Mind Games (2014) s01e04 Episode Script
Apophenia
I'm Ross Edwards.
Ex-con man who's opened an agency with my genius brother Clark.
A former psych professor.
Our business? We transform lives using psychological strategies.
- Yeah.
- In other words, we change people's minds without them knowing we did.
It's like part science, part Jedi mind tricks.
Like Jedi mind tricks, exactly! Our crack team includes, a felon, an actress, a grad student, and an accountant.
Together, we try to make our clients' dreams come true and their nightmares go away.
Sometimes it even works.
Afraid to ask.
That's your new wallpaper.
Miles, run off a thousand copies of this.
- We're gonna plaster Ross' office with it.
- Uh, no.
Between paper and toner costs, we really can't do it.
Seriously, you have a problem.
And, you, I have no idea what you're talking about.
Um, I was at home on the phone with Beth planning a relaxing weekend when I get a call from Ed Boski.
Sophie's dad.
The girl we got out of the cult.
Well, he wanted to know why we had put a reporter in touch with him.
Ross, we don't need you generating any publicity.
I didn't have anything to do with this.
I don't even understand what did Ed say exactly? He said that a reporter called with all kinds of questions about us, our business, what exactly we had done for his family and how.
- That doesn't sound good.
- No.
Some hack writing a puff piece this could Trust me, when they start out talking to everyone but you, they're not writing a love letter.
He's planning to bury you and then ask you for a comment just before he tosses in the last shovelful of dirt.
This is how the end started at Ross' last "business.
" You really have to do the little air quotes? Yeah, but we have a real business, not a Ross "business.
" Seriously, it's really insulting.
Put the words "fraud" and "convicted felon" in an article about us, and I doubt "real business" is the first thing most people think.
Before we panic, let's call Ed back, find out who this reporter is, see what he's really about.
- How do we - Read his stuff.
Does he write mostly community-interest pieces about dog adoption or hit pieces about escorts with corrupt politicians? And if it's the second one? Hello? I'm sorry, uh, I have an appointment, and there was no one out front, so Oh.
Yeah.
Well, we don't have anyone out there, but come in.
This is gonna be fine.
We got nothing to hide.
- What? - That is exactly what he said the last time.
Four days later, he was in handcuffs.
So, Ryan, what's up with the tattoos? You're not a fan? Tattoos represent a fundamental misunderstanding of the persistence of personal identity.
- Okay.
- Let me put it this way.
What was your favorite song five years ago? - I don't know.
I guess - Actually, it doesn't really matter.
Is it your favorite song now? - No.
- Exactly.
Now imagine that song around your neck for the rest of your life.
The philosophical question of who we are through time - is actually a very interesting.
- My apologies, Ryan.
Clark sometimes forgets what "very interesting" actually means.
How can we help you? There's a bill coming up for a vote in Congress on Friday, and my dad was gonna vote for it, but lately he seems he's changed his mind, and I want you to change it back.
- Wait.
Who who's your father? - Representative McKee.
- And what's the bill? - It would make trigger locks for handguns mandatory.
It was his only campaign promise.
He's pushed for it nonstop since getting elected.
And if he backs out, others will follow.
- Why is he backing down? - Pressure from the party.
The bill is controversial, and they want to keep his district, so they're threatening to pull his re-election funding if he goes ahead with it.
So, if we get him to change his vote back, we pretty much wreck his political career? I don't know.
Maybe.
- It doesn't really matter.
- He might disagree.
He promised he was gonna do something.
He needs to do it.
That's kind of the opposite of how politics usually works.
Are you saying you can't help me? I'm just saying that making political enemies might not be an ideal survival strategy for us.
And binding someone to the opinions of their former self is kind of tricky.
Again, imagine your favorite song from five years ago, - but this time, it's - Stop talking about my favorite song.
This isn't about taste.
It's How about you imagine something.
Imagine that it's six years ago and you're staying with your Uncle.
He's got guns.
Your dad hates guns.
He's very clear about that.
He's very clear that you need to stay away from them.
But instead you decide to sneak one out, take it home.
Then one night, you and your brother are screwing around with it, and you accidentally shoot him.
Imagine that.
Your little brother.
lying there scared and bleeding.
And he asks you if he's gonna die and you tell him no, promise him he's gonna be fine.
And he isn't.
Now, imagine that you lost your mom to cancer and now your brother, and all you have left is your father, who decides this will never happen to anyone else.
So, imagine he runs for office and gets elected, all the while telling people that he's gonna fix this and change it.
Imagine that this Friday, your father could keep that promise and make something good come from the fact that you don't have a brother anymore.
Imagine that and tell me if you give a damn about politics or favorite songs.
I know how tattoos work, Dr.
Edwards.
But sometimes our future self needs to be reminded of our decisions from the past.
His name was Michael.
And I put it there so I'd see it every time I look in the mirror.
I'd never ask you to do anything for me.
But I'd be willing to beg you to do it for him.
- The guy's basically an assassin.
- Who? The reporter Mark Andrews.
Every story is blowing the lid off of something.
His Christmas cards probably blow the lid off of something.
People lose their jobs, businesses shut down.
I mean, he's like the Grim Reaper with a byline.
In addition to Andrews being a muckraking nightmare, guess who also turns out to not only be an often-quoted source, but his college roommate and fraternity brother? - Tom Daniels.
- Doesn't ring a bell.
Maybe if I use his full name.
Tom Daniels, C.
E.
O.
of Metro Mutual, also known as Tom Daniels, C.
E.
O.
of Metro Mutual, who stood in that elevator and swore revenge after you blackmailed him into paying for a kid's surgery.
Right.
It's all starting to come back to me.
His reporter friend could write something that essentially guaranteed no one ever walked through those doors again.
Wait.
Can he shut us down before Friday? - I don't know.
Why? - Because We need to change a congressional vote by then.
Okay.
We have two problems.
One, how do we deal with a reporter looking to pay us back for blackmailing his friend? Two, how do we get a congressman to return to his original position on trigger locks? - Invite him in.
- The congressman? No.
The reporter.
Do what the military does when they want to control a story.
- Embed him.
- You mean He already knows the bad, so let him see the good.
He'll at least have to mention it, and then you neutralize the blow.
Covert memory reactivation! - Covert what? - Our brain stores memories while we sleep Hold on.
Are you talking about the reporter or the congressman? The congressman.
Why? Was somebody talking about the reporter? - Yes! - Oh.
Sorry.
I wasn't paying attention.
Sam was saying that we should let the reporter do a sort of ride-along while we work the case.
No! Absolutely not! Especially given the delicate political nature of this one.
What if we had another case, one that it wouldn't hurt to let him see, even even write about? Uh, we're broke, but suddenly you're sitting on a backlog of cases? We need to focus on the period - when he made the promise.
- Who? Reconsolidate the old memories - as high-value new ones.
- Right.
- Is anyone else confused? - Very.
- We make one up.
- A high-value memory? What? No, no.
A case! Unh-unh, Ross.
That is how we go from bad publicity to handcuffs.
Just listen.
Sam wasn't with us yet when we ran into Daniels, meaning he doesn't know she works here, so his reporter pal won't, either.
So we make Sam the client, let him follow her case.
Okay, what are we gonna accomplish for Sam? - Buy her a car.
- What?! Wow.
I love this job.
Not literally.
She was already going to get a car.
- I heard you asking Miles for some tricks - We call that science.
That you could use to get a better deal, right? So we make it a case.
You play the client, we work up a strategy, and he follows along while we show off what we can do.
- You know, it really is perfect.
- Thank you! - It's like a time machine.
- What now? If if he meant what he said during the campaign, bringing his memories forward should elevate their value.
You're talking about the congressman again? Yeah.
Why? What are you talking about? Doesn't matter.
Do you know how to do whatever it is you just said? Yeah, I just hone in on specific cues to reactivate the relevant memories.
Do you need my help with that sentence I didn't understand? Not yours, specifically.
Do you understand the plan to deal with the reporter? Miles is buying Sam a car for some reason? Close enough! Let's get to work! Does anyone have any idea what we're supposed to be doing? I thought I did, and then it went all sort of telepathic there at the end.
They'll come get us when they realize that - Hey! Come on! - Come on, guys! Let's go! You will eventually explain what it is we're doing, right? I told you four years ago, this was the congressman's campaign headquarters.
We're looking for auditory and olfactory cues that he would associate with what it was like back then.
Okay.
We understand the what.
We're just totally confused as to the why.
Well, think of the way of smelling a certain perfume can bring back memories of your mom or hearing a certain song can remind you of a high-school crush.
That's the way memories work.
It's, uh, like a a bowl of fishhooks.
You pull one out, a bunch of others come with it.
Okay.
I'm with you so far.
So, we're looking for little hooks that will let us pull up the congressman's memory of his campaign a campaign where he swore day after day he was gonna pass this bill.
But just reminding him of his campaign can't be all it takes for him to change his vote.
I mean, don't you think his son has done that? Don't you think there's angry voters calling and doing that every day? Yeah, well, that's why what we're doing is called covert memory reactivation, not "calling up someone and yelling at them" reactivation.
- What does the covert part mean? - Oh, it's simple.
We sneak into his house and do it while he's asleep.
So, wait now.
You want to know how this place smelled? Yes.
And sounded.
When you were managing the campaign volunteers, maybe someone was wearing a particular cologne or maybe the office was newly painted.
Fried chicken.
I'm sorry? Place smelled like fried chicken.
Yeah, one of our early supporters, he ran that fast-food place, Gus's.
Sent over fried chicken almost every day, which was real nice, except - It was fried chicken every day.
- Exactly.
What about sounds? Sounds? Oh.
That's easy.
Hey.
I'll I'll give you a piece when we're done with the experiment.
- Ross! - Where the hell have you been? Oh.
You brought fried chicken and a friend with a saxophone.
Ross, William.
William, Ross.
William apparently played outside the offices every day during the McKee campaign.
Very good tippers.
Sorry to see them move on.
I know you called and texted, but William was not easy to track down.
Yeah, he was under a bridge on the West Side.
On a totally unrelated note, I gave up a national commercial to be here.
Ross, he's just waiting in the conference room, and he does not seem happy to Um, oh.
That's interesting.
Miles, where is the condenser Mike that we use for the subject interviews? Clark, listen to me.
The reporter is here.
So? I thought you were on that.
Look, what I'm doing is very important here, Ross! - I'm trying to keep this from being - I got to the last important thing you get to do, do you understand? But if this guy's gonna ride along on a "case," we need to work it like a "case.
" That means we meet with the "client"! God, now you got me doing it! So meet! Have Miles sit in! Thank you.
That's what I've been saying for quite a while now.
He thinks he's gonna ride along on a regular case our only case.
If the brains behind the company is hosting a fried chicken and saxophone party instead of meeting with the client, he's gonna wonder if maybe there isn't something else going on.
This guy is dying to blow us up.
If we're gonna defuse it, we're gonna have to do it together.
Fine! Guys, go into Sam's office.
Miles, I need a high-fidelity recording of William to be played back at low levels.
Megan, Latrell, go get a box of cotton swabs.
Put the ends into the chicken.
Make sure that you really soak in the grease and aroma.
Soak up the grease.
Got it.
National.
I was gonna be on TV coast to coast.
How do you think I feel? I have 80% of a PhD.
Really? I also have a PhD.
Do I really have to go through with this charade? Defusing things is not my specialty.
This will be great practice for you.
I'm gonna go get Sam.
Hi.
Hi.
Clark Edwards.
I know who you are.
I'm sorry.
Are we not gonna do that thing - where we pretend to like each other? - Would you prefer that? No.
This is much easier for me.
I've always found it hard to smile at people who are trying to take me down.
You are aware you're the ones who invited me in.
Ross thinks that if you see the truth in what we do, you will feel obligated to mention it.
- But you disagree.
- I think you decided what you were gonna write when your fraternity buddy called.
Hey! You guys want to come out and meet Stephanie? Hmm.
Can't wait.
Stephanie, Mr.
Andrews understands that you're willing to let him follow along but that you don't want to use your full name or be identified in his story, so don't be afraid to speak freely.
Can I start out by asking He told her to speak freely, so you should just really observe.
Go ahead.
Okay.
Um Well, I I've been trying to buy a car, but I don't have great finances.
And being a single woman, when I go into these dealerships, I I guess it sort of feels like I'm always being pushed around.
Um, I don't know if this is the sort of thing - you guys deal with, but - Sure! No, that's, uh that's a common problem.
- We can absolutely help.
- Yeah.
Right.
Uh, there's a number of strategies that we can employ to help you with this process.
Uh, the first one to look at Is, um The Uh, the first is a reciprocal Benefit strategy.
I'm gonna let them know to knock it off.
Wait.
It brings back everything.
- What's that? - The whole context.
Not just the promise.
It's the fishhooks.
Um, I'm sorry.
I have to go.
- Clark, we're in the middle of a meeting.
- Stephanie, I'm on it.
Ideas, plans, strategies.
They're percolating.
Just need to think.
We'll keep in touch.
Would you say these meetings usually wrap up in two minutes, or is this a long one? Dr.
Edwards, what's going on? Hey.
Thought we weren't meeting till later.
Oh, I know.
We didn't talk about your relationship.
My relationship? Yeah.
With your dad.
Relationship with your dad.
Are you guys, what? We're fine, I guess.
I mean, now.
What about during the campaign? Then, no.
He hated me, basically.
We couldn't really be in the same room.
You know how you can tell when someone really wants to hit you? He was like that.
He'd just look at me, and all he could think about was Michael.
He'd fill up with this rage and sadness.
I'm gonna have to call it off.
Wh what? You said you had a strategy all planned out.
- I can get you into his place.
That's not - No, I'm sorry.
I didn't think it all the way through.
- What? It won't work? - It will.
It's just, look We basically bring your father back to the campaign.
We get him to remember and feel now what he thought and felt then, which should reactivate his passion for this bill and get him to reconsider his vote.
Well, that's perfect.
That's what I want.
But memories aren't isolated.
They bring a whole context with them.
If we bring him back to that time, there's a chance that he'll not only rediscover his passion for passing this bill, but rediscover his anger at you.
- It's okay.
- No.
- No, I need to think of another way to - Dr.
Edwards.
My dad and I we're never going back to the days where he was a little-league coach and I was his star pitcher.
What I did was unforgivable.
If you remind him of that, it's probably a good thing.
Ryan, look Just please, Dr.
Edwards.
If you don't do this, there's no vote, there's no law.
And then what was it for? Why did Michael die? It can't be for nothing.
Please.
I'm begging you.
Do it and make it all mean something.
Please, Dr.
Edwards.
- You can't be serious! - It's always been the plan, Ross.
Funny how you didn't mention the part about sneaking into a congressman's bedroom.
I'm not sneaking in.
Ryan's letting me in.
With fried-chicken cotton swabs and a recording of a homeless saxophone player? It's called covert memory reactivation.
Just repeating that isn't helping me understand why we're sending you out of the office dressed like a ninja.
- It's because we have to do it while he's asleep.
- Why?! Because when we're asleep, our brain goes through consolidation.
Think of it like this.
Our mind sifting through the day, deciding what's important enough to keep and what to get rid of.
Memories aren't just a mental scrapbook, Ross.
They're what define us, what drives us.
What we choose to remember is nothing short of who we are.
If we secretly use cues like a sound or a smell to activate a dormant memory, your brain experiences it almost as if it just happened.
The methodology may be exceedingly simple.
But the effects are extraordinarily powerful.
When you wake up, you have no idea why you've suddenly assigned great importance to this set of memories, but you know your brain is telling you they're valuable, saying, "don't forget this.
" "Don't let this go.
" The idea is the same one that caused Ryan to give himself that tattoo.
Memories don't just remind us what we've done.
They point us at what we're going to do next.
Hey! Come on.
Wake up.
We got a "case" to work.
Hey, I'm I'm sorry.
Um, I'm 50 cents short for the vending machine, and I'm just dying for a can of pop.
- Um, could you help me out by any chance? - Yeah.
What brings you in today? It's called the consistency principle.
By getting him to do her a favor, Stephanie establishes a subtle precedent, and it actually makes him more likely to do a favor for her in the future, like when she wants a better price.
So, that's what you have? Oh, that's just the start.
We're gonna be reversing the strategy that car dealers use on buyers it's called the sunk cost effect, where they make you wait repeatedly while they go back to their manager over and over again to try to shave off a few more dollars till you've invested so much time and energy in the negotiation that you're more apt to agree than walk away.
Instead, Stephanie's gonna readily agree to his offers, but she'll have to keep checking with the bank us to get approved.
- So, we're gonna be here a while.
- Yep.
When we take on a case, mark, no matter how small, we're all-in.
Get comfortable.
Mm.
Nothing? No.
Not yet.
It's gonna work.
That's kind of what I'm afraid of.
Okay.
I think he's at the end of his rope.
Uh, I told him that I thought it was a totally fair price and I would beg the bank one more time.
Perfect! Okay, here's what you're gonna do.
Take the phone back in.
Ross will be the loan officer on the other end.
Tell the salesman that you tried, but Ross isn't listening, and you give the salesman the phone and ask him to try talking to Ross.
Letting the salesman ultimately get Ross to say yes gives him complete ownership and investment in the deal.
It's his.
He made it.
When Ross agrees, Stephanie will leave to finalize the loan, but when she comes back tomorrow, she's gonna need an even lower price.
The fact that he owns the deal, that he spent so much time and energy will push him to accept just to get it done.
And nothing about these tactics bothers you? It's a car dealership.
We're we're simply leveling the playing field.
Fine.
Take it.
Take it.
I'll see you back at the office.
Latrell? What's the word? I don't even know how to thank you.
I mean, I've been trying to talk to him about it for weeks, and you do some magic with chicken and music, and it means a lot to me, really.
So, thank you.
And you and your dad Did you two talk? Uh, no, not exactly.
I went back to the office after word had leaked that he switched his position back to say thank you, and it was like you said, actually.
Like we went back to how it used to be.
He couldn't really look at me.
You could tell he just needed me to go away.
Ryan, I don't want you to No, it's okay, really.
The law's gonna change, and that's what's important.
And honestly, it's easier if he hates me.
Makes two of us.
Ryan, it doesn't make it any easier if he hates you.
There we are.
There's dad.
I want to go back.
Why can't you go back? Wait.
Little league.
Hello! Sir, you want to tell me what you're doing up there? Uh I don't suppose you're familiar with covert memory reactivation? Do you have any idea how this looks? Reporters get tips, you know.
Mark Andrews is gonna be all over this.
I'm surprised he didn't beat me here.
- Oh, screw him.
- No, Clark! Not screw him! Screw you! Everyone else in that office is killing themselves to keep one article from taking us down! You're getting wasted and walking around a congressman's roof like a a deranged Santa claus? If you don't want to help us, fine.
The least you could do is not help him.
I'm sorry.
That's exactly what you're gonna say to Mark Andrews.
And then you're going to explain that you were drunk on a congressional rooftop shoveling grass clippings down a chimney because of a very poorly thought-out and misguided attempt to make a political statement about environment policies that you disagree with.
- Okay?! - Okay.
Now Explain to me why you were actually on a congressional rooftop shoveling grass clippings down a chimney.
- Oh, hi, Mark.
- Rough night? Mark, we were just about to call you.
Were you? I have to say, I'm dying to hear this.
In my zeal to express my dissatisfaction over the lack of political progress on a host of environmental issues, I embarrassed myself, my co-workers, and unnecessarily troubled an innocent congressman, and I just want to express my sorrow and regret.
Not bad, but You've had practice making these statements, haven't you? Now do you see your tendency toward this kind of difficult-to-explain behavior as a problem? Sadly, it's not difficult to explain.
I'm just very passionate about the environment.
But does that really account for Again, I'm I'm very sorry.
But I I still hope that you're planning on joining us for the remainder of the current case.
I think you'll be impressed with what myself and the rest of our hardworking team are able to do.
Like I said, genius shows itself in very strange ways.
It obviously wasn't smart, but I had one comment about little league, no help, so I found a field.
You were evoking memories by putting grass clippings in his chimney? I wanted to resurrect a time when they had bonded.
What is this? What's going on? Oh, uh, Clark was just explaining how we need to find a new strategy for the case we already finished.
It's only partially finished.
- You mean the part we were actually hired to do? - Yeah.
That part's done.
Now we have to do the other part.
What other part? What are you talking about? Ross, we wrecked their relationship.
McKee won't even look at his son.
Okay, we did that.
I did that.
And the thing is, you know, Ryan thinks he deserves this.
- He doesn't deserve that - Whoa, whoa, hey, look.
Ryan asked you to do something.
You did it, and he was very thankful for it.
We can't fix everything in our clients' lives.
- Sometimes - Not this time! This time, it doesn't end like this.
That's not why I'm here to do this to people, to leave people in pain, okay? So I'm sorry if it's bad timing and if you don't want to do it.
But this one isn't over for me.
And it won't be over until Ryan and his dad are fixed.
But if Ryan doesn't care Ryan doesn't know! Ryan doesn't understand, Latrell! I do! My dad was was my idol.
He taught me how to throw a curve how to clean a fish.
Basically made my world go around.
And then I started having problems, and then my problems became his problems.
And it ruined his marriage, it ruined his life, and he hated me for it.
Clark, you can't take anything dad said He did, Ross, and you know it.
He hated me right into the ground.
And at the time, I thought it was okay, you know? "I can handle it.
Hell, I probably deserve it.
He'll get over it," right? But he didn't.
Because he died.
And I'm not gonna let that happen to Ryan, okay? I'll do it.
It's my case.
I'll do it alone if I have to, but I just wanted I wanted you to know that I I I'd love your help.
Well, then I guess we've got to figure out how to get Ryan's dad to forgive him, right? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
Guys Thanks.
My grandmother used to say everything happens for a reason.
Maybe you were supposed to end up with this case because you're the only one who can go the extra mile apophenia.
What? Megan! You're brilliant! That's it! The the human tendency to see patterns in randomness, to see meanings in coincidences! That's it! Wh can you expand on "that's it"? We're not gonna bring Ryan and his father together.
The universe is.
Human beings are essentially highly evolved pattern-recognition machines.
That tendency to assign special value to coincidental events is exactly what we're gonna use.
How? Take Ryan's tattoo.
We make it a logo for a band or something.
We paper a city block where his father walks with posters.
It's a coincidence, and it makes him think of his son.
We keep doing that taking information about Ryan, his birthday, where he went to school.
We create incidents that all feel like they're pointing McKee back toward his son until we create the ultimate coincidence and actually bring them together.
And what happens then? With any luck, a miracle.
Make 1,000 posters of that symbol.
Uh, could 100 work? Maybe 10? Time to go.
Latrell, don't cheap out.
Where are you going? To help Sam buy a car in such a spectacular way that her success becomes breaking news.
Or at least bears a mention next to the mug shots.
Hey, could I at least do black-and-white copies? I'm so sorry.
I thought you were totally being fair, but when I went to get the cashier's check, he said that he talked to his boss, and there was absolutely no way he could approve me at that number.
So, ultimately, this is the best I could do.
It's $600 less than what they said they would give you, And I totally understand if you can't match that price I don't know.
I don't excuse me one second.
Hello.
Skip Murray.
Mr.
Murray, this is Pam Jordan from the district tax assessor's office.
I'm calling because we've discovered some discrepancies in the placement of your property lines.
By offering him stressful news, we're raising his cortisol levels.
Elevated cortisol levels can lead people to seek out any available rewarding outcome.
This is gonna prime him to want to simply seal the deal.
Now, as soon as she's off the phone, we're gonna marry that with a contiguous consumption compliance window.
- The cookie.
- Totally.
See, research has shown this really strange phenomenon where if I offer you something to eat, you're more apt to comply with my commands while you're actually eating whatever it is that I've offered you.
So, Stephanie, she's gonna make a peace offering of a cookie.
Guys, guys, he's, uh, really angry.
What do you want me to do? Come back yet? Clark, this guy is yelling at me.
What do you want me to do? Yelling at you? What? - We did a cortisol selection bias.
- What?! It it promotes r reward seeking, and that's good.
If the subject has limited options! If his cortisol levels weren't already elevated, in which case, you can simply push him until he he snaps into an adrenaline loop! You think that I go out and survey my land every time I receive a tax bill?! I understand, sir, but that is simply our policy.
This is the carefully executed, scientific manipulation you were referring to? If he's adrenalized, the changes have He's not adrenalized.
Of course he is! He is yelling at Megan! No.
Guys, he hung up.
What? You came in, and you sat down, and you said yes, and your bank said yes.
You've wasted two days of my time.
Do you understand that? Sa Stephanie.
You have to match his anger! Okay? He's become adrenalized.
No, don't don't get angry.
The cortisol bias is still gonna work.
Just, uh, give him the cookie.
No, no, no! Don't give him the cookie! You placate him, you'll actually It's not placating.
It's contiguous consumption.
Get angry! Snap him out of what No! Do not get angry! Just give him the cookie! Here! I brought you this cookie! What's she doing? I think she's trying to angrily give him the cookie.
That would that work, I wonder? Which sounds correct chaotic incompetence or incompetent chaos? Maybe I'll just get a place closer to the train.
Edwards and Associates.
One moment, please.
It's for you.
Tom Daniels.
Mr.
Daniels.
Is this Ross Edwards of Edwards and Associates? - That's me.
- Well, Mr.
Edwards, I have had the pleasure of reading a copy of an article about you and your firm that's set to run tomorrow.
Now, obviously I'm not the P.
R.
expert that you are, but from where I'm sitting, this seems like the kind of article that, uh, could put someone out of business.
So, I'm gonna have my assistant send you over, uh, a parting gift.
I understand you're partial to cookies.
So, now what? Probably not too much.
We still need to fix Ryan and his dad.
Kind of a fitting way to end doing something that we weren't hired to do and that we're not getting paid for.
Look, I can't speak for the rest of you, but personally, and as short as it may have been, this has been the best job I have ever had the chance to screw up.
So, I say we finish strong.
Blaze of glory, et cetera.
What do you say? Who wants to join Clark and me for one more non-paying gig that no one will ever hear about or appreciate? In.
In.
Definitely.
I went full color on those posters.
- Spared no expense.
- Yeah, I'm all for it, too.
I'm just gonna need a ride.
Pseudo-science, criminal history, emotionally unstable.
Oh, there's even a mention of allegations of blackmail.
"No trick too dirty or opportunity too underhanded.
" Wow.
Please stop reading that.
You're breaking my focus.
All right, let's let's run through it.
- Megan? - On her way back now.
Staged a run-in with McKee almost an hour ago using the fact that Ryan went to DePaul and that his middle name is Alex to create our first coincidence.
Congressman McKee? Hi.
My name is Alex.
I'm from the DePaul Students Association.
- Latrell? - Already headed back.
the congressman downtown with Ryan's birthday to create coincidence number two.
The garage code is 12-16-91.
No, no, listen to me.
A are you deaf? Perfect.
And Sam is with Ryan.
Yes, we found a band he liked on his Facebook page, told him he won tickets.
Sam's gonna be the promotions representative, meet him on the El platform.
Afterwards, she walks him over to the office - to pick up the tickets.
- Except things never get that far, because if everything stays on the clock, Ryan gets off the train exactly as McKee is getting on.
They see each other, and then because coincidences don't feel like coincidences, but instead like the universe has brought them together There's McKee.
And there's coincidence number three.
It's his son's tattoo.
Okay.
Go.
Time? You just checked your watch.
He's on schedule.
It's gonna work.
I just got a text from Sam.
She says Ryan's train is about two minutes out.
Okay.
Okay.
Tell her to clear out.
I want them to just meet when he hits the platform so it really seems like it it Wait.
Wait.
Whoa.
Why's he why's he stopping? He looks like he like he forgot something.
Wait.
Come on, come on, come on.
What is he doing? Why is he where's he going?! - He's gonna miss everything! - Look, look, don't don't worry.
- We'll we'll come up with another - No, this is it! Everything is pointed to this! Clark, wait! Wait! Wait! Sir! Sir! Representative McKee! You have to go back, sir! - Sir, sir, sir! - Whoa.
Stop right there.
- Relax.
He's not a problem.
I got him.
- I need to talk talk to you for a second.
Clark, you don't want to do this, okay? - You're on a list.
You don't need to be - No, sir! Sir, you need to - you need to go up on the - Sir, it's about Ryan! What are you talking about? What about Ryan? What did he do? Do? Nothing.
He didn't do anything.
I did.
I did.
I I I wanted it to seem like like there were signs, there were coincidences that were pointing you back to your son.
And if you would have gone on that train platform like you usually do instead of turning around, you would have found him.
He's up there right now waiting for you, and he doesn't even know he's waiting for you, because I wanted it to feel like it was fate, like the like the universe was trying to pull you guys together again.
But it wasn't fate.
It's just us.
It's just us.
And I don't have a better answer.
I don't have better science.
I don't have anything else.
But you need to go on that platform.
You need to see your son.
And no matter how hard it it is, no matter how strange it feels, you have to forgive him.
And not just for him.
For you.
Look, I know you don't know who I am.
You probably think I'm crazy.
And I don't I can't imagine what it's like to lose a son.
But it's not too late to get the other one back.
Someday it will be.
Trust me.
But today it's not.
Are you the nut who was putting grass in my chimney? No, sir.
I'm the guy whose father never forgave him before he died.
And the world doesn't need any more of me.
Ryan! I've been thinking about you.
Suddenly, here you are.
Imagine that.
Dad, the other day, I just wanted to say thank you for passing the bill.
You know, I know nothing's gonna "A firm with no scruples, no shame, and no heart.
" "Edwards and associates is populated with the sort of people who seem not to genuinely care about anything or anyone.
They want only to win and seem spectacularly incapable of even that.
The last thing our city needs is a group like this running amok unstable, reckless, and downright criminal.
Contacting them seems more likely to result in breaking the law than fixing anything.
With as many problems as Chicago faces, we'll certainly be facing one less when these problem solvers close their doors.
" Wow.
Let's put that one in a frame for mom and dad's house.
He did mention that my research was award-winning.
He also called you emotionally unstable.
I say we all get drunk.
Ha! It's 4:00 in the afternoon.
Then we have time to get really drunk.
Latrell, we still got money in the petty cash, or we got to hock a computer on the way to the bar? Latrell.
I don't understand.
What? There's 57 messages, and I'm only on number 8.
Come on.
Don't listen to that stuff.
No, no.
You don't understand.
They all want to make appointments.
What? How? Maybe when you have a problem, a group of criminals who want to win doesn't sound so bad.
What? Just any press is good press? You tell me.
You're the award-winning scientist.
Maybe it's a sign.
Ex-con man who's opened an agency with my genius brother Clark.
A former psych professor.
Our business? We transform lives using psychological strategies.
- Yeah.
- In other words, we change people's minds without them knowing we did.
It's like part science, part Jedi mind tricks.
Like Jedi mind tricks, exactly! Our crack team includes, a felon, an actress, a grad student, and an accountant.
Together, we try to make our clients' dreams come true and their nightmares go away.
Sometimes it even works.
Afraid to ask.
That's your new wallpaper.
Miles, run off a thousand copies of this.
- We're gonna plaster Ross' office with it.
- Uh, no.
Between paper and toner costs, we really can't do it.
Seriously, you have a problem.
And, you, I have no idea what you're talking about.
Um, I was at home on the phone with Beth planning a relaxing weekend when I get a call from Ed Boski.
Sophie's dad.
The girl we got out of the cult.
Well, he wanted to know why we had put a reporter in touch with him.
Ross, we don't need you generating any publicity.
I didn't have anything to do with this.
I don't even understand what did Ed say exactly? He said that a reporter called with all kinds of questions about us, our business, what exactly we had done for his family and how.
- That doesn't sound good.
- No.
Some hack writing a puff piece this could Trust me, when they start out talking to everyone but you, they're not writing a love letter.
He's planning to bury you and then ask you for a comment just before he tosses in the last shovelful of dirt.
This is how the end started at Ross' last "business.
" You really have to do the little air quotes? Yeah, but we have a real business, not a Ross "business.
" Seriously, it's really insulting.
Put the words "fraud" and "convicted felon" in an article about us, and I doubt "real business" is the first thing most people think.
Before we panic, let's call Ed back, find out who this reporter is, see what he's really about.
- How do we - Read his stuff.
Does he write mostly community-interest pieces about dog adoption or hit pieces about escorts with corrupt politicians? And if it's the second one? Hello? I'm sorry, uh, I have an appointment, and there was no one out front, so Oh.
Yeah.
Well, we don't have anyone out there, but come in.
This is gonna be fine.
We got nothing to hide.
- What? - That is exactly what he said the last time.
Four days later, he was in handcuffs.
So, Ryan, what's up with the tattoos? You're not a fan? Tattoos represent a fundamental misunderstanding of the persistence of personal identity.
- Okay.
- Let me put it this way.
What was your favorite song five years ago? - I don't know.
I guess - Actually, it doesn't really matter.
Is it your favorite song now? - No.
- Exactly.
Now imagine that song around your neck for the rest of your life.
The philosophical question of who we are through time - is actually a very interesting.
- My apologies, Ryan.
Clark sometimes forgets what "very interesting" actually means.
How can we help you? There's a bill coming up for a vote in Congress on Friday, and my dad was gonna vote for it, but lately he seems he's changed his mind, and I want you to change it back.
- Wait.
Who who's your father? - Representative McKee.
- And what's the bill? - It would make trigger locks for handguns mandatory.
It was his only campaign promise.
He's pushed for it nonstop since getting elected.
And if he backs out, others will follow.
- Why is he backing down? - Pressure from the party.
The bill is controversial, and they want to keep his district, so they're threatening to pull his re-election funding if he goes ahead with it.
So, if we get him to change his vote back, we pretty much wreck his political career? I don't know.
Maybe.
- It doesn't really matter.
- He might disagree.
He promised he was gonna do something.
He needs to do it.
That's kind of the opposite of how politics usually works.
Are you saying you can't help me? I'm just saying that making political enemies might not be an ideal survival strategy for us.
And binding someone to the opinions of their former self is kind of tricky.
Again, imagine your favorite song from five years ago, - but this time, it's - Stop talking about my favorite song.
This isn't about taste.
It's How about you imagine something.
Imagine that it's six years ago and you're staying with your Uncle.
He's got guns.
Your dad hates guns.
He's very clear about that.
He's very clear that you need to stay away from them.
But instead you decide to sneak one out, take it home.
Then one night, you and your brother are screwing around with it, and you accidentally shoot him.
Imagine that.
Your little brother.
lying there scared and bleeding.
And he asks you if he's gonna die and you tell him no, promise him he's gonna be fine.
And he isn't.
Now, imagine that you lost your mom to cancer and now your brother, and all you have left is your father, who decides this will never happen to anyone else.
So, imagine he runs for office and gets elected, all the while telling people that he's gonna fix this and change it.
Imagine that this Friday, your father could keep that promise and make something good come from the fact that you don't have a brother anymore.
Imagine that and tell me if you give a damn about politics or favorite songs.
I know how tattoos work, Dr.
Edwards.
But sometimes our future self needs to be reminded of our decisions from the past.
His name was Michael.
And I put it there so I'd see it every time I look in the mirror.
I'd never ask you to do anything for me.
But I'd be willing to beg you to do it for him.
- The guy's basically an assassin.
- Who? The reporter Mark Andrews.
Every story is blowing the lid off of something.
His Christmas cards probably blow the lid off of something.
People lose their jobs, businesses shut down.
I mean, he's like the Grim Reaper with a byline.
In addition to Andrews being a muckraking nightmare, guess who also turns out to not only be an often-quoted source, but his college roommate and fraternity brother? - Tom Daniels.
- Doesn't ring a bell.
Maybe if I use his full name.
Tom Daniels, C.
E.
O.
of Metro Mutual, also known as Tom Daniels, C.
E.
O.
of Metro Mutual, who stood in that elevator and swore revenge after you blackmailed him into paying for a kid's surgery.
Right.
It's all starting to come back to me.
His reporter friend could write something that essentially guaranteed no one ever walked through those doors again.
Wait.
Can he shut us down before Friday? - I don't know.
Why? - Because We need to change a congressional vote by then.
Okay.
We have two problems.
One, how do we deal with a reporter looking to pay us back for blackmailing his friend? Two, how do we get a congressman to return to his original position on trigger locks? - Invite him in.
- The congressman? No.
The reporter.
Do what the military does when they want to control a story.
- Embed him.
- You mean He already knows the bad, so let him see the good.
He'll at least have to mention it, and then you neutralize the blow.
Covert memory reactivation! - Covert what? - Our brain stores memories while we sleep Hold on.
Are you talking about the reporter or the congressman? The congressman.
Why? Was somebody talking about the reporter? - Yes! - Oh.
Sorry.
I wasn't paying attention.
Sam was saying that we should let the reporter do a sort of ride-along while we work the case.
No! Absolutely not! Especially given the delicate political nature of this one.
What if we had another case, one that it wouldn't hurt to let him see, even even write about? Uh, we're broke, but suddenly you're sitting on a backlog of cases? We need to focus on the period - when he made the promise.
- Who? Reconsolidate the old memories - as high-value new ones.
- Right.
- Is anyone else confused? - Very.
- We make one up.
- A high-value memory? What? No, no.
A case! Unh-unh, Ross.
That is how we go from bad publicity to handcuffs.
Just listen.
Sam wasn't with us yet when we ran into Daniels, meaning he doesn't know she works here, so his reporter pal won't, either.
So we make Sam the client, let him follow her case.
Okay, what are we gonna accomplish for Sam? - Buy her a car.
- What?! Wow.
I love this job.
Not literally.
She was already going to get a car.
- I heard you asking Miles for some tricks - We call that science.
That you could use to get a better deal, right? So we make it a case.
You play the client, we work up a strategy, and he follows along while we show off what we can do.
- You know, it really is perfect.
- Thank you! - It's like a time machine.
- What now? If if he meant what he said during the campaign, bringing his memories forward should elevate their value.
You're talking about the congressman again? Yeah.
Why? What are you talking about? Doesn't matter.
Do you know how to do whatever it is you just said? Yeah, I just hone in on specific cues to reactivate the relevant memories.
Do you need my help with that sentence I didn't understand? Not yours, specifically.
Do you understand the plan to deal with the reporter? Miles is buying Sam a car for some reason? Close enough! Let's get to work! Does anyone have any idea what we're supposed to be doing? I thought I did, and then it went all sort of telepathic there at the end.
They'll come get us when they realize that - Hey! Come on! - Come on, guys! Let's go! You will eventually explain what it is we're doing, right? I told you four years ago, this was the congressman's campaign headquarters.
We're looking for auditory and olfactory cues that he would associate with what it was like back then.
Okay.
We understand the what.
We're just totally confused as to the why.
Well, think of the way of smelling a certain perfume can bring back memories of your mom or hearing a certain song can remind you of a high-school crush.
That's the way memories work.
It's, uh, like a a bowl of fishhooks.
You pull one out, a bunch of others come with it.
Okay.
I'm with you so far.
So, we're looking for little hooks that will let us pull up the congressman's memory of his campaign a campaign where he swore day after day he was gonna pass this bill.
But just reminding him of his campaign can't be all it takes for him to change his vote.
I mean, don't you think his son has done that? Don't you think there's angry voters calling and doing that every day? Yeah, well, that's why what we're doing is called covert memory reactivation, not "calling up someone and yelling at them" reactivation.
- What does the covert part mean? - Oh, it's simple.
We sneak into his house and do it while he's asleep.
So, wait now.
You want to know how this place smelled? Yes.
And sounded.
When you were managing the campaign volunteers, maybe someone was wearing a particular cologne or maybe the office was newly painted.
Fried chicken.
I'm sorry? Place smelled like fried chicken.
Yeah, one of our early supporters, he ran that fast-food place, Gus's.
Sent over fried chicken almost every day, which was real nice, except - It was fried chicken every day.
- Exactly.
What about sounds? Sounds? Oh.
That's easy.
Hey.
I'll I'll give you a piece when we're done with the experiment.
- Ross! - Where the hell have you been? Oh.
You brought fried chicken and a friend with a saxophone.
Ross, William.
William, Ross.
William apparently played outside the offices every day during the McKee campaign.
Very good tippers.
Sorry to see them move on.
I know you called and texted, but William was not easy to track down.
Yeah, he was under a bridge on the West Side.
On a totally unrelated note, I gave up a national commercial to be here.
Ross, he's just waiting in the conference room, and he does not seem happy to Um, oh.
That's interesting.
Miles, where is the condenser Mike that we use for the subject interviews? Clark, listen to me.
The reporter is here.
So? I thought you were on that.
Look, what I'm doing is very important here, Ross! - I'm trying to keep this from being - I got to the last important thing you get to do, do you understand? But if this guy's gonna ride along on a "case," we need to work it like a "case.
" That means we meet with the "client"! God, now you got me doing it! So meet! Have Miles sit in! Thank you.
That's what I've been saying for quite a while now.
He thinks he's gonna ride along on a regular case our only case.
If the brains behind the company is hosting a fried chicken and saxophone party instead of meeting with the client, he's gonna wonder if maybe there isn't something else going on.
This guy is dying to blow us up.
If we're gonna defuse it, we're gonna have to do it together.
Fine! Guys, go into Sam's office.
Miles, I need a high-fidelity recording of William to be played back at low levels.
Megan, Latrell, go get a box of cotton swabs.
Put the ends into the chicken.
Make sure that you really soak in the grease and aroma.
Soak up the grease.
Got it.
National.
I was gonna be on TV coast to coast.
How do you think I feel? I have 80% of a PhD.
Really? I also have a PhD.
Do I really have to go through with this charade? Defusing things is not my specialty.
This will be great practice for you.
I'm gonna go get Sam.
Hi.
Hi.
Clark Edwards.
I know who you are.
I'm sorry.
Are we not gonna do that thing - where we pretend to like each other? - Would you prefer that? No.
This is much easier for me.
I've always found it hard to smile at people who are trying to take me down.
You are aware you're the ones who invited me in.
Ross thinks that if you see the truth in what we do, you will feel obligated to mention it.
- But you disagree.
- I think you decided what you were gonna write when your fraternity buddy called.
Hey! You guys want to come out and meet Stephanie? Hmm.
Can't wait.
Stephanie, Mr.
Andrews understands that you're willing to let him follow along but that you don't want to use your full name or be identified in his story, so don't be afraid to speak freely.
Can I start out by asking He told her to speak freely, so you should just really observe.
Go ahead.
Okay.
Um Well, I I've been trying to buy a car, but I don't have great finances.
And being a single woman, when I go into these dealerships, I I guess it sort of feels like I'm always being pushed around.
Um, I don't know if this is the sort of thing - you guys deal with, but - Sure! No, that's, uh that's a common problem.
- We can absolutely help.
- Yeah.
Right.
Uh, there's a number of strategies that we can employ to help you with this process.
Uh, the first one to look at Is, um The Uh, the first is a reciprocal Benefit strategy.
I'm gonna let them know to knock it off.
Wait.
It brings back everything.
- What's that? - The whole context.
Not just the promise.
It's the fishhooks.
Um, I'm sorry.
I have to go.
- Clark, we're in the middle of a meeting.
- Stephanie, I'm on it.
Ideas, plans, strategies.
They're percolating.
Just need to think.
We'll keep in touch.
Would you say these meetings usually wrap up in two minutes, or is this a long one? Dr.
Edwards, what's going on? Hey.
Thought we weren't meeting till later.
Oh, I know.
We didn't talk about your relationship.
My relationship? Yeah.
With your dad.
Relationship with your dad.
Are you guys, what? We're fine, I guess.
I mean, now.
What about during the campaign? Then, no.
He hated me, basically.
We couldn't really be in the same room.
You know how you can tell when someone really wants to hit you? He was like that.
He'd just look at me, and all he could think about was Michael.
He'd fill up with this rage and sadness.
I'm gonna have to call it off.
Wh what? You said you had a strategy all planned out.
- I can get you into his place.
That's not - No, I'm sorry.
I didn't think it all the way through.
- What? It won't work? - It will.
It's just, look We basically bring your father back to the campaign.
We get him to remember and feel now what he thought and felt then, which should reactivate his passion for this bill and get him to reconsider his vote.
Well, that's perfect.
That's what I want.
But memories aren't isolated.
They bring a whole context with them.
If we bring him back to that time, there's a chance that he'll not only rediscover his passion for passing this bill, but rediscover his anger at you.
- It's okay.
- No.
- No, I need to think of another way to - Dr.
Edwards.
My dad and I we're never going back to the days where he was a little-league coach and I was his star pitcher.
What I did was unforgivable.
If you remind him of that, it's probably a good thing.
Ryan, look Just please, Dr.
Edwards.
If you don't do this, there's no vote, there's no law.
And then what was it for? Why did Michael die? It can't be for nothing.
Please.
I'm begging you.
Do it and make it all mean something.
Please, Dr.
Edwards.
- You can't be serious! - It's always been the plan, Ross.
Funny how you didn't mention the part about sneaking into a congressman's bedroom.
I'm not sneaking in.
Ryan's letting me in.
With fried-chicken cotton swabs and a recording of a homeless saxophone player? It's called covert memory reactivation.
Just repeating that isn't helping me understand why we're sending you out of the office dressed like a ninja.
- It's because we have to do it while he's asleep.
- Why?! Because when we're asleep, our brain goes through consolidation.
Think of it like this.
Our mind sifting through the day, deciding what's important enough to keep and what to get rid of.
Memories aren't just a mental scrapbook, Ross.
They're what define us, what drives us.
What we choose to remember is nothing short of who we are.
If we secretly use cues like a sound or a smell to activate a dormant memory, your brain experiences it almost as if it just happened.
The methodology may be exceedingly simple.
But the effects are extraordinarily powerful.
When you wake up, you have no idea why you've suddenly assigned great importance to this set of memories, but you know your brain is telling you they're valuable, saying, "don't forget this.
" "Don't let this go.
" The idea is the same one that caused Ryan to give himself that tattoo.
Memories don't just remind us what we've done.
They point us at what we're going to do next.
Hey! Come on.
Wake up.
We got a "case" to work.
Hey, I'm I'm sorry.
Um, I'm 50 cents short for the vending machine, and I'm just dying for a can of pop.
- Um, could you help me out by any chance? - Yeah.
What brings you in today? It's called the consistency principle.
By getting him to do her a favor, Stephanie establishes a subtle precedent, and it actually makes him more likely to do a favor for her in the future, like when she wants a better price.
So, that's what you have? Oh, that's just the start.
We're gonna be reversing the strategy that car dealers use on buyers it's called the sunk cost effect, where they make you wait repeatedly while they go back to their manager over and over again to try to shave off a few more dollars till you've invested so much time and energy in the negotiation that you're more apt to agree than walk away.
Instead, Stephanie's gonna readily agree to his offers, but she'll have to keep checking with the bank us to get approved.
- So, we're gonna be here a while.
- Yep.
When we take on a case, mark, no matter how small, we're all-in.
Get comfortable.
Mm.
Nothing? No.
Not yet.
It's gonna work.
That's kind of what I'm afraid of.
Okay.
I think he's at the end of his rope.
Uh, I told him that I thought it was a totally fair price and I would beg the bank one more time.
Perfect! Okay, here's what you're gonna do.
Take the phone back in.
Ross will be the loan officer on the other end.
Tell the salesman that you tried, but Ross isn't listening, and you give the salesman the phone and ask him to try talking to Ross.
Letting the salesman ultimately get Ross to say yes gives him complete ownership and investment in the deal.
It's his.
He made it.
When Ross agrees, Stephanie will leave to finalize the loan, but when she comes back tomorrow, she's gonna need an even lower price.
The fact that he owns the deal, that he spent so much time and energy will push him to accept just to get it done.
And nothing about these tactics bothers you? It's a car dealership.
We're we're simply leveling the playing field.
Fine.
Take it.
Take it.
I'll see you back at the office.
Latrell? What's the word? I don't even know how to thank you.
I mean, I've been trying to talk to him about it for weeks, and you do some magic with chicken and music, and it means a lot to me, really.
So, thank you.
And you and your dad Did you two talk? Uh, no, not exactly.
I went back to the office after word had leaked that he switched his position back to say thank you, and it was like you said, actually.
Like we went back to how it used to be.
He couldn't really look at me.
You could tell he just needed me to go away.
Ryan, I don't want you to No, it's okay, really.
The law's gonna change, and that's what's important.
And honestly, it's easier if he hates me.
Makes two of us.
Ryan, it doesn't make it any easier if he hates you.
There we are.
There's dad.
I want to go back.
Why can't you go back? Wait.
Little league.
Hello! Sir, you want to tell me what you're doing up there? Uh I don't suppose you're familiar with covert memory reactivation? Do you have any idea how this looks? Reporters get tips, you know.
Mark Andrews is gonna be all over this.
I'm surprised he didn't beat me here.
- Oh, screw him.
- No, Clark! Not screw him! Screw you! Everyone else in that office is killing themselves to keep one article from taking us down! You're getting wasted and walking around a congressman's roof like a a deranged Santa claus? If you don't want to help us, fine.
The least you could do is not help him.
I'm sorry.
That's exactly what you're gonna say to Mark Andrews.
And then you're going to explain that you were drunk on a congressional rooftop shoveling grass clippings down a chimney because of a very poorly thought-out and misguided attempt to make a political statement about environment policies that you disagree with.
- Okay?! - Okay.
Now Explain to me why you were actually on a congressional rooftop shoveling grass clippings down a chimney.
- Oh, hi, Mark.
- Rough night? Mark, we were just about to call you.
Were you? I have to say, I'm dying to hear this.
In my zeal to express my dissatisfaction over the lack of political progress on a host of environmental issues, I embarrassed myself, my co-workers, and unnecessarily troubled an innocent congressman, and I just want to express my sorrow and regret.
Not bad, but You've had practice making these statements, haven't you? Now do you see your tendency toward this kind of difficult-to-explain behavior as a problem? Sadly, it's not difficult to explain.
I'm just very passionate about the environment.
But does that really account for Again, I'm I'm very sorry.
But I I still hope that you're planning on joining us for the remainder of the current case.
I think you'll be impressed with what myself and the rest of our hardworking team are able to do.
Like I said, genius shows itself in very strange ways.
It obviously wasn't smart, but I had one comment about little league, no help, so I found a field.
You were evoking memories by putting grass clippings in his chimney? I wanted to resurrect a time when they had bonded.
What is this? What's going on? Oh, uh, Clark was just explaining how we need to find a new strategy for the case we already finished.
It's only partially finished.
- You mean the part we were actually hired to do? - Yeah.
That part's done.
Now we have to do the other part.
What other part? What are you talking about? Ross, we wrecked their relationship.
McKee won't even look at his son.
Okay, we did that.
I did that.
And the thing is, you know, Ryan thinks he deserves this.
- He doesn't deserve that - Whoa, whoa, hey, look.
Ryan asked you to do something.
You did it, and he was very thankful for it.
We can't fix everything in our clients' lives.
- Sometimes - Not this time! This time, it doesn't end like this.
That's not why I'm here to do this to people, to leave people in pain, okay? So I'm sorry if it's bad timing and if you don't want to do it.
But this one isn't over for me.
And it won't be over until Ryan and his dad are fixed.
But if Ryan doesn't care Ryan doesn't know! Ryan doesn't understand, Latrell! I do! My dad was was my idol.
He taught me how to throw a curve how to clean a fish.
Basically made my world go around.
And then I started having problems, and then my problems became his problems.
And it ruined his marriage, it ruined his life, and he hated me for it.
Clark, you can't take anything dad said He did, Ross, and you know it.
He hated me right into the ground.
And at the time, I thought it was okay, you know? "I can handle it.
Hell, I probably deserve it.
He'll get over it," right? But he didn't.
Because he died.
And I'm not gonna let that happen to Ryan, okay? I'll do it.
It's my case.
I'll do it alone if I have to, but I just wanted I wanted you to know that I I I'd love your help.
Well, then I guess we've got to figure out how to get Ryan's dad to forgive him, right? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
Guys Thanks.
My grandmother used to say everything happens for a reason.
Maybe you were supposed to end up with this case because you're the only one who can go the extra mile apophenia.
What? Megan! You're brilliant! That's it! The the human tendency to see patterns in randomness, to see meanings in coincidences! That's it! Wh can you expand on "that's it"? We're not gonna bring Ryan and his father together.
The universe is.
Human beings are essentially highly evolved pattern-recognition machines.
That tendency to assign special value to coincidental events is exactly what we're gonna use.
How? Take Ryan's tattoo.
We make it a logo for a band or something.
We paper a city block where his father walks with posters.
It's a coincidence, and it makes him think of his son.
We keep doing that taking information about Ryan, his birthday, where he went to school.
We create incidents that all feel like they're pointing McKee back toward his son until we create the ultimate coincidence and actually bring them together.
And what happens then? With any luck, a miracle.
Make 1,000 posters of that symbol.
Uh, could 100 work? Maybe 10? Time to go.
Latrell, don't cheap out.
Where are you going? To help Sam buy a car in such a spectacular way that her success becomes breaking news.
Or at least bears a mention next to the mug shots.
Hey, could I at least do black-and-white copies? I'm so sorry.
I thought you were totally being fair, but when I went to get the cashier's check, he said that he talked to his boss, and there was absolutely no way he could approve me at that number.
So, ultimately, this is the best I could do.
It's $600 less than what they said they would give you, And I totally understand if you can't match that price I don't know.
I don't excuse me one second.
Hello.
Skip Murray.
Mr.
Murray, this is Pam Jordan from the district tax assessor's office.
I'm calling because we've discovered some discrepancies in the placement of your property lines.
By offering him stressful news, we're raising his cortisol levels.
Elevated cortisol levels can lead people to seek out any available rewarding outcome.
This is gonna prime him to want to simply seal the deal.
Now, as soon as she's off the phone, we're gonna marry that with a contiguous consumption compliance window.
- The cookie.
- Totally.
See, research has shown this really strange phenomenon where if I offer you something to eat, you're more apt to comply with my commands while you're actually eating whatever it is that I've offered you.
So, Stephanie, she's gonna make a peace offering of a cookie.
Guys, guys, he's, uh, really angry.
What do you want me to do? Come back yet? Clark, this guy is yelling at me.
What do you want me to do? Yelling at you? What? - We did a cortisol selection bias.
- What?! It it promotes r reward seeking, and that's good.
If the subject has limited options! If his cortisol levels weren't already elevated, in which case, you can simply push him until he he snaps into an adrenaline loop! You think that I go out and survey my land every time I receive a tax bill?! I understand, sir, but that is simply our policy.
This is the carefully executed, scientific manipulation you were referring to? If he's adrenalized, the changes have He's not adrenalized.
Of course he is! He is yelling at Megan! No.
Guys, he hung up.
What? You came in, and you sat down, and you said yes, and your bank said yes.
You've wasted two days of my time.
Do you understand that? Sa Stephanie.
You have to match his anger! Okay? He's become adrenalized.
No, don't don't get angry.
The cortisol bias is still gonna work.
Just, uh, give him the cookie.
No, no, no! Don't give him the cookie! You placate him, you'll actually It's not placating.
It's contiguous consumption.
Get angry! Snap him out of what No! Do not get angry! Just give him the cookie! Here! I brought you this cookie! What's she doing? I think she's trying to angrily give him the cookie.
That would that work, I wonder? Which sounds correct chaotic incompetence or incompetent chaos? Maybe I'll just get a place closer to the train.
Edwards and Associates.
One moment, please.
It's for you.
Tom Daniels.
Mr.
Daniels.
Is this Ross Edwards of Edwards and Associates? - That's me.
- Well, Mr.
Edwards, I have had the pleasure of reading a copy of an article about you and your firm that's set to run tomorrow.
Now, obviously I'm not the P.
R.
expert that you are, but from where I'm sitting, this seems like the kind of article that, uh, could put someone out of business.
So, I'm gonna have my assistant send you over, uh, a parting gift.
I understand you're partial to cookies.
So, now what? Probably not too much.
We still need to fix Ryan and his dad.
Kind of a fitting way to end doing something that we weren't hired to do and that we're not getting paid for.
Look, I can't speak for the rest of you, but personally, and as short as it may have been, this has been the best job I have ever had the chance to screw up.
So, I say we finish strong.
Blaze of glory, et cetera.
What do you say? Who wants to join Clark and me for one more non-paying gig that no one will ever hear about or appreciate? In.
In.
Definitely.
I went full color on those posters.
- Spared no expense.
- Yeah, I'm all for it, too.
I'm just gonna need a ride.
Pseudo-science, criminal history, emotionally unstable.
Oh, there's even a mention of allegations of blackmail.
"No trick too dirty or opportunity too underhanded.
" Wow.
Please stop reading that.
You're breaking my focus.
All right, let's let's run through it.
- Megan? - On her way back now.
Staged a run-in with McKee almost an hour ago using the fact that Ryan went to DePaul and that his middle name is Alex to create our first coincidence.
Congressman McKee? Hi.
My name is Alex.
I'm from the DePaul Students Association.
- Latrell? - Already headed back.
the congressman downtown with Ryan's birthday to create coincidence number two.
The garage code is 12-16-91.
No, no, listen to me.
A are you deaf? Perfect.
And Sam is with Ryan.
Yes, we found a band he liked on his Facebook page, told him he won tickets.
Sam's gonna be the promotions representative, meet him on the El platform.
Afterwards, she walks him over to the office - to pick up the tickets.
- Except things never get that far, because if everything stays on the clock, Ryan gets off the train exactly as McKee is getting on.
They see each other, and then because coincidences don't feel like coincidences, but instead like the universe has brought them together There's McKee.
And there's coincidence number three.
It's his son's tattoo.
Okay.
Go.
Time? You just checked your watch.
He's on schedule.
It's gonna work.
I just got a text from Sam.
She says Ryan's train is about two minutes out.
Okay.
Okay.
Tell her to clear out.
I want them to just meet when he hits the platform so it really seems like it it Wait.
Wait.
Whoa.
Why's he why's he stopping? He looks like he like he forgot something.
Wait.
Come on, come on, come on.
What is he doing? Why is he where's he going?! - He's gonna miss everything! - Look, look, don't don't worry.
- We'll we'll come up with another - No, this is it! Everything is pointed to this! Clark, wait! Wait! Wait! Sir! Sir! Representative McKee! You have to go back, sir! - Sir, sir, sir! - Whoa.
Stop right there.
- Relax.
He's not a problem.
I got him.
- I need to talk talk to you for a second.
Clark, you don't want to do this, okay? - You're on a list.
You don't need to be - No, sir! Sir, you need to - you need to go up on the - Sir, it's about Ryan! What are you talking about? What about Ryan? What did he do? Do? Nothing.
He didn't do anything.
I did.
I did.
I I I wanted it to seem like like there were signs, there were coincidences that were pointing you back to your son.
And if you would have gone on that train platform like you usually do instead of turning around, you would have found him.
He's up there right now waiting for you, and he doesn't even know he's waiting for you, because I wanted it to feel like it was fate, like the like the universe was trying to pull you guys together again.
But it wasn't fate.
It's just us.
It's just us.
And I don't have a better answer.
I don't have better science.
I don't have anything else.
But you need to go on that platform.
You need to see your son.
And no matter how hard it it is, no matter how strange it feels, you have to forgive him.
And not just for him.
For you.
Look, I know you don't know who I am.
You probably think I'm crazy.
And I don't I can't imagine what it's like to lose a son.
But it's not too late to get the other one back.
Someday it will be.
Trust me.
But today it's not.
Are you the nut who was putting grass in my chimney? No, sir.
I'm the guy whose father never forgave him before he died.
And the world doesn't need any more of me.
Ryan! I've been thinking about you.
Suddenly, here you are.
Imagine that.
Dad, the other day, I just wanted to say thank you for passing the bill.
You know, I know nothing's gonna "A firm with no scruples, no shame, and no heart.
" "Edwards and associates is populated with the sort of people who seem not to genuinely care about anything or anyone.
They want only to win and seem spectacularly incapable of even that.
The last thing our city needs is a group like this running amok unstable, reckless, and downright criminal.
Contacting them seems more likely to result in breaking the law than fixing anything.
With as many problems as Chicago faces, we'll certainly be facing one less when these problem solvers close their doors.
" Wow.
Let's put that one in a frame for mom and dad's house.
He did mention that my research was award-winning.
He also called you emotionally unstable.
I say we all get drunk.
Ha! It's 4:00 in the afternoon.
Then we have time to get really drunk.
Latrell, we still got money in the petty cash, or we got to hock a computer on the way to the bar? Latrell.
I don't understand.
What? There's 57 messages, and I'm only on number 8.
Come on.
Don't listen to that stuff.
No, no.
You don't understand.
They all want to make appointments.
What? How? Maybe when you have a problem, a group of criminals who want to win doesn't sound so bad.
What? Just any press is good press? You tell me.
You're the award-winning scientist.
Maybe it's a sign.