[Taylor] Previously on Billions...
The kid, Kai Huang Liu, sells sham NFTs.
Liu's pop is a mega-billionaire!
Does thrice-yearly deals with none other
than Michael Prince himself.
Kai Huang Liu is on one of Michael Prince's jets.
What do you need to leave me out of this, man?
[Chuck] The kid in cuffs on American soil.
My plane was taken under false pretenses.
I have your self-research.
This is the one anyone can get.
This is the one only I can.
[Wendy] As I see it now, if I succeed in taking Prince out,
I'm gonna have to rough up each and every
person who works there.
How about we start with the gentleman
who is bringing color to your cheeks?
[Wendy] His name is Bradford Luke.
[Philip] Southern Property and Casualty is one of
the major insurers down there.
Once they declare Cat 5, the bonds are triggered
and used to pay claims.
That's a buzzcut for our total capital.
[reporter] Rosie is officially designated
a Category Four hurricane, not a Category Five...
[exclaiming]
I took steps as I saw fit.
You paid off the hurricane grader.
[Prince] If anyone finds out what you've done,
my run is GD over.
[Wendy] You didn't screw up, you tried to take him out.
Will you exercise the discipline required to really do it right?
-I will and we will. -Damn right.
What is it?
We got mugged last night, me and Taiga.
Well, I did.
-Are you all right? -Yeah, uh...
He came outta nowhere, grabbed my phone.
-[grunts] -[yelps]
And jetted.
And I took off running after the bastard.
Hey!
-You chased him? -Yeah.
I didn't catch him.
Oh, what, are you Ben Johnson now?
Without the 'roid-induced jaundice, yeah.
I-I-I didn't think, I just ran.
Guy must've been Usain Bolt.
Well, you should go to shul Friday night
and do a quick daven of thanks for that.
No, I didn't catch him.
[sighs]
Right. And if you had,
what the hell would you have done then?
Tried to depose him?
Well, I-I would have used brain, brawn, whatever I had to.
There were, uh...
sensitive documents on the phone.
-From this office? -Yes.
Well, can't you erase the phone?
Mm. Been trying. No luck.
That's because the first thing you do with a stolen phone
is take it offline so the owner can't wipe it.
Then you swap the SIM card into a clean phone
and look for a social media handle to ID the owner.
Then you start working on identify theft.
Did you try your phone carrier? Maybe they can wipe it.
Uh, I called. They said it could be 72 to 96 hours
before they can clear the data from the cloud.
Well, let's just hope the perp doesn't recognize you
as a high-value target before that happens.
'Cause then he'll really sift through the data,
bundle it and sell it.
[sighs]
Okay, my friend. What's this really about?
We're not exactly talking Hillary's emails here, are we?
No, I mean there's some work emails...
But...
There is filmed material.
Boudoir, in essence.
Us. Me and Taiga in the marital...
Sex tapes, I guess you'd call 'em.
Homemade. [sad chuckle]
It was Taiga's idea.
She has no bad angles. I'm all bad angles.
How explicit are we talking?
Very vanilla. But still.
Vanilla.
We did use a...
um, whaddaya call it...
a, uh... swing once.
I can see that this isn't a time you're going to handle jokes
very well, but boy, do I got 'em.
You've gotta help me get that fucking phone back, Chuck.
Mm-hmm. Let me work.
Lumen is on track to launch homegrown silicon.
We need to go big.
Five hundred million at a minimum.
No. We're too heavy in tech. Next.
Bartell. They're bringing a local supply chain online
-which gives them-- -How much we talking?
We should go in for three-quarters of a billion.
-For what kind of return? -15 percent.
-Too rich. -And it'll take too long.
Not worth the wait. Pass.
Fifteen percent not worth it?
Fuck.
[trash sound]
Rejection.
The love language of the trading floor.
Reminds me of the old days, before participation trophies.
Next victim.
The Wyndam Air Skyway merger is a lock for reg approval.
That's an equity value of $12 billion.
I can get us up to a five percent stake before--
[both] Pass.
[sighs]
Is that the number, 500 large,
that's beyond your approval range?
After that, you have to go to the principal's office
for a hall pass?
This all started when the nuns gave up rulers
for peace circles.
Listen up, you cosseted malcontents.
The only crosstown traffic in this office
is the ask and the deliver.
Know this: real traders don't need
the treasure of the Sierra Madre to make fucking money!
This meeting's over now. Go back to your desks.
And find some ideas that are worth plunging in on.
Nice draw you have there.
You really fire the hands through
at just the right moment.
Ah, the newly installed US Attorney.
-Care to knock a few? -Oh, no, thank you,
soon-to-be-installed NYPD Commish, no, thank you.
I've made it my life's mission to not learn the game.
My dad loves it just a notch too much.
Sure, like me and the streets.
Mm.
You know, I was in a fancy office,
playing three times a week,
and yet I find myself hanging up my clubs
and returning to Police Plaza.
-[chuckles] -So...
What brings you here,
instead of to my welcome-aboard party?
Don't think I haven't noticed that you didn't RSVP.
Having the US Attorney for the Southern District there
is an important look.
Well, why RSVP when you know I'll be there?
So, what are you gonna threaten me with, Chuck?
I haven't even started the job yet.
Why would I do something like that?
It's your M.O. And maybe your life's blood.
In another life, maybe.
It's true we have been on opposite sides
of things in the past, but it's different now. I am.
-If you say so. -I do.
And I am here in the spirit
of working together moving forward.
Like I did with your predecessor.
What the hell do you need, Chuck?
CCTV database.
Whoa. Oh, you don't think small, I'll give you that.
Especially if this is where we're starting.
It's for Ira Schirmer, my deputy.
He was burgled while promenading
the boulevards of our fine city--
something that surely won't be happening
with as much regularity under your tenure.
And they got his phone, and he needs it back.
Not even my first day on the job,
and I'm gonna pull CCTV footage for you
because your buddy lost his phone?
Like I said, he's my deputy.
And there are SDNY documents on it
that we would really prefer to keep in-house.
So, what you're asking for is a favor.
That would appear to be the case.
And how do you envision it working?
There certainly needs to be a flow of amity
between the federal prosecutor
and the head of local law enforcement.
You and I would get into a flow.
Oh, we can roll through this town
like Francis Albert and Jilly Rizzo.
And on the wings of that romantic image,
I should jeopardize my new post
and go chasing shit down for you.
Okay, I hate to say it, at the risk of
blowing this thing up any more,
but if you need cover, the stuff on that phone--
national security implications.
Okay, Chuck, you had me at Jilly.
I'm gonna look into this for you.
And I look forward to seeing you at my kickoff party.
I've already got my suit picked out.
This is untenable. We are ready to make the descent
at the Col d'Allos, and you put training wheels on our bikes.
We need the ability to make moves.
You are, whether you like it or not,
creating a choke point to your own success.
The whole floor can see it clear.
And I got bifocals? No.
I built my first company in a Bloomington garage.
I had a flip phone and three maxed-out
credit cards for capital.
Don't come in here and complain about
a $500 million ceiling.
This isn't "I walked ten miles uphill to school,
both ways" time.
Our interests are aligned, Mike. This disrespect--
I'd think you'd want us using your
unbridled belief in us as rocket fuel,
not jerking around chasing approvals.
If you want to wallow in bruised ego,
perhaps you should be in Wendy's office, not Mike's.
Because this man has done more with less
than either of you.
What we want is to do more with more.
Want. Need. Never the same thing.
-You both should know that. -This is a real problem,
no matter how you try to spin it. For us and the floor.
A half-billion-dollar limit is an inconvenience, at best.
I'm always reachable. And if I'm not,
Scooter is authorized to sign off in my place.
I am!
The only problem I see is that the floor obviously
has a big idea. You two have wasted
the last few minutes not talking about it.
So, do you have something to tell me?
We've got an early path to 5% on the Wyndam merger.
Good. Approval?
-Green light coming. -Done.
Spyros will stop by for the authorization.
See, that worked even better than I had imagined.
You two not only get your money
but my enthusiastic support for the deal.
Anything else?
X-ray vision is not one of my superpowers.
What do we got?
I have... No, I think I might have a problem,
a personal one, that may complicate some plans.
Ah, that kind of folder.
Is this the-the real Dark and Dirty,
or the garden variety oppo pack?
There's always two.
You're a professional, as am I.
The D&D has been handled.
Well, you're ahead of the game.
Good thing. Runs for Congress can be tricky.
It's the, uh, unburied landmines that get most first-timers.
I'm not most.
No, you're certainly not.
Sorry. I don't open anything for free.
Noted.
But I don't need to open this one
because if you're asking my opinion,
you've already determined whatever's in there
is a liability.
Or, should I say, whoever is in there.
And, yes, he's a liability--
your former colleague, Connerty.
If you want a street magic levitation
kind of reaction to that trick, I'm not your audience.
But I am impressed.
Difference is levitation ain't real.
Similarity is.
Creating the illusion takes a ton of work.
Before I signed on here, I created liability charts
for everyone in close prox to the man.
And, uh... this is yours.
Do I deal with it ahead,
even with the risks inherent in that approach?
In politics, there's only too late and too soon.
And no one sitting on the Hill
has ever regretted acting too soon.
Ben Kim, excellent work on the merger. Make it happen.
I thought you said--
We've decided to move ahead.
You decided?
Should we speak more slowly? Will that help?
-[exclaiming] -What the fuck?
[high-pitched voice] My bad.
Whitestone was a goddamn parking lot.
What?
[clears throat]
[normal voice] Oh, these?
Uh, niece's birthday party yesterday.
Every shop in Danbury was either sold out or rationing helium.
Had to go to fucking Queens.
Time I finally got these, party was over.
[chuckles] Kids.
So, my gift to you.
Mm!
[high-pitched voice] How many fucking Party Citys
did you have to go to?
[Dollar Bill] All of them.
In the hours I spent in line
behind sugared-up 5-year-olds,
I was able to reflect on my mistakes in the past.
Like Solzhenitsyn, revisiting the ways it could have gone.
Pass the dutchie somewhere else.
The Gulag Archipelago.
About the journey of a zek -- a prisoner--
from arrest, to show trial, to internment in a labor camp
where he's supposed to learn about the error of his ways.
Oh, like being sent to Siberia.
Yeah. Siberia. That's where they put Solzhenitsyn.
Well, unlike him,
I came out with a way in on Titan Industries.
What's the idea?
Helium shortage is about to get much worse, worldwide.
Titan is the only company
that's gonna be able to fulfill its helium contracts
after the first of the month.
I get us in with half a million shares now,
we can turn a 10X profit.
Do it.
So, we should visit these states
sometime over the next few months.
-We're all set. -Excellent.
This is the listening party
for the new Killer Mike album, right?
So, to review the bidding,
do not ask him for an endorsement.
Right. But if he introduces the conversation...
Still dangerous waters.
I can steer a kayak.
Mike once came second in the Nile River
Whitewater Competition shooting the White Nile rapids.
Difference being, you capsize there, you whip back up.
In this game, you get turned upside down.
Absolutely. As we have agreed. I know the consequences.
But this is a private event, no press,
so there are no optics.
Uh, just keep it personal.
If Mike floats the possibility of an endorsement,
just kind of nod and bring it back to me to sort out.
I hadn't even thought of his endorsement. You?
No. Hadn't crossed my mind.
Mm. But since you rolled the balls out, let's play.
Say I was considering it.
It's something that needs to be negotiated
like the Potsdam Conference.
Otherwise, you're opening yourself up to look weak if he--
Refuses to endorse me after all?
-Yes. -Well, that is a risk.
Should we not go? Maybe we shouldn't go.
Guys, I know you're still going.
Oh, and don't let anyone get a pic of you huffing grass.
[door opens, closes]
I'm coming to you humble.
Not possible.
Just the walking in here proves it.
I didn't anticipate asking for your help.
Funny. I did.
Hm. You would.
Should I put on the Dead Can Dance or--
I see that even as Prince takes my counsel,
it doesn't sit easy with him.
My normal guys are so used to being second-guessed.
Comes with the gig. This guy, though--
Yeah. Not pliable, I told you.
But somehow, you are able to bend him.
Can you spare a few minutes?
I'm coming to you, as I say, humble.
No, you're not.
They didn't program that into the factory model
when they fabricated you. But sure.
I... I appreciate the approximation of it.
But this isn't a "few minutes" conversation.
-I'll buy you dinner. -Where?
Um...
Jesus, Prince really does have you rattled.
[chuckles]
Okay. I got it.
This is Wendy Rhoades.
7:30. Two. A quiet table.
[Chuck] Dave. Always a pleasure.
What brings you to Federal climes?
Did you just miss me?
In the spirit of a new beginning,
a peace offering.
I was going to bring you a Montblanc,
but they say know your audience, right?
[clears throat]
I will admit, it's nice seeing you here.
It's where you belong.
Like Teddy Roosevelt astride his favorite mount, Bleistein.
Fine gelding, no doubt.
Now... you want something, yes?
I know when last we met, you weren't quite so transactional.
I was listening to a lot of John Lennon back then.
But soundtrack's changed.
Look, you're gonna make a case against Prince,
and I want to participate.
I can be helpful in so many ways,
as I have been before.
Mm. You brought pie.
Uh, what else can you do?
I know! You could double-cross me
if you see an angle to set up a triple cross
on someone else.
[laughs] Right. Been there, done that.
No such move comes to mind this time.
It's just that with your federal resources,
you can bring a much stronger case than I can.
But, I'm the strongest trial lawyer you know.
We can muddle through here.
We both know you can go after Prince alone,
Wild Style, but...
the minute you get something on him,
everyone from Pennsylvania Avenue down
is coming to grab a share of the spoils.
Mm-hmm. But not you.
Look. Think of me as a prairie homesteader.
I'm willing to help till the soil before winter comes.
We hit Prince together, divvy up the bounty
between state and federal charges, in case--
In case what? I bring something that doesn't stick?
-Won't happen. -It could!
Not to me.
Is this about stopping Prince,
or about you stopping Prince?
I could ask you the very same.
We can get this guy together.
[chuckles] We tried that. Remember?
Your plan. Your rules.
Until it was your plan, your rules.
So... we do it together, for real.
Think about it.
Already am.
Enjoy the dessert.
[sighs] Was a time I'd've taken this pie
and cleared my afternoon.
I'll see you out.
Attention, please!
The best sweet potato pie in the city,
courtesy of the New York AG.
[man] Thanks a lot.
[Wendy] It's his firm. His money. His guidelines.
Why would he cede that kind of control to you?
Because he asked us to take the rudder.
How many times have you seen The Hunt for Red October?
I don't watch Alec--
Yeah, and Connery had that interview back in--
Okay, I hear you, but let's not with that, right now.
I asked rhetorically.
I'm sure you both know lines by heart. The point is:
even Ramius,
who had almost total discretion, couldn't act alone.
Someone had to give him the keys every time
he took out that sub.
Is Ramius...?
Two captains in this story.
The point is, if you're asking for total
and complete control 24/7, you are wasting your time.
And his.
Well, we got that memo.
Let's pretend, for argument's sake,
that I have seen Hunt.
Once the high command becomes unreachable,
it is up to the captains to make the best call they see fit.
Chain of command is fine in dry dock,
but when you're at 200 fathoms and the missiles start firing,
you've got to have the leeway to act.
And now you have your argument for Prince.
For the record, I bleed Crimson Tide.
Still comes down to judgment and who should be in command.
Yeah.
I get it.
[door closes]
When I asked you before for your help,
you said you wanted to stay above the fray.
You know I'm sympathetic to the cause.
I hopped on a plane to England with you.
But I need to know exactly what I'd be helping.
Do you have a plan? More allies?
Are you prepared for the aftermath?
-Working on it. -So, no, you have nothing.
It seems that above is the right place to be
when the fray is all questions, no answers.
The helium play. Where are we?
Sitting as pretty as Jennifer Beals
holding the blowtorch.
If we're as locked in as you say,
are you sure no other fund is piggybacking off of us?
I cover my tracks. Like always. We're good.
Grand.
Dollar Bill's research is solid and surprisingly aboveboard.
Yeah? Okay, trying to wrap my head around that.
But we're missing something.
There's an opportunity out there to make this bigger.
-Find it. -When you say bigger,
is there a number I should be aware--
Go there.
And then bring it to me. And then I'll figure it out.
Phones please, gentlemen.
Welcome. Follow me.
[heavy techno music]
What's up, everybody.
Mike. Scooter, what's up, brother?
I wanna appreciate everybody for coming.
Been working really hard on some dope shit.
I hope y'all are ready for it.
For this? Always.
My man.
[R&B plays]
[Taylor] You did nice work with the helium play.
Nimble. Aggressive. Precisely the kind of thinking
best suited to our current leadership structure.
Why I'm here.
Here's how we make some real money.
We found a start-up with
breakthrough helium extraction tech.
The company goes public this week,
and the IPO is going to pop.
We've got Spartan-Ives holding a slot for us.
-But? -The buy-in is 634 million.
No splits, no partnering with other funds.
And Spartan-Ives is only holding the slot for an hour
before they offer it to someone else.
-President Prince-- -Don't call him that.
Prince the POTUS, then,
has asked, in his absence,
for me to keep my ear to the rail
for any tattle regarding sizing.
Said I should be his size king.
Are you sure that's the phrase he used?
You don't think I can handle it?
No, no, suppose you can.
No investment over five hundred million
-without prior approval. -[Taylor] No secrets here.
We were just calling him to get exactly that.
I'll wait.
[vocalizes drumming]
I'll wait Till your love comes back
Peach, we need to reach Prince, ASAP.
[Peach] One second.
I'm coming straight For your heart
No way you can stop me now
Stop singing.
As fine as you are
Fooh.
His line's going straight to voicemail.
And Scooter?
Same thing. Sorry. I'll keep trying.
Looks like we're on hold.
I'll wait till Your love comes down
I'm coming straight For your heart
They caught him.
I just heard. The magic of CCTV.
-Yeah. -You're welcome.
Um, when I went to the precinct to get the phone,
they wouldn't release it.
Why not?
Desk sergeant said the word from on high
is the phone is now evidence in some security matter.
Beyond the theft, I mean, why would some ema--
What'd you do, Chuck?
I had to tell him something to get him to focus,
so I might've embellished the importance.
What'd you say?
National security implications.
Christ.
I told him I'd be at his kick-off party.
Now I have an agenda.
All right, I'm coming with.
No, buddy. You never negotiate for a hostage
when it's a member of your own family.
All objectivity is gone.
What I need gone is those videos.
Taiga is busted up over this.
She's looking at houses in Delaware.
I need that phone, brother, or I might never have sex again.
That's a problem. But it ain't my problem.
Don't worry, I-man, I got ya.
[scoffs]
Still going to voicemail.
If we can't raise Prince or Scooter somehow--
She knows where he is.
We need to locate Prince and Scooter.
-They're out of the office. -[Dollar Bill] Office.
Yeah, so you said.
How would you like an all-expenses paid trip
to Bermuda to tell us where?
[scoffs] I'd like to keep my job
and my integrity more.
Bad call!
Girl's got no judgement.
Girl's got mad cojones, is what she's got.
That's Spanish.
This is going to be a lost opportunity
on the scale of Russia selling us Alaska
-for seven mill. -Seward's folly.
Like I said, yep.
This one'll be called Prince's folly.
Yeah. Only we're the ones that are really gonna lose.
Been working my socials to find a way to get to Killer Mike,
but no one I know has an in with the big man.
Shocking you don't run in the same circles.
It is disappointing.
I got us some time. Extra hour.
[all sigh]
I can be very persuasive.
Amen, brother.
The total investment is hovering around 600.
Can you sign off on that?
Sadly, I cannot. Hands are tied.
What about you? Special circumstances.
I am astonished to see you in Baghdad,
for I have an appointment with you tonight in Samarra.
Spyros rides a pale horse.
He really has a douchey way of saying no.
It's impressive.
Do I want you
Oh my, do I...
-Oh. -How are you?
Enjoy.
[indistinct chatter]
[laughter]
He was trying to get a gold medal.
Oh, come on!
That can't be real.
-[laughs] -That's wild.
We were just reviewing evidence.
Mm-hmm. Can't be evidence if it's a party game.
Come on, gimme the phone.
I would, but, uh, NYAG has custody.
[Dave] Literally, in this case.
You said there were work documents on this.
I need it to help build the case.
It's a state matter, not federal.
Ah!
A topic of much debate.
Not so much. There's plenty of case law--
She's got you there.
Okay, Dave, very good.
Very good. How do we make this right, for Ira?
Don't know. The compromise of sensitive DOJ correspondence
is a very serious matter.
You're running with this?
Oh, I've already gotten an injunction
forcing the phone company to disable remote access.
-Uh-huh. -You should tell Ira
to stop trying Find My Phone.
What he should do instead is freshen up his resumé.
Because with this kind of scandal,
this kind of kompromat hanging over the Southern District,
your deputy's gonna have to resign.
Uh, look, this is all a big misunderstanding.
-Okay. -No, I got this.
I-if we can just resolve this,
I will be the best friend you've ever had at Southern.
I thought that was you, Chuck.
This isn't Chuck's fault, okay. I lied.
-Ira-- -To your best friend?
A federal official, no less?
There's no SDNY material on the phone, okay?
A couple of emails about softball league.
-Say no more. -I told Chuck
there were work documents on the phone because...
All right, I'm here to come clean.
There are some personal videos on there.
It's very vanilla.
I would say more, uh, like fudge ripple,
in my opinion.
Looks to me more like Rocky Road.
'Cause nuts were definitely an ingredient.
[laughter]
Sounds like 31 Flavors with a cherry on top.
[laughter]
Oh! [chuckles]
-Et tu, Chuck? -Oh.
I didn't watch it.
Look, I know this is tough for you, buddy.
But right now, the best thing you can do
for yourself and Taiga is go home,
pour yourself a nice single malt,
and let me handle it from here.
Happy to chop it up with humans trying to do good
within their own personal prisms.
But before we go further, know this:
if it doesn't fit my personal prism,
there's no way I can get behind it or endorse it.
That's why I'm here.
We've got a lot in common.
We're both compassionate capitalists,
raised in the belief that making money
requires you to do good.
You ain't gotta go the common ground angle, Mike.
I mean, we're radically different.
I'm a Southerner, I like muscle cars,
strip clubs, shooting at shit in the woods.
Fortunately, it's not about me.
I just want to do something better for my community.
What do you want?
I want Black banks to flourish.
And I want them to flourish in underserved communities.
I understand the historical and systemic injustices
in the financial arena.
As president, I'd be happy to direct federal funds
to support the infrastructure of Black banks.
That didn't work with the Freedmen's Bureau.
I'm not looking for charity.
I can give you five Black banks in Atlanta,
from Citizen's Trust to Greenwood,
that all performed better at net-interest margins
than most banks nationally.
It's not that they're unsound, they're just stigmatized.
Which is worse.
How can I help?
By putting your personal money in those banks.
Validation from Mike Prince money
makes those banks instantly attractive.
It's bold. Shows leadership.
That you're not going to wait for Congress to pass legislation
watered down by interest groups by the time it comes to a vote.
Done. I'll endorse your banks.
I'll move $100 million by the end of the week,
and you can expect a bigger investment down the line.
Then you can expect my endorsement down the line.
Smoke one? Seal the deal?
We're gonna have to pass.
Was it them?
No. It's over. Spartan-Ives gave our slot to another fund.
[upbeat music plays]
-Hey, Pete, can you--? -Yeah.
You didn't finish your lobster tail.
We sure that's what it was?
I wasn't aware of your culinary skills.
Impressive.
It's how I kept money in my pocket
on summers off from Fordham.
Now it's more of a full-time thing.
I'm sorry.
No, you're not. I know why you're here.
-You're finally going to run. -It's my time.
[chuckles] Seems like it always was.
And now you want to know
if I'm going to be a liability for you.
Or have I been upgraded to an actual problem?
When I make a move, I prefer the base path to be clear.
If I wanted to fuck you over, I-I would've done it already.
You wouldn't have done it inside
'cause you know I can still pull levers in there.
Like you did to get me to the front of the line
for discharge to the halfway house.
-Thank you. -Sure.
But now that you're out,
breathing the sweet, sweet air of freedom,
you may be thinking you can go all Chris Shiherlis
and rock-and-roll at the drop of a hat.
-Don't. -Or what, you violate me,
have a judge put me back in?
-[scoffs] Yeah. -Yeah.
But also, your brother operates a forklift at a company owned
by a company owned by Mike Prince.
I've recently learned that
some of the items from the warehouse
may have found their way into Jackie's house.
[scoffs]
You slip up, say my name in public,
a raid will occur, one that will result in
a number of parole violations.
Yeah, sure. I get it.
As good as I ever become with a knife,
I'll never be able to cut like you, Kate.
So...
you've got me boxed up like supermarket sushi.
And maybe that'll help you sleep at night. Sort of.
But I have a different vision.
Dying to hear it.
Make a friend of me,
and instead of a liability, you'll have an ally for life.
Talk about sleeping like a baby.
Uh-huh.
And how does this nifty picture come together?
Help me get my law license back.
Not easy.
Brutal, in fact.
Yeah, but that's your specialty. You do that,
I sail off into corporate law or M & A,
and I stay out of your sandbox unless you need me.
Something like that will take a good while.
Well, until then,
you can find me behind the teppan,
biding my time with my mouth shut.
Hm.
[iexhales sharply]
Well played.
It's nice to see your time
working for me wasn't wasted.
You knew I could make moves.
That's why you hired me.
But doing it in front of your friends and colleagues, sure,
that is a page out of your book.
Okay, you have what I want. So...
let's haggle.
You took away my shot to go after Prince
and made my office look bad while doing it.
And so, I will kick some important case from my office
to yours, a nice, juicy federal one
that has some state jurisdiction
and will put the luster back on you.
Not "some" case. Prince.
No, no, that is my very own ship in a bottle.
It's a solo project I'm building on my own.
Then I'll keep this and pursue it on my own.
And at some point, it's gonna leak.
I won't do it. I won't have to.
-It'll just happen. -[scoffs]
It'll start out on TMZ or Page Six,
but eventually it'll find its way
to Reddit and Pornhub.
Fine. I will keep you involved in all matters Prince.
Involved is for the gals in the Junior League.
No, you're going to make me first chair--
Special Assistant United States Attorney--
to any federal prosecution of Prince.
So, you get to run the show?
Sharing is caring.
You want to save your friend's pasty ass?
It's your call.
[exhales]
Is it too late?
It is.
How much did we leave on the table?
Besides hearts and guts?
How much?
Projections are, by the time the company is mature--
1.4 billion.
-Next time. -There won't be a next time.
It can't be.
I had this system built right for living my life before.
But now, doing what I'm doing, with my run--
Wags, you have full sign-off
if Scooter and I are unavailable.
And don't come calling with bullshit, or I promise,
the answer will be no.
I want you all to remember this feeling.
Losing.
You can choose to believe this one is on me,
but understand, if it was me in your shoes,
I'd have found a way.
He has before. Many times.
It's been a long evening.
Go home, get some rest.
Because when you go through those doors again tomorrow,
every second, minute, and hour of every day forward
is to be devoted to making what happened tonight
an impossibility.
[phone vibrates]
[Luke] I got your text.
You nailed down the Killer Mike endorsement after all.
High-risk move.
-I did indeed. High reward. -You're right.
You are a different breed than I'm used to.
I'm not above admitting that.
But that's a handicap I'm trying to eliminate right now.
I'm meeting with Wendy.
I need her insights into you, Prince Capital,
what makes the whole thing work.
Better understanding on my part equals better results.
And she's not coming across.
Says it's a nonstarter without your okay.
She's loyal.
Like Riley to Starks, game seven.
Put her on.
We've talked about trust.
But there are always boundaries.
Boundaries are a safeguard, but they can be a limitation.
Where I'm going, I can't afford that.
It's fine, you can talk to him.
About everything.
All the parts coming into alignment.
Impressive.
Today I saw how expensive it can be
when you don't put your faith in your people.
He sees something special in you.
I mean, besides the work you're doing for him.
He trusts you.
Hard to get him to the mountaintop without it.
Yo, what's good?
-Hi. -Hey.
So I'm wanting to start you off with a couple things.
We have chopped cheese with black truffles,
and we have curry goat patties with a couple dipping sauces.
Wendy, you know I'm gonna cook for you, right?
So, you won't be needing these menus.
-And I hope you're hungry. -[Wendy] Thank you, Chef.
Chef Kwame, this is Bradford Luke.
Hey, what's up, man?
He's gonna be bringing presidents
to dine here one day soon.
-Dope. -[chuckles]
Well, I look forward to it.
-Y'all enjoy. -Thank you.
So, what do you want to know?
Tell me everything.
About Mike Prince.
He's driven by a need for respect in a financial setting,
through equal parts faith and--
No. Not like you're talking to a strategist.
Like you're telling the person closest to you
everything you know about the person
you want to set them up with.
The person you think they should end up with.
You want Mike Prince the businessman?
The human? The father? The patient?
I want it all.
Then we're going to need another bottle.
[laughs]
[Ira exhales]
Holy shit!
[Taiga] Thank God!
-[sighs] -Thank you, Chuck.
-[Chuck] Mm-hmm. -This is incredible.
I told you I'd take care of it. I took care of it.
Dave says to change your password.
It's too easy. They didn't even have to use GrayKey.
Are you still using your birthday?
It's-- I know. I'm making a new one right now.
Mm-hmm.
And deleting those videos.
Yeah. All of them?
I mean, now that we've got 'em back.
[stammers]
Delete. Of course.
Of course!
You take the car. I'll get another one.
I'll meet you at home soon.
[nervous chuckle]
I just want to say--
No. You don't have to.
No, actually, I do.
I know this wasn't easy.
I also know the price for it has to be high.
Mm. It is.
Nosebleed altitude.
With everything we've been through,
I-I've always known
I could count on you to do the right thing.
Regardless of the sacrifice.
Because you could always see the bigger picture.
But...
this time...
you could've, you should've...
let me go down.
Big picture, it was the right thing to do.
[chuckles]
But you didn't.
Why?
Because you're my friend.
And, uh...
that's my big picture now.
Chuck, I owe you one.
[laughs] I think the ledger is probably even.
You know what? Come on, I know where there's some
leftover sweet potato pie with our names on it.
Hm?
[chuckles]
I heard today was a rough one here.
Like Mavericks at low tide.
When did you know you had a way to hit Prince?
After our conversation.
First I had to get the original firm to pull out of the IPO.
Plant some seeds of doubt about the deal.
Turns out: "Are you really gonna buy that shit?"
goes a long way in a volatile market.
After they bailed on the IPO, I leaked word to Spartan-Ives
that candidate Prince would be
very appreciative if we got a look.
I hadn't anticipated Victor being able
to get us the extra hour.
He is very good at what he does.
You should have let us know.
Yep.
You were completely exposed if things went south.
Maybe we could have helped protect you,
covered your tracks.
I had to move alone.
And I was confident you'd see it. Eventually.
But all this is only the setup.
Getting to the payoff will be much more challenging.
The secrecy. The deception.
I'm starting to get misty.
[scoffs]
-And now? -I have sign-off.
So, yes, the beginnings of a plan.
We might really have some pieces here.
We might indeed.
So...
[high-pitched voice] Let's send this motherfucker to Siberia.
[rap music plays]