[Chuck] Previously on Billions.
This company, formerly known as Axe Holding Company,
Axe Asset Management, and Axe Bank,
belongs to me now.
[Bonnie] We used to work for a killer.
Now we got a guy who wants to know how we feel.
Just tell me what you need to succeed here.
A boss I can trust and work with.
[cannons firing]
The artillery. I didn't come looking for a war.
I need this place.
But you fuckers need me too.
Listen, you motherfuckers, we've got a new general.
You better get in fucking step.
I'm unlike the man who came before me.
I do not break the law.
Billionaires break the laws of decency.
I need you to get to the right decision and approach.
What if we weren't attached to the way it's always been done.
I am hereby creating The Prince List,
which involves shedding all
the dirty capital currently invested.
[applause]
Follow me!
-[crowd cheering] -Yeah!
You wanted your war, you got it.
Fire in the hole.
[cannonball booms]
["Plush" by Stone Temple Pilots playing]
And I feel
That time's a-wasting, go
So where ya going to Tomorrow?
And I see
So would you even care?
[grunts]
Almost. Good.
-[sighs] -Again.
Hands go a little softer in the big city, Mike?
[Andy] Oh, he'll tell ya he's a quarry man,
a limestoner from birth, that he was...
Born with calluses.
Which is true.
But you can't keep 'em counting dollar bills.
Just get bigger ones.
Diamond shaped.
You wanna try a different route, Mike?
No. I gotta send this.
[Alex] Just do what she did.
[Prince] I'm no Andy,
or I'd be coaching the games.
L.A. 2028. Badass.
An American coaching an American team
for an American Olympics.
Lot of room to make history there.
Just like with this jump, Mike,
you wanna downplay the significance.
See the handhold and will yourself to it.
Just do it.
[grunts]
Closer.
How long do you have to be in L.A. for?
We'll see how long it takes to build this thing.
Construction on the complex starts next week.
Let's try this again, Mike.
I'm heading back in the morning.
I think if you can get your left hand in that crimp
before you go for the dyno, you'd have it.
Uh-huh. Wanna grab dinner before I leave?
We're not going to do that.
[man on TV] You can take the next months' shipment
in the name of a freight forwarder.
[man 2] Freight forwarder?
Freight forwarder and a customs broker.
-All right? -Hmm-hmm.
-Good, good, good. -Where are you going with this?
You just listen.
We're gonna stand this thing on its head.
Eyes up.
Mase Carb. You, too.
You know what some folks would call Paul Revere these days?
Dreamy?
A whistleblower.
He called out bad actors at great risk to himself
and helped win a righteous war.
What does it take to
break with the ranks
and blow the whistle on wrongdoing?
Big retailer's been playing dirty.
Shoes and gears say "Made in China,"
but they're using forced labor in Uighur concentration camps.
Rask Sportswear.
[Winston] Rask? Love them.
I wear their board shorts when I shred.
When you...?
At home, when I play Among Us.
But if I did surf--
They do make great shit.
All the same.
Second-generation company currently headed up
by the founder's son, Stuart Rask, Jr.
It has over 1,000 retail locations worldwide.
Market cap, 30 billion dollars.
And we're gonna short the snot out of it.
I want us positioned to take this ride down
like Slim Pickens on the nuke in Strangelove.
All the way to the ground and then...
[mimics world blowing up]
[Ben Kim] I'm definitely anti-concentration camp,
but Rask hasn't had a bad quarter in literally years.
And I'm not using literally figuratively,
I'm using "literally" literally.
Rask has the financials
to withstand the siege of Leningrad.
It's a "shame and short."
The key is to build social pressure
that goes beyond the numbers.
Make it unacceptable to be seen wearing Rask,
let alone holding their shares.
I'll grab my ma's rosary
and pray while we're at it.
Taylor sees it just right.
A sportswear brand is the perfect target.
Once we expose Rask, their sponsored athletes
will swear off the brand, the fans will follow.
The stock will be over.
[Taylor] And if we pull it off, it will send a message
to the Prince List investors, the retail sector,
-and the world, won't it? -[Prince] Yeah.
It's a statement win.
Get after it.
Why were they pushing back?
They're concerned they're being sent to charge
a machinegun nest for moral reasons.
And they don't trust a leader asking them to do that.
For profit, for greed,
they'll charge like it's the beach at Normandy.
But not for a cause.
Kobe was skeptical of the triangle at first.
Show 'em they can win under you like Phil did,
you'll have 'em for life, but to do that, this...
Yeah. Has to work. Got it.
-You know your piece? -I do.
-AG Rhoades! -Hey.
Wendy told me you'd be stopping by for your kids.
-Yes, sir. -I'll...
I'll be, just,
if you see a woman, mid-50s,
-blonde hair, yoga everything... -Hmm-hmm.
-...stall her. -What--
I'll be right back. Guard the door.
Hmm-hmm.
[door opens]
Okay, let me get those kids down for you.
What the hell was that just now?
Attorney-client?
Sure.
Guy on the tenth floor got his dates mixed up.
Needed help getting his mistress out
before the wife came back.
Oh. That is a tremendous feat of loyalty
and timing, no doubt.
You keep a lot of things straight around here, don't you?
-I have my moments. -Oh, come on.
Is there anything in this building
that works without your help?
Mrs. Resler!
Your husband wanted me to buzz him the moment you arrived.
Oh.
-Welcome back to the big city. -[chuckles]
Can I expect you back at the office now, too?
Uh, the office is not where my new war is going to be waged.
Not at first.
Tractor, again?
[scoffs]
Maybe.
But the venue matters less than the message,
the mandate.
Now I realized it's not one billionaire
having his way with the city.
That's wrong, but it's not existential.
But the overall effect of the billionaire class?
They're a scourge.
No, I'm gonna get them where they live.
I see.
We're gonna stand this thing on its head.
Mamet? Okay.
But he pulled that off in a small town.
-This is New York. -Well, New York
is a lot of small towns stitched together.
Welcome, members of Manhattan Door & Custodial.
As president of this union...
-[bangs gavel] -I call this meeting to order.
Look at this,
the doorman's vote must suddenly mean something,
because here's our state AG crashing my little speech.
[Chuck laughs]
Good afternoon, everyone. No. Far from crashing.
I am here to champion your cause.
I know how hard you all work and how little thanks you get.
In fact, during the recent plague,
who was on the front lines, manning the doors
while the well-heeled residents took cover?
You mean the ones who actually stuck around
and didn't run off to their beach houses?
I do. Yeah.
No one here got a months-long vacation like they did.
Which is why, if you'll have me,
I'm going to take up the fight to get you hazard back pay
for the work you did during the pandemic.
I volunteer to be your unofficial mouthpiece
and fight the Tenants and Property Management Board
on your behalf.
Don't all cheer at once, please.
Okay,
you're a regular knight errant.
Thing is, we don't want your help.
We're already in the middle of a negotiation with them,
and we're making progress.
Bringing in some high-profile state official
could spook the TPMB
and ruin the forward movement.
Plus, you got an angle.
[laughs]
I don't know what it is, but you do.
[Sacker] You need to know?
As long as it serves you and yours?
We see folks like you all day, every day.
We see what they say versus what they do.
Why should we believe you're going to help us?
We don't fucking know you.
I know him.
He's all right.
Thank you, Rafa.
You see the news, don't you?
I have made it quite plain that,
in looking out upon this state and city,
I have identified the one group
that has made them worse.
And those are the very people trying to do you dirty now.
I am not like them.
Like Rafa said, I'm all right.
And he knows my whole family.
Wife and kids.
Ex-wife.
[Rafa] Ex-wife is a generous tipper.
And his kids are "please" and "thank you."
Well, that's good to hear.
And the reason my children show respect is
they know how I feel
about those who put themselves out there
for the greater good.
But you know what the one problem with folks like you is?
You're so busy taking care of others,
of making sure that nothing gets in the way
of them living their best lives, that you put yourselves second.
You just accept what's offered.
That ends today!
Now!
Because I know how to ask for what's deserved.
Earned. For dignity.
Respect. And I'm going to use that not on my behalf.
But on yours.
What say you?!
Hell, yeah!
All right, Rhoades.
Go get 'em.
Victor was right.
He's often right.
I grew up...
Guys like that, I always assumed they were--
No, you'd be correct most of the time.
And he's some of those things.
But he's smart.
Fascinating.
Anyhoozit, when it comes to sports brands,
the market has a short memory for causes,
a long one for numbers.
Prince would know that.
He'd have that knowledge baked in.
I've found five less-established brands
that're dirtier than Rask.
I expect similar brands like that will fall a little,
in sympathy with Rask, but how much worse can it get?
Much worse.
All sorts of egregious shit I'd spell out,
except I hate spelling things out loud.
Almost as much as I hate being right
and not being able to prove it.
That's what the money is, proof.
Let's mukbang the whole sector.
No. Hold off for now.
This initiative would have worked under Axe,
but Prince has different priorities.
He seems to be after more than profits here.
So what, are you saying, "He's a kind man,
a wise man, he has plans, he has wisdom?"
'Cause vom city at that.
I don't know yet, but I know he's not Axe.
We're operating differently now.
Mase Carb's not going to be the siloed resistance anymore.
So we're gonna trust this guy?
We're throwing in. For now.
Until we have more information.
Stay on mission.
[sighs]
Attorney General Rhoades,
I'm at a total loss as to why you've involved yourself
in negotiations between our
Tenants and Property Management Board
and the Doormen's and Custodial Union.
All matters involving members of this state
are within my purview,
and that includes both your fine organizations.
But especially when it concerns those who are often
trod upon by the powerful and wealthy.
So I have lent them my voice
and my office as venue.
[MacGowan] Well, much as they don't need it,
-I guess it's fine. -They don't?
No. I was already prepared to offer a two-percent increase
in management fees. They've earned it.
Two percent, that'd be great--
Uh, Duilio, please.
Allow me.
Two percent is theft.
Might as well pick their fucking pockets.
These are the brave souls who protect you in your slumber.
If this board won't agree to five percent,
then these negotiations are nothing
but a cruel charade.
No dice.
Because he said? He's Barzini?
Well, Mr. Lazarra--
Yeah, I know who Bud Lazarra is
and how much real estate he owns in this city.
What you might not know is, I speak for the residents.
And we're not paying.
Sunburn, windburn, or whiskey?
It's all three.
Surf, turf, and Glenlivet.
Most of us skipped town for Covid.
Here the Hamptons, Vail, Caribbean.
They even let some especially high-net-worth
individuals into New Zealand.
So the doormen had the easiest workday they've ever seen.
Ah, sir, this is the problem exactly.
Wealthy residents like yourselves
retreated to the comfort of their many vacation homes,
leaving their helpers behind,
guarding their empty apartments,
fully exposed at the very epicenter of a pandemic
unparalleled in modern history.
You stand in their debt.
I find it curious that our doormen
hadn't thought to bring this up themselves.
And then you show up, flinging your shit all around
like a chimpanzee at the zoo.
I've heard about your theatrics, Rhoades.
But you'll receive no applause here
'cause I've got better things to do.
That's it?
The meeting's done when Lazarra is.
That was wrong. This is wrong.
Yeah. I mean how can they shortside you like that?
-I mean, two percent? -Not them. You.
They agreed to a bump that would make my guys glad,
but now we're getting zilch.
You would have me sit back
and let them take us for a ride, then?
Settle for less than your union deserves?
-No way. -What do you propose?
I think it's time for your boys to go on strike.
Uh-huh. No way. I can't make them go out.
Not when there's a real offer on the table.
I... [sighs]
[chuckles]
Look, man.
I'm here to help.
I led with the goddamn carrot, you know?
Let's just keep going in that direction, together.
You're gonna have to show me the stick.
[laughs] Ah, the stick.
Well, that is wielded by other agencies.
The DTF, you know?
The state Department of Taxation and Finance.
All that unreported income from holiday tips
you and your boys enjoy.
I'll try to fight 'em off, but at some point,
I'll have to investigate
and widen the scope to every other service union,
letting them know that the pattern started
with the doormen.
Which should do wonders for your social lives.
Jesus.
Yeah. Well.
Like I said,
I'll try to fight 'em off,
but you were asking about the stick, and that's it.
The one that's going to crack you across the skull.
So...
So,
I guess we're on strike.
Rian ran the numbers.
There are more profitable ways to make the same point
in the same sector.
You think Prince's lack of experience
in the public markets is showing?
No, it's not that.
He has the brainpower and the right instincts for this place.
Then why don't you just talk to him,
voice your reservations, show him your data?
I'm considering that this might all be a test.
Does he want us to confront him,
or does he want us to show that we trust him?
A test?
That sounds like an Axe move, not something Prince would do.
-I say there's no test. -So you think he's misguided?
I'm not going to make that kind of an assessment for you.
If you have your doubts, talk to Prince.
If I confronted every person here who gave me reason
to doubt them from time to time,
I'd need headgear and mouthpiece for every single conversation.
-Everyone? -Yes.
Present company not excluded.
Alex said he'd be posting right about now.
Let's check the Tok.
Every time I try to open it,
I'm accosted by Gordon Ramsay yelling at someone.
[Alex] Hey, everyone, this is Alex.
I wanted to let you guys know how I feel about Rask gear.
I just found out they've been using unethical labor
and lying about it for years, which is why I use
the NorthFace, a company I can trust.
Rask is a Dumpster fire of a company,
so this feels about right.
[both chuckle]
Hundreds of thousands of views already.
People doing stitches and duets.
It's made it to Twitter.
Naomi Osaka is dropping their sponsorship, too.
Women's soccer's talking a boycott.
Stock price is falling.
[laughs] Excellent.
[Sacker] I saw that the doormen are officially on strike.
[Chuck] Hmm, the foyers of Manhattan's
wealthiest buildings stand empty.
Good.
The, uh, negotiation meeting
with the Tenants and Property Management Board
went the way you thought it would?
I rejected their paltry attempts at compromise
and worked them all up into a rage. Karl!
Take these and deliver them directly.
Addresses are on there.
I want them to go straight from your hand to their recipient's.
No middlemen.
This will be a real tour of Central Park views.
Only better way is by blimp.
This one I will deliver myself.
Bud Lazarra. He's the key.
The other residents will take their cues from him.
[door opens]
Ah!
Christ on a bike!
Okay, Bud, keep your focus.
[Chuck] You know what? It's funny,
I'd heard that whole "don't move your head" thing was a myth.
But right before you shanked it, Buddy-boy,
I did detect some wobble in the cranial area.
But I'm sure Mr. Breed here can train that out of you.
If you weren't an officer of the court,
your own cranial area would be getting quite a jolt, Rhoades.
Ah.
Think you wanna hit me now?
This is for you.
A bill for the doormen's hazard pay.
[chuckles]
I might find your antics amusing
if they weren't such a nuisance.
It's like getting your house egged on All Hallow's Eve.
But your scheme won't work, Rhoades.
He gets that a lot.
Hmm. And from men even more entitled than yourself.
Hmm. And they do work, so...
you might want to think about that.
-Yeah. -[taps watch]
And we expect timely payment.
Nice to meetcha, Breedster.
He can use every bit of that encouraging coaching of yours.
[Breed] All right, Bud, let's do this.
You're going to face bigger distractions than that.
AOC just tweeted. She blasted Rask.
Now there's a heavy hitter.
Is it trending? Has the market reacted?
Yes and yes.
We're down to $17.00 a share.
You didn't seem quite surprised enough.
Wasn't I?
That tweet can't just be good luck.
All right. I made a call.
Nothing improper.
Made sure her staffers knew the issue.
Nicely done. What about the other thing?
The rentable equipment is being pulled to Pennsylvania,
to wait in the wings.
What about the companies that own?
They're tied up with projects elsewhere.
Supply chain is thin in the industry right now,
a real flexion point.
I know the stakes here. And I knew what to do.
But if it brings reassurance to check that I've--
Fair enough.
And thank you.
It's convenient that you're up here.
I have an HR matter.
-Sure. How can I help? -I'm going to fire Rian.
Whoa.
Okay. Reason?
She directly disobeyed my orders.
No room for ambiguity?
None. She took a position I told her not to take.
Several, actually.
Not only is it reckless, but it's also dangerous.
-Was it smart? -Does that matter?
Come with me.
Firing Rian may be the best move for you as a boss,
but it's not the best move for you as a person,
holistically.
Since when do we do holistically in this place?
New place, new thing.
And it applies, since the whole reason
you want to fire her is she hurt your feelings.
If a colonel gives an order--
This is not The Big Red One.
This is about you wanting blind trust from your acolyte.
It's about culture fit.
We've undergone a sea change here,
and Rian's still playing by the old rules.
She's proven herself unable or unwilling to adapt.
And have you adjusted, Taylor?
Really?
Because firing Rian sounds like exactly
what Axe would do if he were in your shoes.
Aim for 15, as close as you can get.
Let's whack those fucking bids like they're
Frankie Pentangeli about to testify!
[whispers] Are you sure we can still take directions from him?
He's still the...
whatever his job title is.
[Wags] Ready now, almost there.
Why are we huddling up?
Play's already been called.
Just readying the team to cover their positions
as soon as the stock hits $15.
For a nice tidy profit.
I didn't buy Axe Cap for tidy.
I want a big, sloppy profit.
In your words, Wags, "A monster pig. A Hogzilla."
Everyone, hold till the stock dips under five.
Five it is, baller.
Isn't that going to be a problem?
There's a problem with the short.
You too?
I'm glad you're here, Taylor.
You should both know.
I have two things to disclose.
One. I'm old pals with Stuey Rask.
[inaudible]
Stuey and I met at rock fantasy camp.
You can't hide
Your lyin' eyes
And your smile
Is a thin disguise
I thought by now
You'd realize
There ain't no way to hide
Your lyin' eyes
Most of the other attendees were suburban dads
who thought four IPAs, a joint, and a spin on Pornhub
was a wild night.
Stuey and I...
understood each other.
We were kindred spirits,
rock gods from another life.
He even lets me sing the Glenn Frey parts.
Touching.
But you said you had two things.
What else do you need to disclose?
That stock is about to rebound.
Very soon.
-How? -What'd you do?
I negotiated a buyout,
so that Prince could profit off the short.
But then I added a part two so that Stuey would be okay.
Come on.
See, I put a buyer in place.
As soon as word of the takeover gets out,
the Rask stock's gonna pop.
You ruined my play
and put hundreds of millions in capital at risk
because you wanted to sing Eagles songs.
He lets me sing the Glenn Frey parts.
I don't care!
He thought you could both win this way.
You'd profit off the short,
and Rask would still recover.
If Rask recovers, I don't win.
[Scooter] Uh-oh. The Bloomberg alert just dropped.
"Astra Sports is preparing an offer to buy Rask Sportswear,
leaving Stuart Rask, Jr.,
in as CEO for ten years."
Stock is already rebounding.
We're hemorrhaging money by the second.
We could try and cover our position.
We have to stop this takeover from happening.
It's the only way.
Before the Robinhood knuckleheads jump on him
or we're washed away by the retail wave.
You created this problem, fix it.
-How can I fix it? -If I asked you that question,
you'd say I'm a resourceful motherfucker.
I can be. I am.
You might also say, "If there's something Rask is hiding,
I'll Easy Rawlins that shit. In fact, I have it already."
I might. Yeah.
But to do Stu dirty like that...
I mean, Glenn would never have done that to Don Henley.
Rask isn't Henley.
He's Felder.
Don't make me do to you what they did to him.
Would it be along the lines of firing me for cause,
tying me up in lawsuits
to enforce a non-compete, et cetera?
[Scooter] You say you're on the team, Wags. Be on the team.
Do the thing the team guy does,
or you're not on the team, are you?
[door opens, closes]
What cockamamie scheme do you have cooking in that
Crock-Pot of a head of yours now, Sonny?
[laughs]
It is the first battle in the new war I'm waging,
against the billionaires, the criminal class.
And I'm starting with the doormen.
Since when are you the voice of Johnnie Lunch Bucket?
Since it suits the needs of my constituents.
In the short and long term.
I'm listening.
But I'm not saying any more.
I'm going to keep my own counsel.
Ah, hell. My doorman is perfectly happy.
He always has a big smile
on his face when he greets me.
That is his job, Dad.
And you will have to pay the bill,
just as soon as Bud Lazarra cracks.
[scoffs]
That'll never happen.
You'd do not want to mess with Lazarra.
Why, because you've thrown in with him already?
Nah, I'm done teaming up with your enemies.
I took the wrong side of that bet for the last time.
Well, I'm glad to hear it.
Son, do you remember
the first summer
that we took the house at the Vineyard?
You were probably five or six.
Mm-hmm, I do.
Are you contemplating an extended vacation?
[chuckles]
Perhaps I should be, but no.
You were a feeble swimmer, at best.
Finally, one day,
you got out past the shore break
to the calmer water.
You turned to show me,
big, proud smile on your face.
You didn't see the wave coming.
-And you didn't warn me? -Warn you?!
I clapped and kept your attention on me
until the wave came and wiped you out completely.
I knew it was a lesson you needed to learn the hard way.
I got infections in both ears.
So, now you oughta know,
don't turn your back on oceanic forces.
See, I'm done teaching you lessons.
Those are for your sister now.
I am warnin' you this time,
before the wave breaks.
Lazarra's formidable.
I appreciate the warning
as a gesture of goodwill.
And a mark of the beginning of a new phase of our relationship.
But you and I both know
when I get big game in my sights...
I can't lower my rifle.
Well, in that case, my boy,
I wish you luck.
I'll don my blaze orange...
and step out of the line of fire.
Goodnight, Dad.
Excuse me!
Hi. I'm Andy Salter.
There's Prince tacked on there, if you're being particular.
Of course! You're his ex-wife, or--
Sorry, are you still...
Hi. Good. I figured it wouldn't be too long.
Since the last time I saw you,
the main sponsor of my climbing team
and the entire games is potentially bankrupt.
And I just learned that the construction company
that's building my training facility
can't get the equipment they need.
Somehow the heavy machinery got diverted.
And now, L.A.'s host status is on life support.
Meetings are being held about pulling it.
The commission's set to start re-shopping the bid.
-There's a plan. -Yeah.
That's clear.
It's all going to be resolved.
Why are you cratering my dream gig?
Do you remember our third date?
The Indiana State Fair?
We turned every booth into a competition.
I swear, if they kept records for the milk bottle ring toss
and the balloon dart, we would have smashed them.
I had armloads of those shitty stuffed animals.
A few times in my life, I've had,
I guess folks would call them epiphanies.
Where something just came clear, in an instant.
And each one set the tone for everything else.
One was when I first picked up a basketball.
The other was when I realized that I was able to understand
the intrinsic value of an opportunity in an instant,
and then there was that night at the fair.
I knew you were the one.
I was right about all three.
Yeah.
No doubt.
But basketball and markets
don't have agencies or free will of their own.
I do.
I see the way you look at me.
Still.
Loving you.
Admiring you.
Still being attracted to you.
None of that means we want to live the same kind of life.
And none of that means you get to unilaterally decide
-the direction of mine. -I've never done that.
You're trying to do that now.
This is about cleaning up a dirty company
and an entire industry along with it.
-It's bigger than us. -Yeah. Sure it is.
Fine, yes, I stand to profit.
Hugely, in fact.
It's a ten-bagger if Rask blows up.
That's not what I meant.
It's no coincidence that you got involved with my sponsor.
There are plenty of other ways to make a point and a profit.
Okay. I looked into the company because of your proximity to it,
and I saw an opportunity that was too important to pass up.
-Mike... -I have a way we can both win.
I was already winning.
I'm just trying to do my own thing,
and you can't leave it alone.
Be honest with me-- are you trying to buy back
-the relationship you want? -I haven't given up.
You should, though.
I just need you to trust me
and see how this is going to resolve.
If what you say is true, that I'm not letting you go,
then you have to also know
I anticipated your reaction to it.
When you're on the mountain,
you can know what you're supposed to do,
what you're trying to do.
It doesn't mean you can pull it off.
And if you try and fail,
there may not be a path to recover.
So if you are making some big move here,
be really sure you have your footing.
Because you and I are tied to the same rope now,
and if you peel off, you take me down with you.
Strike's been called off.
Doormen are back in uniform and back at their posts.
Billionaires still haven't paid?
Nope.
Well, that was fast.
I guess I have to go crawling back to Lazarra now.
As we knew you would.
I've got my checkbook
and my first aid kit ready,
depending on the outcome.
[exhales]
This is my city,
and you've come to learn that the hard way.
I know you bribed Mr. Santulli,
the head of the Door & Custodial Union,
to get his men back to work.
That's a cute story, Chuck.
But I prefer nonfiction myself.
We settled at the original two percent number.
So once again, you've proved yourself
to be nothing more than a colossal waste of my time.
Ah, but see,
I have video.
Hey.
How you doing?
It's a private estate. Full beach access.
Kauai at Christmastime is pretty special.
So, when can we get your boys back on the door?
Right away.
Thanks for the use of the pooch.
Sure. Thanks a lot.
[Chuck] Once you were spotted together,
my financial crimes people threw a net
and found the wire transfers.
You may be sophisticated at hiding baksheesh, but, uh,
Santulli isn't.
That flush on your face is that, uh,
surf, turf or something else?
[clicks tongue]
This would make a real juicy morsel
to throw to the press.
Yeah, I can imagine every outlet
would want a bite.
But... I'm a reasonable man.
If you can get your cohort of fellow billies to agree
to a five-percent management fee increase for the doormen,
I don't believe I'll see the need to leak this story.
Olivia, how are things at New York Mag?
Always good when someone calls with a story.
What's the situation in there?
Chuck's in there right now.
If his meeting doesn't go the way he wants it to,
he's ready to deliver a cover story to you
with necessary evidence.
If Chuck wins the meeting, there won't be a story.
This time. But a nice raincheck.
Let's hope the meeting combusts then.
I'll be waiting in the car.
Why the hell would I trust you?
Because you know how he operates.
And I'll need you in my corner down the line.
All right.
We'll pay.
I'll round up everybody myself.
[Senior] It looks like the tides have turned, Bud.
We can't fight oceanic forces.
[Chuck] Hmm.
Oh, you should have seen the crimson shade
of old Lazarra's cheeks when I showed him what we had.
I wish I had a swatch of it to repaint my living room
as a victory trophy. [laughs]
They're gonna pay.
Tell Olivia to move on to her next lead?
No.
It's a beautiful night.
I'm feeling like a chat.
You do that, the billionaires of this city
are sure to come after you.
I'd never tell.
But I might tell her where to look.
Former holders of your very office
did not survive that attack.
Are you sure painting targets on our backs
is the best move right now?
No more skeletons in my closets to rattle.
Let 'em just try and Spitzer me.
Are you looking for your way out of this job?
You pigged out on those other sportswear companies dropping
after I explicitly told you to wait.
I knew you'd see it.
That's how confident I was that they'd pay off.
And they did.
The numbers supported my hypothesis.
I upped you from analyst
so you could take positions I supported,
not so you could go off and improv on your own
like an Eric Dolphy solo.
Yeah, well, I waited.
And then Rask started rebounding,
so I pulled the trigger.
And thanks to me, Mase Carb's in the black now.
You shouldn't have done that.
I already told you no. My last instructions still stood,
despite the change in Rask's price.
[sighs]
Leaving money on the table is like seeing
a punch buggy and not punching someone.
It just feels wrong.
But I could have listened to you.
Should.
I should have listened to you.
I will protect you this time.
Prince won't know you made this call.
But this game you're playing--
Yeah. Like Miles's band recording Bitches Brew.
No net.
I got it.
Astra Sports has canceled its buyout
of Rask Sportswear
after learning of CEO Stuart Rask, Jr's
secret partnership with North Korean dictator
Kim Jong-un.
Jesus.
This is what you were sitting on?
Stuey went to North Korea with Dennis Rodman
some years ago, even after the other sportswear companies
canceled and backed out.
Remarkable. Why?
Rask was still a boutique brand back then.
They needed to grow.
They came back from their trip fully capitalized.
Kim's been a silent partner this whole time. Still is.
Until now...
Look at the after-market ticker.
Rask is tanking.
Federal Trade Commission's doing a full probe.
[Scooter] Well, Wagsy, you did it.
You killed the buyout and fed it to the dogs.
[sighs]
[cell phone vibrates]
Hey, Stu--
It--
Listen...
can't we just talk about this at rehearsal?
Stuey just kicked me out of the band.
Olivia told me that Lazarra article
should drop tonight.
We'd better batten down the hatches.
Nah, let the gale blow. I'm ready.
I'm trying to think like Hackman in Heist,
to understand why turning Lazarra against you
is the smart play,
and I am coming up dry.
Well, something my father taught me long ago.
Sometimes, you just have to break some shit.
Find out the strength of the reaction on the other side.
Use your will. Not your wits.
And make them know your moves
can't be anticipated.
That no one is safe.
I'm not sure that old school crap
is still gonna play.
The old school crap plays like Bobby Short.
You just have to know when.
Sometime when I'm drunk enough...
[laughs]
ask me about pancake eaters.
That'll explain it.
Okay. Well, it better.
You promised me a winning season, Chuck.
Right now we're looking like the New York Jets.
I'm running out of time before I'll have to quit
and campaign 25/8.
I am under no illusion that you'll be by my side forever.
But right now,
we've got our biggest mandate on the docket.
I can't lose my MVP yet.
I need you, Kate.
And I commit here, and I sense that you can even feel it
that we are about to have some very big wins.
And the right kind.
For the folks, like the five percent the doorman got.
Ones that will propel you where you want to go.
Where we all need you to go.
And then, once we're done with that and we're ready,
you will have my full-throated endorsement
and use of all my connections.
Okay, Boss.
-They're pulling them. -The games?
From the International Commission of Sport--
"With the human rights abuses at the hand of
our main sponsor...
in direct contravention to the spirit of the...
delays in construction and innumerable other problems...
re-opening a modified
and condensed bid process to be completed."
Rask is facing bankruptcy,
and Stuey is being hauled in front of Congress next week
on human rights abuses.
They looked to other sponsors, but no one stepped up.
Too smoky at the moment.
When they saw they couldn't pull it off financially,
they started making outgoing calls.
[cell phone vibrates]
Yes.
We should meet and talk about it.
I see you didn't fire Rian.
Was Prince upset?
I covered for her, actually.
I saw that she had learned the lesson.
Did you take the credit for her or for you?
What would I stand to gain?
Your freedom.
If Prince fired you.
No.
I want to stay.
You saw the news about the games?
Prince isn't just playing the markets.
His chessboard is much bigger,
and I don't think he's done making his moves yet.
When I'm done, this city will look very different.
Over there, you see that?
That's where the Athletes' Village will go.
We'll turn it all into low-income housing
after the games are over.
And that there,
is where we'll build the aquatic center.
It can then be used as a public natatorium after.
The very first New York Olympics.
It's a lot of work, Mike.
The city's down,
busted up, hurting.
It's the perfect opportunity to rebuild.
Every time New York has fallen--
It has been lifted up and rebuilt by a great man.
And that's you this time.
Us.
Not only will you keep your coaching job,
you'll now be head coach of all sport climbing.
You'll oversee all three events,
lead climbing, speed climbing,
and bouldering.
And the version of this place you'll see before I'm done,
you won't want to leave so quickly.
[Taylor] If he is who I think he is,
I may be able to start doing my job differently,
to change my purpose and who I am as a result.
You've got a lot riding on that read.
You still think I'm wrong about him?
I think we should both proceed with caution.
I think it's worth considering that what he did
might not have been based on some
lofty ethical reason.
What then, if not ethics?
His wife came by yesterday.
I knew he was married,
but that she's out of the picture.
Yeah. But she still showed up here.
All of this is some big romantic gesture?
That, or he has Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
And what would that mean, in Prince's case?
He thinks he's better than everyone else.
And he won't stop till he gets what he wants.
[Prince] For you, Coach Salter.
Nice.
You know this is far from a sure thing?
Sure, there's a lot left to do.
I'll have to gather some support.
Some support? You'll need a coalition.
You have to move the legislature.
The whole political machine, city and state.
And the people too.
Need to sell the goddamned commission on the idea.
Sure. I'm ready for all of that.
There's something else.
I'm not ready to give up.
On us.
Still mad at me?
I reserve the right.
Try on the jacket. See if you like it.
I'll put it on
as soon as New York is officially announced.
And I'm not moving here until then.
All right. But if I were you, I'd start looking at apartments.
[laughs]
Dinner?
Sure.
Dinner.
["Lyin' Eyes" by The Eagles playing]
You can't hide
Your lyin' eyes
And your smile
Is a thin disguise
I thought by now
You'd realize
There ain't no way to hide
Your lyin' eyes
There ain't no way to hide
Your lyin' eyes