Original subtitles

♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

REPORTER: (OVER COMPUTER) ...double check their shorting closure

amid a resurgence...

- (COMPUTER BEEPS) - (PHONE RINGING)

Have I got a Christopher Stefanowicz

- in research? - CHRISTOPHER STEFANOWICZ: (OVER PHONE) Speaking.

- You look at UK pharma, right? - CHRISTOPHER: I do, yeah.

Do you cover FastAide Chemist group?

Anything behind the rally into the close? I... I thought

it might be the ex-Amazon guy becoming the new CTO.

CHRISTOPHER: Uh, that's quite a bullish signal,

yes, but it's already priced in

and we don't really publish about it anymore.

Uh, try the cash equity guys in New York.

- Sorry, I'm out to dinner. - (LINE DISCONNECTS)

REPORTER: When asked about institutional

- investors' sums... - (COMPUTER BEEPS)

Is there a pharma trader on the desk I can speak with?

NY TRADER: (OVER PHONE) Yeah, is that London?

It's a small UK-listed equity,

but can you tell me what's going on with the name

FastAide Chemist Group?

I'm wondering why it keeps ticking up even after market.

Where is it indicating to open?

NY TRADER: Sec, sec... um, plus 30.

What the fuck? Sor... uh, excuse me for the ripe language.

NY TRADER: (CHUCKLING) Don't apologize.

Stock's a piece of shit.

Uh, you know, I guess it tends to be very choppy.

Oh, wait, hang on, one sec. I'll be right back.

Nah, you seen Reddit? Check Wall Street Bets.

FastAide's mentions are out of control.

Guess it makes sense. Enormous, short base, busted company.

Retail investors on Reddit are trying to save it

from hedge funds, but, you know, they're short

- and want it to fail, so... - People keep saying,

that it's the "darling of the British high street,"

- whatever that means. - NY TRADER: Retail investors

are obviously nostalgic about it,

the same way they were about Game Stop, Nokia,

Blackberry. (CHUCKLING)

Well, hold onto your hats if you're short though

'cause this is about to rally.

I told my biggest client to be short, in size.

I told him FastAide was going to zero.

NY TRADER: Well, is he a hat guy?

I mean, tell him to hold onto it.

I'd get him out ASAP.

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

♪ (SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC CONTINUES) ♪

(COMPUTER BEEPS)

(PHONE RINGING)

BLOOM'S ASSISTANT: (OVER PHONE) Good evening,

Mr. Bloom is currently unavailable,

but please feel free to leave a message with me.

Okay. It's Harper Stern from Pierpoint calling again.

I... I need to talk to him about his FastAide short.

BLOOM'S ASSISTANT: I'll be sure to pass that on.

(LINE DISCONNECTS)

♪ (MILD TEMPO MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

- WAITER: Here you go ladies. - Oh, my God.

Why do they keep bringing us these?

I feel like every time I finish one, there's another

- waiting to be dispatched. - (INDISTINCT CHATTER)

I asked them to keep them coming.

(HUMS)

(BOTH HUM)

(BOTH LAUGH)

"NEW ROMANCE" BY BEACH HOUSE PLAYING

♪ Days go by, no reply, ♪

♪ The smoke high ♪

♪ On the avenue... ♪

KENNY KILBANE: Ladies. (CHUCKLES)

My antenna were up for overt displays of joy.

Drew me over.

So, how about a few to celebrate Yasmin's big move

to PWM?

- On me? Not in me, obviously. - Yeah, I hear the tonic water's

really great here. And why don't you fuck off back

to the bar and buy yourself one as a leaving gift to me?

(CHUCKLES)

YASMIN KARA-HANANI: Kenny.

Wow. That seemed like

- an outsized reaction. - It was undersized, trust me.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(CHUCKLES)

(GROANS) I am so glad to be leaving. (CHUCKLES)

CELESTE PACQUET: All right.

I'm looking forward to working on you.

(CHUCKLES) Sorry, with you... My English.

You see? (CHUCKLES)

I think your English is better than mine.

IN FRENCH...

IN FRENCH...

(CHUCKLES, IN ENGLISH) See?

Simpler.

(SIGHS) It's, uh...

It's not a good idea. It's the best idea,

but it's not a good idea.

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - (MUFFLED LAUGHTER)

SADIE SACKEY: Nothing quite like a promotion

to make your life feel worthwhile.

What are you doing here?

(CHUCKLES) Came down a day early.

- (GUS SACKEY CHUCKLES) - (GASPS)

Thought it'd be nice to see you outside the usual

- family context. - Oh, thanks.

SADIE: Tell me all about the new job.

GUS: I haven't actually moved up, yet.

It's not exactly a "SPAD" role,

but she needs some help organizing

this anti-competition thing

that's taking up all of her time and, uh...

- That's so exciting. Well done. - (SCOFFS)

- (BOTH CHUCKLE) - ♪ (SOFT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

It's great to have someone to fight for our interests

- on the inside. - Mm. How's it been?

(GROANS) Better, obviously. But you know.

They've advised we have PTSD therapy.

- Oh. - But I don't have enough time.

I think I've got an opportunity to move to Chelsea

and Westminster hospital, if I make consultant though.

I've been doing night shifts, and found myself half applying

for an MRes in Experimental Neuroscience at Imperial.

(CHUCKLES) Then I drift off, wake up and get back to work.

(SADIE SCOFFS)

I don't think I'm going to take the promotion.

I know it sounds a bit New Labour,

but I feel like I'm making a difference in ways

I can actually see.

And it's tiny and tiring, but...

it's definitely there.

(CLICKS TONGUE) You gotta do, what you gotta do.

But Mom would be fucking relieved,

- if you took the new job. - I'm enjoying what I'm doing.

You know she knows you left Pierpoint, right?

- Sadie... - SADIE: The world's best

- worst-kept secret. - GUS: The only person I told

about you was Auntie Mama.

And A, they don't speak, and B, I wasn't specific.

I just said I was writing a book.

- Lord have mercy. - (CHUCKLES)

- And what did she say to that? - She told me to "stop dancing"

- and "find employment." - (GROANS)

Are you seeing anyone at the moment?

- Yes. - (CHUCKLES)

- (CHUCKLES) - Do you want to go up to Eton

together tomorrow?

I'm going to get there early and have lunch with Isaac.

I've got to be here.

Hmm.

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - (PHONE RINGING)

- Uh, Rish? - RISHI RAMDANI: Yeah?

Where's FastAide indicating to open?

Plus 40 percent. Still top of Reddit.

- Power to the people, eh? - DANIEL VAN DEVENTER: Ah, the illusion of power.

Dunno, you know, these retail investors, man.

Any clueless knobhead with a phone

shouldn't be allowed to download an app,

punt around and move the market.

Why not? It's democratic. We're just clueless knobheads

- but with more screens. - And better tailoring.

You know my mom bought my baby formula from FastAide.

Be a shame if it went tits up like Woolworths.

I don't think a couple of clueless knobheads

- are gonna save this. - ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

Rish, does this squeeze have any legs?

It'd be fucking painful to be short.

DVD: Uh, Pierpoint's axed the right way.

Even if Reddit's just noise, it's... it's not harmful noise.

Remember, the, uh, Bloomberg Invest conference today

has the potential to be a dynamite catalyst

in the medical space. There's a lot of flow around it.

RISHI: Yeah, this is a day of bloodletting

and king-making.

DVD: It does have an atavistic feel, yes.

RISHI: You what?

DVD: Oh, atavistic. Uh, like, um...

Primal.

That's fucking right mate. That's fucking... right.

Tell me you got Jesse to buy FastAide.

The guy's now 40 percent of the desk's flow.

I gave you the autonomy to cover him,

and part of that contract means you need to sell him

on the desk's ideas.

JESSE BLOOM: It's bring your kid to work day.

I wanted to see where Mommy worked.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

♪ (TENSE MUSIC FADING) ♪

You look smart, if a little uncomfortable.

Yeah, I better get used to it.

Gucci ties for fireside chats.

Can't exactly go to a Bloomberg conference wearing

a Black Dog Tavern T-shirt from '98.

You're going to Bloomberg Invest?

Can't you just send a senior PM

to present your firm's top three ideas?

- (WATER POURING) - (GLASS CLATTERS)

Sometimes, it's not about the idea,

it's about the suitably attired presenter.

They want me to talk to the future of telemedicine.

For all intents and purposes, my investment in Rican

makes me look like a thought-leader there.

They don't know I got you into it.

Mm-hmm. Plus, I'm thinking of taking

on a more ambassadorial role.

Presidential even. Out of the day to day,

you know, chart watching.

I owe you a tremendous apology for going AWOL.

I had some personal stuff. It will never happen again.

♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

People have personal stuff going on all the time.

That's literally what being alive is.

You know, I didn't come to London to, uh, work.

How is Leo?

How the fuck would I know? You see him more than I do.

Look...

when I met you in the hotel,

I had no intention of talking to you quite as much as I have.

But given that I've invested all of that time,

and given the opportunity cost of all that time invested...

how dare you not pick up the fucking phone to me?

♪ (OMINOUS MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

I tried calling you several times.

After missing several of my calls.

Jesse, I have done everything to facilitate your business.

I got you into Rican at an amazing discount.

(SIGHS) - HARPER STERN: The telemedicine play.

And I took you short

on FastAide, their biggest competitor.

How's that going for us?

I even took the flow away to Goldman to do it.

It was that high conviction of view.

It simply hasn't worked yet.

There's a group of Reddit school shooters

trying to force me out of that fucking FastAide short.

There's no way that they know

you have a position. It's not personal.

What do you know? They fucked me on Game Stop too.

They think I'm a vulture profiteering

off of everything bad in the world.

All my peers are stopping out.

Well then that's their loss because FastAide

is going to zero.

What if Bezos comes back down to Earth and decides

to make FastAide Amazon's next pet?

Brick and mortar is dead.

If not today, then tomorrow.

No matter what any tech bro tells you.

JESSE: There he is. (CHUCKLES) Dimples 2024, over here.

(CHUCKLES)

I was just telling Harper here, how my, uh, coverage at Goldman

has advised me to stop out of my FastAide short.

Your, uh, you're short on my favorite equity story?

JESSE: Uh, I think Goldman thinks it's unbecoming

that I'm getting pounded

by a group of involuntary celibates.

(CHUCKLES) - JESSE: Think I should, uh, cut my losses,

before I'm too deep in the red and I end up on the front page

- of the Journal. - Well, the Reddit squeeze

is a distraction from the acquisition story.

The Amazon guy joining is just the first signal.

Amazon buy FastAide, uh,

I reckon they become favorites to win the hot NHS contracts

and blow competitors like Rican into irrelevancy.

♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

Harper.

What would you do? Would you stop out of FastAide

or would you run it?

Obviously, as a member of the Pierpoint CPS desk,

I would have never taken you short.

Wouldn't you?

But if I were your coverage at Goldman, I would say...

"What is your threshold for pain,

if you believed in the idea in the first place?"

Danny, final thing. If your coverage had gotten you

into a structurally broken company like FastAide,

with a massive short base, and then hid when it began

to rip the other way, what would you do?

Call them an amateur and pull the line.

Oh, yeah, without a doubt, line out, finished.

Yeah? So what have we done to deserve your presence?

Oh, well, I just wanted to make Harper look

like a, uh, rock star on the desk.

(CHUCKLES)

DVD: You gonna tell me what the fuck's going on?

I don't know what you're talking about.

(CHUCKLES) Spare me. What was that dance?

- He's eccentric. - You're his coverage.

(PHONE RINGING)

Our highest conviction long this quarter has been FastAide.

Why is he short at the point of pain? Explain that to me.

Do you really think he listens to me?

I'm a fucking third year analyst.

He keeps me around because I'm young

and a woman and I nod at him.

Do you expect me to buy that shit?

Whatever happened in Berlin, whatever is happening

between us personally, we...

We established a very healthy working relationship.

So if you're in trouble, just say.

RISHI: (OVER HOOT) I can't believe I'm talking

about this on the hoot, but for better or for worse...

- But don't lie to me. - RISHI: ...loads of kids...

- on the internet... - We don't come back from that.

RISHI: ...are making FastAide the market story of the day.

I have nothing to do with this.

This is why guys like Bloom are so hard to cover.

You're... (SIGHS) ...you're disposable.

He's probably got a Harper working at every other place

- on the street. - I doubt it.

RISHI: (OVER HOOT) It's about over, plus 30 percent.

So, I'll be fielding questions on flow color for ten minutes,

and ten minutes only. This is beneath me. Thank you.

That's your ego speaking. You might have heard

Adler's coming over for Rif, but that's just a ruse.

Between us, I'm not supposed to say this yet,

but colleague to colleague, I've earmarked you for New York

when we subsume the London desk.

You can cover Jesse from there.

You can have whatever glory you need.

But I'm gonna help you call the plays.

You've made Jesse too important to us now.

That decision's already been made?

What about the rest of the desk?

Couple of weeks ago. Firmly.

They're still deciding who to take to New York, but...

CPS London's cooked.

HARPER: And you've known the whole time. Right?

Adler talked to me a couple days ago and...

he asked me who was worthy of being

beamed up to the mothers hip. I said,

you. And, of course, Bloom.

All we have to do now is sing from the same hymn sheet

and everything will be golden.

You told me not to give a fuck about your personal life.

Just don't lie to me in here, Harper. Okay?

KENNY: You still up for Tough Mudder next week then?

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Oi, Hanani. Is it possible to be long vega but short gamma

on an option structure?

- Uh, I don't know. - Oh, answer the question,

you ditzy cunt.

Yeah, yeah, answer it, you silly bitch.

Have you ever been horrible to anyone in your life?

That was fucking pathetic.

Sorry, I have no idea what's going on.

Whoo! (CHUCKLES)

- Fucking hell. - Got you a gift.

You shouldn't have.

- (CHUCKLES) - (JACKIE WALSH CHUCKLES)

Wow. (GASPS) Is it Tiffany's?

- Oh, fuck off, clean-shirt. - (YASMIN CHUCKLES)

In case you get bored on the way to the meeting.

Well, that's very thoughtful. Thank you. (CHUCKLES)

Shame Wyndy's not here.

Yeah, thoughts and prayers. Anyway, uh...

I didn't realize...

how much I enjoyed having you around.

I appreciate you.

Nice one.

Kenny. Uh, I'm really sorry about last night.

I'm not exactly sure what I said, I know it was heinous,

- given that I woke up ashamed. - Ah...

they asked me to weigh in with a practical joke as well.

I didn't know if it was inappropriate or not.

And also, I didn't know how long it was gonna take,

but once it was started, I was all in, so...

(HUMS VICTORIOUSLY)

- (CHUCKLES) - (KENNY CHUCKLES)

(YASMIN CHUCKLES)

- I don't really use a stapler. - Yeah, I had to Amazon it.

Joke still stands though.

(GRUNTS, HUMS "DISCO INFERNO" BY THE TRAMMPS)

(CHUCKLES)

(CROWD LAUGHING, APPLAUDING)

TRADER: Is that like a sober thing?

- I'm really lost. - You should, uh...

you should really watch more telly. (CHUCKLES)

- Good luck. (CHUCKLES) - (PHONE RINGING)

Thanks, guys.

(PHONE RINGING)

- Nice one. Fucking LOL. - Uh-huh.

Pierpoint, Yasmin speaking.

CELESTE: (OVER PHONE) It's your new boss.

Can you take an hour off for lunch?

Yeah. Sure.

I'm very free.

CELESTE: You're based in Notting Hill, right?

♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

(EXCLAIMS) FastAide opens up at 45 percent.

That is wild, wild shit.

How'd they pull themselves away

from their stepsister porn long enough to buy the stock?

HARPER: Fuck's sake, go down you piece of shit.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

DVD: Uh, you know it's like CVS or Boots in the UK.

Oh, do you have, uh, a Robin hood account?

Yeah, they're... they're not... Actually not allowed here.

I know we haven't really spoken, um, since Berlin.

I'm here to talk about it whenever you want.

I mean, obviously, not right now. (CHUCKLES)

Whenever else.

There's nothing really to say. Super fun trip though, right?

Yeah. Super fun.

You sure you're okay?

I've drunk myself into infamy. (CHUCKLES)

Can I have one of your vitamin C tablets?

I have a client lunch, um,

- need to equilibrate the brain. - You don't have to ask,

you can just come take it.

It's my last day on the desk today.

Nice. Congratulations.

It means we're not going to be seeing so much of each other.

I'm not gonna be in your eye line.

- It's not a very big building. - It's quite big...

Sorry, is there something else that I can help you with?

It's just this morning has been a bit crazy.

Fuck's sake, I should have been in long PA.

This thing is moving.

You sure you're not gonna miss this?

Well, you should come over for dinner sometime.

I've got a new pizza oven, in the garden and it's harder

to get going than a nuclear reactor.

You might be able to work it.

H, have you seen Bloomie? Gus' boss

just got elevated to Health Minister.

So that's bearish FastAide, bullish Rican?

Nah, it's bullish FastAide, bearish Rican.

- That's right, ain't it, Harper? - Sounds good. Let's find a time.

- I'll miss you. - Miss you too.

What, when Bono retires?

What?

RISHI: Fuck the FCA, mate. I think I'm gonna have to get

a burner and download Robin hood. These geeks are making money.

JAMIE HENSON: Turin in '05, I bunked onto the plane,

- and bumped into the ground. - GUS: You did?

The first time we played Juventus since Heysel.

It was fucking heavy, lad. F... Police escorts,

fucking raining bottles of piss and coins.

That's when you feel alive. I went missing for two days

- after, you know? - You stop going?

Sorta fell away, you know.

Tickets were expensive and then my mates...

they stopped sorting me 'cause I kept going missing.

Hey, I think I'm too much for some people, you know, lad.

- Nah, you're all right mate. - Yeah?

- (SNICKERS) - Hey, listen, look have you, um,

have you managed to find a counsellor?

No, it's just, look, um...

It's just that I've been given, a...

A few months wait they said.

- Well, come on, given what? - (SCOFFS) Nothing.

But look, it's... I'm not qualified to talk to you

about that kinda thing. It's irresponsible.

What about the guy I connected you with?

Oh, him? Nah...

crap.

There's this service we're hoping to roll out

to the public eventually.

At the moment, it's a bit pricey,

but I'll be happy to cover you for a few sessions.

Nah, you don't have to do that, lad.

GUS: No, no, look, as many as you need. Just go to the app store

and look for Rican.

(CHUCKLES)

- Hey, what's funny? - Oh,

you got no idea, have ya?

- What? (CHUCKLES) - A fucking app store on that?

- That's your phone? - JAMIE: Yeah.

- Looks like Lego. - Look, it vibrates and everything.

(CHUCKLES)

Hey, bum head, have you never seen one of these?

Look, um, I've... I've got, uh, I've got a thing

out of town today, but...

I'll be right here when you're back this evening.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

- Sound. - (GUS CHUCKLES)

- (PHONE RINGING) - (MUFFLED INDISTINCT CHATTER)

YASMIN: My house isn't exactly a renowned lunch spot. (SIGHS)

Although, there is the original Ottolenghi round the corner,

if you want to order in.

- Would you like a drink? - Water, if you have it.

Yeah.

(CLICKS TONGUE, HISSES) I have water. (CHUCKLES)

- I live in a major conurbation. - (WATER RUNNING)

YASMIN: London, so, uh...

Yeah.

I have water. (SNIFFS)

Don't be nervous.

I'm not nervous.

(EXHALES SHARPLY)

(BIRDS CHIRPING)

(BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY)

(YASMIN MOANS, PANTS)

(BOTH BREATHING HEAVILY)

(YASMIN MOANS)

IN FRENCH...

(YASMIN EXHALES DEEPLY)

(MOANS)

(BOTH MOAN)

(IN ENGLISH) I want to taste you.

(YASMIN MOANS)

(EXHALES SHARPLY)

♪ (ROMANTIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

(YASMIN GASPS)

(YASMIN MOANS)

I don't really think your little brother's confirmation

is the most apposite place for you

to show up with a puckish little twink.

Within the queer taxonomy,

I wouldn't say you're very twinkish.

- (BOTH CHUCKLE) - Yeah.

They're not totally backwards, but there will be

a few pregnant stares for sure. It's not fair on Isaac.

Have you told them about your promotion?

I'm not taking it.

LEO BLOOM: Enjoying speaking to troubled people

on the margins too much?

See, that's exactly the kind of tone that you pretend to hate

though it comes out your mouth a lot.

I actually really fucking enjoy that work.

It's rewarding in a way that I know my family

just won't understand.

Mum's been in Ghana.

Dad's not been able to get out of Angola. Until now.

It's weird.

Jesse moved to London

and it feels like we're in a longer-distance relationship.

He took me to the British Museum

on the weekend, and was like, "Look at all this cool

old shit." (CHUCKLES) And I was like,

"Yeah, it is cool, all this old shit."

And like, I mean, I didn't say this obviously, but...

those years are gone.

What about your offer?

Apparently, it's still pending.

Hey, they give them out in December.

Why didn't you just tell me you didn't get in?

You worked really hard.

It's okay to admit you're disappointed.

(SIGHS)

I wanted to get in.

You made me wanna get in. (SCOFFS)

And I didn't and that's fine.

Billionaire's son doesn't get into Oxford.

Cry me a fucking river. (CHUCKLES)

(CELL PHONE BUZZING)

Train's been cancel led.

Frozen track. Fuck.

Fuck it.

I'll play the card.

Jesse, can you, um, send a car to take us to school?

(SNICKERS)

- (RAIN PATTERING) - (INDISTINCT CHATTER)

- (TRAFFIC RUMBLING) - (BREATHES DEEPLY)

ERIC TAO: Harper!

How are you?

I've thrown myself headlong into my new opportunity

from the spacious confines of my garret.

- You're fucking miserable? - (CHUCKLES)

Are you okay?

Uh...

no.

No, I'm in trouble.

- Past fucked? - Yeah.

"Past fucked. Do not collect 200 dollars”?

- No, yeah. I'm fucked. - Oh, boy.

- (BOTH CHUCKLE) - Ignorance is bliss.

Thank you.

In all honesty,

I've been thinking of finally hitting a bid away.

I've started taking calls,

stopped hanging up on headhunters.

- High time I hitched a lift. - So, nothing's sticking?

Surely you could just walk into any other job.

At the same level? Course, I've got the contacts.

I'm not sure they love me for me.

I'm pretty sure they never loved me... (CHUCKLES)

...just for me.

I've started talking about my feelings

a little more as you can see.

PASSERBY: Text when you're waiting for me, yeah?

When I hired you...

what'd I look like to you?

Mr. Pierpoint, right?

But I could be, Mr. Morgan Stanley, Mr. Nomura.

I wouldn't want to be Mr. Nomura,

but that's by the by.

These institutions are just shells

that shelter you and your key-client relationship

and if you keep that,

you can manage someone like Bloom,

you can migrate from place to place.

They'll fucking house you, pay you up,

and call you family.

You become bigger than the institution.

You have Bloom, you don't need Pierpoint.

What about your skills?

What are my transferable skills, I mean, really?

And my current client list isn't exactly something

you'd pay up for.

Don't sound so defeated, it doesn't suit you.

Well, who was responsible for my defeat?

You were.

The moment you'd accepted you lost.

And Daniel, of course.

It's the quietly motivated ones you gotta watch out for.

♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

What are you talking about?

You don't feel the knife

when it goes in right between your ribs.

- (INDISTINCT CHATTER) - (PHONE RINGING)

RISHI: FastAide coming off its high here.

(KEYBOARD CLACKING)

Rish-Rish, what's behind this reversal in FastAide?

- Any ideas? - (MOUSE CLICKING)

Sec. Sec. It does look that way. I'm just digging on IB. Sec.

(PHONE RINGING)

(PHONE VIBRATING)

So, This is where it happens, huh? All that learning.

Um, Leo said you needed transport,

is he here? Hmm?

Ah, hey. I didn't see, uh, taxicab driver

in my future but, uh, we are where we are.

Why are you here?

You know, I ask myself the same thing

every time I'm away from my rig.

(WHISPERS) You know I can do whatever I want right?

- (DOOR SHUTTING) - (CELLPHONE BUZZES)

So I have two very conspicuous looking escalades

waiting outside. It's like I'm moving weight.

One is going to take you

to the chief nursery of England's statesmen,

and the other one is gonna take you and I

wherever you wanna go, Leo.

Can you just give me a lift into town?

Gus. When am I gonna see some ROI on all that cash

I dropped on Leo's tutelage? I mean, you're fucking my son,

the least you could do is get him into college, right?

- What the fuck? - JESSE: Don't worry,

you know I'm an ally.

It's not financially viable not to be

in the current culture.

He's, um, he's still waiting to hear back.

All right. I cleared my entire schedule for today...

and you are gonna have lunch with me.

Why are you dressed like pound shop GQ?

(CHUCKLES) I don't know what that is.

I have an evening engagement.

I am a public figure, Leopold. Your father's a public figure.

All right? Are you not in any way proud of that?

Not particularly, Dad, no.

JESSE: Well, you know what? Neither am I.

Apple does not fall far from the tree.

Sorry, sorry, Jesse, I really do need to go.

Are you okay to let yourself out?

- Yeah. - JESSE: Yeah, the car is waiting for you.

We can continue this on the way home?

- Just drop me off in town. - Hey, dude.

Uh, hey. I'm... I'm really trying now.

Can you... can you give me a break?

LEO: Can you not do this in front of Gus?

It's not what he expects from a public figure.

I really do appreciate the lift.

- (CELLPHONE BUZZING) - I bet your parents are proud.

(SIGHS) All we have is work, huh?

♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

Listen Jesse, I think this thing is about to move

- our fucking way. - I'm done with you.

- Why did I pick up? - HARPER: Why did you pick up?

I'm fucked if I know, but we can psychoanalyze

the whys of you and me when I'm old and you're older.

But, right now, you just need to listen.

RISHI: (OVER HOOT) FastAide very fucking fragile

up here now. Most of the key shorts

have been cleared out and positioning is much cleaner.

I assume there's a couple of big institutional guys

still to go. Those Reddit virgins

don't ever really stand a chance against fundamentals

and gravity.

So the party's over?

Our short's moving in our direction.

Prudent to stop out at a more favorable level.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

No, our party's just starting.

Do you trust me?

I don't know where you're going with this.

That whatever, ineffable, subconscious thing,

do you have that with me? Do you trust me?

JESSE: Look your trader says it's held up by air.

After the last guy stops out, it's cratering.

And that last guy is me.

That's not the trade. That's not our trade.

I'm not stopping out. I am not letting you walk away

from this with a loss. We sell more into the reversal.

And we pummel this bitch until she yelps.

That's all very cute, but you heard your trader.

He thinks it's going down now, from his lips to God's ears.

He's not going to put in a strong bid.

- I mean, w... what's the catalyst? - Yes, it's going down.

But that is the trade after the trade.

First, he needs to think it's going up...

because a big investor still needs to buy to cover

in order to stop out.

You are gonna be that big investor.

I'll make sure he reads you the wrong way.

We are going to cheat him.

We're gonna tell him that you're stopping out,

he'll think you're buying to cover the short,

so he'll set his price high.

We'll get his price, and then we'll sell through him

and move this thing our direction.

- JESSE: You pull this off... - Then you are my client.

And you will tell everyone.

And if I wanna go to MS, GS, CS, Citi, fucking Mars,

you will tell them that I am the guarantor

of your business.

You make this happen, maybe we are talking again.

- Sec. - (PHONE RINGING)

Rish, Bloom's in max pain. He shorted a ton of FastAide

through Goldman and he wants to stop out through us,

cut his short. Can we help?

If he can hear me, if the prick can hear me...

He get that?

Tell him I, uh, I love the name.

No, no. I... I adore the name. I introduced the name

to my parents after I rattled her seven ways to Sunday.

That's how much I love FastAide.

Getting out is gonna cost him.

Okay, he gets it. You have a big dick.

You know his direction?

He has to buy to cover to stop out.

He wants to know how wide you'll be

- in 19 million shares. - Actually, tell him,

the exact amount is 18.952 million,

then he'll definitely think it's an unwind

and I'm getting out.

Sorry the exact amount is, um, 18.952 million shares.

- (KEYBOARD CLACKING) - Full size, only you.

RISHI: Okay, last trade was 92, trading up.

I can make him 60 points wide around my mid

on 18.952 million, if he guarantees to trade now.

Fuck Dodd Frank. How're you left?

JESSE: Tell him to wait.

RISHI: 85/45 around 3. He like it?

Make him wait. We'll get a better price.

Off. Higher now, make him 95/55. I'm taking him to the cleaners.

Do the man there.

- Yours. Sell, sell, sell. - Yours.

Bloom sells 18.952 million at 295.

JESSE: I'm quietly impressed.

Um... (CHUCKLES)

..."yours"? What do you mean fucking yours?

- ♪ (TENSE MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ - I mean, he sells.

Are you mentally challenged?

Are you out of your fucking tree?

He guaranteed you a trade. On your spread. On your price.

Not a direction.

You read him too far, took the piss, he called you out

and that's that.

Do you think I'm soft?

You put your hand up to signal we were done and he was a buyer.

You misread my signal. (CHUCKLES)

I told you to wait, and then I signaled to sell.

Rish, we have a verbal contract. (CHUCKLES) You know that.

Shit happens. Let's just eat it. It's Bloom. He's satisfied...

Harper, I'm the fucking spiv. You don't spiv the spiv.

You knowingly helped Rishi read him the wrong way.

So Rishi laid three points above the fair price,

expecting Jesse to buy it off him.

Right! And now I'm long a load more of this shit

at a shit price. I'm in a 75-million-dollar hole.

I heard the whole sorry fucking thing.

I was patched into your line, Harper.

Well, then, why didn't you fucking step in?

I wanted proof of who she was.

RISHI: She's blown up my entire year.

(METAL CLANGING) - RISHI: You're gonna be losing friends

- with this kind of behavior. - And who are you then?

Face value? I knew you were full of shit.

Go fuck yourself.

I have to take this upstairs immediately.

Immediately. Log out of your Bloomie.

Fucking now! I'm not fucking around!

(COMPUTER CHIMES)

♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING) ♪

(CHUCKLES)

Well, would you look at that, it's starting to tick up.

Turns out your man's no match for the internet, love.

Get off my fucking floor.

“The room was in that disorder, produced only by those

- who have always had servants.” - (CHUCKLES)

Hemingway.

About a very rich girl who doesn't know

what she's doing with her life. (CHUCKLES)

- Was she hot at least? - (BOTH CHUCKLE)

I've never come that many times.

- So many... stages. - (BOTH CHUCKLE)

YASMIN: And I've never been with a married person before.

CELESTE: IN FRENCH...

YASMIN: (IN ENGLISH) I've never thought of myself as

- I'autre femme. (CHUCKLES) - La maîtresse.

I wouldn't worry. (SIGHS)

Elsa and I have our rules.

When it developed to the stage it got to last night,

I had to tell her.

It's just how we operate. It works for us.

What did you say?

I told her I was in danger of breaking one of our rules.

Surely people don't actually have rules

- around these things. - Uh, yes. (CHUCKLES)

We established them

when we established that she was the more

open partner in our open arrangement.

Sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out.

I don't mean to use such practical language.

Elsa is very exacting. She's a QC, you see.

(CLICKS TONGUE) How long have you been open?

CELESTE: That's Elsa's phrasing.

I prefer polyamorous.

She's not one for monogamy.

She was very promiscuous, and, I guess it was the '70s.

Then she had a cancer scare in her 50s,

but I needed some parameters.

She's seeing someone, so why can't I?

It's nice to be in an institution as comforting

as marriage and not feel trapped.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

CELESTE: I know you're younger than me, but surely

you're not naïve enough to think...

I'm not just a little... messy, huh?

(CHUCKLES)

(CHUCKLES)

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

(PHONES RINGING)

Good lunch?

JACKIE: Have you seen what that analyst

at Alliance Bernstein's saying about FastAide?

The Gerry Adams looking one.

KENNY: Nah, I'd say he's more Harold Shipman.

JACKIE: Similar vibe, though.

Is this... is this Robert?

KENNY: Oh, yeah, the old glasses...

- Um. (CHUCKLES) - KENNY: ...beard aesthetic.

Big criminal energy that combo. You rock that combo...

- In joke. - VENETIA BERENS: Hmm.

KENNY: ...what is he saying?

JACKIE: Nothing interesting actually, the more I listen.

Our sense of humor has matured since then.

(CHUCKLES)

Do you know him?

He's kind of mentoring me. I think.

Interesting path to follow. (CHUCKLES)

JACKIE: Gerry Adams and Harold Shipman

would make a better equity analyst than this fella...

YASMIN: Actually,

I'm more and more certain he is one of the good ones.

(CHUCKLES) Uh, don't worry,

I'd never let myself get used and abused.

Good. (CHUCKLES) So, you shouldn't, me neither.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

YASMIN: I know I've not been much of a mentor.

(CHUCKLES) At all.

But if you ever need anything, I'm just upstairs.

- (CHUCKLES) - VENETIA: Thank you.

Okay.

♪ ("I VOW TO THEE MY COUNTRY" PLAYING ON PIPE ORGAN) ♪

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

- (BIRDS CHIRPING) - (BELL TOLLING)

- Somewhere to be? - (GUESTS MUTTERING)

Oh, just a work thing later.

We're staying in London for a week.

Come round for dinner. You and Leo.

You can see your nephews. You know, in person.

I'm sorry I've been a bit absent.

How are they?

Walking reminders that we're all going to die.

(CHUCKLES) They're walking, already?

I look at them and think "Fuck,

we haven't got much left, have we?" (SNICKERS)

- That sounds morbid. - It's fantastic! (CHUCKLES)

- Reminds me I'm alive. - (BOTH CHUCKLE)

You know, we'll blink and be back here with both of them.

Kwaku tried to sign them up from the hospital

the moment they were born.

Apparently, they don't do that anymore.

Well, seems more meritocratic.

It's a miracle we got him here.

He's having some behavioral issues.

I think they'd appreciate it if you visited him

once in a while. Talk to him. Get him back on the right track.

You know you have to take that promotion, right?

It's admirable, what you've been doing,

it really is. And we're all proud of you...

but you need to get going again.

We're not going to just let you throw your life away.

That seems a bit melodramatic.

Well, we're all prone to melodrama in this family.

You told them you'd do three years at Pierpoint.

You did less than a year.

You spend a year treading water.

Frankly, wasting time, not contributing.

Static yet unstable. You've barely seen any of us.

They give you latitude in other parts of your life.

- What does that mean? - You know what it means.

And they don't really care anymore.

I mean, they care as little now as they're ever going to care,

but this instability,

they won't tell you this, but it kills them.

- I'm working now. - SADIE: And it's tantamount to social work.

It has no visible trajectory.

You're bailing out the boat but the water's just rushing

back in through the holes.

One man can't make a difference there.

Oh, that's a virtuoso piece of rhetoric, well done.

- She'd be proud. - She'd be a lot less subtle

if she got going.

They just want us to live up to their expectations.

Otherwise, what else was all this for?

I'm not sure that's physically or spiritually possible.

SADIE: Well, then just live up to your own.

Don't you think you have a responsibility

to give your kids what you got?

You going to do that on seventeen grand a year?

It's time to stop dancing.

♪ (SONG CONCLUDES) ♪

PRIEST: In the name of the Father and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

(PHONE RINGING) - JACKIE: Oh, thank fuck I don't work in equities.

KENNY: Yas, who's Mark Michaelides'

number two at Millennium?

Sorry, it was a Wyndy contact. He's about to jump on.

Samuel Shinner.

Sam! Uh, S... Samuel. Are you going now?

Samuel, can I call you back in five?

Cheers, buddy, thank you.

RISHI: I'm gonna concede I have too active of a sex life

- to be a Reddit or. - KENNY: Hey!

(PANTS) RISHI: But I respect them.

YASMIN: Thanks.

KENNY: So,

how many times a week do you expect to be entertaining then?

Five. Couple of lunches,

the odd weekend here and there, my entire life. (CHUCKLES)

Silver stone, Ascot, Henley that sort of thing?

(CHUCKLES) - KENNY: Stamps on a drunken asshole's passport.

(BOTH CHUCKLE)

You know, you spend that much time with your boss

and they're effectively your spouse.

Well, that's why you don't cross a line, do you?

Uh, fuck, Kenny that really was not a dig at you, um...

Uh, honestly, it was a promise to my future self. (CHUCKLES)

Future selves, eh? They are pesky fuckers to please. (CHUCKLES)

Mm-hmm.

Look, I don't know if it's having

to pick up Wyndy's slack

or the prospect of actually having to manage people

with some degree of competency, but I feel like I need to...

Oh, no, no, please. It's, um, it's entirely unnecessary.

- Honestly you don't need to... - You give someone like me

- a little bit of power and... I dunno... - It's a hierarchy.

- I... I get it, I get it. - No.

Nah, that's shit. It's scapegoating.

I sat under Wyndham

and he was never anything but fair to me,

and sometimes I wonder what my career would look like

if I had to work under someone like me. Y'know, like I was.

Well, it's a lottery who you get to sit next to.

Um... I've won plenty of those in my life, so it's fine.

- Honestly, it's fine. - I'm, uh...

I'm glad you're ending up somewhere

you're gonna flourish.

Because I... I actually do, I want that for you.

And, um...

I'm sure you don't want to hear anything about me

for the millionth time.

Um, and you're probably worried that this is just, uh,

some more bullshit about my own bullshit, but...

from a place of empathy...

or like, as close as anyone can physically hope

to understand how somebody else must have felt.

And I need to say this to you, um...

I am so sorry, Yasmin.

(CLEARS THROAT)

(DOOR CLOSES)

GUS: Hey, Leo. I think you should give your dad a call.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

No, I just don't think you should lie to your family.

Yeah, call him.

You telling him will be way more meaningful

than the content of what you actually say.

Okay. Okay, gotta go, good luck.

- ♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYING) ♪ - (INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Martingale always loses, eventually. (CLEARS THROAT)

(INHALES DEEPLY)

I'm gonna eat the loss. Stop out through Goldman.

♪ (UPBEAT MUSIC FADING) ♪

Jesse, who are we kidding?

This is you. This is not about the money.

What is it about then? You tell me.

(SCOFFS)

I look like I'm about to go on Leno.

Like a fucking clown.

What is this about? (CLEARS THROAT)

You can't buy the first flush of a career.

That white heat of a career trajectory just starting out.

You gave that to me so you could feel it again.

You really gonna let the fucking mob win?

- Over you? Jesse fucking Bloom? - (CHUCKLES)

You're... you're appealing to the worst part of me.

- (CHUCKLES) - It's the part that thrills you.

I don't have to tell you, life is gamified.

You strip away the jargon, the expertise,

the fucking ceremony.

You chose a career in the ultimate game.

And you chose me...

because I remind you

that it can still have meaning if we win.

Go out there, talk your fucking book,

just like you did with the pandemic.

♪ ("GOSH" BY JAMIE XX PLAYING) ♪

You are gonna go out there.

You're gonna say the highest conviction short

of your lifetime is FastAide. It's a piece of shit.

It belongs in the dirt.

You have the power to obliterate it

just by dint of who you are.

Welcome to the feeling.

CONFERENCE HOST: (IN DISTANCE) ...healthcare and telemedicine,

and who is better qualified to talk about these things

- than Jesse Bloom? - (CELL PHONE VIBRATES)

Harper, it's my son.

Hey. Yeah.

It's fine. It's... it's fine. (CHUCKLES)

No, now's good. Can you get lost?

I'm here. Yeah.

CONFERENCE HOST: Please take your seats,

- the talk is about to begin. - I'll see you out there.

This is our last chance. I'm already done at Pierpoint.

♪ Easy, easy ♪

♪ Hold it down, Hold it down... ♪

(INDISTINCT CHATTER)

Rat.

♪ Oh my gosh ♪

♪ Oh my gosh ♪

♪ Easy, easy ♪

♪ Hold it down, hold it down ♪

♪ Hold it down... ♪

(CLEARS THROAT) Apologies, but due to unforeseen

circumstances, Jesse Bloom will not be gracing us

with his presence.

We'll be moving straight on to Diana Amoa

on telemedicine from an ESG perspective.

(AUDIENCE APPLAUD)

Why are you here then?

Are we worth a bid away?

Shut the door, take a seat.

SONG CONTINUES...

♪ In Ireland, France, Belgium ♪

♪ Wherever you can Pick this up, man ♪

♪ Many thanks for still Keeping the vibe alive ♪

SONG CONCLUDES...