: Yeah.

- Looks like Lego.
- Look, it vibrates and everything.

(CHUCKLES)

Hey, bum head, have you
never seen one of these?

Look, um, I've... I've
got, uh, I've got a thing

out of town today, but...

I'll be right here when
you're back this evening.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

- Sound.
- (GUS CHUCKLES)

- (PHONE RINGING)
- (MUFFLED INDISTINCT CHATTER)

YASMIN: My house isn't exactly
a renowned lunch spot. (SIGHS)

Although, there is the original
Ottolenghi round the corner,

if you want to order in.

- Would you like a drink?
- Water, if you have it.

Yeah.

(CLICKS TONGUE, HISSES)
I have water. (CHUCKLES)

- I live in a major conurbation.
- (WATER RUNNING)

YASMIN: London, so, uh...

Yeah.

I have water. (SNIFFS)

Don't be nervous.

I'm not nervous.

(EXHALES SHARPLY)

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

(BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY)

(YASMIN MOANS, PANTS)

(BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY)

(YASMIN MOANS)

(IN FRENCH)

(YASMIN EXHALES DEEPLY)

(MOANS)

(BOTH MOAN)

(IN ENGLISH) I want to taste you.

(YASMIN MOANS)

(EXHALES SHARPLY)

(ROMANTIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(YASMIN GASPS)

(YASMIN MOANS)

I don't really think your
little brother's confirmation

is the most apposite place for you

to show up with a puckish little twink.

Within the q*eer taxonomy,

I wouldn't say you're very twinkish.

- (BOTH CHUCKLE)
- Yeah.

They're not totally
backwards, but there will be

a few pregnant stares for
sure. It's not fair on Isaac.

Have you told them about your promotion?

I'm not taking it.

LEO BLOOM: Enjoying
speaking to troubled people

on the margins too much?

See, that's exactly the kind
of tone that you pretend to hate

though it comes out your mouth a lot.

I actually really
f*cking enjoy that work.

It's rewarding in a way
that I know my family

just won't understand.

Mum's been in Ghana.

Dad's not been able to get
out of Angola. Until now.

It's weird.

Jesse moved to London

and it feels like we're in a
longer-distance relationship.

He took me to the British Museum

on the weekend, and was
like, "Look at all this cool

old sh*t." (CHUCKLES) And I was like,

"Yeah, it is cool, all this old sh*t."

And like, I mean, I didn't
say this obviously, but...

those years are gone.

What about your offer?

Apparently, it's still pending.

Hey, they give them out in December.

Why didn't you just tell
me you didn't get in?

You worked really hard.

It's okay to admit you're disappointed.

(SIGHS)

I wanted to get in.

You made me wanna get in. (SCOFFS)

And I didn't and that's fine.

Billionaire's son
doesn't get into Oxford.

Cry me a f*cking river. (CHUCKLES)

(CELL PHONE BUZZING)

Train's been cancelled.

Frozen track. f*ck.

f*ck it.

I'll play the card.

Jesse, can you, um, send
a car to take us to school?

(SNICKERS)

- (RAIN PATTERING)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)

- (TRAFFIC RUMBLING)
- (BREATHES DEEPLY)

ERIC TAO: Harper!

How are you?

I've thrown myself headlong
into my new opportunity

from the spacious confines of my garret.

- You're f*cking miserable?
- (CHUCKLES)

Are you okay?

Uh...

no.

No, I'm in trouble.

- Past f*cked?
- Yeah.

"Past f*cked. Do not
collect dollars"?

- No, yeah. I'm f*cked.
- Oh, boy.

- (BOTH CHUCKLE)
- Ignorance is bliss.

Thank you.

In all honesty,

I've been thinking of
finally hitting a bid away.

I've started taking calls,

stopped hanging up on headhunters.

- High time I hitched a lift.
- So, nothing's sticking?

Surely you could just
walk into any other job.

At the same level? Course,
I've got the contacts.

I'm not sure they love me for me.

I'm pretty sure they never
loved me... (CHUCKLES)

... just for me.

I've started talking about my feelings

a little more as you can see.

PASSERBY: Text when you're
waiting for me, yeah?

When I hired you...

what'd I look like to you?

Mr. Pierpoint, right?

But I could be, Mr.
Morgan Stanley, Mr. Nomura.

I wouldn't want to be Mr. Nomura,

but that's by the by.

These institutions are just shells

that shelter you and your
key-client relationship

and if you keep that,

you can manage someone like Bloom,

you can migrate from place to place.

They'll f*cking house you, pay you up,

and call you family.

You become bigger than the institution.

You have Bloom, you
don't need Pierpoint.

What about your skills?

What are my transferable
skills, I mean, really?

And my current client list
isn't exactly something

you'd pay up for.

Don't sound so defeated,
it doesn't suit you.

Well, who was responsible for my defeat?

You were.

The moment you'd accepted you lost.

And Daniel, of course.

It's the quietly motivated
ones you gotta watch out for.

(TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)

What are you talking about?

You don't feel the Kn*fe

when it goes in right between your ribs.

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- (PHONE RINGING)

RISHI: FastAide coming
off its high here.

(KEYBOARD CLACKING)

Rish-Rish, what's behind
this reversal in FastAide?

- Any ideas?
- (MOUSE CLICKING)

Sec. Sec. It does look that
way. I'm just digging on IB. Sec.

(PHONE RINGING)

(PHONE VIBRATING)

So, This is where it happens,
huh? All that learning.

Um, Leo said you needed transport,

is he here? Hmm?

Ah, hey. I didn't
see, uh, taxicab driver

in my future but, uh,
we are where we are.

Why are you here?

You know, I ask myself the same thing

every time I'm away from my rig.

(WHISPERS) You know I can
do whatever I want right?

- (DOOR SHUTTING)
- (CELLPHONE BUZZES)

So I have two very
conspicuous looking escalades

waiting outside. It's
like I'm moving weight.

One is going to take you

to the chief nursery
of England's statesmen,

and the other one is
gonna take you and I

wherever you wanna go, Leo.

Can you just give me a lift into town?

Gus. When am I gonna see
some ROI on all that cash

I dropped on Leo's tutelage?
I mean, you're f*cking my son,

the least you could do is
get him into college, right?

- What the f*ck?
- JESSE: Don't worry,

you know I'm an ally.

It's not financially viable not to be

in the current culture.

He's, um, he's still
waiting to hear back.

All right. I cleared my
entire schedule for today...

and you are gonna have lunch with me.

Why are you dressed like pound shop GQ?

(CHUCKLES) I don't know what that is.

I have an evening engagement.

I am a public figure, Leopold.
Your father's a public figure.

All right? Are you not
in any way proud of that?

Not particularly, Dad, no.

JESSE: Well, you know
what? Neither am I.

Apple does not fall far from the tree.

Sorry, sorry, Jesse,
I really do need to go.

Are you okay to let yourself out?

- Yeah.
- JESSE: Yeah, the car is waiting for you.

We can continue this on the way home?

- Just drop me off in town.
- Hey, dude.

Uh, hey. I'm... I'm really trying now.

Can you... can you give me a break?

LEO: Can you not do
this in front of Gus?

It's not what he expects
from a public figure.

I really do appreciate the lift.

- (CELLPHONE BUZZING)
- I bet your parents are proud.

(SIGHS) All we have is work, huh?

(UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)

Listen Jesse, I think
this thing is about to move

- our f*cking way.
- I'm done with you.

- Why did I pick up?
- HARPER: Why did you pick up?

I'm f*cked if I know,
but we can psychoanalyze

the whys of you and me when
I'm old and you're older.

But, right now, you just need to listen.

RISHI: (OVER HOOT) FastAide
very f*cking fragile

up here now. Most of the key shorts

have been cleared out and
positioning is much cleaner.

I assume there's a couple
of big institutional guys

still to go. Those Reddit virgins

don't ever really stand a
chance against fundamentals

and gravity.

So the party's over?

Our short's moving in our direction.

Prudent to stop out at
a more favorable level.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

No, our party's just starting.

Do you trust me?

I don't know where
you're going with this.

That whatever, ineffable,
subconscious thing,

do you have that with
me? Do you trust me?

JESSE: Look your trader
says it's held up by air.

After the last guy stops
out, it's cratering.

And that last guy is me.

That's not the trade.
That's not our trade.

I'm not stopping out. I am
not letting you walk away

from this with a loss. We
sell more into the reversal.

And we pummel this
bitch until she yelps.

That's all very cute,
but you heard your trader.

He thinks it's going down now,
from his lips to God's ears.

He's not going to put in a strong bid.

- I mean, w... what's the catalyst?
- Yes, it's going down.

But that is the trade after the trade.

First, he needs to
think it's going up...

because a big investor
still needs to buy to cover

in order to stop out.

You are gonna be that big investor.

I'll make sure he reads
you the wrong way.

We are going to cheat him.

We're gonna tell him
that you're stopping out,

he'll think you're buying
to cover the short,

so he'll set his price high.

We'll get his price, and
then we'll sell through him

and move this thing our direction.

- JESSE: You pull this off...
- Then you are my client.

And you will tell everyone.

And if I wanna go to MS,
GS, CS, Citi, f*cking Mars,

you will tell them
that I am the guarantor

of your business.

You make this happen,
maybe we are talking again.

- Sec.
- (PHONE RINGING)

Rish, Bloom's in max pain.
He shorted a ton of FastAide

through Goldman and he
wants to stop out through us,

cut his short. Can we help?

If he can hear me, if
the prick can hear me...

He get that?

Tell him I, uh, I love the name.

No, no. I... I adore the
name. I introduced the name

to my parents after I rattled
her seven ways to Sunday.

That's how much I love FastAide.

Getting out is gonna cost him.

Okay, he gets it. You have a big d*ck.

You know his direction?

He has to buy to cover to stop out.

He wants to know how wide you'll be

- in million shares.
- Actually, tell him,

the exact amount is . million,

then he'll definitely
think it's an unwind

and I'm getting out.

Sorry the exact amount is,
um, . million shares.

- (KEYBOARD CLACKING)
- Full size, only you.

RISHI: Okay, last trade
was , trading up.

I can make him
points wide around my mid

on . million, if he
guarantees to trade now.

f*ck Dodd Frank. How're you left?

JESSE: Tell him to wait.

RISHI: / around . He like it?

Make him wait. We'll get a better price.

Off. Higher now, make him / .
I'm taking him to the cleaners.

Do the man there.

- Yours. Sell, sell, sell.
- Yours.

Bloom sells . million at .

JESSE: I'm quietly impressed.

Um... (CHUCKLES)

... "yours"? What do
you mean f*cking yours?

- (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING)
- I mean, he sells.

Are you mentally challenged?

Are you out of your f*cking tree?

He guaranteed you a trade.
On your spread. On your price.

Not a direction.

You read him too far, took
the piss, he called you out

and that's that.

Do you think I'm soft?

You put your hand up to signal
we were done and he was a buyer.

You misread my signal. (CHUCKLES)

I told you to wait, and
then I signaled to sell.

Rish, we have a verbal contract.
(CHUCKLES) You know that.

sh*t happens. Let's just eat
it. It's Bloom. He's satisfied...

Harper, I'm the f*cking
spiv. You don't spiv the spiv.

You knowingly helped Rishi
read him the wrong way.

So Rishi laid three points
above the fair price,

expecting Jesse to buy it off him.

Right! And now I'm long
a load more of this sh*t

at a sh*t price. I'm in
a -million-dollar hole.

I heard the whole sorry f*cking thing.

I was patched into your line, Harper.

Well, then, why didn't
you f*cking step in?

I wanted proof of who she was.

RISHI: She's blown up my entire year.

- (METAL CLANGING)
- RISHI: You're gonna be losing friends

- with this kind of behavior.
- And who are you then?

Face value? I knew
you were full of sh*t.

Go f*ck yourself.

I have to take this
upstairs immediately.

Immediately. Log out of your Bloomie.

f*cking now! I'm not f*cking around!

(COMPUTER CHIMES)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING)

(CHUCKLES)

Well, would you look at that,
it's starting to tick up.

Turns out your man's no
match for the internet, love.

Get off my f*cking floor.

"The room was in that
disorder, produced only by those

- who have always had servants."
- (CHUCKLES)

Hemingway.

About a very rich girl who doesn't know

what she's doing with
her life. (CHUCKLES)

- Was she hot at least?
- (BOTH CHUCKLE)

I've never come that many times.

- So many... stages.
- (BOTH CHUCKLE)

YASMIN: And I've never been
with a married person before.

CELESTE: (IN FRENCH)

YASMIN: (IN ENGLISH) I've
never thought of myself as

- l'autre femme. (CHUCKLES)
- La maîtresse.

I wouldn't worry. (SIGHS)

Elsa and I have our rules.

When it developed to the
stage it got to last night,

I had to tell her.

It's just how we
operate. It works for us.

What did you say?

I told her I was in danger
of breaking one of our rules.

Surely people don't actually have rules

- around these things.
- Uh, yes. (CHUCKLES)

We established them

when we established
that she was the more

open partner in our open arrangement.

Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out.

I don't mean to use
such practical language.

Elsa is very exacting.
She's a QC, you see.

(CLICKS TONGUE) How
long have you been open?

CELESTE: That's Elsa's phrasing.

I prefer polyamorous.

She's not one for monogamy.

She was very promiscuous,
and, I guess it was the ' s.

Then she had a cancer scare in her s,

but I needed some parameters.

She's seeing someone, so why can't I?

It's nice to be in an
institution as comforting

as marriage and not feel trapped.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

CELESTE: I know you're
younger than me, but surely

you're not naà¯ve enough to think...

I'm not just a little... messy, huh?

(CHUCKLES)

(CHUCKLES)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(PHONES RINGING)

Good lunch?

JACKIE: Have you seen what that analyst

at Alliance Bernstein's
saying about FastAide?

The Gerry Adams looking one.

KENNY: Nah, I'd say
he's more Harold Shipman.

JACKIE: Similar vibe, though.

Is this... is this Robert?

KENNY: Oh, yeah, the old glasses...

- Um. (CHUCKLES)
- KENNY: ... beard aesthetic.

Big criminal energy that
combo. You rock that combo...

- In joke.
- VENETIA BERENS: Hmm.

KENNY: ... what is he saying?

JACKIE: Nothing interesting
actually, the more I listen.

Our sense of humor
has matured since then.

(CHUCKLES)

Do you know him?

He's kind of mentoring me. I think.

Interesting path to follow. (CHUCKLES)

JACKIE: Gerry Adams and Harold Shipman

would make a better equity
analyst than this fella...

YASMIN: Actually,

I'm more and more certain
he is one of the good ones.

(CHUCKLES) Uh, don't worry,

I'd never let myself
get used and abused.

Good. (CHUCKLES) So, you
shouldn't, me neither.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

YASMIN: I know I've not
been much of a mentor.

(CHUCKLES) At all.

But if you ever need
anything, I'm just upstairs.

- (CHUCKLES)
- VENETIA: Thank you.

Okay.

("I VOW TO THEE MY COUNTRY"
PLAYING ON PIPE ORGAN)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
- (BELL TOLLING)

- Somewhere to be?
- (GUESTS MUTTERING)

Oh, just a work thing later.

We're staying in London for a week.

Come round for dinner. You and Leo.

You can see your nephews.
You know, in person.

I'm sorry I've been a bit absent.

How are they?

Walking reminders that
we're all going to die.

(CHUCKLES) They're walking, already?

I look at them and think "f*ck,

we haven't got much
left, have we?" (SNICKERS)

- That sounds morbid.
- It's fantastic! (CHUCKLES)

- Reminds me I'm alive.
- (BOTH CHUCKLE)

You know, we'll blink and be
back here with both of them.

Kwaku tried to sign
them up from the hospital

the moment they were born.

Apparently, they don't do that anymore.

Well, seems more meritocratic.

It's a miracle we got him here.

He's having some behavioral issues.

I think they'd appreciate
it if you visited him

once in a while. Talk to him.
Get him back on the right track.

You know you have to take
that promotion, right?

It's admirable, what you've been doing,

it really is. And we're
all proud of you...

but you need to get going again.

We're not going to just let
you throw your life away.

That seems a bit melodramatic.

Well, we're all prone to
melodrama in this family.

You told them you'd do
three years at Pierpoint.

You did less than a year.

You spend a year treading water.

Frankly, wasting time, not contributing.

Static yet unstable. You've
barely seen any of us.

They give you latitude in
other parts of your life.

- What does that mean?
- You know what it means.

And they don't really care anymore.

I mean, they care as little now
as they're ever going to care,

but this instability,

they won't tell you
this, but it kills them.

- I'm working now.
- SADIE: And it's tantamount to social work.

It has no visible trajectory.

You're bailing out the boat
but the water's just rushing

back in through the holes.

One man can't make a difference there.

Oh, that's a virtuoso piece
of rhetoric, well done.

- She'd be proud.
- She'd be a lot less subtle

if she got going.

They just want us to live
up to their expectations.

Otherwise, what else was all this for?

I'm not sure that's physically
or spiritually possible.

SADIE: Well, then just
live up to your own.

Don't you think you
have a responsibility

to give your kids what you got?

You going to do that on
seventeen grand a year?

It's time to stop dancing.

(SONG CONCLUDES)

PRIEST: In the name of
the Father and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

- (PHONE RINGING)
- JACKIE: Oh, thank f*ck I don't work in equities.

KENNY: Yas, who's Mark Michaelides'

number two at Millennium?

Sorry, it was a Wyndy
contact. He's about to jump on.

Samuel Shinner.

Sam! Uh, S... Samuel. Are you going now?

Samuel, can I call you back in five?

Cheers, buddy, thank you.

RISHI: I'm gonna concede I
have too active of a sex life

- to be a Redditor.
- KENNY: Hey!

(PANTS) RISHI: But I respect them.

YASMIN: Thanks.

KENNY: So,

how many times a week do you
expect to be entertaining then?

Five. Couple of lunches,

the odd weekend here and there,
my entire life. (CHUCKLES)

Silverstone, Ascot,
Henley that sort of thing?

- (CHUCKLES)
- KENNY: Stamps on a drunken assh*le's passport.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

You know, you spend that
much time with your boss

and they're effectively your spouse.

Well, that's why you
don't cross a line, do you?

Uh, f*ck, Kenny that really
was not a dig at you, um...

Uh, honestly, it was a promise
to my future self. (CHUCKLES)

Future selves, eh? They are pesky
f*ckers to please. (CHUCKLES)

Mm-hmm.

Look, I don't know if it's having

to pick up Wyndy's slack

or the prospect of actually
having to manage people

with some degree of competency,
but I feel like I need to...

Oh, no, no, please. It's,
um, it's entirely unnecessary.

- Honestly you don't need to...
- You give someone like me

- a little bit of power and... I dunno...
- It's a hierarchy.

- I... I get it, I get it.
- No.

Nah, that's sh*t. It's scapegoating.

I sat under Wyndham

and he was never
anything but fair to me,

and sometimes I wonder what
my career would look like

if I had to work under someone
like me. Y'know, like I was.

Well, it's a lottery who
you get to sit next to.

Um... I've won plenty of
those in my life, so it's fine.

- Honestly, it's fine.
- I'm, uh...

I'm glad you're ending up somewhere

you're gonna flourish.

Because I... I actually
do, I want that for you.

And, um...

I'm sure you don't want
to hear anything about me

for the millionth time.

Um, and you're probably
worried that this is just, uh,

some more bullshit about
my own bullshit, but...

from a place of empathy...

or like, as close as
anyone can physically hope

to understand how somebody
else must have felt.

And I need to say this to you, um...

I am so sorry, Yasmin.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(DOOR CLOSES)

GUS: Hey, Leo. I think you
should give your dad a call.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

No, I just don't think you
should lie to your family.

Yeah, call him.

You telling him will
be way more meaningful

than the content of
what you actually say.

Okay. Okay, gotta go, good luck.

- (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING)
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Martingale always loses,
eventually. (CLEARS THROAT)

(INHALES DEEPLY)

I'm gonna eat the loss.
Stop out through Goldman.

(UPBEAT MUSIC FADING)

Jesse, who are we kidding?

This is you. This is
not about the money.

What is it about then? You tell me.

(SCOFFS)

I look like I'm about to go on Leno.

Like a f*cking clown.

What is this about? (CLEARS THROAT)

You can't buy the
first flush of a career.

That white heat of a career
trajectory just starting out.

You gave that to me so
you could feel it again.

You really gonna let
the f*cking mob win?

- Over you? Jesse f*cking Bloom?
- (CHUCKLES)

You're... you're appealing
to the worst part of me.

- (CHUCKLES)
- It's the part that thrills you.

I don't have to tell
you, life is gamified.

You strip away the
jargon, the expertise,

the f*cking ceremony.

You chose a career in the ultimate game.

And you chose me...

because I remind you

that it can still
have meaning if we win.

Go out there, talk your f*cking book,

just like you did with the pandemic.

("GOSH" BY JAMIE XX PLAYING)

You are gonna go out there.

You're gonna say the
highest conviction short

of your lifetime is FastAide.
It's a piece of sh*t.

It belongs in the dirt.

You have the power to obliterate it

just by dint of who you are.

Welcome to the feeling.

CONFERENCE HOST: (IN DISTANCE)
... healthcare and telemedicine,

and who is better qualified
to talk about these things

- than Jesse Bloom?
- (CELL PHONE VIBRATES)

Harper, it's my son.

Hey. Yeah.

It's fine. It's... it's fine. (CHUCKLES)

No, now's good. Can you get lost?

I'm here. Yeah.

CONFERENCE HOST: Please take your seats,

- the talk is about to begin.
- I'll see you out there.

This is our last chance. I'm
already done at Pierpoint.

♪ Easy, easy ♪

♪ Hold it down, hold it down... ♪

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Rat.

♪ Oh my gosh ♪

♪ Oh my gosh ♪

♪ Easy, easy ♪

♪ Hold it down, hold it down ♪

♪ Hold it down... ♪

(CLEARS THROAT) Apologies,
but due to unforeseen

circumstances, Jesse Bloom
will not be gracing us

with his presence.

We'll be moving
straight on to Diana Amoa

on telemedicine from an ESG perspective.

(AUDIENCE APPLAUD)

Why are you here then?

Are we worth a bid away?

Shut the door, take a seat.

(SONG CONTINUES)

♪ In Ireland, France, Belgium ♪

♪ Wherever you can ♪
♪ Pick this up, man ♪

♪ Many thanks for still ♪
♪ Keeping the vibe alive ♪

(SONG CONCLUDES)