The Irrational (2023) s02e15 Episode Script
Conversation Games
1
[WIND WHISTLING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[TENT FLAPPING]
[ZIPPER ZIPPING]
♪
Is it time for the summit push?
[GRUNTING]
[CHOKING]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
We're speaking
with Professor Alec Mercer
at Wylton University about the question
that is on everybody's mind
after this week's stunning events.
Professor,
thanks so much for doing this.
Please tell us, what was it like
going up against
a prolific serial killer?
You know, it's an interesting story.
And in all honesty,
it wasn't even my idea.
Strangely enough,
it started with my sister.
Angelique, right on time.
I brought you this to say I'm sorry.
For stealing my coat
or freezing me out
for working with the FBI?
Both.
I was awful and I regret it.
I don't blame you if you
slam the door in my face.
But the thing is, I need your help.
I've been working for Ben Delano
off and on for the past four years,
and now, I'm a partner
at his new company.
Oh, nice. Ben Delano is like a legend.
His startups pretty much print money.
Not only that, but his new one, TauShin,
focuses on carbon capture.
And if it works,
we could actually
reverse climate change.
Not seeing the problem.
Well, Ben is brilliant and fun.
But there are times
it's like his mask slips
and he's all shark in a human suit.
Like every tech bro ever.
It's not just that.
Ben organizes these adventure
trips a few times a year.
I've gone on all of them.
Look, remote locations,
BASE jumping, scuba diving.
Hmm. Meanwhile,
I work in a dank basement.
Still not seeing the problem.
The thing is
wherever we go, people die.
Other travelers, locals, guides.
There are memes about it.
The curse of Ben Delano.
Angelique, there are
internet memes and rumors
about Katy Perry being
JonBenét Ramsey all grown up.
I know, but I got a little obsessed.
I hacked into Ben's computer.
And I found this.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Oh. It's a cipher.
And you've never met a cipher
you didn't want to break.
Took two months.
But.
Oh.
It's a how-to for
cleaning up a crime scene.
You work for the FBI.
Your brother helps catch murderers.
And I'm going on another trip with Ben.
You think Ben's gonna
kill someone on that trip?
We're leaving for Ecuador next week.
You're afraid Ben's a serial killer
and you want us to stop him.
It sounded crazy,
but when I
cross-referenced Ben's travels
with local death records,
cue ominous music.
Hold up. You got all of this
from Angelique?
Okay, before you say anything,
I didn't take her word for it.
I checked for myself.
I found eight suspicious deaths
starting four years ago,
when Ben's business partner, Charlie,
died in a diving accident.
All these deaths have been ruled as
either accidents or natural causes.
Except all the causes of death
boil down to the same thing:
asphyxiation.
All the victims are males
in their prime,
handsome, well-liked.
That could indicate modus operandi
and victim profile, but
Two hallmarks of a serial killer, right?
But it could also be the profile
of a person who's into extreme sports.
I don't see any hard evidence.
That's because all of these deaths
took place in remote locations
with lax law enforcement.
Fiji, Nepal, Puerto Rico.
The only legitimate
investigation was in Bali,
but but that crime scene was cleaned,
just like in Ben's how-to.
I'm looking at the last case
in Costa Rica.
A trucker entered a rest stop bathroom
and was found dead ten minutes later.
That time [CHUCKLES]
The body was found by Ben.
The cops didn't ask him
or anyone a single question.
She thinks Ben paid them off.
I mean, they hit up an ATM after.
- You do the math.
- Okay.
Say that it's worth looking into.
Ben Delano has the resources
of a small country.
Making a case is gonna be tough.
I mean, they're leaving
for Ecuador soon.
There's something else.
Looking at all the death dates,
they're all six months apart.
This last one was 5 1/2 months ago.
Tick-tock.
Whoever the killer is,
their timer is almost up.
If we want to prevent the next death,
we're gonna have to act soon.
So unless Ben has
blood slides hidden in a box,
how do we prove anything that quickly?
We need a confession on tape.
And we need that
before Ben's next adventure.
Brought the meals and some sugar
just to help you get through the work.
Passed that bakery on 7th,
I remember you wanted to try it, so.
I don't know if I want to
eat it or just look at it.
It's the eternal dilemma.
Have cake versus eat cake.
The Thai place is off Madison.
That bakery is miles out of your way.
[CLEARS THROAT] I got you one, too, so.
- Chocolate.
- Mm?
Okay.
The professor's expecting our reports.
Let's go.
Given that lives are at stake,
we need to give Angelique
the benefit of the doubt,
which means figuring out
if Ben is a killer.
And if so, how do we get a confession?
Thoughts?
Based on our research,
if he is a killer,
he's been getting away with it
for a long time.
People with money
get away with anything.
Even murders. Multiple murders.
What I don't get is, why would a man
dedicated to saving humanity
go around murdering people?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
He could be a psychopath.
Psychopaths, they lack two things:
fear and compassion.
It's not uncommon
to find them among CEOs
and extreme athletes Ben is both.
Sure, but 1% of men and 0.3%
of women fall in that spectrum.
That's millions of people.
Very few of them are killers.
Okay, there's no clinical
test for serial killers,
but we can test Ben for psychopathy.
The Hare PCL-R.
Neurosurgeons and special forces guys
tend to score 25 to 30 out of 40.
Ted Bundy, on the other hand, was a 39.
I took that once. I'm a four.
Six.
- I've never taken it.
- Neither have I.
But standardized tests
aren't my specialty.
Still, a high score for Ben
could let us know
if we're in the right zip code.
So we invite him to study
his particular brand of genius,
but really, we test him for psychopathy.
And if Ben lets his guard
down and shows signs of guilt,
the professor does what he
does best, gets him to confess.
What I can do is appeal to his ego
and convince Ben that
I think he's exceptional
and that we might be kindred spirits.
I have some calls I need to make.
Keep talking.
So you convinced Ben Delano
to submit to a series of tests?
I told him that we were
doing cutting-edge research
on how his superior intellect
could be harnessed to benefit humankind.
I also read that he loved
being with his entourage,
so we invited them too.
And he agreed to come to your offices?
I told him that the test
could only be done accurately in my lab,
but I really just needed an environment
that I could control.
Okay, access to Alec's lab
has been restricted,
and FBI SWAT is standing by
in case anything goes sideways.
So
this is safe?
As safe as we can make it.
Ben's on his way up.
Hey, should we be worried
that Simon fits the victim profile?
I mean, male, handsome, well-liked.
[SCOFFS] All his victims were
off on exotic locations.
He's not gonna kill me
here in the office.
Is he?
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Angelique, uh, where's Ben?
[FIRE ALARM RINGING]
Sorry, thought I'd get some steps in.
I'm Ben.
Let's get this party started.
So what was it like meeting Ben Delano?
I've never studied
anyone like him before.
I guess the best way to start
is what made you Ben Delano?
I never fell in a cave
with any bats or anything.
Dad was a civil engineer.
My older brother, Pierce,
was the charm machine,
so he tapped him from birth
to inherit the whole business.
Now, what could that gave me
was the freedom to find my own way.
Only downside, I would say, is, uh
little too much time in my own brain.
I can relate to that.
But you're charming and outgoing.
You don't seem stuck in your head.
No one likes
the smartest guy in the room.
I had to win friends
and influence people
just like my brother.
So I learned to mimic his every move.
Now people love me too.
- Shark in a human suit.
- Mm.
Do you agree to take some
tests so we can get some data?
Let's do it.
So this is a picture-word
interference test.
You'll see images with words
over them that don't match.
Just try to ignore the
word and name the object.
I do love games.
Let's play.
While I tested Ben,
I had my team work on Ben's associates
to see if they might have
witnessed something suspicious.
So Victoria, you're TauShin's
Chief communications officer.
I handle Ben's press, publicity.
And make him look good.
Easiest job in the world.
Speaking of, you want a sneak peek
at TauShin's carbon capture tech?
Seriously?
Ready to have your minds blown?
[CHUCKLES] Hell yeah.
Train, toothbrush, lion,
foot, tree, fish, teeth, sun.
How'd I do?
You're the fastest and most
accurate person I've ever scored.
And that freaks you out.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
You're testing to see if
I'm a psychopath, aren't you?
[CHUCKLES] What makes you ask that?
Alec, I've taken the PWI before.
I know what a high score means.
But a PWI isn't a definitive
test for psychopathy.
Okay, well, let me save you some time.
I've taken the Hare
and I've taken the PPI.
And I am definitely a psychopath.
Didn't see that coming.
[CHUCKLES] Don't worry,
I don't go around
building towers out of human bones.
I use my powers for good.
So you're a pro-social psychopath.
Hyperfocus, lack of fear,
these are my superpowers.
But you know about that.
Hmm?
You know, before I meet someone,
I get a thorough briefing.
Your experiments,
they push the envelope.
You once stood in front
of an oncoming train.
Now, that is a man that can
master his fear, am I right?
I don't think about
my own diagnosis so much.
That's not an answer.
♪
All right.
What else you got?
And you had help from
your ex-wife, the FBI agent,
is that correct?
We needed to talk to everybody
who'd been along on Ben's trips.
That included his CFO, Reed.
Thank you for coming in, Mr. Moy.
Please, Reed.
And when the FBI summons, I appear.
Oh, don't look at it like a summons.
I just need assistance with
something that's crossed my desk.
There's been a series
of suspicious deaths
that have overlapped
with Ben Delano's travels.
Crossed your desk?
Or Facebook feed?
The request came from above.
Come on, those are just
ridiculous internet rumors.
I agree.
But you can help me put them to bed.
How?
Well, you travel with Ben, yeah?
Sure.
Well, then maybe you can alibi him,
for some of these deaths,
starting with the dive accident
that killed Charlie Hicks.
Charlie died in the Solomon Islands.
I wasn't on that trip,
Or the Tien Shan Mountains.
Or Fiji.
Back then, I was the CFO of Nuva Energy.
Vacations with a competitor
would have breached my contract.
So what about the deaths that happened
when you were with Ben?
It's funny. Doesn't seem like
you're trying to clear Ben.
It looks like
you're trying to convict him.
Say he was involved.
Would you cover for him?
Agent Clark,
Ben Delano's working to ensure
the survival of our species.
It is my job to help him
in any way necessary.
My advice?
Drop this.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I could have spent
all day talking to him,
but the clock was ticking,
so I had to make my way
to the question at hand.
How do you handle setbacks?
I'm better than most.
Haven't really had many.
Guess I'm blessed.
How about your first business
partner, Charlie Hicks?
You were there four years ago
when he died in that
wreck-diving accident.
And that had to be a terrible setback.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Finally.
Wondered when you were
gonna get to the point.
You think Charlie was murdered?
Your ex is FBI
and you're digging into
the deaths around me.
I'm thrilled.
That's not the reaction I was expecting.
No, don't you get it?
Those deaths haunt me.
Now if you're investigating,
then you think it was murder.
I think the killer
is someone close to me.
Someone in my inner circle.
And I want to help you catch them.
So Ben told you one of
his friends is the killer.
His friends do make compelling suspects.
I'm having my team run the same tests
on Angelique and Victoria
that we did on Ben.
I told them it was
part of my study.
Is Angelique really a suspect?
Of course.
She only worked for Ben part-time,
but she went on all of his trips.
And she is a rule-breaker.
And Victoria?
It turns out that Victoria
was a pro rock climber
before she got into PR.
She's crazy strong and not risk-averse.
So does this mean you
don't think it's Ben anymore?
When I do a study, you know
I try not to make premature conclusions.
What about the rest of his circle?
Well, Reed definitely has an edge.
Hmm.
Maybe you should also talk
to Ben's photographer,
Dax Eastman.
According to Ben,
Dax does everything he does,
but backwards and holding a camera.
So there are four people close to Ben
who could be the killer?
Or Ben himself.
Look, the more data we have,
the greater chance we have
of getting a confession.
But in the meantime,
you're surrounded by psychopaths.
Yeah.
I got to go.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
So if my ring finger is
longer than my index finger,
I might be a psychopath?
Longer ring finger reflects
a higher level
of testosterone in the womb,
which might lead to psychopathy.
The ring finger-psychopathy
connection is highly debatable.
Hmm.
High testosterone.
[CHUCKLES]
So you both have been
on Ben's adventures.
People have died on those trips.
Does that worry you?
I, uh, try not to think about that.
[SIGHS] Of course, it bothers me.
I mean, no one wants to see someone die.
But in extreme sports, it is
a risk everyone's aware of.
And we do what we can to help.
We donate to the family, the community.
Our CFO, Reed, takes care of everything.
In other words,
when something goes wrong,
Reed throws money at it.
It's called charity.
You want the tax returns?
Has anyone seen my new pen?
What, the gold pen that
costs more than my laptop
'cause it's gold?
Oh, that was real?
I borrowed it.
I might have thrown it in my purse.
Sorry, my bad.
Oh, before you go in there,
you should know that
- I
- You have a gun.
Yeah.
But don't worry, I have
a concealed carry permit.
I'm in charge of Ben's comms.
I see the emails, the death threats,
so I bought a gun
to defend him and myself.
Yeah, the thing is,
Wylton's private property
and firearms aren't allowed
on campus, even with a permit.
Well, at home, I keep it in a gun safe.
I don't suppose
you have one of those here.
We have lockable desk drawers.
All right. [SIGHS]
Don't freak out.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
So you showed us how your company works.
How'd you like to see what we do?
Who wants to take some psych tests?
So from looking over Phoebe's shoulder,
both Ben and Victoria scored
at least a 30 out of 40 on the Hare.
- Mm.
- Angelique is around a 24.
I mean, all of them could
be lying to lower their scores.
Still makes two psychopaths at least.
Reed was something else.
I'm guessing he's one too.
And I still have to talk
to Ben's photographer, Dax,
without alerting Reed.
We could ask Rose to go undercover.
Please.
I have infiltrated drug gangs.
I can handle a photographer.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Agent Clark told Dax Eastman
that she worked
for a sports news channel
and that she was
planning a company retreat.
With a little buttering up,
it wasn't hard to get him to
show off his connection to Ben.
When I fly over a glacier,
I see exactly what
we have to lose.
And I know I'll fight
like hell to save it.
Typical Ben. Me, me, me.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
And who are these three?
Sir Ben's toadies, Victoria,
Angelique, and Reed.
Reed Moy?
Oh, my God!
He golfs with my boss all the time.
So Reed travels with Ben.
Yeah, I mean, he's always there.
And where where are they here?
It's the Tien Shan Mountains,
a little over three years ago.
I wasn't on that trip.
Or the Tien Shan Mountains.
Or Fiji.
I thought that Reed worked
for Nuva Energy back then.
I never asked questions about Reed.
The bear, don't poke it.
[CHUCKLES] I get it.
People like my boss, Ben, Reed,
they don't like to be questioned.
I bet Ben loves it when
people talk about
that curse of Ben Delano stuff.
Honestly, I bet he likes it.
Ben loves attention.
Even if it's for a bunch of deaths
he wouldn't have the stones
to make happen.
♪
Come on.
[GROANS]
[SOFT PLAYFUL MUSIC]
You lifted the mug.
Well, that's what you get
for leaving me alone.
It's a test of curiosity.
What'd your ex call about?
She raised a question.
Was Reed on that
wreck-diving trip with Charlie?
Sure, yeah, it was
the first time he came on one.
Charlie and I were trying
to woo him over from Nuva.
Mm.
He lied to Marisa about being there.
I also understand that he is
the one that makes the payments
to local communities when someone dies?
Yeah. Yeah, it was Reed's idea, so.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
You think he's the killer?
I'm interested in what you think.
I mean, Reed helped me
bring Charlie's body up.
I
I don't want it to be him.
I mean, on the bright side,
I guess if you suspect him,
that clears me, right?
That depends.
Can you explain why a how-to
for cleaning up a crime scene
was in your deleted items?
Who found this? Angelique?
Yeah, I'm sure it freaked her out.
It's a recruiting tool I was
working on for cryptographers,
online treasure hunt based
on a fake murder mystery.
The gamification effect.
- Mm-hmm.
- Smart.
Yeah. In the end, it wasn't worth
the effort, so we just junked it.
Your sister's a hacker, right?
She can have access to my hard drives.
See for herself.
Mm. That's not creepy.
Unfortunately,
you're still a suspect
until we find the real killer.
And I hate to say it.
This could go public.
Well, I guess we better clear it up,
including getting a confession
from the killer.
Kind of like the one you've
been trying to get from me.
You know what?
Reed has a house on Chesapeake Bay.
I could get him to invite
the team there tomorrow night.
If he is the killer or if
it's someone else on my team,
you could get a recorded confession.
Then I'm free.
You propose that I go to dinner
wearing a wire in a room
full of potential psychopaths,
one of whom is most certainly
a murderer?
I mean, it sounds like fun, right?
Huh.
Okay.
Your earpiece should be undetectable.
Just tell me no one at this
dinner is gonna eat you, bro.
[SIGHS] Serial killers
prey on the vulnerable.
I think I've convinced Ben
that I'm like him.
I just have to keep the act up
tonight at Reed's.
Mm. You're up against
four possible killers.
My instincts lead to Ben and Reed,
but I haven't forgot about Angelique.
Oh, Kylie ruled her out.
Yeah, she told me that
she got food poisoning
in Bali once, so I dug.
And the local authorities
have the time of death
for that victim the same time
she was in the ER.
So she's in the clear.
But Dax, Victoria, Ben, and Reed,
any one of them could be our killer.
All right.
Your earpiece is all set.
This is your backup transmitter.
Don't break that.
Equipment in there is worth more
than your late, lamented sports car.
And it will record everything.
We'll be monitoring both real-time.
If anything goes wrong,
we'll send SWAT right in.
But only if things go seriously wrong.
Even if you lose me,
hold back on the cavalry.
I'm gonna need time.
How long?
Dinner, ID a suspect, get a confession?
Call it four hours from the
moment I walk through the door.
I'll give you three.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[WATCH CLICKS]
♪
Okay, I'm starting the clock.
Three hours, that's 8:00 p.m.
On the dot.
I thought we had the whole
thing perfectly planned.
But as it turns out,
I was in for
more than a few surprises.
Well, the guest of honor, Dr. Mercer.
I'm Reed Moy.
Hi. I brought wine.
Oh, thank you.
I have a cellar full.
I recently had a chat with
your ex-wife, the FBI agent.
Ah. I sense you didn't enjoy it.
I'm not sure why Ben is indulging
whatever game you're playing,
but hear me.
There's nothing
I won't do to protect him.
Enjoy the canapés.
I intend to.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Ah.
Mm.
Alec, welcome, my Freudian friend.
What can I get you to drink?
Uh, I'm good for now.
Angelique, Victoria.
- Dax?
- He hasn't shown.
Knowing that jackass,
he's probably trying
to free climb the Washington Monument.
- [GUESTS CHUCKLE]
- So hi.
- Hi.
- Fun new development.
We have an extra guest in the house.
Simon.
What a surprise.
Professor, you gotta try the la tur.
It's pungent.
♪
What are you doing here?
Victoria invited me.
As in a date?
Maybe. I wanted to help.
I figured I could be your backup.
You could end up
being taken hostage or worse.
Your date is a suspect
and you fit the profile.
What were you thinking?
If you want me to leave
right now, I will.
If lives weren't at stake,
I'd send you home.
But if you leave now
it might alert the killer.
Just stay close.
Copy, yeah.
Did you hear that, Marisa?
Do you copy?
My good buddy Simon is here.
Marisa? Kylie?
[TENSE MUSIC]
Still nothing?
I had Alec up until the front
door and then, poof, nothing.
Reed's house is like a black box.
There's no signal in or out.
Reed probably has a system in place
to keep rivals from spying on him.
I need to know what's
happening in there.
Do you think that you can beat it?
First, I'd have to ID what he's using,
and even then, I don't know.
[SIGHS] So still no comms?
No, and still no Dax.
I don't like having
a suspect unaccounted for.
Well, we'll get through this, right?
And all we got to do
is identify a serial killer,
get a confession,
and survive until 8:00.
[CHUCKLES]
Okay, tonight's party game,
never have I ever.
You say something
that you've never done,
and if someone's done it, they drink.
Mm, so the person who
downs their drink first
is the coolest
and the winner is the lamest.
- Do I have that right?
- [LAUGHTER]
It depends on your point of view.
So the game was part of the strategy?
I needed to find a way to get them
to brag about their misdeeds.
The game was the fastest way to do that.
- A drinking game?
- Yeah, and I don't drink.
I brought my own non-alcoholic
wine so that I could blend in.
I needed to convince them
that I was just like them.
A drinker?
No, a psychopath.
I'll start.
Never have I ever
been unfaithful to my significant other.
Okay.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Come on. My ex is a Fed.
My new girlfriend was a spy.
I can't get away with anything.
Please tell me the rest of you
got to live a little bit.
Ah.
[UPBEAT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES]
[SIGHS]
Never have I ever been
convicted of a felony.
- Ah.
- [ANGELIQUE CLEARS THROAT]
My juvenile records are sealed.
Good one.
Never have I ever
attacked someone physically.
Does the boxing ring count?
[SARCASTICALLY]
Does the boxing ring count?
Really, professor?
Word of advice: don't push me.
[LAUGHTER]
Never have I ever backstabbed my boss.
'Cause I never had one. [LAUGHS]
Go ahead, I know about the documents.
We're good. Breathe.
Never have I ever lied
to anyone in this room.
Not me. I was a Boy Scout.
That's two lies in one sentence.
Bah. [CHUCKLES]
And you're trying to hold on
to your last sip.
Just trying to keep the game going.
But fine.
Guess I win.
Well,
technically, I lose.
He wins for being a human marshmallow.
Everyone loves marshmallows.
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
So that whole don't push me thing
I'm not proud of it, but I lied.
Just like the wine I was drinking,
most of the answers I gave were lies.
[CHUCKLES] You fooled me.
So the most honorable man
in the room lied
and all the psychopaths told the truth.
Reed admitted the most transgressions.
Well, based on my rough valuation,
he easily scores a 34 on the Hare.
When you watch him, what
does his behavior tell you?
That he hates me?
Uh?
And that he's guilty of something.
I just don't know what.
I'm gonna take a shot at him
because we're running out of time.
While you do that, why don't
I snoop around Reed's lair?
Serial killers love trophies.
Maybe I can find some hard
evidence that we're missing.
Simon, what did we learn about you?
That I matched the victim profile.
So don't go creeping around alone.
Okay.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Never have I ever lied to anyone here.
Now I have.
[SEAGULLS CALLING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Nice view.
You have done well.
Professional curiosity.
Is it worth it,
given so many people may fear
or even hate you?
I don't care what the lackeys think.
Mm. Punching down.
In my line of work,
that wouldn't be a great look.
First thing I do when
I join a new venture
is to eliminate the weak links.
♪
Every organization is only as
strong as its weakest member.
And the earlier you cut out the rot,
the healthier the organization.
You may see Simon as a weak link,
but he is a Wylton at Wylton.
I'm not even sure
I could fire him.
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- Wow.
- Too easy.
- Right?
♪
- Yeah.
- No.
- Absolutely.
- Nice job, boss.
Who said anything about firing?
I just make my problems disappear.
- Hey.
- Nice.
Cut their legs off,
choke the life from them until
poof.
- Oh!
- [WOODEN BLOCKS CLATTER LOUDLY]
They're gone.
That's a vivid metaphor.
I got to admit I was thrilled
to be studying Ben,
but I'm starting to wonder if I
had the wrong man in my office.
Too late now.
[DOOR CREAKING]
[DOOR SHUTS]
♪
[LIGHT SWITCH CLICKS]
[FURNACE CLICKS ON]
Oh, no, no, no.
Hey, come on, pal.
Hey, don't be dead. Come on.
Come on.
[KEYBOARD CLICKING]
I got it!
I found what's blocking
Alec's communications.
I pulled the wire permits
for Reed's house.
Turns out, the whole place is
embedded with signal jammers.
- Can you take them down?
- I can't.
But you can.
Like in "Die Hard,"
when the FBI cuts out the power
and they disable the lock
to the vault
replace lock with jammer.
12 minutes to go. I gave Alec till 8:00.
8:00, we cut the power, send SWAT in.
Hopefully, we're not too late.
So I picked up the guy
and I moved him to the guest bedroom.
I'm pretty sure it's Dax.
- But he's alive?
- Yeah.
Did he say anything?
No, I mean, he's lucky to be breathing.
I was down there for two
minutes and even I got dizzy.
I think Reed put Dax in that room
and caused a leak in the furnace.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
is a form of asphyxiation.
Killer's MO. Case closed, right?
So he tied Dax up, locked him in a room
but left the keys out in plain sight?
But Dax was dying in his basement.
Reed talks like a killer,
but I can't tell
if he's gloating or trying
to draw fire from Ben.
Keep an eye on Dax.
Make sure he's okay.
We have six minutes, and I
still don't have a confession.
It's now or never.
Okay.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Okay, let's talk more later.
♪
Someone looks very serious.
I wanted to give you a heads-up.
Reed is the killer.
He practically confessed.
When I leave here,
I'm gonna tell the FBI.
Great, you got him.
Oh, man, you know what?
It just hit me, though.
If the co-founder of TauShin
is arrested for murder,
the company is done.
You're the only irreplaceable
person at TauShin.
No. Maybe this investigation
is a mistake.
Can we really put justice for ten people
above the fate of the planet?
Ben, I don't see any alternative.
I can think of one.
I have to kill Reed.
And you have to help me.
What do you say?
Are you in or are you out?
Now, you know the math
says to kill Reed.
- I'm not clear this adds up.
- Listen to me.
If he is arrested,
his crimes will be under
a microscope for years.
It will kill TauShin.
Maybe you're right.
Maybe this is the best bad option.
You need to save humanity.
But, Ben, this has
to be a foolproof plan.
I knew you saw the world
the same way I did. [CLAPS]
All right, but tell me the plan.
The less you know, the better.
Okay, just call it a night.
Take Simon, Angelique,
and Victoria with you.
Okay. But one issue.
I have to explain this.
♪
[LISTENING DEVICE CRUNCHES]
Reed spotted it, tore it off your chest.
That's why you had to run out.
That'll set up self-defense.
I'll testify that Reed was a threat.
And luckily, we have Dax.
- Dax?
- Yeah.
Simon found him unconscious
in the basement.
But once he recovers,
he's gonna say exactly who abducted him.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Which I can see now
is a problem because, Ben,
you took Dax.
What?
As part of your plan
to cover up your crimes.
Oh, come on. What are you
what are you, crazy?
- That's
- Look, I knew
when you said justice for ten people.
We only found eight victims.
Only the killer knows the exact count.
But if we're gonna do this,
we got to have an honest plan.
You need a fall guy.
So if Dax dies in Reed's basement
you're in the clear.
Wait, what are you saying?
Are you saying you're still in?
Yeah.
You and TauShin have to succeed.
Yes.
So there's just one loose end.
Dax has to die.
But, Ben, after that, no more killing.
No, no, no, no.
The deaths, the deaths stop here.
Look, I want to believe that,
and I will.
If you could just tell me
how it started,
then I
will know that you can stop.
♪
Charlie was an accident.
His tank failed. He was flailing.
And then it hit me.
I could give him my air,
I could save him.
Or not.
Suddenly, all I see
is my gloating brother.
Charlie and Pierce,
they are the same guy.
And as I sit there watching him die,
oh, I get this charge,
this energy to to remake the world.
And then it stopped?
Five or six months later, it was gone.
And I needed it. I needed it back.
Then in Tien Shan Mountains,
there was this climber
and he was tenting alone.
All it takes is moments.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Oh, the charge is back.
[CHUCKLES] So you did it again.
And again?
No.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
The way you crushed that wire,
classic misdirection.
Is that it?
You played me.
You're wearing a second wire,
and I just told you everything.
[ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THUDS]
[BEN GASPS]
[BOTH GRUNTING AND STRAINING]
[GUN CLICKS]
Give me the backup.
Whatever was blocking my signal is down.
The FBI can hear you.
They'll be here any minute.
Ben, you'll have to
kill everyone in here
before the FBI crashes in.
That path leads to you dead.
Every story is defined by its ending.
Do you want to endure
as the dead villain?
Or as a living hero?
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
♪
Tortured genius realizes
the depths of his crime,
surrenders
saves the world from behind bars.
♪
- FBI!
- Drop your weapon!
Ben Delano, you're under arrest.
Get him out of here.
♪
- Angelique!
- Hey.
[BOTH SIGH]
I should have seen it sooner.
I should have known.
And because of that, people died.
How am I supposed to live with that?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Alec is better at this part than I am,
but I'd say
think about all the people
that will live
because of what you did.
And for that, I'm proud of you.
Maybe enough to give our
friendship another chance?
Maybe on a trial basis.
- Oh.
- [CHUCKLES]
♪
You're up. Statement time.
You all right?
Honestly, I'm worried.
I wasn't supposed to come to dinner.
I wasn't supposed
to search Reed's house.
I crossed lines, ignored my fear.
I have a really long ring finger.
And you saved Dax.
Doctors say he'll make a full recovery.
When I said that I'd never
taken that test
I lied.
I took it after my brother died.
So when that happened,
the first thing I felt was
nothing.
And the second thing I felt was nothing.
All I felt was
numb.
And how did you score?
Lower than Ted Bundy.
Higher than Phoebe.
Spending two days playing
a psychopath reminded me
that we all have psychopathic
impulses from time to time.
And pushing the envelope
was good for you.
And how do you know when
you've gone too far?
By having compassion.
And thinking about how your
urge might affect other people.
And I've seen you
do that every day, Simon.
You're not like him.
And look, if all else fails,
take the outside view.
Ask what would I think
if I saw someone else do this?
That'll set you on the right path.
Thanks.
Go. I'll wait for you.
[SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
[PHONE BUZZES]
Yeah, nope.
What did I do to deserve this?
What you did was worry everyone sick.
But instead of yelling at you,
I decided to remind you
that people care about you.
With blended fruit?
Peach, banana,
orange sherbet, your favorite.
[CHUCKLES]
Let's get to work.
Not yet.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I'm, um, feeling an impulse.
Trying to consider it
from the outside view,
I think it looks good, but, um,
just trying to imagine what
an observer would think.
Well, can the observer
read body language?
Because if so
♪
Ben Delano said recently
in a prison interview
on balance, this is humanity's loss.
What do you say to that?
I say, for someone who claims
to care about humankind,
Ben doesn't care about humans at all.
Ben had the power
to make better decisions.
All we are, any of us,
is the sum of our choices.
In the end, choosing compassion,
that's what will save humanity.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[WIND WHISTLING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[TENT FLAPPING]
[ZIPPER ZIPPING]
♪
Is it time for the summit push?
[GRUNTING]
[CHOKING]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
We're speaking
with Professor Alec Mercer
at Wylton University about the question
that is on everybody's mind
after this week's stunning events.
Professor,
thanks so much for doing this.
Please tell us, what was it like
going up against
a prolific serial killer?
You know, it's an interesting story.
And in all honesty,
it wasn't even my idea.
Strangely enough,
it started with my sister.
Angelique, right on time.
I brought you this to say I'm sorry.
For stealing my coat
or freezing me out
for working with the FBI?
Both.
I was awful and I regret it.
I don't blame you if you
slam the door in my face.
But the thing is, I need your help.
I've been working for Ben Delano
off and on for the past four years,
and now, I'm a partner
at his new company.
Oh, nice. Ben Delano is like a legend.
His startups pretty much print money.
Not only that, but his new one, TauShin,
focuses on carbon capture.
And if it works,
we could actually
reverse climate change.
Not seeing the problem.
Well, Ben is brilliant and fun.
But there are times
it's like his mask slips
and he's all shark in a human suit.
Like every tech bro ever.
It's not just that.
Ben organizes these adventure
trips a few times a year.
I've gone on all of them.
Look, remote locations,
BASE jumping, scuba diving.
Hmm. Meanwhile,
I work in a dank basement.
Still not seeing the problem.
The thing is
wherever we go, people die.
Other travelers, locals, guides.
There are memes about it.
The curse of Ben Delano.
Angelique, there are
internet memes and rumors
about Katy Perry being
JonBenét Ramsey all grown up.
I know, but I got a little obsessed.
I hacked into Ben's computer.
And I found this.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Oh. It's a cipher.
And you've never met a cipher
you didn't want to break.
Took two months.
But.
Oh.
It's a how-to for
cleaning up a crime scene.
You work for the FBI.
Your brother helps catch murderers.
And I'm going on another trip with Ben.
You think Ben's gonna
kill someone on that trip?
We're leaving for Ecuador next week.
You're afraid Ben's a serial killer
and you want us to stop him.
It sounded crazy,
but when I
cross-referenced Ben's travels
with local death records,
cue ominous music.
Hold up. You got all of this
from Angelique?
Okay, before you say anything,
I didn't take her word for it.
I checked for myself.
I found eight suspicious deaths
starting four years ago,
when Ben's business partner, Charlie,
died in a diving accident.
All these deaths have been ruled as
either accidents or natural causes.
Except all the causes of death
boil down to the same thing:
asphyxiation.
All the victims are males
in their prime,
handsome, well-liked.
That could indicate modus operandi
and victim profile, but
Two hallmarks of a serial killer, right?
But it could also be the profile
of a person who's into extreme sports.
I don't see any hard evidence.
That's because all of these deaths
took place in remote locations
with lax law enforcement.
Fiji, Nepal, Puerto Rico.
The only legitimate
investigation was in Bali,
but but that crime scene was cleaned,
just like in Ben's how-to.
I'm looking at the last case
in Costa Rica.
A trucker entered a rest stop bathroom
and was found dead ten minutes later.
That time [CHUCKLES]
The body was found by Ben.
The cops didn't ask him
or anyone a single question.
She thinks Ben paid them off.
I mean, they hit up an ATM after.
- You do the math.
- Okay.
Say that it's worth looking into.
Ben Delano has the resources
of a small country.
Making a case is gonna be tough.
I mean, they're leaving
for Ecuador soon.
There's something else.
Looking at all the death dates,
they're all six months apart.
This last one was 5 1/2 months ago.
Tick-tock.
Whoever the killer is,
their timer is almost up.
If we want to prevent the next death,
we're gonna have to act soon.
So unless Ben has
blood slides hidden in a box,
how do we prove anything that quickly?
We need a confession on tape.
And we need that
before Ben's next adventure.
Brought the meals and some sugar
just to help you get through the work.
Passed that bakery on 7th,
I remember you wanted to try it, so.
I don't know if I want to
eat it or just look at it.
It's the eternal dilemma.
Have cake versus eat cake.
The Thai place is off Madison.
That bakery is miles out of your way.
[CLEARS THROAT] I got you one, too, so.
- Chocolate.
- Mm?
Okay.
The professor's expecting our reports.
Let's go.
Given that lives are at stake,
we need to give Angelique
the benefit of the doubt,
which means figuring out
if Ben is a killer.
And if so, how do we get a confession?
Thoughts?
Based on our research,
if he is a killer,
he's been getting away with it
for a long time.
People with money
get away with anything.
Even murders. Multiple murders.
What I don't get is, why would a man
dedicated to saving humanity
go around murdering people?
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
He could be a psychopath.
Psychopaths, they lack two things:
fear and compassion.
It's not uncommon
to find them among CEOs
and extreme athletes Ben is both.
Sure, but 1% of men and 0.3%
of women fall in that spectrum.
That's millions of people.
Very few of them are killers.
Okay, there's no clinical
test for serial killers,
but we can test Ben for psychopathy.
The Hare PCL-R.
Neurosurgeons and special forces guys
tend to score 25 to 30 out of 40.
Ted Bundy, on the other hand, was a 39.
I took that once. I'm a four.
Six.
- I've never taken it.
- Neither have I.
But standardized tests
aren't my specialty.
Still, a high score for Ben
could let us know
if we're in the right zip code.
So we invite him to study
his particular brand of genius,
but really, we test him for psychopathy.
And if Ben lets his guard
down and shows signs of guilt,
the professor does what he
does best, gets him to confess.
What I can do is appeal to his ego
and convince Ben that
I think he's exceptional
and that we might be kindred spirits.
I have some calls I need to make.
Keep talking.
So you convinced Ben Delano
to submit to a series of tests?
I told him that we were
doing cutting-edge research
on how his superior intellect
could be harnessed to benefit humankind.
I also read that he loved
being with his entourage,
so we invited them too.
And he agreed to come to your offices?
I told him that the test
could only be done accurately in my lab,
but I really just needed an environment
that I could control.
Okay, access to Alec's lab
has been restricted,
and FBI SWAT is standing by
in case anything goes sideways.
So
this is safe?
As safe as we can make it.
Ben's on his way up.
Hey, should we be worried
that Simon fits the victim profile?
I mean, male, handsome, well-liked.
[SCOFFS] All his victims were
off on exotic locations.
He's not gonna kill me
here in the office.
Is he?
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Angelique, uh, where's Ben?
[FIRE ALARM RINGING]
Sorry, thought I'd get some steps in.
I'm Ben.
Let's get this party started.
So what was it like meeting Ben Delano?
I've never studied
anyone like him before.
I guess the best way to start
is what made you Ben Delano?
I never fell in a cave
with any bats or anything.
Dad was a civil engineer.
My older brother, Pierce,
was the charm machine,
so he tapped him from birth
to inherit the whole business.
Now, what could that gave me
was the freedom to find my own way.
Only downside, I would say, is, uh
little too much time in my own brain.
I can relate to that.
But you're charming and outgoing.
You don't seem stuck in your head.
No one likes
the smartest guy in the room.
I had to win friends
and influence people
just like my brother.
So I learned to mimic his every move.
Now people love me too.
- Shark in a human suit.
- Mm.
Do you agree to take some
tests so we can get some data?
Let's do it.
So this is a picture-word
interference test.
You'll see images with words
over them that don't match.
Just try to ignore the
word and name the object.
I do love games.
Let's play.
While I tested Ben,
I had my team work on Ben's associates
to see if they might have
witnessed something suspicious.
So Victoria, you're TauShin's
Chief communications officer.
I handle Ben's press, publicity.
And make him look good.
Easiest job in the world.
Speaking of, you want a sneak peek
at TauShin's carbon capture tech?
Seriously?
Ready to have your minds blown?
[CHUCKLES] Hell yeah.
Train, toothbrush, lion,
foot, tree, fish, teeth, sun.
How'd I do?
You're the fastest and most
accurate person I've ever scored.
And that freaks you out.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
You're testing to see if
I'm a psychopath, aren't you?
[CHUCKLES] What makes you ask that?
Alec, I've taken the PWI before.
I know what a high score means.
But a PWI isn't a definitive
test for psychopathy.
Okay, well, let me save you some time.
I've taken the Hare
and I've taken the PPI.
And I am definitely a psychopath.
Didn't see that coming.
[CHUCKLES] Don't worry,
I don't go around
building towers out of human bones.
I use my powers for good.
So you're a pro-social psychopath.
Hyperfocus, lack of fear,
these are my superpowers.
But you know about that.
Hmm?
You know, before I meet someone,
I get a thorough briefing.
Your experiments,
they push the envelope.
You once stood in front
of an oncoming train.
Now, that is a man that can
master his fear, am I right?
I don't think about
my own diagnosis so much.
That's not an answer.
♪
All right.
What else you got?
And you had help from
your ex-wife, the FBI agent,
is that correct?
We needed to talk to everybody
who'd been along on Ben's trips.
That included his CFO, Reed.
Thank you for coming in, Mr. Moy.
Please, Reed.
And when the FBI summons, I appear.
Oh, don't look at it like a summons.
I just need assistance with
something that's crossed my desk.
There's been a series
of suspicious deaths
that have overlapped
with Ben Delano's travels.
Crossed your desk?
Or Facebook feed?
The request came from above.
Come on, those are just
ridiculous internet rumors.
I agree.
But you can help me put them to bed.
How?
Well, you travel with Ben, yeah?
Sure.
Well, then maybe you can alibi him,
for some of these deaths,
starting with the dive accident
that killed Charlie Hicks.
Charlie died in the Solomon Islands.
I wasn't on that trip,
Or the Tien Shan Mountains.
Or Fiji.
Back then, I was the CFO of Nuva Energy.
Vacations with a competitor
would have breached my contract.
So what about the deaths that happened
when you were with Ben?
It's funny. Doesn't seem like
you're trying to clear Ben.
It looks like
you're trying to convict him.
Say he was involved.
Would you cover for him?
Agent Clark,
Ben Delano's working to ensure
the survival of our species.
It is my job to help him
in any way necessary.
My advice?
Drop this.
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I could have spent
all day talking to him,
but the clock was ticking,
so I had to make my way
to the question at hand.
How do you handle setbacks?
I'm better than most.
Haven't really had many.
Guess I'm blessed.
How about your first business
partner, Charlie Hicks?
You were there four years ago
when he died in that
wreck-diving accident.
And that had to be a terrible setback.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Finally.
Wondered when you were
gonna get to the point.
You think Charlie was murdered?
Your ex is FBI
and you're digging into
the deaths around me.
I'm thrilled.
That's not the reaction I was expecting.
No, don't you get it?
Those deaths haunt me.
Now if you're investigating,
then you think it was murder.
I think the killer
is someone close to me.
Someone in my inner circle.
And I want to help you catch them.
So Ben told you one of
his friends is the killer.
His friends do make compelling suspects.
I'm having my team run the same tests
on Angelique and Victoria
that we did on Ben.
I told them it was
part of my study.
Is Angelique really a suspect?
Of course.
She only worked for Ben part-time,
but she went on all of his trips.
And she is a rule-breaker.
And Victoria?
It turns out that Victoria
was a pro rock climber
before she got into PR.
She's crazy strong and not risk-averse.
So does this mean you
don't think it's Ben anymore?
When I do a study, you know
I try not to make premature conclusions.
What about the rest of his circle?
Well, Reed definitely has an edge.
Hmm.
Maybe you should also talk
to Ben's photographer,
Dax Eastman.
According to Ben,
Dax does everything he does,
but backwards and holding a camera.
So there are four people close to Ben
who could be the killer?
Or Ben himself.
Look, the more data we have,
the greater chance we have
of getting a confession.
But in the meantime,
you're surrounded by psychopaths.
Yeah.
I got to go.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
So if my ring finger is
longer than my index finger,
I might be a psychopath?
Longer ring finger reflects
a higher level
of testosterone in the womb,
which might lead to psychopathy.
The ring finger-psychopathy
connection is highly debatable.
Hmm.
High testosterone.
[CHUCKLES]
So you both have been
on Ben's adventures.
People have died on those trips.
Does that worry you?
I, uh, try not to think about that.
[SIGHS] Of course, it bothers me.
I mean, no one wants to see someone die.
But in extreme sports, it is
a risk everyone's aware of.
And we do what we can to help.
We donate to the family, the community.
Our CFO, Reed, takes care of everything.
In other words,
when something goes wrong,
Reed throws money at it.
It's called charity.
You want the tax returns?
Has anyone seen my new pen?
What, the gold pen that
costs more than my laptop
'cause it's gold?
Oh, that was real?
I borrowed it.
I might have thrown it in my purse.
Sorry, my bad.
Oh, before you go in there,
you should know that
- I
- You have a gun.
Yeah.
But don't worry, I have
a concealed carry permit.
I'm in charge of Ben's comms.
I see the emails, the death threats,
so I bought a gun
to defend him and myself.
Yeah, the thing is,
Wylton's private property
and firearms aren't allowed
on campus, even with a permit.
Well, at home, I keep it in a gun safe.
I don't suppose
you have one of those here.
We have lockable desk drawers.
All right. [SIGHS]
Don't freak out.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
So you showed us how your company works.
How'd you like to see what we do?
Who wants to take some psych tests?
So from looking over Phoebe's shoulder,
both Ben and Victoria scored
at least a 30 out of 40 on the Hare.
- Mm.
- Angelique is around a 24.
I mean, all of them could
be lying to lower their scores.
Still makes two psychopaths at least.
Reed was something else.
I'm guessing he's one too.
And I still have to talk
to Ben's photographer, Dax,
without alerting Reed.
We could ask Rose to go undercover.
Please.
I have infiltrated drug gangs.
I can handle a photographer.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Agent Clark told Dax Eastman
that she worked
for a sports news channel
and that she was
planning a company retreat.
With a little buttering up,
it wasn't hard to get him to
show off his connection to Ben.
When I fly over a glacier,
I see exactly what
we have to lose.
And I know I'll fight
like hell to save it.
Typical Ben. Me, me, me.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
And who are these three?
Sir Ben's toadies, Victoria,
Angelique, and Reed.
Reed Moy?
Oh, my God!
He golfs with my boss all the time.
So Reed travels with Ben.
Yeah, I mean, he's always there.
And where where are they here?
It's the Tien Shan Mountains,
a little over three years ago.
I wasn't on that trip.
Or the Tien Shan Mountains.
Or Fiji.
I thought that Reed worked
for Nuva Energy back then.
I never asked questions about Reed.
The bear, don't poke it.
[CHUCKLES] I get it.
People like my boss, Ben, Reed,
they don't like to be questioned.
I bet Ben loves it when
people talk about
that curse of Ben Delano stuff.
Honestly, I bet he likes it.
Ben loves attention.
Even if it's for a bunch of deaths
he wouldn't have the stones
to make happen.
♪
Come on.
[GROANS]
[SOFT PLAYFUL MUSIC]
You lifted the mug.
Well, that's what you get
for leaving me alone.
It's a test of curiosity.
What'd your ex call about?
She raised a question.
Was Reed on that
wreck-diving trip with Charlie?
Sure, yeah, it was
the first time he came on one.
Charlie and I were trying
to woo him over from Nuva.
Mm.
He lied to Marisa about being there.
I also understand that he is
the one that makes the payments
to local communities when someone dies?
Yeah. Yeah, it was Reed's idea, so.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
You think he's the killer?
I'm interested in what you think.
I mean, Reed helped me
bring Charlie's body up.
I
I don't want it to be him.
I mean, on the bright side,
I guess if you suspect him,
that clears me, right?
That depends.
Can you explain why a how-to
for cleaning up a crime scene
was in your deleted items?
Who found this? Angelique?
Yeah, I'm sure it freaked her out.
It's a recruiting tool I was
working on for cryptographers,
online treasure hunt based
on a fake murder mystery.
The gamification effect.
- Mm-hmm.
- Smart.
Yeah. In the end, it wasn't worth
the effort, so we just junked it.
Your sister's a hacker, right?
She can have access to my hard drives.
See for herself.
Mm. That's not creepy.
Unfortunately,
you're still a suspect
until we find the real killer.
And I hate to say it.
This could go public.
Well, I guess we better clear it up,
including getting a confession
from the killer.
Kind of like the one you've
been trying to get from me.
You know what?
Reed has a house on Chesapeake Bay.
I could get him to invite
the team there tomorrow night.
If he is the killer or if
it's someone else on my team,
you could get a recorded confession.
Then I'm free.
You propose that I go to dinner
wearing a wire in a room
full of potential psychopaths,
one of whom is most certainly
a murderer?
I mean, it sounds like fun, right?
Huh.
Okay.
Your earpiece should be undetectable.
Just tell me no one at this
dinner is gonna eat you, bro.
[SIGHS] Serial killers
prey on the vulnerable.
I think I've convinced Ben
that I'm like him.
I just have to keep the act up
tonight at Reed's.
Mm. You're up against
four possible killers.
My instincts lead to Ben and Reed,
but I haven't forgot about Angelique.
Oh, Kylie ruled her out.
Yeah, she told me that
she got food poisoning
in Bali once, so I dug.
And the local authorities
have the time of death
for that victim the same time
she was in the ER.
So she's in the clear.
But Dax, Victoria, Ben, and Reed,
any one of them could be our killer.
All right.
Your earpiece is all set.
This is your backup transmitter.
Don't break that.
Equipment in there is worth more
than your late, lamented sports car.
And it will record everything.
We'll be monitoring both real-time.
If anything goes wrong,
we'll send SWAT right in.
But only if things go seriously wrong.
Even if you lose me,
hold back on the cavalry.
I'm gonna need time.
How long?
Dinner, ID a suspect, get a confession?
Call it four hours from the
moment I walk through the door.
I'll give you three.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[WATCH CLICKS]
♪
Okay, I'm starting the clock.
Three hours, that's 8:00 p.m.
On the dot.
I thought we had the whole
thing perfectly planned.
But as it turns out,
I was in for
more than a few surprises.
Well, the guest of honor, Dr. Mercer.
I'm Reed Moy.
Hi. I brought wine.
Oh, thank you.
I have a cellar full.
I recently had a chat with
your ex-wife, the FBI agent.
Ah. I sense you didn't enjoy it.
I'm not sure why Ben is indulging
whatever game you're playing,
but hear me.
There's nothing
I won't do to protect him.
Enjoy the canapés.
I intend to.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Ah.
Mm.
Alec, welcome, my Freudian friend.
What can I get you to drink?
Uh, I'm good for now.
Angelique, Victoria.
- Dax?
- He hasn't shown.
Knowing that jackass,
he's probably trying
to free climb the Washington Monument.
- [GUESTS CHUCKLE]
- So hi.
- Hi.
- Fun new development.
We have an extra guest in the house.
Simon.
What a surprise.
Professor, you gotta try the la tur.
It's pungent.
♪
What are you doing here?
Victoria invited me.
As in a date?
Maybe. I wanted to help.
I figured I could be your backup.
You could end up
being taken hostage or worse.
Your date is a suspect
and you fit the profile.
What were you thinking?
If you want me to leave
right now, I will.
If lives weren't at stake,
I'd send you home.
But if you leave now
it might alert the killer.
Just stay close.
Copy, yeah.
Did you hear that, Marisa?
Do you copy?
My good buddy Simon is here.
Marisa? Kylie?
[TENSE MUSIC]
Still nothing?
I had Alec up until the front
door and then, poof, nothing.
Reed's house is like a black box.
There's no signal in or out.
Reed probably has a system in place
to keep rivals from spying on him.
I need to know what's
happening in there.
Do you think that you can beat it?
First, I'd have to ID what he's using,
and even then, I don't know.
[SIGHS] So still no comms?
No, and still no Dax.
I don't like having
a suspect unaccounted for.
Well, we'll get through this, right?
And all we got to do
is identify a serial killer,
get a confession,
and survive until 8:00.
[CHUCKLES]
Okay, tonight's party game,
never have I ever.
You say something
that you've never done,
and if someone's done it, they drink.
Mm, so the person who
downs their drink first
is the coolest
and the winner is the lamest.
- Do I have that right?
- [LAUGHTER]
It depends on your point of view.
So the game was part of the strategy?
I needed to find a way to get them
to brag about their misdeeds.
The game was the fastest way to do that.
- A drinking game?
- Yeah, and I don't drink.
I brought my own non-alcoholic
wine so that I could blend in.
I needed to convince them
that I was just like them.
A drinker?
No, a psychopath.
I'll start.
Never have I ever
been unfaithful to my significant other.
Okay.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Come on. My ex is a Fed.
My new girlfriend was a spy.
I can't get away with anything.
Please tell me the rest of you
got to live a little bit.
Ah.
[UPBEAT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[CHUCKLES]
[SIGHS]
Never have I ever been
convicted of a felony.
- Ah.
- [ANGELIQUE CLEARS THROAT]
My juvenile records are sealed.
Good one.
Never have I ever
attacked someone physically.
Does the boxing ring count?
[SARCASTICALLY]
Does the boxing ring count?
Really, professor?
Word of advice: don't push me.
[LAUGHTER]
Never have I ever backstabbed my boss.
'Cause I never had one. [LAUGHS]
Go ahead, I know about the documents.
We're good. Breathe.
Never have I ever lied
to anyone in this room.
Not me. I was a Boy Scout.
That's two lies in one sentence.
Bah. [CHUCKLES]
And you're trying to hold on
to your last sip.
Just trying to keep the game going.
But fine.
Guess I win.
Well,
technically, I lose.
He wins for being a human marshmallow.
Everyone loves marshmallows.
♪
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
So that whole don't push me thing
I'm not proud of it, but I lied.
Just like the wine I was drinking,
most of the answers I gave were lies.
[CHUCKLES] You fooled me.
So the most honorable man
in the room lied
and all the psychopaths told the truth.
Reed admitted the most transgressions.
Well, based on my rough valuation,
he easily scores a 34 on the Hare.
When you watch him, what
does his behavior tell you?
That he hates me?
Uh?
And that he's guilty of something.
I just don't know what.
I'm gonna take a shot at him
because we're running out of time.
While you do that, why don't
I snoop around Reed's lair?
Serial killers love trophies.
Maybe I can find some hard
evidence that we're missing.
Simon, what did we learn about you?
That I matched the victim profile.
So don't go creeping around alone.
Okay.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Never have I ever lied to anyone here.
Now I have.
[SEAGULLS CALLING]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Nice view.
You have done well.
Professional curiosity.
Is it worth it,
given so many people may fear
or even hate you?
I don't care what the lackeys think.
Mm. Punching down.
In my line of work,
that wouldn't be a great look.
First thing I do when
I join a new venture
is to eliminate the weak links.
♪
Every organization is only as
strong as its weakest member.
And the earlier you cut out the rot,
the healthier the organization.
You may see Simon as a weak link,
but he is a Wylton at Wylton.
I'm not even sure
I could fire him.
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- Wow.
- Too easy.
- Right?
♪
- Yeah.
- No.
- Absolutely.
- Nice job, boss.
Who said anything about firing?
I just make my problems disappear.
- Hey.
- Nice.
Cut their legs off,
choke the life from them until
poof.
- Oh!
- [WOODEN BLOCKS CLATTER LOUDLY]
They're gone.
That's a vivid metaphor.
I got to admit I was thrilled
to be studying Ben,
but I'm starting to wonder if I
had the wrong man in my office.
Too late now.
[DOOR CREAKING]
[DOOR SHUTS]
♪
[LIGHT SWITCH CLICKS]
[FURNACE CLICKS ON]
Oh, no, no, no.
Hey, come on, pal.
Hey, don't be dead. Come on.
Come on.
[KEYBOARD CLICKING]
I got it!
I found what's blocking
Alec's communications.
I pulled the wire permits
for Reed's house.
Turns out, the whole place is
embedded with signal jammers.
- Can you take them down?
- I can't.
But you can.
Like in "Die Hard,"
when the FBI cuts out the power
and they disable the lock
to the vault
replace lock with jammer.
12 minutes to go. I gave Alec till 8:00.
8:00, we cut the power, send SWAT in.
Hopefully, we're not too late.
So I picked up the guy
and I moved him to the guest bedroom.
I'm pretty sure it's Dax.
- But he's alive?
- Yeah.
Did he say anything?
No, I mean, he's lucky to be breathing.
I was down there for two
minutes and even I got dizzy.
I think Reed put Dax in that room
and caused a leak in the furnace.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
is a form of asphyxiation.
Killer's MO. Case closed, right?
So he tied Dax up, locked him in a room
but left the keys out in plain sight?
But Dax was dying in his basement.
Reed talks like a killer,
but I can't tell
if he's gloating or trying
to draw fire from Ben.
Keep an eye on Dax.
Make sure he's okay.
We have six minutes, and I
still don't have a confession.
It's now or never.
Okay.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Okay, let's talk more later.
♪
Someone looks very serious.
I wanted to give you a heads-up.
Reed is the killer.
He practically confessed.
When I leave here,
I'm gonna tell the FBI.
Great, you got him.
Oh, man, you know what?
It just hit me, though.
If the co-founder of TauShin
is arrested for murder,
the company is done.
You're the only irreplaceable
person at TauShin.
No. Maybe this investigation
is a mistake.
Can we really put justice for ten people
above the fate of the planet?
Ben, I don't see any alternative.
I can think of one.
I have to kill Reed.
And you have to help me.
What do you say?
Are you in or are you out?
Now, you know the math
says to kill Reed.
- I'm not clear this adds up.
- Listen to me.
If he is arrested,
his crimes will be under
a microscope for years.
It will kill TauShin.
Maybe you're right.
Maybe this is the best bad option.
You need to save humanity.
But, Ben, this has
to be a foolproof plan.
I knew you saw the world
the same way I did. [CLAPS]
All right, but tell me the plan.
The less you know, the better.
Okay, just call it a night.
Take Simon, Angelique,
and Victoria with you.
Okay. But one issue.
I have to explain this.
♪
[LISTENING DEVICE CRUNCHES]
Reed spotted it, tore it off your chest.
That's why you had to run out.
That'll set up self-defense.
I'll testify that Reed was a threat.
And luckily, we have Dax.
- Dax?
- Yeah.
Simon found him unconscious
in the basement.
But once he recovers,
he's gonna say exactly who abducted him.
[TENSE MUSIC]
Which I can see now
is a problem because, Ben,
you took Dax.
What?
As part of your plan
to cover up your crimes.
Oh, come on. What are you
what are you, crazy?
- That's
- Look, I knew
when you said justice for ten people.
We only found eight victims.
Only the killer knows the exact count.
But if we're gonna do this,
we got to have an honest plan.
You need a fall guy.
So if Dax dies in Reed's basement
you're in the clear.
Wait, what are you saying?
Are you saying you're still in?
Yeah.
You and TauShin have to succeed.
Yes.
So there's just one loose end.
Dax has to die.
But, Ben, after that, no more killing.
No, no, no, no.
The deaths, the deaths stop here.
Look, I want to believe that,
and I will.
If you could just tell me
how it started,
then I
will know that you can stop.
♪
Charlie was an accident.
His tank failed. He was flailing.
And then it hit me.
I could give him my air,
I could save him.
Or not.
Suddenly, all I see
is my gloating brother.
Charlie and Pierce,
they are the same guy.
And as I sit there watching him die,
oh, I get this charge,
this energy to to remake the world.
And then it stopped?
Five or six months later, it was gone.
And I needed it. I needed it back.
Then in Tien Shan Mountains,
there was this climber
and he was tenting alone.
All it takes is moments.
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
Oh, the charge is back.
[CHUCKLES] So you did it again.
And again?
No.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
The way you crushed that wire,
classic misdirection.
Is that it?
You played me.
You're wearing a second wire,
and I just told you everything.
[ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THUDS]
[BEN GASPS]
[BOTH GRUNTING AND STRAINING]
[GUN CLICKS]
Give me the backup.
Whatever was blocking my signal is down.
The FBI can hear you.
They'll be here any minute.
Ben, you'll have to
kill everyone in here
before the FBI crashes in.
That path leads to you dead.
Every story is defined by its ending.
Do you want to endure
as the dead villain?
Or as a living hero?
[BREATHING HEAVILY]
♪
Tortured genius realizes
the depths of his crime,
surrenders
saves the world from behind bars.
♪
- FBI!
- Drop your weapon!
Ben Delano, you're under arrest.
Get him out of here.
♪
- Angelique!
- Hey.
[BOTH SIGH]
I should have seen it sooner.
I should have known.
And because of that, people died.
How am I supposed to live with that?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Alec is better at this part than I am,
but I'd say
think about all the people
that will live
because of what you did.
And for that, I'm proud of you.
Maybe enough to give our
friendship another chance?
Maybe on a trial basis.
- Oh.
- [CHUCKLES]
♪
You're up. Statement time.
You all right?
Honestly, I'm worried.
I wasn't supposed to come to dinner.
I wasn't supposed
to search Reed's house.
I crossed lines, ignored my fear.
I have a really long ring finger.
And you saved Dax.
Doctors say he'll make a full recovery.
When I said that I'd never
taken that test
I lied.
I took it after my brother died.
So when that happened,
the first thing I felt was
nothing.
And the second thing I felt was nothing.
All I felt was
numb.
And how did you score?
Lower than Ted Bundy.
Higher than Phoebe.
Spending two days playing
a psychopath reminded me
that we all have psychopathic
impulses from time to time.
And pushing the envelope
was good for you.
And how do you know when
you've gone too far?
By having compassion.
And thinking about how your
urge might affect other people.
And I've seen you
do that every day, Simon.
You're not like him.
And look, if all else fails,
take the outside view.
Ask what would I think
if I saw someone else do this?
That'll set you on the right path.
Thanks.
Go. I'll wait for you.
[SIGHS]
[SIGHS]
[PHONE BUZZES]
Yeah, nope.
What did I do to deserve this?
What you did was worry everyone sick.
But instead of yelling at you,
I decided to remind you
that people care about you.
With blended fruit?
Peach, banana,
orange sherbet, your favorite.
[CHUCKLES]
Let's get to work.
Not yet.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I'm, um, feeling an impulse.
Trying to consider it
from the outside view,
I think it looks good, but, um,
just trying to imagine what
an observer would think.
Well, can the observer
read body language?
Because if so
♪
Ben Delano said recently
in a prison interview
on balance, this is humanity's loss.
What do you say to that?
I say, for someone who claims
to care about humankind,
Ben doesn't care about humans at all.
Ben had the power
to make better decisions.
All we are, any of us,
is the sum of our choices.
In the end, choosing compassion,
that's what will save humanity.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪