What/If (2019) s01e05 Episode Script
What Next
1 What a difference a day made Twenty-four little hours Brought the sun and the flowers Where there used to be rain My yesterday was blue, dear Today I'm a part of you, dear My lonely nights are through, dear Since you said you were mine Lord, what a difference a day makes There's a rainbow before me Skies above can't be stormy Since that moment of bliss That thrilling kiss It's heaven when you Find romance on your menu What a difference a day made And the difference is you You deserve a day off.
Day off? [CHUCKLES.]
I do not understand these words you speak.
You've been working 24/7 on your clinical trials for weeks.
All you can do now is wait for the results.
Just take the day.
- I could unpack some of those boxes.
- No! Not unpack.
Relax.
[DOORBELL RINGS.]
I'll be right back.
Don't move.
[DOORBELL RINGS.]
[SEAN.]
Coming.
And this is when I say, "I hope I'm not disturbing you.
" And when I say, "Not at all.
" Why do you ask? Impressive.
Wow, I love the furniture.
We're going for cardboard chic.
Hmm.
Maybe your pants are in one of those.
Just saying.
[CHUCKLES.]
Please tell me you're not here to drag Lisa to Emigen.
You're here to drag Lisa to Emigen.
I wouldn't have had to if she'd been [CLEARS THROAT.]
answering her phone.
I'm either abjectly discouraged or over-the-moon ecstatic to say what I have to show her really can't wait.
The results came in? As you know, in phase two of the trials, we were hoping that the test subjects in Haplogroup B Stage four patients with historically resistant immune blockers would respond favorably to Emigen modified drug protocols in a statistically meaningful way.
But what the results show Is that Emigen tailored treatments created efficacy bumps in one hundred percent of our non-placebo test subjects in Haplogroup B.
So instead of maximizing drug treatments for the few, Lisa's discovery has the potential to help Everyone with access to it.
With proper positioning, Emigen will single-handedly revolutionize the healthcare industry.
You made a very wise investment, Miss Montgomery.
Congratulations, Lisa.
This is an extraordinary accomplishment.
You too, Avery.
You saw potential here before anyone else.
A discovery this significant deserves to be celebrated and boasted about.
As such I'd like you both to attend my annual détente this evening.
The détente? Holy shit.
What am I missing? Every year, Anne hosts a black tie gathering of elite rivals at the tops of their fields: politics, finance, tech.
All amid the backdrop of an historical battle.
I'm guessing the French Revolution.
Très bien.
It's as legendary as it is exclusive.
[PHONE VIBRATING.]
[ANNE.]
Lisa? Yes, I will be there.
It's an honor.
Here you go, man.
Hey.
Morning, sunshine.
If you're already oversleeping, how's it gonna be when the baby comes? Bro, I'm not oversleeping.
I'm oversexing.
I forgot how much of a hot mess this pregnancy thing is.
Last month, Ang could barely take the sight of me.
Now, my woman is freaky.
I thought your trademark grin was a bit toothier than usual.
Yeah, right back at you, smiley.
Something you wanna share? [SIGHS.]
Let's just say life is good, finally.
Well, couldn't be better timing with our ten-year reunion next weekend.
Are you still hosting the OG group? Actually, now that you live in a palace and our second bedroom is officially a DIY baby room, I was kind of hoping you might offer up your place.
Unless you think Maddie might stir up trouble.
No reason to.
I haven't heard from her since she cashed that check.
Maybe she's finally found a little happiness too.
- [DOOR OPENS.]
- Yo, Chief Dalton in the house.
Sit down, probies.
Lieutenant Hall got called away and asked me to deliver your midterm evaluations.
Beginning with, in her words, "Ain't Shit Sean.
" Ain't Shit Sean, get up here.
- Life was good.
- Yep.
Your performance on the written combined with last week's field scores, has inspired Lieutenant Hall to assign you a brand new nickname.
Please be advised that Ain't Shit Sean shall here to for be known as Hot Shit Sean.
- You're the top of the class, Donovan.
- [SCOFFS.]
[TODD.]
What? Give my man a hand! What? Yeah! That means things just got that much harder for the rest of you.
Ranking's are posted in the hall.
Now off your asses.
There's hoses to haul and ladders to climb.
Hey, Hot Shit Sean.
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
[KNOCKING AT DOOR.]
[CHUCKLES.]
Mr.
Jonathan Dent? In all the years we've known each other, not once have you been early for nothing.
Uh, Blondie reunion, RFK Stadium, 1997.
Oof! I stand corrected.
Did you really admit a mistake? I guess we've both changed.
[LAUGHING.]
- [JOHN.]
Holy shit.
- Oh.
This is a far cry from our Sugar Hill studio on West 147th Street.
Yeah.
What is that John Updike quote? "The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.
" Well the joke's on Updike, apparently.
- [LAUGHING.]
- Yeah.
Santa Maria! This must be Marcos.
Morning.
Welcome to San Francisco.
You are even more adorable than your pictures.
- [LAUGHS.]
- I hate him already.
[CHUCKLES.]
JD, Marcos, Marcos, the notorious Diamond Johnny Dent Nice to finally meet you.
For the record, nobody has called me Diamond Johnny since the club scene days.
Since we're going in on call-outs, you should know that when your man was my man, he came with a nickname too.
"Lionel the Train Turner.
" Because I was always riding the six.
[JOHN.]
The six, the eight, the nine and a half.
Don't go calling out my scandals, JD.
Marco is still just a lamb in the woods.
[JOHN LAUGHS.]
We're definitely working on taming some of those wolves.
Oh, the student's become the master.
What's with the suit, babe? I was hoping you'd come out trolling the city with us.
The judge agreed to squeeze a hearing on my Mendoza ICE case onto his docket this morning.
There's a shot he might get released.
I'm thrilled for you and Mr.
Mendoza.
I know this case means a lot to you.
- Call us when you're done? - Of course.
Okay, then, you go make the world safe for democracy.
While the Train and I head out to push his limits.
- No.
No! - Yes.
- Wanna know what I'm thinking? - Always.
A great surgeon has to have the heart of a lion and the hands of a woman.
I've been impressed with your work lately, Dr.
Harris.
Thank you, Doctor.
- Ian's fine.
- Can I talk to you? - I'm about to do rounds.
- It'll only take a minute.
I'll be right back, Dr.
Harris.
I need you to put me back on surgical rotation.
- Are you not on it? - You know I'm not.
I haven't been on the schedule for over a month now.
Hmm.
Out of sight out of mind, I guess.
Look, Ian.
I know I bruised your ego.
But we're both adults.
I made a choice and it wasn't you.
Simple as that.
Yes.
Can we be reasonable? I am being reasonable.
The reason why you aren't on the schedule isn't personal.
It's professional.
You simply haven't been up to par.
No one in that group works harder than I do.
I'll be sure to add insubordinate next to inadequate in my final evaluation.
Let's go.
Fuck.
[CASSIDY.]
I've gone dark and deep.
I have read all the materials published by or about the witch in both pixels and ink, every last bit of information about Anne Montgomery traces back to the same source: Anne Montgomery.
It's the most ingenious public relations camouflage I've ever seen.
There's so many conflicting narratives about who she is, where she's been, who she's associated with, that none of the stories seem to stick.
And get this, I can't find a single actual human who is willing or able to verify any of her stories before she started her Capital Group in 1998.
What is that thing you always say about science and evidence? "The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
" - Carl Sagan.
- Exactly.
One minute Anne Montgomery doesn't exist.
Then all the sudden, she hits Silicon Valley like a comet, this major player having never climbed the ranks.
Essentially, you're saying after a month of exhaustive research, all you've been able to unearth is more questions? Yeah.
The two biggest being: who was Anne Montgomery before she was Anne Montgomery, and where'd all this money come from? I guarantee you those answers are gonna give us what we need to bring her down.
Am I boring you? No.
What's this? Analytics from the clinical trial.
Holy shit.
It works.
Better than works.
It's incontrovertible.
Then figuring out how to sideline Anne is more important than ever.
Anne is the woman that made all this possible.
No, Lisa.
We are the women who made this possible.
Five years ago.
At this table.
I know.
But Emigen was dead in the water without Anne's investment.
She set me up, Lisa, ruined me.
And you promised me we were going to fix this.
Well, it's bigger than us.
Look at that data.
Who are you right now? I want you to stop looking into her.
What number do you think is fair? To stop me from trying to save my job? And now, apparently, your soul? Zero, Lisa, no number.
Christ, you're turning into her.
I'm only thinking of Emigen.
Yes.
And you know what I'm thinking? Go fuck yourself.
Cassidy? Cass? [FENCING SWORDS CLANKING.]
[GRUNTS.]
[GRUNTING.]
[LAUGHS.]
[GRUNTS.]
[PANTING.]
[CHUCKLES.]
I thought you had me there.
[GROANS.]
[CHUCKLES.]
[GAGE LAUGHS.]
[GAGE SIGHS.]
Who says chivalry is dead? You did, I believe, followed by something like, "It's about time.
" Well, I guess every dog eventually has his day in the sun.
It's the evening that concerns this particular dog.
Believe you said the wager was an invite to your détente.
I honor all my bets.
Foster? [CHUCKLES.]
[EXHALES.]
[GAGE CHUCKLES.]
Oh, after a decade of snubbing I'm quite curious to see what all the fuss is about.
Well, let's hope my little soirée lives up to your expectations.
You always exceed expectations.
I might catch you later, Lurch.
[WHISTLES.]
You let him win.
What's it they say? "Lose the battle win the war.
" They also say, "The most powerful warriors are patience and time.
" I think you mean timing.
Restraint is a virtue I no longer wish to embrace.
Don't worry, Doctor, we're going to report this.
There she is.
What? You think I did that? - Hey.
- Hey.
What do you know about Anne Montgomery? Anne's whip-smart, fearless, has uncanny instincts about people's intrinsic value.
- Obviously - I know what she's like, I'm asking if anyone really knows who she is.
Verifiable data about where she came from, how she got her start.
Why does it matter? Because if Emigen was funded by, I don't know, mob money or the Taliban, I'd like to know.
Most of what I've heard about Anne's origins is far more vague and far less sinister.
Mostly cyber folklore.
Apparently, most of the online rumors were spread by her very own bots.
Not this one.
Years ago, Gage had drinks with the retiring director at the Bank of London.
She clerked under him for a summer, and he offered her a full-time position.
But she didn't take the job? Apparently, a private multinational investor got hold of her first.
Who? That's as far as the story goes.
You seem to be focusing your energy on something that's, frankly, irrelevant.
Thank you for the advice, Avery.
I will focus my energy where I see fit.
Where you see fit? Or where Cassidy sees fit? Lisa, why are you in touch with someone who blatantly stole from you? Because she didn't steal for me.
Lisa, she admitted it right to my face, even paid the money back.
I paid the money back.
- Why? - Anne wanted Cassidy gone from day one.
I think I know why.
She correctly predicted that Cassidy would always be loyal to me, not her.
Which is also why she readily agreed to let me hire you.
When push comes to shove, she's banking that you'll ally yourself with her above me.
If my loyalty lay with Anne I could have easily told her I saw that call come from Cassidy this morning.
I told you instead.
Danny? Danny, hold up a second.
What do you want, Ruiz? I just heard you asked the judge to push the Hector Mendoza hearing.
Government's dropped a caseload the size of an aircraft carrier on my plate.
This is Hector's third stay.
Did you not see his wife and children in that courtroom, terrified their sole breadwinner's going to be deported? Maybe them too? It's only nine days.
Don't worry, your client's gonna get a fair hearing.
Nine more days in jail and Hector's family is gonna be evicted from their apartment.
Maybe they'll find affordable housing in Mexico.
You're a heartless prick, Danny.
Better heartless than feckless.
Grow up, little Marcos.
[PHONE CHIMES.]
[PHONE CHIMES.]
- [DOORBELL RINGS.]
- [KNOCKING AT DOOR.]
- [CASTRO BARKS.]
- Ooh! Sorry about that.
He's very friendly.
It's okay.
- Sean Donovan? - Yes.
I'm Detective Chan, SFPD.
May I come in? Uh sure.
Sorry about the mess.
We're still moving in.
Go on, Castro! How well did you know a woman named Madeline Carter? Maddie? Um I was her high school boyfriend.
We dated for a few years after that.
Wait, you said how well did I know her.
I'm sorry to inform you, Madeline passed away last month.
What? - How? - Heroin overdose.
Took a few weeks to run her labs and prints, locate next of kin.
Well, Maddie was raised by her grandma in Stockton.
Also deceased.
Finally tracked down a cousin in Flagstaff.
They're making arrangements to collect her remains.
How can I help? We're just tying up loose ends before closing out the case.
According to phone records, you were the last person she reached out to the night she died.
- I was? - You don't remember hearing from her? I was with my wife, I didn't answer the call.
She didn't leave a message? No.
Don't beat yourself up.
Most of the time, there's no telling when or how it goes wrong for girls like that.
Twice as hard to fix it.
In case you need to reach out.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
- [DOOR CLOSES.]
- [LISA.]
Sean, you back? Hey.
You're home already.
Please tell me it's not because you failed the written test.
It's not.
You passed? That's amazing.
- How did Anne respond to your news? - A little too well.
She wants me at this insane Legion of Doom dinner where they all plot and plan the future of humanity tonight.
Don't worry, you're off the hook.
No, take me with you.
Really? Okay.
- [MUSIC PLAYING.]
- [MARCOS SNIFFLES.]
[PHONE VIBRATES.]
[PHONE VIBRATES.]
I guess this means the honeymoon is over.
Honeymoon? Thought you and I really had a future ahead of us.
Couple of French bulldogs, handful of gaybies, second house in Palm Desert.
Last time I saw you, I was pretending to be your wife.
So the man I assume you will one day marry can sell the house or something.
- Sorry, I'm - Buzzed.
Obviously.
How long have you been here? Too long.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
Where's your man? With his man.
Former man, whatever.
Last thing I heard, they were on their way to a nude beach.
Fun.
Maybe for guys like you.
[SCOFFS.]
What does that mean? It means not everyone sees the world as one big self-indulgent sex party.
Some of us are trying to actually do something meaningful with our lives.
I'm sorry I'm such a dick.
You're not a dick.
You're drunk.
Come on.
- Let me call you a ride.
- No.
The last thing Lionel needs to see is what a fucked up mess he's saddled himself with.
Especially after a fun naked day with his ex.
Obviously.
They're a way better match.
[PHONE VIBRATING.]
Hey.
It's Kevin.
[WOMAN.]
Angela, please, come in.
Uh, I guess this has something to do with the graffiti incident that happened in the locker room.
Whatever anybody told you, I had nothing to do with it.
And I want very much to believe that.
But in addition to the complaints from your fellow residents, the chief of surgery leveled some pretty serious allegations against you.
What kind of allegations? For starters, that you've been aggressively pursuing a romantic relationship with him in spite of his rebukes.
Aggressively pursuing? We had a consensual affair.
I broke it off about a month ago.
Dr.
Evans also believes you're suffering from prenatal manic depression, and says you're using false claims of the paternity to try to trap him.
Oh, my God.
This is my husband's child I am carrying.
I never claimed otherwise.
He's lying.
Do you have emails? Texts, voice mails to support your story? No, I erased them all when I ended it.
What about witnesses or contemporaneous notes? Without verifiable data, I'm afraid this is going to quickly devolve into a he-said-she-said arbitration.
So what are you suggesting? Dr.
Evans was civil enough to withhold filing an official claim until tomorrow morning.
So if you choose to abdicate your surgical residency today, there would be no official record of the circumstances under which you had to leave.
You'd be free to pursue other opportunities.
Other opportunities? Do you have any idea how much I had to sacrifice to earn this opportunity? Where I come from? How hard I had to work to get here? Look, I made a mistake and I regret it deeply.
But I do not deserve to lose everything because this man's lies outweigh my truth.
I sympathize with you, Angela.
I really do.
But unfortunately, the truth only matters when [SIGHS.]
when it can be proven.
[SIGHS.]
Well I'm gonna prove it.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
Oh.
No, thank you.
Well, if you'll excuse me.
You're a new face.
Handsome too.
Dinara Sokolov.
Oh, wow, you led the team that identified the first hybrid human remains in the Altai Mountains.
Shall I consider you friend or foe? Consider me humbled.
I climbed one mountain, once.
No profound discoveries to speak of, unless you count personal enlightenment.
I do.
[LISA.]
Happy détente.
Dinara Sokolov, Lisa Ruiz-Donovan.
Also a genetic scientist.
Then you must be my rival.
Tonight we're all equals, right? - This is my husband, Sean.
- Hi.
I never caught your name.
Avery Watkins.
He's single.
Yes, very.
I'll find you.
Sean, would you mind getting us drinks? Uh, what if the bartender is my rival? Be the bigger man, let him pour.
Avery, I'm sorry about earlier.
Anne has gotten in my head again.
I believe that your interests in Emigen are genuine.
And I believe that Cassidy may have been railroaded.
I called the personal banker who dealt with the forged check.
Number was disconnected.
No record of it.
Still collecting on the bet, I see.
Ah.
Gage Scott's here.
This is not good.
It's a détente, they're rivals.
Gage and Anne are not rivals.
They're sworn enemies.
Forging an accord now can only mean one thing: Gage doesn't have something Anne wants, he has something she needs.
Excuse me.
There you go, babe.
You used to rail about being left off this list.
Now you're here, pretending like it's no big deal.
I know it has to gnaw at that charred little soul of yours that Anne's about to take a company you passed on, to heights you were too arrogant to imagine.
And as for Anne the only reason she could possibly have wanted you here is to gloat.
[CLICKS TEETH.]
You know what gnaws at my charred soul? It's juvenile hubris.
Hmm.
[SIGHS.]
Already packed up, huh? Oh.
You look upset.
Was it a rough day in the office? It's never easy when things don't turn out the way we hope, right? If it's any consolation, young Dr.
Harris isn't anywhere near the intellectual challenge you were, but guess they all can't be top of the class now, can they? You'll always be my biggest disappointment, Angela.
Guess we both have to live with that.
Ian? Isn't there anything I can do to make you change your mind about that report? You think you have what it takes to change a mind like mine? Right here, right now? Well, maybe not right here, maybe on the rooftop for old-time sake where we can make love in the stairway like we did the first time you pulled me in.
You want a second chance at making attending in this hospital? It's gonna take a lot more than a one-off pity fuck.
What will it take, Ian? End your marriage.
Admit that you made a grievous error choosing that pustule of a man over me.
Or is he really worth flushing your entire career down the toilet? Todd is worth that and a whole lot more, you asshole.
Fuck you! What a waste.
[GLASS CLANKING.]
Rivalry the most powerful force in human history.
Twenty-five hundred years ago, the cities of Athens and Sparta fought for supremacy over ancient Greece, and the result was the greatest leap forward in civilization that the world has ever seen.
A few of you remember that great conflict was the backdrop for my first détente ten years ago.
And though the guest list continues to evolve, one truth remains: great progress has always been driven by dedicated adversaries.
None of us would have achieved our allotted positions without our own rivalries.
But once a year, it's important to set aside our battles and enjoy each other's efforts.
Even when those efforts are meant to destroy each other.
[LAUGHTER.]
So raise your glasses to rivalry.
[ALL.]
To rivalry.
- One more shot.
- Last one, then I'm cutting you off.
Speaking of cutting off, Lionel stopped calling.
What did you expect? You weren't picking up.
I stopped picking up because he's with John.
Wait, I'm sorry.
Johnny Diamond.
Should have seen them finishing each other's sentences, sharing all that history.
- You're jealous.
- [SCOFFS.]
It's natural.
I'm not jealous.
But, I mean, who stays friends with their exes? - I do.
- Not me.
Once I break up with a guy [EXHALES.]
it's over.
Oh, you've broken up with a lot of guys? I haven't broken up with anybody.
If I did, I'd cut them out of my life like a tumor.
Wow.
That's really unhealthy.
- You are.
- [LAUGHS.]
Marcos, I have a rule in life that I intend to keep: never argue with drunk lawyers.
That is a solid axiom, Kevin.
The cavalry has arrived.
Marcos, what happened to you today? Oh, nothing.
Just ruined the lives of another innocent family.
It's a specialty of mine.
Fuck.
You lost the Mendoza case.
They didn't even get a hearing, which I'd have told you if you hadn't been sunburning your ass off with your perfectly matched ex-boyfriend.
You must be Johnny Diamond.
You must be Kevin.
I have heard specifically good things.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet all of you.
Okay, I'm going to get him home.
[JOHN.]
Good call.
I think I'm gonna stay, hang out with this beautiful man here.
Also a good call.
Text me in the morning, let me know everything's okay.
You got it.
And thanks for picking up my boy's phone.
I owe you one.
Ain't love grand? [LAUGHS.]
[GLASS CLANKS.]
As we await the final course, I would like to shine a light on a very special person at the table.
My most promising discovery, of this, or frankly any other year, and a woman who will surely occupy her rightful place at this gathering for many years to come, Ms.
Lisa Ruiz-Donovan, CEO and founder of Emigen Molecular Sequencing.
Please stand up, Lisa.
[APPLAUSE.]
Uh No.
Thank you, Anne Miss Montgomery.
That was very kind and unexpected.
Indulge our guests with an introduction to your important work, if you would.
[LISA CLEARS THROAT.]
My dad wasn't a scientist, but he loved solving puzzles.
And his favorite were the word jumbles that came out in the local paper.
And when my dad got stuck, he would enlist my help.
It really taught me the joys of figuring things out.
It was my joy [FADING OUT.]
with our ability [MUFFLED INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
individual immune cell blockers, we have the opportunity to customize medications for every unique immune system.
Thank you, Lisa.
Please, everyone, feel free to stretch and mingle before the final course.
Stay here.
Hello, Liam.
Didn't say, "What a pleasant surprise.
" I know when my presence is not appreciated.
Nonsense.
I'd understood you had plans to remain in South Africa for the season.
Plans change, not that I need tell you.
Had I known you'd be in town, I would have scheduled this ridiculous event for another night.
Tell me, what exactly is your play with this biotech venture? You said it was a lark.
Now you're splashing your little protégé across the marquee like the opening of a Broadway musical.
Pet project, nothing more.
Just as you're my pet project.
Or could it be you've forgotten who forged you? Have I not fulfilled my end of the bargain? You have more money and power than everyone at that table.
And you believe you've given me that? What I've given you is anonymity.
There's no price on that.
Living among the shadows is not as romantic as it sounds.
I wouldn't know.
Don't pretend you don't relish this masquerade of yours.
I remember when you came to me, a live-wire of ambition and fury.
It was me who taught you to harness that energy, gave you the tools, the money, and the connections to become what you've become.
And I am forever grateful.
Are you? Do you doubt that? If I did, this conversation would not be nearly as pleasant.
Rest assured, if ever I do discover you've been crafting an exit plan, I'll make sure you arrive at your destination of choice in pieces.
Au revoir, mon chaton.
- [DOOR CLOSES.]
- [SIGHS.]
[INHALES.]
[EXHALES.]
[GRUNTS.]
Pardon me.
I'm so sorry.
No, it was my fault.
I was looking for Anne.
Uh, she's up in her study.
Always working, am I right? Always.
I'm Lisa Donovan.
You one of the rivals tonight? No, I'm not part of the jet set.
I'm her Uncle Dave from back east.
She's been helping me out with a bill since I got laid off last winter.
Anne can be so generous.
She tells me I'm her favorite.
Maybe she only says that to me.
You know, she never mentioned family.
I always thought Anne was an anomaly.
She's definitely that.
Dave? Would it be all right with you if I reached out? I'm collecting stories about Anne for when she's honored at the Women of Influence Awards next month.
It would be great to have family prospective.
Another award, eh? She really is a gem, isn't she? And let's keep this just between us.
It's meant to be a surprise.
Sure.
[PHONE VIBRATING.]
[KNOCK AT DOOR, DOOR OPENS.]
I met your Uncle Dave.
Nice man.
Old friend of my father's.
Long before he died.
Not blood.
It's easier to write the man checks than watch him flail.
What are you doing in here? That's the question I've come to ask you.
What am I doing at this party? Exactly what I told you.
We're boasting about your success.
To what end? Emigen had a nice win, but actually getting us to market is anything but guaranteed.
Why don't you give me your theory since you clearly seem to have one.
My theory is you need additional capital to shore up your interests, and that this party is just your way of fishing for fresh cash.
Maybe Uncle Dave is an old family friend.
Maybe he's a reclusive investor.
Maybe that's why Gage Scott is here too.
Maybe I'm simply relishing that Gage Scott passed on you.
Seems petty.
Not your style.
Pettiness is a guilty pleasure of mine.
No.
What I'm picking up is fear.
Something has you off your game.
[CHUCKLES.]
Careful where you tread, Lisa.
There's only one reason why I've chosen to make such a public show of faith in you and your company.
Because I trust you.
Isn't that clear by now? [DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES.]
[CAMERA CLICKING.]
I need to speak with you.
Haven't we said everything that needs to be said? Maddie Carter's dead.
Oh.
And? Are you accusing me of something? No, but, uh Maddie was an addict.
She died of a drug overdose.
Then what do you want from me? I wanna know what "at any cost" means to you.
How many more people need to be hurt before you get what you want? You tell me, Sean.
I won't leave Lisa.
Not ever, and I won't break the contract, either.
Then like I said, we have nothing more to discuss.
But what about pragmatism? Well, this oughta be good.
You said it yourself, told all these people Lisa's your most important discovery of the year.
All the work she's done to convince you she's worth your investment, she did while married to me.
Under the worst stress imaginable.
You made it clear you have the power to toss me to the wolves, but why do that when things are going as well as they are for you? Me and Lisa's life isn't a detriment to her or to Emigen.
Anne, it's the opposite.
If success is truly your only endgame here, then why not let me help you achieve that? You've given me a lot to think about, Sean.
You make a compelling case.
I'll consider it.
Thank you.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
All in all a very entertaining evening, that insipid Emigen pitch aside.
Oh.
[SIGHS.]
I know why you want me here tonight, Anne.
I lost a bet? You can take me at fencing with both hands tied behind your back.
You used our rivalry as foreplay.
Foreplay to what? Well, business, of course.
Hmm.
Why don't you just speak your terms? How much? Behind this little game of yours, hm? I don't want your money.
I want you to sue me.
[CHUCKLES.]
You need anything? Water? Aspirin? Bucket? You going back out? No, I'm not going back out.
What about John? John can fend for himself.
You still love him, don't you? Yes.
And I always will.
John John saved my life.
What? After I got outed in high school my family threw me out on the street.
I took a bus from Lafayette, Indiana to the West Village.
Did you know anyone? [SIGHS.]
Didn't know no one, nothing.
Until I passed by a theater where John was putting up a sign board, he was the lighting designer.
He offered to let me help out backstage doing costumes building sets.
John made me feel seen.
That's his special gift.
He'd shine a light on the people who need it the most.
And for a young queer country black boy that was everything.
Why didn't it work out between you? Who says it didn't work out? John and I were meant to be friends.
You and I are meant to be forever.
I need you, Lionel.
I need you so much it terrifies me.
You have nothing to be scared of.
You are my man.
And that is an honor I do not take lightly.
I'm happy John saw you.
For both our sake.
I'm happy you were seen.
I see you too, you know? I take it you were able to assuage our uninvited guest.
Mm-hmm.
Sean Donovan continues to show up regardless of invitation.
I wasn't talking about Sean.
- I know you weren't.
- So what's next? I'll continue to expedite my extraction.
To that end.
Hmm.
Things could get dangerous very quickly.
No, things have always been dangerous.
So long as she continues to play her part, no harm will come to her.
What about you? I'm prepared for what's to come either way.
And the boy? He has me convinced.
He'll never leave her.
Good night, Foster.
[DIAL PAD BEEPS.]
[PHONE LINE RINGING.]
[PHONE LINE RINGING.]
[MAN.]
Stockton PD.
Hello.
I'd like to provide a tip about a murder that happened in the alley outside the Batter's Box Tavern in 2012 and a connection to the recent death of a young girl from a heroin overdose.
[MAN.]
Please hold while I connect you to Homicide.
Of course.
[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING.]
[MUSIC FADES OUT.]
Day off? [CHUCKLES.]
I do not understand these words you speak.
You've been working 24/7 on your clinical trials for weeks.
All you can do now is wait for the results.
Just take the day.
- I could unpack some of those boxes.
- No! Not unpack.
Relax.
[DOORBELL RINGS.]
I'll be right back.
Don't move.
[DOORBELL RINGS.]
[SEAN.]
Coming.
And this is when I say, "I hope I'm not disturbing you.
" And when I say, "Not at all.
" Why do you ask? Impressive.
Wow, I love the furniture.
We're going for cardboard chic.
Hmm.
Maybe your pants are in one of those.
Just saying.
[CHUCKLES.]
Please tell me you're not here to drag Lisa to Emigen.
You're here to drag Lisa to Emigen.
I wouldn't have had to if she'd been [CLEARS THROAT.]
answering her phone.
I'm either abjectly discouraged or over-the-moon ecstatic to say what I have to show her really can't wait.
The results came in? As you know, in phase two of the trials, we were hoping that the test subjects in Haplogroup B Stage four patients with historically resistant immune blockers would respond favorably to Emigen modified drug protocols in a statistically meaningful way.
But what the results show Is that Emigen tailored treatments created efficacy bumps in one hundred percent of our non-placebo test subjects in Haplogroup B.
So instead of maximizing drug treatments for the few, Lisa's discovery has the potential to help Everyone with access to it.
With proper positioning, Emigen will single-handedly revolutionize the healthcare industry.
You made a very wise investment, Miss Montgomery.
Congratulations, Lisa.
This is an extraordinary accomplishment.
You too, Avery.
You saw potential here before anyone else.
A discovery this significant deserves to be celebrated and boasted about.
As such I'd like you both to attend my annual détente this evening.
The détente? Holy shit.
What am I missing? Every year, Anne hosts a black tie gathering of elite rivals at the tops of their fields: politics, finance, tech.
All amid the backdrop of an historical battle.
I'm guessing the French Revolution.
Très bien.
It's as legendary as it is exclusive.
[PHONE VIBRATING.]
[ANNE.]
Lisa? Yes, I will be there.
It's an honor.
Here you go, man.
Hey.
Morning, sunshine.
If you're already oversleeping, how's it gonna be when the baby comes? Bro, I'm not oversleeping.
I'm oversexing.
I forgot how much of a hot mess this pregnancy thing is.
Last month, Ang could barely take the sight of me.
Now, my woman is freaky.
I thought your trademark grin was a bit toothier than usual.
Yeah, right back at you, smiley.
Something you wanna share? [SIGHS.]
Let's just say life is good, finally.
Well, couldn't be better timing with our ten-year reunion next weekend.
Are you still hosting the OG group? Actually, now that you live in a palace and our second bedroom is officially a DIY baby room, I was kind of hoping you might offer up your place.
Unless you think Maddie might stir up trouble.
No reason to.
I haven't heard from her since she cashed that check.
Maybe she's finally found a little happiness too.
- [DOOR OPENS.]
- Yo, Chief Dalton in the house.
Sit down, probies.
Lieutenant Hall got called away and asked me to deliver your midterm evaluations.
Beginning with, in her words, "Ain't Shit Sean.
" Ain't Shit Sean, get up here.
- Life was good.
- Yep.
Your performance on the written combined with last week's field scores, has inspired Lieutenant Hall to assign you a brand new nickname.
Please be advised that Ain't Shit Sean shall here to for be known as Hot Shit Sean.
- You're the top of the class, Donovan.
- [SCOFFS.]
[TODD.]
What? Give my man a hand! What? Yeah! That means things just got that much harder for the rest of you.
Ranking's are posted in the hall.
Now off your asses.
There's hoses to haul and ladders to climb.
Hey, Hot Shit Sean.
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
[KNOCKING AT DOOR.]
[CHUCKLES.]
Mr.
Jonathan Dent? In all the years we've known each other, not once have you been early for nothing.
Uh, Blondie reunion, RFK Stadium, 1997.
Oof! I stand corrected.
Did you really admit a mistake? I guess we've both changed.
[LAUGHING.]
- [JOHN.]
Holy shit.
- Oh.
This is a far cry from our Sugar Hill studio on West 147th Street.
Yeah.
What is that John Updike quote? "The true New Yorker secretly believes that people living anywhere else have to be, in some sense, kidding.
" Well the joke's on Updike, apparently.
- [LAUGHING.]
- Yeah.
Santa Maria! This must be Marcos.
Morning.
Welcome to San Francisco.
You are even more adorable than your pictures.
- [LAUGHS.]
- I hate him already.
[CHUCKLES.]
JD, Marcos, Marcos, the notorious Diamond Johnny Dent Nice to finally meet you.
For the record, nobody has called me Diamond Johnny since the club scene days.
Since we're going in on call-outs, you should know that when your man was my man, he came with a nickname too.
"Lionel the Train Turner.
" Because I was always riding the six.
[JOHN.]
The six, the eight, the nine and a half.
Don't go calling out my scandals, JD.
Marco is still just a lamb in the woods.
[JOHN LAUGHS.]
We're definitely working on taming some of those wolves.
Oh, the student's become the master.
What's with the suit, babe? I was hoping you'd come out trolling the city with us.
The judge agreed to squeeze a hearing on my Mendoza ICE case onto his docket this morning.
There's a shot he might get released.
I'm thrilled for you and Mr.
Mendoza.
I know this case means a lot to you.
- Call us when you're done? - Of course.
Okay, then, you go make the world safe for democracy.
While the Train and I head out to push his limits.
- No.
No! - Yes.
- Wanna know what I'm thinking? - Always.
A great surgeon has to have the heart of a lion and the hands of a woman.
I've been impressed with your work lately, Dr.
Harris.
Thank you, Doctor.
- Ian's fine.
- Can I talk to you? - I'm about to do rounds.
- It'll only take a minute.
I'll be right back, Dr.
Harris.
I need you to put me back on surgical rotation.
- Are you not on it? - You know I'm not.
I haven't been on the schedule for over a month now.
Hmm.
Out of sight out of mind, I guess.
Look, Ian.
I know I bruised your ego.
But we're both adults.
I made a choice and it wasn't you.
Simple as that.
Yes.
Can we be reasonable? I am being reasonable.
The reason why you aren't on the schedule isn't personal.
It's professional.
You simply haven't been up to par.
No one in that group works harder than I do.
I'll be sure to add insubordinate next to inadequate in my final evaluation.
Let's go.
Fuck.
[CASSIDY.]
I've gone dark and deep.
I have read all the materials published by or about the witch in both pixels and ink, every last bit of information about Anne Montgomery traces back to the same source: Anne Montgomery.
It's the most ingenious public relations camouflage I've ever seen.
There's so many conflicting narratives about who she is, where she's been, who she's associated with, that none of the stories seem to stick.
And get this, I can't find a single actual human who is willing or able to verify any of her stories before she started her Capital Group in 1998.
What is that thing you always say about science and evidence? "The absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.
" - Carl Sagan.
- Exactly.
One minute Anne Montgomery doesn't exist.
Then all the sudden, she hits Silicon Valley like a comet, this major player having never climbed the ranks.
Essentially, you're saying after a month of exhaustive research, all you've been able to unearth is more questions? Yeah.
The two biggest being: who was Anne Montgomery before she was Anne Montgomery, and where'd all this money come from? I guarantee you those answers are gonna give us what we need to bring her down.
Am I boring you? No.
What's this? Analytics from the clinical trial.
Holy shit.
It works.
Better than works.
It's incontrovertible.
Then figuring out how to sideline Anne is more important than ever.
Anne is the woman that made all this possible.
No, Lisa.
We are the women who made this possible.
Five years ago.
At this table.
I know.
But Emigen was dead in the water without Anne's investment.
She set me up, Lisa, ruined me.
And you promised me we were going to fix this.
Well, it's bigger than us.
Look at that data.
Who are you right now? I want you to stop looking into her.
What number do you think is fair? To stop me from trying to save my job? And now, apparently, your soul? Zero, Lisa, no number.
Christ, you're turning into her.
I'm only thinking of Emigen.
Yes.
And you know what I'm thinking? Go fuck yourself.
Cassidy? Cass? [FENCING SWORDS CLANKING.]
[GRUNTS.]
[GRUNTING.]
[LAUGHS.]
[GRUNTS.]
[PANTING.]
[CHUCKLES.]
I thought you had me there.
[GROANS.]
[CHUCKLES.]
[GAGE LAUGHS.]
[GAGE SIGHS.]
Who says chivalry is dead? You did, I believe, followed by something like, "It's about time.
" Well, I guess every dog eventually has his day in the sun.
It's the evening that concerns this particular dog.
Believe you said the wager was an invite to your détente.
I honor all my bets.
Foster? [CHUCKLES.]
[EXHALES.]
[GAGE CHUCKLES.]
Oh, after a decade of snubbing I'm quite curious to see what all the fuss is about.
Well, let's hope my little soirée lives up to your expectations.
You always exceed expectations.
I might catch you later, Lurch.
[WHISTLES.]
You let him win.
What's it they say? "Lose the battle win the war.
" They also say, "The most powerful warriors are patience and time.
" I think you mean timing.
Restraint is a virtue I no longer wish to embrace.
Don't worry, Doctor, we're going to report this.
There she is.
What? You think I did that? - Hey.
- Hey.
What do you know about Anne Montgomery? Anne's whip-smart, fearless, has uncanny instincts about people's intrinsic value.
- Obviously - I know what she's like, I'm asking if anyone really knows who she is.
Verifiable data about where she came from, how she got her start.
Why does it matter? Because if Emigen was funded by, I don't know, mob money or the Taliban, I'd like to know.
Most of what I've heard about Anne's origins is far more vague and far less sinister.
Mostly cyber folklore.
Apparently, most of the online rumors were spread by her very own bots.
Not this one.
Years ago, Gage had drinks with the retiring director at the Bank of London.
She clerked under him for a summer, and he offered her a full-time position.
But she didn't take the job? Apparently, a private multinational investor got hold of her first.
Who? That's as far as the story goes.
You seem to be focusing your energy on something that's, frankly, irrelevant.
Thank you for the advice, Avery.
I will focus my energy where I see fit.
Where you see fit? Or where Cassidy sees fit? Lisa, why are you in touch with someone who blatantly stole from you? Because she didn't steal for me.
Lisa, she admitted it right to my face, even paid the money back.
I paid the money back.
- Why? - Anne wanted Cassidy gone from day one.
I think I know why.
She correctly predicted that Cassidy would always be loyal to me, not her.
Which is also why she readily agreed to let me hire you.
When push comes to shove, she's banking that you'll ally yourself with her above me.
If my loyalty lay with Anne I could have easily told her I saw that call come from Cassidy this morning.
I told you instead.
Danny? Danny, hold up a second.
What do you want, Ruiz? I just heard you asked the judge to push the Hector Mendoza hearing.
Government's dropped a caseload the size of an aircraft carrier on my plate.
This is Hector's third stay.
Did you not see his wife and children in that courtroom, terrified their sole breadwinner's going to be deported? Maybe them too? It's only nine days.
Don't worry, your client's gonna get a fair hearing.
Nine more days in jail and Hector's family is gonna be evicted from their apartment.
Maybe they'll find affordable housing in Mexico.
You're a heartless prick, Danny.
Better heartless than feckless.
Grow up, little Marcos.
[PHONE CHIMES.]
[PHONE CHIMES.]
- [DOORBELL RINGS.]
- [KNOCKING AT DOOR.]
- [CASTRO BARKS.]
- Ooh! Sorry about that.
He's very friendly.
It's okay.
- Sean Donovan? - Yes.
I'm Detective Chan, SFPD.
May I come in? Uh sure.
Sorry about the mess.
We're still moving in.
Go on, Castro! How well did you know a woman named Madeline Carter? Maddie? Um I was her high school boyfriend.
We dated for a few years after that.
Wait, you said how well did I know her.
I'm sorry to inform you, Madeline passed away last month.
What? - How? - Heroin overdose.
Took a few weeks to run her labs and prints, locate next of kin.
Well, Maddie was raised by her grandma in Stockton.
Also deceased.
Finally tracked down a cousin in Flagstaff.
They're making arrangements to collect her remains.
How can I help? We're just tying up loose ends before closing out the case.
According to phone records, you were the last person she reached out to the night she died.
- I was? - You don't remember hearing from her? I was with my wife, I didn't answer the call.
She didn't leave a message? No.
Don't beat yourself up.
Most of the time, there's no telling when or how it goes wrong for girls like that.
Twice as hard to fix it.
In case you need to reach out.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
- [DOOR CLOSES.]
- [LISA.]
Sean, you back? Hey.
You're home already.
Please tell me it's not because you failed the written test.
It's not.
You passed? That's amazing.
- How did Anne respond to your news? - A little too well.
She wants me at this insane Legion of Doom dinner where they all plot and plan the future of humanity tonight.
Don't worry, you're off the hook.
No, take me with you.
Really? Okay.
- [MUSIC PLAYING.]
- [MARCOS SNIFFLES.]
[PHONE VIBRATES.]
[PHONE VIBRATES.]
I guess this means the honeymoon is over.
Honeymoon? Thought you and I really had a future ahead of us.
Couple of French bulldogs, handful of gaybies, second house in Palm Desert.
Last time I saw you, I was pretending to be your wife.
So the man I assume you will one day marry can sell the house or something.
- Sorry, I'm - Buzzed.
Obviously.
How long have you been here? Too long.
[CLEARS THROAT.]
Where's your man? With his man.
Former man, whatever.
Last thing I heard, they were on their way to a nude beach.
Fun.
Maybe for guys like you.
[SCOFFS.]
What does that mean? It means not everyone sees the world as one big self-indulgent sex party.
Some of us are trying to actually do something meaningful with our lives.
I'm sorry I'm such a dick.
You're not a dick.
You're drunk.
Come on.
- Let me call you a ride.
- No.
The last thing Lionel needs to see is what a fucked up mess he's saddled himself with.
Especially after a fun naked day with his ex.
Obviously.
They're a way better match.
[PHONE VIBRATING.]
Hey.
It's Kevin.
[WOMAN.]
Angela, please, come in.
Uh, I guess this has something to do with the graffiti incident that happened in the locker room.
Whatever anybody told you, I had nothing to do with it.
And I want very much to believe that.
But in addition to the complaints from your fellow residents, the chief of surgery leveled some pretty serious allegations against you.
What kind of allegations? For starters, that you've been aggressively pursuing a romantic relationship with him in spite of his rebukes.
Aggressively pursuing? We had a consensual affair.
I broke it off about a month ago.
Dr.
Evans also believes you're suffering from prenatal manic depression, and says you're using false claims of the paternity to try to trap him.
Oh, my God.
This is my husband's child I am carrying.
I never claimed otherwise.
He's lying.
Do you have emails? Texts, voice mails to support your story? No, I erased them all when I ended it.
What about witnesses or contemporaneous notes? Without verifiable data, I'm afraid this is going to quickly devolve into a he-said-she-said arbitration.
So what are you suggesting? Dr.
Evans was civil enough to withhold filing an official claim until tomorrow morning.
So if you choose to abdicate your surgical residency today, there would be no official record of the circumstances under which you had to leave.
You'd be free to pursue other opportunities.
Other opportunities? Do you have any idea how much I had to sacrifice to earn this opportunity? Where I come from? How hard I had to work to get here? Look, I made a mistake and I regret it deeply.
But I do not deserve to lose everything because this man's lies outweigh my truth.
I sympathize with you, Angela.
I really do.
But unfortunately, the truth only matters when [SIGHS.]
when it can be proven.
[SIGHS.]
Well I'm gonna prove it.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
Oh.
No, thank you.
Well, if you'll excuse me.
You're a new face.
Handsome too.
Dinara Sokolov.
Oh, wow, you led the team that identified the first hybrid human remains in the Altai Mountains.
Shall I consider you friend or foe? Consider me humbled.
I climbed one mountain, once.
No profound discoveries to speak of, unless you count personal enlightenment.
I do.
[LISA.]
Happy détente.
Dinara Sokolov, Lisa Ruiz-Donovan.
Also a genetic scientist.
Then you must be my rival.
Tonight we're all equals, right? - This is my husband, Sean.
- Hi.
I never caught your name.
Avery Watkins.
He's single.
Yes, very.
I'll find you.
Sean, would you mind getting us drinks? Uh, what if the bartender is my rival? Be the bigger man, let him pour.
Avery, I'm sorry about earlier.
Anne has gotten in my head again.
I believe that your interests in Emigen are genuine.
And I believe that Cassidy may have been railroaded.
I called the personal banker who dealt with the forged check.
Number was disconnected.
No record of it.
Still collecting on the bet, I see.
Ah.
Gage Scott's here.
This is not good.
It's a détente, they're rivals.
Gage and Anne are not rivals.
They're sworn enemies.
Forging an accord now can only mean one thing: Gage doesn't have something Anne wants, he has something she needs.
Excuse me.
There you go, babe.
You used to rail about being left off this list.
Now you're here, pretending like it's no big deal.
I know it has to gnaw at that charred little soul of yours that Anne's about to take a company you passed on, to heights you were too arrogant to imagine.
And as for Anne the only reason she could possibly have wanted you here is to gloat.
[CLICKS TEETH.]
You know what gnaws at my charred soul? It's juvenile hubris.
Hmm.
[SIGHS.]
Already packed up, huh? Oh.
You look upset.
Was it a rough day in the office? It's never easy when things don't turn out the way we hope, right? If it's any consolation, young Dr.
Harris isn't anywhere near the intellectual challenge you were, but guess they all can't be top of the class now, can they? You'll always be my biggest disappointment, Angela.
Guess we both have to live with that.
Ian? Isn't there anything I can do to make you change your mind about that report? You think you have what it takes to change a mind like mine? Right here, right now? Well, maybe not right here, maybe on the rooftop for old-time sake where we can make love in the stairway like we did the first time you pulled me in.
You want a second chance at making attending in this hospital? It's gonna take a lot more than a one-off pity fuck.
What will it take, Ian? End your marriage.
Admit that you made a grievous error choosing that pustule of a man over me.
Or is he really worth flushing your entire career down the toilet? Todd is worth that and a whole lot more, you asshole.
Fuck you! What a waste.
[GLASS CLANKING.]
Rivalry the most powerful force in human history.
Twenty-five hundred years ago, the cities of Athens and Sparta fought for supremacy over ancient Greece, and the result was the greatest leap forward in civilization that the world has ever seen.
A few of you remember that great conflict was the backdrop for my first détente ten years ago.
And though the guest list continues to evolve, one truth remains: great progress has always been driven by dedicated adversaries.
None of us would have achieved our allotted positions without our own rivalries.
But once a year, it's important to set aside our battles and enjoy each other's efforts.
Even when those efforts are meant to destroy each other.
[LAUGHTER.]
So raise your glasses to rivalry.
[ALL.]
To rivalry.
- One more shot.
- Last one, then I'm cutting you off.
Speaking of cutting off, Lionel stopped calling.
What did you expect? You weren't picking up.
I stopped picking up because he's with John.
Wait, I'm sorry.
Johnny Diamond.
Should have seen them finishing each other's sentences, sharing all that history.
- You're jealous.
- [SCOFFS.]
It's natural.
I'm not jealous.
But, I mean, who stays friends with their exes? - I do.
- Not me.
Once I break up with a guy [EXHALES.]
it's over.
Oh, you've broken up with a lot of guys? I haven't broken up with anybody.
If I did, I'd cut them out of my life like a tumor.
Wow.
That's really unhealthy.
- You are.
- [LAUGHS.]
Marcos, I have a rule in life that I intend to keep: never argue with drunk lawyers.
That is a solid axiom, Kevin.
The cavalry has arrived.
Marcos, what happened to you today? Oh, nothing.
Just ruined the lives of another innocent family.
It's a specialty of mine.
Fuck.
You lost the Mendoza case.
They didn't even get a hearing, which I'd have told you if you hadn't been sunburning your ass off with your perfectly matched ex-boyfriend.
You must be Johnny Diamond.
You must be Kevin.
I have heard specifically good things.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet all of you.
Okay, I'm going to get him home.
[JOHN.]
Good call.
I think I'm gonna stay, hang out with this beautiful man here.
Also a good call.
Text me in the morning, let me know everything's okay.
You got it.
And thanks for picking up my boy's phone.
I owe you one.
Ain't love grand? [LAUGHS.]
[GLASS CLANKS.]
As we await the final course, I would like to shine a light on a very special person at the table.
My most promising discovery, of this, or frankly any other year, and a woman who will surely occupy her rightful place at this gathering for many years to come, Ms.
Lisa Ruiz-Donovan, CEO and founder of Emigen Molecular Sequencing.
Please stand up, Lisa.
[APPLAUSE.]
Uh No.
Thank you, Anne Miss Montgomery.
That was very kind and unexpected.
Indulge our guests with an introduction to your important work, if you would.
[LISA CLEARS THROAT.]
My dad wasn't a scientist, but he loved solving puzzles.
And his favorite were the word jumbles that came out in the local paper.
And when my dad got stuck, he would enlist my help.
It really taught me the joys of figuring things out.
It was my joy [FADING OUT.]
with our ability [MUFFLED INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
individual immune cell blockers, we have the opportunity to customize medications for every unique immune system.
Thank you, Lisa.
Please, everyone, feel free to stretch and mingle before the final course.
Stay here.
Hello, Liam.
Didn't say, "What a pleasant surprise.
" I know when my presence is not appreciated.
Nonsense.
I'd understood you had plans to remain in South Africa for the season.
Plans change, not that I need tell you.
Had I known you'd be in town, I would have scheduled this ridiculous event for another night.
Tell me, what exactly is your play with this biotech venture? You said it was a lark.
Now you're splashing your little protégé across the marquee like the opening of a Broadway musical.
Pet project, nothing more.
Just as you're my pet project.
Or could it be you've forgotten who forged you? Have I not fulfilled my end of the bargain? You have more money and power than everyone at that table.
And you believe you've given me that? What I've given you is anonymity.
There's no price on that.
Living among the shadows is not as romantic as it sounds.
I wouldn't know.
Don't pretend you don't relish this masquerade of yours.
I remember when you came to me, a live-wire of ambition and fury.
It was me who taught you to harness that energy, gave you the tools, the money, and the connections to become what you've become.
And I am forever grateful.
Are you? Do you doubt that? If I did, this conversation would not be nearly as pleasant.
Rest assured, if ever I do discover you've been crafting an exit plan, I'll make sure you arrive at your destination of choice in pieces.
Au revoir, mon chaton.
- [DOOR CLOSES.]
- [SIGHS.]
[INHALES.]
[EXHALES.]
[GRUNTS.]
Pardon me.
I'm so sorry.
No, it was my fault.
I was looking for Anne.
Uh, she's up in her study.
Always working, am I right? Always.
I'm Lisa Donovan.
You one of the rivals tonight? No, I'm not part of the jet set.
I'm her Uncle Dave from back east.
She's been helping me out with a bill since I got laid off last winter.
Anne can be so generous.
She tells me I'm her favorite.
Maybe she only says that to me.
You know, she never mentioned family.
I always thought Anne was an anomaly.
She's definitely that.
Dave? Would it be all right with you if I reached out? I'm collecting stories about Anne for when she's honored at the Women of Influence Awards next month.
It would be great to have family prospective.
Another award, eh? She really is a gem, isn't she? And let's keep this just between us.
It's meant to be a surprise.
Sure.
[PHONE VIBRATING.]
[KNOCK AT DOOR, DOOR OPENS.]
I met your Uncle Dave.
Nice man.
Old friend of my father's.
Long before he died.
Not blood.
It's easier to write the man checks than watch him flail.
What are you doing in here? That's the question I've come to ask you.
What am I doing at this party? Exactly what I told you.
We're boasting about your success.
To what end? Emigen had a nice win, but actually getting us to market is anything but guaranteed.
Why don't you give me your theory since you clearly seem to have one.
My theory is you need additional capital to shore up your interests, and that this party is just your way of fishing for fresh cash.
Maybe Uncle Dave is an old family friend.
Maybe he's a reclusive investor.
Maybe that's why Gage Scott is here too.
Maybe I'm simply relishing that Gage Scott passed on you.
Seems petty.
Not your style.
Pettiness is a guilty pleasure of mine.
No.
What I'm picking up is fear.
Something has you off your game.
[CHUCKLES.]
Careful where you tread, Lisa.
There's only one reason why I've chosen to make such a public show of faith in you and your company.
Because I trust you.
Isn't that clear by now? [DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES.]
[CAMERA CLICKING.]
I need to speak with you.
Haven't we said everything that needs to be said? Maddie Carter's dead.
Oh.
And? Are you accusing me of something? No, but, uh Maddie was an addict.
She died of a drug overdose.
Then what do you want from me? I wanna know what "at any cost" means to you.
How many more people need to be hurt before you get what you want? You tell me, Sean.
I won't leave Lisa.
Not ever, and I won't break the contract, either.
Then like I said, we have nothing more to discuss.
But what about pragmatism? Well, this oughta be good.
You said it yourself, told all these people Lisa's your most important discovery of the year.
All the work she's done to convince you she's worth your investment, she did while married to me.
Under the worst stress imaginable.
You made it clear you have the power to toss me to the wolves, but why do that when things are going as well as they are for you? Me and Lisa's life isn't a detriment to her or to Emigen.
Anne, it's the opposite.
If success is truly your only endgame here, then why not let me help you achieve that? You've given me a lot to think about, Sean.
You make a compelling case.
I'll consider it.
Thank you.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER.]
All in all a very entertaining evening, that insipid Emigen pitch aside.
Oh.
[SIGHS.]
I know why you want me here tonight, Anne.
I lost a bet? You can take me at fencing with both hands tied behind your back.
You used our rivalry as foreplay.
Foreplay to what? Well, business, of course.
Hmm.
Why don't you just speak your terms? How much? Behind this little game of yours, hm? I don't want your money.
I want you to sue me.
[CHUCKLES.]
You need anything? Water? Aspirin? Bucket? You going back out? No, I'm not going back out.
What about John? John can fend for himself.
You still love him, don't you? Yes.
And I always will.
John John saved my life.
What? After I got outed in high school my family threw me out on the street.
I took a bus from Lafayette, Indiana to the West Village.
Did you know anyone? [SIGHS.]
Didn't know no one, nothing.
Until I passed by a theater where John was putting up a sign board, he was the lighting designer.
He offered to let me help out backstage doing costumes building sets.
John made me feel seen.
That's his special gift.
He'd shine a light on the people who need it the most.
And for a young queer country black boy that was everything.
Why didn't it work out between you? Who says it didn't work out? John and I were meant to be friends.
You and I are meant to be forever.
I need you, Lionel.
I need you so much it terrifies me.
You have nothing to be scared of.
You are my man.
And that is an honor I do not take lightly.
I'm happy John saw you.
For both our sake.
I'm happy you were seen.
I see you too, you know? I take it you were able to assuage our uninvited guest.
Mm-hmm.
Sean Donovan continues to show up regardless of invitation.
I wasn't talking about Sean.
- I know you weren't.
- So what's next? I'll continue to expedite my extraction.
To that end.
Hmm.
Things could get dangerous very quickly.
No, things have always been dangerous.
So long as she continues to play her part, no harm will come to her.
What about you? I'm prepared for what's to come either way.
And the boy? He has me convinced.
He'll never leave her.
Good night, Foster.
[DIAL PAD BEEPS.]
[PHONE LINE RINGING.]
[PHONE LINE RINGING.]
[MAN.]
Stockton PD.
Hello.
I'd like to provide a tip about a murder that happened in the alley outside the Batter's Box Tavern in 2012 and a connection to the recent death of a young girl from a heroin overdose.
[MAN.]
Please hold while I connect you to Homicide.
Of course.
[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING.]
[MUSIC FADES OUT.]