Interior Chinatown (2024) s01e06 Episode Script

1
[typewriter keys clacking]
The important thing is
you diffused the bomb.
[Miles Turner] Except I didn't.
I didn't cut a wire.
Countdown stopped on its own.
What should we get?
I don't know, man.
It's a Chinese restaurant.
- You're the mean waiter, right?
- We read about you in the paper.
I think Jade Property
needs Chinatown expert.
I'm gonna give you a chance.
- [gasps]
- But don't make me regret it.
You won't.
How's it going with that detective?
- Good.
- New case, new day.
How do I get the prints?
[Lana Lee]
I'm sure you'll figure it out.
the Painted Faces.
[McDonough] Okay, I just wanna talk.
[older brother]
You're gonna let me disappear,
and if you don't, I'm gonna kill you.
We need to get into your uncle's office.
[Willis Wu]
Found bullets. Brother's pager.
[Willis grunts]
Oh, shit!
[Uncle Wong] Get in.
Willis.
We need to talk.
[dramatic music playing]
Sit down.
- [Willis] Where are we going?
- [Uncle Wong] Calm now?
I'm not talking unless you stay calm.
Okay.
I kinda have to pee.
[scoffs]
I-I-I have a small bladder. You know that.
Also, uh, you have a gun.
You couldn't leave it alone.
Leave what alone?
You have no idea
what you're getting yourself into.
You're making all the wrong choices,
just like your brother.
[cell phone ringing]
It'll be weird if I don't pick up.
[ringing continues]
- Hello?
- [Lana] [on phone] Willis.
Willis, where are you?
[Willis] Hey. I'm
so glad you called.
Earlier, you said it's him.
Who's him? Uncle Wong?
Funny you should say that.
[Lana] Why's it
You're with him right now?
[Willis] For sure. Mm-hmm.
[sighs] Is he armed?
Definitely. Definitely.
[Lana] Is he taking you somewhere?
[ship horn blaring]
What's that noise?
That sounds like
Willis, are you near the docks?
Um
Hey, I'm sorry, but, uh I should go.
Okay, just try to get
somewhere safe, okay?
[Willis] Mm-hmm.
That sounds nice.
[exhales] I'm gonna find you, I promise.
[dramatic music playing]
[typewriter keys clacking]
[typewriter bell dings]
[intense dramatic music plays]
[Chief] These Painted Faces
are making us look incompetent
and the brass wants to start
seeing some arrests.
You hear me?
I'm talking to you too, Green.
You know, I can't believe I'm saying this,
but you've been off lately.
You and your buddy Turner
need to step up your game.
Okay. We will.
- Got it?
- Yes, sir.
Alright, we've got a possible homicide
with the string quartet
at the Wildwood Theater.
Green, Turner, you're up.
Why were you snooping in my office?
[Uncle Wong sighs]
Okay, well, this can go
in one of two ways.
Either you come back
to Golden Palace, your old job, Fatty
Be closer to your parents,
they're getting older
and just forget about
your little investigation
and pretend none of this ever happened.
Or?
Or we go the other way.
[dramatic music playing]
There's no going back from the other way.
Yes. No, you're right.
I was snooping.
And I found this.
My brother's pager.
I know you talked to him
the day he disappeared.
He wanted out.
Of what?
What'd he know?
[Uncle Wong sighs]
Well
I don't know what happened to him,
but I'll show you what I do know.
The tunnels you found,
under Golden Palace,
they lead here.
Quiet.
[door slams]
Don't move.
Change into these.
[suspenseful music playing]
[labored breathing]
[music continues]
[Willis] Containers?
For what?
Trafficking?
People being smuggled in?
Or out?
[Uncle Wong] It's okay, it's okay.
[gate opens]
Who are these people?
- What is this?
- [gate closes]
[intense dramatic music plays]
[camera shutter clicking]
[Miles] Didn't we just do
a symphony murder?
This is a string quartet.
- It's totally different.
- [Miles] Hmm.
[Sarah Green]
You have to at least try, Miles.
Do I? Because I'm not sure
what difference it makes.
Exhibit A, the bomb.
Look, I know what you think you saw
Not what I think, what I know.
- I can't just act like everything's okay.
- [camera shutter clicking]
As if the world isn't upside down.
Green, what am I supposed to do?
Pretend like none of this ever happened?
Why don't you pretend
like you care about your job? Huh?
Even if you don't, even if you think
all of this is meaningless,
people do it all the time.
You keep talking about the bomb,
Chief's gonna order a psych evaluation.
Is that what you want? Hmm?
You wanna go visit the house shrink
in the creepy basement?
No.
Then act like a professional.
Act like a detective?
Huh.
Play the role.
Bag the body.
Full tox report.
Enhance.
Good.
Now, apparent cause of death,
chandelier to the head.
Not a bright idea.
Uh [sighs]
I don't understand.
Who were those people in the container?
Uncle?
[echoing] Uncle?
They call me when they show up here.
I left my number
on the payphone back there
so they have someone to call.
I don't know who they are but
I know they're scared.
I bring 'em food, clothing, some money.
It's not much, just whatever I can afford
and help 'em get back on their feet.
[sighs] It's a lot, I know.
But it's always been this way, for years.
Your brother thought
this might be a way out.
Guess he was wrong.
What does that mean?
- Uncle, if you know something
- [siren wailing]
[dramatic music playing]
[tires screech]
Freeze.
[upbeat synth music playing]
♪
pretty anyway, baby ♪
[customers cheering]
Give me your number,
I'll call you up ♪
You act like your on interrupt ♪
I don't have no trouble with you ♪
But I have a little problem
with you not ♪
Baby, you know
I'ma take care of you ♪
'Cause you say you got my baby
and I know it ain't true ♪
Is it a good thing? No, it's bad ♪
[cheering]
So I walk on over with my Cristal ♪
Put away your pistols ♪
Dirty won't be havin' it in this house ♪
- Ohh!
- 'Cause I'll cripple your style ♪
Now that you heard my charmin' voice ♪
You couldn't get another
the coochie won't ♪
You all look like shit.
[customers cheering]
Hey, Dirty ♪
Baby, I've got your money ♪
Don't you worry ♪
I said hey ♪
Baby, I've got your money ♪
Ohh! ♪
Thanks for coming. Are you good?
So good.
Why is this so good?
Ancient secrets.
Fatty's special sauce.
Only 20 bucks a bottle.
Ohh! ♪
[indistinct radio chatter]
[siren wailing in distance]
So he wasn't kidnapping you?
No, uh, not really.
Okay, well, then
what was he doing out here?
I think he was
he was helping people.
He's helping people?
How?
I'm, I'm not sure.
But we had him all wrong.
Well, then
Then what was your brother so afraid of?
Why, why was he trying to escape?
And how does any of it
connect to these docks?
[Willis] I don't know,
we didn't get that far.
He was just about to explain it
and then the entire squad showed up.
[ship horn blaring]
How did you find us?
Well, I kind of broke the rules.
[dispatch] [on radio]
Possible 140 at the Wildwood Theater.
That's a 140
[Lana] I mean, these cases
basically solve themselves.
[screeching]
The viola player did it.
They were having an affair.
Her prints won't be on the bolt cutters,
but the vic's prints will be on
the ugly necklace that she's wearing.
And the black dress
that she has on, also ugly,
has a grease stain on the right sleeve
by the cuff from the chandelier chain.
[Sarah] What are you doing?
Can she do that?
Can you do Can she do that?
[violin music playing]
- She's right.
- Yeah.
[voice breaking]
He said he would leave his family.
We were looking at couches together.
Now this is interesting.
[Lana] What a shame.
Anyway, let's go.
Next case. What you guys waiting for?
Let's go. Move, move, move, move, move.
- Wait. Wait.
- [handcuffs clicking]
You did all that for me?
Yeah, I thought that you
were in trouble, Willis.
You were calling me like you were
[sighs]
Now your uncle's in trouble.
We need to bail him out
before they get him to confess anything.
Confess to what?
He didn't actually do anything.
They always get their guy.
[sighs] Can you do anything?
Well, I'll try.
We're one step ahead now
but they're gonna catch up.
I need to stick with them.
[Sarah] Stick with who?
Sorry, am I interrupting?
No.
Unbelievable work back there, Lee.
- [Lana] Oh.
- Literally unbelievable.
How did you know all that?
We're taking Wong to the precinct.
- Now?
- [Sarah] He's suspected of kidnapping.
Who knows what else he's been up to?
Let's roll.
I'm sorry, Uncle,
but I'm gonna fix this, okay?
I'm gonna bail you out.
We can use the money in your office.
No.
But you can't help anyone
if you are in prison.
Come on.
No one can know about this.
- [Willis] Why?
- Not your parents, not Fatty.
- No one. You understand?
- [Willis] Fine.
Just don't answer any questions.
I've kept quiet this long.
Okay.
You stall and I'll handle Fatty.
[pensive music playing]
[engine revving]
[upbeat Chinese pop song playing]
[indistinct conversations]
- [Fatty Choi] Hey, Auntie.
- Hi.
Uh, I respect the hustle,
but, uh, can I ask what you're doing?
Your business is booming.
Maybe some of your customer
could come to my open house.
You're renting out Old Fong's room?
Yes.
Is that even allowed?
We don't need to tell Uncle about this.
Not yet.
I put my own money into the renovation.
He'll be so impressed.
I have to go. Okay?
Thank you. Fatty good boy.
Have a look. Thank you.
Thank you.
Enjoy your food. Okay?
Open house.
Come have a look. [chuckles]
Enjoy your food.
Welcome to Golden Palace.
What do you want?
[sighs]
[pop song playing over speakers]
[Fatty] Carl.
This is your time.
[laughs]
- You're the boss.
- I am the boss.
[intense dramatic music plays]
[Turner repeats in Mandarin]
What is that supposed to mean?
[Miles] We need a translator in here.
We know Golden Palace
is a front for something.
- What kinda business are you running?
- [slams chair]
Mean waiter is not up here.
Where is he?
He's in here.
You have to feel mean waiter
in your heart.
Now, do it again.
[clears throat, exhales]
That order is terrible.
It shows a complete lack of taste
and reflects badly on you as a person
and the people who raised you.
Better.
Look at you,
an overgrown eighth-grader
who used to numb himself
with weed and alcohol
to distract from the loneliness
of losing your best friend.
[scoffs] You want
what everyone else wants,
warmth, connection,
to be told you're special.
But real vulnerability, it scares you
so you hide behind a mask of sarcasm.
But you're funny. Ho, ho, ha, ha.
Hilarious bitch.
But at the end of the night,
when you're all alone,
do you ever wonder why
they're laughing so hard?
Hmm? Do you ever feel like a monkey
dancing for spare change?
Was that good?
Was I specific enough?
Yeah, that, that was fine.
Yeah.
Go, go, go on out there.
[sighs]
Thanks, coach. Won't let you down.
You got anything to say for yourself?
[speaking Mandarin]
The law doesn't care about me.
Aw, sure it does.
We care a lot.
That's why we brought you
into this nice room.
What were you doing
out there on the docks?
Uh
[speaking Mandarin]
I don't know what you're talking about.
[speaking Mandarin]
He asked for a lawyer.
Turner.
Alright, look, it's all in the pitch.
An historic building. New fixtures.
Oh, and look at this finish.
These cabinets, fabulous.
Keep your focus on the interior
so they're not thinking
about the neighborhood.
A great agent can sell anything, Lily.
You just have to find the way in.
Okay.
[dramatic music playing]
- [knock on door]
- [Fatty] Uncle?
- Shit.
- [Fatty] Uncle, you in there?
Uncle, you in there?
I know how this looks.
It looks like you're robbing Uncle Wong.
- He told me to do it.
- He told you to rob him?
He's in trouble. And that's all I can say.
Fatty, Fatty. You're my best friend.
Can you trust me?
[Fatty] Trust you?
[scoffs] Yeah, I did. Remember?
You said, "Cover for me."
And I said, "Sure.
"That's my best friend,
I would do anything for him.
"Just like he would do anything for me.
Because we care about each other."
Then you come back some other guy.
I'm still the same guy.
You don't even know what's going on
with your family anymore.
That's ridiculous.
- [Fatty] Is it?
- Yeah.
Okay, one question.
You get it right,
I'll let you rob Uncle Wong.
Where's your mom today?
- My mom?
- [Fatty] Yeah.
- [stammering]
- Wrong answer.
- Carl.
- [Carl] What?
Man. Willis.
Carl, Carl, Carl
Hey, d Hey.
Okay, this is unnecessary.
- [Carl] Watch your head.
- [Willis] Yep.
[door slams]
- We have a problem.
- [Miles] Yeah.
Yeah, I know, this is a dead end.
He's not confessing to anything.
[Sarah] No, the opposite. We have a match.
You remember that nail salon worker,
turned up dead a few weeks back?
Yeah.
Our suspect's prints showed up
on a key piece of evidence.
[Miles] A teacup?
- I don't remember that.
- [Sarah] Neither did I.
Because it's not official evidence.
Apparently, Lee snagged it
from the restaurant,
ran it for prints off the books.
No matches in the system.
- Until now.
- But we closed that case.
I know, exactly.
When we close a case, that should be it,
we move on, new case.
No.
Don't you see?
Evidence resurfacing, cases reopening.
This has never happened before, right?
- This is something different.
- [glitching]
There's gotta be more. Okay?
Let's, let's search the van.
And where the hell did he get that?
[Miles scoffs]
This dude is full of surprises.
[Miles chuckles]
- [knock on window]
- Hey.
- Excuse me.
- Stop Microphone.
[Sarah] Do not blow smoke rings in there.
[Miles] Stop it.
It's actually kinda beautiful.
Let's check out the other closed cases.
[Lily] Historical buildings
and, uh, new features.
[gentle music playing]
[exclaims] Hello, hello. [chuckling]
Welcome.
Ni hao. Speak Mandarin or Cantonese?
Oh, uh we are Japanese.
Ohh.
[both chuckling]
Oh, have a look.
- [siren wails]
- Uh
And, uh, countertops.
Oh, look at the cabinet.
[gasps]
Isn't it beautiful?
[buyer] Thank you.
Okay.
Okay. [chuckling]
Bye.
Sayonala.
[exhales sharply]
[Miles] DNA came back from the van.
Multiple cases, all point to this guy.
But it doesn't add up.
We closed that case.
Yeah.
That one too.
[Miles] Hmm.
This is a mystery.
And I'm into it.
You starting to believe?
Hmm?
[Sarah] I don't know.
[Miles] Something really strange
is going on in Chinatown.
What the hell is that?
- What's this?
- It's an exclamation point.
For what?
This represents the mystery,
this represents
the excitement about the case.
- [muffled rock music blaring]
- [rattling]
[people yelling in distance]
If you change your mind,
you know where I am.
Buh-bye.
[sighs]
[indistinct conversation in Korean on TV]
[speaking Korean]
[Tech Guy] Hey, tech guy.
You're the guy who got me
kicked out of the precinct, right?
Look, I'm sorry
but I really need this job.
I know kung fu, okay?
You wanna go, bro? I'll fight you for it.
I don't want your job, bro.
I'm living the dream.
That's where you work now?
Any chance you can fix a broken pager?
Then, I met Dania
and she explained to me
this thing called a work-life balance.
- Insane concept.
- Can we kinda hurry it up?
I have to get back to work.
That's what I'm talking about.
If it weren't for you,
I'd still be at the precinct.
I mean, enhance, enhance, enhance.
How is that a job?
They don't even know
you replaced me, do they?
No, they do. They know me.
- Absolutely.
- [Tech Guy] Whoa.
See that wire? That's a bug.
Voice-activated, standard police issue.
Did you say police issue?
Whoever this belonged to
was under surveillance by the cops.
[Willis] They were bugging my brother?
[pager chirps, buzzes]
[Tech Guy] Oh. That's weird.
There's one number on here
from a different area code, 9-2-2.
9-2-2?
[Tech Guy] A bunch of weird messages
from that number.
Weird how?
This pager is ancient.
It-it-it can only receive numbers,
so you have to use codes.
- Okay.
- But look.
One, one, one, zero,
two, three, zero, zero.
That's, that's not a code for anything.
[Willis] One, one, one, zero.
That's not a phone number either.
Look, it could be a date, November 10th,
2300, that's 11:00 p.m.
That's the week of
[Tech Guy] The week of what?
Never mind.
I wonder who he was meeting.
Ask them yourself.
You should be able to use
the computer in the tech room.
Cross-reference that number.
And find out who the number belongs to.
You're a genius!
Oh!
That was fun.
It's like old times.
Hmm. Cool, cool, cool.
Hey, um, thanks for fixing this, man.
I gotta go.
Okay.
[speaking Korean on TV]
Oh, hi. [chuckles]
- Hey.
- Hi.
Sorry, coming!
Okay.
- Have a look!
- Thank you.
But not out the window.
It's a little small,
a shared bathroom down the hall.
It's like a dorm.
The neighborhood is, hmm
Gritty.
[Lily] And very loud.
[muffled hip-hop music blaring]
So gritty.
[sighs]
I love it.
So grody?
And it's upstairs from Golden Palace?
- Yes.
- We adore that place.
Up and coming.
Very affordable.
You didn't get the bail money?
No.
I got something even better.
This is what you've
been doing all this time?
A pager?
How does that help your uncle?
I ran into former Tech Guy,
but the point is I know
where that recording came from.
The cops were bugging my brother
with the pager they gave him.
Here's the proof.
That's your brother's pager?
Yeah.
Uh
Why would they bug him?
I haven't been
completely honest with you.
- You know the footage I was working on?
- Yeah?
After you left,
I went back in the tech room
and I found all this footage
that made him look not good.
Well, n Not good
Like he was a different guy.
A version of my brother
I didn't know about.
It messed me up.
I freaked out and I didn't know
how you'd react, so
I deleted it.
Anyway, I don't know
what else is on this pager
but Kamran said there could be clues,
codes in the messages.
We can find out
who he's been meeting with and see
We've been over that.
He was meeting with your uncle.
No. Listen.
There's this weird phone number.
Focus, Willis.
How does this help us right now?
We have to get your uncle out of here.
Exactly. This will help clear Uncle
plus trace my brother's last steps.
Someone tell the chief
we're ready to bring charges.
We need a new translator.
Suspect made the old one cry.
Get to the interrogation room.
Find a way to hold them off.
Okay, I think I got it.
I'll meet you there,
I have to make a call.
Okay.
And, Willis
no more secrets.
No more secrets.
[sighs]
[sighs]
How many business are you running here?
[Fatty] Just the sauce,
but I'm expanding my brand.
[Lily] I may have a place for you.
Are you serious?
That would be amazing.
Any luck today, Auntie?
Well, actually, yes.
One couple, but not from here.
That's okay.
[bottles clink]
[Willis] Delivery Guy, Tech Guy,
and now, my latest role.
My uncle's afraid to speak up
so I'll be his voice.
I need to learn what he knows
and get some answers for my family.
I'm here. I'm here.
See, translator.
[Lana] It's about time.
[glitching]
[intense dramatic music plays]
[door closes]
[Willis sighs]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[older brother] set up
and it's like no one will trust me.
No one will listen to me, believe me,
or hear me out.
Look at you, man.
You don't even wanna hear me out.
You know what this is?
You seen this before?
No, you haven't.
It's a mask that apparently a gang wears
that I'm the leader of!
It's like I'm being set up
from the very beginning.
It's like all of this has been planned.
Come on. You and me are the only two
people that know something's not right.
I've seen what you do down at the docks.
Don't look at me like that,
I know what you do.
What happens if I report that, huh?
Maybe my colleagues would be
real interested in your operation.
Get out!
[dramatic music playing]
[inaudible dialogue]
[in English] You know, I was born here.
[glitching]
In this city.
I've been here my whole life.
And it doesn't matter.
You've seen what happens out there.
It doesn't matter
if you've been here forever
or you just got off a boat.
At first, I didn't even know
how to talk about it.
I still don't understand
what those containers are
but I've come to accept it,
that your brother was right,
there is something wrong with this place.
Someone in control.
I was thinking it was safer to keep quiet.
Do my part.
But you can't keep quiet forever.
[woman] Wait!
Wait.
This interview is officially over.
Audrey?
I'm here on behalf
of my client, Eugene Wong,
business owner, pillar of the community.
We have evidence linking him
to some very serious crimes.
Well, this looks familiar.
You got him.
He touched a teacup
at his own restaurant.
I assume the seizure of property was done
with probable cause?
[Sarah] Hold on.
We also found multiple pieces of clothing
covered in the DNA
of recent murder victims inside his van.
You've charged suspects
for all of these cases.
We have reason to believe
he was involved
in the recent spike in murders.
[scoffs] Involved? How?
Says who?
You are public servants.
Your work does not go unchecked.
If I hear a word about you
harassing this man again
about closed cases
without concrete evidence,
I'll be filing a complaint
with the Civil Rights Division.
We're done here.
Come on, let's go.
The teacup?
I can't believe this.
Why did you drag me into this?
- Audrey, I can explain.
- Who are you?
[glitching]
[Sarah] Wh What the hell just happened?
I don't know.
I have no idea what's going on.
- This is exciting.
- [Green sighs]
- Don't you like this feeling?
- No. I hate it.
Wait.
Who called Audrey?
This is your fault.
Ever since you pulled us
into this weird-ass case,
- everything's been fucked up.
- Hey, hey. Don't blame her.
- You've been on her since day one.
- Oh. You're on her side as usual.
Of course.
- That's classic.
- Stop.
This doesn't concern you, Tech Guy.
Okay, she entered the evidence
and if I had known it
was illegally obtained,
I would've never ever
That's not my name.
I didn't come here to be a tech guy.
I came here
because my brother disappeared.
Hey.
And he worked for this department
and it was your job
to find out what happened to him.
Port Harbour PD,
the people we're supposed to trust.
Everyone hates me, even Carl,
and Carl likes everyone.
Audrey, who's had a crush on me
since eighth grade,
even my best friend thinks I'm an asshole.
My parents are having
some kinda midlife crisis,
but they're,
they're both too old for that.
And then I couldn't even help my uncle.
I am ruining all my relationships
to figure this out.
And none of it matters
because after all of this
you don't even know who I am.
I don't even know who I am.
[Lana] I do.
I think I do.
- [Miles] I do too.
- Wu, right?
What?
Yeah, I heard about this.
It's a cold case.
Chinatown informant
working for the IC unit went missing,
details sketchy,
survived by a mother, Lily Wu,
father Joe Wu, and a,
and a younger brother.
Your brother was one of ours.
[uplifting music playing]
This should be a priority.
Let's find out what happened to him
Willis. Willis Wu.
[music continues]
[sighs]
We're really gonna find him.
Sorry about all of this, Willis.
Sorry for what? You did this.
- Thank you!
- No, I need to tell you something.
I know who your brother was meeting.
It was me.
[dramatic music swells]
[music continues]
[music continues]
[fanfare plays]