All language subtitles for TGE.s03e01

[footsteps echoing lightly]

Hello, Iris.

[Iris] Hello.

I'm ready for a change.

[recruiter]
You're moving to London.

Daytime job in the tech world.

That must be decent money.

[Iris]
I'm not here for "decent."

[device beeps softly]

[recruiter] Your academic
credentials are impressive.

Behavioral psychology.

Neuroscience.

Then what happened?

[Iris] Like I said,

I'm ready for a change.

[recruiter] Any red flags
we should know about?

Husband?

Jealous boyfriend?

[Iris] No red flags.

[recruiter]
You're very beautiful.

Is this what you look like
in real life

when you go on a date?

[eerie ambient music plays]

[Iris] Yes.

[eerie, sparse
percussion plays]

Why did you come to us?

Why the V?

[Iris] Mm.

Access

and security.

I'm ready to have
a real exchange

with the men I sleep with.

[recruiter]
The women we represent

can hold a conversation
on most any topic,

whether that conversation
takes place during pillow talk

or over a five-course meal.

I know how to use cutlery.

And I'm good at reading people.

[soft electronic beeps]

♪

Welcome to the V.

We take a 30% commission.

We will send you
on one initial client date.

His name is Paul.

Paul will give you
a rating and a review.

If things go
to our mutual satisfaction,

we will set you up
with a booker.

[music heightens, then fades]

[exhales]

[Tawny] "I'm ready
to have a real exchange

with the men I sleep with."

What? It's true.

[Tawny chuckles]

[Iris] When did you
start camming in VR?

[Tawny] Couple months ago?

It helps
with building my brand.

But right now, I'm really
in the mood for Paris.

And if I play my cards right,

he might...

just might...

ask me to bring
a friend next time.

So...

Here.

Rule number one...

is look the part.

Tawny, I--

It should be your size.
She's yours.

[Iris sighs]

-Thank you...
-Of course.

...for setting me up, for this.

I, um...

I'm really glad I called.

I knew you would.

An Ivy League education
has all kinds of benefits.

Dropping out was the most adult
decision I ever made.

You'll see.

[flowing piano music plays
through headphones]

[device clicks]

[machine humming]

♪

So you think we should
keep the piano?

Definitely.

[physician]
The water molecules

along your father's
white matter tracts,

there's an increased activity.

Any kind of creative outlet

or play can help stimulate
the operating system.

So in your opinion,

what do you think
is the next best step, here?

Since we don't know
conclusively

that it's
early-onset Alzheimer's,

I just don't really see
how it's helpful

to keep monitoring
those water molecules.

♪

[Jeakins] An outcome linked
directly to our moral code,

synaptic impulses filtered
through the prefrontal cortex

on a good day
and the amygdala on a bad day,

which in turn
begs the question,

"How much of our perception
of reality is predetermined?"

[Leanne]
Iris...

please help me out, here.

What they're doing in there,
it's a...

it's an approximation,
you know?

It's not real.

Nobody really knows what's going on
inside anybody's head.

what's going on
inside anybody's head.

♪

[Jeakins] Or,

as some of the most luminous
minds of our time

like to posit,

all of it is mere simulation

with individual players
angling to advance

whatever they perceive
as leveling up

inside their own game.

[students chatter indistinctly]

Iris.

Hi, Professor.

-You look different.
-[Iris chuckles]

How's your father?

[Iris]
Yeah, he's... hanging in there.

Mm. We need more female PhDs
in neuroscience.

-When you're ready.
-Thank you for saying that.

One thing that I realized
this past year,

is that life is short
and academia is slow.

And I-I need to be out there
in the real world.

[Jeakins, warmly] Iris!

You got headhunted.

It's a... tech startup
in London.

NGM.

The H-Group investors.

They're more of a
"How do we connect to others?"

general research lab.

It's this whole
cross-disciplinary approach.

[Jeakins]
It sounds exciting

and somewhat related
to our research here.

They're lucky to have you.

[uneasy ambient music plays]

♪

[mysterious
woodwind music plays]

♪

[driver]
Hey, let me get those bags.

♪

[HR manager] Our standard
non-disclosure agreement.

Please read it
in its entirety.

[futuristic music plays]

♪

Make sure you understand
everything in it

for your own protection.

♪

Please sign here.

I'll read it later.

[HR manager] Absolutely.

This is the address

we currently have
on file for you.

Emergency contact.
We have your sister's.

Can you give us a primary
on Greenwich Mean Time?

[Iris] Um, can I get back
to you on that?

Sure. I'll set a reminder.

Yes. She'll be right over.

So a quick intro
for those of you who are new.

Can I have a show of hands?

Welcome.

I'm Sean,
and I'm your tech lead.

There's... one thing
we dislike here at NGM,

and that
is predetermined outcomes.

What we do like
is for our engineers

and neuropsych-stargazers
to have a choice

in who they will be spending
most of their time with

and what they'll be working on.

And half of you will wanna
discuss things technically;

the other half will
discuss them scientifically.

So learn how
to talk to each other.

Find your pod.

And nothing is off-limits

as long as you stick
to two things:

human behavior
and predictive analysis.

[ambient music building]

[indistinct,
overlapping chatter]

...be it the AI...

I guess they brought me
on as a neuro research person.

How about you?

I'm self-taught.

Writing code's
like playing music.

I always work
with my headphones on.

Currently on
a speech-synthesizer project.

You're an auditory cortex
kinda guy.

That's my jam.

[Howie] I mostly work
with data that's coming in

from the H-Group.

They own five
of the top ten dating apps.

What's your focus?

I'm looking
at self-validation patterns

and the construction of gender.

...to look at what happens
on a synaptic level

when we intimately connect
with another person.

But they wouldn't tell me much
when I interviewed.

It's all about solving
the "binding problem"

in machine learning, right?

While we're moving towards AGI,

spin out a couple
of medical applications

with a focus on brain health?

Some of the stuff
that rises to the top,

they'll actually invest in.

How would you describe
the work?

Training AI to train itself

until it understands
human nature better than we do.

Which part of human nature?

[Hiram] Are you okay?

Um...

sorry.

Uh... what are you working on?

I am training
the neural net to match faces.

Based on what?

Attraction prediction.

This German guy Schopenhauer
once said,

"Instinct is an illusion."

I'm just trying to be
a better matchmaker

for some of us
at the office, basically.

You believe that?

That instinct is an illusion?

[quietly] Um...

A bit--I mean,
it's interesting, yeah.

What inputs are you using?

[keyboard keys clacking]

[Hiram] These are
all the little imperfections

that prevent us
from being a perfect ten.

See?
This is gonna be you, yeah.

And you got
a pronounced jawline, chin.

And say
you're cis and straight

and this is
what you'll be drawn to,

according to historical data
and, of course, Schopenhauer.

Bird with a round chin.

Round plus edgy
equals functional offspring.

Now, check this out.

You see that stack
of research papers on my desk?

It turns out,

couples who stay together
for longer periods,

it gets kinda weird.

You know, facial differences
start to disappear,

turning them into some kind
of neutered look-alikes.

Is that a hypothesis
or a personal observation?

[Hiram]
What, equality in evolution?

I mean, maybe all we want

is to create
our own doppelganger.

[Iris] Here's
what neuroscience would say.

They begin to look alike
because they grow together.

Ever heard of mirror neurons?

Our ability to perceive what
someone's thinking or feeling?

The mirroring isn't driven

by a biological need
for healthy offspring.

No, it's our brains working to
feel connected to one another.

Hmm.

Your eyebrows go up.
Mine go up.

See? Right there.

Think of...

a newborn and its mother
making faces at each other--

the exaggerated smile.

What they're saying is,

"Are you there?
Do you see me?"

"Yes, I'm here.
Yes, I see you."

Long-term partnered couples
have the same back-and-forth,

using the same facial muscles,
deepening the same lines.

That's why.

I've actually never thought
of it that way.

[Iris] It's the limbic brain
doing its thing.

Or a bunch of unraveling
math shortcuts

that excel
at pattern recognition.

Do we think that, then,
attraction is in part

based on how deeply we think
we can influence

someone else's facial patterns?

[chuckles]

[ominous ambient music plays]

♪

[Tawny]
Hi, fairy.

It's Tawny,
calling from Joburg.

Flew in last night,
turned sundowner,

and I'm just surfacing.

I'm at this cute café.

Anyway, I'm calling
to wish you good luck tonight.

Have fun!

[Leanne]
Izzy, listen to this.

He's been playing
for over an hour.

[solemn piano music
playing over voicemail]

[solemn piano music
continues playing]

[inaudible dialogue]

Promise me
you're not selling out.

[Iris]
Why would I be selling out?

[Leanne] How many startups
for every one that takes off?

Hundreds, thousands
that crash and burn?

I mean, why choose that over
frickin' finishing your degree

at one of the best schools
in the country?

I hope this isn't
about the money.

Lee, we've been through
this so many times.

[Leanne] Just, please...

I hope you don't feel

like I've been putting
that kind of pressure on you.

Dad will manage.

And I will manage.

[Iris] I'm not doing this
for the family.

I told you that.
I'm doing it for me.

I'm also this close
to getting a little raise.

-Oh!
-[both laugh]

♪

[Leanne] Is it the way he's
holding that bowling ball?

[Iris]
Seriously, don't go there.

[Leanne] What? Why?

[Iris] Remember two years ago?

[Leanne] How was that
flower boy's fault?

It's kind of the way
that he keep compulsively

rolling and unrolling
his shirtsleeve.

He might have had
strep throat as a child,

which can actually
trigger OCD as an adult.

-[Leanne] No.
-Yeah.

It tricks the brain
into attacking itself.

[both laugh]

[distant cheers]

[bowling ball rolling
thunderously]

[loud rolling continues]

[knock at door]

Hello.

It's nice to meet you,
Paul.

May I trouble you
for a drink?

I'll have
whatever you're having.

Hmm.

Mmm.

It's just the way I like it.

[eerie ambient music plays]

You're not much of a talker,
are you?

That's okay.

[Paul breathing heavily]

You're giving me some...

non-verbal cues that

I think I'm reading correctly.

If I'm not,
please let me know.

♪

Yeah, that feels nice.

[heavy breathing]

Yeah.

Easy, handsome.

[choking] You're hurting me.

I like that you're strong.

I like that you want me.

And I...

[heavy breathing]

[buckle and zipper clicking]

[cell phone alarm pinging]

[breathing raggedly]

[alarm stops]

[tense music plays]

♪

[shower splashing]

Gosh. [chuckles]

-You're stunning.
-[chuckles]

Cassandra.

Hi.

[server] Here we are.

And sir.

[Paul] Thank you.

You've never done this before?

Met a handsome stranger
for dinner?

[chuckles]

They told me I'm your first.

[clears throat softly]

You are.

But
I'm really excited it's you.

[Paul chuckles]

I can already tell
this is gonna be fun.

I love this place.

-It's a good spot.
-[Iris] Mm.

Good memories.

Do you eat seafood?
I forgot to ask.

I do.

By all means.

Thank you.

[Paul] You need... to try this.

I don't think I've ever had
anything that delicious.

That's the second time
I'm your first for something.

I'm on a roll.

[curious ambient music plays]

♪

[Iris]
Do you always eat like this?

[Paul] Most of the time, yes.
[chuckles]

[Iris] Well, I have to hang out
with you more often.

Can I tell you a secret?

[Paul] Absolutely.

[Iris] I'm kind of nervous.

[Paul] That's okay.

-[Iris] Yeah?
-[Paul] Yeah.

[Iris] It's okay.
I'm calming down.

You're helping.

[Paul chuckles]

♪

I can't wait
to get to know you better.

Would you excuse me
for a moment?

[Paul] Sure.

[soothing piano music playing]

♪

[ambient music plays]

♪

[sighs]

[sharply] Do it!

♪

Paul. Session one.

[Paul] There you are.

Did you miss me?

[Paul] This has been fun.

But I just want you know,
you're under no obligation

to stay or do anything
you're not comfortable with.

[Iris] Oh.

Do you not like me?

Please,
don't take this personally.

-I don't even know if--
-[Iris] No, no, no.

You can tell me.
Please.

It was nothing you did.

You're a sweet girl.

♪

That's right.

I'm a very sweet girl.

And I've been sitting here
all night watching you,

wondering if you had it in you.

Had what in me?

If that little yuzu soufflé
was all you cared about

or if you'd know what to do
with my sweet pussy

if I were sitting
right on top of you.

♪

Do you know how to use
your tongue, Paul?

How to lick a woman?

How to swirl and push
and suck her off?

[Paul] Um, yeah.

[sharply] What?

Let me show you.

Not so fast.

♪

First, I'll have to make sure
you know how to use your hands.

How to get me
really, really wet.

I bet nobody's ever
taught you that.

You just shove it in,
barely hard but ready to pop,

don't you, Paul?

I'm not gonna let you
get away with that.

[gasps softly]

[music heightens]

♪

I don't think
you're ready for me, Paul.

Oh, I am so ready for you.

All right.

Then let's get
that fucking check.

[sparse ambient music plays]

♪

[elevator door clicks open]

[single piano notes play]

♪

[music deepens]

♪