The Irrational (2023) s02e16 Episode Script
The Overview Effect
1
[COMPUTERS BEEPING AND CHIRPING]
[ALARM BEEPING]
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Station, the external
ammonia quantity is decreasing.
We may have had some debris at the pump.
Copy.
GC, get a camera view
of the ammonia pump
out on the P4 truss.
Mm-hmm.
Can't see the pump.
It's hidden behind a structure.
See that?
That's not good.
Running additional tests.
We'll need you to shut down
external cooling loop alpha.
Copy.
But without cooling,
the station's gonna overheat.
We copy, but we need
to shut down the external pump
to prevent an interior leak.
As you know, that would be fatal.
Cooling pump disengaged.
Do you have an ETA?
Talking to Houston now,
but initial calculations
suggest that the station
has at most 72 hours.
Copy.
♪
[SIGHS]
♪
Mmm.
Uh, excuse me, young one.
These are not for you.
Excuse me.
You used up all my barbecue sauce,
so I assumed you were
paying me back with interest.
I'm sorry. I still owe you.
But these are for Rose.
Isn't she in Australia?
Exactly, for the next six weeks.
So I'm gonna miss her birthday.
Not sure how condiments
factor into all this.
Our favorite smokehouse
is going out of business,
so I contacted the owner
to get him to whip up
a final batch just for us.
Ah, sweet.
Just wonder if you, um, wanna go
a little less roadhouse
and a little more
romantic or expensive.
Studies show that people
respond more to sentimental
than monetary value.
Mm, not me, for future reference.
[CELL PHONE BUZZES]
Hey, what's TEVO?
Raina says I have to do it this week.
It's the FBI's driving school.
It's also known as Crash-Bang.
I'm not an agent.
Why do I need to do it?
Plus, I prefer to keep
my crashing and banging
- in the safety of my own home.
- [CHUCKLES]
Raina probably believes
it'll be good for you.
Says the man who totaled his car.
Ouch.
Are you sure this email wasn't for you?
- I gotta go.
- Mm-hmm.
[PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
So how many of you think
that this ad behind me
deters smoking?
Okay, the creators
of the ad would agree.
They spent millions
promoting the campaign.
But
smoking went up, at least among smokers.
- Everything okay?
- Any idea why?
Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't it be?
Because the ad evokes
the emotion of sadness.
And what do smokers feel compelled
to do when they are sad?
Phoebe?
- They smoke.
- Exactly, they smoke.
So in summation,
think about the emotions
you're trying to bring out of others,
because that's what drives behavior.
Thank you.
Have a good day.
What is it?
Can't believe I'm saying this,
but you are urgently needed at NASA.
It's a mission consult.
Oh, great.
You're driving.
Professor Mercer, thanks for coming.
Welcome to Harwood Space Center.
Your message said you're the "sim sup"?
Simulation supervisor.
It's my job to prepare
the astronauts by running them
through simulations where everything
that can go wrong does.
We need to send a crew up
to the space station
to perform critical repairs.
But?
The flight crew
includes a married couple.
It's a first for us.
I thought a married couple
went on the space shuttle in 1992.
You've done your homework.
Let's get you checked in.
We've had an unwritten
rule about couples
on the same mission.
But in that case, they kept
their marriage a secret
until it was too late to replace them.
They did divorce in 1999.
And is the no-spouse policy
still in place?
Each crew member is supposed
to be an equal,
interacting with others.
A married couple could,
in theory, upset that balance.
So why make an exception?
Our best, most experienced pilot
just happens to be married to our best,
most qualified engineer to
analyze and make the repairs.
You want us to test
whether it's okay to send them together.
I wanna know if we have the best team.
There's no room for error in this.
And we're on a tight time crunch.
So what's the mission?
You said it was critical.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
This is our ops center.
The ink is
a thixotropic micro-sand.
Is that Bill Nye?
Fun fact, each astronaut gets to pick
a celebrity to chat with while in space.
It can feel isolated up there.
This helps them stay connected
and, on occasions like this,
provide a needed distraction.
Bill, great to see you.
Great to see you, Alec.
Commander, how are you?
We've had better days,
but NASA's faced worse
and always
figured out a solution.
Well, we're here to help.
Hate to break up the party,
but we have to stay on schedule.
Roger that.
We're all pulling for you.
You've got the smartest people
on the planet
working on a fix.
Thanks, Bill.
Thank you and your crew
for your service.
We'll see you back on Earth.
- [COMPUTER CHIMES]
- Flight.
Professor Mercer.
Wylton University, right?
- Yes, sir.
- I considered it briefly,
but LI Tech was a bit more eager.
Shel Benson, lead flight director.
Shel has a reputation
of being the first one in
and last one out.
So it's your responsibility
to see that the crew returns safely.
GC.
To cool the station,
liquid ammonia circulates
around the exterior,
taking heat from inside,
sending it out into space
through the radiators.
The problem: ammonia is toxic.
And we got a leak.
It's a small leak.
And for now, it's confined
to the external loop.
But parts need to be replaced.
We have about 64 hours before we have
to turn the system back on.
Soon after, the leak will
filter into the interior.
The astronauts will start getting sick.
If we don't make the repairs by then,
we'll have to abandon the space station.
Can you leave it
without astronauts on board?
No, the ammonia will
make it uninhabitable.
This is our first non-Earth human base,
the home of more than 3,000
life-changing advancements
in science and medicine.
They'll have to be shut down.
If you left the crew there
much more than 64 hours without help
The astronauts will die.
♪
I think NASA should stick
with the no-spouse policy.
Why is that?
Sending up two astronauts
who are in love?
Favoritism.
I mean, divided loyalties,
jealousy, betrayal.
Remember that astronaut
who drove across the country
to attack a romantic rival?
Rizwan has a point.
When you're in a relationship
with a colleague,
it can be hard to keep boundaries
between work and personal life.
I think they can control themselves.
They're adults in their 40s.
I don't know. Space is romantic.
Can you even do that in zero gravity?
It would be tempting
to be the first to try.
Seems like an unnecessary risk
if there are other crew
equally qualified.
But there's not.
Andre and Selena are
the best people for the jobs.
As individuals,
but what about as a team?
We need more data on Andre and Selena.
Data is good.
We could adapt
the Gottman durability tests.
- What's that?
- Uh, Gottmans.
A successful husband-and-wife
psychologist team
that developed a test to
predict how stable a couple is.
Let's run it by the professor.
This is Colonel Andre Thianapolis
and Dr. Selena Cooper.
Welcome to the house of pain.
I see you've met our head of torture.
I hear he ruins your day down here
- so it's not ruined up there.
- [CHUCKLES]
Got the orders.
Simulated EVA this morning.
Extravehicular activity
a spacewalk to replace the ammonia pump.
The exercise is performed underwater
because that's the closest we can come
to simulating floating in space.
Who are they?
That's the backup crew.
We always train a secondary team
just in case anything goes wrong.
And them?
Russian cosmonauts.
They're hitching a ride on our shuttle.
In fairness, the Russians have been
giving us a ride up to the space station
for the last ten years.
Ever since we decommissioned
the space shuttle.
We've had no other way up until now.
All right, Colonel. Let's suit up.
I have to ask,
why not send the backup crew
and avoid the optics of even
sending a married couple?
We could, but Selena and Andre
have the most field experience.
Astronauts will live or die
as a result of this mission.
Ah.
Why send the second string
when you can send the first?
- Mm.
- Let's head downstairs.
Yes, sir.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
What I'm looking for
is how they communicate
when things go wrong.
Signs of the four horsemen.
Of the apocalypse?
Of the marriage apocalypse.
If we see criticism, contempt,
defensiveness, stonewalling,
the end is nigh.
[WATER GURGLING]
[GENTLE MUSIC]
♪
Setting PGT.
- PGT.
- PGT is power grip tool.
- It looks like a drill.
- It is,
but they call it a PGT and charge us
a million times more.
Can you have it malfunction?
[KEYBOARD KEYS CLACKING]
[DRILL WHIRS, STOPS]
PGT is out of power.
Roger that.
There's a backup in the airlock.
Healthy start, stating facts.
Not necessary.
Switching to manual.
They both go straight for solutions.
A defensive response
would try to assign blame,
something like, did you
check the battery earlier?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
My hero.
Sense of humor, a compliment.
They're scoring well.
Okay, now can we put them on a clock?
Time pressure tends to
bring out the worst in people.
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
Colonel, we got a TTC, 3 minutes.
Okay, I'm on it.
♪
[GRUNTS]
Ops center, I'm, uh
I'm feeling some dizziness.
Copy that, Colonel.
Biomedical data is nominal.
Uh, it could be hypoxia, CO2 symptoms.
Checking the oxygen line.
Ops center
[PANTING]
I can't breathe.
- That's not part of the drill?
- No.
- Vitals?
- On-screen.
Andre?
Pull him out.
Andre, can you hear me?
Andre. Andre.
Divers, bring EV1 to the surface.
Emergency egress.
- Repeat, abort.
- Copy. Simulation abort.
Andre, wake up.
Wake up.
♪
[SOMBER MUSIC]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
♪
Andre suffered oxygen toxicity.
Doctors sedated him to assess
any neurological damage.
They think there's neurological damage?
They don't know yet.
Do we know how this happened?
The CO2 scrubbers
must have malfunctioned.
We're reviewing the logs.
♪
Selena, are you okay?
Yeah.
This isn't part
of the simulation, is it?
Afraid not.
Okay.
I'm gonna go check on Andre.
♪
She just asked if this could still be
part of the simulation.
Is there any reason for her to believe
that you're still testing her?
Before we started the simulation,
I asked Andre to stage an emergency
with his oxygen supply.
But this wasn't supposed
to be an actual emergency.
I run simulations.
I don't do real emergencies.
But the higher-ups have been all over me
about the two of them, so I told Andre
to fake that he had an oxygen leak.
That way, we'd prove
she'd perform under pressure.
But he obviously told her
so she'd be ready for it.
I take full responsibility.
I'm not gonna sleep until I figure out
what really went wrong.
One thing we did learn
from this exercise,
there are no secrets between them.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Cam, this is such a surprise.
I didn't realize that you were
gonna be back in D.C. so soon.
Remember when I said
my flight got delayed?
Mm-hmm.
Well, in the security line, I wound up
next to this woman, Gabrielle.
Gabrielle.
Turns out, we're on the same flight,
and we're seated next to each other.
We hit it off.
Ooh, sounds like fate.
We've been talking
every single night since.
And last week, she even came
to see me up in Detroit.
Wow, it's been, like, what, a month?
Yeah.
This might sound crazy,
but I've actually
been considering moving down here.
Don't tell me you quit your job.
No, my firm's litigation
practice is booming in D.C.
Look, I just have
this feeling about Gabrielle.
And hey, it would mean that you and I
would get to see more of each other.
- I would love that.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
♪
An astronaut is all I ever wanted to be.
Andre too.
We were determined to go on this mission
no matter what it took.
Is that why you
went along with Bo's plan
to fake an emergency?
I just figured it would finally prove
that we could work together.
I didn't think
that we would wind up here.
But this wasn't supposed
to be a real emergency.
No, but if I hadn't known
about Bo's plan,
I might have reacted differently,
gotten Andre out of the water faster.
Selena, you cannot
blame yourself for this.
How's he doing?
I still don't know how this happened.
I think you need to talk to Bo.
What do you mean?
Before the simulation,
Bo told Andre to pretend
he had hypoxia to see how I'd react.
- No, he wouldn't do that.
- He did.
The simulation violated protocol
and undermined the trust that
is crucial for any mission.
The only way I'll feel safe
continuing on this mission
is if Bo steps down.
Selena, I've gotta
send a crew to the station
in the next 48 hours.
Excuse me. I need to find the doctor.
♪
Has Bo ever done
anything like this before?
No, I wouldn't have signed off on it.
Do you think that what he did
led to a real accident?
I don't know.
Maybe the whole thing is
just a hell of a coincidence.
But either way, it's unacceptable.
I need to talk to Bo.
♪
Burning the midnight oil?
Just updating my employee records.
When did you develop sciatica?
It comes and goes.
Are you trying to get out of Crash-Bang?
- Yes.
- Why?
Because I don't wanna do it.
Well, you can't just
make up a medical excuse.
Change that back before you
commit a federal offense.
Fine.
What are you doing here so late, anyway?
Oh, I had some catching up to do
'cause Cam surprised me
and came to town.
Well, isn't that what you wanted,
to build a relationship with your son?
Well, he might be moving here
for a woman he just met.
It could be true love.
He's talking about
uprooting his entire life.
It's a terrible decision.
Did you tell him that?
No, not yet.
And if you say nothing?
This is the first chance
that I have to be his parent.
I can't just say nothing.
And I can't lie and pretend
I'm happy for him, can I?
Yes. Yes, you can.
Lying is your best friend here.
Your son is a grown man in his 20s.
Your job is to nod and smile, Mama.
♪
Based on the results
from our relationship test,
Andre and Selena passed
with flying colors.
Assuming Andre recovers as we hope,
they're definitely
the best team for the mission.
She won't go unless Bo steps down.
Shel took care of that.
NASA put Bo on leave
until after the mission.
Well, for what it's worth,
I think Selena shows the type
of leadership qualities that NASA needs.
Explain.
Before the space shuttle
"Challenger" blew up,
engineers warned management
that there could be a problem.
No one listened.
Selena's looking out for
the integrity of the program.
Well, the team might be a moot point
if Andre's condition gets worse.
Do you think Selena would
still go if Andre doesn't?
Would we want her to?
If her husband takes
a turn for the worse,
that's a lot of stress.
I think she's demonstrated
she can handle it.
And what if he needs her here?
♪
[PHONE BUZZING]
It's NASA.
Alec Mercer.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
One second.
What's going on?
It's Bo.
He's dead.
♪
[INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
Thanks for calling me in.
The local PD says the body
was originally tethered
to the bottom of the lake,
but the knot came loose
and it floated to the surface.
Have you spoken to the coroner yet?
Yeah, they're expediting the autopsy.
Are you okay?
Mm. I didn't know him long.
He read my book,
and he wanted me to come in
and evaluate the astronauts.
He seemed genuinely broken up
about Andre's accident.
- Was it his fault?
- We don't know yet.
But he said he wasn't
gonna sleep until he
figured out what happened.
Maybe he did.
Or someone got to him first.
Did he have any enemies?
When your nickname is "head of torture,"
you can imagine there's more than a few.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
You mentioned Selena wanted him fired.
Do we know where she was last night?
I hate to say it,
but we should find out.
Mm-hmm.
♪
Can you tell us
where you were last night
between 8:00 and 11:00?
I went for a run.
- Alone?
- Mm-hmm.
At night, for 3 hours.
To go on long-duration missions,
we have to keep our heart rate
below 50 beats per minute.
I run 5 to 7 miles a day,
work out 2 hours a day,
and stretch for an hour, all so
my body won't atrophy in space.
That's a big commitment.
♪
You think I had something
to do with Bo's murder.
Selena, we're just here to rule you out,
given how upset you were with him.
I would never kill him.
Did Bo have an issue with
your and Andre's relationship?
At first, everyone did.
But Bo was a numbers guy.
He went with what the data said.
Isn't that why he brought you in?
Every decision I've made
for the last 20 years
has been to support this dream.
I'm on a crew going up
to the space station
to save my friends.
I wouldn't jeopardize it for anything.
What about the backup crew?
Maybe this was an act of jealousy.
That crew is set for
a mission six months from now.
They don't need to sabotage us
for a chance to fly.
Well, we'll talk to them.
Thank you for your help.
♪
What do you think?
I think, until we know more,
none of our suspects
should leave the planet.
Hey, I got your email.
Thank you so much for reaching out.
Oh, you're replying in person.
How very '90s.
There's not enough real-world
interaction these days.
Everyone's always behind a screen.
Is that why you want me
to do Crash-Bang?
In a way.
You may type from behind a computer,
but the black hats
you go after might come
after you in the real world.
I want you to be able
to spot a tail and lose 'em.
What's holding you back?
When I was a teenager,
my brother was burned
over most of his body.
He took three years
recovering in the hospital.
And every time I went to visit him,
the ICU was filled
with car crash victims.
So ever since, I drive like a grandma.
I hear you.
But I'm willing to bet none
of those people in the ICU
were trained by the FBI.
Maybe not, but it's
You know what? I'll go with you.
I used to be an instructor.
It'll be good for the both of us.
[SIGHS]
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
- Oh, darn it.
- What's wrong?
International shipping update.
It's Rose's birthday,
and I can't for the life of me
figure out whether
her present is gonna arrive
in Australia
two days from now or yesterday.
- What'd you get her?
- Barbecue sauce.
It's sentimental value.
- It doesn't matter. The case.
- Here.
Multiple security cameras caught Selena
on her run last night.
She was nowhere near the lake.
The backup crew was in science training
with Shel till 8:00 and then
a launch sim till midnight.
So that rules them out,
and the security cameras cleared Selena
but brought us two new suspects.
- They're Russian.
- The cosmonauts.
Mm-hmm.
They were both at Bo's home last night.
What's odd about that is that
they live at the NASA base.
All off-site interactions
are supposed to be logged.
And I take it this one was not.
Nyet, and they didn't return
to the base until 1:00 a.m.,
which means the cosmonauts were
the last ones to see Bo alive.
It says that they're staunch supporters
of the Russian leadership.
Well, any Russian
that doesn't like Siberia
is a staunch supporter
of their leadership.
Do you think this could be
politically motivated?
Russia and the U.S. each have operated
half of the space station since
its inception in the '90s.
The idea was to make space exploration
this global, unifying
endeavor towards peace.
But relations have gotten testier
over the last few years.
This year, Russia announced that
they don't wanna be a part
of this station anymore.
There's another one?
They're building one
for themselves.
The space race is back on.
So the Russians have
no incentive to keep
this space station operable.
In fact, it's better
for them if it's not.
Mm-hmm.
I think it's time that we go see
some cosmonauts.
We had nothing to do with the death
of the simulation supervisor.
We were trying to help Bo
understand what happened.
It's true.
Listen, if we support our government,
we have a better chance of
being selected for space missions.
But we have a rule.
We do not talk politics.
We're scientists.
Did you see anything unusual happen
at Bo's house that night?
We did see one thing strange.
That night, there was a man
walking on that path.
But I did not see his face.
The light was close to the ground.
The light was not on his head.
It was down.
I saw his shoes good.
His shoes were light blue and gray.
They were pink and white.
- Are you sure?
- No question.
Pink and white.
♪
[SCOFFS]
At least one of them is lying.
If the Russians are
involved in the murder
of a space program official,
this could become something much bigger.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Ah, hey.
It looks like Andre is awake
and up for visitors.
Selena's catching him up
on the cosmonaut situation now.
Is the State Department
really getting involved?
According to Shel, they wanna
gather evidence quietly,
keep this from spiraling.
Why would the cosmonauts
lie about shoe color?
Well, guilty parties often add detail
to make their story more convincing.
Okay, then why not
coordinate the details
of their lie better?
Uh, Rizwan, come with me.
I need to do an experiment.
[PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
[CLEARS THROAT]
Everyone can see the shirt that Rizwan
is wearing on the screen.
On your devices, indicate
the colors in this shirt.
I know, it seems obvious.
- Everybody entered?
- Yeah.
Okay, let's look at the results.
57% say black and blue,
43% white and gold.
And you're all correct.
How?
People have variations in the
cone cells in their retinas,
so even when looking
at the exact same object,
we may all see it differently.
That's a great theory.
Rizwan, I want you to tell them
the theory you came up with.
It could also involve
subconscious framing.
Our memory may associate the image
with something we've seen before
or how we expect it to look.
Fair point.
The takeaway, ladies and gentlemen,
is, you can't always trust your eyes.
♪
Hey.
- How'd it go?
- Great.
They're still arguing
over what color I was wearing.
Did you know that couples
who show contempt
for one another are more likely
to have a compromised immune system?
Yeah, they're, like, three
times more likely to get sick.
Are you guys dating?
- Yes.
- No.
No.
It's complicated.
Mm.
You don't have to hide it,
but something's feeling off.
Sorry about that.
We didn't mean to hide anything.
We kissed once.
And Simon and I clearly
haven't talked about it.
Oh, okay.
So I'm gonna grab a coffee.
Be back in, say, 30 minutes.
Mm.
I was
I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, um
- You first.
- Okay.
I, uh I was planning to bring it up.
I just, um didn't feel
appropriate at work.
Same. And you're right.
We're not dating.
- We haven't gone on a date.
- No.
Um
do you want to go on a date?
I, uh I totally understand
if you if you don't want to.
That's, um given that
we're colleagues,
it can get complicated, so
It's an experiment, right?
Agreed.
Maybe what we need is more data.
More data is always good.
♪
[EXHALES HEAVILY]
That was, uh
It really was.
Yeah.
Well, for the record,
I can only see blue and black.
I only saw white and gold.
Well, that doesn't clear the Russians.
However, it does explain
the inconsistency
in their description.
We need to continue investigating.
I'm afraid it's gotten more complicated.
When the Russian government found out
that we were interrogating
their cosmonauts
- Interviewing.
- Investigating.
The Kremlin is suggesting that there
are American spies who have infiltrated
the space program in Russia.
What does the State Department say?
Well, they're trying to de-escalate.
As of now, State wants to take the lead.
In the investigation?
They're saying that the FBI's
involvement is too aggressive.
Eh, it's above my pay grade.
One of your officials was killed.
And I need to launch a new
capsule to the space station
before we have to abandon it.
Aren't Andre and Selena on the crew?
It's too risky.
I had to go with the backup crew.
I thought they scored higher as a team.
That was before Andre's injury.
They're both shaken up.
I would be if my spouse
was in the hospital.
You're not married.
Only to my job.
And this is why.
The backup crew
is still some of the finest
astronauts in the world,
and I needed to make a call
in the best interests of the program.
[PHONE BUZZES]
It's the State Department.
I'll keep you posted.
You can see yourselves out.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Did he just boot us off this case?
He said no more FBI involvement.
Good thing I'm not FBI.
Just checking in, Commander,
seeing how you're holding up.
It's getting
a little warmer in here
since we lost
the external cooling loop,
but I'm good here.
It always amazes me how astronauts
stay so stoic in the face
of existential danger.
Panicking takes up more oxygen.
Mm.
It's my family I'm worried about.
My son turns nine next week,
and
he asked if I'd be there
for his party.
Well, help is on the way.
Clock was starting to get to me,
but now I see it as a good thing.
It's not a countdown to my doom
but to the moment where
Andre and Selena get here.
I guess they didn't tell you.
They're sending the backup crew.
I I'm told they're fantastic.
But Selena is the only engineer
who's done the repair before.
I don't doubt their skill, but
You wanna eliminate variables.
That's understandable,
given your situation.
I just wanna
fix this leak and get back
to my wife and kid.
They feel
very far away right now.
[COMPUTER CHIMES]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I know.
You will get home, Commander.
Godspeed.
Are they okay?
They'll be fine.
The car's supposed to overheat.
The exercise involves escaping the car.
You won't be doing that.
You sure you don't want me
to decrypt some documents
or something instead?
This could literally save your life.
Let's go.
[PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
Well, do you like it?
Well, it it looks great, Cam.
I love Alexandria.
It's a lot more
than I planned on spending,
but, uh, it's big.
Do you have to make a decision today?
There are three people
looking to put a deposit down
if I don't sign tonight.
- Hmm.
- So what do you think?
Be honest.
Do you think that maybe this is moving
a little too fast?
I mean, what's the rush?
You don't wanna uproot
your entire life for something
that could end up being a mistake.
- That's all.
- A mistake?
Look, I understand
how you might think that,
but you just don't
really know Gabrielle.
I'm sorry. You're right.
No, it's my fault.
I shouldn't have called you.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Can, uh, we continue this later?
Of course. Talk later.
[PHONE CHIMES]
- Sorry.
- Hey, no.
Did you talk to your friend
at the State Department?
Yeah, Shel wasn't exaggerating.
They're on high alert, and we're out.
But she did send over
the autopsy report.
Look, "Diatoms present
in the bloodstream."
Why is that underlined?
Oh, it confirms the cause of death.
Diatoms are some kind
of microscopic algae.
So if they're found in the bloodstream,
does that mean the victim drowned?
That's right.
I wonder what else the algae
could tell us about his death.
I know someone who'd have a good idea.
She's got dual PhDs
in life support systems
and astrobiology.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
[ENGINE REVVING]
Whoo-hoo!
[LAUGHS]
Whoo! [LAUGHS]
[SIREN WAILING]
[ENGINE REVVING]
[LAUGHS]
[LAUGHS]
- [LAUGHS]
- Okay, so a few things.
The police lights can only be turned on
- during an actual emergency.
- Copy.
These last three turns, you exceeded
the recommended maximum speed.
- Understood.
- And congratulations.
You've just conquered Crash-Bang One.
[LAUGHS]
There's a Crash-Bang Two?
How did your call with Cam go?
With him wishing he hadn't called.
How did it go with your barbecue sauce?
With me wishing I had
an in at Australian customs.
Mm. Your sauce is in customs.
And your son is in D.C.
One of our problems is fixable.
Offer to take him
and his girlfriend to dinner,
with no judgment.
Selena.
Professor, thank you for calling me.
Andre, it's good
to see you on your feet.
I'm sorry about the mission.
I know what it meant
for both of you to go.
When we're past this crisis,
I'm gonna work with Shel
on the simulation procedures.
There should be no secrets
among the crew.
And the sim should be cleared
with the flight director in advance.
Shel knew.
Wait, Shel knew that you were
gonna fake an emergency?
Yeah.
Yeah, Shel was pushing for it.
I heard him in his office.
Shel was against both of you
being involved from the start.
I assumed he stopped caring
when he saw that we started
performing better on our tests.
Why would Shel sabotage them?
Instrumental aggression.
Lose a battle to win the war.
He probably never meant
to seriously injure you.
He just wanted to prove
what he already believed.
That Andre and I wouldn't make the cut.
And as a result,
instead of saving the mission,
he jeopardized it.
Once Bo found out, Shel had to kill Bo
for the oldest motive in
the world: self-preservation.
Maybe, but how do we prove it?
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
I can't believe Bo is dead.
So we're wondering
if microalgae can be a lead.
Diatoms were found in Bo's bloodstream.
They're highly adaptable.
They can develop
a specific cell signature
even from one side
of the lake to the other.
So if the diatoms found in Bo's lungs
match the ones found on Shel's clothing,
that would mean they were
in the same part of the lake.
At the same time.
We can detect their age.
That's as good as DNA evidence.
But would the diatoms survive
on his clothes a few days later?
They're hardy.
They'd likely stick to clothing
for several days.
Shel might have been smart
enough to trash his clothes.
You need to get a warrant.
I bet there's one item
that he didn't trash.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Excuse me.
Alec, Marisa, what are you doing here?
We're preparing for launch tomorrow.
Andre and Selena
should be on this mission.
We've been over this.
It's too risky given Andre's recovery
and the trauma
that Selena's been through.
The trauma you created.
Excuse me?
Bo tried to show you the evidence
that Andre and Selena
were the most qualified,
but it didn't matter.
You resented them because
you're married to your work
and they're married to each other.
Social comparison theory.
You blamed your unhappiness
on their happiness,
so you sabotaged
Bo's simulation to punish them.
You intentionally
mis-calibrated the oxygen levels,
knowing that it would get Bo fired
and pull Andre and Selena from the crew.
You weren't trying to kill Andre.
You were just hoping
to provoke Selena,
proving a married couple
was unfit for the mission.
But Andre ended up
in grave danger.
You tried to pin that on Bo.
You're suspended till after the launch.
Are you serious? This was all your idea.
I'm sorry, Bo, that's not
the way I remember it.
♪
I know what you did.
This is my mission. You stay out of it.
It's too late for that.
But Bo figured out what you did,
so you killed him.
[GRUNTS]
[GURGLING]
We have a search warrant.
You wanna search my office,
my home, my shoes, go right ahead.
I'm calling the State Department.
We're not looking for shoes.
Hold your hands out, please.
You may have covered your tracks,
but my guess is, you didn't think
to scrub your college ring.
And we're betting that there
are microscopic diatoms
from the lake where Bo drowned.
And those are gonna match
the exact diatoms
found in Bo's bloodstream.
♪
Suffice it to say, never
underestimate the importance
of forensic entomology.
We have some news as well.
The new flight director just
came by to introduce herself.
We're back on the crew.
You're going
to the space station together.
We cannot thank you enough.
And please pass on our thanks
to Special Agent Clark.
Will do.
And I think I speak
for both of us when I say
thank you for your service.
Now, go save the lives
of some astronauts.
[LIGHT MUSIC]
Safe travels.
- Thank you.
- Mm.
♪
I tied things up
with the State Department.
Thanks for bringing me in.
You proved that spouses
do make a good team.
As do ex-spouses.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, how did Rose like her gift?
Customs returned it to sender.
You know, you could deliver it yourself.
[LAUGHS] Hop on a plane to Australia.
Happy birthday.
- I got class in an hour.
- Don't worry about that.
It'll be tomorrow when you land,
so you can teach the class yesterday.
Don't try to confuse me.
And I have too much to do here.
You know, a smart psychology
professor once taught me
that the best moments in life
aren't made by what you do.
They're made by whom you're with.
[SIGHS]
Hey.
Thank you for coming.
I wanted to make up
for what I said on the phone.
And I'm excited to meet Gabrielle.
About an hour ago,
she, uh, sent me this.
Ouch.
It was all moving too fast.
Guess I shouldn't have put the
down payment on that apartment, huh?
I'm sorry.
No, I am.
You were right.
I just I guess I just
didn't wanna hear it.
Thank you.
I never should have stepped in
with some kind of parenting advice.
Yeah, well, you weren't the only one.
My parents told me I should go for it.
They met in college
their first day on campus.
They said it was love at first sight.
I guess I just wanted to
believe that it wasn't a mistake.
Wanting love and putting
yourself out there,
it's never a mistake.
- Okay, so your honest opinion.
- Mm.
What do you recommend?
Uh, the brisket. [LAUGHTER]
Hey, only if they got Kansas City sauce.
That is my favorite too.
Good, it better be.
For those of you who are unfamiliar
with the overview effect,
it is a psychological phenomenon
astronauts experience
when they see Earth from space.
It's described as an epiphany,
an overwhelming feeling
that grips your entire being
when you see our planet
in the vastness of space
no borders, no countries,
just our fragile home
where we're meant
to care for one another,
meant to protect
if we are to survive.
We mostly hear
astronauts say they feel
an irrepressible desire
for human connection,
to share life with those
that they love the most.
♪
Because the best moments
aren't about what you do.
They're about whom you're with.
♪
[COMPUTERS BEEPING AND CHIRPING]
[ALARM BEEPING]
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Station, the external
ammonia quantity is decreasing.
We may have had some debris at the pump.
Copy.
GC, get a camera view
of the ammonia pump
out on the P4 truss.
Mm-hmm.
Can't see the pump.
It's hidden behind a structure.
See that?
That's not good.
Running additional tests.
We'll need you to shut down
external cooling loop alpha.
Copy.
But without cooling,
the station's gonna overheat.
We copy, but we need
to shut down the external pump
to prevent an interior leak.
As you know, that would be fatal.
Cooling pump disengaged.
Do you have an ETA?
Talking to Houston now,
but initial calculations
suggest that the station
has at most 72 hours.
Copy.
♪
[SIGHS]
♪
Mmm.
Uh, excuse me, young one.
These are not for you.
Excuse me.
You used up all my barbecue sauce,
so I assumed you were
paying me back with interest.
I'm sorry. I still owe you.
But these are for Rose.
Isn't she in Australia?
Exactly, for the next six weeks.
So I'm gonna miss her birthday.
Not sure how condiments
factor into all this.
Our favorite smokehouse
is going out of business,
so I contacted the owner
to get him to whip up
a final batch just for us.
Ah, sweet.
Just wonder if you, um, wanna go
a little less roadhouse
and a little more
romantic or expensive.
Studies show that people
respond more to sentimental
than monetary value.
Mm, not me, for future reference.
[CELL PHONE BUZZES]
Hey, what's TEVO?
Raina says I have to do it this week.
It's the FBI's driving school.
It's also known as Crash-Bang.
I'm not an agent.
Why do I need to do it?
Plus, I prefer to keep
my crashing and banging
- in the safety of my own home.
- [CHUCKLES]
Raina probably believes
it'll be good for you.
Says the man who totaled his car.
Ouch.
Are you sure this email wasn't for you?
- I gotta go.
- Mm-hmm.
[PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
So how many of you think
that this ad behind me
deters smoking?
Okay, the creators
of the ad would agree.
They spent millions
promoting the campaign.
But
smoking went up, at least among smokers.
- Everything okay?
- Any idea why?
Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't it be?
Because the ad evokes
the emotion of sadness.
And what do smokers feel compelled
to do when they are sad?
Phoebe?
- They smoke.
- Exactly, they smoke.
So in summation,
think about the emotions
you're trying to bring out of others,
because that's what drives behavior.
Thank you.
Have a good day.
What is it?
Can't believe I'm saying this,
but you are urgently needed at NASA.
It's a mission consult.
Oh, great.
You're driving.
Professor Mercer, thanks for coming.
Welcome to Harwood Space Center.
Your message said you're the "sim sup"?
Simulation supervisor.
It's my job to prepare
the astronauts by running them
through simulations where everything
that can go wrong does.
We need to send a crew up
to the space station
to perform critical repairs.
But?
The flight crew
includes a married couple.
It's a first for us.
I thought a married couple
went on the space shuttle in 1992.
You've done your homework.
Let's get you checked in.
We've had an unwritten
rule about couples
on the same mission.
But in that case, they kept
their marriage a secret
until it was too late to replace them.
They did divorce in 1999.
And is the no-spouse policy
still in place?
Each crew member is supposed
to be an equal,
interacting with others.
A married couple could,
in theory, upset that balance.
So why make an exception?
Our best, most experienced pilot
just happens to be married to our best,
most qualified engineer to
analyze and make the repairs.
You want us to test
whether it's okay to send them together.
I wanna know if we have the best team.
There's no room for error in this.
And we're on a tight time crunch.
So what's the mission?
You said it was critical.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
This is our ops center.
The ink is
a thixotropic micro-sand.
Is that Bill Nye?
Fun fact, each astronaut gets to pick
a celebrity to chat with while in space.
It can feel isolated up there.
This helps them stay connected
and, on occasions like this,
provide a needed distraction.
Bill, great to see you.
Great to see you, Alec.
Commander, how are you?
We've had better days,
but NASA's faced worse
and always
figured out a solution.
Well, we're here to help.
Hate to break up the party,
but we have to stay on schedule.
Roger that.
We're all pulling for you.
You've got the smartest people
on the planet
working on a fix.
Thanks, Bill.
Thank you and your crew
for your service.
We'll see you back on Earth.
- [COMPUTER CHIMES]
- Flight.
Professor Mercer.
Wylton University, right?
- Yes, sir.
- I considered it briefly,
but LI Tech was a bit more eager.
Shel Benson, lead flight director.
Shel has a reputation
of being the first one in
and last one out.
So it's your responsibility
to see that the crew returns safely.
GC.
To cool the station,
liquid ammonia circulates
around the exterior,
taking heat from inside,
sending it out into space
through the radiators.
The problem: ammonia is toxic.
And we got a leak.
It's a small leak.
And for now, it's confined
to the external loop.
But parts need to be replaced.
We have about 64 hours before we have
to turn the system back on.
Soon after, the leak will
filter into the interior.
The astronauts will start getting sick.
If we don't make the repairs by then,
we'll have to abandon the space station.
Can you leave it
without astronauts on board?
No, the ammonia will
make it uninhabitable.
This is our first non-Earth human base,
the home of more than 3,000
life-changing advancements
in science and medicine.
They'll have to be shut down.
If you left the crew there
much more than 64 hours without help
The astronauts will die.
♪
I think NASA should stick
with the no-spouse policy.
Why is that?
Sending up two astronauts
who are in love?
Favoritism.
I mean, divided loyalties,
jealousy, betrayal.
Remember that astronaut
who drove across the country
to attack a romantic rival?
Rizwan has a point.
When you're in a relationship
with a colleague,
it can be hard to keep boundaries
between work and personal life.
I think they can control themselves.
They're adults in their 40s.
I don't know. Space is romantic.
Can you even do that in zero gravity?
It would be tempting
to be the first to try.
Seems like an unnecessary risk
if there are other crew
equally qualified.
But there's not.
Andre and Selena are
the best people for the jobs.
As individuals,
but what about as a team?
We need more data on Andre and Selena.
Data is good.
We could adapt
the Gottman durability tests.
- What's that?
- Uh, Gottmans.
A successful husband-and-wife
psychologist team
that developed a test to
predict how stable a couple is.
Let's run it by the professor.
This is Colonel Andre Thianapolis
and Dr. Selena Cooper.
Welcome to the house of pain.
I see you've met our head of torture.
I hear he ruins your day down here
- so it's not ruined up there.
- [CHUCKLES]
Got the orders.
Simulated EVA this morning.
Extravehicular activity
a spacewalk to replace the ammonia pump.
The exercise is performed underwater
because that's the closest we can come
to simulating floating in space.
Who are they?
That's the backup crew.
We always train a secondary team
just in case anything goes wrong.
And them?
Russian cosmonauts.
They're hitching a ride on our shuttle.
In fairness, the Russians have been
giving us a ride up to the space station
for the last ten years.
Ever since we decommissioned
the space shuttle.
We've had no other way up until now.
All right, Colonel. Let's suit up.
I have to ask,
why not send the backup crew
and avoid the optics of even
sending a married couple?
We could, but Selena and Andre
have the most field experience.
Astronauts will live or die
as a result of this mission.
Ah.
Why send the second string
when you can send the first?
- Mm.
- Let's head downstairs.
Yes, sir.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
What I'm looking for
is how they communicate
when things go wrong.
Signs of the four horsemen.
Of the apocalypse?
Of the marriage apocalypse.
If we see criticism, contempt,
defensiveness, stonewalling,
the end is nigh.
[WATER GURGLING]
[GENTLE MUSIC]
♪
Setting PGT.
- PGT.
- PGT is power grip tool.
- It looks like a drill.
- It is,
but they call it a PGT and charge us
a million times more.
Can you have it malfunction?
[KEYBOARD KEYS CLACKING]
[DRILL WHIRS, STOPS]
PGT is out of power.
Roger that.
There's a backup in the airlock.
Healthy start, stating facts.
Not necessary.
Switching to manual.
They both go straight for solutions.
A defensive response
would try to assign blame,
something like, did you
check the battery earlier?
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
My hero.
Sense of humor, a compliment.
They're scoring well.
Okay, now can we put them on a clock?
Time pressure tends to
bring out the worst in people.
[COMPUTER BEEPING]
Colonel, we got a TTC, 3 minutes.
Okay, I'm on it.
♪
[GRUNTS]
Ops center, I'm, uh
I'm feeling some dizziness.
Copy that, Colonel.
Biomedical data is nominal.
Uh, it could be hypoxia, CO2 symptoms.
Checking the oxygen line.
Ops center
[PANTING]
I can't breathe.
- That's not part of the drill?
- No.
- Vitals?
- On-screen.
Andre?
Pull him out.
Andre, can you hear me?
Andre. Andre.
Divers, bring EV1 to the surface.
Emergency egress.
- Repeat, abort.
- Copy. Simulation abort.
Andre, wake up.
Wake up.
♪
[SOMBER MUSIC]
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
♪
Andre suffered oxygen toxicity.
Doctors sedated him to assess
any neurological damage.
They think there's neurological damage?
They don't know yet.
Do we know how this happened?
The CO2 scrubbers
must have malfunctioned.
We're reviewing the logs.
♪
Selena, are you okay?
Yeah.
This isn't part
of the simulation, is it?
Afraid not.
Okay.
I'm gonna go check on Andre.
♪
She just asked if this could still be
part of the simulation.
Is there any reason for her to believe
that you're still testing her?
Before we started the simulation,
I asked Andre to stage an emergency
with his oxygen supply.
But this wasn't supposed
to be an actual emergency.
I run simulations.
I don't do real emergencies.
But the higher-ups have been all over me
about the two of them, so I told Andre
to fake that he had an oxygen leak.
That way, we'd prove
she'd perform under pressure.
But he obviously told her
so she'd be ready for it.
I take full responsibility.
I'm not gonna sleep until I figure out
what really went wrong.
One thing we did learn
from this exercise,
there are no secrets between them.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Cam, this is such a surprise.
I didn't realize that you were
gonna be back in D.C. so soon.
Remember when I said
my flight got delayed?
Mm-hmm.
Well, in the security line, I wound up
next to this woman, Gabrielle.
Gabrielle.
Turns out, we're on the same flight,
and we're seated next to each other.
We hit it off.
Ooh, sounds like fate.
We've been talking
every single night since.
And last week, she even came
to see me up in Detroit.
Wow, it's been, like, what, a month?
Yeah.
This might sound crazy,
but I've actually
been considering moving down here.
Don't tell me you quit your job.
No, my firm's litigation
practice is booming in D.C.
Look, I just have
this feeling about Gabrielle.
And hey, it would mean that you and I
would get to see more of each other.
- I would love that.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]
♪
An astronaut is all I ever wanted to be.
Andre too.
We were determined to go on this mission
no matter what it took.
Is that why you
went along with Bo's plan
to fake an emergency?
I just figured it would finally prove
that we could work together.
I didn't think
that we would wind up here.
But this wasn't supposed
to be a real emergency.
No, but if I hadn't known
about Bo's plan,
I might have reacted differently,
gotten Andre out of the water faster.
Selena, you cannot
blame yourself for this.
How's he doing?
I still don't know how this happened.
I think you need to talk to Bo.
What do you mean?
Before the simulation,
Bo told Andre to pretend
he had hypoxia to see how I'd react.
- No, he wouldn't do that.
- He did.
The simulation violated protocol
and undermined the trust that
is crucial for any mission.
The only way I'll feel safe
continuing on this mission
is if Bo steps down.
Selena, I've gotta
send a crew to the station
in the next 48 hours.
Excuse me. I need to find the doctor.
♪
Has Bo ever done
anything like this before?
No, I wouldn't have signed off on it.
Do you think that what he did
led to a real accident?
I don't know.
Maybe the whole thing is
just a hell of a coincidence.
But either way, it's unacceptable.
I need to talk to Bo.
♪
Burning the midnight oil?
Just updating my employee records.
When did you develop sciatica?
It comes and goes.
Are you trying to get out of Crash-Bang?
- Yes.
- Why?
Because I don't wanna do it.
Well, you can't just
make up a medical excuse.
Change that back before you
commit a federal offense.
Fine.
What are you doing here so late, anyway?
Oh, I had some catching up to do
'cause Cam surprised me
and came to town.
Well, isn't that what you wanted,
to build a relationship with your son?
Well, he might be moving here
for a woman he just met.
It could be true love.
He's talking about
uprooting his entire life.
It's a terrible decision.
Did you tell him that?
No, not yet.
And if you say nothing?
This is the first chance
that I have to be his parent.
I can't just say nothing.
And I can't lie and pretend
I'm happy for him, can I?
Yes. Yes, you can.
Lying is your best friend here.
Your son is a grown man in his 20s.
Your job is to nod and smile, Mama.
♪
Based on the results
from our relationship test,
Andre and Selena passed
with flying colors.
Assuming Andre recovers as we hope,
they're definitely
the best team for the mission.
She won't go unless Bo steps down.
Shel took care of that.
NASA put Bo on leave
until after the mission.
Well, for what it's worth,
I think Selena shows the type
of leadership qualities that NASA needs.
Explain.
Before the space shuttle
"Challenger" blew up,
engineers warned management
that there could be a problem.
No one listened.
Selena's looking out for
the integrity of the program.
Well, the team might be a moot point
if Andre's condition gets worse.
Do you think Selena would
still go if Andre doesn't?
Would we want her to?
If her husband takes
a turn for the worse,
that's a lot of stress.
I think she's demonstrated
she can handle it.
And what if he needs her here?
♪
[PHONE BUZZING]
It's NASA.
Alec Mercer.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
One second.
What's going on?
It's Bo.
He's dead.
♪
[INDISTINCT POLICE RADIO CHATTER]
Thanks for calling me in.
The local PD says the body
was originally tethered
to the bottom of the lake,
but the knot came loose
and it floated to the surface.
Have you spoken to the coroner yet?
Yeah, they're expediting the autopsy.
Are you okay?
Mm. I didn't know him long.
He read my book,
and he wanted me to come in
and evaluate the astronauts.
He seemed genuinely broken up
about Andre's accident.
- Was it his fault?
- We don't know yet.
But he said he wasn't
gonna sleep until he
figured out what happened.
Maybe he did.
Or someone got to him first.
Did he have any enemies?
When your nickname is "head of torture,"
you can imagine there's more than a few.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
You mentioned Selena wanted him fired.
Do we know where she was last night?
I hate to say it,
but we should find out.
Mm-hmm.
♪
Can you tell us
where you were last night
between 8:00 and 11:00?
I went for a run.
- Alone?
- Mm-hmm.
At night, for 3 hours.
To go on long-duration missions,
we have to keep our heart rate
below 50 beats per minute.
I run 5 to 7 miles a day,
work out 2 hours a day,
and stretch for an hour, all so
my body won't atrophy in space.
That's a big commitment.
♪
You think I had something
to do with Bo's murder.
Selena, we're just here to rule you out,
given how upset you were with him.
I would never kill him.
Did Bo have an issue with
your and Andre's relationship?
At first, everyone did.
But Bo was a numbers guy.
He went with what the data said.
Isn't that why he brought you in?
Every decision I've made
for the last 20 years
has been to support this dream.
I'm on a crew going up
to the space station
to save my friends.
I wouldn't jeopardize it for anything.
What about the backup crew?
Maybe this was an act of jealousy.
That crew is set for
a mission six months from now.
They don't need to sabotage us
for a chance to fly.
Well, we'll talk to them.
Thank you for your help.
♪
What do you think?
I think, until we know more,
none of our suspects
should leave the planet.
Hey, I got your email.
Thank you so much for reaching out.
Oh, you're replying in person.
How very '90s.
There's not enough real-world
interaction these days.
Everyone's always behind a screen.
Is that why you want me
to do Crash-Bang?
In a way.
You may type from behind a computer,
but the black hats
you go after might come
after you in the real world.
I want you to be able
to spot a tail and lose 'em.
What's holding you back?
When I was a teenager,
my brother was burned
over most of his body.
He took three years
recovering in the hospital.
And every time I went to visit him,
the ICU was filled
with car crash victims.
So ever since, I drive like a grandma.
I hear you.
But I'm willing to bet none
of those people in the ICU
were trained by the FBI.
Maybe not, but it's
You know what? I'll go with you.
I used to be an instructor.
It'll be good for the both of us.
[SIGHS]
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
- Oh, darn it.
- What's wrong?
International shipping update.
It's Rose's birthday,
and I can't for the life of me
figure out whether
her present is gonna arrive
in Australia
two days from now or yesterday.
- What'd you get her?
- Barbecue sauce.
It's sentimental value.
- It doesn't matter. The case.
- Here.
Multiple security cameras caught Selena
on her run last night.
She was nowhere near the lake.
The backup crew was in science training
with Shel till 8:00 and then
a launch sim till midnight.
So that rules them out,
and the security cameras cleared Selena
but brought us two new suspects.
- They're Russian.
- The cosmonauts.
Mm-hmm.
They were both at Bo's home last night.
What's odd about that is that
they live at the NASA base.
All off-site interactions
are supposed to be logged.
And I take it this one was not.
Nyet, and they didn't return
to the base until 1:00 a.m.,
which means the cosmonauts were
the last ones to see Bo alive.
It says that they're staunch supporters
of the Russian leadership.
Well, any Russian
that doesn't like Siberia
is a staunch supporter
of their leadership.
Do you think this could be
politically motivated?
Russia and the U.S. each have operated
half of the space station since
its inception in the '90s.
The idea was to make space exploration
this global, unifying
endeavor towards peace.
But relations have gotten testier
over the last few years.
This year, Russia announced that
they don't wanna be a part
of this station anymore.
There's another one?
They're building one
for themselves.
The space race is back on.
So the Russians have
no incentive to keep
this space station operable.
In fact, it's better
for them if it's not.
Mm-hmm.
I think it's time that we go see
some cosmonauts.
We had nothing to do with the death
of the simulation supervisor.
We were trying to help Bo
understand what happened.
It's true.
Listen, if we support our government,
we have a better chance of
being selected for space missions.
But we have a rule.
We do not talk politics.
We're scientists.
Did you see anything unusual happen
at Bo's house that night?
We did see one thing strange.
That night, there was a man
walking on that path.
But I did not see his face.
The light was close to the ground.
The light was not on his head.
It was down.
I saw his shoes good.
His shoes were light blue and gray.
They were pink and white.
- Are you sure?
- No question.
Pink and white.
♪
[SCOFFS]
At least one of them is lying.
If the Russians are
involved in the murder
of a space program official,
this could become something much bigger.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Ah, hey.
It looks like Andre is awake
and up for visitors.
Selena's catching him up
on the cosmonaut situation now.
Is the State Department
really getting involved?
According to Shel, they wanna
gather evidence quietly,
keep this from spiraling.
Why would the cosmonauts
lie about shoe color?
Well, guilty parties often add detail
to make their story more convincing.
Okay, then why not
coordinate the details
of their lie better?
Uh, Rizwan, come with me.
I need to do an experiment.
[PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
[CLEARS THROAT]
Everyone can see the shirt that Rizwan
is wearing on the screen.
On your devices, indicate
the colors in this shirt.
I know, it seems obvious.
- Everybody entered?
- Yeah.
Okay, let's look at the results.
57% say black and blue,
43% white and gold.
And you're all correct.
How?
People have variations in the
cone cells in their retinas,
so even when looking
at the exact same object,
we may all see it differently.
That's a great theory.
Rizwan, I want you to tell them
the theory you came up with.
It could also involve
subconscious framing.
Our memory may associate the image
with something we've seen before
or how we expect it to look.
Fair point.
The takeaway, ladies and gentlemen,
is, you can't always trust your eyes.
♪
Hey.
- How'd it go?
- Great.
They're still arguing
over what color I was wearing.
Did you know that couples
who show contempt
for one another are more likely
to have a compromised immune system?
Yeah, they're, like, three
times more likely to get sick.
Are you guys dating?
- Yes.
- No.
No.
It's complicated.
Mm.
You don't have to hide it,
but something's feeling off.
Sorry about that.
We didn't mean to hide anything.
We kissed once.
And Simon and I clearly
haven't talked about it.
Oh, okay.
So I'm gonna grab a coffee.
Be back in, say, 30 minutes.
Mm.
I was
I'm sorry, I shouldn't have, um
- You first.
- Okay.
I, uh I was planning to bring it up.
I just, um didn't feel
appropriate at work.
Same. And you're right.
We're not dating.
- We haven't gone on a date.
- No.
Um
do you want to go on a date?
I, uh I totally understand
if you if you don't want to.
That's, um given that
we're colleagues,
it can get complicated, so
It's an experiment, right?
Agreed.
Maybe what we need is more data.
More data is always good.
♪
[EXHALES HEAVILY]
That was, uh
It really was.
Yeah.
Well, for the record,
I can only see blue and black.
I only saw white and gold.
Well, that doesn't clear the Russians.
However, it does explain
the inconsistency
in their description.
We need to continue investigating.
I'm afraid it's gotten more complicated.
When the Russian government found out
that we were interrogating
their cosmonauts
- Interviewing.
- Investigating.
The Kremlin is suggesting that there
are American spies who have infiltrated
the space program in Russia.
What does the State Department say?
Well, they're trying to de-escalate.
As of now, State wants to take the lead.
In the investigation?
They're saying that the FBI's
involvement is too aggressive.
Eh, it's above my pay grade.
One of your officials was killed.
And I need to launch a new
capsule to the space station
before we have to abandon it.
Aren't Andre and Selena on the crew?
It's too risky.
I had to go with the backup crew.
I thought they scored higher as a team.
That was before Andre's injury.
They're both shaken up.
I would be if my spouse
was in the hospital.
You're not married.
Only to my job.
And this is why.
The backup crew
is still some of the finest
astronauts in the world,
and I needed to make a call
in the best interests of the program.
[PHONE BUZZES]
It's the State Department.
I'll keep you posted.
You can see yourselves out.
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Did he just boot us off this case?
He said no more FBI involvement.
Good thing I'm not FBI.
Just checking in, Commander,
seeing how you're holding up.
It's getting
a little warmer in here
since we lost
the external cooling loop,
but I'm good here.
It always amazes me how astronauts
stay so stoic in the face
of existential danger.
Panicking takes up more oxygen.
Mm.
It's my family I'm worried about.
My son turns nine next week,
and
he asked if I'd be there
for his party.
Well, help is on the way.
Clock was starting to get to me,
but now I see it as a good thing.
It's not a countdown to my doom
but to the moment where
Andre and Selena get here.
I guess they didn't tell you.
They're sending the backup crew.
I I'm told they're fantastic.
But Selena is the only engineer
who's done the repair before.
I don't doubt their skill, but
You wanna eliminate variables.
That's understandable,
given your situation.
I just wanna
fix this leak and get back
to my wife and kid.
They feel
very far away right now.
[COMPUTER CHIMES]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
I know.
You will get home, Commander.
Godspeed.
Are they okay?
They'll be fine.
The car's supposed to overheat.
The exercise involves escaping the car.
You won't be doing that.
You sure you don't want me
to decrypt some documents
or something instead?
This could literally save your life.
Let's go.
[PLAYFUL MUSIC]
♪
Well, do you like it?
Well, it it looks great, Cam.
I love Alexandria.
It's a lot more
than I planned on spending,
but, uh, it's big.
Do you have to make a decision today?
There are three people
looking to put a deposit down
if I don't sign tonight.
- Hmm.
- So what do you think?
Be honest.
Do you think that maybe this is moving
a little too fast?
I mean, what's the rush?
You don't wanna uproot
your entire life for something
that could end up being a mistake.
- That's all.
- A mistake?
Look, I understand
how you might think that,
but you just don't
really know Gabrielle.
I'm sorry. You're right.
No, it's my fault.
I shouldn't have called you.
[KNOCK AT DOOR]
Can, uh, we continue this later?
Of course. Talk later.
[PHONE CHIMES]
- Sorry.
- Hey, no.
Did you talk to your friend
at the State Department?
Yeah, Shel wasn't exaggerating.
They're on high alert, and we're out.
But she did send over
the autopsy report.
Look, "Diatoms present
in the bloodstream."
Why is that underlined?
Oh, it confirms the cause of death.
Diatoms are some kind
of microscopic algae.
So if they're found in the bloodstream,
does that mean the victim drowned?
That's right.
I wonder what else the algae
could tell us about his death.
I know someone who'd have a good idea.
She's got dual PhDs
in life support systems
and astrobiology.
[TIRES SQUEALING]
[ENGINE REVVING]
Whoo-hoo!
[LAUGHS]
Whoo! [LAUGHS]
[SIREN WAILING]
[ENGINE REVVING]
[LAUGHS]
[LAUGHS]
- [LAUGHS]
- Okay, so a few things.
The police lights can only be turned on
- during an actual emergency.
- Copy.
These last three turns, you exceeded
the recommended maximum speed.
- Understood.
- And congratulations.
You've just conquered Crash-Bang One.
[LAUGHS]
There's a Crash-Bang Two?
How did your call with Cam go?
With him wishing he hadn't called.
How did it go with your barbecue sauce?
With me wishing I had
an in at Australian customs.
Mm. Your sauce is in customs.
And your son is in D.C.
One of our problems is fixable.
Offer to take him
and his girlfriend to dinner,
with no judgment.
Selena.
Professor, thank you for calling me.
Andre, it's good
to see you on your feet.
I'm sorry about the mission.
I know what it meant
for both of you to go.
When we're past this crisis,
I'm gonna work with Shel
on the simulation procedures.
There should be no secrets
among the crew.
And the sim should be cleared
with the flight director in advance.
Shel knew.
Wait, Shel knew that you were
gonna fake an emergency?
Yeah.
Yeah, Shel was pushing for it.
I heard him in his office.
Shel was against both of you
being involved from the start.
I assumed he stopped caring
when he saw that we started
performing better on our tests.
Why would Shel sabotage them?
Instrumental aggression.
Lose a battle to win the war.
He probably never meant
to seriously injure you.
He just wanted to prove
what he already believed.
That Andre and I wouldn't make the cut.
And as a result,
instead of saving the mission,
he jeopardized it.
Once Bo found out, Shel had to kill Bo
for the oldest motive in
the world: self-preservation.
Maybe, but how do we prove it?
[SOFT SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
I can't believe Bo is dead.
So we're wondering
if microalgae can be a lead.
Diatoms were found in Bo's bloodstream.
They're highly adaptable.
They can develop
a specific cell signature
even from one side
of the lake to the other.
So if the diatoms found in Bo's lungs
match the ones found on Shel's clothing,
that would mean they were
in the same part of the lake.
At the same time.
We can detect their age.
That's as good as DNA evidence.
But would the diatoms survive
on his clothes a few days later?
They're hardy.
They'd likely stick to clothing
for several days.
Shel might have been smart
enough to trash his clothes.
You need to get a warrant.
I bet there's one item
that he didn't trash.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Excuse me.
Alec, Marisa, what are you doing here?
We're preparing for launch tomorrow.
Andre and Selena
should be on this mission.
We've been over this.
It's too risky given Andre's recovery
and the trauma
that Selena's been through.
The trauma you created.
Excuse me?
Bo tried to show you the evidence
that Andre and Selena
were the most qualified,
but it didn't matter.
You resented them because
you're married to your work
and they're married to each other.
Social comparison theory.
You blamed your unhappiness
on their happiness,
so you sabotaged
Bo's simulation to punish them.
You intentionally
mis-calibrated the oxygen levels,
knowing that it would get Bo fired
and pull Andre and Selena from the crew.
You weren't trying to kill Andre.
You were just hoping
to provoke Selena,
proving a married couple
was unfit for the mission.
But Andre ended up
in grave danger.
You tried to pin that on Bo.
You're suspended till after the launch.
Are you serious? This was all your idea.
I'm sorry, Bo, that's not
the way I remember it.
♪
I know what you did.
This is my mission. You stay out of it.
It's too late for that.
But Bo figured out what you did,
so you killed him.
[GRUNTS]
[GURGLING]
We have a search warrant.
You wanna search my office,
my home, my shoes, go right ahead.
I'm calling the State Department.
We're not looking for shoes.
Hold your hands out, please.
You may have covered your tracks,
but my guess is, you didn't think
to scrub your college ring.
And we're betting that there
are microscopic diatoms
from the lake where Bo drowned.
And those are gonna match
the exact diatoms
found in Bo's bloodstream.
♪
Suffice it to say, never
underestimate the importance
of forensic entomology.
We have some news as well.
The new flight director just
came by to introduce herself.
We're back on the crew.
You're going
to the space station together.
We cannot thank you enough.
And please pass on our thanks
to Special Agent Clark.
Will do.
And I think I speak
for both of us when I say
thank you for your service.
Now, go save the lives
of some astronauts.
[LIGHT MUSIC]
Safe travels.
- Thank you.
- Mm.
♪
I tied things up
with the State Department.
Thanks for bringing me in.
You proved that spouses
do make a good team.
As do ex-spouses.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, how did Rose like her gift?
Customs returned it to sender.
You know, you could deliver it yourself.
[LAUGHS] Hop on a plane to Australia.
Happy birthday.
- I got class in an hour.
- Don't worry about that.
It'll be tomorrow when you land,
so you can teach the class yesterday.
Don't try to confuse me.
And I have too much to do here.
You know, a smart psychology
professor once taught me
that the best moments in life
aren't made by what you do.
They're made by whom you're with.
[SIGHS]
Hey.
Thank you for coming.
I wanted to make up
for what I said on the phone.
And I'm excited to meet Gabrielle.
About an hour ago,
she, uh, sent me this.
Ouch.
It was all moving too fast.
Guess I shouldn't have put the
down payment on that apartment, huh?
I'm sorry.
No, I am.
You were right.
I just I guess I just
didn't wanna hear it.
Thank you.
I never should have stepped in
with some kind of parenting advice.
Yeah, well, you weren't the only one.
My parents told me I should go for it.
They met in college
their first day on campus.
They said it was love at first sight.
I guess I just wanted to
believe that it wasn't a mistake.
Wanting love and putting
yourself out there,
it's never a mistake.
- Okay, so your honest opinion.
- Mm.
What do you recommend?
Uh, the brisket. [LAUGHTER]
Hey, only if they got Kansas City sauce.
That is my favorite too.
Good, it better be.
For those of you who are unfamiliar
with the overview effect,
it is a psychological phenomenon
astronauts experience
when they see Earth from space.
It's described as an epiphany,
an overwhelming feeling
that grips your entire being
when you see our planet
in the vastness of space
no borders, no countries,
just our fragile home
where we're meant
to care for one another,
meant to protect
if we are to survive.
We mostly hear
astronauts say they feel
an irrepressible desire
for human connection,
to share life with those
that they love the most.
♪
Because the best moments
aren't about what you do.
They're about whom you're with.
♪