DMZ (2022) s01e03 Episode Script

1 Home base, bitches! - Odi's it! - I'm gonna get you! You're it! Come on! Go! Hey! No tag-backs.
No tag-backs, cheater.
Come on! Come on.
Come on.
I don't have all fucking day, Odi! - You're it! - Not it! You said no tag-backs.
Hey, guys.
Hey, look.
It's Zee.
What's going on? Zee! Zee, what are you doing here? I have a house call in the area.
- You wanna play? - Careful, though.
Odi's a punk-ass cheat.
Sorry.
I'm working.
She's too busy now that she's famous.
Next time.
Promise.
Okay.
Come on.
Let's keep playing.
Yeah.
Sorry.
I'm working, too.
Hey.
So who's that you're always hanging out with? My friend Nico.
What's her story? I don't know.
We just hang out and steal shit together.
So you don't know anything about her like, where she's from or anything? We don't talk about that stuff.
You know, that is what friends do.
You know, they talk about things with each other.
Maybe you should try it.
She know anything about you? Yeah.
That I'm good at finding hiding spots.
Well, what do you like to do for fun beyond stealing? Sometimes, I guess I like looking at the stars.
I bet you, Nico would love to hear that.
You should tell her.
- Man, that sounds stupid.
- No.
So we're talking.
Means we're friends, right? Absolutely.
Hey.
Would you go ahead? I'll catch up with you.
It's okay.
You following me now? You know we got eyes everywhere, girl.
You're, what, playing at the grassroots making these house calls? There are forces way bigger than you involved here and they've already set the outcome.
- That's your warning.
- You done? You shouldn't have come back.
You're gonna be all right.
Hey, Alma.
Thank Christ.
We got a stab wound in one, flu, I think, in two and a gangrene foot wandering around somewhere.
- Where were you? - The Hasids.
Rabbi had COPD.
Any new house calls come in? Hey, kid.
We got messes in both halls that need to be mopped up.
Go.
He shouldn't be doing that.
We're not the fucking orphanage.
He lives here, he works here.
Okay.
Well, I'll do then.
While you're out on house calls? No.
Before I leave.
Alma, I inherited a horror show.
We're barely managing.
I need help here.
So do these people out there.
Take this one.
Heart trouble.
That's handled.
We got a guy who goes to the red militia each week.
- It's a whole thing.
- Well, I'm doing it now.
They are not gonna vote for Wilson house call or not.
People said that about Oona.
You said that about the Samaritans and the Hasids.
Come on.
I changed that.
By buying votes with aid? You've been here all of, what, four days? These are real people who have lived here through it all and they believe what you say.
Not Wilson, you.
Well, that's good.
Wilson protects people's access to health care.
That means a safe clinic.
Look.
No more lacking meds.
Well, I've seen enough to know Wilson is no messiah.
Just saying.
You better know what you're doing beyond getting that man elected.
Thank you.
Hey, you.
No more work for you.
Get out of here.
But Alexis said Go.
Have fun.
Go talk with your friend.
Another house call for you.
This one's got a chauffeur.
Alma.
Thank you for coming.
Of course.
Alma, I'd like to introduce you to Susie.
She heard about you becoming my most effective new supporter.
I'm afraid I'm to blame for your visit.
So lovely to meet you.
She wanted to extend her gratitude.
I've never seen him so meek.
So, you're the mother of the man who would be king? I'm not his mother.
I just took care of him.
Now he takes care of me.
You're quite the mover.
Is that what Wilson told you? It's what I see with my own eyes.
Why are you making allies for us? We have a shared interest.
There's no need to be guarded with me.
A shared interest in what? Stopping Parco.
I see.
Then what? Oh, I'm not in this for myself, if that's the impression.
Of course not.
- It's all for your son, he tells me.
- Yes.
You believe you can win him back.
- Yes.
- Back to what? Once you have what you've come for you'll make no further claim on this place for you or your son? Oh, if you're worried that I'm gonna demand - something more for my help - I'm not worried.
I'm curious if you know what you're sowing.
Do you not want Wilson in charge? I am not young enough to believe that anything depends on any one man in charge.
You don't believe one ruler is better than the other.
I think one ruler is the problem.
From up close, they're different, perhaps.
Moment to moment but that's just an illusion like the charade at City Hall.
From above, no.
All men who rule by and for themselves alone will succumb.
In the end, the cycle is the cycle.
Then what's the point if it's all the same in the end? You remind me of myself.
You know, I've been through a revolution.
I believed there was a difference.
I believed in the incorruptibility of one great ruler and I picked up a gun to serve Mao for what he said was right and I fired at people he told me to.
And my belief orphaned a child.
I took his parents, and I took my atonement and I raised him out of the mess that I created with my belief.
I ask you this only because no one asked me before it was too late.
What will you do when you leave orphans? Are you prepared to stay and raise them? You want to know what happens after I win my son back? I leave.
That's it.
Look, this isn't my war here.
Pity.
We are so fortunate to have such a bright, young woman - behind our cause.
- Yeah.
She's the best.
Been trying to show her what we might be together.
As I explained to Susie my only pursuit here is my son, nothing more.
- Look.
I - I need to show you something.
The name! Stop! What is this? I have a small problem.
Someone's been stealing my gold because this one here has been leaking information.
Now he doesn't want to give me the thief's name which I understand.
A man must have a code.
It's good of you.
But I don't need his name.
Because you you're gonna give me the thief himself.
Set a meet at the gold cache at the diner under Penn Station, sundown.
What are you doing, flexing? I appreciate your efforts over the last few days proselytizing my name.
I'm clear on what I am to you.
Means to an end.
What do you care? - Votes are votes.
- I care, Alma.
If the DMZ's taught me one thing it's that there's no room for pretending here.
No more code switching.
That bullshit's behind us.
I am now ferociously committed to always being me.
And I respect you too much to have you under any illusions about what I am.
The fuck is wrong with you? Clean him up, get them out of here.
Do your best.
- Help me, please.
- Okay.
It's okay.
This is gonna hurt, okay? It's all gonna hurt.
I just have to Okay.
There we go.
Okay.
I think that's all of it.
Who's the thief you've been helping? I know Parco's dealing out gold.
Does your guy work for him? Look, I take my hands off of this wound you bleed out right here or I can stitch you up and you live if you give me the name.
Blood pressure's dropping.
Your heart is slowing.
Who is Wilson going to find in that diner? Skel.
Okay.
What are you doing? Oh, my God.
You're insane.
That's incredible.
What do you think they're doing out there right now? What would you be doing? I don't even know.
Walking the dog, yoga? Yeah.
Right.
Well, maybe.
Putting an amazing dinner on the table as I get home from a long day? - Oh, is that what you see? - Yeah.
Because I see you putting dinner on the table for me.
- Hmm? - Yeah.
It looks like rack of lamb.
That's your specialty, right? I see it now.
I'm growing in the yard.
We got a big one 'cause we got three kids.
- Two kids.
- So far.
We're gonna take them to Storm King on Sunday see some sculptures you know, get some culture 'cause we're not raising heathens.
I don't wanna do this.
I'm sorry.
I got carried away.
My dad was keen on art.
Classical music film.
That was his line to raise me with culture and now I have Wilson, who thinks all the culture I need is right here in his Chinatown.
Are you ready to talk about him? You don't ever want to go home you're leaving your stuff behind.
Wilson worked for my dad.
He took him in when I was little and then Dad died in the early days of the war.
I was 14.
And Wilson just took to protecting me like I was his own.
"Like my dad would want," he says.
Has he hurt you? It's not like that.
He has this thing, like wants to honor me, exalt me.
He tells people that I'm his niece his "princess.
" I'm not even Chinese, but I live in his gilded prison which is why I don't feel like rubbing my nose in the kind of freedom I'll never have.
You're your father's son and I'm Wilson's ward.
Outside of whatever this is it's all we're ever allowed to be.
What if we could leave? - I said I'm not playing.
- No.
I mean it.
I don't know how, but I could explore make contacts, maybe buy off some soldiers.
Listen, I'm good for it.
If there was a way, would you go with me? Would you? Yes.
Christian! - Who is that? - No one.
Christian! Fuck.
- How are you still here? - Where's Skel? Hey! If this were my city, you'd already be dead.
Where is he? Look.
I need to know now.
He's in trouble.
How about I pass him along the message when I see him? How about you fucking tell me exactly where he is right now before I throw you down these fucking stairs? Stop! It's okay.
She's okay.
How far along are you? None of your business.
- Do you know for sure? - How the fuck would I know? You got a stick I can pee on? Do you want to be pregnant? What I want is for you to leave.
As soon as you tell me where he is or Parco.
Skel's gonna walk into a trap, Carmen.
I have to get to him before sundown, or they're gonna kill him.
Who is? Wilson.
Let me get this straight.
You've been here four days you think Parco's this evil motherfucker.
Then you roll out, turn on the faucets tell everybody in town to vote for Wilson and now, Wilson quiere matar a tu hijo? And you called me a "dumb bitch"? I saw a play to get to Skel.
I was very wrong.
- You think? - And you'll understand this in about seven months, by my eye.
I only care about my son.
Wilson, Parco they're all the same toxic shit! - You think I don't know that? - Then what are you doing? One of those guys keeps me and mine safe.
You take out Parco, where you gonna be when Wilson comes to cut my head off? And who you think looked after Skel when you were gone, huh? Parco? Get the fuck outta here! Me! I did! You want me to be grateful? You know, I thought my worst nightmare was losing my son.
Turns out my worst nightmare is realizing he turned out just like my ex and I can thank you in part for that! - Me? - Fuck, yes! What is your fucking problem? My whole goddamn life what is it about me that you hate? Parco? Parco? Jesus! I don't hate you.
I just know that you're smarter than this! You could be running this whole thing if you wanted but you're choosing the easy way.
I'm choosing survival.
Protection.
Now you've got someone to protect.
And you and I both know more intimately than anyone else what it's like to love someone so self-serving and dangerous.
You hung around this long, that takes power, resolve.
But you need to know something.
I made a choice! A choice you're gonna have to make soon, too.
It's Parco or it's your child.
That's it.
Look, I don't know where Skel is And I don't know when Parco will be back from the yards.
But you could come back later and ask him yourself.
Our old yards? - Thank you, Carmen.
- Just get the fuck out of my house! You sure it's here? My brother said it used to be somewhere around here.
Somewhere around There.
Come on.
Have you ever seen something so beautiful? Hey, I got dibs on the regular kind.
You can have the diet shit.
Oh, wait.
Yo! Looking good, baby girl.
But you gotta be stupid because my turf ain't a place for babysitting.
Forget it, man.
Let's go.
Yo, dummy.
I'm talking to you.
That's my friend! Apologize.
I said apologize.
This bitch is just fronting.
- Shit! - Man, she crazy! Fine, dude.
I'm sorry.
"I'll never talk to you like that again.
" Say it! I'll never talk to you like that again.
Have some respect.
Leave.
One day left, y'all.
You decide yet? You want to be as free-flowing as a water hose in Wilson's decentralized kingdom or a unified state in Parco's world? And if you think this contest doesn't matter, peep this.
My river rats spotted US troops heading to the southern bridges and those FSA trolls been clogging up the Hudson.
This election's got the outside sweating.
So tomorrow, cast your stone and make it known.
You keep it real and always keep it dope.
Well, that's a thing of beauty.
Gentlemen, you done good, baby.
All right.
Thank you, Uncle Sam.
- My boys, coming through again.
- Hey, listen.
Strength.
Let's get 'em coming through.
You.
You don't go away, do you? Are those US soldiers? Just playing the cards we got.
Come on.
Get the fuck out of here.
What happened to you? You went from Iraq to Fordham Law and then wasted your chance.
Now, 20 years later, you're still slinging shit in these yards? You know we're only here because of you.
That shit you pulled cost us key support and now we got to buy it back.
See, that's your problem.
Always has been.
You never know when to stay out of people's faces.
Do you understand You know what your problem is? You always underestimated me.
Parco! Parco! We got company! It's Alma! She saw everything! Alma, where you at? Come on.
I'm not gonna hurt you.
This ain't your fight.
You don't even live here anymore, huh? But now I mean, now you've seen the measures I've had to take.
I mean, I had this election all tied up.
Then you show up try to take my boy.
Now come on out.
Let's talk about this.
Maybe you won't get hurt.
Alma, don't run! Don't fucking shoot! Go get her! Go fucking get her! Do not let her get away! It's one woman! What does it take? Do I got to do this shit myself? I said hold your fucking fire! That's that pickup truck from that fucking clinic downtown.
Cast a wide net! Every fucking crew that's ours! A brick of gold to anybody who gets me a 20 on that bitch by the end of the day! God, I miss this.
Here.
I'm not sharing this with anyone.
Not even my brother.
Just you and me.
Your brother take care of you? You mean like a dad? Not really, no.
What about Zee? She like your stepmom now? Is a stepmom like when you get a new mom if your old one dies? I think so.
Yeah.
Come any closer, bitch, I got a loaded gold gun right here! You you showed me a kindness.
I know this guy.
He's harmless.
And I would like to show you a kindness of my own.
It's a treasure, really.
Okay.
Come on.
Come.
Come on.
Come on.
What the actual fuck? It's magic.
It's all magic.
It's portals.
I'm trying to save them trying to save as much as I can keep the blind from using Picasso as kindling.
You some sort of artist or something? I was a security guard at the Met.
I got to go to work surrounded by these windows into other universes.
Okay.
Come on.
Sit.
Okay.
There you are.
Now Up you look.
It's called "The Starry Night.
" World's most famous work of art.
We may be in a war zone but at this moment, we three are the most privileged people in the entire world.
Just us and God, here.
Don't shoot me.
Is this a fucking setup? Yes.
Wilson found out your inside guy.
But you can still get away.
He's not expecting me.
I'll go outside.
You can run.
I don't believe you.
Christian, I'm not lying to you.
I'm not part of this.
You think you're doing good by your father but you don't even know the fucking rules of the game that you're playing.
Parco's in bed with the US.
- Bullshit.
- I saw him getting guns and explosives from US soldiers hours ago up at the yards.
Cesar was there, Joaquin, a few others.
He's lying which means everything he's made you believe you are what you're doing right now was all for a lie.
You don't have to let him use you anymore.
Hey, Christian.
Christian! Drop it! Freeze! Unreal.
I cannot believe Parco sent the royal prince out to do this shit.
Please.
If you want to kill him, you're gonna have to kill me.
Alma, I'd never.
This kind of leverage works best in mint condition.
Oh, and very clever to pull that information from a dying man.
It's ruthless.
My God.
Feels like something I'd do.
Wilson just let him go.
He's my son.
You don't need to do this.
You're right.
But Talk about a feather in my cap, huh? I'm not leaving his side.
Fantastic! I can give you a safe space to, you know, deprogram him or whatever, win him back.
You've seen my methods.
I can even help.
I warned you about me.
Always wanted to see you up close.
It's the pores.
See, when you can see the pores that's when you see that even the big bads are just people.
You know, I remember you when she'd bring you to work.
You always got so excited about all the candies in the vending machines.
She'd call you Chris.
Yeah.
And you seemed like a good kid, Chris.
Pretty damn remarkable what this place has done to us.
You got a good mom.
You should be less of a dick to her.
Escort these two to the car.
The Kollectiv will be good with two ARs.
- I'll handle them.
- What about the traders? Four handguns and a couple of nuggets of gold will do.
Well, what the fuck? We got a line on her.
Diner under Penn station.
- Let's go.
- Parco.
Now! We can't risk what she saw.
Skel was there and Wilson with his crew.
Must have been a gold drop.
Wilson took him, Parco.
And she was a part of it? Little kid didn't say.
Rally everyone.
Bring the RPG.
I'm gonna kill that Chinese motherfucker.
You look at me and feel sorry, don't you? I can feel it.
But the truth is, you never even knew me.
I was good.
I got the grades I smiled gave a firm handshake but you never trusted me.
I just didn't want you growing up like I did.
You didn't want that.
You.
I was doing my best.
I know I made mistakes.
That what you tell yourself? That day I came back with my hand tattooed after hanging with Dad what did I tell you? What did I tell you? That he made you feel scared.
There was a reason.
You told me that he had unregistered guns.
And that scared me.
I was honest with you just like you wanted me to be.
You called the cops on him.
You got him arrested.
- I was protecting you.
- You betrayed me! You want to know the one thing I was thinking on Evacuation Day? "What's gonna happen to Dad? He's locked up.
" I was just a kid but I made a choice.
I went to save him because you put him there.
We both did.
I had no idea, Skel.
You don't even know what that name is, do you? Yes, I do.
It was your tag.
The name you wrote on walls doodled in your notebooks.
I remember it was the name you put on your application to Art and Design.
Your acceptance letter read, "Dear Skel.
" It was a good name.
It was a good name.
It was your name.
Parco knew that.
Must have felt good when he'd say it.
Is that why you crawled under his wing when he opened it up to you? Why you let him steal that name from you? He made me what I needed to be to survive.
No, you don't believe that.
I can see it in your eyes.
Things I've done.
I have seen you create such incredible beauty - with your hands - Stop trying to make yourself feel better! Hey! You don't talk to me like that.
You think I'm here to make myself feel better? I've nearly killed myself looking for you! Eight years! No.
You know what? Maybe I'm an idiot.
Maybe you don't deserve saving.
Maybe you're just a goddamn fiction in my head.
For once, you're right about something.
Now please leave.
Hey.
What's going on? Kings are here to pick a fight.
Wanted to give you the heads-up.
We'll need to use some of your supply.
It'll get ugly.
Where's the rank and file? Outside.
Ready.
Where'd you get all these guns? God bless the Free States of America.
- Susie was right.
- What? The cycle is the cycle.
Are you ready for a war? Yeah! They insult us! They imprisoned one of our own! We're gonna end this here tonight! You ready to take this thing? Give me a corridor right down the center to the gate.
Twenty-foot blast radius, right here.
In there.
Go get him! Fuck! You know, I tried to play it civil.
But the truth is I always wanted to sort this out with blood and bone.
Well, you are a sucker for punishment, ain't you? Did you fuck him? You being in bed with him and all? I'm kidding.
I don't give a shit about you or what you're trying to do here.
It's a gentle breeze.
It's nothing.
But you do have a choice you have to make now.
Go back to where you came from or learn to live in my world.
Ya tú sabes.
I can make you pretty comfortable here.
What we had once upon a time it was so good.
We were family.
It's sad how it shook out.
You were always so confident so cocky in a good way.
You at your best.
I felt like I didn't need a single thing.
But that was pre-war Parco and what did I know? I do know that that guy would have never let anyone pull his strings.
No.
See, that's where you're wrong, baby.
I ain't no puppet.
It's the US that needs me.
There's a whole wide war out there and for what? For this land this symbol of progress, of America and it's mine.
That's leverage.
No, it's ignorance.
I've seen what the US thinks of this place how they treat people who chose to stay here.
You give them even the slightest toehold here and it's over for everyone, including you.
What we had was good and you know you'll always be family to me.
It's game over.
I won.
So let me tell you what you're gonna do.
You're gonna run away from here as fast as you can and don't you ever let me see you again because if I do, it'll be the last and the only thing you'll see as your life leaves you are these eyes staring down on you just like this.
No.
No.
Don't stay here.
Let's go.
Come on.
Christian.
- Let's go.
- Please.
- Now! Let's go! - No! Don't choose this! - Don't choose this! No! - Now! I think your mother's got you twisted up about what's what.
I'm a little unsteady about you, boy.
So time to declare.
This is his fight not yours.
Show me who you are.
You don't have to do this, Christian.
All hail the king.
Translator: IYUNO