Alaska Daily (2022) s01e01 Episode Script
Pilot
1
Hi, Steve. Good to see you.
Sorry I'm late.
I've only been in
Shanghai for a few months.
- Kinda buried.
- Yeah, I'm sure you're busy.
And I didn't mean to keep pestering you.
It's just the clock is ticking.
This is gonna derail the
General's confirmation, isn't it?
Maybe, but considering he's the
President's choice for Defense Secretary,
I think the American
people have a right to know.
Did you bring the document, Steve?
The thumb drive, do you have it?
Shoot. I totally spaced.
I'm sorry. It's back at the consulate.
No problem. I'll walk you back.
Oh, no, no, no. That's okay. Really.
I can just go grab it and
Blow me off?
Look, Steve, I get it.
I know this is scary.
It's much easier to do nothing,
however the story's written.
So we can drag this on for days
while you work up the nerve
to do what you know is right,
or you can hand me that thumb drive
that's in your pocket right
now and get on with your life.
You did the right thing, Steve.
Thank you.
-
- EILEEN: Yeah, good. Read it back again.
No, keep that second graf where it is.
Drop that line in at
the end. Read it back.
Yeah, that that's good.
And I'm good with the artwork.
Hey, Eileen, you got a minute?
- No. On deadline.
- I know. It's about your source.
Still no. Still on deadline.
We need more on rank or background
to help verify some information.
No, you don't. My source is good.
Rushmi and legal have signed off.
Eileen, we are exposed here.
It's a single source.
I think you're making a mistake.
I know you do, but you're
wrong. And you're panicking.
I've been doing this since
you were finger painting
with baby food, and right now
I'm 23 minutes away
from publishing a story
I've spent five months investigating.
So please take your
all-hands-on-deck approach
and get the hell away from my desk.
Thank you.
Story's getting read. 15,000
uniques every 10 minutes.
We have TV requests from "Morning Joe",
"Today Show", "GMA", and Fox.
Anything from the General?
Not yet.
Idiots are already at the gate.
Most of them haven't
even read the article.
- I love social media.
- Don't engage.
Too late.
Eileen, go home.
Get some rest.
Let us monitor this.
Good night, Rushmi.
Oh, Eileen
this is very good work.
To comrade Fitzgerald, who
can now count the US military
on her exceedingly long list of enemies.
- Hear, hear.
- Hear, hear.
He's a bully. I hate bullies.
Besides, he's retired.
Once a five-star general
always a five-star general.
And soon-to-be Secretary of Defense.
Not anymore according to my source.
Really?
There it is. The eye of the tiger.
You already got the scoop, Eileen.
Time to share. We're all friends.
Are we? Really?
- No.
- Yes, we are.
To my friends,
may you always stay one story behind me.
Anything for you.
Why? I have 10 minutes.
"Morning Joe" isn't until 6:00.
We canceled it. We have a problem.
You need to come in.
What kind of problem?
The General's team is
going after your source.
Of course they are. Who's his team?
Baxter. Crisis Management.
He's scared. What's his angle?
They're saying the
documents were forged.
That's not possible. No way.
Let me get out there
and defend my story.
We need to get to the
bottom of this first.
Stay off your social media,
and I'll see you at the office.
Anything from your source?
He's gone dark and disappeared.
Consulate said he took personal time.
Look, the General's
a bad guy. We know it.
- But if the documents are fake
- It's on them to prove they are.
Baxter is threatening suit.
Oh, he's bluffing. Grow a pair.
- That's unnecessary.
- Eileen.
These are tweets you
sent last night, correct?
Yeah, and I stand by them. Why?
They're being used to feed a
narrative about your behavior.
- My behavior?
- Complaints have surfaced
about how you treat the staff.
That you're abusive.
Especially towards women.
- What?
- Including one yesterday.
Shailey Granger from research.
Did she approach you about your source?
Five minutes before publishing.
I wanted to throw my stapler at her.
Oh, stop. She overstepped.
I'm not gonna pull punches.
This is a newsroom, not a daycare.
That's how you learn.
That's how I learned.
That narrative is gaining traction.
It started with a small
piece in The Daily Beast
and now The Timesand Fox
News have picked it up.
They're trying to cancel me now?
First things first, we
need to walk back the story.
We'll post an editor's
note saying that we take
these allegations very seriously
and we're gonna re-report.
Absolutely not.
The General uses power and connections
to sell arms to bad people.
Innocent people died as a
result. That's the truth.
Eileen, we don't have a choice.
We do have a choice. We
can choose not to back down.
We can choose to fight and stop
acting like a bunch of scared
woke wussies more interested
in eating their own
than reporting the news.
We will re-report the story.
You do that, Rushmi, I walk.
And I swear I won't come back.
That's all I need. Great. Thanks.
Hey, Jefferson.
There's a Stanley Cornik here.
In the lobby?
Hi, Fitzgerald.
Stanley.
Your hair's shorter.
You haven't seen me in 17
years. Why are you here?
You wouldn't return my calls,
so I thought I'd pop by.
"Pop by"? From Alaska?
Want some water?
I'm good, thanks.
Nice place.
What you working on?
You can buy the book.
Sure you wanna do that?
I have to. I was right. I am right.
The General's bad,
but so was your source.
You flew 3,000 miles to tell me that?
Or was it to apologize
for screwing me over
on my story 17 years ago?
Both. Mistakes were made.
Why are you here, Stanley?
- To offer you a job.
- Jesus.
One-year contract. General
assignment. No strings.
- I'm not that desperate.
- You're not?
When's the last time
you left this apartment?
I'm writing my book.
And what happens when it's done?
I don't know, but I'm
not going to Alaska.
Not a chance. It's the minor leagues.
I paid my dues.
I'm finishing the book, and I'm out.
Come on, Fitzgerald.
You're a born reporter.
You're one of the best.
Oh, really?
Maybe you don't read the news, Stanley.
But it turns out I'm a two-bit hack,
blinded by my own ambition.
Oh, and I'm a
woman-hating bully to boot.
Ironic, isn't it?
I spent my whole career battling a bunch
of good ol' boy misogynists
only to get canceled
for being one myself.
So yeah, I'm done. I'm done! I'm done!
Now, if you could leave
so that I can get back to work.
Yeah, sure.
But for what it's worth,
we need good reporting
in the minor leagues, too.
You don't know of a good Italian joint
in the neighborhood, do you?
We just had our second kid
when The Daily Alaskan reached out.
Going home felt right.
What about you? Never married?
Tried it for a year. He
was a photojournalist.
We both loved our jobs
more than each other.
He was a good guy.
Still friends?
We were until he died in Afghanistan.
I'm sorry.
Sure you're not hungry?
I'm fine.
Are you?
So, you're the big boss now.
- Is it all you hoped for?
- Yeah, it is.
One catch My staff is
down from about 100 to 25,
covering a state two and a
half times the size of Texas.
We're doing good work, but
we're just missing too much.
I'm one reporter, Stanley.
I can't fix your problems.
You break big stories, Eileen.
You do that for us, we stay
relevant, we stay alive.
Her name is Gloria Nanmac.
She lived in Meade, in the
Northwest Arctic Borough.
She went missing after
a party two years ago.
Two hunters found her
body three months later.
Police ruled out foul
play. Her mother disagrees.
It's a story about a
dead woman in Alaska.
Put your cops reporter
on it. You don't need me.
It's not just a story about
a dead woman in Alaska.
She's indigenous.
So are they.
It's a story about how
the Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women crisis
is being largely ignored.
It's a big story, and it
starts with Gloria Nanmac.
You still awake?
Yep, I'm on Alaska time.
I was on your website.
You guys only did one story
and a short follow on Gloria's death?
We had to move on.
The police weren't cooperating.
We still haven't gotten
the police report.
Two years later? Why?
They determined there was no foul play,
which means the case should be closed.
Why are they holding on to that report?
Good question.
So, how'd you get the death certificate?
- Her family?
- Yeah, her mother.
Is it just me, or does it sound like
you're digging into the story?
I can't go to Alaska, Stanley.
It's ridiculous.
Eileen, this story can change
the national conversation.
So could my book on the General.
That matters to me.
Green, He's the Secretary of
Defense, and he shouldn't be.
I agree.
You can work on the book in Anchorage.
I just
don't know if I'm ready.
I got a strong hunch you are.
You might be hurt and you
might be pissed off, Eileen,
but you're not done.
And I think you know it.
Good night.
Good night.
I'm sorry.
Please remain seated.
The fasten seatbelt light is on.
Please remain seated.
Let me go, lady.
Ma'am, return to your seat.
Ma'am. Ma'am!
- What's wrong with the air?
- Return to your seat.
Ma'am!
You okay?
What happened?
You fainted.
You've been asleep for two hours.
Your vitals are good,
but you should probably
drink lots of water.
- Are you a doctor?
- No.
I'm a village health
aid. Kind of like an EMT.
I'm Melinda.
Eileen.
Has that happened before?
No. Never.
I felt like I was having a heart attack.
I'm pretty sure it wasn't that.
So, what was it?
Maybe a panic attack.
- Have you been under a lot of stress?
- No.
Hi, Ms. Fitzgerald?
I'm Gabriel Tovar. Welcome to Alaska.
- Thanks.
- Is this all you have?
- That's it.
- Wow.
I pack more when I go to Juneau.
Okay. So we should go, yeah?
Yes, definitely. I'm sorry. Let's go.
How was your flight? Any problems?
No. No problems.
I just have to say,
I'm a huge fan of yours.
It's truly inspirational to
to meet you and drive you.
And I'm really sorry
about what happened,
you know, with your story
on the General.
I love this hotel.
Always wanted to stay here.
Dare to dream.
Is the city always this empty?
You must be used to New York crowds.
I'm used to people, yeah.
They have a great rooftop restaurant,
a very lovely spa, a
gift shop, an art gallery.
Am I talking too much?
- Right on the edge.
- I completely understand.
I think I'm good, Gabriel.
Oh, okay, um, I have a little gift.
Here's a sleep mask.
Thanks, but I don't use a sleep mask.
First timers from the lower
48 have trouble sleeping.
The sun won't set until about 11:30.
You should take it.
- See you in the morning.
- Can't wait.
- Hello?
- Hi. Can I speak to Sylvie Nanmac, please?
- She's not here.
- Uh, do you expect her back soon?
She's down in Anchorage
to see her doctor.
Hope everything's okay.
Is this her husband?
No. I'm just watching her cat.
Oh. Well, do you happen
to have her cell number?
I've tried the number I have
a few times, but no luck.
Who is this?
My name is Eileen Fitzgerald.
I work for The Van The Daily Alaskan,
and I'm doing a story about
her daughter Gloria's death.
Hello?
Kinda late for you to be calling.
It's 10:30.
Oh, sorry. It is?
Didn't realize. It's so bright out.
- Goodbye.
- Wait.
Hello?
Hello?
- Good morning.
- Hey, Gabriel.
I'm downstairs.
On my way.
Your coffee. Daily Alaskan.
Here we are.
What's this?
The Daily Alaskan.
This is a strip mall.
What happened to the big
glass lobby with white pillars?
Oh, that was the old building.
We moved three years ago. Downsizing.
Hi, Janice. This is Eileen Fitzgerald.
She's starting today. I
have a key card for her.
She's very shy.
This is where it all happens.
I can see that.
So, coffee and tea are here,
but there's a drive-through coffee
just out front that's way better.
I used to work there.
That's how I started here, actually.
And, well, this is your desk.
I left you some new pads and pens.
Why is it so quiet in here?
- Is it?
- Yeah.
Extremely.
Like, dead.
Oh, okay.
Um, that's the editors meeting in there.
Looks like they started.
The City Assembly is considering
requiring bars to close earlier
- due to a
- Hey, sorry.
Sorry I'm late. Hi.
Gang, Eileen Fitzgerald.
Eileen, our editorial legion of doom.
Let's do intros as we go, Bob.
Thank you, Stanley. Bob
Young, Senior reporter.
Acting News Editor covering Mary Debnick
who is on maternity leave.
Where was I before the interruption?
Oh, yes, the bars closing earlier
due to an excess of street violence
and the armed police
standoff in Muldoon.
Suspect was male, 20s,
Caucasian, and completely nude.
Claimed he was unfairly evicted.
He's been remanded to police custody.
Yuna Park is covering.
- Was he renting?
- We don't know.
Anchorage PD refused to
provide a unit number.
- So no police report?
- No.
It's an open investigation.
Did they enter the apartment?
Yes. I assume they did. Why?
If they entered the apartment
of a private citizen,
don't they need to
provide the unit number?
So far, all they've
provided is the block number.
Did you check the CAD notes?
They refuse to provide them.
CAD notes are public record.
They don't have a choice.
We have a strained
relationship with Anchorage PD.
They aren't prioritizing our requests.
So sic legal on them.
Our lawyer hasn't been as
effective as we'd like him to be.
Well, is he a wimp or just no good?
Charlie's a very good lawyer
and very well-liked in this town.
Well, good for Charlie, but
you don't need well-liked,
you need a jerk who gets records.
We don't believe we need
to be jerks to do our jobs.
Maybe not, but I'm guessing
it was good ol' Charlie
who couldn't get the police report
in Gloria Nanmac's death either.
- Who?
- Eileen.
Reporters need support in
order to do their job, Stanley.
We'll talk about this offline.
- This is w
- Offline.
Bob, that about wrap it up?
Hey, Pete. Eileen Fitzgerald.
Yeah, it has been a minute. Uh, good.
Uh, listen, I could use your
help getting ahold of some
Whoa.
Sorry, I saw a bug.
Yeah, um, yeah, I could use your help
getting ahold of some
police records in Anchorage.
Alaska.
Yeah, it's a long story.
Can you help me out?
Thanks. I'll send over the details.
But if anyone asks for a name,
give them Bob Young, Acting News Editor.
I gotta jump. Thanks, Pete.
Eileen? Claire Muncy.
- I'm a reporter here.
- Oh, yeah.
I just read your story on the
white nationalist deli owner.
It was a great piece. Heck of a guy.
Thanks, yeah, real winner.
I gotta get to the courthouse.
I just wanted to say welcome.
- You cover courts, too?
- We all cover everything.
Small newsroom.
Yeah, there was a-a kid under my desk.
Zachary. Belongs to Austin.
Oh, he doesn't bite.
Just don't touch his iPad.
- Austin Teague.
- Hi, thanks.
Oh, uh, Claire.
I'm trying to track down
this woman from Meade.
She's here to see her doctor.
Any idea where I could start?
- Alaska Native?
- She is, yeah.
The Alaska Native
Health & Hospital Center.
Most villages don't have
hospitals or even clinics.
If you're Alaska Native, you go there.
It's pretty impressive.
Oh! I'm sorry.
Whoa, sorry.
Didn't see you standing there
right directly behind me.
I wanted to introduce myself.
Okay, now or later?
'Cause I gotta get going.
Now. Yuna Park. I'm a reporter.
Oh, yeah. You're on that police standoff
- with the naked guy in, uh
- Muldoon. Yes.
Uh, between us, I'm gonna
get you those CAD notes.
The CAD notes?
- Yeah, the dispatcher notes.
- Oh, I know what they are,
but the police aren't providing them.
Yeah, I heard. I'll get them.
They'll tell us what
apartment Mr. Naked lived in.
My driver awaits.
This place is huge.
You want me to come in with you?
- I'll manage.
- Thanks. I'll be right here.
Attention, all available
nursing personnel,
please report to the attending board.
All available nursing personnel
I'm here to see Sylvie Nanmac.
Um, may I ask your name?
Eileen Fitzgerald.
Temperature dropping from
59 degrees in the afternoon.
Mrs. Nanmac?
You're that reporter who
left messages on my cell.
That's right. I want to
talk to you about Gloria.
If I wanted to talk to you,
I would have called you back.
Mrs. Nanmac, I just want to help.
You're too late for that.
Your paper wrote two
small articles on Gloria.
Two.
They said she used drugs,
that she got arrested.
They made her out to be the
criminal, not the victim.
I understand how you feel. I'm
You have no idea how I feel!
What I went through!
How could you?
Please don't come back.
Mrs. Nanmac.
Ma'am? Could you come with me please?
Congratulations. Here
for less that 24 hours
and thrown out of one
of our leading hospitals.
Yay me.
I gotta go back.
- She won't talk to you.
- Why?
She's angry about our coverage.
Well, I can't say I blame
her, but that's you, not me.
She'll be even more reluctant to talk
when she finds out you
don't know the place.
Unless I send you with
one of our other reporters.
- No way.
- It'll be helpful.
I don't care. I work alone.
- You wanted to see me?
- Come in, Roz.
Meet Eileen Fitzgerald.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Rosalind Friendly.
Roz, I want to put you
on a story with Eileen.
- Stanley.
- I'm right in the middle of my story
on the Governor's task force.
You can do both for now.
Could have given me a heads up.
- Me, too, for that matter.
- Fair enough.
Apologies to you both.
I still want it to happen.
Unless one of you wants to step aside.
What's the story?
Cold case in Meade.
A dead woman named Gloria Nanmac.
Another Missing and Murdered.
- Why?
- "Why"?
Yeah, even if we figure
out what happened,
no one's gonna do anything about it.
Not the cops, not the
courts, not the politicians
Then we report on that.
You mean that? You'll
take it all the way?
I do.
Her death is obviously
part of a pattern.
We need to prove it, and we
need to show who's to blame.
Great. So, why not just
give the whole story to me?
For starters, it's my story.
Do you know anything about Alaska?
That's why it's called
investigative reporting.
Is that why you're here?
To teach us about reporting?
- Is she always like this?
- Yes.
Roz, you wanted the
statehouse. You got statehouse.
That's before I knew that doing
this story right was an option.
Fine, but Eileen is here now,
and I want you both
on it together, okay?
Okay.
I got an interview
across town in 20 minutes.
- Can I go?
- Mm-hmm.
I'm not here to mentor, Stanley.
- How about player coach?
- No.
Especially with a Gen whatever she is.
They play tough until
their feelings get hurt
- and then they
- Get you canceled.
Yeah. That. And it sucks.
I know you're used to working alone,
but we do things differently here.
We have to.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt
to try something new.
Like move to Alaska?
- There you go.
- One of those for me?
It could be if you tell me
what you think of the new kid.
- I'll get my own.
- Come on, Claire.
I know you got an opinion on her.
I'm not paid for my opinions.
Which raises the question,
how much is Stanley paying her,
and where did he find the money?
No more questions at this time.
Final question, Senator.
You think she'll make
it through the winter?
Doesn't seem like a quitter.
That was the night she disappeared.
Who are you, Toby Crenshaw?
Hey, uh
- Austin.
- Austin. Right.
Do you have the Nexus login?
I need to run a search on a few names.
We don't have Nexus.
We got busted for
sharing the same account.
- Welcome to the big time.
- Impressive.
Uh, well, we have a printer?
That we do. It may even work.
Um, ask Gabriel. He'll hook you up.
Thanks.
Attaboy, Pete.
Yuna, the CAD notes are available.
- How'd that happen?
- I know a guy.
Thank you.
- Gabriel.
- Yeah?
I hear you're the guy that
can make things happen.
Absolutely.
Do you need something to happen?
I do. A few things, actually.
- You're press?
- The Daily Alaskan.
These CAD notes aren't
available to the press.
I think they are. Can you double check?
This is the thing with
that New York lawyer.
That's right.
Hang on.
Bob Young.
Oh. Hi, Captain.
To what do I owe the honor?
I-I have no idea what
you're talking about.
Jordan Teller. How do I know
That Jordan Teller.
Yuna?
Did you get the CAD
notes on the Muldoon case?
- I did.
- How exactly?
I went to the police station.
Why did they give them to you?
Oh, I think Eileen had
a lawyer friend call.
- But, Bob, you're not gonna believe this.
- I knew it.
Did you have a New York lawyer pressure
Anchorage PD into turning
over the CAD notes?
I did, but I think you know that.
That is not how we do things here.
Maybe it should be. It worked.
You are jeopardizing
important relationships
that we depend on for
valuable information.
Playing nice for tips doesn't work, Bob.
You do that, the cops own you.
Stay away from my reporters.
Did you rat me out?
- No, I would never.
- I'm kidding.
Did the notes have the apartment number?
They did.
And I just looked it up on the
city's property tax database.
The apartment is owned by
an LLC called The Clubhouse,
- and it's controlled by Jordan Teller.
- Whoa! Teller?
- You know him?
- Oh, yeah.
He's the Executive Chair of
the Alaska Investment Fund.
Oil money?
Alaska's $64 billion piggy bank.
Pays out one check a
year to every Alaskan.
It's one of the biggest
government jobs in the state.
What's he doing with a
small apartment in Muldoon?
Not to mention the gun-toting
naked guy that goes with it.
You should go to the
jail, talk to Mr. Naked.
I already tried. I
filed it with the PIO.
They said it was two weeks.
Go again. Tell them you're friends.
- But that's not true.
- Yet.
You could end up being great friends.
- You never know.
- You know, I have a source
on the board of the
Alaska Investment Fund.
I can connect with him, see what's up.
- Thanks.
- You guys are good together.
- What do you mean?
- Who?
You make a great team.
- I'll go make that call.
- Yeah.
Cool, thanks.
Hello, Mr. Lewis.
I don't know you.
My name is Yuna Park. I'm
with The Daily Alaskan.
I want to talk to you about
what happened in Muldoon.
I can't.
Why?
Because I want to get out of here.
Did someone tell you not to talk?
Was it Jordan Teller?
Mr. Lewis, I just want to
hear your side of the story.
This doesn't feel right
that you're in here.
It's not.
I-I've never been in prison before.
It sucks.
Seems like it.
W-we were dating.
H-He bought that apartment for me.
For us.
Who did? Mr. Teller?
Jordan, yeah.
Then he had some financial
troubles or something,
and he just sold it without telling me.
Then what happened?
Then the police showed up
and tried to throw me out.
It was so humiliating.
They were having an affair?
That's what Mr. Lewis said.
He said Teller bought him the apartment
but then started having
financial troubles,
so he sold it.
Mr. Lewis didn't want to leave.
So he stripped naked and
started waving a gun around?
Something like that, yes.
And my source at the AIF said
that Teller's being audited internally.
Misappropriation of funds.
Did he use money from the
fund to buy his love pad?
I like the love pad throwback,
and, yeah, seems possible.
My God. Okay.
Reach out to Teller for comment.
- I'll let Stanley know.
- Got it. Thanks.
Hey, have you seen Eileen?
Uh, yeah. She's in your war room.
I just dropped off another map.
Our war room?
Yeah, that's what she called it.
How'd you manage this?
The night editor wasn't using it.
Apparently he doesn't like windows.
You figured that out in a day?
It pays to be squeaky.
These are Gloria's friends from Meade.
I'm particularly interested
in this guy, Toby Crenshaw.
He invited her to the party
the night she went missing.
His posts suggest they were close
and she was in a bad place.
And I scrubbed her, and it tracks.
How so?
Well, she was struggling
drugs and alcohol, two misdemeanors.
Yeah, we reported on
that. What's your point?
Well, maybe she goes to
the party, things go badly,
she wants to be alone,
and she ducks out.
Wasn't her body found on the tundra?
Yeah. Here.
And the party was in town here.
The tundra's frozen in the winter.
You can only get out there
by foot or snow machine.
Doesn't make sense that she walked
all that way in the cold at night.
She was upset.
Maybe she wasn't
planning on walking back.
You think she committed suicide?
It's been two years,
and no one's come forward
with any information
that points to foul play.
I read today that the
suicide rate in villages
is five times the national average.
I know. I grew up in one.
I also know that suicide
is used as an excuse
not to investigate crimes
against Native women.
I'm not using it as an excuse.
I'm following the facts.
Okay, then you can't ignore the fact
that if she was white and blonde,
we'd be assuming she was murdered
and her face would be all over CNN.
And you can't ignore the
fact that the truth here
might not fit your preferred narrative.
Okay.
That's it? Okay?
Hey, I know you might resent
that Stanley put me on this.
I resent he didn't come to me first.
But the fact remains I'm here,
and I'm gonna do whatever
it takes to break this story.
You mean we.
Good night.
Newsroom.
Is this Eileen Fitzgerald
formerly of The Vanguard?
- Who's calling?
- A concerned citizen.
What's your concern, citizen?
You. Alaska doesn't need another
corrupt reporter spewing lies.
Go back to New York before
something bad happens.
You put out a press release on me?
No. You want one?
Just got my first fan call.
That was fast.
I know the Anchorage Eagle
posted a piece on you.
What's the Anchorage Eagle?
A blog run by a former,
somewhat disgruntled employee.
It's sole purpose seems
to be causing us trouble.
Lotta nut jobs read it.
Oh.
One reached out. Lucky me.
We need to take it seriously.
I'll put you in touch with our lawyer.
"Charlie the nice guy"?
Lot of good that'll do.
You can buy me a drink instead.
I'd love to, but my daughter
and her new boyfriend are coming over.
That and I'm 10 years sober.
Congrats.
Not me.
Rage on the wind tonight ♪
Free refills?
Nope. That's from him.
Blue T-shirt.
We were speculating
on where you're from.
I guessed New York.
Jamie guessed Los Angeles.
How'd you know I'm not from here?
Clothes, hair, demeanor, computer.
So, pretty much everything?
Yeah.
You win. New York. I'm Eileen.
I'm Karla from Houston.
What brought you here,
Karla from Houston?
The vibrant Black community.
Came with a job, lost the job. Now here.
Hmm. What was the lost job?
Accountant at an oil company.
I'm a sucker for a spreadsheet.
- You?
- Reporter.
Came to work for The Daily Alaskan.
From New York to The Alaskan? Damn.
Throwing ambition to the wind.
So, is, uh, Mr. Scruffy worth a drink?
I ended up staying in that
village for about a year.
Just fishing.
And writing.
What kind of writing?
Poetry.
So you're a pilot and a poet?
I am, indeed. I am a pilot poet.
You gotta be an endangered species.
I believe I am. Yeah.
There's tons of pilots in Alaska
due to the severe lack of roads,
but the number of pilot
poets, it's very limited.
You ever take your show on the road?
Yeah, I go outside from time
to time, but, uh, this is home.
- Outside?
- The lower 48.
From whence you came.
Speaking of which, there is a theory
that outsiders come to
Alaska for one of two reasons.
To disappear or to reinvent themselves.
So, Ms. Fitzgerald, which one is it?
Door number one or door number two?
Three.
I came for a job.
Maybe.
Oh, you think I made that up?
No, but Alaska has a funny way
of revealing things to you
about you.
So maybe the reason you're
here has yet to be revealed.
You really are a pilot poet.
You leaving?
I got work.
Where the hell am I?
Turnagain Arm.
I know it was dark, but didn't
we drive here in like 15 minutes?
More like 40, but we were yapping.
It's not bad, huh?
Insane.
Sit tight, I'll give you a lift.
Oh, it's okay. I can Uber.
No, you can't.
Our hearts are free ♪
I was thinking about
what happened to you
on the plane here, your episode.
Maybe you should see somebody
or talk to somebody about it.
Apparently I did.
You.
Oh, you're you're stubborn.
You're also kind of an amazing woman.
Based on one night?
Based on you.
Just to say it,
I haven't done anything
like last night in a minute.
Well, you're still good at it.
But if this is the
morning share, me neither.
I want real love,
baby, there's a world ♪
Hi. Is your dad home?
One second. Dad! Someone's here!
Mr. Teller, I'm Yuna Park
from The Daily Alaskan.
- Yes?
- I'm gonna be running
a story on the apartment in Muldoon.
I wanted to give you
a chance to comment.
About what?
Do you own the apartment in Muldoon?
What?
Do you own an apartment
at 2316 West 12th
You have no right to come to my home.
I'm just trying to figure out
what happened to Mr. Lewis.
How would I know?
Well, Mr. Lewis told me
you were in a relationship.
- Is that true?
- No. It's not true.
He said that you bought
him the apartment.
- That's insane.
- Then when you had financial troubles,
you tried to evict him.
Why is any of this your business?
Did you use money from
the Alaska Investment Fund
to pay for the apartment?
Why are you doing this?
I was gonna pay it back as
soon as the sale went through.
That young man is confused.
Emotional.
I did nothing wrong.
I know you're just doing your job,
but this is just a byline for you.
If you print it, it will
destroy me, my family.
Don't do that.
She's just in the cafeteria,
which is just down that
way and around the corner.
Okay, go around?
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
Yeah, have a good day.
Mrs. Nanmac.
I'm Roz Friendly of The Daily Alaskan.
You've met my colleague,
Eileen Fitzgerald.
I did, and I told her
I didn't want to talk.
And that's not gonna change
because she brought you.
May I sit down?
I know you're upset with the paper.
I get it. But she didn't bring me here.
I came because our
editor wants to find out
what happened to Gloria.
And how do I know you're not
gonna do what you always do?
One sad story, and that's it.
Because I don't work that way.
You have my word. It will
be different this time.
Your word doesn't mean anything to me.
Sylvie, please. I know how you feel.
I am so sick of hearing that.
Did you lose a daughter?
No.
My cousin.
Laura.
I grew up in Yakutat.
Laura and I did everything together.
She was my best friend.
She went missing when she was 17.
That's why I became a reporter.
That's why I do this job.
What do you want to know?
The place they found Gloria's body,
is there any reason that she
might have gone there that evening?
She didn't go there.
She was taken there.
By who?
I don't know.
What makes you certain
she was taken there?
Because they didn't find her crutches
when they found her body.
Crutches? She used crutches?
She had bad frostbite.
She couldn't walk anywhere without them.
I didn't read anywhere
she used crutches.
No. Your paper left that out.
Did you tell the police?
Of course. It matters.
- Gloria used crutches?
- She couldn't walk without them.
She was last seen
alive at the party here,
and her body was found all
the way out here on the tundra.
Someone dropped her off out there.
Which means the cops were
hasty in ruling out foul play.
If by "hasty" you mean
negligent, I agree.
We still need to prove it. What's next?
We need to talk to
this guy, Toby Crenshaw.
But first, we need to
see a coroner's report.
The medical examiner
is here in Anchorage.
They won't release the report to us.
They will to family.
You think Sylvie will do it?
I think she will.
Hey, guys. Yuna's
back. She got a comment.
He said he planned on paying it back
as soon as the sale went through.
Like a bridge loan.
So he used illegal
funds to buy a love nest?
That is correct.
Well, what about the
boyfriend? Did he report that?
- I don't feel like
- You have to.
You already reported
Mr. Naked with a gun.
- I'm not sure.
- It is the reason he bought the apartment.
Says Mr. Lewis.
Do you have any other sources
confirming the relationship
or if Teller bought
the apartment for him?
No. Mr. Lewis mentioned a friend,
but I've not been
able to track him down.
Sounds like "he said, he said".
I bet if you publish, the
friend will come forward.
Agreed. This one's got legs.
Question is, what do we publish?
A flagrant misappropriation
of state funds.
You can mention the relationship
in terms of the rent dispute,
but I'd lay off the
romance until we have more.
Well, you better hope
the Anchorage Eagle
doesn't scoop that. It's
right up their alley.
Definitely up their alley.
Bob, you good?
I'm good. Disturbed, but good.
Write it up, Yuna.
If it's good, it's on the front page.
Look at that. First one.
And it's a kill shot. Nice job.
I can't. I-I'm sorry. I can't do this.
Give the story to Eileen.
What? Why give it to me?
Really?
Fine.
Hey, Yuna. Stop.
Why are you giving me the story?
- It's your story.
- I don't want it.
I can't do it.
Do what? Write?
I can't ruin this man's life
because he made a mistake.
He's married. I met his son.
It's just a byline for me,
but it's his whole life.
Did he say that to you?
Right.
Look, this job isn't easy.
And we don't do it to be liked.
We do it 'cause it matters.
This is an important story.
Teller did something illegal,
and he did it with money
that belongs to every
single person in this state.
You think The New York
Times is gonna cover this?
The Post? No.
This is exactly why
local journalism matters.
Why this very small, underfunded paper
in this crappy strip mall matters.
Alaskans deserve to know.
They'll decide. Not you.
Got it?
Good. Now go write your story.
Thank you, Eileen.
Yeah.
You know what?
I know Anchorage is
the last place in the world
you ever expected to end up
after the career that you've had,
but we're very lucky to have you.
Oh, God. Not here.
Hi, Steve. Good to see you.
Sorry I'm late.
I've only been in
Shanghai for a few months.
- Kinda buried.
- Yeah, I'm sure you're busy.
And I didn't mean to keep pestering you.
It's just the clock is ticking.
This is gonna derail the
General's confirmation, isn't it?
Maybe, but considering he's the
President's choice for Defense Secretary,
I think the American
people have a right to know.
Did you bring the document, Steve?
The thumb drive, do you have it?
Shoot. I totally spaced.
I'm sorry. It's back at the consulate.
No problem. I'll walk you back.
Oh, no, no, no. That's okay. Really.
I can just go grab it and
Blow me off?
Look, Steve, I get it.
I know this is scary.
It's much easier to do nothing,
however the story's written.
So we can drag this on for days
while you work up the nerve
to do what you know is right,
or you can hand me that thumb drive
that's in your pocket right
now and get on with your life.
You did the right thing, Steve.
Thank you.
-
- EILEEN: Yeah, good. Read it back again.
No, keep that second graf where it is.
Drop that line in at
the end. Read it back.
Yeah, that that's good.
And I'm good with the artwork.
Hey, Eileen, you got a minute?
- No. On deadline.
- I know. It's about your source.
Still no. Still on deadline.
We need more on rank or background
to help verify some information.
No, you don't. My source is good.
Rushmi and legal have signed off.
Eileen, we are exposed here.
It's a single source.
I think you're making a mistake.
I know you do, but you're
wrong. And you're panicking.
I've been doing this since
you were finger painting
with baby food, and right now
I'm 23 minutes away
from publishing a story
I've spent five months investigating.
So please take your
all-hands-on-deck approach
and get the hell away from my desk.
Thank you.
Story's getting read. 15,000
uniques every 10 minutes.
We have TV requests from "Morning Joe",
"Today Show", "GMA", and Fox.
Anything from the General?
Not yet.
Idiots are already at the gate.
Most of them haven't
even read the article.
- I love social media.
- Don't engage.
Too late.
Eileen, go home.
Get some rest.
Let us monitor this.
Good night, Rushmi.
Oh, Eileen
this is very good work.
To comrade Fitzgerald, who
can now count the US military
on her exceedingly long list of enemies.
- Hear, hear.
- Hear, hear.
He's a bully. I hate bullies.
Besides, he's retired.
Once a five-star general
always a five-star general.
And soon-to-be Secretary of Defense.
Not anymore according to my source.
Really?
There it is. The eye of the tiger.
You already got the scoop, Eileen.
Time to share. We're all friends.
Are we? Really?
- No.
- Yes, we are.
To my friends,
may you always stay one story behind me.
Anything for you.
Why? I have 10 minutes.
"Morning Joe" isn't until 6:00.
We canceled it. We have a problem.
You need to come in.
What kind of problem?
The General's team is
going after your source.
Of course they are. Who's his team?
Baxter. Crisis Management.
He's scared. What's his angle?
They're saying the
documents were forged.
That's not possible. No way.
Let me get out there
and defend my story.
We need to get to the
bottom of this first.
Stay off your social media,
and I'll see you at the office.
Anything from your source?
He's gone dark and disappeared.
Consulate said he took personal time.
Look, the General's
a bad guy. We know it.
- But if the documents are fake
- It's on them to prove they are.
Baxter is threatening suit.
Oh, he's bluffing. Grow a pair.
- That's unnecessary.
- Eileen.
These are tweets you
sent last night, correct?
Yeah, and I stand by them. Why?
They're being used to feed a
narrative about your behavior.
- My behavior?
- Complaints have surfaced
about how you treat the staff.
That you're abusive.
Especially towards women.
- What?
- Including one yesterday.
Shailey Granger from research.
Did she approach you about your source?
Five minutes before publishing.
I wanted to throw my stapler at her.
Oh, stop. She overstepped.
I'm not gonna pull punches.
This is a newsroom, not a daycare.
That's how you learn.
That's how I learned.
That narrative is gaining traction.
It started with a small
piece in The Daily Beast
and now The Timesand Fox
News have picked it up.
They're trying to cancel me now?
First things first, we
need to walk back the story.
We'll post an editor's
note saying that we take
these allegations very seriously
and we're gonna re-report.
Absolutely not.
The General uses power and connections
to sell arms to bad people.
Innocent people died as a
result. That's the truth.
Eileen, we don't have a choice.
We do have a choice. We
can choose not to back down.
We can choose to fight and stop
acting like a bunch of scared
woke wussies more interested
in eating their own
than reporting the news.
We will re-report the story.
You do that, Rushmi, I walk.
And I swear I won't come back.
That's all I need. Great. Thanks.
Hey, Jefferson.
There's a Stanley Cornik here.
In the lobby?
Hi, Fitzgerald.
Stanley.
Your hair's shorter.
You haven't seen me in 17
years. Why are you here?
You wouldn't return my calls,
so I thought I'd pop by.
"Pop by"? From Alaska?
Want some water?
I'm good, thanks.
Nice place.
What you working on?
You can buy the book.
Sure you wanna do that?
I have to. I was right. I am right.
The General's bad,
but so was your source.
You flew 3,000 miles to tell me that?
Or was it to apologize
for screwing me over
on my story 17 years ago?
Both. Mistakes were made.
Why are you here, Stanley?
- To offer you a job.
- Jesus.
One-year contract. General
assignment. No strings.
- I'm not that desperate.
- You're not?
When's the last time
you left this apartment?
I'm writing my book.
And what happens when it's done?
I don't know, but I'm
not going to Alaska.
Not a chance. It's the minor leagues.
I paid my dues.
I'm finishing the book, and I'm out.
Come on, Fitzgerald.
You're a born reporter.
You're one of the best.
Oh, really?
Maybe you don't read the news, Stanley.
But it turns out I'm a two-bit hack,
blinded by my own ambition.
Oh, and I'm a
woman-hating bully to boot.
Ironic, isn't it?
I spent my whole career battling a bunch
of good ol' boy misogynists
only to get canceled
for being one myself.
So yeah, I'm done. I'm done! I'm done!
Now, if you could leave
so that I can get back to work.
Yeah, sure.
But for what it's worth,
we need good reporting
in the minor leagues, too.
You don't know of a good Italian joint
in the neighborhood, do you?
We just had our second kid
when The Daily Alaskan reached out.
Going home felt right.
What about you? Never married?
Tried it for a year. He
was a photojournalist.
We both loved our jobs
more than each other.
He was a good guy.
Still friends?
We were until he died in Afghanistan.
I'm sorry.
Sure you're not hungry?
I'm fine.
Are you?
So, you're the big boss now.
- Is it all you hoped for?
- Yeah, it is.
One catch My staff is
down from about 100 to 25,
covering a state two and a
half times the size of Texas.
We're doing good work, but
we're just missing too much.
I'm one reporter, Stanley.
I can't fix your problems.
You break big stories, Eileen.
You do that for us, we stay
relevant, we stay alive.
Her name is Gloria Nanmac.
She lived in Meade, in the
Northwest Arctic Borough.
She went missing after
a party two years ago.
Two hunters found her
body three months later.
Police ruled out foul
play. Her mother disagrees.
It's a story about a
dead woman in Alaska.
Put your cops reporter
on it. You don't need me.
It's not just a story about
a dead woman in Alaska.
She's indigenous.
So are they.
It's a story about how
the Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women crisis
is being largely ignored.
It's a big story, and it
starts with Gloria Nanmac.
You still awake?
Yep, I'm on Alaska time.
I was on your website.
You guys only did one story
and a short follow on Gloria's death?
We had to move on.
The police weren't cooperating.
We still haven't gotten
the police report.
Two years later? Why?
They determined there was no foul play,
which means the case should be closed.
Why are they holding on to that report?
Good question.
So, how'd you get the death certificate?
- Her family?
- Yeah, her mother.
Is it just me, or does it sound like
you're digging into the story?
I can't go to Alaska, Stanley.
It's ridiculous.
Eileen, this story can change
the national conversation.
So could my book on the General.
That matters to me.
Green, He's the Secretary of
Defense, and he shouldn't be.
I agree.
You can work on the book in Anchorage.
I just
don't know if I'm ready.
I got a strong hunch you are.
You might be hurt and you
might be pissed off, Eileen,
but you're not done.
And I think you know it.
Good night.
Good night.
I'm sorry.
Please remain seated.
The fasten seatbelt light is on.
Please remain seated.
Let me go, lady.
Ma'am, return to your seat.
Ma'am. Ma'am!
- What's wrong with the air?
- Return to your seat.
Ma'am!
You okay?
What happened?
You fainted.
You've been asleep for two hours.
Your vitals are good,
but you should probably
drink lots of water.
- Are you a doctor?
- No.
I'm a village health
aid. Kind of like an EMT.
I'm Melinda.
Eileen.
Has that happened before?
No. Never.
I felt like I was having a heart attack.
I'm pretty sure it wasn't that.
So, what was it?
Maybe a panic attack.
- Have you been under a lot of stress?
- No.
Hi, Ms. Fitzgerald?
I'm Gabriel Tovar. Welcome to Alaska.
- Thanks.
- Is this all you have?
- That's it.
- Wow.
I pack more when I go to Juneau.
Okay. So we should go, yeah?
Yes, definitely. I'm sorry. Let's go.
How was your flight? Any problems?
No. No problems.
I just have to say,
I'm a huge fan of yours.
It's truly inspirational to
to meet you and drive you.
And I'm really sorry
about what happened,
you know, with your story
on the General.
I love this hotel.
Always wanted to stay here.
Dare to dream.
Is the city always this empty?
You must be used to New York crowds.
I'm used to people, yeah.
They have a great rooftop restaurant,
a very lovely spa, a
gift shop, an art gallery.
Am I talking too much?
- Right on the edge.
- I completely understand.
I think I'm good, Gabriel.
Oh, okay, um, I have a little gift.
Here's a sleep mask.
Thanks, but I don't use a sleep mask.
First timers from the lower
48 have trouble sleeping.
The sun won't set until about 11:30.
You should take it.
- See you in the morning.
- Can't wait.
- Hello?
- Hi. Can I speak to Sylvie Nanmac, please?
- She's not here.
- Uh, do you expect her back soon?
She's down in Anchorage
to see her doctor.
Hope everything's okay.
Is this her husband?
No. I'm just watching her cat.
Oh. Well, do you happen
to have her cell number?
I've tried the number I have
a few times, but no luck.
Who is this?
My name is Eileen Fitzgerald.
I work for The Van The Daily Alaskan,
and I'm doing a story about
her daughter Gloria's death.
Hello?
Kinda late for you to be calling.
It's 10:30.
Oh, sorry. It is?
Didn't realize. It's so bright out.
- Goodbye.
- Wait.
Hello?
Hello?
- Good morning.
- Hey, Gabriel.
I'm downstairs.
On my way.
Your coffee. Daily Alaskan.
Here we are.
What's this?
The Daily Alaskan.
This is a strip mall.
What happened to the big
glass lobby with white pillars?
Oh, that was the old building.
We moved three years ago. Downsizing.
Hi, Janice. This is Eileen Fitzgerald.
She's starting today. I
have a key card for her.
She's very shy.
This is where it all happens.
I can see that.
So, coffee and tea are here,
but there's a drive-through coffee
just out front that's way better.
I used to work there.
That's how I started here, actually.
And, well, this is your desk.
I left you some new pads and pens.
Why is it so quiet in here?
- Is it?
- Yeah.
Extremely.
Like, dead.
Oh, okay.
Um, that's the editors meeting in there.
Looks like they started.
The City Assembly is considering
requiring bars to close earlier
- due to a
- Hey, sorry.
Sorry I'm late. Hi.
Gang, Eileen Fitzgerald.
Eileen, our editorial legion of doom.
Let's do intros as we go, Bob.
Thank you, Stanley. Bob
Young, Senior reporter.
Acting News Editor covering Mary Debnick
who is on maternity leave.
Where was I before the interruption?
Oh, yes, the bars closing earlier
due to an excess of street violence
and the armed police
standoff in Muldoon.
Suspect was male, 20s,
Caucasian, and completely nude.
Claimed he was unfairly evicted.
He's been remanded to police custody.
Yuna Park is covering.
- Was he renting?
- We don't know.
Anchorage PD refused to
provide a unit number.
- So no police report?
- No.
It's an open investigation.
Did they enter the apartment?
Yes. I assume they did. Why?
If they entered the apartment
of a private citizen,
don't they need to
provide the unit number?
So far, all they've
provided is the block number.
Did you check the CAD notes?
They refuse to provide them.
CAD notes are public record.
They don't have a choice.
We have a strained
relationship with Anchorage PD.
They aren't prioritizing our requests.
So sic legal on them.
Our lawyer hasn't been as
effective as we'd like him to be.
Well, is he a wimp or just no good?
Charlie's a very good lawyer
and very well-liked in this town.
Well, good for Charlie, but
you don't need well-liked,
you need a jerk who gets records.
We don't believe we need
to be jerks to do our jobs.
Maybe not, but I'm guessing
it was good ol' Charlie
who couldn't get the police report
in Gloria Nanmac's death either.
- Who?
- Eileen.
Reporters need support in
order to do their job, Stanley.
We'll talk about this offline.
- This is w
- Offline.
Bob, that about wrap it up?
Hey, Pete. Eileen Fitzgerald.
Yeah, it has been a minute. Uh, good.
Uh, listen, I could use your
help getting ahold of some
Whoa.
Sorry, I saw a bug.
Yeah, um, yeah, I could use your help
getting ahold of some
police records in Anchorage.
Alaska.
Yeah, it's a long story.
Can you help me out?
Thanks. I'll send over the details.
But if anyone asks for a name,
give them Bob Young, Acting News Editor.
I gotta jump. Thanks, Pete.
Eileen? Claire Muncy.
- I'm a reporter here.
- Oh, yeah.
I just read your story on the
white nationalist deli owner.
It was a great piece. Heck of a guy.
Thanks, yeah, real winner.
I gotta get to the courthouse.
I just wanted to say welcome.
- You cover courts, too?
- We all cover everything.
Small newsroom.
Yeah, there was a-a kid under my desk.
Zachary. Belongs to Austin.
Oh, he doesn't bite.
Just don't touch his iPad.
- Austin Teague.
- Hi, thanks.
Oh, uh, Claire.
I'm trying to track down
this woman from Meade.
She's here to see her doctor.
Any idea where I could start?
- Alaska Native?
- She is, yeah.
The Alaska Native
Health & Hospital Center.
Most villages don't have
hospitals or even clinics.
If you're Alaska Native, you go there.
It's pretty impressive.
Oh! I'm sorry.
Whoa, sorry.
Didn't see you standing there
right directly behind me.
I wanted to introduce myself.
Okay, now or later?
'Cause I gotta get going.
Now. Yuna Park. I'm a reporter.
Oh, yeah. You're on that police standoff
- with the naked guy in, uh
- Muldoon. Yes.
Uh, between us, I'm gonna
get you those CAD notes.
The CAD notes?
- Yeah, the dispatcher notes.
- Oh, I know what they are,
but the police aren't providing them.
Yeah, I heard. I'll get them.
They'll tell us what
apartment Mr. Naked lived in.
My driver awaits.
This place is huge.
You want me to come in with you?
- I'll manage.
- Thanks. I'll be right here.
Attention, all available
nursing personnel,
please report to the attending board.
All available nursing personnel
I'm here to see Sylvie Nanmac.
Um, may I ask your name?
Eileen Fitzgerald.
Temperature dropping from
59 degrees in the afternoon.
Mrs. Nanmac?
You're that reporter who
left messages on my cell.
That's right. I want to
talk to you about Gloria.
If I wanted to talk to you,
I would have called you back.
Mrs. Nanmac, I just want to help.
You're too late for that.
Your paper wrote two
small articles on Gloria.
Two.
They said she used drugs,
that she got arrested.
They made her out to be the
criminal, not the victim.
I understand how you feel. I'm
You have no idea how I feel!
What I went through!
How could you?
Please don't come back.
Mrs. Nanmac.
Ma'am? Could you come with me please?
Congratulations. Here
for less that 24 hours
and thrown out of one
of our leading hospitals.
Yay me.
I gotta go back.
- She won't talk to you.
- Why?
She's angry about our coverage.
Well, I can't say I blame
her, but that's you, not me.
She'll be even more reluctant to talk
when she finds out you
don't know the place.
Unless I send you with
one of our other reporters.
- No way.
- It'll be helpful.
I don't care. I work alone.
- You wanted to see me?
- Come in, Roz.
Meet Eileen Fitzgerald.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Rosalind Friendly.
Roz, I want to put you
on a story with Eileen.
- Stanley.
- I'm right in the middle of my story
on the Governor's task force.
You can do both for now.
Could have given me a heads up.
- Me, too, for that matter.
- Fair enough.
Apologies to you both.
I still want it to happen.
Unless one of you wants to step aside.
What's the story?
Cold case in Meade.
A dead woman named Gloria Nanmac.
Another Missing and Murdered.
- Why?
- "Why"?
Yeah, even if we figure
out what happened,
no one's gonna do anything about it.
Not the cops, not the
courts, not the politicians
Then we report on that.
You mean that? You'll
take it all the way?
I do.
Her death is obviously
part of a pattern.
We need to prove it, and we
need to show who's to blame.
Great. So, why not just
give the whole story to me?
For starters, it's my story.
Do you know anything about Alaska?
That's why it's called
investigative reporting.
Is that why you're here?
To teach us about reporting?
- Is she always like this?
- Yes.
Roz, you wanted the
statehouse. You got statehouse.
That's before I knew that doing
this story right was an option.
Fine, but Eileen is here now,
and I want you both
on it together, okay?
Okay.
I got an interview
across town in 20 minutes.
- Can I go?
- Mm-hmm.
I'm not here to mentor, Stanley.
- How about player coach?
- No.
Especially with a Gen whatever she is.
They play tough until
their feelings get hurt
- and then they
- Get you canceled.
Yeah. That. And it sucks.
I know you're used to working alone,
but we do things differently here.
We have to.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt
to try something new.
Like move to Alaska?
- There you go.
- One of those for me?
It could be if you tell me
what you think of the new kid.
- I'll get my own.
- Come on, Claire.
I know you got an opinion on her.
I'm not paid for my opinions.
Which raises the question,
how much is Stanley paying her,
and where did he find the money?
No more questions at this time.
Final question, Senator.
You think she'll make
it through the winter?
Doesn't seem like a quitter.
That was the night she disappeared.
Who are you, Toby Crenshaw?
Hey, uh
- Austin.
- Austin. Right.
Do you have the Nexus login?
I need to run a search on a few names.
We don't have Nexus.
We got busted for
sharing the same account.
- Welcome to the big time.
- Impressive.
Uh, well, we have a printer?
That we do. It may even work.
Um, ask Gabriel. He'll hook you up.
Thanks.
Attaboy, Pete.
Yuna, the CAD notes are available.
- How'd that happen?
- I know a guy.
Thank you.
- Gabriel.
- Yeah?
I hear you're the guy that
can make things happen.
Absolutely.
Do you need something to happen?
I do. A few things, actually.
- You're press?
- The Daily Alaskan.
These CAD notes aren't
available to the press.
I think they are. Can you double check?
This is the thing with
that New York lawyer.
That's right.
Hang on.
Bob Young.
Oh. Hi, Captain.
To what do I owe the honor?
I-I have no idea what
you're talking about.
Jordan Teller. How do I know
That Jordan Teller.
Yuna?
Did you get the CAD
notes on the Muldoon case?
- I did.
- How exactly?
I went to the police station.
Why did they give them to you?
Oh, I think Eileen had
a lawyer friend call.
- But, Bob, you're not gonna believe this.
- I knew it.
Did you have a New York lawyer pressure
Anchorage PD into turning
over the CAD notes?
I did, but I think you know that.
That is not how we do things here.
Maybe it should be. It worked.
You are jeopardizing
important relationships
that we depend on for
valuable information.
Playing nice for tips doesn't work, Bob.
You do that, the cops own you.
Stay away from my reporters.
Did you rat me out?
- No, I would never.
- I'm kidding.
Did the notes have the apartment number?
They did.
And I just looked it up on the
city's property tax database.
The apartment is owned by
an LLC called The Clubhouse,
- and it's controlled by Jordan Teller.
- Whoa! Teller?
- You know him?
- Oh, yeah.
He's the Executive Chair of
the Alaska Investment Fund.
Oil money?
Alaska's $64 billion piggy bank.
Pays out one check a
year to every Alaskan.
It's one of the biggest
government jobs in the state.
What's he doing with a
small apartment in Muldoon?
Not to mention the gun-toting
naked guy that goes with it.
You should go to the
jail, talk to Mr. Naked.
I already tried. I
filed it with the PIO.
They said it was two weeks.
Go again. Tell them you're friends.
- But that's not true.
- Yet.
You could end up being great friends.
- You never know.
- You know, I have a source
on the board of the
Alaska Investment Fund.
I can connect with him, see what's up.
- Thanks.
- You guys are good together.
- What do you mean?
- Who?
You make a great team.
- I'll go make that call.
- Yeah.
Cool, thanks.
Hello, Mr. Lewis.
I don't know you.
My name is Yuna Park. I'm
with The Daily Alaskan.
I want to talk to you about
what happened in Muldoon.
I can't.
Why?
Because I want to get out of here.
Did someone tell you not to talk?
Was it Jordan Teller?
Mr. Lewis, I just want to
hear your side of the story.
This doesn't feel right
that you're in here.
It's not.
I-I've never been in prison before.
It sucks.
Seems like it.
W-we were dating.
H-He bought that apartment for me.
For us.
Who did? Mr. Teller?
Jordan, yeah.
Then he had some financial
troubles or something,
and he just sold it without telling me.
Then what happened?
Then the police showed up
and tried to throw me out.
It was so humiliating.
They were having an affair?
That's what Mr. Lewis said.
He said Teller bought him the apartment
but then started having
financial troubles,
so he sold it.
Mr. Lewis didn't want to leave.
So he stripped naked and
started waving a gun around?
Something like that, yes.
And my source at the AIF said
that Teller's being audited internally.
Misappropriation of funds.
Did he use money from the
fund to buy his love pad?
I like the love pad throwback,
and, yeah, seems possible.
My God. Okay.
Reach out to Teller for comment.
- I'll let Stanley know.
- Got it. Thanks.
Hey, have you seen Eileen?
Uh, yeah. She's in your war room.
I just dropped off another map.
Our war room?
Yeah, that's what she called it.
How'd you manage this?
The night editor wasn't using it.
Apparently he doesn't like windows.
You figured that out in a day?
It pays to be squeaky.
These are Gloria's friends from Meade.
I'm particularly interested
in this guy, Toby Crenshaw.
He invited her to the party
the night she went missing.
His posts suggest they were close
and she was in a bad place.
And I scrubbed her, and it tracks.
How so?
Well, she was struggling
drugs and alcohol, two misdemeanors.
Yeah, we reported on
that. What's your point?
Well, maybe she goes to
the party, things go badly,
she wants to be alone,
and she ducks out.
Wasn't her body found on the tundra?
Yeah. Here.
And the party was in town here.
The tundra's frozen in the winter.
You can only get out there
by foot or snow machine.
Doesn't make sense that she walked
all that way in the cold at night.
She was upset.
Maybe she wasn't
planning on walking back.
You think she committed suicide?
It's been two years,
and no one's come forward
with any information
that points to foul play.
I read today that the
suicide rate in villages
is five times the national average.
I know. I grew up in one.
I also know that suicide
is used as an excuse
not to investigate crimes
against Native women.
I'm not using it as an excuse.
I'm following the facts.
Okay, then you can't ignore the fact
that if she was white and blonde,
we'd be assuming she was murdered
and her face would be all over CNN.
And you can't ignore the
fact that the truth here
might not fit your preferred narrative.
Okay.
That's it? Okay?
Hey, I know you might resent
that Stanley put me on this.
I resent he didn't come to me first.
But the fact remains I'm here,
and I'm gonna do whatever
it takes to break this story.
You mean we.
Good night.
Newsroom.
Is this Eileen Fitzgerald
formerly of The Vanguard?
- Who's calling?
- A concerned citizen.
What's your concern, citizen?
You. Alaska doesn't need another
corrupt reporter spewing lies.
Go back to New York before
something bad happens.
You put out a press release on me?
No. You want one?
Just got my first fan call.
That was fast.
I know the Anchorage Eagle
posted a piece on you.
What's the Anchorage Eagle?
A blog run by a former,
somewhat disgruntled employee.
It's sole purpose seems
to be causing us trouble.
Lotta nut jobs read it.
Oh.
One reached out. Lucky me.
We need to take it seriously.
I'll put you in touch with our lawyer.
"Charlie the nice guy"?
Lot of good that'll do.
You can buy me a drink instead.
I'd love to, but my daughter
and her new boyfriend are coming over.
That and I'm 10 years sober.
Congrats.
Not me.
Rage on the wind tonight ♪
Free refills?
Nope. That's from him.
Blue T-shirt.
We were speculating
on where you're from.
I guessed New York.
Jamie guessed Los Angeles.
How'd you know I'm not from here?
Clothes, hair, demeanor, computer.
So, pretty much everything?
Yeah.
You win. New York. I'm Eileen.
I'm Karla from Houston.
What brought you here,
Karla from Houston?
The vibrant Black community.
Came with a job, lost the job. Now here.
Hmm. What was the lost job?
Accountant at an oil company.
I'm a sucker for a spreadsheet.
- You?
- Reporter.
Came to work for The Daily Alaskan.
From New York to The Alaskan? Damn.
Throwing ambition to the wind.
So, is, uh, Mr. Scruffy worth a drink?
I ended up staying in that
village for about a year.
Just fishing.
And writing.
What kind of writing?
Poetry.
So you're a pilot and a poet?
I am, indeed. I am a pilot poet.
You gotta be an endangered species.
I believe I am. Yeah.
There's tons of pilots in Alaska
due to the severe lack of roads,
but the number of pilot
poets, it's very limited.
You ever take your show on the road?
Yeah, I go outside from time
to time, but, uh, this is home.
- Outside?
- The lower 48.
From whence you came.
Speaking of which, there is a theory
that outsiders come to
Alaska for one of two reasons.
To disappear or to reinvent themselves.
So, Ms. Fitzgerald, which one is it?
Door number one or door number two?
Three.
I came for a job.
Maybe.
Oh, you think I made that up?
No, but Alaska has a funny way
of revealing things to you
about you.
So maybe the reason you're
here has yet to be revealed.
You really are a pilot poet.
You leaving?
I got work.
Where the hell am I?
Turnagain Arm.
I know it was dark, but didn't
we drive here in like 15 minutes?
More like 40, but we were yapping.
It's not bad, huh?
Insane.
Sit tight, I'll give you a lift.
Oh, it's okay. I can Uber.
No, you can't.
Our hearts are free ♪
I was thinking about
what happened to you
on the plane here, your episode.
Maybe you should see somebody
or talk to somebody about it.
Apparently I did.
You.
Oh, you're you're stubborn.
You're also kind of an amazing woman.
Based on one night?
Based on you.
Just to say it,
I haven't done anything
like last night in a minute.
Well, you're still good at it.
But if this is the
morning share, me neither.
I want real love,
baby, there's a world ♪
Hi. Is your dad home?
One second. Dad! Someone's here!
Mr. Teller, I'm Yuna Park
from The Daily Alaskan.
- Yes?
- I'm gonna be running
a story on the apartment in Muldoon.
I wanted to give you
a chance to comment.
About what?
Do you own the apartment in Muldoon?
What?
Do you own an apartment
at 2316 West 12th
You have no right to come to my home.
I'm just trying to figure out
what happened to Mr. Lewis.
How would I know?
Well, Mr. Lewis told me
you were in a relationship.
- Is that true?
- No. It's not true.
He said that you bought
him the apartment.
- That's insane.
- Then when you had financial troubles,
you tried to evict him.
Why is any of this your business?
Did you use money from
the Alaska Investment Fund
to pay for the apartment?
Why are you doing this?
I was gonna pay it back as
soon as the sale went through.
That young man is confused.
Emotional.
I did nothing wrong.
I know you're just doing your job,
but this is just a byline for you.
If you print it, it will
destroy me, my family.
Don't do that.
She's just in the cafeteria,
which is just down that
way and around the corner.
Okay, go around?
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
Yeah, have a good day.
Mrs. Nanmac.
I'm Roz Friendly of The Daily Alaskan.
You've met my colleague,
Eileen Fitzgerald.
I did, and I told her
I didn't want to talk.
And that's not gonna change
because she brought you.
May I sit down?
I know you're upset with the paper.
I get it. But she didn't bring me here.
I came because our
editor wants to find out
what happened to Gloria.
And how do I know you're not
gonna do what you always do?
One sad story, and that's it.
Because I don't work that way.
You have my word. It will
be different this time.
Your word doesn't mean anything to me.
Sylvie, please. I know how you feel.
I am so sick of hearing that.
Did you lose a daughter?
No.
My cousin.
Laura.
I grew up in Yakutat.
Laura and I did everything together.
She was my best friend.
She went missing when she was 17.
That's why I became a reporter.
That's why I do this job.
What do you want to know?
The place they found Gloria's body,
is there any reason that she
might have gone there that evening?
She didn't go there.
She was taken there.
By who?
I don't know.
What makes you certain
she was taken there?
Because they didn't find her crutches
when they found her body.
Crutches? She used crutches?
She had bad frostbite.
She couldn't walk anywhere without them.
I didn't read anywhere
she used crutches.
No. Your paper left that out.
Did you tell the police?
Of course. It matters.
- Gloria used crutches?
- She couldn't walk without them.
She was last seen
alive at the party here,
and her body was found all
the way out here on the tundra.
Someone dropped her off out there.
Which means the cops were
hasty in ruling out foul play.
If by "hasty" you mean
negligent, I agree.
We still need to prove it. What's next?
We need to talk to
this guy, Toby Crenshaw.
But first, we need to
see a coroner's report.
The medical examiner
is here in Anchorage.
They won't release the report to us.
They will to family.
You think Sylvie will do it?
I think she will.
Hey, guys. Yuna's
back. She got a comment.
He said he planned on paying it back
as soon as the sale went through.
Like a bridge loan.
So he used illegal
funds to buy a love nest?
That is correct.
Well, what about the
boyfriend? Did he report that?
- I don't feel like
- You have to.
You already reported
Mr. Naked with a gun.
- I'm not sure.
- It is the reason he bought the apartment.
Says Mr. Lewis.
Do you have any other sources
confirming the relationship
or if Teller bought
the apartment for him?
No. Mr. Lewis mentioned a friend,
but I've not been
able to track him down.
Sounds like "he said, he said".
I bet if you publish, the
friend will come forward.
Agreed. This one's got legs.
Question is, what do we publish?
A flagrant misappropriation
of state funds.
You can mention the relationship
in terms of the rent dispute,
but I'd lay off the
romance until we have more.
Well, you better hope
the Anchorage Eagle
doesn't scoop that. It's
right up their alley.
Definitely up their alley.
Bob, you good?
I'm good. Disturbed, but good.
Write it up, Yuna.
If it's good, it's on the front page.
Look at that. First one.
And it's a kill shot. Nice job.
I can't. I-I'm sorry. I can't do this.
Give the story to Eileen.
What? Why give it to me?
Really?
Fine.
Hey, Yuna. Stop.
Why are you giving me the story?
- It's your story.
- I don't want it.
I can't do it.
Do what? Write?
I can't ruin this man's life
because he made a mistake.
He's married. I met his son.
It's just a byline for me,
but it's his whole life.
Did he say that to you?
Right.
Look, this job isn't easy.
And we don't do it to be liked.
We do it 'cause it matters.
This is an important story.
Teller did something illegal,
and he did it with money
that belongs to every
single person in this state.
You think The New York
Times is gonna cover this?
The Post? No.
This is exactly why
local journalism matters.
Why this very small, underfunded paper
in this crappy strip mall matters.
Alaskans deserve to know.
They'll decide. Not you.
Got it?
Good. Now go write your story.
Thank you, Eileen.
Yeah.
You know what?
I know Anchorage is
the last place in the world
you ever expected to end up
after the career that you've had,
but we're very lucky to have you.
Oh, God. Not here.