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♪ La-la-la-la-la-la ♪
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(Nicole) 'See, aren't you glad we took the scenic route?'
(Ari) 'Yeah, it's nice.'
Are you nervous?
You only ask me that if you're nervous.
- No, I don't. - 'Yes, you do.'
And it's called projection.
Oh, is it called, is it called projection?
See, you're smart, you don't need a psych degree.
'It's gonna save me a ton of money.'
- Ha-ha. - No, it's fine.
I'm gonna make this U turn right here.
- Mom. Mom! - It's fine.
He's gonna let me over.
Don't you dare. Stay and drive.
♪ Ooh ooh ♪♪
- Thanks for the help, mom. - Yeah, of course.
You know, they never change these lights.
You should ask your RA if he has any spare bulbs.
Okay, I will.
Or I could just drive a couple up.
I'm sure they sell light bulbs in town.
- Right. - I'm gonna be fine.
And you're gonna be fine.
Alright, we got a lot more to unpack.
♪ Have to go have to go ♪
[instrumental music]
♪ Have-have to go have to go have to go ♪
[music continues]
♪ Have to go have to go have to go ♪
♪ The end of the world ♪
♪ At the palm of my hand ♪
♪ When it all goes to hell ♪
♪ Will you still be my friend ♪
♪ My face to the sea ♪
♪ And my back to the land ♪
♪ If you can't come with me ♪
♪ I'll understand ♪
♪ Hmm hmm ♪
♪ Can we meet in the dark ♪
♪ Hmm hmm ♪
♪ We don't have to say much ♪
♪ And if you have to go ♪
♪ Have to go ♪
♪ I'll understand ♪
♪ If we didn't know what we know ♪
♪ The end of the world ♪
♪ At the palm of my hand ♪
♪ When it all goes to hell ♪
♪ Will you still be my friend ♪
♪ Have to go have to go ♪
♪ My face to the sea ♪
♪ And my back to the land ♪
♪ If you can't come with me ♪
♪ I'll understand ♪♪
[instrumental music]
[phone vibrating]
(Nicole) 'And, uh, since then I'm working in tech.'
Do you know the app Wilfried?
It's like a Uber for personal assistants.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I love that app.
- I'm their CFO. - Wow.
You were always this smartest kid back in high school.
Oh, hardly. But thank you.
I'm really glad that you reached out.
Me too.
With Ari gone I can use
every excuse I can get to get out of the house.
If you're looking for stuff to do
why don't you take some classes with us?
I don't know, Diana, it's..
Oh, come on.
I've been inviting you out forever.
I know, and I appreciate the persistence. I do.
It's just..
The whole self help conference is not my thing.
I get it. But it's not just conferences.
The Initiative is a community.
Nicole, it has changed my life.
You know, Phyllis? She's a member.
- Phyllis? Our Phyllis? - Yeah.
Oh, my.. Really?
- Man, we had some time. - We did.
And now we only ever see each other over socials.
I mean, this could be like a proper reunion.
Look, we're having a conference this weekend.
Why don't you just sign up and give it a try?
[chuckles]
[instrumental music]
Phyllis?
Oh, my gosh, it is you.
- Hi. - Oh, my God!
- It's just been forever. - I know.
- And you look amazing. - Oh, well, as do you.
Thank you.
Diana roped you into this, didn't she?
Yes, she did. She did.
Yeah. But you have to be enjoying it.
You've been here a couple of years now, yeah?
Yeah, you know, honestly, I just come for the refreshments.
Well, there's that.
My girls. Oh, isn't this great?
Nicole, I am so happy that you're here.
Well, I am thrilled to be here.
We should probably grab our seats
we're about to start.
Follow me.
[instrumental music]
[people cheering]
That's the founder.
[cheering]
[laughing] Alright. Alright.
Wow!
Guys, I-I am so excited
to spend this weekend
of growth and discovery with all of you.
Thank you so much for coming. Thank you.
But first, I see some new faces in the crowd.
Welcome. Allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Ken Palmer.
[cheering]
And I'm here to take you
on a journey.
A journey to find your true self.
Whatever that may mean for you.
Whether that means a beautiful brilliant new career
whether that means a new relationship
'whatever your heart desires.'
Initiative's SSP
Self Success Program
will help get you to that next level.
Right. I'm glad you made it.
All you got to do..
All you got to do
is ask yourself one question.
- What is it, Ken? - 'Do you know what it is?'
- What's the question? - 'Do you know what it is'
[indistinct chatter]
- What is it? - What is it, Ken?
Are you ready?
[people cheering]
'Are you ready?'
[indistinct chatter]
Sure.
...fulfilled, rich life?
Are you ready? Yes, you are.
- Who are we? - Initiative.
What are our tenets?
Productivity
'affirmation, community.'
You are ready? Then come with me
'cause I will take you there.
'Your Intiative.'
[people cheering]
Thank you so much.
[cheering]
(Phyllis) So what're you even doing here?
'Cause, you don't strike me as the type of person
who needs this kinda place.
Oh, come on.
I think it's kind of interesting.
It's expensive.
- This weekend alone is $500. - I know.
But honestly, I thought it could be a way
for me to make some new friends.
You know, I had Ari when I was only 20.
So between raising her and the job
my, uh, my social circles a little lacking.
[people cheering]
(Ken) Thank you.
Phyllis.
You go ahead.
We have all weekend to catch up.
- I'm gonna see you tomorrow. - Yeah.
- Tomorrow. - Okay.
(Ken) Good.
Ken, I want you to meet my friend Nicole Miller.
This is her first weekend with us.
Really? Wow. Well, Nicole, thank you so much for joining us.
- Thank you for having me. - Of course. My pleasure.
Have you met my brother, Justin.
He's the chairman of Initiative.
Uh, no. Hello.
- Nice to meet you, Nicole. - Very nice to meet you.
Hey, can you do me a favor?
They're having an issue with that PowerPoint.
- Could you give me a hand? - Sure.
- Fantastic. - I can help.
Great.
Well, Nicole, can I interest you in a tour?
- I'd love one. - Fantastic, right this way.
[intense music]
Working on a little gardening project.
- Oh. - Trying to keep it beautiful.
- Hi. Good to see you. - Hi.
So all of these people here, they're members?
Yes, they are.
The members devote their spare time
to help keep up our little home away from home.
Some cook, some clean.
We all have a role to play here.
It does sound nice.
[instrumental music]
(Nicole) 'Wow, okay, well, you certainly aren't camera shy.'
'Are you, Ken?'
These really looks like they're having a good time.
Yeah, you know, self help
doesn't have to be such a drag, you know?
I don't know.
I'm not really one for self help culture.
Oh, I see a skeptic.
It's nothing personal.
It's just, I don't think any
one person has all the answers.
No, you're right. I don't have them either.
Okay.
See what we do is, we just
help you try to understand that I'm in here.
Uh, it was a pleasure meeting you, thank you so much.
- A real pleasure. - Certainly.
If there's anything you ever need, my door is always open.
I appreciate it. Thank you for the tour.
Of course.
I got the PowerPoint working.
Fantastic. Alright.
Well, then, if you'll excuse me.
- Yeah. - Take care.
- See ya.
[indistinct chatter]
I deserve wealth and abundance.
[crowd shouting] "I deserve wealth and abundance."
I deserve success and happiness.
[crowd shouting] "I deserve success and happiness."
Yes, you do. Thank you.
[people cheering]
I want you to do that every single day.
See what happens.
That is our time for today.
Thank you all so much.
Have a beautiful, productive evening, everyone.
Take care.
[people cheering]
I'm so happy you made it.
I'm really glad that I came.
[indistinct chatter]
- That suit's great. - Yeah. See you.
- Nicole. - Phyllis.
You have got to get out of here.
- What is this? - Go and never come back.
Okay, now you really are scaring me.
- What is going on? - We can't talk here.
Do you wanna go get a coffee or something?
No, no, no, it can't
it can't be public.
Okay, um, listen, can I
can I meet you at your house later?
- Yeah. - Okay.
[intense music]
[upbeat music]
And then the smoke alarm went off at like 2 a.m.
and Sarah was like "I was making mini pizzas."
Wait, which was Sarah? Is she the Wisconsin girl?
Wow, you've had a really busy first week.
(Ari on phone) 'It's been awesome.'
Are you gonna go back?
I did like how ambitious everyone was so..
[doorbell rings]
(Nicole) Let me call you back.
[grunting]
[intense music]
[bone cracking]
[music continues]
(Ken) Productive, joyful
full, rich, happy.
These are the things that we strive for in this life.
We don't want to be miserable.
Yeah, hold on.
Let me hear our three tenets.
(all) Productivity
affirmation, community!
(Ken) 'You know, let's say more time.'
'Because I love the way they sound. What are they?'
(all) Productivity, affirmation, community.
(Ken) 'That is right, because with productivity'
with affirmation, and with community
that will create the world that we want to live in.
'Let's be in this world. Let's be strong in this world.'
Let's be joyful in this world.
Everything that you want you can have.
'Let me hear it. Let me hear it.'
[people cheering]
- Nicole, hi. - Hi.
I got you a coffee with almond milk.
- I hope it's okay? - It's perfect.
- Yeah. Thank you. - Yeah.
You've seen Phyllis?
No, I don't think she's here today.
- You heard from her? - No, why?
Well, she's supposed to come over last night.
And then she never showed and..
...now I can't get in touch with her.
Yeah, that is kind of strange.
And then yesterday as I was leaving..
...I don't know she just seemed distraught.
- Really? - Yeah.
- Did she say something? - No. See?
That's what's weird, she really didn't say anything.
Well, um, why don't we go ask Ken?
Maybe he has her a working in the garden or something.
So I think the expansion is going to be something
that we really need to focus on.
Just four to six weeks. We do.
- Yes. - Excuse me, Ken.
Nicole just had a quick question for you?
Oh, great. Nicole, please come on in.
Is that all, Diana?
Mm-hm.
So Nicole, you have questions about the program?
Uh, no, I had a question about a person.
Phyllis Whitlock.
Phyllis, she was an old friend of yours, right?
Yeah, I was just wondering do you know
if she's coming in today at all or?
Well, I'm sorry to tell you this
but, uh, we received an email from Phyllis
this morning informing us that she's quitting.
Is something happened? Did she say why?
No. Actually, no, she didn't mention it.
However, between us
Phyllis had some difficulties grasping some of the concepts.
I mean, this, this journey is not for everyone.
It's just so weird, you know
she's not returning any of my calls or texts.
Did you two have a disagreement?
I mean, perhaps you said something to upset her.
You know, we could discuss it this afternoon
in your session if you'd like.
It's alright. I-I'd really rather not.
Okay. Well, sure. Well, then you know what?
I really wouldn't worry about it.
I'm sure that she's just taking
some time for herself, you know?
And it's a, it's a good thing to do from time to time.
- It's healthy. - True. Yeah.
Well, have a good day. I'll see you later.
Thank you. Yeah.
[intense music]
Hey. You okay?
I'm fine.
Thanks.
I'm Nicole.
What's your name?
Megan. Megan Walker.
Did something happen or..?
'Hey, I've got a daughter about your age.'
'I can..'
Do you not want to be here?
Thank you for the tissue.
[instrumental music]
Hey, Diana, it's Nicole.
Look, I'm starting to get worried about Phyllis.
You don't happen to have her address, do you?
[instrumental music]
[knocks on door]
Hello?
Phyllis. Hello?
Excuse me.
Um.. Hi.
Um, I was just, um..
Wait, you're Robyn, right?
- You're Phyllis's sister. - Do I know you?
Uh, I went to Central Vista High.
In Phyllis's grade. Nicole Miller.
Oh, yeah.
I-I think I remember you.
Look, I just came by because I can't get a hold of Phyllis.
Neither can I? That's why I came by to check on her.
Do you mind if I check with you?
Are you with the Initiative?
I'm.. No.
I mean, not technically.
- I saw her there yesterday. - You can go now.
- Thanks. - Oh, okay.
Uh.. Wait, please.
Look, this is my number.
If you hear anything from her will you please call me
I really need to talk to her.
'It's important.'
Wait, you're going back?
I just, I can't shake this feeling
that something weird is going on at Initiative?
- Because of Phyllis. - Yeah.
Why would she email Ken and then not return
any of my calls or text?
I'm telling you something's going on there?
Mom, this all sounds really shady.
Why are you getting involved?
[sighs] Because Diana's still there.
Okay? And she's so sweet.
She's exactly the kind of person that places like this
take advantage of.
What if she goes missing next?
What if you do?
I'll be careful.
I'm just gonna ask around.
See if any of the other members know anything.
You have enough to worry about.
It's your first month of school.
Don't add your mom to that list.
She can take care of herself.
[instrumental music]
Hey, gang.
Welcome to another round of ER
or Emotional Release.
Unburdening oneself of toxic emotion
is one of the key elements towards
achieving abundance.
Now, that being said
this is a safe space.
'There are no cameras'
there are no microphones.
And none of this will go on your personal files.
So..
Nicole, would you like to dive
into the deep end and don't worry I'll catch you.
If it's okay, with-with everybody
I'd really rather just watch the first one.
Sure. Okay, of course, no worries.
Well, that leaves the hot seat open then..
Wendy.
Ah, fantastic.
Thank you for being so brave, Wendy.
[instrumental music]
[music continues]
[cabinet squeaking]
[music continues]
What are you doing in here?
Oh, I..
I was just waiting for Ken.
I had some questions
about the financial structure
and you know, how that works.
- Oh? - Yeah.
Well, I'm the chairman.
That stuff's my wheelhouse.
How about I walk you through it.
Yeah, it'd be great.
I'd-I'd really appreciate that.
Good thing Ken didn't find you in here.
He doesn't take kindly to people snooping around his office.
But we'll keep it our secret.
Shall we?
[door opens]
So I keep hearing about these levels.
Yeah, there are currently 11 of them.
Ken's an 11, naturally.
But we might even add some new ones as Ken sees fit.
And that's based on how many classes you take?
(Justin) Among other things. Yeah.
[Nicole chuckles] It's kind of based on
how much money you spend, right?
I mean, I know how expensive these classes can be.
Well, they're investments.
Besides once you start enrolling new members
you get a percentage of their fees.
Okay, so Diana gets a percentage
of my fee because she enrolled me.
And then it goes on up to Ken.
That's basically right.
It's kind of shaped like a pyramid.
Why do I have a feeling you're asking about
more than just the financial structure here?
No, I'm just, I'm wondering
maybe that's why Phyllis quit.
You know, she felt pressure to pay for classes
or if anybody here feels pressure
to pay for classes?
No, of course not.
Everyone's here because they want to be.
If you don't, that's your decision.
Free to go at anytime.
Excuse me.
[instrumental music]
[upbeat music]
[people cheering]
[music continues]
Thank you for having me.
[intense music]
[indistinct chatter]
Hey.
You feeling any better from last week?
Yeah.
How did you end up at Initiative?
I saw some of the posts on Faces and Friends
about how Initiative can help make you your best self.
Classes are so expensive. Conferences..
I hope you don't mind me asking
but how do you afford it?
My grandpa, he died last year.
He left me a big inheritance.
I'm so sorry.
He always believed in me.
Do you have any, um
any family here or parents?
It was pretty much always just me my grandpa.
Well, look, if you ever need anyone to talk to
I know what it's like to not have family around.
Initiative's my family now.
[phone ringing]
Excuse me, one second.
- Hello. - 'Nicole.'
- Robyn. - 'I found Phyllis.'
- What's wrong? - 'She's dead.'
Okay, yeah, I'm on my way, right now.
Right after I saw you, I went up to her bedroom.
And that's where I found her.
Since then, it's been non-stop
talking to the police, calling my family
crying, mostly.
God, Robyn, I'm so sorry.
- What did the police say? - That it was an overdose.
But that's impossible.
Phyllis was 15 years sober.
She would have reached out to me
if she felt like
she was gonna start using again.
So you think her death was staged?
I don't know.
The other day when I came by you thought I was with Initiative
and you slammed the door on my face.
Why was that?
I couldn't figure out why you were
at her house what you wanted.
(Nicole) 'I was supposed to meet with Phyllis.'
'I got worried when she didn't show.'
Sorry. I was so rude.
It's just when Phyllis
first started there, everything was fine.
She was enjoying the classes.
- 'She liked the founder..' - Ken Palmer.
But the longer she was there, the less I saw of her.
It was like they were trying to keep her from me.
Did Phyllis ever mentioned money to you?
Like how much she had to spend to keep going to Initiative?
She never gave me many details.
Maybe she was trying to protect me.
But I was her older sister
I was supposed to protect her.
I'm a journalist. I work crazy hours.
Maybe if I had been around or--
No, no, listen to me.
You have no blame in this.
Okay? None.
I hate to ask you this question.
Bud did the cops give you an approximate time of death?
Sometime overnight Saturday. Why?
[intense music]
- Nicole. - Phyllis is dead.
- What? - Oh, you look surprised.
Well, yeah, of course. I'm surprised.
Well, you don't think I had something to do with this?
When I stood in this office last Sunday
you said you just got an email from Phyllis that morning.
- Saying she was quitting. - She did.
Except she was already dead in her house the night before.
- So how do you square that? - I don't know.
But I'm-I'm telling you the truth.
Look, I can even show you the email.
I only came in here to let you know that
I will find out what happened to Phyllis.
And unless you want to make things much worse for yourself
I better not hear about any other members going "Missing."
Okay, Nicole, look, you've got the wrong idea about us.
Okay? Check me out.
Alright? Check out Initiative.
Don't worry. I intend to.
[instrumental music]
[door slams]
- Nicole. - Megan.
- You said I could talk to you. - Yeah.
There's a sauna in the women's locker room.
Meet me there in five minutes.
[intense music]
Megan?
Hello?
Is somebody in here?
Is someone else in here?
Megan?
[knocks on door]
- I'm sorry. - 'What do you mean, sorry?'
Megan, wait.
[dramatic music]
[grunting]
Hello? Please.
Open the door!
[coughing] Hello? Help! Hello?
[coughing] Please!
[music continues]
Help!
[panting]
[lock clicks]
I'm so sorry.
[groaning]
[panting]
[intense music]
[instrumental music]
[sighs]
I'm sorry that took so long.
I made some tea.
- Thank you. - 'Yeah.'
Nicole, I feel so terrible about what happened.
I don't understand why Megan
would tell you to go in there like that.
- Because somebody told her to. - What?
Why would somebody do that?
Don't you see what's happening?
Somebody at Initiative tried to kill me.
Oh! No. No, no, no, no.
Come on. This was an accident.
Like Phyllis' death was an accident.
- That kind of accident. - I don't..
Diana, I need to know if I can trust you.
Of course, you can trust me.
I think whoever attacked me
is the same person who killed Phyllis.
Nicole
I'm devastated about Phyllis
and about what happened with you
but Initiative is my entire life, I can't--
Has anybody ever threatened you
or pressured you to keep
taking all these classes?
I'm at Initiative because I like it.
Look, just promise me you're gonna look after yourself.
And if anybody threatens you..
...you'll tell me.
Of course.
Okay.
Thank you for helping me.
Yeah, of course.
I had to go through all this when my mom died.
Trust me. It is nothing you want to do on your own?
Phyllis.
She didn't have an easy life, you know?
Do you think that's how she got sucked into Initiative?
Because Ken, he just seems to know how to zero in
on the things in people that hurt.
Probably.
Phyllis for all of her good qualities
never was a good judge of character.
Maybe she's just trying to see the best in people.
Truth is
she was a perfect mark for a place like the Initiative.
She always was a follower.
Did you tell any of this to the police?
That detective didn't want to hear a word I had to say.
He clearly was not going to investigate her death.
Did you get his name?
Uh, I got his card.
'Great.'
[intense music]
I'm sorry, Miss Miller, but it says right here
Coroner confirmed cause of death to be an overdose.
Phyllis was sober.
Not according to our toxicology report.
Look, I'm sorry for your loss.
I know how tough losing a close friend--
No, what I'm trying to tell you is that Phyllis's death
was just staged to look like an overdose.
Staged by this self help place you mentioned?
You know what, I would really appreciate if you tried
to take my concern seriously.
Trust me, I am. I'm here to help.
Look, you're trying to make sense of all this. I get it.
The problem is all you've given me so far
is speculation and hearsay.
Nothing I can actually open an investigation on.
Well, what about the fact that Ken Palmer claims
he got an email from Phyllis the day after she died?
This judge isn't gonna let me
subpoena anybody's email over that.
Okay, well, someone tried to kill me.
There are women who are up there trapped.
Maybe a judge is going to listen to that.
I'll tell you what, I'll look into it.
I'll ask around, see if anyone knows
anything about this Initiative place.
But without any actual evidence to support your claim
there's nothing else I can do for you.
Look, you have my card.
You come up with anything else, any evidence
proof, anything that I can go on
just give me a call, I'll pick up any time of day. I promise.
Thank you, detective, I really appreciate it.
Absolutely.
[intense music]
[instrumental music]
Hey.
You look like you could use a hand.
I'm not supposed to talk to you.
We're not allowed to talk to outsiders.
Megan, if that's it's like here, why don't you just leave?
Because they won't let us leave.
You can't just quit?
So everybody around here acting like they love being here?
They're all..
They're all being held against their will.
Some of them are true believers.
We all were at some point.
Some of us are basically just enslaved now.
You should really go.
- Megan, I can help you. - No, you can't.
Phyllis tried.
She tried helping all of us.
Look what happened?
Are you saying that Initiative had Phyllis killed?
All I know is that Phyllis was a threat.
Initiative gets rid of threats.
- Now, go. - Nicole.
I didn't expect to see you here again.
I was just leaving.
(Ken) Nicole! Nicole!
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to
I didn't mean to frighten you.
Look, I think that you and I maybe have gotten off
on the wrong foot and really like to try and make that right.
- Would you? - I would.
You lost a friend in Phyllis
and we've lost a family member?
Yeah, I'm sure you're really broken up about it.
Nicole, grief is a really complicated emotion.
I mean, you can lose yourself and your life can unravel.
I'm just trying to offer you tools to help
navigate you through that.
Ken, if you don't get away from my car
I'm gonna navigate through it by running over your foot.
- Hey, hey, hey, okay. Okay. - Okay?
Hey, look, I'm just offering you a free seminar.
That's it.
A free seminar whenever you want.
Redeemable any time.
[engine revving]
Idiot.
[intense music]
So Initiative really is just a big scam?
No, it's worse than that.
Everybody there worships this guy Ken.
They give him all their money and then they can't leave.
You know? It's like a cult.
Yeah, what did that detective say?
Nothing useful.
He's not even willing to look into it without more evidence.
[sighs]
What about Diana, can't she help?
No, I think Diane is a true believer.
Then what about Phyllis's sister?
- 'Robyn?' - Yeah.
She is a journalist.
Maybe she'd be willing to run a story on Ken? Expose him.
That's a great idea. Do you think she would do it?
I don't know. There's only one way to find out.
Maybe if she does do an article on it
maybe you can just let her do the story.
So you don't get put in any more danger.
Am I sensing a role reversal here?
You worrying after me?
- I'll be careful. - Okay.
I promise.
Look, even if the police
won't reopen Phyllis's case
we could stop new members from joining
we could maybe even bring 'em down.
You know big investigative pieces aren't my beat, right?
I can introduce you to someone at my paper who does it.
Don't you want to be the one that brings
Initiative down?
Okay.
[sighs] Great. How do we start?
I can try to find former members
who are willing to talk.
If there's such a thing as a former member.
That's just the thing, we've got to figure out
the mechanism of control.
Is Ken just brainwashing these women?
Is it blackmail, violence?
- I could go back in. - No, that's not a good idea.
No, look, I'll just go in, I'll take a look around
maybe ask some questions.
Ken keeps a very, very tight circle.
They're not even allowed to talk to outsiders.
For the record, I do not think you should do this
but if you do..
...just stay out of the sauna.
You're funny. I'll be in touch.
[intense music]
[car beeps]
You gotta be kidding me.
[muffled screaming]
[thuds]
[panting]
My God.
Detective Hale
it's Nicole.
I was just attacked, um..
I'm at 615 North Broadway.
Okay, please hurry, thank you.
[intense music]
Now, do you believe me?
More importantly, are you okay?
Barely.
Looks like someone did quite a number on that tire.
Somebody almost did a number on me.
Alright, did you get a good look at this guy?
No, he had-had a mask on.
Any idea who he is?
Yeah, I told you who's behind this right.
- Right. Ken Palmer. - Yeah.
Look, I did a bit of digging into this Initiative place.
They seem on the level.
Okay, well then you mustn't have dug very deep.
Okay, look, I know these people are a bit eccentric.
but I passed this place by the folks in fraud
they said it's pretty standard multi-level marketing stuff.
No, I am telling you that this is a cult.
They killed for this.
Now they're trying to kill me.
Alright, I'll tell you what.
I'll assign a uniform to watch over you.
- To keep you safe. - Thank you.
You gotta understand you're asking me to open
an investigation to a specific person
and company without a single shred of evidence.
That's just something I can't do.
What I can do is help you fix that tire.
No, it's alright, I can do it..
I can change a tire. Thanks.
Alright. Well, call me if you need anything else.
Thanks.
[sighing]
[knocks on door]
Yes.
Oh. Hi, Nicole.
Hi, Ken.
I thought a lot about your offer
and you're right.
I could really use some support right now.
Well, you're in luck, because that's exactly what we offer.
Hey, you're just in time.
Come with me.
Well, that is really interesting
because in just one of our focus sessions
you will get more work done than one of your contemporaries
would in an entire week.
Oh, I wish I'd known.
You know, I-I didn't bring any work with me today.
That's okay. I brought it for you.
There you are.
- Thank you. - Of course.
Diana.
Oh, uh, cellphone, please.
To keep you from distraction.
Productivity, the second tenet of Initiative.
And what is the key to productivity?
- Accountability. - Accountability.
Shall we?
[intense music]
[door closes]
[music continues]
[sighs]
[music continues]
[buzzer buzzing]
(all) Accountability.
[intense music]
[inhales deeply]
[buzzer buzzing]
(all) Accountability.
I just have to use the bathroom.
Shh.
[music continues]
[intense music]
[buzzer buzzes]
[in unison] Accountability.
Is he watching us?
Level one's. Time's up.
Thank you, Wendy.
- There you go. - Thanks.
Mm-hm.
[Nicole sighs] God.
[sighs]
[dramatic music]
Megan, what are you doing?
It's my fault. I was late for one of my classes.
How long have you been standing like this?
Maybe an hour.
It hurts so bad.
Is this a punishment?
Oh, God, Megan, you know, honey, put your arms down.
I can't. Not until Ken tells me to.
Screw Ken.
You don't understand.
I tried to quit Initiative before.
I couldn't afford it anymore.
And then I got an email
with a video.
What was on the video?
It was me in an emotional release session
confessing my darkest, darkest secrets.
I'm trapped.
No, Megan, Megan, listen to me.
I'm working with a journalist to expose Initiative.
And if I promised that she would never use your name
would you tell her what you just told me?
Okay. Okay, honey, I'll make that call right now.
I'll be right back.
[cellphone ringing]
Thank you guys so much.
What you're doing is really brave.
I'm gonna call you. Okay?
- Hey, Nicole. - Robyn.
I have figured out how Ken keeps people from leaving.
'It's blackmail.'
[scoffs] Of course.
That psycho.
Listen, I have a current member here
she's willing to talk to you.
That's amazing, because I just got
two family members willing to go on record.
Apparently Initiative has isolated their sister from them.
- Like Phyllis from you. - 'That's not all.'
(Robyn on phone) 'They think that she's having'
'a relationship with the founder.'
'And apparently she's not the only one.'
'Ken likes to take turns spending weekend with them.'
Yeah, well, Ken did say everybody has a role to play.
Yuck!
(Robyn on phone) 'Where are you? Can you meet up?'
I can't. I.. I'm still at Initiative.
'I just, I wanna make sure that Megan's okay.'
'And one more thing I need to check on.'
I'll swing by tomorrow. Okay?
Okay. I'm gonna start writing. Be careful.
You too.
Hi.
That's very good, Megan. You're free to go.
You can put your arms down now.
Thank you, Ken.
So, we're just about to start.
Will you be sitting in the circle today?
- I was just heading there now. - Fantastic.
I'll see you in there.
[dramatic music]
Alright, Nicole, what're you doing here?
You're obviously not back in the program.
No, listen, Diana, I know that this place means
everything to you, but I'm telling you it's dangerous.
What are you talking about?
So, Ken is..
Secretly recording all the sessions.
Alright, everyone, who is ready to release what burdens us?
Hello, Nicole.
Hi.
What've you got there?
No-nothing, I-I just..
Did you just take something?
No, I-I was telling Diana that
I don't, I don't really feel ready to share today..
Uh-uh, trust circle, everyone.
Uh, Nicole..
The reason why we have these emotional release sessions
is because we don't keep secrets.
So, what did you take?
- What did you take? - Ken.
What're you doing, man?
- She stole something. - 'So what?'
We don't have any crown jewels here.
Let her go.
[intense music]
Hey, Nicole. Nico..
- Hey! Nicole. Nicole. - Justin, stop following me.
Look, look, look, I..
I know my brother can be a little intense sometimes.
Intense? Is that what you call it?
Yeah, he's been acting weird lately.
Anyway, I just want you to know
if he ever crosses a line, or anything
you can always come to me.
Okay, so either you guys are running
this whole thing together
or this entire operation
is going all under your nose.
And you don't even know it.
I-I honestly don't know what you're talking about.
You need to open your eyes.
[instrumental music]
[cellphone ringing]
Hey, Robyn, it's Nicole, I've been trying
to get in touch with you all day.
[keys clanking]
[engine revving]
I'm heading to Phyliss' now, so hopefully you're there
'and we can exchange details.'
'I have the camera but there's no memory stored in it'
'so we need to find where Ken hides his footage.'
[coughs]
[door closes]
No. No. No. No. No. No. No.
No. No. No. No. No. No.
Oh!
Help me!
[muffled screaming]
Help me!
(Nicole) 'Without the footage the camera just isn't enough'
to shut them down, so hopefully you're there and we can..
Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
[instrumental music]
It looks like a possible suicide.
This is Initiative, okay. This is Ken Palmer.
He killed Robyn because he knew that her and I were working
on something to expose him.
- This is what he does. - Okay, okay. I believe you.
Okay? There are lot of coincidences here
that are not adding up
so I'm gonna open up an official investigation.
Okay. Here, you can start with this..
- A security camera? - It's blackmail.
That's what Ken does, he hides these everywhere
and he has these weird group therapy sessions
where people come in and they divulge their darkest secrets.
He uses that to keep people
from quitting Initiative. That's how he does it.
I'm still working on finding the video files.
I will find them.
You're clearly messing with the wrong people here.
Just let me do my job, I don't want the next call I get
to be about you getting hurt by these people too.
- Okay? - Okay.
Alright.
Shoot.
[cellphone ringing]
- Hello? - 'Stop looking in Initiative.'
- Who is this? - 'Leave us alone .'
(male #1 on phone) 'And we'll leave you alone.'
And if I do what happens to all those women
who are trapped at Initiative?
'Either you start minding your own business'
'or you'll end up like Phyllis and Robyn.'
'The choice is yours.'
[knocking on door]
- Hi. Come on. Get in, get in. - Oh.
What was that about at Initiative?
- Were you followed? - What? No.
I mean, I-I don't, I don't think so.
Did you tell anybody at Initiative
that you were coming here?
No. What is going on?
Okay. Sit, sit.
Diana, I need you to level with me.
Are you being forced to stay at Initiative?
- Forced? How? - With blackmail.
From that little video camera that I found?
What? No.
Have you ever been threatened if you tried to quit?
I've never tried to quit Initiative.
I've told you I like it there.
That's why I don't understand what's happening
at all right now.
Diana, Robyn's dead.
- Who? - Phyllis' sister.
She was investigating Initiative.
- What? - Exactly.
And I think I'm next.
If Initiative gets what they want.
Do you really think that Ken is killing people?
It's either Ken or someone that he hired.
He's gonna stop at nothing to keep from being exposed.
There has to be another explanation.
No, Diana.
I know that Initiative means the world to you
but you already know that Ken's been lying
we just have to prove it.
- Do you have a key? - Yeah.
Sometimes I have to go in early.
- But Nicole-- - It's perfect.
We go into his office afterhours.
We check his computer for the video files.
I don't know.
Diana..
...I really need you to trust me on this.
Okay...I trust you.
[dramatic music]
Okay.
I'll check the cabinet.
Is there anything on the computer?
Just member records, financial statements
the normal stuff.
There's gotta be something.
There's nothing on here.
Nothing?
[gasps]
Diana, the flash drives.
Look, they've got all the members' names on it.
Phyllis Whitlock..
...and you.
When I caught my ex cheating, I took a baseball bat
and...I smashed his windshield.
And all of the windows.
The hood. The lights.
- I'm sorry. - No, it's okay.
(Ken) Do you have feelings of regret?
The thing I regret
is that I only smashed his car with a baseball bat.
I should have cut the brakes.
[sighs]
[shushing]
Somebody's here.
- I'll take these. - Let me look.
Put the chair back.
I'll meet you at my house.
Okay, I'll meet you there.
Mrs. Miller?
Detective Hale? What're you doing here?
I was coming by to check this place out
I saw the light was on.
I thought I'd find Palmer.
Look. Look.
I got the videos.
I have all the hard evidence that we need to prove
that Ken's blackmailing his members into staying here.
Alright, we better get out of here.
Let's talk outside. Come on.
That was reckless what you did in there.
You want an even bigger target on your back?
- No, no, no, no, this way. - But my car's this way.
No, it is too dangerous for you right now.
We'll take my car to the station.
- Come on. - Okay.
If that is what you say it is, you can cause a lot of trouble
for these people.
I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all.
I'm gonna be fine. I appreciate your concern.
(Hale) 'No, you should be careful.'
I'm sure your daughter wouldn't want anything happening to you.
I didn't tell you I had a daughter.
[intense music]
Can you pull over?
I think I'm gonna be sick.
Just hang on a minute, we'll be there soon.
- 'No, I-I can't--' - Damn it, just hang on.
Mm-mm. I'm gonna be sick. You have to pull over.
- Please, pull over. - Damn it.
Damn it.
[sighs]
Alright, let's go. Come on.
[screams] Damn it.
Hey! Where are you going?
Damn!
[panting]
[intense music]
[cellphone ringing]
Hello?
(male #1) 'You have something'
'that doesn't belong to you.'
Is this Ken? Or is this Detective Hale?
(male #1) 'It didn't have to be this way, Nicole.'
'All you had to do was stop when you were warned.'
And leave hold all those women at Initiative captive?
(male #1) 'What business is it of yours?'
If I were you, I would call a ceasefire.
Try diplomacy instead, what do you say?
(male #1) 'Why would I do that?'
Because if you don't, I will take all of these flash drives
and the story behind them to someone who will not bury it.
(male #1) 'You should be very careful when making threats, Nicole.'
[message chimes]
[gasps]
[cellphone ringing]
Hey, mom.
Ari, where are you right now?
I'm just about to head out to class, why?
Okay, listen to me. Stay in your room.
- Lock the door. - Why?
Don't leave the building, not even to go to class. Okay?
'Do you have the number for campus security in your phone?'
What's going on?
I'm coming to get you right now.
- 'Just stay inside.' - Okay.
[dramatic music]
[upbeat music]
[siren blaring]
No.
He killed my friend Phyllis, he killed her sister, Robyn
and if you leave me alone with him, he's gonna kill me.
Ma'am, you're under arrest for assaulting an officer.
You know what, you don't understand--
No, you don't understand, Miss Miller
your actions have consequences.
Let's go.
I'm telling you he's part of a cult.
And he killed them.
You can't do this, please.
Watch your head.
[buzzer buzzes]
I was told I made bail. What's taking so long?
Paperwork. There's always paperwork.
So what are you? Some sort of secret founder of Initiative?
Silent partner.
Honestly, I'm not involved in all that much.
I just protect the company from threats.
You're doing it for the money.
You can't really think arresting me is gonna stop
Initiative's secrets from coming out?
Speaking of secrets, I, um, I checked your house.
Found your safe.
I'm gonna need you to give me the code.
Okay.
Yeah, let's say I give you the code
you get the files
Ken gets his blackmail back.
What do I get?
You drop the charges?
It's out of my hands.
See, cops don't like it when one of their own is assaulted.
I wonder how they feel about one of their own
killing innocent women?
I didn't kill anyone.
I just happened to be working when the calls came in
assessed the crime scene
and concluded that neither death was suspicious.
You're crazy if you think I'm not gonna leave here
and tell the very first person who will listen to me
what you're doing, you don't want that person to be a judge.
You know I found something else at your house.
It's Ari, right?
She's pretty girl.
If you so much as think of
my daughter's name again, I'll--
You'll what?
Turn around.
You mind your own business
and you can pick up your car
from the lot tomorrow.
[buzzer buzzes]
- Thank you so much for coming. - Of course!
- I'm paying you back. - Don't worry about it.
It's all taken care of.
Okay. What is this?
You told me to open my eyes, so I did.
I asked around. Diana told me what you found.
Diana, you didn't..
He wants to help us.
Nicole, I had no idea Ken was keeping people from leaving.
Or that he had that blackmail. I swear.
What do we do?
What I know about my brother is that he's relentless.
He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants.
I'm still waiting to hear a plan.
Here's the plan, give me the drives.
Do you think I'm stupid?
As long as you have those videos, you're not safe.
Give them to me, I'll get them into the right hands.
I know what I'm asking of you, but Ken and his followers
will just keep coming after you unless you let me help you.
Nicole, you can trust him.
No, no.
No, I can't, I can't trust anyone from the Initiative.
- Not even you. - What? Nicole!
You stay away from my family!
[instrumental music]
[rattling]
[intense music]
No, no, no.
Mom?
[Nicole groaning]
[grunts]
- Are you okay? - Yeah.
Come on. Come on.
[sighs]
Oh, thank you.
What are you doing here?
You freaked me out so much
when you called earlier
and then you tell me you can't make it
because you're in jail?
So, I caught a ride with Sarah.
She was driving this way anyway.
Well, I'm glad I freaked you out
because you just saved my life in there.
- Who was that? - I don't know.
It was dark, and the whole thing happened so fast.
Someone from Initiative?
Yeah.
Are they gonna keep coming back?
I don't know.
God, I wish I never signed up with them in the first place.
Why did you sign up?
I don't know, it felt like a way to meet new people
you know and then when I saw what was happening with Phyllis
and Diana and you out of the house
it just..
I felt like a way to look after somebody.
Mom, you know that even though I don't live here anymore
I still need looking after, right?
That's really sweet of you to say, honey.
But I mean it, okay?
You can't go getting yourself killed over this.
We have to find a way to stop them.
No, I will find a way.
[intense music]
Community, uh, productivity.
Affirmation community. We live by these tenets so we can..
Now what?
I'm here to offer you a deal.
A deal? What kind of deal?
I won't go to the cops
as long as you shut Initiative down.
And nobody, I mean, nobody comes near me or my daughter again.
[sighs] I honestly have no idea what you're talking about.
Oh, I know, I know, yeah.
Plausible deniability is kind of your thing.
What is with you?
Why are you so set on bringing Initiative down?
All we have ever tried to do is help people.
That's it. We're a family.
- You're family? - Yes.
This is a cult.
And you, you're just a manipulative wannabe guru.
You have no idea who I am.
You have no idea what I'm trying to create.
All you see are wild baseless conspiracy theories.
I suggest that you leave.
Oh, I'm leaving.
And I'm taking the flash drives of blackmail with me.
And in case you don't hold up your end of the bargain
I'll take them to a news outlet that'll run the story.
What are you talking about? What?
What flash drives? What blackmail?
And just so we're clear, any member that wants to quit
is now free to do so and that includes Megan Walker.
What? What're you talking about? Megan loves it here.
Right. You know my terms.
Nicole, I need the hard drives.
Get off of me!
[upbeat music]
[grunting]
What you do to the hard drives? What did you do with them?
I'll kill you, I swear I'll kill you.
- Come on. - Diana?
Let's get out of here.
- Are you okay? - Yeah.
- Sure? - Let's go.
You don't need to say you're sorry to me.
I'm the one that brought you into Initiative.
This is actually all my fault.
No, this is not your fault.
This is Ken's fault.
[banging on the door]
[sighs]
Hey. Is everyone okay?
Yeah. What are you doing here?
Ken just called me, freaking out.
I've never heard him like this.
He's talking about that he's willing to kill
to protect Initiative.
You guys gotta get out of town. We all do.
What'd I do with the flash drives?
- I still have them. - Honestly, Nicole, dump them.
As long as you have them, you and Ari will never be safe.
Wait! Just give them to me.
I'm the one that brought you into this mess, okay.
I should be the one to try to fix it.
Okay. Alright. Let me go get 'em.
Come on, sweetie.
[dramatic music]
Okay.
Whatever you do, do not give these to anyone
you think might secretly be Initiative?
Of course not.
Are you and Ari gonna be okay?
Yeah, yeah, we're leaving right away.
Good.
- Thank you. - Bye.
Hey, help me pack this bag.
(Ari) 'Where are we going?'
We'll figure it out on the way.
Do you really trust Diana?
I think so.
I was kinda low on options at this point
but just in case I'm wrong, I have this.
What's that?
I need to get it to this girl
Megan at Initiative.
This gives her something to fight back with.
Okay, so, are we just gonna drop it off
on our way out of town?
No, I'm gonna drop it off
and you, you're gonna stay here.
What? No way.
Yes, you are so much safer here
with the doors and windows locked
than you would be out in the open.
- What about you? - I'm gonna be fine.
You stay here, you finish packing, keep your phone on.
I'll be 15 minutes.
Hey!
I love you.
Love you too.
Lock the door.
[intense music]
No, Megan, no.
[gasps]
It's okay. It's okay. Please.
You need to come with me right now.
There's something I have to tell you.
I-I'm sorry, I just..
I didn't do anything wrong.
Please, you don't have to do this.
Anybody home?
What are you doing here?
Oh, I got done with my stuff
'so I thought maybe I'd help you guys pack.'
Thanks, I think we're almost done.
Where's your mom?
Um, she'll be right back.
Mm.
(Ken) There's something I've gotta tell you--
No, Ken, if you think that killing me
is gonna tie up some sort of loose end for you
I have news for you, it's just gonna create more.
How many bodies do you think Hale's
'gonna be able to cover up for you?'
Nicole.
- Megan, I'm so sorry. - No, no, don't be sorry.
Look, if it wasn't for you, I would've never called her
and figure out what the hell has been going on here.
You can't lie to me, Ken.
The person that you're blackmailing
is standing right next to you.
She told me about the email.
Actually, that email wasn't specifically from Ken.
It was just from an email called "The Initiative."
Honey, who do you think The Initiative is?
It's him. Right?
It's your program. It's your blackmail.
It's your punishments.
It's you having these people around you
running in little roles and it's all you.
It's in your book.
I didn't write the book.
What?
I didn't design the program.
Then who did?
How's everything going here?
'You guys ready to go?'
Yeah, we're just waiting
for Nicole to get back, right?
Justin designed everything. I'm, I'm just the face.
How could you've not known?
You got members out there doing manual labor for free.
Nicole, I honestly thought that these people
believed in what it was we're trying to create.
I thought they believed in me.
Listen, honey, that night
that they wanted you to send me to the sauna
Ken told you to do that, didn't he?
Somebody told me that's what Ken wanted.
But I didn't think it was her fault!
I thought she was just doing what Ken wanted her to do
the same way that I did when I sent you into the sauna.
Wait-wait, wait, okay. Who's she?
Diana.
- 'Hello, Nicole.' - Diana?
(Diana over phone) 'I think it's time for you to come home now.'
'No police.'
She has my daughter.
[dramatic music]
Nicole! Welcome home.
- Ari! - Mom!
Unh-unh-unh. No, no, no, no.
Mother-daughter reunion later. Let's talk first.
(Ken) Talk? Justin, what're you doing?
I can't believe I trusted you.
Well, in your defense, you didn't make it easy
to earn your trust.
It was a lot of work.
Is this why you bailed me out at the police station?
Why you knocked out Hale?
Well, it wasn't supposed to get this far.
I mean, we warned you to stop looking into Initiative.
It makes no sense, why would you help me get into Ken's office
'and find the flash drives?'
You planted flash drives in my office?
Insurance, Ken.
In case you and I had one of our famous falling outs.
You weren't supposed to actually find them.
You were supposed to just check the computer
see that nothing was on there and stop digging.
Diana.
Why are you doing this?
Because I wasn't lying to you
when I said that Initiative changed my life.
I met my fiance there.
You're engaged to Justin?
We met at one of her weekends at my house.
'Every member has their opportunity'
but nobody was quite like Diana.
Diana, you can't do this.
He killed Phyllis and Robyn.
[chuckles] Justin didn't kill them.
I did.
Why?
Because they were a threat to the program.
And a threat to the program is a threat to us.
Why would you do this?
We had a genuinely opportunity to help people.
Oh, please.
It was a scam, Ken! It was always a scam.
'You were just too happy to be worshipped as a guru'
to actually see what was happening here.
No, it's not what this is about
it's because nobody would follow you.
So you just stood in my shadow and you rode my coattails.
Alright, enough of this.
Diana, get Nicole into the basement.
- Ken too. - No! Wait!
Thanks to Nicole here
'Initiative is gonna have to start'
all over.
And this time they're gonna have a new leader.
And don't worry, Nicole.
Nothing will happen to Ari.
Don't touch her.
Initiative will take care of her.
Let's go.
I'm so sorry, Nicole.
For all of this, I truly am.
[intense music]
[grunts]
(Diana) Justin, what do I do?
What do I do? What do I do?
Shoot him! Shoot him!
[gunshot]
Get Nicole! Go!
[grunting]
Close the door.
Um, here. Hurry, hurry.
- Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! - 'Nicole!'
(Diana) 'Open up.'
'There's nowhere for you to hide.'
Go in, will you? Go ahead.
(Diana) 'Nicole, there's nowhere to go.'
'Open up!'
[gunshot]
Come on, Nicole. Let's not play games.
I can see you, Ari.
[grunting]
(Diana) No!
[both grunting]
[gunshot]
[grunting]
Go. Go.
[both grunting]
[screaming]
[grunting]
[intense music]
Stop!
You were told a lot of lies, Nicole.
But one thing was true..
...nobody leaves Initiative.
(Hale) Justin.
What took you so long?
[siren blaring]
- Why did you call for backup? - I didn't.
Yeah, they're here now.
Your move.
[grunting]
Freeze! On your knees!
[grunting]
♪ I came from the mud ♪
♪ There's dirt on my hands ♪
♪ Strong like a tree ♪
♪ There's roots where I stand ♪
♪ Oh I've been running from the law ♪♪
(Ari) 'What happened to Ken?'
(Nicole) The doctor say he's gonna be okay.
He saved our lives.
I know.
What about Diana?
Diana?
Let's just say she got what she deserved.
[upbeat music]
Good.
♪ Take back what you want to say ♪
♪ You know it wouldn't matter anyway ♪
♪ Oh no ♪
♪ And you ♪
You know what, I just realized though
Laura raided my fridge over the weekend.
- 'Oh, did she?' - Big time.
And, uh, I'm really hungry right now.
Do you wanna grab lunch somewhere
before you hit the road?
Yeah, I could grab a bite.
(Ari) 'I was just so hungry.'
Do you have a place you wanna go?
Yeah, there's this really
cool place right off campus
that Laura showed me.
I think you'll like it.
It'll be great to see some of the places you hang out.
Yeah, I started exploring more few spots.
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