Original subtitles

[dramatic music]

? ?

[engine revving]

? ?

- More than physical pain, I fear humiliation.

Last week Hypergnosis was this close

to being acquired by Cupertino.

Our stock soared on the rumor.

I-I-I don't understand.

[chuckles]

Why-why not?

Uh, well, it's not happening.

I just found out.

Talks were terminated.

[line beeping]

? ?

- Um, Duncan, morning remarks?

Or, uh, you want to skip it?

- I'm fine.

And when word gets out, and it will,

my stock is gonna nosedive,

not to where it was before it took off,

but sink with an odor of...

like what comes out of a frightened dog,

that smell... [sniffing]

Just... [sniffing]

Just hanging around me.

[bell ringing]

[whispering] I said no. - [whispering] Oh, sorry.

[normal voice] Okay.

[clears throat] How we doing, Hypergnomes?

Just got some news-

great news,

pretty-pretty fucking cool news.

Can't tell you what, not yet...

But it's great.

[applause] Good.

Why did they say no?

I have a track record.

I mean, Fahfa was a juggernaut in its time,

and I guess everyone assumes,

since I'm the man who co-created Fahfa,

then I'm the man...

or the co-man.

And...

maybe I'm not...

And they smelled it.

- When word gets out, how will that make you feel,

and, uh, when do you expect that to be?

- Won't be long. You know, people talk.

They tear you down and forget you ever even mattered.

The doctor-patient- confidentiality thing,

just how airtight is that?

- I can't speak with anyone about what you say,

not unless you're meaning to do harm to yourself or others.

- Define harm.

- Physical harm.

- All right, uh...

[inhales deeply]

I shouldn't have leaked the acquisition rumor.

[exhales deeply] That's on me.

I wanted to up our valuation before the price was set.

- Uh, sorry, um-

- It-it-it happens all the time.

Uh...

yeah, we also reduced our price before the IPO.

I don't know. I'm not the money guy.

I do ideas...

powered by belief,

and belief is affirmed by fuckability.

If I could just sell my shares now...

- Mm-hmm. - But the SEC would kill me.

So I'm just gonna have to sink with it.

- Surely you're not going to be poor.

- No.

Obviously.

But Lili can't find out.

God, she would divorce me just to secure half of it.

It'd be the smart move.

- Do you think perhaps you're misjudging Lili?

- Lili? No.

She'd frame all my success as dumb luck.

You know, I'd-I'd become an object lesson, an adjective.

Don't pull a Duncan.

Or is that a noun?

Oh, Christ.

What would my dad say if he could hear me now?

Please, JoAnne.

Really, this is strictly between us.

Thanks. I- - Okay. See you next week.

Doing the work. - Yeah.

?

[phone beeps] - Schmuck.

?

[phone chimes]

- The stressors that...

drove some workers

at our Guangzhou factory to choose to...

exit themselves out a window remain...

unresolved.

- Well, what about our supplier code of conduct?

Our code, their conduct.

- Were we to enforce our code,

anything heavy-handed opens us

to charges of cultural elitism.

- Text Anushka Cupertino.

- What would you like to say? - "What happened?"

[phone vibrates]

- However, our position has always been

human life is valuable...

full stop.

It's a cornerstone for us.

[door whirs, closes]

[sighs]

[phone vibrates]

[line ringing]

[line beeps] What?

- Wow. Thank you. You picked up.

Great. Thank you.

- I cannot talk to you about this.

I was not read in.

I'm an executive here, and I'm on your board.

Recusal was mandatory.

- Okay, just- the acquisition door, how-

how fully shut is that, or are we, like,

playfully rimming the door frame?

- Oh, I would say nailed...

like a coffin, from my understanding.

- Nush, you're-

you're supposed to warn me about this.

This your job?

- Did you leak the acquisition rumor, yes or no?

- No! No.

Maybe.

- Once it's clear no acquisition's forthcoming,

your stock is going to take a ding,

and you'll have no one to blame but yourself.

- Okay, that is just one of the branches

on the tree of outcomes,

and there are many branches, lot of leaves.

It's really- it's really leafy, okay?

So just-can we focus maybe not on the dings?

- You want to change the focus, Duncan,

change the story.

- Gladly. Gladly. Yeah. How do I do that?

- Oh, I don't know.

Presumably with another, better story.

- Yes! Yes!

Where I'm the hero. - Sure. Why not?

Good luck with that.

- Thank you. - Right.

?

- Almost finished. Be done soon.

- You know what that is? That's tungsten.

Aerospace-grade.

Heaviest element in the universe.

This one's 4 inches cubed

but weighs 43 pounds. - Mm.

- The crypto bros are super into 'em.

You know why?

It's not...

it's not virtual.

It's real.

It's the realness.

Here you go.

[thuds on floor] God damn it!

You're done, right?

Yeah. You're done.

? ?

[grunts]

[chains rattle, ball bounces]

- Gary, he landed early. - Mm.

- Oh, no. Damn it, we're late.

- Yeah, I'm having lunch.

- Yeah, well, bring it.

Orson's just wandering around the airport.

Where are my damn keys?

- He's got Wi-Fi and snacks, right?

He's at the airport. He's fine.

- I told him we're already on our way.

- Well, we're not.

- Honey, pick up your phone.

Gary!

- You're yelling, JoAnne.

Being hysterical doesn't make you a better parent.

[line beeps] - Oh, that's him.

Honey? - Hi.

What lures investment? - Uh, sorry, but I can't talk.

- Unwavering confidence- a hat I can wear.

I-I have that hat. - [snaps fingers]

- Hey, JoAnne, I-I'm looking at a light fixture.

Can you-

- I-Sorry. We talked about this, Duncan.

You can't just call me out of the blue.

- But I have a plan. Listen.

I point to the fabulous stock price,

which remains fabulous for the moment,

and I say I will sell another tranche

in private secondary offerings.

Who's wet for it, okay?

If I could Viagra the price and keep it up long enough,

I could be like, "Suck it, Cupertino.

Suck it and weep."

No ding, all dong.

- Sorry, but if you're leveraging the high stock price

when you know the stock's gonna fall, isn't that fraud?

- "Fraud"? - Or market manipulation?

I mean, won't that arouse suspicion with the SEC?

- First of all, I don't know the stock's gonna fall.

I'm not Nosferatu. Fraud? What-

[bang, clattering]

You know what? Instead of accusation,

a smidgen of validation would be nice.

- Duncan, I'm gonna have to take this.

- No, you just accused me of fraud.

- It's my son, and he is alone at the airport.

- I don't care if he's in a stranger's van

licking lollipops.

You do not hang up on me now.

- Goodbye, Duncan. - No. No goodbye.

[line beeping] No, no-

- Gary. - Hmm?

- Oh, my God, it's a sandwich.

Would you hurry up?

[glass shattering] - Fuck!

[pensive music]

?

- You are gonna love Las Altas.

It's very progressive,

but they're not fruity about it.

Last year Las Altas was the top feeder for Stanford,

including Paly.

? ?

Look familiar?

Did your father send your transcripts from Baltimore?

I know he's not feeling well,

but your tuition's normally 90 grand,

and there's no way your dad would pay for that.

But there was a scholarship that no one was using,

so you'd be surprised how hard it is

to find underprivileged youth around here.

And as it turns out, your father's illness

qualified as a hardship,

so I guess he is paying for it.

- [scoffs]

[car door opens] - Not-oh.

[car door closes]

I didn't mean in a karmic sense.

Orson, you know I didn't mean it like that.

My gosh, you've gotten tall. - [scoffs] Can we go inside?

- I just need to know if your father sent the transcripts.

It was the one thing he was supposed to do.

- He just got out of the fucking hospital.

- Whoa, whoa. Hey, Orson.

We don't talk that way to one another.

Can we just try to use constructive language, please?

[door opens]

- Okay, so, um, kitchen, living room.

You remember where everything is.

Well, actually, we have moved things around a little

since you were last here.

That's my office now. And, uh, Gary's is over there.

Clients come around the back.

If you see any of them, just ignore them.

Some are professionals.

Some are even kids from your school.

All normal people, just, you know, sad.

Um, through here.

So the room you stayed in last time,

the ceiling has termite damage,

and then the garage apartment flooded.

Don't even get me started.

But the-the bedroom down here's all fixed up,

so the whole bottom floor is yours.

Oh, uh, Virgiinia, did you see

that I-I left sheets on the dryer?

- I already make his bed. - Yes, I-I-I know.

But I-I got him sheets, special.

[clears throat]

- Where's the bathroom? - It's just around the...

[door opens, closes]

So nice to have you ho-home.

- Okay, Xander, just try mirroring.

So, if they smile...

if they smile...

Xander, can you try holding the smile?

It's what people do.

[sighs] You can do it.

Here, hold and let it fade. Let it fade.

- Martin, are we actually drinking tonight...

or just pretending to drink?

- Shit.

- Chop-chop. - I'm not dressed.

- Your clothes are out.

- Hey, Tess.

[phone vibrating]

- Tess, you all right?

I think John has made you mac and cheese or something.

I have to go.

Martin's finally inching towards a funding round

for his little friend-bot.

He knows he can't keep spending our money on his digital child.

- But I have an actual company that needs saving,

and you're on the board.

It's your fiduciary duty

to come and tell me everything's going to be okay.

- Sorry. Can't.

- But you used to love to do your fiduciary duty with me.

- [chuckles softly] You're on your own.

[line beeping]

[solemn music]

?

- Rodrigo,

call the Ayahuasca guy.

And time me.

- You look splendid and very handsome.

- I feel like I'm cosplaying a version of me

that would never talk to me.

Xander said I look French.

- Take style advice from a widget or me-your choice.

- Don't say "widget."

- So the Guangzhou factory- it's endless.

It's 15 hours ahead, too,

so I might have to pop out midway tonight.

Forgive me?

["Come and Be a Winner" by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings]

? ?

- ? Come and be a winner ?

? ?

? Come and be a winner

? ?

? Be a winner ?

? Just a winner

? Be a winner now ?

- [retching, groans]

- Ayahuasca. Medicina.

[chanting indistinctly]

- [groaning] I'm a puddle.

- That's it, Duncan.

- I'm a puddle. - Yeah.

[moaning]

- [shushing]

He's in a very sensitive place right now.

- [moaning] I'm a puddle.

- What the hell? - [moans]

- He didn't think you were coming.

- He begged me to come.

- Dad-Dad-

Dad, you-don't be mad. Don't be mad.

- Yeah, um, I'll go. - No.

He wants to leave.

- Speak to Dad, Duncan. - Dad-Dad-

- Oh, my God. - Dad-Dad-

- What do you wish to say to him?

- [gasping, moaning]

I'm rich.

- That's great. - Dad.

Dad.

Dad. [moaning]

Help me!

[grunting]

Stay rich. [exhales deeply]

[lively music]

? ?

- I hope no one's looking out the window.

All right, go on, get. Imshi.

Great. We're going into the world's

most profitable company

reeking of that dude's cinnamon fucking patchouli.

[distant telephone rings]

[breathes deeply]

? ?

- You good? - Yeah, yeah. I'm fine.

I'm fine. [sighs]

- You must be the gentlemen from the VA?

- Yeah, that's right. - Just here.

- Thank you.

- We used to run the world, Jeffery.

Now we rent server space from the bastards who broke it.

- Good grief.

- Oh, shit. - Ruffage?

- [chuckles] Generalissimo.

General Don Voorhees, Jeffery Hart.

- Hi. Nice to meet you. - Hi.

What are you doing here?

- Oh, I just came to solve the backlog at the VA.

- Well, prepare to die with your boots on, boys.

[laughter] - Well, about to meet with Tim.

- Just met with Tim.

DOD arranged a conference in partnership with Cupertino.

Technology of defense.

Gazillionaire jagoffs love these things.

- [laughs] Yeah, nice.

Nice. Hey.

You know, tell me to get lost, but, uh...

what if I spoke about our initiative at your conference?

You know, make them feel like heroes

for helping the actual heroes?

- Maybe.

Major Marcia? - Maybe.

We'll let you know.

- Okay.

[indistinct chatter]

"Maybe."

Guy fired me ten years ago.

Prick.

[groans]

God damn it.

- Hi. Hi. - Ah.

- I'm Anushka Bhattachera, Director of Ethical Innovation.

- Tim Kwan, corp dev.

- Jeffery Hart, Assistant to the Deputy Undersecretary.

- Yeah, Tom Ruffage,

Deputy Undersecretary, Veterans Affairs.

All right.

Oh, just here? - Yeah.

- Oh, yeah. Sure.

Okay.

But, uh, will the other Tim be joining?

[Anushka scoffs]

- Big Tim only shows up

when the contours are delimited.

- Uh-huh.

- So, uh, you guys got a traffic jam needs clearing.

- Yeah, we do, indeed.

- Tim-Big Tim- he likes things super direct,

uncluttered. - Mm-hmm.

- Right? So, straightforwardly, what's the quant ben for us?

- [chuckles]

I'm still pretending to know

what "delimited contours" means.

- [chuckles]

- Quant ben is "quantifiable benefits."

- Got it.

Yeah. [clears throat]

Well, I mean, uh...

I don't know.

Uh, you're here.

You live here.

And you and me and Jeffery and Anushka and Big Tim,

we're all here.

There are men and women

who fought for us to be here

and live like... this.

[chuckles] You know, free to make a business,

to speak our minds,

to make ungodly sums of money.

But for the men and the women...

who actually put themselves on the front lines

to defend the socioeconomic system

in which you and your company thrive,

I mean, they're not even asking you for a favor.

In fact, they want to pay you

a quarter of a billion dollars...

just for your help.

- So us helping you do the work is...

kind of like, I don't know,

um, France helping your mother

set up her printer, you know.

France but with, like, much, much, much more money

than France. [laughs]

- [chuckles awkwardly] Yeah.

- You guys get it. - Oh, yeah.

- Okay. Yeah.

- We-we, of course,

recognize the sacrifice of your...

your people. - Mm.

- They're struggling, and we...

We feel that.

- Oh. - You feel it, huh?

- We feel it, guys.

We feel it. Thank you. Thank you.

- Uh-huh. - He must be really feeling it.

- Yeah.

Well, thank you, Anushka.

This has been, um...

What's the opposite of uplifting?

- Uh, demoralizing.

- Yeah, "demo"...[laughs] I bet, in these parts.

Come on, Jeffery. We got other meetings.

? ?

- Our 11:00 has to postpone till next week.

Uh, it's Major Marcia.

Vorhees says "you're welcome."

You're speaking at the conference.

- No.

- DOD will cover a junior suite at the Elysium,

if we're all right with sharing.

You just need to reserve it on your card,

and they will reimburse you.

- You okay with sharing a suite?

I-I'll take the couch. - Oh-

- No, I've been a full-time pain in the ass.

You deserve it.

Damn!

The Elysium is the shit!

Thought that guy'd never forgive me.

- Why?

What did you do to get fired?

- Doesn't matter now.

Booyah!

[bassoon playing]

?

[phone vibrating]

[flat note plays]

[line trills] - Hello?

- Honey, we can hear you.

No bassoon during office hours.

[sighs] Very sorry about that, Carl.

[door closes] - It's fine.

- No, no. No, it's not.

This is-this is your time.

- Well, might as well fill the emptiness with bagpipes

or whatever the hell that was.

[sighs] Lord knows I was just gonna complain anyway,

and who wants to hear me complain?

Boo-hoo. Poor old rich fart.

- We all deserve to complain.

- Not the richies.

People act like we took something...

as if we didn't build everything they touch.

- Mm-hmm.

- And we didn't build it to be worshipped.

We built it to work, and it does work.

But where's our parade?

All I see are pitchforks and ingratitude!

And I got to be honest with you.

It's starting to make me maybe a little mental!

- Would you like to starfish, Carl?

- No.

Okay. Yeah. Thank you.

[sighs] - Great.

- [sighs]

I'm backsliding, JoAnne.

This shit-heel came up to me at Milltown, my haunt,

the one place that I could go to in public

and no one bothers me. - Mm-hmm.

- And right before I get ready to bite into my T-bone,

this sniveling shit stick sits...

sits at my table.

And he's like, "Oh, Mr. Bardolph,

you're such an inspiration." [muttering]

Of course he brings up Bardolph's Law.

- He was admiring you.

Doesn't it make you feel even a little bit good

to see your legacy in action?

- "Legacy"? Bardolph's Law is something

I wrote on a napkin on speed when we still had fax machines.

- Profits will continue to grow forever, right?

- Infinite growth.

Yes, the logic of the cancer cell.

If I could have just reached out

and-and-and-and throttled and just squeezed and squeezed

that little shit licker's trachea until it buckled

and his eyes popped,

that would have been a legacy!

But I didn't.

I didn't.

- Okay, Zeus.

[dog whimpering]

Go get it.

Zeus.

Come on, buddy.

Got to get it.

Sorry.

Oh, I'm-I'm sorry.

- Hey, boy.

Trying to teach you some new tricks, huh?

A little late for that, don't you think?

Tricks are for kids.

One day you're- you're chasing squirrels,

and then the next,

you're shitting yourself on the good Persian rug.

Ain't right.

Sorry.

[thuds]

[engines turning over]

? ?

[soft ethereal music]

?

- Ooh.

Oh.

Stop, stop.

Hey.

Thank you for this joy.

- Oh, Dad. - Jim-jam!

Hi!

Hey. You-you had a game.

How was the game? Or was it a match?

- We lost.

- That's how we learn. - Yeah.

Okay. Okay, Dad.

- It's lemons. It's limes. I don't know...

- Love you.

- What they're doing over there.

Oh, look who's alive. - Yes.

- Can we move this beverage dispenser?

- I am alive.

Anton came over for a session last night.

- Right. - And...

it was expansive.

You really ought to try it. - The puke juice?

No. Thank you.

- I had a...

a snag at work- a little bit more than a snag.

But, Lili...

my dad came to me in a vision and showed me a path forward.

- Right.

Guests arrive at 1:00, Duncan.

- "Guests"?

- The reception?

For Beatrice, the new headmaster

at your daughter's school? - Nice.

- I think maybe a shower is in order.

- Okay.

- Oh, um...

and with regards to our arrangement

and in keeping with what we discussed,

I did meet someone in Napa at the mud baths-

a Danish CFO.

[whispering] Of course, we used protection.

[both chuckle]

Fun guy. You'd like him.

- Oh. Oh.

- I know Anushka was here last night.

So that's back on.

You were supposed to tell me.

- No, no, no. I-she...

That's all in the past. That-she was here as a friend.

- Right.

- Da-Danish CEO? - CFO.

- Okay. - Brush your teeth.

- Okay. - Your breath stinks.

- Yeah.

[tense music]

? ?

Oh, Rodrigo. You're fired.

- [chuckles] Good one. - No, you're fired.

You told Lili Anushka was here last night.

- Wha-No, I didn't. - Yes, you did.

[line trilling] Lucky?

- Yeah? - So that Dragon Tattoo chick-

I need that algo she did on that guy that was doing

that thing that one time. - Isn't that illegal?

- No, no, it's not illegal, just frowned upon.

- Okay-Yeah. - Hold on.

Lucky, are you still there? - Yeah, I'm here.

- Okay, listen to me.

It was Napa Valley, 29th and the mud baths.

- Got it. - Danish CFO, like, you know...

[muttering goofily with Scandinavian accent]

Get me that, uh, code monkey with the pink hair

the "none of the above" with the door knocker in her nose-

sorry, their nose.

Just get her. - On it, Duncan.

?

- Whoa. Hey.

Uh, get-get up. What is this?

Get out from behind my desk.

Did-did anyone see you sitting there?

- I don't think so.

- How's progress?

- Uh, the gentleman from the Napa mud baths

is now in Copenhagen. - Okay.

Get him. What's the problem?

- In Europe, this is against- - This is America.

We have our own rules here.

I mean, we play football with a football.

- Okay.

Um, this algo is an AI-powered threat shield

intended to protect people and their privacy.

- I know, I've seen it,

and I find its scope annoyingly narrow.

- It synthesizes socials, biometrics, financials.

Your current algo is just a data aggregator

that can't account for orphaned infosets,

which is fine for your corporate clients

but not performant under data-rich scenarios, so...

This is-I mean, it can capture

someone's entire digital footprint in a heartbeat.

- Now you're making my heart beat.

- Its scope is basically God's eye.

- Good. Super-scope me, then.

- But in the wrong hands, it could-

- It could-Whose hands are you talking about, my hands?

Hmm?

Listen, you make a wrench, right?

And I buy that wrench, right?

If I fix a leak or break someone's kneecap with it,

it's not up to the wrench girl. - But my algo isn't intend-

- No, my algo-mine. You work here.

You developed it here.

It is mine.

Or do you want me to slap you with a lawsuit?

- If you did that, I would quit, obviously,

and then one of your other employees

would need to be capable of supervising,

which they're... not.

- Lucky, can you give us the room?

[door clanks] I told you to fix the door.

- Sorry. - Um...

Mr. Park, there are rules-

- Rules are designed to keep morons in line.

Are you a moron? No, you aren't.

And think about it, okay?

What if this algo ends up protecting evildoers,

when it should be exposing them?

Hmm?

Who-who's gonna-who's gonna make that call, you?

Every time?

Yeah. How about we develop this?

Hmm?

Right, I'll give you the resources you need.

Don't you want to see the rocket you built

punch a hole in the sky?

Isn't that why you came to the Valley?

Yeah.

Okay, so how godlike is this?

Omni-science? Semi-deity omni-science?

- Omniscience. - What's that?

- We're about to find out.

[dialing]

[line trilling]

- [automated voice speaking Danish]

- Here, spoof it from this number.

[keys clacking, dialing]

[line trilling]

- Lili, I was just thinking about your jugs.

Hello? Hi? [speaking Danish]

- Hang up.

Ah, what's this?

- Press releases, personal calendars,

text chains, posts, search-engine requests,

shopping- - That's a big boat.

- Oh. - It's really-

He's handsome. - Yeah.

- No.

How much does he make?

[keys clacking]

Fuck. [sighs]

Okay.

He got a tonsillectomy when he was a kid.

I did, too.

He likes wheat beer, herring...

anal, okay.

- Do you want more of the sex stuff

because I can tweak it to- - No, no, no.

It's-

Okay.

[dramatic music]

?

- This is, um...

? ?

This is a thing.

? ?

Good work.

? ?

Hey... I don't know your name.

What is it? - Harper.

- Harper. Hi. Um...

I can count on your complete discretion with this, right?

What do you want? - Um...

- I want to get you something.

- I don't- - What do you need?

What do you need? Anything. - An office of my own.

- [chuckles]

[snaps fingers]

?

[door opens, closes]

- Oh! - Oh!

[indistinct chatter]

- Jamison. Hey, kiddo.

What are you up to these days?

- Soccer tournament. - Stalker tournament?

That sounds- - Soccer.

- Soccer.

- I prefer skiing and squash, but they have

wealth connotations. - Uh-huh.

- Soccer's more relatable.

- Hey, Tessie's here somewhere.

You two should get together.

When's the last time you guys had a sleepover?

- [chuckles] Not since, like, seventh grade.

- Okay, can you just hold that face?

I'm building an intelligent entity,

more of an autonomous companion for alienated teens

based on personal data ecosystems,

but it has been a real slog

to replicate a genuine look of bothersomeness.

Thanks, Jamie.

- Okay, just a sec. Sweetie. Sweetie.

Next bite of the lemon square tastes exactly like the first.

Yeah.

I don't know how many of those she's eaten.

You try, and you try.

- I mean, it's hard being a parent.

- It's really hard being a mom.

- It is hard being a parent.

? ?

- Honey, swim first, then eat,

just so you don't have any digestion issues

in the Park-Hoffsteaders' pool.

- Can we talk, please?

- Our next session, in the office.

- Well, eh, I-

I'd rather do it now.

- Duncan, circumstances don't always align

with our wishes.

[indistinct chatter, laughter]

- Ah! Whoo! - Whoo!

- Your parents gave you a smartphone?

- Uh, yeah.

Yours don't?

- Smarts are worse than hard drugs, twice as addictive.

- Doesn't every parent here, like, work on tech stuff?

- [scoffs] Arms dealers don't give their kids land mines.

[water splashes]

? ?

[toilet flushing]

[breathing heavily]

[suspenseful music]

? ?

- Does your mom still take

your body mass index every night?

What was her thing, like, anything over petite,

and you're 8% less likely to get into a top 10?

[chuckles] Amazing.

- Hear you're klepto now.

- It was that or pyromania. - Hmm.

And you have to repeat the 11th grade.

- Plus community service.

I have to see Dr. Gary- court-ordered.

Triple crown.

- Aw, poor Tessie.

Stealing the flag off the flagpole,

turning the exit signs into no-exit signs-

so deep.

Or just another cry for help?

- You found me out, Jamie.

- Just remember, if it comes down to it,

it's cross the street for attention,

up the road if you want results.

[water splashes]

?

- Hello.

- Oh.

You're not ashamed to be seen with me?

- What are you talking about?

- Your buddy from Cupertino- Tim, Little Tim.

Guy's staring at me

like he's trying to castrate me telepathically.

It's working, too.

- He's just gloating. - What? Why?

- He convinced Big Tim to shut down the acquisition talks.

Mind you, after you leaked the rumor.

- What'd he say?

- Wasn't there.

But I heard he called you a dumb man's genius.

- At least I'm someone's genius,

not everybody's asshole.

He comes to my house. He comes to my house gloating.

That is-

How much of my stock do you own, huh?

Little Tim blabs about the acquisition snafu

to any of these people here-

- Very strict at Cupertino. He won't.

- Okay. - He won't.

- Yeah, well, he better not.

I'm just saying, you stand to lose, too.

- I know. That's why I had to firewall myself off

from all of it. - Oh.

And yet you still heard him call me a dumbass.

That just happened to get through your firewall-

the zinger.

I mean, he is-

he's cutting me off at the balls here.

I need you to shut that shit down.

- Is it the stock you're worried about or your dick?

- It's one and the same.

[door closes]

? ?

- So this whole experience is, you know,

quite out of the box for me. - Yeah?

- Great community, it seems. Everyone is so lovely here.

Happy to get to work and bring my daughter

and give her the best opportunity.

- Oh, uh, by the way,

Lili knows you came to my session last night.

- Yeah, I know. I texted her.

- Why would you do that?

- Misunderstandings- they're unpredictable, costly,

and easily avoidable with a bit of truth.

- Well, it got lost in translation.

She went and banged a guy in Napa.

- Oh- [laughs] Oh...

- That is not funny. - I'm sorry. No, I know.

I know. - It is not funny.

- No, I know. I'm sorry.

I just wanted to give Lili a nod of respect and agency.

- Well, mission super-duper accomplished.

- [laughs] - Don't-

- [snorting] - No.

- Okay. Shh. - No.

- You sound like a truffle pig. Don't do that.

? ?

- Thank you.

- I want to officially introduce

the reason we're all here-

an educator who took a top 50 in Pasadena

to the top 5.

- Wow. - Whoa.

- Before that, masters from Columbia,

Harvard before that,

and a terrifically underprivileged upbringing

in Chicago.

I knew the minute I heard her speak

at the Aspen Education Summit that she was the one

to lead us into the future...

- Raising money off frothy numbers

to sugarcoat the rotten apple is what built this town.

It's not fraud. - Not now, Duncan.

- If not now, I will do harm to myself and/or others.

- Jesus. Fine.

[applause] - Hear, hear.

[indistinct chatter] - Uh...

goodness, I, um, should have prepared something.

[laughter]

I know you're all ready for a new chapter

at Las Altas.

[tense music]

- Oh. Hey. - Orson.

- I, uh... - I-What?

- Hey. - Hey. Sorry.

- Ooh.

That kid laid a stinker.

- And let's make this a great year.

[cheers and applause]

? ?

- Hi, um, this is-

this is weird, but I was in there,

and I-I saw you take that thing.

- Don't know what you're talking about, bro.

- Oh, well, that guy in there, he just-

he saw me come out of the library,

and he might think that I took it,

like, ipso facto or whatever.

Um...

? ?

[objects rattling]

- Okay, so, listen, I'm in crisis right now.

This is- You're looking at it.

And my therapist, who's supposed to know me

better than anyone, thinks I'm a fraud.

- Okay, Duncan, I-I-I didn't call you a fraud, okay?

- Well- - I said-

What I said was that you- you might be committing fraud.

- What is the difference? You're not a murderer.

You're just someone who committed murder.

And here, when you use the word "fraud" in the Valley,

that's kind of like saying... "good hustle."

- Okay, I-I...

I spoke to a lawyer friend.

- W-w-what?

- I didn't mention your name or anything.

- Why would you-why would you talk to a lawyer?

What-

- Oh, you haven't done anything about this yet-

acted on any of it?

- I've done the analytics, you know.

I-I-I-I bag a high-profile investor...

- Yeah-Mm.

- And then everybody forgets about Cupertino.

And we grow. We grow.

I'm sexy again.

Come and get it.

- But you'd have to lie to-to do it.

It's-it's- it's market manipulation,

and it is a felony.

- A felony. A felony.

No, li-

Okay, here.

You-you came here today, right?

And I'm just gonna assume to benefit your business.

Right? - What?

- To snarf up a bunch of potential hotshot clients

and their fucked-up kids.

That's- - No.

I...

My child is attending Las Altas.

- You don't have a child.

- You just met him.

- The pooter? Look, no-

- Okay. - No. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

- I think that we should be getting back to your guests.

- I just had a aha. I did. It's a really good one.

Okay, okay, okay.

Out of all your illustrious clients, right,

maybe there is one or two in my arena or adjacent

and that maybe their business needs align with mine,

and-and maybe their personalities match as well,

and you could set us up for-I don't know-a lunch.

- Okay, I am not a dating service

for businessmen, Duncan.

I am a therapist, and you need to respect that.

- Okay, life coaches do it all the time.

- I am not a- I am not a life coach.

- No, no, I-listen, I want to continue doing the work.

I do-with you, with you.

- Then I think that you need to face

the discomfort of your truths.

You pumped your stock.

Right? - Eh...

- Yeah, and now you want to do more of it?

I mean, if the SEC find out, you could go to jail.

- Jail. Don't- Shh. Jail.

- Yeah, well, you wouldn't be the first CEO to end up there.

- You make me feel worse! You do!

And that is not your job.

I'm pretty sure that is the opposite of your job!

- Okay, this, right here- - Oh, my gosh.

- This is why we have sessions in an office-boundaries.

Okay, look, I-I-I...

I apologize, Duncan,

and I am ending this conversation right now.

- No! Hey, wait.

Listen, Lili's having an affair.

I'm just a bit agitated- more than usual.

And you keep bringing up the SEC and lawyer and-

- Well, I-

- Listen, I-I depend on you, and I respect you.

There is...

There's no one else.

- Oh, man, that's a good shower.

- Yeah. - Oh.

Finally, an ounce of respect for the VA, huh?

- Right.

- Oh, and some legit aboveboard decadence.

- Yeah, I just wish some meetings went better.

- Oh, no pouting, Jeffery.

Come on. No feelings in a firefight.

Smell this.

Bergamot. - Smells good.

- Yeah. Earl Grey, right? - [chuckles]

- [sniffs] Yeah. Come on, look around.

We're doing okay.

I'm gonna do my pitch tonight.

All the wigs will be there, the big ones, the little ones.

- Hell, yeah. - I will make my case.

I'll be passionate.

I'm great when I'm passionate.

- [chuckles]

- Do you want to help me get passionate?

- Uh...

Tom.

- Yeah.

What about the Behavioral Health Forum in Fairlawn, huh?

Back seat of that car. - Yeah.

- Yeah, I got you drunk.

Crossed the line.

Sorry.

But, you know, if I'm being honest...

not sorry.

- I wasn't that drunk.

- Oh.

- But, uh...

Yeah. - Yeah.

Yeah, I was younger once, you know?

- No, no. - Handsomer.

- No, no, no.

- All the officers' wives wanted me.

- Yeah, and you wanted the officers.

- [chuckles] Yeah.

- Hey, you're still handsome...

- Mm.

- And my boss.

- Yeah. Right.

- Yeah.

- You're gonna be great.

Yeah? Gonna get some.

- Hoo-ah. - Yeah.

[applause]

- Y'all didn't invent moving fast and breaking things.

We did.

We need to be agile.

And America is the greatest startup of them all.

The future is coming.

We like that startup energy.

We're gonna require our contractors

to look over existing deals

and let us know what was good about them in the first place.

Let's go to the movies. Hmm?

[applause]

[dramatic music playing]

- Born from carbon-woven composite skin...

- Wonderful speech, General.

I'm afraid we're gonna have to bump Mr. Ruffage.

We pay overtime if we go even a minute over.

- But wait, since he wasn't part of the original program,

is he gonna have trouble reimbursing his room?

- Yeah. That's $2,100 a night.

- I mean, you could lie, say you spoke.

Just don't get caught.

- Don, let me say my piece. Five minutes. That's it.

It's not about being reimbursed.

It's for the vets.

- I find it best to leave these decisions

to Major Marcia.

- Shh... you son of a bitch.

You set me up to fuck me down!

How long you gonna hold a grudge?

You know what? To hell with this.

I'm speaking.

You can just try and stop me.

- No- - [grunting]

[struggling]

[distant clattering] [plane whooshing]

Okay, okay.

[panting]

[breathing heavily]

[phone ringing]

- Hey, handsome.

- Hey, Dad. How's it going?

- Oh, not bad, you know, for an old geezer.

How's it going there?

When, uh- when does school start?

- Day after Labor Day, I think.

[sighs]

This place just feels like a weird "simaculum" of life.

- Simulacrum. - Simulacrum.

There's these clients who pay to come see

Mom and Gary on the hour.

It's so weird.

And there's this one guy who's worth, like,

a bazillion dollars, but he's the saddest man

you've ever seen. [chuckles]

- The world there is not the world.

Your mother loved it. I did not.

- Yeah.

I really want to come home.

- Soon.

- December 19th, the day the semester ends.

Um, and I-I checked- on the 21st,

BSO's playing Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique."

- It's "Berlios."

You know, worst-case scenario,

you do both semesters out there.

[somber music]

? ?

[thud]

- Shit. [clattering]

?

[footsteps overhead, floor creaking]

- Hi, Sandra, it's Dr. Gary Felder.

Yeah, it was a prescription I filled

for a patient-Teresa Phister, 17 years old.

Yeah, sure. I'll hold. Thanks.

- It's a cesspool of idiots.

Guys like me and you making a median wage,

guys who actually make this country run...

- Mm-hmm.

- Who need to know what they're doing,

or else people, real people, will suffer.

I mean, what do we get

for keeping the wheels on the bus from falling off?

[clears throat] - Why did Voorhees fire you?

- I don't know. Who remembers?

- I might have bottomed for his son.

- [laughs]

- Don Jr.

- Oof.

- That's what he wanted to be called.

- [laughs] - Yeah.

- Wow. - I know.

- They're military.

Like, and- should I be all gung ho,

like, war's my jam, or is it like,

oh, we don't talk about blood and guts

and stuff like that?

- Just be yourself.

- Who else would I be, huh?

- Duncan, this is the story you need.

- Yes. Right. Right-o.

Once more onto the beach. Bye.

- Hey.

Go back to D.C.

I need you there.

Keep an eye on the jackals.

They see a safety net, and all they think is,

where'd I put my scissors?

- You're staying? - Yeah.

- You hate it here. - I hate it everywhere.

I complain so much, I've lost track

of where things fall on my color wheel of shit.

It's all one big brown smear.

You'll be point in D.C., okay?

We'll-we'll talk every day.

- Mr. Ruffage.

Duncan Park, CEO Hypergnosis.

Data analytics. - Oh.

- I hear you need a data man

to help our fighting men in uniform-and-and women.

Can I get you a round of drinks?

- Uh, yeah. - Yeah, two of those.

Uh, gentlemen, what can I-

what can I do for...

I am sorry. I don't- Is it the army?

Is it the navy?

Marines?

- Air Force and Coast Guard, too.

- Cowabunga, right?

I-What-what can Hypergnosis do

to help us win our next war?

- Uh, well, it's really the last war

we're still fighting.

- Okay, of course.

Of course. [chuckles]

Tracking down the terrorists.

So you give us your satellite feed,

your secret files, and we- we meld that with our data.

We cross it. We blend it. We dig into it.

We find the pattern. We find your bad guys.

And you just- you just pull the trigger.

Done. Win-win.

I mean, not for the guys that you're blowing up,

but, no, they're kind of into it, too.

It's their martyrdom.

So that's-it's actually a win-win-win.

That's sort of the slogan for Hypergnosis.

- Ah.

- Um, it's just-

- What?

- We represent America's veterans.

We're the VA.

- [chuckles]

[glasses clink]

[phone vibrating]

[light music]

- How'd it go?

What's the matter?

Duncan, slow down.

I told you they were from the VA.

- You-you said military, okay?

I need a sexy, new client, not old urine-soaked vets

with their weird hats and broken brains.

I thought you got that.

- Sorry I hooked you up with a bloody government contract.

- There are more than one kind, okay?

More than one kind.

There are stealth bombers and secret agents,

and then there's distributing colostomy bags in tent cities.

- These men and women, they fought so that-

so that we-we here could...

be free here.

I admire them, and I've seen the alternatives.

But I chose to make a life here,

and in spite of its flaws, I'm grateful.

- Well, then you should have had Cupertino be their hero.

Okay, my company is not your ethical "laundry mat," okay?

I-

I have a reputation, okay?

I know it's not great what people say about me, but...

but this is not-this is not the story I needed.

Okay, this is just- this is goodwill fuckery.

And your buddy Little Tim, Little Tim,

that's exactly what he's gonna say

when he leaks the acquisition fail.

- No. - Yes. Yes, it is.

I-I-I-I see how that guy looks at me,

like I'm lying in a ditch

with my asshole sticking up inside out

so he can drive up with his buddies

and go, like, "Hey, guys, isn't that Duncan Park

in that ditch with his asshole sticking up inside out?"

Yeah, I know how people are...

because I'm one of them.

I'm a person, and I'm like that.

- So you're walking away? - You're goddamn right!

And you're going to tell the VA guys.

That is your punishment, okay?

Just put them out of their misery.

They've probably been to more funerals than birthdays anyway.

They can take it.

Thanks.

[dramatic music]

[groans]

[phone vibrates] - Message from Harper.

? ?

[phone vibrating] Message-message from Harper.

Message from Harper.

Message-message- message from Harper.

? ?

- You got to be kidding me.

? ?

Um, before we start,

I think it's important to ensure your commitment

to the doctor-patient- confidentiality thing.

You know everything about me, as it should be,

and as you know, I have trust issues.

- Duncan...

where are we going with this?

- Easier to hear me out.

Um...

on May 7th, you missed a session due to the flu,

but you were actually getting varicose veins removed.

Hypergnosis, my company, we harvest your data

every time you click agree, and then we put that all

into an algorithm that would make the Patriot Act blush-

anything, everywhere, anybody.

I know.

All that godlike knowledge,

and still, Cupertino didn't want us.

The thing is, we're not all that unique.

The amount of companies with as much or more capability

than the NSA would give you nightmares.

Here, Russia, China, India-

they all have what I have on you,

if-if they only cared to look.

- Duncan, um, I fear that you-

you may be having a psychotic episode.

- Half of it's public filings and court cases,

like how you and your ex-husband both

try to dodge custody of the kid.

Pretty sure little Orwell would love to hear that.

- Okay.

Okay.

You need to leave... - [breathing heavily]

- Right now.

- You need to face the discomforts

of your truths, Jojo.

When I told you my company was in trouble,

within 53 seconds of me leaving this office,

you sold your shares, and I was like, wha-

That hurt.

No faith in Dunky?

And then I asked myself-

I was like, why did she have shares of my company?

Sounds like a conflict of interest, no?

Oh, my goodness. Could it be? Yes.

Yes, it is.

You've been running a magnificent scam

on all your high-end, blubbering billionaire clients.

You, the trusted repository

of the Valley's ultimate insider information.

VC agonizing about an upcoming earnings call, sell.

CEO hopes his wife finally respects him

after an upcoming secret merger, buy.

What's the harm?

Except it's a felony, and you can go to jail for it.

- Duncan, this is madness.

You are confabulating, and it's a-a-a concern.

- That superior tone is something

I really would like you to work on.

Sit.

Sit, please.

We're both flawed human beings, you and I.

With your degree, you could have chosen

to help filthy city urchins with their nasty demons,

but, no, no, no, you planted yourself

in the single richest enclave in America

to help cure the scourge for performance anxiety,

sudden wealth syndrome?

No.

You profited.

It really is okay, and you'll still profit.

Me too...

because you're gonna dish all that life-giving dirt to me.

Not today, though. No.

Today I feel comfortable, earthed.

There's level ground between us.

Feels better, right?

So can we please just- please...

talk about my dad?

? ?

- [crying]

[door opens]

- Hello?

Hello?

? ?

- You are inviting a pushback that is going to feel

like the wrath of God. - Ow!

- Dad, you're, like, having a breakdown.

- Aaah!

- Hyper gnomes, assemble!

We're gonna make money!

- 10 million data points on every person from birth.

You're not predicting behavior.

You're steering it.

[Cellphone chimes]

- Your algorithm says all that? - Yes.

- That's the kind of tech that could help people.

- My patients have dangerous, violent tendencies.

- I just want to crush them.

[Whistle blows]

- So, what is your deal, bro?

- I know tech changed the world,

but so did the bubonic plague.

- I don't get it- your bot, is it a moron?

I mean, is it based on a moron? - [Laughs]

- Duncan!

- You do not want this guy running your company.

- Hey! Whoa!

?

- Prepare to have your mind blown.

?

- Welcome to the table read of "The Audacity," first block.

[Cheers and applause]

It's about to get real.

[Applause]

- The Audacity. Episode 101.

- In episode one, the first thing that I wrote down

was Duncan's opening line.

It felt like it was being said to somebody in confidence.

- She kind of runs the Valley's mindset, or the psychology.

- The lost man-children.

- It became a question of,

how can we make this relationship

more than just therapist-patient?

- They started the season a little bit in performance

of themselves, especially Joanne.

She's, like, playing the "good therapist."

- Let's see what happens when you are a powerful person

discussing corporate secrets,

successes and failures, in a therapeutic setting.

And what does the therapist do with the information,

which is essentially insider information?

- Really, this is strictly between us.

- It was fun also doing some therapy scenes with Zach.

- Would you like to starfish, Carl? - No.

Okay. Yeah. Thank you.

- Bardolph is- he's an angry man and very resentful

and feels like he's never gotten his flowers

that he deserves as being one of the pioneers of Silicon Valley.

- His main problem is greed, like most of the characters.

- The doctor-patient confidentiality thing,

just how airtight is that?

- Ha!

- I grew up in a house

with a psychiatrist and a therapist,

with their offices in the house,

and I could hear the patients.

I was a teenager.

And I chose not to listen to them

because they were mostly really boring,

but I could listen to them.

It's that sort of funny faith

that this room's a safe space.

Why? What's so safe about it?

- These two seemingly are so different,

but then they actually have a lot in common.

- She is shown to be somebody with ethical lapses,

who cuts corners herself.

- It really is okay.

And you'll still profit. Me too.

- End of episode.

[Applause]

?

[dramatic music]

? ?

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