The Lottery (2014) s01e05 Episode Script
Crystal City
Previously on "The Lottery" We choose two hundred biologically viable surrogates from the thousands of women who meet the agreed-upon medical criteria.
We invite those two hundred women to D.
C.
We're looking for a Dr.
Mark Kessler.
He died in a plane crash eight years ago.
Did your father have a specialty? Fertility.
The president is making a mistake with the embryos you and Dr.
Lennon created.
I know you're working hard to create more.
If you succeed, you need to let me know me and no one else.
Department of humanity! Put the boy down! There's gonna be a custody hearing.
Elvis will become a ward of the state unless you come forward and you can convince them into giving him to you.
Nathan Mitchell and four other diplomats were just taken hostage in Shanghai.
- What do they want? - They want five embryos.
Please, don't shoot! No! You sent him there.
You and your stupid lottery.
This is on you.
You're the reason Nathan's dead.
Vanessa, there's something you need to know.
Conner, put the gun down, please! No, no, no! L-leave her alone! Conner set up Nathan.
He was behind the Chinese abduction.
Conner cared about Nathan.
He would never get involved in something like that.
Then what the hell was he doing walking around with a gun, threatening to kill himself? America, this is the day we've been dreaming about.
A new chapter in human history is about to begin.
These are the names of the two hundred lottery finalists.
Number one Nora Robinson from Chicago, Illinois.
Nora is 19 and an English Major at Colorado College.
Lottery finalist number 14 Sharon Liberboim from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Sharon is 21 and a dental assistant who acts in the local theater.
Lottery finalist number 15 Laura Shaw from New Haven, Connecticut.
Laura is 19 and single and a graduate student Hey.
- At Yale University.
- Come on in.
Hannah is 19 and training horses on her parents' farm.
Lottery finalist number 18, Shin Peng from San Francisco, California.
Shin is 19 and is studying sports medicine at the Smith Orthopedic Clinic.
- Lambs to the slaughter.
- Lottery finalist number 19 - Linda halpern.
- Want a cup of coffee? No, I'm, uh, I'm good.
Is Allison around? - Lottery finalist number 20 - She's upstairs taking a shower.
Said to tell you she'd be down in a few minutes.
Crashing here till my son's custody hearing.
Cool.
Roberta Liberboim.
Hi.
I didn't hear you come in.
So, there's an extra key on the table.
Ready? Bye.
Onward, science.
Number 24 Carla Davidson, from Gainesville, Florida.
Carla is a United States marine who served on the humanitarian mission in Italy during the great Venice flood.
Number 87 Katherine Visconti from Atlanta, Georgia.
Katherine is a general manager at McHale Furniture.
She delivers meals to the elderly and homebound.
Lottery finalist number 88 Perry Sommers from Brenham, Texas.
Perry is 22, a part-time design consultant.
Perry, you won! You won! You're in the lottery! Yeah! That's our girl! You show 'em! Go get 'em, Perry! _ 198 Karina Barry, from Wooster, Massachusetts.
Karina's 28 and an accountant who volunteers at a local animal shelter.
Two more to go, Angela.
Don't worry.
Webster Groves, Missouri.
Phoebe is 24 and an elementary-school teacher who likes to run marathons.
And our last finalist Number two hundred Angela Maria Perez, Yeah! From Los Angeles, California.
Y-you won.
Tomorrow, these two hundred lucky women will be invited to Washington, D.
C.
, to begin the next stage of the process.
In three nights, we will welcome them all in an opening ceremony, and you will meet them personally.
You, the people, will vote for the one hundred best mothers.
But this is not merely a contest.
It is the beginning of the path to restore humankind.
Certainly, the women who are going to be I'm sorry.
I still don't see how I can help you.
Dr.
Kessler, your father was a fertility specialist who just so happened to vaccinate two different patients against something we believe May have caused the fertility crisis.
Y-you're saying my father is connected to the fertility crisis? Maybe he knew it was coming Before his plane crashed.
This is really out of the blue.
I understand, but if you have any insight what he was working on before he died He used to joke that if he told me what he was doing, he would have to kill me.
You became a doctor, like your father.
I mean, you must have watched him very closely.
My father never let anybody get close.
But I, uh If you know something, please tell us.
He was working with monkeys.
- Monkeys? - Yes.
I'm sorry.
I have an appointment.
Thank you for your time.
My dad sometimes published under the name Dr.
Relssek his name, but spelled backwards.
Yeah.
It's funny a couple days before he died, he told my mom he felt like the world was going backwards.
We thought we could control her, but we were wrong.
I agree.
We need to take a different approach.
I promise you I'll do my best.
There's nothing more important to me.
So, the lottery's actually working? Across the board.
The response has been ecstatic.
Given how fast we had to move and how many things could have gone wrong, this experiment is kind of a miracle.
Not exactly the same kind of experiment the founding fathers had in mind.
Well, I don't know about that.
I'd consider this a contest by the people and for the people.
We've created a circus.
It's a good day, Darius.
Enjoy it.
Except for this Conner Black thing.
The press is circling back.
Yes.
I met with reporters about that this morning told them we were greatly saddened by the loss, that he was a valued state department official.
What about the actual shooting? I quoted the police report that Conner was threatening to kill himself, refusing to cooperate with officers, and they shot him in the chest.
He was a traitor.
He killed five of our diplomats.
They're ready for you, Mr.
President.
Thank you.
My wife has me meeting with reporters about the qualities of a good mother.
What the hell do I know? Vanessa, make this Conner Black thing go away.
Yes, sir.
Before he was shot, Conner called me.
There was something he wanted to tell me.
Probably wanted to purge.
Not easy living with that kind of guilt.
He got what he deserved.
My husband was gunned down in a fricking parking garage.
_ Why the hell can't this wait? I'm so sorry, Charlie.
I can't imagine what you must be going through.
But Conner left behind a mess, and we need to clean it up.
The official statement from the white house will be that Conner suffered from severe depression and had recently gone off his meds.
We think this is better than the other explanation.
Which is? That Conner was about to be arrested for helping to assassinate five diplomats his boss, Nathan Mitchell, being one of them.
Nobody else needs to know what really happened.
What really happened? Do you really think he had anything to do with the terrorist attack in China? I hate to say it, but I do.
I can't explain it, but the evidence against him is conclusive.
You were Conner's friend.
He was loyal to his country, to the people he worked for.
Something happened.
I don't know what.
He was acting odd.
He was stressed out, scared.
I'm as shocked as you are.
But, Charlie, Conner was involved.
And he was paid half a million dollars to do it.
That makes no sense.
Look at our bank accounts.
Here joint and individual.
And the second mortgage that he applied for five days ago.
You think that is someone who thinks he's about to come into half a million dollars? I'm telling you, something is wrong.
Charlie, if you cooperate with us, you will be entitled to Conner's full pension.
Uh are you trying to buy me off? No.
I I'll talk to my lawyer.
I'm not gonna let you or that asshole from the Department of Humanity cover things up.
Department of Humanity? That guy who runs it.
Wait you're talking about Darius Hayes? Conner met with him a few times.
He was pressuring him to Do something.
- To do what? - He never said.
But Conner was terrified.
I could see it in his eyes.
So Conner knew Darius? Yes.
They met the night before the Diplomats were kidnapped and murdered.
Better make sure all those shakers are full before you go.
Can't believe you made me come into work today.
Ah, I'm sorry.
I didn't find a replacement yet.
Not saying that you're replaceable.
Hey.
You keep doing things like that, you're not gonna have a job to come home to.
Do you really think I'm coming back to Brenham, Texas? I got my ticket out of this place, Luke.
Soon as I'm pregnant, I am going to be one of the most famous people on the planet.
Wow.
Well, doesn't mean you couldn't come back here, right? I mean, look, I know I don't say this too much, but you and me We're a pretty good couple.
Yeah, but there's a big world out there.
I want to see it, you know? I want to be part of it.
Mm.
What if you lose? I won't.
Two hundred gals.
Only one hundred are gonna make it, and let's face it, Perry you ain't exactly the mothering type.
I'm not really the waitressing type, either.
What is it? You know I'm gonna miss you, too.
It's not that.
You know, I was thinking I want you to win.
But would it feel strange it not being our baby? It will be ours, Raul.
We'll be raising it.
Doesn't matter where the embryo came from.
If God wants us to have a baby, then we'll have a baby.
Even if we're virgins? It's happened before, right? Our goal is to vet the two hundred finalists for motherhood ask questions, present challenges, Give them tests.
We want the nation to have as much information as possible when they vote for the winners.
Madam First Lady, how will you test the women? Dr.
Lennon? Um We plan to test for genetic markers of disabling diseases.
In addition to the tests already conducted for eligibility, we'll also be screening for psychological and emotional stability.
Dr.
Lennon, one more question.
It's all going to be a very busy and exciting time.
Thank you all very much.
Madam First Lady.
Madam First Lady.
Over here.
Dr.
Lennon? I know this part of the process isn't terribly scientific, but your involvement is crucial.
Thank you.
Happy to help.
Dr.
Lennon.
We have your opening-ceremony speech prepared, if you'd care to take a look at it.
I trust you always know what exact words to put in my mouth.
If you'll both excuse me, I actually have to go do some real work.
I think she prefers science to public relations.
Yeah.
Thank God.
Thank you again for agreeing to do this.
I'm doing it for Elvis.
I understand that.
Elvis still needs his mother, even if he didn't have me for a few years.
It's my first custody hearing.
Do I look okay? Great.
- Yeah? Not too fancy? - No, no.
It's good.
Well, my Legal-Aid lawyer told me to dress like I was going to work.
And I said to her, "you mean what? Like a waitress?" Just tell them the truth that you love Elvis and I kept you away.
Between the two of us, you're the only one that's got a shot at winning.
How'd it go with Conner's husband? Well, he is threatening to hire a lawyer and launch an investigation.
Why's that? He thinks we're covering something up.
Did you tell him about the evidence? I did, yeah.
But he's He's in denial.
Sometimes, the truth is tough to accept.
Sometimes, the truth can be a little hard to find.
What do you mean? I just mean things may not be so black and white.
You need to help Charlie accept what happened.
Show him the evidence, show him how guilty his husband really was.
Think about the lives that were lost.
Conner was a good man.
It's hard to believe.
Did you know him? Personally? Yeah.
No, I I think I might have met him at a state department function once.
So you didn't know him? No.
No more detective work.
You're a scientist.
You stick to embryos.
Got it? I got it.
Wow.
This is lottery finalist number 88, Perry Sommers! Sign here, please, miss Sommers.
This is lottery finalist number 89 Genevieve Geoghan.
Congratulations, miss Geoghan.
Excuse me, but I'm not exactly sure where I should go.
That makes two of us.
Uh, you're Perry Sommers.
Welcome.
I'm Dr.
Alison Lennon.
I've seen your face on the news.
You're the woman who caused all this.
I'll take the blame.
Well, good luck.
You'll be taken now to your room.
Okay.
Welcome, Perry Sommers.
Hi.
I'm Angela.
Perry.
Gosh.
Will you look at this place? This is just like college.
Not that I ever went.
Guess we're gonna be roomies for a few weeks.
I pulled the file, like you asked.
So, these are the calls that Conner made.
And this is the transcript of the call he made to the security team in Shanghai, changing the scheduled arrival time.
Now, this is the wired money transfer from a bank in Shanghai to Conner's offshore account in the Caymans.
And this is the confirming e-mail from his bank to the bank in Shanghai.
It's all there in the file.
Thanks.
Do me a favor, George.
See if you can figure out where he was the night before the abduction credit-card receipts, surveillance footage.
And don't tell anyone about this.
Right.
Not a soul, George.
You hear me? Good afternoon.
This hearing has been convened to determine the custodial rights of Elvis Walker.
Your petition is for joint custody? No, ma'am.
Miss Williams is petitioning for sole custody.
We were only just informed of miss Williams' intentions yesterday.
Why have you stepped forward? Because I'm his mother.
And what is the department of humanity's position? Elvis Walker is the youngest child in the country.
Because he is a precious and irreplaceable asset, the state has a compelling interest in his health and well-being.
It is our opinion that the boy's father is not capable of caring for him.
He has a history of violence, alcoholism, and child neglect.
And what about miss Williams? The mother's been absent from the boy's life and has a history of drug addiction.
That's not true.
It was alcohol.
I-I wasn't addicted to the drugs.
I was addicted to the alcohol.
But I'm clean now one year.
Hmm.
There you are.
Where have you been? Hey.
Just, uh Got into a little accident.
Hey.
You all right? Yeah.
No, I-I'm fine.
Have you seen your lip? It's all good.
What's going on? All right.
Well, check this out.
I found a paper Kessler published with his name spelled backwards.
Yeah? "Auto-regulated fertility in spider monkeys.
" Auto-regulated fertility? He'd found a protein that regulates fertility, which means it can also shut things down, force infertility.
Why? Why would he develop something that promotes infertility and then inoculate against it at the same time? Exactly.
Why? Unless he knew what they were doing could cause a worldwide fertility crisis.
Al, you got to stop this.
It's starting to get scary.
Scary? This isn't us.
We're not a couple of detectives.
James, somebody knew the crisis was going to happen.
They were planning for it.
Mr.
Walker failed to pick up his son from school on May, 12th of this year.
That same day, he assaulted a hospital employee and kidnapped his son.
Clarification Mr.
Walker did not fail to pick up his son.
He was 25 minutes late.
Mr.
Walker, will you please stand? I've been exploring the facts of this case.
- Elvis has juvenile diabetes, correct? - Yes.
Which means you have to monitor his blood sugar.
Every two hours.
Even at night? Especially at night.
When was the last time you slept through the night? Since before he was born.
But now that he's gone, I-I don't sleep at all.
Despite your sleep deprivation, you managed to care for your son, provide for him, get him back and forth to school.
Except for that one day you didn't pick him up.
Actually, Mr.
Walker was 25 minutes late.
Let me tell you something.
What you've done I think it's extraordinary.
He's my son.
When are they bringing our stuff? I want my guitar.
Whoa.
Hey.
Hey, come look at this.
It looks like a camera.
It is a camera.
In the bedroom? Didn't you read the papers that the lawyers made you sign? Privacy rights.
Nobody reads that stuff.
Cameras, mama 24/7.
So America is watching us? They will be.
Screw that.
Stop.
Stop! You'll get us disqualified.
Don't ruin this for me.
If you want to sabotage yourself, go right ahead.
Don't take me down with you.
Okay.
I need a cigarette.
This is a smoke-free environment.
And a guitar-free environment.
Where is my guitar? They said they would provide everything we need.
I knew this was a dumb idea.
Then why did you do it? Because everybody was doing it all the girls in Brenham.
You should've seen the lines.
And Why not me? You know? Who's to say that I shouldn't have a kid? Luke said that I wasn't the mothering type.
Well, what does he know? Nobody's the mothering type until you become a mother.
And then you just figure it out.
My mom figured it out.
So did yours.
Oh, my mother never figured it out.
Trust me.
Hey.
Tonight's the announcement.
There's gonna be celebrations all over the world.
So, are you ready to party? Ladies, it is time to prepare for the evening's festivities.
I truly believe that I've turned a corner and that I can take care of Elvis.
I don't know That I was ready to be a mom when Elvis was born, and I felt sad about that.
And I still feel sad because of all the time I lost.
There are so many women in the world today who are desperate to have a child.
And here I am, one of the very few who has one.
I have a good job and everything that I need Except for the one thing that could give me true meaning in my life My son.
But you did disappear from his life.
Yeah.
I did for a while.
For five years.
It was my fault.
Your fault? I kept her away.
Never gave her a chance.
I told myself that it was in Elvis' best interest, but Really, it was in my best interest.
I wanted Elvis to be with me.
I mean, even after Tracy got straight I never let her back in, and that was wrong.
She was his mother.
Elvis needed her just as much as he needed me.
Well, I got access to Conner's car, tapped into his GPS.
There was one outlier address he visited a few times in Crystal City.
Crystal City? He went there the night before the Chinese thing went down.
What's the address? - Yeah? - Delivery.
For who? For the person who lives at 2218, June street.
Um Okay.
Let me get you a tip.
Only managed to get a few shots off.
Couldn't see much inside, either.
Did you run the address? Yeah, it's owned by an LLC TKT Holdings.
I'll try to get more, but it might take me a day or two.
The big question is, who the hell is she? He was in Crystal City.
That's where he went the night before the abduction.
- Crystal City? - Do you know anyone there? No.
Maybe That's where Darius lives? No, he lives in Chevy Chase.
I had someone check out the address.
A young woman came to the door.
Did Conner say anything else? Did he mention any other names, a woman? Charlie, hello? You in there? Charlie, it's the news.
Charlie, just a few questions.
What the hell did you do? I'm sorry.
I was so upset, I had already called the press.
I wanted to get some of this off my chest.
I know that you're suspicious.
I get it.
But we need to keep this a secret.
Do you understand? Charlie, you have a daughter.
You have a life.
You cannot take this on.
It's too dangerous.
Trust me.
Look what happened to Conner and Nathan.
What did you tell them? Did you tell them why you wanted them to come? No.
I just said I wanted to make a statement.
Okay, good.
So you'll make a statement.
Go out there and tell them that Conner was depressed, that he went off his meds That he was threatening to commit suicide, and that a policeman shot him.
Charlie.
Go and tell them exactly what I just said.
I have a brief statement.
My husband, Conner Black Was suffering from depression.
Unfortunately, he was off his meds And threatening to commit suicide.
I get why you're here you're the face of the lottery.
I just don't understand why I'm here.
How often do you get a ringside seat at history? Maybe I can find us a drink.
Evening, Dr.
Lynch.
What happened? You okay? I'm fine.
We've been out of touch.
I've, uh I've been busy.
I apologize.
We haven't made any meaningful progress not yet, but we're trying.
Remember, Dr.
Lynch focus on what's important.
Yes? Sir, I don't know what happened.
She's going off script.
Can you put her on the phone? Yes.
She's right here.
Yes? Elizabeth.
Hello, sir.
There's only one acceptable outcome.
Do you understand? I thought we were supposed to be advocating for the best interests of the children.
That's exactly what we're doing.
But In the wake of the fertility crisis, laws were strengthened to protect our children and our future.
It's been six years, and we are still trying to find the proper balance.
In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to make these kinds of decisions.
But we don't live in a perfect world.
Not even close.
This panel has decided to terminate the parental rights of the father, Kyle Walker.
As for the mother, Tracy Williams the panel deems her to be an unfit parent.
That's not true.
Elvis Walker is now a ward of the state.
What? You can't do this.
Hey, you can't do this.
You know this is wrong.
Why are you doing this? I am sorry.
Just five minutes with my son.
Please just give me five minutes.
Not for me for him.
Please.
The night we've been waiting for is finally here.
The long night of fear is finally coming to an end.
It is my profound honor to present to the American people and to people in every corner of our planet the two hundred lottery finalists.
History has chosen you.
Your destiny is the destiny of all humanity.
The one hundred women who are selected will not only carry babies.
You will carry the hopes of our entire species.
The eyes of the world are upon you.
I wish you all the best of luck.
Thank you, and may God bless America.
And we're out.
Dear contestants, you were all lovely, and it was a wonderful evening.
Our security personnel will now escort you back to your dwelling, because tomorrow, we will begin.
What about the parties? Remember, dignity at all times.
Good night, dear ones.
Okay.
Okay.
It's quite a night.
It all feels a bit surreal.
Two hundred women just got their marching orders to go off and save humanity while we go to a cocktail party.
At least we're starting to fight the right wars.
Just to be clear, one hundred embryos isn't going to save the world.
It's a beginning.
Hi.
I'm Vanessa Keller.
Hi.
You're a lucky young woman to be here tonight.
Excuse me? Well, there are supreme court justices who couldn't get this kind of access.
My dad loves to pull strings, so He thought that this would inspire me.
Your dad? I see you've met my daughter.
Your daughter? This is Rose.
I-I d I didn't even know you had a daughter.
She's been living with her mother.
She came here for a fresh start.
But she Likes to make things difficult.
I believe I had to make 25 calls today to make sure she actually got here.
So, uh Where are you staying? I'm staying at my dad's apartment in Crystal City.
You have an apartment in Crystal City? For visitors.
Like my lovely daughter.
Want to meet the President of the Untied States? Why not? Shall we? Hey.
Hey, buddy.
Mm.
Listen.
We're not gonna see each other for a little bit, okay? How long? Well A little bit.
Not too long.
Thing is I've always tried to treat you like you're just an ordinary little kid.
Only, actually, you're quite special.
And that's why they want to keep you in a very special place.
Who will tell me stories at night? I have a story for you.
Once upon a time, there was a boy.
He was actually a prince a strong, powerful little prince, and he lived all alone in this great big castle.
And then one day, he found out that he wasn't really alone.
His mom and dad were there, and he could see them whenever he wanted.
How? It's the oldest magic trick in the world.
Just close his eyes.
Whenever things got hard Whenever he felt alone all the little prince had to do was just close his eyes, and then he was always safe.
And he was never alone.
Double bourbon.
We invite those two hundred women to D.
C.
We're looking for a Dr.
Mark Kessler.
He died in a plane crash eight years ago.
Did your father have a specialty? Fertility.
The president is making a mistake with the embryos you and Dr.
Lennon created.
I know you're working hard to create more.
If you succeed, you need to let me know me and no one else.
Department of humanity! Put the boy down! There's gonna be a custody hearing.
Elvis will become a ward of the state unless you come forward and you can convince them into giving him to you.
Nathan Mitchell and four other diplomats were just taken hostage in Shanghai.
- What do they want? - They want five embryos.
Please, don't shoot! No! You sent him there.
You and your stupid lottery.
This is on you.
You're the reason Nathan's dead.
Vanessa, there's something you need to know.
Conner, put the gun down, please! No, no, no! L-leave her alone! Conner set up Nathan.
He was behind the Chinese abduction.
Conner cared about Nathan.
He would never get involved in something like that.
Then what the hell was he doing walking around with a gun, threatening to kill himself? America, this is the day we've been dreaming about.
A new chapter in human history is about to begin.
These are the names of the two hundred lottery finalists.
Number one Nora Robinson from Chicago, Illinois.
Nora is 19 and an English Major at Colorado College.
Lottery finalist number 14 Sharon Liberboim from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Sharon is 21 and a dental assistant who acts in the local theater.
Lottery finalist number 15 Laura Shaw from New Haven, Connecticut.
Laura is 19 and single and a graduate student Hey.
- At Yale University.
- Come on in.
Hannah is 19 and training horses on her parents' farm.
Lottery finalist number 18, Shin Peng from San Francisco, California.
Shin is 19 and is studying sports medicine at the Smith Orthopedic Clinic.
- Lambs to the slaughter.
- Lottery finalist number 19 - Linda halpern.
- Want a cup of coffee? No, I'm, uh, I'm good.
Is Allison around? - Lottery finalist number 20 - She's upstairs taking a shower.
Said to tell you she'd be down in a few minutes.
Crashing here till my son's custody hearing.
Cool.
Roberta Liberboim.
Hi.
I didn't hear you come in.
So, there's an extra key on the table.
Ready? Bye.
Onward, science.
Number 24 Carla Davidson, from Gainesville, Florida.
Carla is a United States marine who served on the humanitarian mission in Italy during the great Venice flood.
Number 87 Katherine Visconti from Atlanta, Georgia.
Katherine is a general manager at McHale Furniture.
She delivers meals to the elderly and homebound.
Lottery finalist number 88 Perry Sommers from Brenham, Texas.
Perry is 22, a part-time design consultant.
Perry, you won! You won! You're in the lottery! Yeah! That's our girl! You show 'em! Go get 'em, Perry! _ 198 Karina Barry, from Wooster, Massachusetts.
Karina's 28 and an accountant who volunteers at a local animal shelter.
Two more to go, Angela.
Don't worry.
Webster Groves, Missouri.
Phoebe is 24 and an elementary-school teacher who likes to run marathons.
And our last finalist Number two hundred Angela Maria Perez, Yeah! From Los Angeles, California.
Y-you won.
Tomorrow, these two hundred lucky women will be invited to Washington, D.
C.
, to begin the next stage of the process.
In three nights, we will welcome them all in an opening ceremony, and you will meet them personally.
You, the people, will vote for the one hundred best mothers.
But this is not merely a contest.
It is the beginning of the path to restore humankind.
Certainly, the women who are going to be I'm sorry.
I still don't see how I can help you.
Dr.
Kessler, your father was a fertility specialist who just so happened to vaccinate two different patients against something we believe May have caused the fertility crisis.
Y-you're saying my father is connected to the fertility crisis? Maybe he knew it was coming Before his plane crashed.
This is really out of the blue.
I understand, but if you have any insight what he was working on before he died He used to joke that if he told me what he was doing, he would have to kill me.
You became a doctor, like your father.
I mean, you must have watched him very closely.
My father never let anybody get close.
But I, uh If you know something, please tell us.
He was working with monkeys.
- Monkeys? - Yes.
I'm sorry.
I have an appointment.
Thank you for your time.
My dad sometimes published under the name Dr.
Relssek his name, but spelled backwards.
Yeah.
It's funny a couple days before he died, he told my mom he felt like the world was going backwards.
We thought we could control her, but we were wrong.
I agree.
We need to take a different approach.
I promise you I'll do my best.
There's nothing more important to me.
So, the lottery's actually working? Across the board.
The response has been ecstatic.
Given how fast we had to move and how many things could have gone wrong, this experiment is kind of a miracle.
Not exactly the same kind of experiment the founding fathers had in mind.
Well, I don't know about that.
I'd consider this a contest by the people and for the people.
We've created a circus.
It's a good day, Darius.
Enjoy it.
Except for this Conner Black thing.
The press is circling back.
Yes.
I met with reporters about that this morning told them we were greatly saddened by the loss, that he was a valued state department official.
What about the actual shooting? I quoted the police report that Conner was threatening to kill himself, refusing to cooperate with officers, and they shot him in the chest.
He was a traitor.
He killed five of our diplomats.
They're ready for you, Mr.
President.
Thank you.
My wife has me meeting with reporters about the qualities of a good mother.
What the hell do I know? Vanessa, make this Conner Black thing go away.
Yes, sir.
Before he was shot, Conner called me.
There was something he wanted to tell me.
Probably wanted to purge.
Not easy living with that kind of guilt.
He got what he deserved.
My husband was gunned down in a fricking parking garage.
_ Why the hell can't this wait? I'm so sorry, Charlie.
I can't imagine what you must be going through.
But Conner left behind a mess, and we need to clean it up.
The official statement from the white house will be that Conner suffered from severe depression and had recently gone off his meds.
We think this is better than the other explanation.
Which is? That Conner was about to be arrested for helping to assassinate five diplomats his boss, Nathan Mitchell, being one of them.
Nobody else needs to know what really happened.
What really happened? Do you really think he had anything to do with the terrorist attack in China? I hate to say it, but I do.
I can't explain it, but the evidence against him is conclusive.
You were Conner's friend.
He was loyal to his country, to the people he worked for.
Something happened.
I don't know what.
He was acting odd.
He was stressed out, scared.
I'm as shocked as you are.
But, Charlie, Conner was involved.
And he was paid half a million dollars to do it.
That makes no sense.
Look at our bank accounts.
Here joint and individual.
And the second mortgage that he applied for five days ago.
You think that is someone who thinks he's about to come into half a million dollars? I'm telling you, something is wrong.
Charlie, if you cooperate with us, you will be entitled to Conner's full pension.
Uh are you trying to buy me off? No.
I I'll talk to my lawyer.
I'm not gonna let you or that asshole from the Department of Humanity cover things up.
Department of Humanity? That guy who runs it.
Wait you're talking about Darius Hayes? Conner met with him a few times.
He was pressuring him to Do something.
- To do what? - He never said.
But Conner was terrified.
I could see it in his eyes.
So Conner knew Darius? Yes.
They met the night before the Diplomats were kidnapped and murdered.
Better make sure all those shakers are full before you go.
Can't believe you made me come into work today.
Ah, I'm sorry.
I didn't find a replacement yet.
Not saying that you're replaceable.
Hey.
You keep doing things like that, you're not gonna have a job to come home to.
Do you really think I'm coming back to Brenham, Texas? I got my ticket out of this place, Luke.
Soon as I'm pregnant, I am going to be one of the most famous people on the planet.
Wow.
Well, doesn't mean you couldn't come back here, right? I mean, look, I know I don't say this too much, but you and me We're a pretty good couple.
Yeah, but there's a big world out there.
I want to see it, you know? I want to be part of it.
Mm.
What if you lose? I won't.
Two hundred gals.
Only one hundred are gonna make it, and let's face it, Perry you ain't exactly the mothering type.
I'm not really the waitressing type, either.
What is it? You know I'm gonna miss you, too.
It's not that.
You know, I was thinking I want you to win.
But would it feel strange it not being our baby? It will be ours, Raul.
We'll be raising it.
Doesn't matter where the embryo came from.
If God wants us to have a baby, then we'll have a baby.
Even if we're virgins? It's happened before, right? Our goal is to vet the two hundred finalists for motherhood ask questions, present challenges, Give them tests.
We want the nation to have as much information as possible when they vote for the winners.
Madam First Lady, how will you test the women? Dr.
Lennon? Um We plan to test for genetic markers of disabling diseases.
In addition to the tests already conducted for eligibility, we'll also be screening for psychological and emotional stability.
Dr.
Lennon, one more question.
It's all going to be a very busy and exciting time.
Thank you all very much.
Madam First Lady.
Madam First Lady.
Over here.
Dr.
Lennon? I know this part of the process isn't terribly scientific, but your involvement is crucial.
Thank you.
Happy to help.
Dr.
Lennon.
We have your opening-ceremony speech prepared, if you'd care to take a look at it.
I trust you always know what exact words to put in my mouth.
If you'll both excuse me, I actually have to go do some real work.
I think she prefers science to public relations.
Yeah.
Thank God.
Thank you again for agreeing to do this.
I'm doing it for Elvis.
I understand that.
Elvis still needs his mother, even if he didn't have me for a few years.
It's my first custody hearing.
Do I look okay? Great.
- Yeah? Not too fancy? - No, no.
It's good.
Well, my Legal-Aid lawyer told me to dress like I was going to work.
And I said to her, "you mean what? Like a waitress?" Just tell them the truth that you love Elvis and I kept you away.
Between the two of us, you're the only one that's got a shot at winning.
How'd it go with Conner's husband? Well, he is threatening to hire a lawyer and launch an investigation.
Why's that? He thinks we're covering something up.
Did you tell him about the evidence? I did, yeah.
But he's He's in denial.
Sometimes, the truth is tough to accept.
Sometimes, the truth can be a little hard to find.
What do you mean? I just mean things may not be so black and white.
You need to help Charlie accept what happened.
Show him the evidence, show him how guilty his husband really was.
Think about the lives that were lost.
Conner was a good man.
It's hard to believe.
Did you know him? Personally? Yeah.
No, I I think I might have met him at a state department function once.
So you didn't know him? No.
No more detective work.
You're a scientist.
You stick to embryos.
Got it? I got it.
Wow.
This is lottery finalist number 88, Perry Sommers! Sign here, please, miss Sommers.
This is lottery finalist number 89 Genevieve Geoghan.
Congratulations, miss Geoghan.
Excuse me, but I'm not exactly sure where I should go.
That makes two of us.
Uh, you're Perry Sommers.
Welcome.
I'm Dr.
Alison Lennon.
I've seen your face on the news.
You're the woman who caused all this.
I'll take the blame.
Well, good luck.
You'll be taken now to your room.
Okay.
Welcome, Perry Sommers.
Hi.
I'm Angela.
Perry.
Gosh.
Will you look at this place? This is just like college.
Not that I ever went.
Guess we're gonna be roomies for a few weeks.
I pulled the file, like you asked.
So, these are the calls that Conner made.
And this is the transcript of the call he made to the security team in Shanghai, changing the scheduled arrival time.
Now, this is the wired money transfer from a bank in Shanghai to Conner's offshore account in the Caymans.
And this is the confirming e-mail from his bank to the bank in Shanghai.
It's all there in the file.
Thanks.
Do me a favor, George.
See if you can figure out where he was the night before the abduction credit-card receipts, surveillance footage.
And don't tell anyone about this.
Right.
Not a soul, George.
You hear me? Good afternoon.
This hearing has been convened to determine the custodial rights of Elvis Walker.
Your petition is for joint custody? No, ma'am.
Miss Williams is petitioning for sole custody.
We were only just informed of miss Williams' intentions yesterday.
Why have you stepped forward? Because I'm his mother.
And what is the department of humanity's position? Elvis Walker is the youngest child in the country.
Because he is a precious and irreplaceable asset, the state has a compelling interest in his health and well-being.
It is our opinion that the boy's father is not capable of caring for him.
He has a history of violence, alcoholism, and child neglect.
And what about miss Williams? The mother's been absent from the boy's life and has a history of drug addiction.
That's not true.
It was alcohol.
I-I wasn't addicted to the drugs.
I was addicted to the alcohol.
But I'm clean now one year.
Hmm.
There you are.
Where have you been? Hey.
Just, uh Got into a little accident.
Hey.
You all right? Yeah.
No, I-I'm fine.
Have you seen your lip? It's all good.
What's going on? All right.
Well, check this out.
I found a paper Kessler published with his name spelled backwards.
Yeah? "Auto-regulated fertility in spider monkeys.
" Auto-regulated fertility? He'd found a protein that regulates fertility, which means it can also shut things down, force infertility.
Why? Why would he develop something that promotes infertility and then inoculate against it at the same time? Exactly.
Why? Unless he knew what they were doing could cause a worldwide fertility crisis.
Al, you got to stop this.
It's starting to get scary.
Scary? This isn't us.
We're not a couple of detectives.
James, somebody knew the crisis was going to happen.
They were planning for it.
Mr.
Walker failed to pick up his son from school on May, 12th of this year.
That same day, he assaulted a hospital employee and kidnapped his son.
Clarification Mr.
Walker did not fail to pick up his son.
He was 25 minutes late.
Mr.
Walker, will you please stand? I've been exploring the facts of this case.
- Elvis has juvenile diabetes, correct? - Yes.
Which means you have to monitor his blood sugar.
Every two hours.
Even at night? Especially at night.
When was the last time you slept through the night? Since before he was born.
But now that he's gone, I-I don't sleep at all.
Despite your sleep deprivation, you managed to care for your son, provide for him, get him back and forth to school.
Except for that one day you didn't pick him up.
Actually, Mr.
Walker was 25 minutes late.
Let me tell you something.
What you've done I think it's extraordinary.
He's my son.
When are they bringing our stuff? I want my guitar.
Whoa.
Hey.
Hey, come look at this.
It looks like a camera.
It is a camera.
In the bedroom? Didn't you read the papers that the lawyers made you sign? Privacy rights.
Nobody reads that stuff.
Cameras, mama 24/7.
So America is watching us? They will be.
Screw that.
Stop.
Stop! You'll get us disqualified.
Don't ruin this for me.
If you want to sabotage yourself, go right ahead.
Don't take me down with you.
Okay.
I need a cigarette.
This is a smoke-free environment.
And a guitar-free environment.
Where is my guitar? They said they would provide everything we need.
I knew this was a dumb idea.
Then why did you do it? Because everybody was doing it all the girls in Brenham.
You should've seen the lines.
And Why not me? You know? Who's to say that I shouldn't have a kid? Luke said that I wasn't the mothering type.
Well, what does he know? Nobody's the mothering type until you become a mother.
And then you just figure it out.
My mom figured it out.
So did yours.
Oh, my mother never figured it out.
Trust me.
Hey.
Tonight's the announcement.
There's gonna be celebrations all over the world.
So, are you ready to party? Ladies, it is time to prepare for the evening's festivities.
I truly believe that I've turned a corner and that I can take care of Elvis.
I don't know That I was ready to be a mom when Elvis was born, and I felt sad about that.
And I still feel sad because of all the time I lost.
There are so many women in the world today who are desperate to have a child.
And here I am, one of the very few who has one.
I have a good job and everything that I need Except for the one thing that could give me true meaning in my life My son.
But you did disappear from his life.
Yeah.
I did for a while.
For five years.
It was my fault.
Your fault? I kept her away.
Never gave her a chance.
I told myself that it was in Elvis' best interest, but Really, it was in my best interest.
I wanted Elvis to be with me.
I mean, even after Tracy got straight I never let her back in, and that was wrong.
She was his mother.
Elvis needed her just as much as he needed me.
Well, I got access to Conner's car, tapped into his GPS.
There was one outlier address he visited a few times in Crystal City.
Crystal City? He went there the night before the Chinese thing went down.
What's the address? - Yeah? - Delivery.
For who? For the person who lives at 2218, June street.
Um Okay.
Let me get you a tip.
Only managed to get a few shots off.
Couldn't see much inside, either.
Did you run the address? Yeah, it's owned by an LLC TKT Holdings.
I'll try to get more, but it might take me a day or two.
The big question is, who the hell is she? He was in Crystal City.
That's where he went the night before the abduction.
- Crystal City? - Do you know anyone there? No.
Maybe That's where Darius lives? No, he lives in Chevy Chase.
I had someone check out the address.
A young woman came to the door.
Did Conner say anything else? Did he mention any other names, a woman? Charlie, hello? You in there? Charlie, it's the news.
Charlie, just a few questions.
What the hell did you do? I'm sorry.
I was so upset, I had already called the press.
I wanted to get some of this off my chest.
I know that you're suspicious.
I get it.
But we need to keep this a secret.
Do you understand? Charlie, you have a daughter.
You have a life.
You cannot take this on.
It's too dangerous.
Trust me.
Look what happened to Conner and Nathan.
What did you tell them? Did you tell them why you wanted them to come? No.
I just said I wanted to make a statement.
Okay, good.
So you'll make a statement.
Go out there and tell them that Conner was depressed, that he went off his meds That he was threatening to commit suicide, and that a policeman shot him.
Charlie.
Go and tell them exactly what I just said.
I have a brief statement.
My husband, Conner Black Was suffering from depression.
Unfortunately, he was off his meds And threatening to commit suicide.
I get why you're here you're the face of the lottery.
I just don't understand why I'm here.
How often do you get a ringside seat at history? Maybe I can find us a drink.
Evening, Dr.
Lynch.
What happened? You okay? I'm fine.
We've been out of touch.
I've, uh I've been busy.
I apologize.
We haven't made any meaningful progress not yet, but we're trying.
Remember, Dr.
Lynch focus on what's important.
Yes? Sir, I don't know what happened.
She's going off script.
Can you put her on the phone? Yes.
She's right here.
Yes? Elizabeth.
Hello, sir.
There's only one acceptable outcome.
Do you understand? I thought we were supposed to be advocating for the best interests of the children.
That's exactly what we're doing.
But In the wake of the fertility crisis, laws were strengthened to protect our children and our future.
It's been six years, and we are still trying to find the proper balance.
In a perfect world, we wouldn't have to make these kinds of decisions.
But we don't live in a perfect world.
Not even close.
This panel has decided to terminate the parental rights of the father, Kyle Walker.
As for the mother, Tracy Williams the panel deems her to be an unfit parent.
That's not true.
Elvis Walker is now a ward of the state.
What? You can't do this.
Hey, you can't do this.
You know this is wrong.
Why are you doing this? I am sorry.
Just five minutes with my son.
Please just give me five minutes.
Not for me for him.
Please.
The night we've been waiting for is finally here.
The long night of fear is finally coming to an end.
It is my profound honor to present to the American people and to people in every corner of our planet the two hundred lottery finalists.
History has chosen you.
Your destiny is the destiny of all humanity.
The one hundred women who are selected will not only carry babies.
You will carry the hopes of our entire species.
The eyes of the world are upon you.
I wish you all the best of luck.
Thank you, and may God bless America.
And we're out.
Dear contestants, you were all lovely, and it was a wonderful evening.
Our security personnel will now escort you back to your dwelling, because tomorrow, we will begin.
What about the parties? Remember, dignity at all times.
Good night, dear ones.
Okay.
Okay.
It's quite a night.
It all feels a bit surreal.
Two hundred women just got their marching orders to go off and save humanity while we go to a cocktail party.
At least we're starting to fight the right wars.
Just to be clear, one hundred embryos isn't going to save the world.
It's a beginning.
Hi.
I'm Vanessa Keller.
Hi.
You're a lucky young woman to be here tonight.
Excuse me? Well, there are supreme court justices who couldn't get this kind of access.
My dad loves to pull strings, so He thought that this would inspire me.
Your dad? I see you've met my daughter.
Your daughter? This is Rose.
I-I d I didn't even know you had a daughter.
She's been living with her mother.
She came here for a fresh start.
But she Likes to make things difficult.
I believe I had to make 25 calls today to make sure she actually got here.
So, uh Where are you staying? I'm staying at my dad's apartment in Crystal City.
You have an apartment in Crystal City? For visitors.
Like my lovely daughter.
Want to meet the President of the Untied States? Why not? Shall we? Hey.
Hey, buddy.
Mm.
Listen.
We're not gonna see each other for a little bit, okay? How long? Well A little bit.
Not too long.
Thing is I've always tried to treat you like you're just an ordinary little kid.
Only, actually, you're quite special.
And that's why they want to keep you in a very special place.
Who will tell me stories at night? I have a story for you.
Once upon a time, there was a boy.
He was actually a prince a strong, powerful little prince, and he lived all alone in this great big castle.
And then one day, he found out that he wasn't really alone.
His mom and dad were there, and he could see them whenever he wanted.
How? It's the oldest magic trick in the world.
Just close his eyes.
Whenever things got hard Whenever he felt alone all the little prince had to do was just close his eyes, and then he was always safe.
And he was never alone.
Double bourbon.