American Auto (2021) s01e09 Episode Script

Our top story tonight Detroit's elite is out in force at the Roydon Hotel for an evening of glitz, glamour, and good causes.
No, that's not the Oscars you're seeing.
It's guests arriving to the 65th Annual Payne Foundation Fundraising Gala.
For those lucky enough to make it onto the star-studded invitation list, it'll be a night of elegance, class, and high fashion on what has become one of Motor City's most glamorous nights.
Three, two - Ooh, I'm pulling.
- You got to pull it harder.
Oh, you're gonna dislocate my shoulder! - Oh, my God! I'm so sorry.
- Just use it.
Use it.
- That's right.
Whoo! - , I'm sweating.
Oh.
Check that out.
Excuse me, ma'am.
I'm looking for my friend Sadie.
She's about your height and Oh, my God! Uh-huh.
Is it too much? No! Turn around.
- Ooh! - You like it? I just can't believe you dress the way you normally do when you're capable of this.
How do I normally dress? Hey, guys, check it out.
Gangster faces! Ahh! Does he think people enjoy him? Or does he know they don't and that's the point? I don't know.
It's probably an unhealthy mix of both.
Well, it's time to face the music.
Oh, we can go around.
We don't have to Believe me.
I gain no pleasure from this.
Took the glasses off.
The name is Cyrus Knight.
C-Y-R us.
Thank you.
What's up? Thank you.
Ari Harman, two years on the board, loves scuba diving, third wife disappeared under suspicious circumstances in Thailand.
Third wife, Barbados.
- But you were close.
- Damn it.
Don't worry As long as you know all the board members' names, you're gonna be fine.
No, if they want to replace me, fine isn't good enough.
I've got to blow them away.
Well, if it's worth anything, I think you're doing a really good job.
It's worth almost nothing, but thank you.
You're welcome.
Just close your eyes and imagine a chessboard.
They're all pawns, but you're the queen.
You can move any direction you want.
You can move multiple spaces.
You're gonna gobble them up before they even know what hit them.
Okay.
All right, I'm a queen.
- I'm a queen.
- They're pawns.
- Mm-hmm.
- It's helping.
It's good.
Good.
I got your back, Katherine.
- This is what we do.
- Yeah.
Yeah, and everybody's gonna love us.
Yeah, I mean, we are pretty amazing party guests.
- We are.
- Everyone says it.
I'm not bragging.
It's what everyone says.
- Okay.
- All right, who's next? I don't think that's a board member.
Ah, you won! This is a trick question.
This is actually a young James Earl Jones.
Can you believe he was that hot? - Wow.
- Yes.
Hey.
Hey.
Wow.
You look Thanks.
You look, uh, too.
- You remember Michelle? - I do.
She was my co-star in a commercial.
I was the hot mom with the sexy husband.
- I remember.
- Yeah.
- Super hot.
- Thank you.
You were really good in that.
Um, made me want to buy a car.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- We're gonna go to the bar.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
Yeah.
- I got to do a thing.
You're a really beautiful woman.
We get so little time to talk at the board meetings.
I had no idea we had this much in common, Helen.
I know.
It's so funny.
I'm like, "Third wheel alert.
" Maybe you guys should get married.
Okay, I really need to go bid on that dinner with Rachael Ray.
Oh, please, she should be bidding on dinner with you.
Oh, man, I have had better conversations with Siri.
Negative charisma just an empty sandwich bag of a human.
Who's next? Hey-o! Someone get the lube 'cause we got a couple of Payne Gala virgins.
- Oh, God! - So, look, I know you guys know I don't normally think of myself as "a celebrity.
" But this is a Payne family event, and I am a Payne family member.
So, if we don't get a lot of face time, it's not personal.
It's just everyone wants a little slice of Wes.
- You feel me? - I do.
- I feel you, Wes, and thank you.
- Uh, yes.
Yeah, we'll we'll struggle on as best we can without you.
- You're still my boys, though.
- Hmm.
Oh, uh, and there's hotel rooms upstairs in case you meet a lady or a guy, Cyrus.
Hell, maybe, Elliot, you meet a guy, and, Cyrus, you me a lady.
It's just one of those nights where anything can happen.
Magic! Hey! You look incredible! Wow! I mean, based on the way you normally dress, I just assumed you were religious or something.
- Um - Oh, this is Richard.
Sadie.
- Hi.
How do you do? - Sadie, my husband, Richard.
- Hi.
- Nice to meet you.
This is much nicer than she usually dresses.
I'm not sure why we're still talking about my Doesn't matter.
How's it going with the board? Oh, she just dazzled Westfall and Genzlinger.
Well, the one I really need to impress is McGarry.
You know, if you have the support of the chairman, the rest of these idiots don't matter.
Right.
Has anybody seen him, by the way? No, but Novie and Cantley-Kashima are over there.
Oh, great.
We'll knock 'em both out at once.
- Who are they talking to? - Oh, that's that astronaut.
Yeah, I think he runs an aerospace firm.
Oh, It's Charlie Altman.
Halo Aeronautics.
- Oh.
- He just left Halo, actually.
- Really? - Mm-hmm.
- Where do you go from there? - Hmm.
It's an open bar, so anything you want to drink, free.
I know how open bar works, Wesley.
Wesley, do you know why Charlie Altman is here? Seems like he's getting real cozy with the board.
Oh, you know what? I know he went to dinner with some of them a few nights ago.
- London Chop House.
- London Chop House? That's where they took me when they offered me the CEO job.
Oh.
Ruh-roh! Could I have a lot of shots of something? - Mark.
- Katherine.
- So nice to see you.
- Nice to see you as well.
- Hey, do you know Charlie? - Charlie Altman.
Houston, we have an astronaut.
Katherine Hastings.
It's a pleasure.
Charlie was telling me some amazing stories from his old space shuttle years.
Wow.
What an accomplishment that must have been.
I mean, piloting Well, actually, do you fly, or are they more computerized nowadays? Computers do most of the work.
So you're sort of along for the ride, kind of a passenger on a bus.
I'm sure it's just a bit more complicated than that.
Yes, of course.
Otherwise, we would just have sent monkeys up there.
Although I guess at first, we did.
We did some monkeys up there.
That worked out all right.
And how are you finding the new job? Big Pharma to Big Auto Those are some pretty different skill sets.
Yeah, you know, but selling is selling.
And when you have a great product, - it kind of sells itself, so - I'm glad to hear it.
Just don't go getting a bunch of old grannies addicted to cars.
Didn't work out so well for you last time, did it? No.
And I heard you just left Halo.
Hope it wasn't a MeToo situation.
No, no, no.
I'm sure we would have heard something about that.
Yeah, of course, we would have.
Although, with NDAs these days, you know, you don't always hear.
You made that point last week.
I mean, you're talking torque versus power.
Exactly.
EVs, isn't it? You can't quite get both.
Unless you're the Roadster 250.
Zero to 60 in under 2 seconds.
See, that's not even fair.
The McLaren takes three seconds the McLaren.
- I know, it's crazy.
- It's ridiculous.
Is it true red cars go faster? Oh.
My brother told me that as a kid.
I'm just hearing how dumb it sounds.
It's not.
No, that's not dumb.
- Could be true.
- It is possible.
- Yeah, we should look into it.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Yeah.
From bringing clean water to the Congo to rebuilding homes Unbelievable.
This guy is auditioning for my job in front of me.
He's got balls.
I'll give him that.
You have balls.
You have big balls.
I mean, they're lady balls, but they're big.
Michigan Mentors, pairing at-risk Detroit youth with consistent role models.
Thanks to the Payne Foundation and the Michigan Mentors, there's nothing I can't do.
It went it! Oh, my God! It went in! He is adorable.
You know what? Maybe I should become a mentor.
Leave those children alone.
They have enough problems as it is.
And now your master of ceremonies, Tom Bergeron! Thank you.
Thank you very much.
I love how they edited that video to make it seem like it went right in the basket.
Yes, I am Tom Bergeron.
Welcome to the Payne Foundation's 65th Annual Gala.
The Paynes really are an amazing family.
Take Amelia Payne, for example.
Just made "Forbes'" 30 Under 30 list.
I'm sorry, Amelia, the work is good, but I'm gonna need to see a birth certificate.
Then there's Marshall Payne, award-winning novelist.
Marshall writes books about Uh-oh, roasting time.
I can take it.
This must be what a marshmallow feels like.
This must be what a marshmallow feels like.
- I heard you.
- I heard you.
They get roasted.
- I got it.
- Stop it.
Then Landon Payne Pro-golfer, successful at hitting both the ball and the bowl, if you know what I mean, You do smoke weed, though.
You do.
Shh, quiet.
And Hunter Payne.
You know, Hunter won his last election by six points, and he would have won by more, but his check bounced.
Wish I made the same joke, man.
It's not really that good.
- What? - Nothing.
Whew.
Shall we hit the bar? No! No! Let's do a couple more.
Okay.
Couple more.
Guess who I am.
- Flavor Flav! - Flavor Flav! - Yeah, boy! - Yeah, boy! Yeah, boy! Oh.
Hi.
Sorry.
Excuse me.
Aren't you aren't you the chap from the video? Uh-huh.
The foundation invited Andre and me to the dinner.
I'm Sierra.
I run the mentorship program.
Elliot.
Hi.
It's a wonderful-looking program.
I have to say, young Andre here really tore up the silver screen over there A true showman.
I like your accent.
He sounds just like James Bond.
Oh, gosh.
Wow.
That's that's honestly one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me, Andre, you silver-tongued charmer.
I was a real 007 fan when I was a boy, you know? "Shaken, not stirred.
" It's Sprite, but, uh, you know - It's pretty funny, right? - Say something else.
Uh, okay.
What would he say? He'd say, "Moneypenny, get in here and bring Q with you," or something.
It's not a direct quote.
It's pretty good, isn't it? Uh, you know, I actually have got a lot of spare weekends now, you know, since the divorce, Um, and I was thinking I could possibly volunteer to be Andre's big brother.
- Michigan Mentor.
- Right.
Yeah, whatever.
Well, Andre actually already has a mentor, but there are a lot of other boys who could use one.
Right.
Yeah, well Oh, no, well, I'm sure.
I can I can I can well imagine.
Um, so how does it work? Is there sort of a menu that I can sort of pick from? Oh, no.
I'll just take down your information, and we'll assign you someone.
Oh, oh, a-a surprise.
Oh.
I love surprises.
I know, but it's weird he couldn't think of anything bad to say about me.
It's like, I'm not perfect, Tom Bergeron.
Or maybe he didn't think you was important enough to mention You ever thought of that? Ha ha, burn.
One Pinot and one club soda with lime, please.
- Not a big drinker, huh? - Oh, I'm such a lightweight.
I got to stay sharp.
It's an all-hands-on kind of night.
Can I just say I-it's really cool how supportive you are of Katherine.
Not a lot of guys would do that.
She is the CEO of a "Fortune" 500 company.
Mm.
I teach math to fourth graders.
So, if I have to hold her purse sometimes to let her shine, I'm happy to do it.
My ex dumped me 'cause I wouldn't let him promote his essential-oils pyramid scheme on my work listserv.
Oh, you know, it's a two-way street.
I hold her purse at fancy galas, and she comes to my PTA mixers I mean, if she's not off doing business in Mumbai or someplace.
Oh, well, I doubt she'll have to go to Mumbai anytime soon.
What about that new factory, the one in Mumbai that she keeps going to? Oh, Mumbai, India.
Uh, yeah, I-I think we got I mean, I'm not really on the manufacturing side, but Asia I-I - Richard, wait, wait - What have you been doing - when you say you're in India? - W-where? India, that country in Asia you claim you've been traveling to? Richard was just asking about the new plant, and I couldn't remember if you've been going to Mumbai technically or just the Greater Mumbai area.
- Are you cheating on me? - Richard, please! Can we talk about this in private? - Yeah, fine.
- Thank you so much.
Is it someone at work? - Is it that British lawyer guy? - Ew! No! I mean, obviously, not him specifically, but it could be Richard, I am not cheating on you.
Sometimes I just check into a hotel for a couple of nights.
- What? - Alone.
Alone.
I order room service.
I watch movies.
We have every streaming service on the planet - at our house.
- There's something special about channel surfing in a hotel.
You get in in the middle of the movie, who are these people? How did they get here? I don't know.
I'm just here to have a good time.
Wait, so all the times that you said you couldn't make one of my events, it's because you wanted to watch pay-per-view? My job is meeting after meeting and speeches and interviews and dinners, and sometimes I just need a little me time.
"Me time"? I have never missed one of your events because I needed me time.
I mean, that's How selfish can one person be? Here, take your damn purse.
- Richard, please don't leave.
- Why? 'Cause you want me to help you work the board? No! It's a lot of reasons.
Please.
Oh, God.
Come on.
Why so sad, Treebeard? Saruman cut down your forest again? Andre was taken.
Not like Liam Neeson starrer "Taken.
" I mean, he's already got a mentor.
So, instead, they've given me Hector, what's your favorite class in school? I don't know.
PE, I guess.
- I mean - He seems fine.
"Fine"? Yeah, well, that's actually the perfect word for it.
It's fine, he's fine.
Andre was damn adorable.
- You're a terrible person.
- I mean, look at this.
"Hobbies, baseball.
" Oh, wow, Hector.
That's original.
God! Tough night? I may have just destroyed Katherine's marriage on one of the most important nights of her career.
Other than that, I'm great.
How about you? Where's your date? Yeah, boy! Ooh, doing a Flavor Flav thing over there, huh? She is really into him.
Don't even think she noticed I'm not there.
You really found your princess, didn't you? He had to carry a special little ass pillow Uh-oh.
Family talking to coworkers, worlds colliding My worst nightmare.
We're hearing young Wesley stories.
Ah, yes.
I was a bit of a wild child.
Yeah, a bully put a rock up your butt.
No, no, it was it was a pebble, so It was about that big.
It was didn't go all the way in.
I remember our grandmother, she shows up there, and she looks at him and she goes, "You're a disgrace.
You're never gonna have a real job.
" She said that to him.
She had lost her mind at that at that She was old, but she was kind of funny.
- And I proved her wrong, so - Well, not really.
I mean, what are you, an intern? No.
Our interns are actually useful.
- Oh, zing! You got me.
- Owned.
Owned.
That's a good one.
No, seriously, though No, seriously, I'm just asking.
I'm not busting balls.
What do you do here? Okay, guys, come on.
- You know what I do.
- Seriously, what do you do? Well, he stinks up the bathroom a lot.
- Ah, zing again! - Oh, always, always.
It's Burn City around here.
We called him the Climate Changer 'cause it was always 10 degrees warmer after he was done taking a dump.
That was that was one time that it happened.
Oh, yeah.
He sets off fire alarms.
Remember, I specifically said that wasn't me.
All right.
All right.
His 12th birthday - Mm-hmm.
- Panic attack.
Had to call the fire department, locks himself Hey, Landon, maybe instead of weed, Bergeron should have mentioned the heroin.
Why don't you go back to rehab, you junkie? You broke mom's heart.
Zing.
Oh.
The men's room on the other side.
Oh, yes.
No, I know.
I was waiting for you to come out of the ladies' one.
I got your email about Hector.
Um, he seems like a fantastic little chap.
Yes, anyone would be lucky to be his big brother.
- Michigan Mentor.
- Exactly.
Yeah, but the thing is, I have a bit more of a connection, - I feel like, with Andre.
- Right.
But Andre already has a mentor.
Yes.
No, sure, but I was thinking perhaps we should let Andre choose who his mentor was, you know, because if this other chap has got a better connection with Hector, you know, and we could swap.
Uh, yeah, we don't do swaps.
It's better for the children that they bond with just one mentor.
Right, but, you know, what if Andre's mentor turns out to be a molester, you know Have you thought about that? Because I don't think that's gonna be much better for him.
Do you know what I mean? So you're proposing that we put the molester with Hector? Well, Hector Hector is older, isn't he? So he's he's stronger.
He's got a better shot of fighting the guy off.
Do you know what I mean? So Talked to Harman, talked to Novie, talked to Gates.
McGarry's a no-show.
You'd think the chairman of the board would show up to this thing? Maybe he needs a little "me time.
" Richard, can we not do this? My job is on the line.
This is important.
This is important? What about me? Okay.
- Aren't I important? - You are.
- Oh! Richard! - Ow.
Oh, my God.
No, I don't do blood.
Mm-mm.
All right.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
This is gonna need stitches.
- Really? - Yes.
- Oh, no.
- Oh.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Yeah.
Let's get you to the emergency room.
- Really? You sure? - Yes.
Oh, God.
There will be other nights.
I probably need to be surgically removed - from these Spanx.
- Okay.
- Keep pressure on it.
- I will.
I will.
Oh, my God, it's McGarry.
Now he shows up? Aren't we leaving? Sweetheart? Darling, I'm Hospital.
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
- Darling? - Mm-hmm.
- Darling? - Mm-hmm.
Right.
- Darling? - Yes, yes.
Yes.
- Well, where are we going? - The exit.
- The exit's that way.
- Oh, yeah.
No, that one is closer, but Soren? Hi! Soren.
Richard, this is Soren McGarry, the chairman of the board.
- Hi.
- Soren, this is Richard.
Richard, pleased to meet you.
- Oh! - Oh, I cut myself.
- Oh, oh.
Are you - It's nothing.
- It's actually really deep.
- He exaggerates.
Oh, what are you two over here conspiring about? We were just talking about the future of the auto industry.
Charlie here has some pretty interesting ideas.
Oh, really? Yeah, I do, too.
I have I have lots of them I was actually hoping to share some of them with you here tonight.
Katherine, I really think I'm sorry, I should go.
Yeah.
Why don't you just wait right over there? It'll be ten seconds, I promise.
- Right.
- Okay, okay.
- Sure.
- All right.
I'll be out in a minute.
I have been thinking that an electric-model Pika, I mean, even if it's not profitable, well, um, uh well, um, would help cultivate our, uh our our our image, um, you know, as a progressive I had to cut a massive check to get myself out of the whole Hector situation.
I think that was their plan from the start.
Lure the suckers in with the eye candy and then lump them with a dud and make them pay up.
When describing a young boy, maybe try not using the phrase "eye candy.
" - Okay.
- Hey, Wes.
Want to come with us to get some drinks? Oh, uh, I'm sure my family wants me to do something with them.
They'll be fine.
Yeah.
Thanks.
You know your family sucks, by the way.
Hey, what's what's going on? I'm waiting for a room.
Richard says we should take a couple of nights apart.
At least I think that's what he said.
His texting hand has six stitches, so it's mostly gibberish.
I'm I'm so sorry.
I didn't know about the India thing.
Do you think I'm a selfish person? Selfish? No.
Um - I know that I am.
- Hmm.
My first husband used to say, "How can you be married to me when you're already married to yourself?" That's why he's your ex.
Well, name me the successful CEO who isn't a little selfish.
You know, the winner of the rat race isn't the rat who's, you know, spending her time thinking about all the other rats' feelings? They should put that on a poster.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
It felt good.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Tom Bergeron is having a party in his suite.
Want to get weird? Nah, I'm I'm pretty tired.
I think I'm just gonna pass.
- You should go, though.
- You sure? Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, have fun.
I'll call you.
All right.
See ya.
Hey, you coming? - Definitely.
- Yeah, boy! - Yeah, boy! - Yeah, boy! I'm never gonna die! This is Michigan Mentor's website, okay? It's all Andre.
No sign of Hector, of course.
You know why? - I - 'Cause he's an absolute dud.
Hey, I meant to tell you earlier, you you look good tonight.
Do I normally look like a garbage person? No, no.
You always look good, but tonight you look more good.
- Thank you.
- Whoo! Who is thirsty? Me! Hey, you guys should try this.
I've never done this before.
How do you like me now, Bergeron?