Counterpart (2018) s01e02 Episode Script

1 QUAYLE: Listen, we have a bit of a situation, something we need to bring you in on.
- Me? - Hi, Howard.
- He looks exactly like me.
- He is you, Howard.
30 years ago, scientists, they opened up a passage, the Crossing.
When you go through this door, you're in another world, identical to ours.
A kill order came out from my side targeting people on your side.
Handle is Baldwin.
She's a contract assassin.
Your wife may be her next target.
- When do you visit? - HOWARD: Every night.
PRIME: I need to pretend to be you.
[BALDWIN GRUNTS.]
HOWARD: Why do they want to hurt Emily? PRIME: To send me a message.
HOWARD: By threatening my wife? Why not yours? PRIME: My Emily's dead.
What on Earth have you been doing over there? You don't want to know.
["BIG WHITE CLOUD" BY JOHN CALE PLAYING.]
When I stand My back to the sea A big white cloud Something odd's been happening lately.
I checked your hours, you've been breathing a lot of the other side's air, and I want to know why.
You know that conversation is a waste of your time and mine.
Yes, do remind me that your clearance is higher than mine.
That's always such a turn-on.
[DOOR OPENS.]
You got to be fucking kidding me.
- What? - Two Bulgarians acting like they didn't just come in together.
They're with you.
Midnight Station called me two hours ago.
There's a rendition order in your name.
Jesus, Emily.
I don't mean to tell you your job, Howard, but if you thought I came here to hold your hand, you've forgotten what I do.
You have no idea.
Why is there a rendition in your name? That's not what this is.
Your guys here are gonna take me, make up whatever story they want, and you'll never see me again.
Let's be honest with each other for once.
Tell me why you've been crossing over, and I'll call off the retrieval team.
I can't.
Well, then, I'm sorry I can't help you.
Thank you for coming.
Please leave quietly with the nice gentlemen.
Oh, how I love it Yes, how I love it Oh, how I love it so Oh, how I love it So you know I'm unarmed.
Yes, I love it Oh, how I love it so After all Is said and done Everything Is just like it began Days that came Years again [ENGINE STARTS.]
[MEN SPEAKING BULGARIAN, MUFFLED.]
[GUNSHOTS.]
[ENGINE IDLING.]
[KNOCK ON DOOR.]
Hey, buddy.
[DOG WHINES.]
That his blood or yours? Neighbor's.
Neighbor's dog.
No problem.
[WHISPERS.]
Good boy.
Did you get any sleep? [SIGHS.]
Long story.
What do you got? Name.
Name? RAASH: Baldwin's real name.
That's it? I asked him for network, bio, possible crash pads on their side.
Tell this kid to stop fucking around, all right? When you go back? [SIGHS.]
Soon.
I need you to keep him a while longer.
Okay.
Yeah.
Pope wants to see you.
Okay.
Keep him away from the neighbor's dog, huh? [PATS DOG.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
[DOOR CLOSES.]
Look at her.
You could set a clock by her bowels.
I find myself envious of a dog.
Doctor say anything new? Prostate.
Things we know.
You need anything? Do I need anything? You're so kind, dear boy.
No, thank you.
No, I'm quite taken care of.
Remember when these places were used predominantly for worship? Now they're reserved for ghosts, I suppose.
Sad, really, what's become of our world.
Had an unpleasant encounter with three Bulgarians last night when I got in.
Yes, I heard.
Kolya's men.
What's my exposure? If I'm walking into that building today, like to know if someone's gonna lock me up for killing three contractors.
Here's what you'll do.
Go to the Office One of two outcomes.
Either you're taken for the murder of three men on a routine rendition, or nothing happens.
In which case, there was no rendition last night.
Someone was trying to kill you, and they're now covering their tracks.
Either way, I suggest you watch your back.
I managed to get you a 36-hour visa this time.
Don't ask me how.
[DOOR OPENS.]
[ELECTRONIC CHIME.]
MAN: That's it.
44C12.
36 hours.
Safe travels.
[WOMEN SPEAKING GERMAN.]
Thank you for joining us, Emily.
It appears there's been an incident that we need to discuss.
Why is Personnel in this meeting? [SIGHS.]
Three men are dead.
Bulgarian contractors who were assigned to your operations team.
Bob, is this a debrief or an inquisition? You were there.
I got a rendition call.
A message, that an agent had been recalled and I should bring him in.
Who was the agent? Why do I feel this is news to you? [SIGHS.]
Emily there was no rendition order for any agent last night.
Nothing went to the Midnight Station.
Our ledger's blank.
So maybe you'd like to explain to me why three men from your team were found dead.
You having a hardship, Emily? A hardship? Is everything all right in your personal life? Can you not see I'm trying to have a conversation with him? We're going to need blood and urine.
One fuck-up, we can test.
We can't afford another Istanbul, - and neither can you.
- I'm sorry.
None of this makes any sense.
Take a few days.
We'll be in touch.
[SIGHS.]
I'm here if you want to talk.
Fuck off.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[DOOR BUZZES.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
You took care of his wife? She's in a different hospital, unlisted and under guard.
What about him? Yeah, he'll cooperate.
He's been promoted to Analysis.
I want him with us.
Sorry, you can't just walk over here and dictate the terms of this collaboration, all right? I have Baldwin's real name.
Which I'm guessing is more than you have.
So let me make this clear.
Sometimes I'm gonna ask for stuff.
You want the name? I want other Howard with us.
That's the deal.
ARMEN: Before this, you were Interface? - Yes.
- Then you know what these are.
- Yes.
- Take code from conversations, find word in cipher phrase book.
We translate incoming words, not outgoing words.
That goes to outgoing department.
Outg I'm sorry.
Uh, we, uh we-we translate these conversations into what, exactly? Work fast.
More folders come in the afternoon.
[PHONE RINGS IN DISTANCE.]
[WOMAN SPEAKS GERMAN OVER P.
A.
.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
QUAYLE: Silk.
Our mutual friend has requested your presence.
Now, let's get one thing straight.
You're only part of this arrangement because of him.
You will not interfere, and you will share nothing with him about the nature of our work.
I don't really know anything about the nature of our work.
Exactly.
So, what are we doing? You're gonna find the woman who tried to kill your wife.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
[EXHALES.]
[PANTING.]
[EXHALES.]
[GROANS.]
He's upstairs, isolated, under watch.
Put them together.
No one in, no one out.
[INSTRUMENTS WARMING UP.]
Wait here.
Heard you got a promotion.
That's right.
Analysis.
So, 30 years toiling in obscurity, and now you're suddenly moving up in the world.
I'm sorry.
Wh Uh Why exactly are we in a concert hall? There's a violinist named Nadia Fierro.
Italian-born, immigrated here in '94.
She's expected here for a rehearsal.
- You heard of her? - No.
On my side, Nadia is not a violinist.
She's an assassin, goes by the name Baldwin.
She's the other her.
You got to be kidding me.
[PRIME CHUCKLES.]
Can't believe we even own the same shirt.
You always wear that shiny white undershirt? It's a it's a Thompson Tee.
Emily bought 'em for me.
You know, the They have the the pit guards for sweating.
Anyway, based on the math, we know these two women share a past.
Nine, ten years before the timeline diverged.
Same childhood, traumas, behavioral whatever.
Right now, Baldwin is hurt.
She's in a city that's not her own.
She has to act impulsively.
When she acts impulsively, she acts like herself.
So the more we get on Nadia, the more we learn about where Baldwin might go.
Okay, wh-what wh-what exactly is it that you do for a living? I do a lot of things, including retrieval.
Come over here, quick trips, find defectors and bring 'em home.
I just I I don't understand how we can be I mean, is your world really that different from mine? This is really not a conversation you want to have.
Okay, well, like, 30 years ago, when the when this door, portal was discovered Not discovered.
That's imprecise.
"Discovered" implies there were always these two realities.
There was one reality, and then it duplicated.
Nobody knows how.
Well, maybe somebody knows, but they're not telling.
Look, think of it like this.
Up until 30 years ago, there was just this.
Then this happened.
Then this.
Now we're like Two people, two completely different paths.
[PLAYING GENTLE MELODY.]
[PHONE RINGING.]
Ja, hallo? [DOOR CLOSES.]
[MAN SPEAKING GERMAN.]
[INSTRUMENTS WARMING UP.]
Oh.
[LIGHT CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING.]
[MUSIC BUILDING SLOWLY.]
[PLAYING FAST-PACED SOLO.]
[MUSIC VOLUME INCREASING.]
[WHISPERING.]
She plays beautifully.
[GROANS SOFTLY.]
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING.]
Jesus.
They were asking how you are.
I'm fine.
[GRUNTS SOFTLY.]
[INHALES SHARPLY.]
A crosser's come over.
His name's Howard Silk.
He's an operative from home, been a problem for a while.
And he has your name.
[THUNDER RUMBLING SOFTLY.]
Standard course of action is I know what it means.
This is her address.
You need to kill her.
Before they use her to get to you.
Won't be easy.
- It will be for me.
- Nadia Don't call me that.
You share a past with her.
We share nothing.
[SOFT CLICKING.]
[BIRD CHIRPING.]
I can do it.
[VIOLIN PLAYING GENTLE MUSIC.]
- [BIRD CHIRPING.]
- [VIOLIN CONTINUES PLAYING.]
[PLAYS OFF-KEY NOTE, STOPS.]
[PLAYS OFF-KEY NOTE.]
- [PLAYS OFF-KEY NOTE.]
- [LOUD THUD.]
[BOTTLE ROLLS ON FLOOR, CLANKS.]
[FLOORBOARD CREAKS.]
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATIONS.]
Nadia's in the bar next door.
- You have her home address? - Yes.
All right.
You want to go check it out, take other me with you? And you where are you going? The bar, see what I can get out of her.
Got a mickey? Tranquilizer? Ketamine? Jesus, you fucking guys are Housekeeping, right? Give it to him.
PRIME: Jennifer Wilcox.
Okay.
They're not for you.
- [DOOR OPENS.]
- Don't let him leave your sight.
[PANTING.]
[GASPING, MOANING.]
SHAW: Where did you get that? Confiscated Items.
You know, they didn't even look at my phone log.
They just didn't want to know.
It's not about you.
It's Howard.
Whatever bullshit he's into.
Let it go.
Anything about that contractor who slipped across? - Baldwin.
- Em No inquiry into who she's working for? How she got her papers? Whatever the operation is, someone's made it clear they don't want it looked into.
So let's leave it alone.
- Fuck it.
- Fuck it.
[BOTH CHUCKLE SOFTLY.]
[MAN SPEAKING GERMAN OVER RADIO.]
- [DOOR OPENS.]
- [PIANO PLAYING SOFT JAZZ MUSIC.]
PRIME: Excuse me.
Hi.
Uh, I need the, uh Do you speak English at all? No? Uh Okay, sorry.
I need a-a I need to make a call.
Do you have a landline I could, uh I'm sorry.
I don't I don't speak any German.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Thank you.
[GLASSES CLINKING.]
Hi, Jen.
Hi, it's your Yeah, of course.
You know who it is.
Jenny, please don't hang up.
I, uh I'm-I'm here.
I'm-I'm I'm in Berlin.
And, uh, I'm actually right across the street.
Please don't hang up.
Jenny, sweetie, I-I came all May I have a Scotch? [SIGHS.]
Thank you for Had my U.
S.
cell phone with me here, and Useless.
She's your daughter? Yeah.
She, uh, she plays in the orchestra rehearsing across the street.
Jennifer Wilcox.
Do you know her? No.
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES.]
I don't know what I'm doing here.
I cashed in all my airline miles.
I thought I'd surprise her.
Sorry, I'm Confessions of a stage dad.
Maybe you're familiar with the type.
Well on behalf of all screwup fathers everywhere, I apologize humbly.
[SIGHS.]
PRIME: I think the tipping point came in her fifth grade year.
I was driving her hard, preparing for this recital.
It was just elementary school, you know, but I was really pushing.
Did she enjoy playing? I thought so.
I mean, if you have a gift for something, you you enjoy it, right? Anyway.
You don't have kids, I take it.
No.
My father was not a good man.
- Was? - He's dead.
How old were you? Ten.
Failed artist.
Nothing but drink and anger.
Left me his debt.
House in Kopenick.
A small, shitty existence.
I never sold it.
Maybe someday it will burn down.
ALDRICH: It's corticosteroids.
It's nothing.
- Not anti-depressant? - No, it's for hands.
It's the carpal tunnel.
Nothing.
Just put 'em back.
I'm sorry, what exactly is our intention here? How does playing with this woman's underwear give us any useful information? She doesn't know about any of this.
Just like you, Howard.
I am not him.
You may know him.
You do not know me.
Do you really think you're that different? Do you think I can't look at you and know everything about him? Look at him and know everything about you? You share more than you think.
I see everything.
[PHONE RINGS.]
FEDEROV: It's him.
What? Should be an address somewhere I don't know, tax records.
A house in Kopenick, was her father's.
She says it's empty.
There's a good chance you'll find Baldwin there.
I'll see what else I can get here.
[PHONE BEEPS.]
Look for tax records.
Finished here, yeah? No.
It's the house where she grew up.
How far is it? 20 minutes.
Drive fast.
- [CAR DOORS CLOSE.]
- [ENGINE STARTS.]
This is where she grew up? They both grew up here.
This was the past they share.
[TRAIN PASSING.]
She was just here.
This is Nadia Fierro's address.
We've got to get back to the concert hall.
ALDRICH: She was looking for Nadia.
She may be coming to you.
[RADIO PLAYING QUIETLY.]
PRIME: I have a small confession to make.
I was I was in the concert hall earlier, looking for Jen, and, uh I saw you play.
Beautifully.
Why why do you take off your shoes? Well, after my father died, I, um, I did not have things.
But you stayed with the violin.
Even after he was gone.
I was good at it.
Do you ever wonder what you'd be if you weren't? I mean, you could be anything.
You were free.
NADIA: I was lost.
I went from foster home to foster home.
And I tried on lives like dresses.
Every year there was a new home.
New family.
New Christmas present addressed to a new name.
You become who they want you to be.
And you lose yourself.
You still had the violin.
Well we cannot escape who we are.
[SIGHS.]
[VIOLIN PLAYING LIVELY MUSIC.]
[TRAIN RUMBLING IN DISTANCE.]
- [BODY THUDS.]
- [MAN GRUNTS.]
Papa? [GROANING.]
[TRAIN APPROACHING.]
Nadia! Nadia! [SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE.]
[SIREN WAILING.]
[INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER.]
[OFFICERS SPEAKING GERMAN.]
- [DOOR BANGS OPEN.]
- [OFFICERS SHOUTING IN GERMAN.]
[GASPS.]
[OFFICERS SHOUTING.]
[PANTING.]
Nadia! [GRUNTS.]
[OFFICERS GROANING.]
[NADIA GASPS.]
[SIREN PASSING.]
[ALARM RINGING.]
[ALARM RINGING IN DISTANCE.]
[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE.]
Stay in the car.
Leave this to us.
[TIRES SCREECHING.]
Where's Silk? He got out before I did.
Find her before the police do.
[QUIETLY.]
: She's in here somewhere.
We don't have much time.
Hey.
Hey.
I'm not gonna be much help without a gun.
Give him your sidearm.
[NADIA WHIMPERS.]
[GRUNTS.]
ALDRICH: She comes out that door, take the shot.
- I need her alive.
- Your side's problems are not our side's problems.
Time you understood.
[LAUGHS.]
[NADIA GASPS.]
[SHOUTING IN GERMAN.]
[DOOR OPENS IN DISTANCE.]
- CYRUS [ON COMMS.]
: What do we do? - The police are here.
- Be fast.
- CYRUS: I don't have clear ID.
- Permission to fire.
- Take the shot.
No, no, stop! - [GUNSHOT.]
- [THUMP.]
ALDRICH [ON COMMS.]
: Disappear.
[OFFICERS SHOUTING IN DISTANCE.]
[OFFICERS SHOUTING IN DISTANCE.]
Howard, got to go.
Now! [OFFICERS SHOUTING.]
[BOTTLES CLINKING.]
- She gonna make it? - The police have her.
The other one is dead.
[GRUNTS.]
She was innocent.
Get in the car.
We'll put you up somewhere.
I'm sleeping here tonight.
No, you're not.
Let me ask you something, you sloppy fuck.
Do you have the slightest clue how much you've escalated this thing? You let a crosser get into police custody.
We've dealt with worse.
Well, that's not surprising, I guess, given this fucking amateur hour.
- Get in the car.
- No.
Fuck you.
I don't answer to you.
Just because Quayle is willing to play this game doesn't mean that I will.
I know what you are.
Understand? Keep men outside this door.
Again, terrific work tonight, fellas.
Really fucking clean.
That's not a bedroom.
I'll make up the couch for you.
Things got out of hand tonight.
There's too much that I can't control over here.
Aldrich, obviously, for one thing, is a fucking liability.
If I'm gonna do this right, I need your help.
My help? Yeah.
I'll talk to Quayle.
Get you transferred to Strategy, where you can be useful.
You want me to spy for you.
Yeah.
Why am I a part of this? You demanded that I be there today.
I-I don't understand why I'm involved in any of this.
I don't know, Howard.
Maybe I'm trying to help you.
And why is my perceived well-being so important to you? A few days ago, you were nothing.
A flatliner, sleepwalking.
Look at you now.
Do me a favor, stop trying to make me in your image.
Where you going? I'm going where I've gone every evening for the last six weeks.
To the hospital to see my wife.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
How long have you known your ex-husband's signal plan? Perhaps we should find a signal plan of our own.
I've always thought we should speak more often.
[SCOFFS.]
Is Howard working for you right now? 'Cause he almost got himself killed.
Not ordinarily my concern, but whoever ordered it is trying to pin it on me, so they're trying to ruffle me, too.
I need to know what he's into.
May I offer you some advice? Best leave this alone.
I know about the contractor.
The one who went over to the other side.
I know that she's been conducting illegal operations, and I know that no one's talking about it.
I've heard rumors myself.
About a Housekeeping agent under suspicion of substance abuse.
How is everything in your personal life, Emily? Why do you care so much about some poor bastards on the other side? Because it's my job.
Keeping the peace.
Peace? I wonder when we've ever had peace.
I wonder if there will ever come a reckoning for what they did to us.
Times are changing.
Scary to think how fragile this peace really is.
And how about you, Pope? How have you been feeling? Oh, much better these days, thank you.
Isn't that a shame.
[DOOR CLOSES.]