You're safe here.
I'm not safe anywhere.
Where is she from?
Some fishing village in Shandong Province.
This one's sold.
Daddy, are you okay?
They gave up our commission.
Blake promised me that contract.
I can talk to him.
I don't think talk is what he's after.
What are you doing?
There's something going on.
We're moving on Long Zii.
Bolo's already on his way to dicing his bitch wife.
The area is Cow Hollow.
It'd be a nice addition to your assets.
To partners.
Long Zii has a house outside of Chinatown.
- They're gonna kill her. - Hey, Mai Ling.
What the fuck are you doing?
Get out of here. Just go.
They managed to kill me after all.
It's our time.
If they want a war, let's give 'em one.
You assured me this Chinatown squad was the answer,
but now we have gangs
murdering each other out in the open.
The squad is a public relations hit on all fronts,
and I am heading over to Chinatown to make sure
it stays that way.
But it would take a small army to establish
true law and order in Chinatown.
Well, we don't have an army,
so we're going to need another solution.
The Exclusion Act is the solution,
and Crestwood is the man to deliver it.
If we do right by him,
we'll have an ally in the White House.
But not if I don't back his play against the Chinese.
I think it's time you took a stand.
Don't you?
The senator needs to see who his friends are.
Frankly, I'm not sure you have a choice.
The violence is growing. It's become a national story.
We've got a couple of dead hatchetmen.
It's hardly a civic disaster.
Eleven dead hatchetmen,
and many more wounded, I'm told.
Is there ever a bright side with you, Buckley?
You crack the case yet?
Seven of the deceased are Long Zii.
The other four are Hop Wei and...
by the looks of it, there's plenty more
bleeding indoors somewhere.
Don't suppose anyone saw anything?
Would it fucking matter?
Bunch of fucking savages.
Oh, good.
The politicians are here.
Sergeant O'Hara.
Forgive the intrusion, but I wanted to introduce you
to Senator Robert Crestwood.
Pleasure to meet you, Sergeant.
What can I do for you, Senator?
Your, uh, Chinatown troubles
have caught the ear of Sacramento.
I'm here to see how we can help.
Got a shovel?
What can you tell me about this latest incident?
Two gangs. Eleven dead. No suspects.
This is the fourth such incidence of violence
in San Francisco in as many weeks, am I right?
We don't really keep count.
Obviously, this can't continue.
Lawlessness, murder... something must be done.
The Chinese in San Francisco
have shown no regard for the laws
of our great nation, even as they avail themselves
of its freedoms and opportunities.
We have been forced to expand our police presence
just to contain the violence.
And who bears the cost of such measures?
California's taxpayers.
Honest, law-abiding citizens.
This isn't a local problem, it's a national one.
Congress must staunch the flow of Chinese
into our ports immediately.
Fung Hai.
Same tong responsible for the dynamite
at the parade, I reckon.
Whatever's going on here, it's more complicated
than a gang fight.
What do you think?
They don't pay us enough to think.
That was a fucking blood jam!
We had them running like scared little bitches.
The Long Zii broke the truce and attacked us
in our own bowl.
Things they wouldn't have dared six months ago.
Do those sound like actions of scared little bitches?
What's changed?
Mai Ling.
Long Zii couldn't see past her tits,
and now that he's gone, she's looking to make her mark.
Yes, Chao?
I've got a message from Lao Ting.
He wants to know if you and the Long Zii
can come to terms.
He requests a meeting at the temple.
- A truce. - Fuck that.
Negotiation on neutral ground
between you and Mai Ling.
No way, you tell that uppity bitch she can...
Enough. When?
Tomorrow. Three o'clock.
We'll be there.
You meet with her, and you're basically giving her
all the boss cred she needs.
Open your eyes.
She was boss when he was still alive.
I knew Long Zii.
I could anticipate him.
But I don't know her.
And I can't know her mind until I meet her face-to-face.
We already know what she wants
and what she'll do to get it.
They moved on you in broad fucking daylight.
We can end this.
By scrapping ourselves down to our last man?
We have the best fighters in Chinatown.
We don't know how deep the Long Zii's alliance
with the Fung Hai goes.
For now, we have to assume
Mai Ling has two armies.
If we want to hold on to Chinatown,
we need to scrap smarter, not harder.
Any of these look familiar?
How about these?
You want to buy something or not?
Come on.
You did say you were a friend of the police.
Well, I know Bill.
Don't know you.
Why you come alone, hmm?
Bill's busy.
Chao is busy too.
I know the Long Zii and the Hop Wei
are fighting over the opium trade.
Now a third tong's involved.
Just trying to understand.
You want to understand Chinatown.
Hmm.
But you can't.
Too young.
Too white.
Too, um... stupid?
I'm so sorry. My English not so good.
There are laws that would allow me...
"Laws."
No laws here.
Only survival.
Same for you, huh?
You want to survive...
you stop trying to understand.
Now...
I really must ask you to go.
Police are very bad for business.
I don't know why I thought you'd help me.
Officer.
I just did.
You have to take me out of Chinatown.
I've done my best, but enough is enough.
You're hitting the tables again, Bill.
I didn't become a cop to spend my days
cleaning blood off the street or become a pawn
in some political pissing match!
If there's blood on the streets of Chinatown,
it's because the man I appointed to keep them safe
has failed to perform his duty.
You're not asking to be rewarded for failure, are you?
If I fail, I stay.
If I succeed, they'll probably make me a fucking lieutenant
and tell me I have to stay.
We're civil servants, Bill.
So we serve.
Don't take such a grim view.
Maybe the Exclusion Act will pass
and the chinks will all sail back to China.
Could happen.
- Keep it going. - Thank you.
Little something to see you through.
Thank you, Mr. Leary.
How are you doing there, Sean?
There hasn't been work for weeks.
I can't even make rent on a room.
Been on the streets for the last week.
That's no good. You should have come to me.
I'm looking for a job, not a handout.
There's proud, and there's being a stubborn ass.
And I would know, 'cause I'm both.
Here.
It's cold out, and a man needs a hat.
You go see Ed Flaherty at his boardinghouse.
Tell him I sent you.
He'll make sure you get a hot meal and a bed.
Thank you, sir.
And don't let me hear that you didn't go, Sean.
- I'll go, Mr. Leary. - Fucking coolie!
Fuck off!
This won't do.
This won't fucking do.
Congratulations are in order, Byron.
Your bid for the cable car track
has been approved.
Really?
It took a bit of arm twisting to accelerate the timeline,
but I've been assured... no more delays.
I'm thankful you saw fit to intervene on my behalf.
Please.
We're family now.
Just tell me that you'll deliver as promised.
You have nothing to worry about on that front.
Good. Because I vouched for you.
And if you prove me right, there will be plenty
of work to come.
San Francisco is booming, Byron.
Once those tracks are laid, we will be on
the very forefront of modernity.
Thank you for the coffee, but I should be going.
Sounds like I've got a busy day ahead of me.
No doubt you do.
Before you go, I'm hosting a dinner
tomorrow evening for Senator Crestwood.
The senator is in San Francisco?
Indeed.
Currying favor with the city's elite.
Just between us...
he's planning a run at the White House.
I see.
As mayor, it's my job to keep him plied
with food and drink...
and surrounded by generous donors.
Already looking for ways to spend the money
you promised me, hmm?
Politics is poker.
The pot may change hands, but it never really leaves
the table.
You've got a seat at that table, Byron.
Ms. Carlson will give you the details on your way out.
Ah Toy.
Evening.
We have a problem.
We need to talk. Alone.
It's okay. No English.
Timmons rejected our offer on the Spring Valley property.
I went in above asking like we discussed.
Everything was in order.
But somehow, he and his partner figured out where my money
was coming from, and...
well, they accused me of fronting for a...
A...
- What? - A Chinese whore.
They threatened to kill the deal and expose us
to the bank, unless we pay them more.
How much?
Five thousand dollars.
If they report us, the bank will seize
the entire portfolio.
All of your land, gone.
I'll be ruined and possibly brought up
on criminal charges.
I'm sorry, Ah Toy.
I tried to negotiate with them, but they have all the leverage.
It's okay.
We fix.
How?
Pay them.
Are you sure? What if they want more?
No choice.
First we buy silence.
Then we make plan.
One condition.
Close deal on Spring Valley first.
Then we pay. Only way.
As leader of the Chinatown Business Association,
it is my duty to represent the interests of our community.
Which is why I've called this meeting.
Things have gotten out of hand.
Your men are dying,
but this fighting hurts everyone.
People are scared.
Our businesses suffer.
All due respect, Lao Ting,
but if she wants an end to the war, the opium treaty
between the Hop Wei and Long Zii must be upheld.
What makes you think I want an end to this war?
Mai Ling.
Because I'm still recovering from your recent attempt
on my life, and I don't want to be standing here all day
seeing who can piss further, I'm gonna show you
the respect you haven't even begun to earn yet
by cutting through the bullshit.
You don't have the resources to win a war against us,
but I have no interest in losing any more men.
If you want to talk about working out a supply deal
for Long Zii territory, we can do that.
But for now, I want your assurance
that you'll honor the treaty and not attempt to receive
any more opium shipments.
Oh...
and I'd like an apology...
for siccing your Mongol dogs on me.
You assassinated my husband.
The leader of this tong.
We retaliated.
We all know you've had Long Zii's balls in a jar
for some time now.
What's done is done.
A war benefits no one.
You called for this meeting.
I'm assuming you have a proposition.
A public tong war brings an increased police presence,
and none of us want that kind of attention.
Let's contain it.
Two fighters.
The best from each of your tongs.
A duel?
If the Hop Wei win, the treaty stands
for five more years, after which we agree
to good faith negotiations.
If the Long Zii win...
they carve out an area in which they can
deal molasses independently.
Bullshit. They crossed the line.
We'll just dice the whole lot of them.
Why don't you dice me right now?
Why don't you each just take a minute
to consider your options, hmm?
What do you think?
It's interesting.
We're ready for a war.
Using Fung Hai muscle.
You think the alliance is a mistake?
I think we have a chance to end it
before we have to find out.
You can't agree to this.
A fucking contest?
- Buys us time. - Time for what?
We need to move while they're weak.
Put an end to Long Zii once and for all.
Maybe, but at what cost?
How many men?
Mai Ling is inexperienced, reckless.
She'll make a mistake.
Show us her throat.
And when she does, we'll be ready.
If the Long Zii agree to the terms...
so do we.
Mai Ling?
Then it is settled.
Wang Chao, will you see to the details?
Of course.
Hey.
Where were you the other night?
I'm sorry. Something came up.
I waited for you.
For hours.
I wanted to be here.
Believe me, I had no choice.
I do believe you. That's the problem.
I'm not following you.
You didn't have a choice, and neither do I.
- Penny... - And then, this morning,
I hear about dead hatchetmen on the streets of Chinatown.
You don't have to worry about me.
I can handle myself.
- You could have been killed. - But I wasn't.
But you will be.
One of these days... it will be you.
No.
Honestly, I don't know what we were thinking.
Can you imagine if someone found out?
We don't exist outside this apartment,
and we never will.
No, it doesn't have to be that way.
Really?
Tell me, what kind of future do we have?
What is this?
You're the one good thing I've found
in this whole fucking country.
It's not enough.
I'm the mayor's wife, for God's sake.
And you...
You're...
"John Chinaman"?
A criminal.
Okay, Penny.
Ah Sahm.
Don't come back.
You don't step up to a cop like that!
You don't fucking follow me!
You don't look at me! Do you understand?
- What are you doing? - That's right!
You'd better fucking run!
- Hey! - Get the fuck off me!
What the hell was that?
A misunderstanding.
A misunderstanding?
Yeah.
Well, I think you cleared it up.
Don't touch me again, unless you want to learn
to write with your toes.
How much do you owe, Bill?
I told you.
They don't pay us enough.
Our guest has arrived.
Mr. Patterson. Welcome.
Everything go all right at the bank?
Papers are signed and filed.
Mr. Patterson is now the proud owner
of the Spring Valley property.
Enjoy the cow shit. I won't miss it.
Now, for our other transaction.
I admire your resourcefulness.
But I've given it some thought.
Perhaps there's a better way for us to resolve this issue.
Why don't you have a seat while I fetch us some drinks?
Well, if it's all the same to you gentlemen,
I've had a long day.
Sit down.
As Americans, we are gravely offended
by your little enterprise.
But as businessmen,
we applaud your ingenuity.
Which is why, after careful consideration,
we've decided to be your partners.
What?
We know a lot of powerful players, Patterson.
We could be an asset.
You've just extorted $5,000 from us.
My client will never agree to a partnership.
I'm not talking to the Chinese whore.
I'm talking to you.
Lance?
Who the hell are you? My God.
Chinese whore.
You take my money.
I take back.
Tell her to stop, please.
She can have the fucking money!
Ah Toy, no!
What have you done?
Save our business.
Protect my partner.
No more danger.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. I can't.
I protect my partner.
You protect yours.
Go home.
This is new.
Okay.
Let's go.
Really?
What the hell?
Bolo was a great warrior.
I never imagined there was anyone
who could beat him.
Young Jun insists that you're every bit
the warrior Bolo was, but before I put the livelihood
and reputation of this tong on the line, I needed
to see it for myself.
And now I have.
Ah Sahm will be our champion against the Long Zii.
He will avenge Bolo's death
and by killing Li Yong will put an end
to the Long Zii's little insurrection
once and for all.
Will you do this for your brothers, Ah Sahm?
For me?
I will.
Father Jun's old-school, I get that.
But an honor fight when we hold all the tiles?
I think it's a mistake. Not that I'm worried.
I know you'll dice that motherfucker.
I'm just saying, we should be ending this,
not holding a fucking sporting event.
You know, the thing about these chinks is,
you can do whatever you want.
I could split this cooze in two,
and she'd just keep on smiling.
Thank you very much.
What do you say, darling?
Fancy a bit of a skull-fucking?
Something I can do for you?
The fuck?
I'm very sorry.
Please, please.
The so-called "Chinese problem"
is actually an American problem.
These are not pilgrims fleeing tyranny
to raise their children in the precious democracy
our forefathers fought and died for.
No, no, no.
The Chinese coming to our shores are criminals
and gangsters, bringing with them
a savagery not seen since the Indian wars.
Hear, hear.
Good evening, dear.
Daddy.
You got roped into this as well.
- If we don't close... - Cost of doing business.
- We will live to regret it. - Are you enjoying yourself?
That's all fine and good, Senator,
but surely you don't expect us to support a candidate
who's gonna decimate our greatest source
of inexpensive labor?
There are larger issues here
than your bottom line, Merriweather.
The spiritual and moral core of the nation is at risk!
I agree.
And there is certainly no shortage of American men
looking for work.
If we keep hiring foreign labor,
we will decimate the working class.
I'd probably feel the same way if I inherited my wealth.
Your father financed your company.
An insignificant loan paid back in full.
Gentlemen. Gentlemen, please.
As a fellow businessman, I am sensitive
to your concerns, Mr. Merriweather,
and once we have voted in the Exclusion Act,
we can certainly legislate for ample Chinese labor
as economics dictate.
Tell me, Senator.
You compare the Chinese to the Indians,
and I can't help but wonder how the Indians viewed
the arrival of our own ancestors
turning up on their shores in droves.
We brought with us God and civility.
You mean because we murdered them
by the thousands with bullets
instead of tomahawks and spears?
I imagine they would have wanted to enact
an Exclusion Act all their own where we were concerned.
Oh, Penelope, dear.
I hardly think it's fair to compare.
My point is, we came to a country,
found a people we deemed inferior,
and stole their land right out from under them,
and since then, we have imported different races
we deem inferior to do our dirty work for us.
And when that work is done, we lament their presence
in our country as an assault on our values.
Shut the hell up, dear.
Have you spent much time among the Chinese, Mrs. Blake?
More than you, I'd wager.
You'll have to forgive my wife, Senator.
She's never one to pass up a heated debate.
I guess you lost her vote, Senator.
Oh-ho... - If she had one.
You seem determined to embarrass me.
Trust me, you do that all on your own.
If you don't shut your mouth,
I'll have you thrown out of your own goddamn party.
Promise?
I think you've had enough.
You want to hit me too?
They were disrespecting the girls.
Word gets out this place isn't safe for white men,
I'll have the bulls at my door and no chop to pay them off.
So it's about money, hmm?
I'm not gonna have this conversation with you
while you're drunk.
That's a relief, because it sounded like
you were just getting started.
You're out of control.
Bolo is dead.
Long Zii is dead.
Do you really think you can keep going
fighting everyone on all sides?
You've been striking out recklessly,
with no plan, no purpose.
And now, because of that, you're about to step up
against one of the most dangerous men in Chinatown.
And I promise you,
right now, he isn't slapping around drunks,
sweating whiskey like some half-wit onion.
So go ahead, drink up.
I am done trying to save you from yourself.
There you are. I've got some lamb in the oven.
Just having a quick smoke before I come in.
Bill...
I know.
Believe me, I know.
Is this like the last time?
It's worse.
You know, when I met you,
I thought, "There's a man who might be difficult.
"He might even be an arse from time to time.
But he will always keep me safe."
That's why I married you.
Tell me you're going to fix this.
I will.
You'd better.
I love you, you big idiot.
- It's your funeral. - Tell me about it.
Ah Sahm.
You can't fight for the Hop Wei.
Not this time.
Little late for that.
Please.
Li Yong will kill you.
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
You can still get out of it.
Get injured.
Break a bone during training.
They'll have to pick someone else.
And then what?
The Hop Wei lose the tournament,
they won't quit until you're dead.
Don't pretend this is about protecting me.
This is about you once again needing
to prove to the world that you're the best.
You haven't changed a bit.
Do you know what I think?
I think if I win, your little power play is over.
That's not what this is about.
Really?
Who killed Long Zii?
Who the hell are you?
You can't beat him.
I guess we'll find out.
Good-bye, Ah Sahm.
Whoa, there! Whoa.
Morning, Mr. Mercer.
Mr. Leary.
I see you've got some men in need of employment.
- That I do. - I have good news.
Word has come down from on high.
We begin excavation
on the cable car track immediately.
Well, then, you've come to the right place.
Boys, listen up!
This is Mr. Byron Mercer.
He may not be Irish, but he's a friend
of the working man.
And how do I know this, you wonder?
Because Mr. Mercer will be using Irish labor
to lay the cable car track in San Francisco.
This is not the fucking railroad.
This is our city.
And we're not gonna let the chinks build it.
This man is a patriot, and with patriots like him
doing the right thing, we're gonna take back our jobs.
We're gonna take back our city!
Thank you very much.
The body was reeled in this morning.
Nearly gave the fisherman's boy a heart attack.
- Who is he? - Victor Timmons.
Real estate tycoon from Knob Hill.
Reported missing with his business associate,
Lance McCormick, two days ago.
And why are we here?
I thought Officer Leeds might like to poke
in the wounds, as he does,
since it's my inexpert opinion that this man was killed
by sword.
It's Officer Lee, sir.
Do I look like I care?
No coat or tie.
He was likely killed indoors and then dumped
out in the ocean.
So you're saying we've got
some kind of maniac Chinese swordsman
running around killing people in their homes?
We're assuming he's Chinese.
Yes, Officer Lee,
we're assuming it's a fucking Chinaman, because in 30 years
in this business, I've never come across a white murderer
who's killed anyone with a fucking sword.
Process of elimination and so on.
Morgan and Davis were one thing, but...
why would a real estate tycoon be targeted by the Chinese?
Well, I guess you can ask him that when you catch him.
He doesn't like me very much, does he?
That's not true.
He doesn't like you at all.
You ready for this?
Only one of us is going to walk out of there.
This is a means
for the tongs to settle their disputes.
Yeah!
This day was inevitable.
Things are gonna get very ugly in Chinatown.
You know, reading it, you obviously think,
"Wow, this is gonna be an epic scene."
But when you're actually walking through Chinatown
and all these guys,
all your guys start lining up behind you,
and as you come around the corner,
and you see all the Long Zii standing there,
it was so much fun.
I mean, I have to say, I've never looked so cool.
I'm like, "Thank goodness."
Yeah, it was kind of how I envisioned it, I guess."
Fifty dudes, all dressed up, carrying fake axes,
running at each other from the sides of the street,
they're having fun.
Even though I have so many fight scenes,
I particularly like that one.
Just because there's so many set pieces
where there's multiple people and multiple things going on
in one shot. It's not just me fighting one person here,
there's layers of fighting.
And it meant that we got to work
with more of the stunt guys all at once.
We had all these extras that we trained up
to sort of like be action extras.
And to see them, you know, getting trained
and then screaming at each other from across the room,
they bring to life the world.
Ha!
Shooting the Crestwood dinner was a lot of fun.
When we're doing a show that's got so many fights
and action sequences, to do sort of a mannered scene
of high society felt like a departure for all of us.
I was waiting on tenterhooks for this scene,
and when it came through, I was like, "Hells yeah!"
Tell me, Senator.
You compare the Chinese to the Indians,
and I can't help but wonder how the Indians viewed
the arrival of our own ancestors
turning up on their shores in droves.
She finally gets to put all these moneyed, arrogant,
ignorant men in their place.
We brought with us God and civility.
You mean because we murdered them by the thousands
with bullets instead of tomahawks and spears.
I imagine they would have wanted to enact an exclusion act
all their own where we were concerned.
We then added this gorgeous little sotto voce
where Mayor Blake basically turns to her and he's like,
she's firing on cylinders that I can't control right now.
Shut the hell up, dear.
One of my favorite lines. "Shut the hell up."
We loved doing that scene.
I guess you lost her vote, Senator.
She's an incredibly modern woman
and so, she's seething away.
I knew that that's where my character could get to,
and that had kind of influenced a lot of my performance
in the earlier episodes.
If you don't shut your mouth,
I'll have you thrown out of your own goddamn party.
Promise?
For me, in terms of Li Yong, the character
Long Zii's kind of fragile,
because we have a new leader and she's young.
And he knows I have to support all the way until she's ready.
Father Jun thinks she's inexperienced,
that she's dangerous, and that she's a wild card.
I don't think he'll be comfortable
letting her rule the opposing tong very long.
For Father Jun, to have a near death episode,
he's started to value life.
Like we don't need to go to war and risk losing more lives,
maybe it's better to make treaties.
A duel.
If the Long Zii agree to the terms, so do we.
Well, Young Jun, again,
he doesn't have the life experience yet.
You know, he's young and brash and he wants.
We need to move while they're weak,
put an end to Long Zii once and for all.
Maybe, but at what cost? How many men?
Living life is more important than possibly getting killed.
Then it is settled.
Wang Chao, will you see to the details?
Of course.
Who the hell are you?
- My God! - A Chinese whore.
You take my money. I take back.
We cannot judge Ah Toy by the same standards
that we maybe judge ourselves in a more civilized world.
She couldn't afford to play fair
because nobody was playing fair with her.
Please! She can have the fucking money!
What have you done?
You know, in our show, it's certainly heightened.
Save our business.
She doesn't get to go to the bank like everybody else
and sign a mortgage. Does she have to find
backdoor ways to make a deal? Absolutely.
Go home.
Father Jun, he sets up a situation
where some of the Hop Wei's best fighters are wearing masks
and they attack in the hallway.
This is new.
Ah Sahm does not know what's going on,
he's just fighting for his life at that moment.
Ah Sahm will be our champion against the Long Zii.
For me, personally,
I felt that he still wasn't fully committed to the Hop Wei,
he's still hoping for a way out.
And when he's approached by Father Jun, he musters,
"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" You know?
So I guess I'll do it.
Will you do this for your brothers, Ah Sahm?
For me?
I will.