Riches (2022) s01e04 Episode Script

1
Did you know your mom was fooling
with the help?
Nina did it!
No way!
So you want
a full background check?
Surveillance plus phone hacking?
It's a serving police officer.
Is that a problem for you?
Whatever it takes,
we're going to get back what's ours.
I found the secret shareholder.
Rishi.
Look, I have to work.
Brooklyn babe. Allergic to cats.
Likes carbs.
Workaholic.
You keeping a list, Asian Romeo?
Are we ever doing real names?
Did the Home Office send you
to check my papers or what?
It's been three weeks.
I have to go and get dressed, okay?
If we took this public,
you'd see I'm great.
My dinner banter's on point,
I know about wines and cheeses
and all that shit.
And I do not cheap out on courses.
- Hmm. A good tipper?
- Hmm.
Do the Irish struggle with that
like the Brits?
Oh, I don't struggle with nothing.
I know that's right.
Ms Popular.
Look, I really have to go, okay?
What about dinner?
Give me an hour.
Hey, Blair. What you doing?
Hey, Bush!
- Oh, I missed you!
- Mm.
You smell good!
Get out.
- Thank you.
- Thanks.
So, how's Mum?
Hmm. She's low-key pumping me
for information about everything.
Hmm. That figures.
But we have the annual shareholders
meeting next week.
- You'd better be there.
- Mm-mmm.
You're not gonna have me working
in these streets.
Bitch, you inherited this thing, too.
Okay.
It's been three weeks
since the re-launch
and sales are up
across all demographics.
The traffic on the website
is through the roof.
Mm-hmm.
But the other thing.
Yeah?
Um
We're still missing millions.
I've got a forensic accountant
working on it. But
everything I'm doing means nothing
if we can't recover that money.
What about Maureen
and this whole Zurich thing?
- Keep your enemies close.
- Hmm.
Maybe
she was protecting Stephen's privacy,
but I have my eye on her.
Anyways Shareholders meeting.
I have been calling them
to introduce myself.
- You can call some, too, you know?
- Yes.
Do you think they gonna be
a tough crowd?
They need to know a grown-up
is in charge and I'll make them money.
Shareholders love money.
They'll get in line.
Mm-hmm.
Oh, you gonna make them get in line.
- That part.
- Oh, period.
Flowers arrived.
I hope you like them.
Flowers die.
That's money down the drain.
I've been wanting to visit.
So what stopped you?
Aunty, I'm here about the company
and those children.
- What about them?
- We don't know them,
we don't know what they want.
And now I'm hearing
about financial irregularities.
They could ruin everything
we've worked hard for.
When last did you work for a living?
The company should be run by family.
- It is run by family.
- Yes, but
Or do you want to take over yourself?
I don't want them messing things up
and putting your dividends
in jeopardy.
What about my dividend?
What are you planning?
- Claudia.
- What you saying?
Ultimae are in.
They wanna make this investment.
You did good, Dre.
How about you?
- Moji's in.
- Rishi Mehta's interested.
That's almost everyone.
What about the kids?
I'll get them in line.
Tell Ultimae we're ready to proceed.
That girl ain't gonna know
what hit her.
Congratulations.
Any news on Davina Chase?
No, she's not returning any calls,
emails or letters from HR.
Great.
So she's probably prepping to sue
for unfair dismissal.
Thanks, Maureen.
The new Face Of Flair is on point
and we love to see it,
so my online order was massive
and I was going to do
a products haul video for you guys.
Yes, girl. That's it!
But my order hasn't arrived yet.
Like, seriously, though,
what is going on with the availability?
F&G is sold out everywhere.
- We seriously need some
- Shit!
back in these streets.
Gus, this is just not gonna last.
F&G Just Me Spritz is sold out.
True Condition is sold out.
It's a shambles
and customers are angry at me.
Chill, all right? I'll find out
what's up and get back to you.
Everybody's telling me,
"I'll call you back"
And guess what, Gus,
no one calls me back.
I promise I will get back to you
with answers.
I'll believe that when I see it.
You have a delivery?
They said you need to sign
for it personally.
Cool. I'll handle this.
Never heard of email?
You don't want
this kind of paper trail.
This is my favourite.
Smoking up with this guy
who's wanted for human trafficking.
Man's living dangerously.
Yeah. What do you want me to do?
Could be in the papers by the morning.
Let me think.
Sure.
Bell me when you decide.
I didn't ask for it.
Building admin.
- We need to talk about distribution.
- Yeah, what's going on?
The new ad went viral,
we had three weeks of sales
going through the roof
and now it's plateauing.
But the website traffic
is still high. Why?
Because no one
can actually buy anything.
Everything's sold out everywhere?
We've never had a surge
like this before, credit to you,
but our distributors are flopping.
Who's your contact
on the supply chain?
Asif, but we can't get hold of him.
- Where's he based?
- Enfield.
Great. We're going to Enfield.
- Lobby in 15.
- See you there.
Neen, none of these shareholders
are taking my call.
I mean, I've tried everybody.
"Sorry, can't talk," or call rejected.
I've had the same thing.
Listen, I have to go
to Enfield with Gus
to sort out this distribution mess,
but
Hello.
Hi, Mrs Adegoke.
This is Nina Richards.
- I just wanted to talk
- You people need to leave me alone!
I'll tell you the same thing
I told Claudia last week,
I'll see you
at the shareholders' meeting.
- Mrs Adegoke
- Goodbye!
Hello?
Why is Claudia calling shareholders?
Ultimae are proposing
an investment of over £150 million,
and a member of the Ultimae board
would join Flair's board.
But the cash injection for the company
and the sweeteners
for individual shareholders,
it's a good deal.
Hmm.
If we win the vote, Nina won't stay.
Exactly.
I propose Gus and Alesha
as joint CEOs.
That's how we get the company
back on track.
Mm-hmm.
You really delivered, Dre.
I won't forget it.
Andre's been secretly meeting
with Ultimae for weeks.
If Andre and Claudia have been able
to secure a cash investment
by Ultimae into Flair, it has to be
presented to the shareholders.
Now, Claudia's
already working on them,
and I have no doubt the board
will recommend this investment
- given the financial difficulties.
- It's an ambush.
- They can't outvote us, can they?
- Unless
Claudia convinces the other
shareholders to vote with her.
That's my suspicion.
If they pool votes together,
they can outvote you.
Oh, my God. How was she ahead of us?
Do Gus and Alesha know?
Who can tell?
Where's Andre?
Maureen, hi, could you have Andre
come to my office, please?
Andre's booked off this week.
Thanks.
- How convenient.
- Very.
We need to get
the other shareholders on our side.
Hold up,
why would Ultimae invest in a company
with a hole in its finances?
If we tell them the whole truth,
we can torpedo the whole deal.
Ultimae are pirates. This is their MO.
Buy struggling companies
at bargain prices.
They're betting that plugging that hole
will reap rewards later.
Claudia is so fucking short-sighted.
She will sell her whole family out
for a few pieces of silver.
Look, this is what we do.
I'm going to handle
this distribution issue with Gus.
Neen, can't that wait?
Gus and Alesha cannot clock
that we know.
Si, I need you to find out
everything you can
about the other shareholders. Okay?
Use Maureen.
Find out their favourite sports team,
band, granddaughter
Build me a profile. We need allies.
Gideon, I need you to find out
everything you can about this deal
Andre's brokered with Ultimae.
And find me that missing shareholder.
Understood.
I should have been more vigilant.
You couldn't have known.
That's the last time
I underestimate that bitch.
If we have
any Flair And Glory products,
they'll be over here.
How do you find anything in all this?
You're gonna mess up that nice suit.
Careful.
Don't worry, we're insured.
No one can get any stock.
What's going on?
Yeah, I've been calling
the distribution centre for weeks
I thought this was
the distribution centre.
Nah. That's the other guys.
Nothing.
Your distributor's gone AWOL, innit?
So the hold-up
is with the distribution centre?
Yeah, kinda, but I hear the delay's
with the manufacturer.
The manufacturer in China?
No, America.
Well, the hair part, anyway.
- What?
- I thought the hair came from China?
Well, it's sourced in China,
then sent to America
for processing and packaging
before it comes to the UK.
And we pay all of these people a fee?
Well, they're not doing it for free.
- We could try another wholesaler?
- Yeah, that's a good idea.
Listen, can you handle it? I have
to do something at the office.
What's more important
than fixing distribution?
Well, I trust you.
Deputy, right?
Okay.
- I'll see you back at the office.
- Okay.
Er, Claudia has been busy.
She's called almost everyone.
Indeed. She even got to
- Anything?
- Good, you're back.
I finally found the shareholder.
We should set up a meeting.
Who is it?
Jasel Mehta.
He founded a chain of Black hair shops.
Now, he died a year ago.
His stake's now controlled
by his son, Rishi.
So you'll need to convince him
to vote against the Ultimae investment.
Fucker!
Shit.
Brooklyn! What are you doing here?
You play one hell of a game.
Excuse me?
How long have you been plotting
with her, hmm?
I'm lost, Brooklyn.
Sure, okay.
Rishi Mehta. I'm Nina Richards,
CEO of Flair And Glory.
Nice to meet you.
This is a surprise.
I didn't know. How could I?
You're the one who's all, "no names".
So I'm supposed to believe
this was an accident?
What are you accusing me of?
I'm saying you inveigled your way
into my life
under false fucking pretences.
You own equity in my company
for reasons I do not understand
and now you're plotting
with my stepmother.
Is that clear enough for you?
That's not how
Claudia described the situation.
So now you're getting
your memory back.
You can't actually believe I'm in
on some big conspiracy against you?
How would I know?
We barely know each other.
You wanted it that way.
I'm still figuring out
my dad's various investments,
but I keep everything above board.
No games, no manipulation.
If anyone's a closed book
it's you.
If you're telling the truth
then vote with me.
- Nina
- She has to be stopped.
Now, if you are the stand-up guy
you say you are, then support me.
I'll listen to the presentations
and do what's best
for my invested capital.
This is business.
Screw you.
Are we boxing or what?
We have no stock
and we rely on too many third parties.
Our distribution model is broken.
Nina and I are working on it.
Yeah, but we need
something more radical.
Savage by Fenty, Kylie Cosmetics,
Kim K Skims
All direct to the consumer.
Why pay someone else
when we can bring the customer to us.
You're talking about
cutting out the middle man.
Oh, you think it's stupid?
No. We could go further.
What if we bring it all in-house?
This Black woman gave me her card
last year,
Made In Kingsland.
She has her own factory in China
manufacturing Black hair products.
What if we acquire them
and they start to manufacture
Flair products?
We take a stake
in an emerging Black-owned company
and we gain control
Shit, Alesha. This is good.
Yeah.
We need to talk to Nina.
- What's going on?
- No idea.
- Luke and I have plans tonight.
- If she says she's marrying Andre,
- I'm gonna lose it.
- Ugh!
That cannot happen.
What is up with your suit?
Good, you're all here.
Ultimae want to invest
in Flair And Glory.
- Ultimae are huge.
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
- But we're not for sale, so
And they're not buying.
It's a strategic investment of capital.
The company is struggling and
they are offering over £150 million.
Wow. Okay.
- Dad wouldn't like this.
- Dad would be livid.
Your father
didn't have the full picture.
He didn't know
about the missing money.
But Nina's strategy
is making a difference.
Growing sales, broadening our appeal
to a younger demographic.
But where's that missing money?
Think for a minute.
An investment that secures
the future of this company,
or bet on empty promises
from some girl?
No. Flair And Glory
is a family business.
We let Ultimae in and that's gone.
And we're not securing anything,
we're just
we're throwing away
everything Dad built.
- And I'm not down for that.
- Wanda!
This is your future.
Your father's legacy.
Baby.
When your father died, I told you
I would get you what you deserve.
Family first.
Family plus Andre?
He's behind this, right?
He's put this idea in your mind?
Nobody puts me up to anything.
Andre will get a nice job in Ultimae
and we get what's ours.
We get back control
and drive out those two.
Under the deal,
you could be joint CEOs.
How could they be so blind?
They take that investment,
Flair will get swallowed up
by a big white whale.
She can be very convincing.
No. Nina can be convincing, too.
Yeah, but we don't have
time on our side.
Stephen said someone was trying
to hurt him, hurt the company.
It sounded personal.
What if it was Claudia?
She's trying to cover up her part
in the embezzlement.
It's a possibility,
and given her closeness with Andre
Hmm.
But right now,
a substantial investment,
like the one Ultimae are offering,
will secure the company's future.
The value Ultimae is putting
on the shares is ridiculously cheap.
They're worth
ten times that, at least.
Yeah, but if the company goes under,
they're worth nothing at all.
So money talks
and our shares mean nothing?
If Claudia gets everyone
to vote with her,
the percentage is stacked against you.
Or I'll change their minds.
If they want my company,
they'll have to fight me for it.
Aunty.
All of you have suddenly remembered
where I live.
I remember how much you loved plants.
O ya, say your piece.
We can't trust
these conglomerates.
The same people
who wouldn't invest in the business,
and now they're circling
like vultures.
It's true.
That's how Oyinbos move.
And if things were different
What about this missing money?
We're investigating.
- If you don't get it back, then what?
- I won't give up.
- If you trust me
- Trust doesn't pay dividend.
Uncle Chuma, you're an entrepreneur,
a true success story,
just like my father.
You know he'd never sell out.
Your father was a businessman,
totally without sentiment.
He would tell you that
in the circumstances,
that this is a good offer.
Listen, Uncle Chuma, this Ultimae deal
will put Flair And Glory at the mercy
of a multinational company.
They don't care about
what we represent.
If we let the wolf
into the chicken coop, it's over.
I can't make any promises,
but I'll think about it.
Sir, are you ready?
Mama Kemi,
in less than two months,
I already have Flair back at the top.
We're selling out everywhere,
new partnerships are coming.
We have new customers
Nina,
you're such a good girl. Eh?
Very hardworking.
- Thank you, Ma.
- But what is that saying again?
A bird in hand
is worth two in the bush.
Claudia has already
shown me the figures.
And they will make the business
profitable again.
Goodbye, my dear.
A no from Mama Kemi,
a no from Aunty Moji
and a maybe but probably a no
from Uncle Chuma.
- Shit.
- Yeah.
Gus was working his ass off
on the distribution issue.
- He's not in on this.
- You think you can turn him?
I mean, he's a real mama's boy.
Alesha, maybe.
If we can get them on side,
this starts to look like a fair fight.
Do you think we should do it?
If we're CEOs, we can expand,
invest in Black-owned companies,
move to a direct-to-consumer model.
We'd have power without having
to ask anyone for permission.
But I feel bad.
Nina's been good to me.
Yeah, I get that, but what do we
really know about them?
This is our future.
Yeah, I know. You're right.
- Wanda will be mad.
- Hmm. She'll get over it.
It's Nina.
Don't answer it.
Try Alesha.
The person you are calling
is not available
- I guess we've lost Gus and Alesha.
- Oh, God!
Okay. Okay. There has to be
another way around this.
I mean
Are-are they paying
kickbacks to anyone?
What if
You know what, Andre has to be in
breach of his employment contract.
Maybe that's how
we stall the Ultimae deal if
What now?
"Like her predecessor, Ms Richards'
style of leadership is exacting.
"She brings a bullish American
charisma into business,
"but, unfortunately,
no amount of pizazz
"can fix the plethora of problems.
"Her inexperience is a liability
"and an unsolved money drain
has pushed the company
"into a precarious financial position.
"It's no wonder
the brand is courting buyers."
How the hell did he find that out?
On top of everything else,
we have a snitch in the family.
- The timing is perfect.
- Too perfect.
Shareholders' meeting is tomorrow
and this hits now
- Claudia's behind that mess.
- Hmm.
Hear this part, "The deposed
heir apparent, Gus Richards,
"an entitled trust-fund baby
with an untested business acumen
"is more visible
in the capital's party hotspots
"than in the boardroom"
Can you believe this crap?
How many times
are you going to read it?
- It's humiliating.
- It's bullshit.
Some guy finding drama
where there isn't any.
This is about my reputation.
No one takes me seriously.
How will they see what I'm capable of
if I'm always in the background?
If we win the Ultimae vote,
take the CEO jobs,
then you can be centre stage.
I have to go,
but please stop reading that trash.
Trevor, it's me.
Do it.
Fuck him up.
And?
That article has everybody shook.
A gift from the universe.
Give that white man writer
a glass of champagne or something.
Nah, cancel that.
He didn't have to be so harsh with Gus.
Her credibility's in the bin.
Hmm.
Are you gonna show me that hot tub?
So that's it?
I think so. We've tried everything.
Ultimae are aware
of the missing money.
They don't care.
Flair is a hot opportunity for them.
None of their existing portfolio
or brands
serves Black
and brown consumers sufficiently.
Suddenly,
everybody wants to bet on Black.
I should fire Andre.
He's not a shareholder,
would make no difference to the vote.
- But it'll make me feel better.
- Hmm. That part.
Wait, this isn't adding up.
There's one shareholder
that we couldn't track down.
Dele de Souza.
Distant cousin of your father's.
We could do with his shares.
Feelers are out,
but he appears to have disappeared
to Brazil at some point.
He'll count as an abstention.
You're out of time, Nina.
The vote is tomorrow and,
apart from Simon,
you have no definite allies.
There must be someone we can turn.
Someone who's as pissed
with Claudia as we are.
This isn't something you want to hear.
Go on.
This investment could save the company
and you could get out cleanly.
- You never wanted this.
- You're right.
This isn't what I wanted to hear
from you.
Let's wrap this up.
You've got to be kidding me!
Oh.
Motherfucker!
Someone who's pissed at Claudia
I'm not interested.
You don't wanna stop them
tearing up your father's legacy?
- What do you care? You hated him.
- But I love winning.
Okay.
So, I'm guessing Mum's turned
all the other shareholders against you.
Your mother is misguided.
Andre's influence, I'm guessing.
How long before Ultimae
forces a name change
or has some fancy white woman from
head office running the company?
Okay, I know, I'm not an idiot.
The thing is, Wanda, I don't think
you care about the money.
You loved your dad,
and deep down, you know this is wrong.
What do you want?
I want you to vote with me.
Your vote could swing it
back in our favour.
Listen,
I have already taken Flair viral.
Give me 18 months and the company
will be twice the size
and you will still have
the same stake.
Ultimae cannot give you that.
Hmm.
But why should I vote for you?
Have you heard anything I've said?
You want me to go
against my family, right?
So, tell me something that's real.
Why are you really here?
What do you want from us?
Is this just a game to you?
Stephen called me.
When?
The night he died,
our father called me.
He said someone was
trying to hurt the company,
trying to hurt him.
What does that mean?
I think he knew something.
Something was going on.
If they win,
we will never know the truth.
Gus, Alesha I was worried.
No word from either of you for days.
Look, no hard feelings, yeah?
It was never about feelings,
just good business.
Look, Nina, I'm sorry.
For what?
Y-You've been great
Alesha, grow up.
Own your choices
because how you vote in there
will have consequences.
I want what's best
for Flair And Glory.
Okay, Ultimae is an opportunity for us
to have the financial backing to go
to the next level,
to really disrupt things,
bring people up,
- champion
- Are you serious?
So you actually think you're gonna
be able to create a Black utopia
at the heart
of a white-owned conglomerate?
Girl, read some Audre Lorde.
"The master's tools will never
dismantle the master's house."
And if you think that investment
is anything other than a shackle,
then you're an idiot.
Nina.
Hello, everyone.
I'm glad to see we're all here.
Observant as always. Wanda isn't here.
Andre
I'm surprised to see you.
I'm often required
to oversee shareholder meetings.
Hmm. Is that
what you're overseeing in here?
- Aunty, did you read that article?
- No.
What article?
Such an embarrassment.
It didn't look good for you.
I'm sorry.
Why are you sorry, Claudia?
Did you leak the information?
Don't try it.
Where have you been?
- Good work with the FD.
- What are you talking about?
I saw you talking to that journalist
at the Face launch.
And? I mingled with all the guests.
Yeah, well, someone spilled family tea
to that journalist.
Are you mad?
Why don't we get started?
You did more than mingle.
I officially call this meeting
to order.
The motion brought forward
by Claudia Richards,
attending shareholder,
is whether or not
to accept the investment by Ultimae
for the value of £150 million
in exchange for equity
and a seat on the board.
Are there any questions or remarks?
I'd like to say something.
I'll cut to the chase.
This is extremely short-sighted.
Ultimae are vultures.
They will swallow Flair up,
and within five years,
the name and the legacy will be lost.
Under my leadership,
Flair And Glory
Will be a joke.
We've seen your leadership.
Articles in the paper,
spilling family secrets,
chasing new customers at the expense
of our loyal fanbase.
The sales speak for themselves.
What I'm doing is working.
If you look at the figures
I thought you wanted
to cut to the chase.
Fine. Fine. Let's vote.
On the motion of whether to accept
the investment by Ultimae.
The voting is for or against.
Claudia Richards?
For.
Moji Adedayo?
For.
Sikirat Adegoke?
For.
Chuma Ejizu?
For.
Rishi Mehta?
For.
- Simon Richards?
- Against.
Nina Richards?
Against.
Alesha Richards?
For.
Augustus Richards?
For.
Wanda Richards?
Wanda?
Against.
Wanda!
- They don't have enough.
- Yeah.
We still have one more vote.
Who else is there?
Cousin Dele.
He's missing.
He's dead.
Very sad.
What happened to his shares?
The new owner
will be joining us on Zoom.
- Mom?
- Mom!
- Heh, heh!
- Mom, what is this?
Gideon, let's move this on.
Oyin Richards.
On the motion, how do you vote?
For.
What! What the hell?
I'm doing this for you.
And that's a win.
Gideon, what the hell just happened?
Did you know what she was up to?
She was pumping me for information,
but I did not expect that!
How could she vote against us?
We're doing all of this for her.
She doesn't want it.
She's been saying that from
the beginning, but you won't listen.
- You're obsessed.
- So you support her.
- You support what she did.
- Her shares, her vote.
Thanks a lot, Simon. Thank you.
Hey-hey-hey. I do wanna get stuck
in the middle of this, okay?
It was supposed to be three days
for a funeral,
now you have us running the company!
I have my own stuff, Nina.
I have a life of my own.
Then go back to your life.
If this is so terrible, go.
I will handle it all myself.
I always do.
Nina the martyr.
I'm so sorry.
How did we miss that?
It's an oversight on my part.
What now?
The motion passes.
How do we contest it?
There's nothing to contest, Nina.
Ultimae are in, if the deal
passes legal scrutiny and checks.
This wasn't about you.
They were swayed by the money.
Oh!
You can stay on in some capacity.
Stay on and do what?
They have made it very clear that they
have no confidence in my leadership.
It's over, Gideon.
I won't be CEO and watch this happen.
I resign.
You, too, with your principles!
And here we all are!
We got the right result.
Yeah, sure,
keep telling yourself that.
Wanda, your dad
No.
Ultimae are very happy.
Yo, yo, yo! CEO! CEO!
Shut up, man!
Hey, boss man, food's here, man.
Yo!
Watch the Harry Potters.
That shit is first edition, yeah?
All right, sorry.
Are you getting ready?
Everyone's already at Penny's.
You're about to get a shit-ton
more money. You should be happy.
- You don't get it.
- What's to get?
Oh, right, Black ownership, blah blah.
Okay, okay. Come on, please.
Wear that Prada dress, huh?
- I'm not sure.
- Make a move.
If you stay in the game, you can
still learn and you can still win.
If you keep pushing,
nothing is impossible.
You just have to think, Nina. Hm?
Hmm?
- Miss Richards.
- Thomas, hi.
I'm reading your email.
Tell me about these wires.
The money was wired internationally.
Right now,
I can't track where it went.
What about when?
Did these transactions happen
at any particular time of the day,
any particular day of the week?
Yes. Usually around
6:00 or 7:00 a.m. GMT.
Weekdays. Always the same time.
Maybe when the person started work?
Or maybe they were aiming for the start
of the business day somewhere else.
It's possible.
I was thinking Switzerland.
Only a hunch,
but to move large amounts of money
in the hope it's untraceable
That would be my pick.
It would complicate things.
Switzerland is highly privatised
and secretive.
Oh, my God, yeah, it could be Zurich.
I could push for information
through a government agency,
but that takes time
and there are no guarantees.
Nina?
Um, Thomas, let-let me call you back.
Your flight
will be boarding in 30 minutes.
Thank you.
Welcome to the Zurich Luxe St Peter.
Hi. I have a reservation.
Thank you.
Just a moment.
Ms Richards, welcome.
It is a pleasure to have you.
Your father told us to expect you.