All language subtitles for Billions.S03E11.Kompenso.1080p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP5.1.H.264-NTb_track4_[eng]

[Taylor] Previously
on Billions...

He's a rich man.

There always have been rumors
as to the way he earned it.

You are willing to testify

Jock Jeffcoat profited
along with his brother?

I know he does.

We're doing a massive
cap raise.

Welcome to the new
quant headquarters.

He fired you.

I was fodder. Don't try
to tell me different.

So, is it prison
or start talking?

Let's do this.

Who the hell gave you
permission to talk to my son.

[Partner #1] Good thing
is there's no paperwork.

Off the books.
The Chuck Rhoades Special.

Your best friend sold you
down the river for nothing.

[Axe] I'm willing to pay you
30 million to tell the truth.

But I sure as hell will testify
about what Chuck Rhoades did.

[Taylor] You sold out
my relationship.

No, no. You did.

[Axe] That's why you told me
he was at your dinner.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game"]

[indistinct conversations]

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

I can't believe
you brought me here.

Thank you.

I was surprised to learn

the viral videos
so afflicted you.

Oh. They don't...
usually...

but I mean...

-[woman] Oh, my God.
-[woman laughs] Oh!

You know we could just order
the tomahawk

and have him do his whole thing
here at the table.

-[man chuckles]
-Uh, no.

I'm all right looking at the
eclipse through the cereal box.

[laughs]

Ah, well, well, well.

How'd it go?

[groans,
exhales sharply]

Bought you a present,

had it sent
straight to the office.

Well, I hope that's not
all you've brought me.

Texas is
a bizarro world.

Jock Jeffcoat's a pariah
at Zabar's

but he's the second coming
on the 29th parallel.

So you weren't able
to substantiate what we know...

the brother,
the cable company.

We have embarked
on a one-way mission here.

We either get to the other side
and line dance on Jock's grave

or he will most assuredly
be doing the Tush Push on ours.

Anybody who knew anything wasn't
willing to go on the record,

and anyone willing
to go on the record

didn't know anything.
I'm sorry, Chuck.

You know what's printed
above the Rhoades family crest:

"Never say sorry.

Make the other fella sorry
first."

Can you do that?

Will you do that?

I will.

Reach out to people
you feel dirty talking to,

employ tactics you wouldn't
confess even to a priest,

and find a way
to crack someone

inside the cable company.

Because we cannot
build a case

on the word
of a confessed liar like Cutler.

Yeah. On it.

Yep.

♪ Dream of you ♪

♪ What a wicked thing to say ♪

[chuckles]

Mm-hmm.
Thank you.

Be right back.

♪ What a wicked thing to do ♪

Excuse me.

♪ To make me dream of you ♪

♪ And I ♪

♪ Don't want to fall in love ♪

[indistinct conversations]

Well. Look at you,

fat and happy, taking down
the Cadillac of steaks.

[scoffs]

Well, you must have made
a nasty nickel selling me out.

Fucking right I did.

Why didn't you come to me?

You could have come to me.

Ah.

You're married.

To Taiga.

Of course to Taiga.

Who was the best man?

There wasn't one.

Come on.
Shapiro.

Oh. Shit... Really?

I'm sorry
you could only to do it

at 50 percent
of my weddings.

[chuckles]
Wouldn't have made you

Cal Ripken,
but it would have been nice

to keep the streak going.

I whopped you
a good one.

And you whopped me
a good one.

I don't believe in even,

but, uh, maybe,

we're even.

Maybe we are.

So...
where is your bride?

Uh, Taiga's out of town.
Visiting family.

Hmm. So you're a bachelor
for the evening.

Boys' night out.
Not quite.

This is work.

That guy's on the board of--
doesn't matter.

Just-- I'm trying to impress
him, build my book.

Making it monsoon?

Just trying to keep my head
above the flood waters.

Taiga's expensive.

She decided to start
a Yoga empire.

SoulCycle, but--

Mm. For yoga. Mm.

And of course
you supported her.

It's who you are.

But how deep
are you in?

Deep... and descending.

Location problems,
design problems,

all kinds of--
hypoallergenic?--

stuff that makes my eyes
glaze over.

Sorry to hear that.

It'll all be fine.

As soon as we get
the first location open

and have some money
coming in

instead of just
going out...

Right.

Of course.

Of course. Uh, well.

My best
to Mrs. Schirmer.

And...it's good to see you,
Ira.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[keys clacking]

Where are the others?

They left--
a while ago.

They didn't contact you?

To say?

Uh...

They quit.
What happened?

Well,
they're hacks and lame.

Did they quit because you
called them hacks and lame?

You backslid
into being a dick.

Fine. Yes. Big time.

You know what?
Those other two were sweet,

but you're more talented.
I need you.

Damn right you do.

'Cause I'm the Yngwie Malmsteen
of coding,

total control
of the instrument--

Sad. Look, I need you
to model something for me.

If we give the algo an extra
20 billion to play with...

can it reliably generate returns
in excess of eight percent?

If so, how soon?
How reliably?

And can any other funds
do the same?

Wait,
this isn't some T test.

This is something
you'd pitch an investor.

Problem is: Bridgewater
would have 50 PhDs

writing software on this.

Molly Hatchet had
three guitarists.

Rising Force had one.

Are you going to tell me
you can't play this solo?

Of course not.

I'm sure we'll go faster
without the dead weight--

whoops--
You're working alone now,

act however you want.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[Axe sighs]

♪♪♪

Take me
to the fucking Regency.

♪ dramatic music ♪

[indistinct conversations]

♪♪♪

[Tisch] Thanks.
Excuse me one second.

-Hey, Axe. How are you, man?
-Hey.

I don't think
we knew you were coming.

Just give us a second,
and we're gonna have your table.

Nah. No need, JT.
Okay. Enjoy.

Thanks.

♪♪♪

-Hey, Axe.
-Hey, Lizzie.

♪♪♪

Ah, fuck, Axe.
Can't you skip a year?

I could. But what fucking fun
would that be?

I'm Martin Carlisle.

Who you are is a witness

to this year's edition
of Fuck Ups Fucking Up.

Today, at Axe Cap,
it's comp day.

And so, as always, I'm reminded
of the best day of my life.

The day that this man,

Bill McGann
of McGann Commodities,

told me I didn't have
enough Blarney in me.

What he meant was:
I didn't kiss enough ass.

I meant
you didn't have a soul.

And so,
by means of instruction,

he wasn't gonna
bonus me right.

He shorted me
by 50,000.

Hey, I can leave
you two to--

Stay. I'm leaving.

So, here I am,
as I am every year,

to thank you.

And to buy you breakfast.

[chuckles]

Just think.

If I'd stayed,

you maybe could have
owned this hotel.

Least I can do
is get your check.

Right before I engage
in the very same rumble

that left you knifed
and bleeding in the schoolyard.

You're about the same age I was
back then.

You've had a good run,
kid.

But you can't stay clear
of the switchblades forever.

You're not a Greaser anymore,
Axe,

you're a Soc now...

♪ dramatic music ♪

[indistinct conversations]

♪♪♪

Do you want to lean down
or bulk up?

Because either way,
suck my dick.

[clicks tongue]

Is this how one runs
a service business?

Whatever I'm doing,
it seems to be working.

Because I invested in one.

And now I got five.

Ah. Some guys just stumble
into money.

Like Leonard Cohen
into the Chelsea Hotel.

Mm. You're looking good,
sweetheart.

[woman] Thanks.

Do you have any idea
what it takes

to make the pivot
I did?

This is
my lifeblood now.

I built it
to where there are guys

who would help me
take it public...

if I wasn't
a fucking felon.

In your estimation,
that's my fault?

You went after Axe.

On the way you went
after Dollar Bill Stearn.

You didn't get any of them...
except for me.

Because I surrendered.

Thank you.
That was convenient.

And it shows a remarkable sense
of personal responsibility.

Oh, I'd be glad to speak
of that to judges and clerks

and probation officers
to get your record sanded clean.

♪ dramatic music ♪

And in return you want--

I do want.

Help me investigate
a money trail.

[laughs]
Don't you have all your boys

with windbreakers
to do that for you?

This is of
a more personal nature.

Very few are
as expert as you

at disguising and veiling
and hiding money.

I'm a man
of many talents.

And it's in your field,

fitness.

[elevator bell dings]

[indistinct conversations]

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

[conversations stop]

[man] Let me call you back.

Shit.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

This is chilling.

Does he always do this
at comp?

To a degree.
This is special.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[Wendy] What's the mood
down there.

They've got
that lean and hungry look.

Like to leave 'em
that way.

Let the hunger set in.

Starvation, in small doses,
triggers an increase in energy,

clarity, aggression--

Right up
until it kills you.

You gotta feed 'em
something.

Why?
I make the decisions,

do all the heavy-lifting,

actually earn the money.

Mortimer Duke
said it best:

No getting around
the old minimum wage.

Actually, that was said
to Mortimer Duke,

but that's
a helluva pull.

The thing is:
most years,

I'm paying
with other people's money.

Now it's my own money.

[Wags] That reminds me
of a prayer I said

[Wags] every night as a kid:

"And now I lay me
down to sleep,

I pray the Lord
my soul to keep,

and if I die
before I wake,

I pray that all my toys
should break."...

So my fucking brother and sister
can't play with 'em.

[Taylor] Why don't you
just delay comp decisions

until after the raise?

Outside money will be
back on board,

you'll feel better
about the whole thing.

Three things in life
you can't postpone

without dire consequences:

calling a doctor
when gutshot,

finding a toilet
when traveling in India,

and paying your people.

The last two
being more or less the same.

Listen. Don't think the raise
isn't the thing;

it's the only thing.

Without that money,
I'm not bonusing people,

I'm putting them
out on an ice floe.

Okay. Then I just want
to make sure you're aware

of a promise I made to everyone
while you were gone:

No one makes less
than last year.

That's why they stayed.

I am aware
that that was your promise.

[Axe] Anyone you think
deserves more?

-No.
-Not even Ben Kim?

Kid's practically
your gimp.

I think he's ready
to move to PM.

I could see that.

Then let the promotion
be his bonus this year.

[Taylor] Too much too fast
could overwhelm him.

Has it overwhelmed you?

♪ dramatic music ♪

Looks like you're up.

Let's move over
to the desk.

-You talk to Lara?
-Mnh-mnh.

Be bold.
Check in with me later.

First time in the ring without
training in Catskill with Cus.

[door opens]
You ready?

Yeah.
I got my Kevin Rooney.

I'll be fine.

♪♪♪

[door opens]

[door closes]

♪♪♪

Fifteen million dollars.

You aren't going to start
with a performance review or--

Helluva year.
Fifteen.

I was thinking 50.
How'd you get there?

Axe Cap made 929 million
this year.

When you account for expenses,
nets to almost 700.

Seeing as how I ran the place
for most of that time,

less than one-tenth of the
profits seems more than fair.

Might be. But then again,
I was the client.

So you're kind of comparing
apples to my money.

I did more
than just run your money.

I kept us alive.

I killed it
at the Idea Dinner.

I convinced the Street
that night, and every day since,

that there was always
someone at the helm.

I got us
through a natural disaster.

I all but closed Kansas City
before Ben Kim

went Thunder From Down Under
on them.

And let's not forget
that I was key in making up

the shortfall
from Grigor's redemption,

at great personal cost.

Still sore about Oscar?

Yet here I am, still ready
to help lock down the raise.

About that.
No, you're not.

I don't actually need you
in the pitches.

For one thing, you bombed
your first raise meeting,

with Grigor's lieutenant,
bombed it on purpose.

And for another:
the investors need to know

that you're here
at Axe Cap,

that someone's
"always at the helm."

Besides...
the raise is my thing.

I'm thinking
that the final number

will be something just shy of
half of what you're looking for.

I don't agree.
This isn't heavy petting

on the Oberlin campus:
we don't both have to agree.

I say what it is.
You take it.

Yes, that is so.
But still. I don't accept.

I never made that much
at your age.

I've accomplished
more than you had.

But you don't have
your own shop.

If you were ready
for that,

we wouldn't be having
this conversation,

I'd be looking at a
Taylor-shaped hole in the wall.

Twenty is as much as anybody's
ever gotten out of me.

Learn to be rich on that.

And I was beginning to think
you were done teaching me.

♪ dramatic music ♪

Let's finish this later.

[sighs]

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[door opens]

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

I'd like half a million.

You just got here.
Your signing bonus is your comp.

I didn't say
I deserved half a million.

But you rarely get
what you don't ask for.

So I'm fucking asking.

Otherwise,
why are we doing this?

We've never talked
one-on-one.

I wanted to get a hit
off of you.

I hit like
the Purple People Eaters.

So be careful
what you wish for.

Oh.
This is gonna be fun.

I believe
I've proved my value.

Don't need to justify a thing
to you at this point.

Oooh, working stiff.

Just like your personal totem,
The Undertaker.

Do you have people
feeding you this shit

about us ahead of time?

Thing is,
for the last couple of weeks,

I haven't really felt
your presence.

You saying
I've been coasting.

I'm saying there's
no garbage time at Axe Capital.

Every minute
of every quarter matters.

No scrubs
get playing time.

And even if you are my MVP
at the All-Star break,

if you stop performing,
you will be replaced.

Pay me
what you're gonna pay me.

Save the pep talks
for someone who needs 'em.

I think I like
that version of you.

But I could hate it
another time.

Ok. What you did
with the Wendy thing aside,

and it's hard
to put it aside,

I'm paying you 1.3,
a personal record.

On top of
your other bonus

that's more than a two-ball
for this year.

But that is not
a repeatable trick.

When we're here 12 months
from now,

if you're not still
bodyslamming like... uh...

King Kong Bundy...

Did you pretend
not to remember that

to make me feel good?

Goodbye Mafee.

I think... I should not
throw out the first number.

Because I have a tendency
to undervalue myself.

I'd like to make you
a PM.

Portfolio Manager?

I would have gone
Prime Minister,

but there you go,
undervaluing.

-And the money...?
-Meet the new salary,

same as the old salary.

I'm a PM.

♪♪♪

[sighs]

[horns honking]

[Lynch] I've asked
my special counsel,

[Lynch] Bryan Connerty,
to sit in.

We meet again, young man.
[door closes]

The Axelrod case.

Yeah.

That thing was like
cleaning out intestines

before you eat 'em,
a giant fucking waste of time.

But I'm here to speak
of something more concerning.

It has come to my attention
that there are men

and probably women,
within the Federal B-I,

perhaps even
within this very office,

who are undermining
our sacred purpose.

-Which is...
-I don't know if it's

some Deep State bullshit,

or just some vigilantes
who think they know better,

leaking to the press,
and causing

Lord knows
what other ruckus.

I will keep a lookout
for what the Lord knows.

The Lord knows all, madam.
Took care of that for you.

As for the rest,
I want a hard-target search

of every e-mail, text message,
and online footprint

so we know who's trustworthy
and who needs to be purged.

I'm just not sure
it's strictly legal for us

to undertake
this ourselves,

or if it's too gray
of an area.

Maybe it would be best to have
a court order first--

We can do it.

And if you want to stay
out of the deep gray,

Director Lynch,
I can lead the review myself.

You know, chart a--
a whiter shade of pale.

Impressive.

All too often I am told
of obstacles and regulations

when what I really wanna hear
is "sí, se puede"

Ira,
uh, this is Pete Decker.

He's in the health
and conditioning industry.

Is this a bailout?

More like an intervention.

[sighs]

Tell him
what you told me, Pete.

"The bitch is a booster.
The bitch is a born thief."

You talking about my wife?
You looked into her?

She needed looking into,
so I looked. Go on.

Her business is...
well, there is no business.

Everything you gave her
was transferred

into the account of her
supposed business partner,

Anthony Radaelli.

I assume they,
you know...

Thank you.

Do right by me, Chuck.

My middle name.

I know
this is hard to hear.

[door closes]
The commercial property

she told you
she plunked down on,

that doesn't exist either.

But there's an apartment,

a very expensive apartment,

they're about to close on.

I'm sorry.

Yeah...

You knew.

Yeah. Some.
The rest I suspected.

Oh, boy.
To carry that around...

Fucking kills me.

[clears throat]

But, uh, you know,
Chuck,

I know you're only trying
to help,

but please
stay out of it.

It's, um...

There's no prenup.

And New York's
a no-fault state.

And I'd be halved
financially.

There's no prenup?

Oh, Ira,
you're a fucking lawyer.

For once
I didn't want to be.

I wanted to be a romantic.

Mm.
I still do.

I gave up
on a marriage once.

I've regretted it
every day since.

I'm not giving up
this time.

[chuckles]
It'll blow over.

She's young.
It's a last hurrah.

You know, she'll get
whatever it is out of her system

and then...
then she'll come home.

♪ dramatic music ♪

[sniffs]

[birds chirping]

♪ mid-tempo music ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

I really have to watch
what I tell you.

It's like you're listening
to every word.

Especially when you start
talking about

hiding out in bathtubs.

And places that remind you
of what that felt like.

I wasn't hiding. It's just that
when I was younger

the bathtub was the only place
I could go

to be alone and think.

I'd press myself
against the sides so hard

eventually my legs
would go numb.

Then I'd start thinking
I didn't have legs,

and I'd wish for fins.

Because then not fitting in
would make more sense.

I get it.

I almost feel like
a mermaid here.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

Comp didn't go the way
you wanted.

He said I was
off the raise team.

Is he punishing me for doing
exactly what he asked of me?

Axe doesn't punish people.
Unless they've wronged him.

Or Lara. Or his kids.

Or me.

Or the New York
Football Giants.

I won't stagnate.

Not for Axe.
Not for anybody.

You know Axe has never changed
a comp decision.

So I've heard.
And I might be able to live

with the number
he can live with.

But what I need is
forward momentum,

above all things,
even money.

♪♪♪

Yes. You do.

I'll talk to him.

Give me a day.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[Duolingo] Kvankam.

Although.

[Duolingo] Pensis.

Thought.

Comp.

Kompenso.

So you're not here to help me
with my Esperanto.

I haven't had my comp meeting
scheduled yet.

Must be an oversight.

Must be.

Axe, you remember
Ari Spyros.

Works down in Compliance.

Uh. Rings a bell.

But like children of the 1800s,
seen and not heard.

And not even seen,
you know?

Spyros was concerned
that his comp meeting

wasn't on the books.

I am sure
it's an oversight.

Was it an oversight?

Compliance does not get
performance-related comp.

-Oh.
-Sure. Usually.

But Compliance doesn't usually
turn around a shop overnight.

[Spyros] But before I got here
this place was dirtier

than the porta potty outside
a third-rate donkey show.

[chuckles]
Arrests, fines,

investigations
up the wazoo.

And since the Greek Freak
has been on the scene--

You cannot
call yourself that.

There is no bonus
for Compliance.

What about
the other stuff?

Extracurricular stuff...

I'm talking about the stuff
in Bill's other garage.

Doesn't Ari get
to wet his beak?

Ohh.
I forgot about that...

That reminds me of
where you were

right before you decided
to share that little brainstorm.

Fired.
Halfway out the door.

Three quarters.
Literally.

Dead to me.

No, your comp
is getting your job back.

Getting to hiss
and tinker

with your little
espresso erector set

rather than pick
through the Dumpster

for your
mangled steam wand.

-I see...
-If we were to do

a little accounting of how much
you meant to Axe Cap,

we would first have to look
at what you cost me

by turning Wendy in.

The consequences
of your "chaos grenade."

[whistles,
imitates explosion]

Yeah. To say nothing
of the nightmare

that you plunged her into,

and the unthinkable acts
I had to perform

in order
to set things right.

[Axe] I mean
dollars and cents alone.

The fines, the bonuses,
the jet fuel to Nova Scotia,

you owe me
1.195 million dollars.

You know what?

I don't think
I need a comp meeting.

My-- My base
is very generous,

and I think we should
just leave it right there.

That was the full
Signor Roberto.

"The rent
stays like before."

[chuckles] Yeah.
That's the first comp meeting

I've actually enjoyed.

You know,
I'm tempted to fire

the whole
fucking lot of them.

Except maybe like two.

But someone has got
to roll the coins up

into those little sleeves.

Yeah.
Practically all they do.

Nah, you can't fire 'em,
estro.

Right before the raise,
it'll look like panic.

Like there's not enough grain to
get everyone through the winter.

I know.

So I'm not doing it...

But, you know, when I'm sitting
across the table from them

and I see
their hungry little mouths,

they're people,
sure, my people,

and I love 'em
most of the year.

But today,
all I can see is

their snapping
fucking mouths,

and instead of wanting
to feed 'em,

I just want to punch
their teeth in.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

[knock on door]

The rest of them are scared
to come in when I'm in here.

I clocked you going in
about 20 minutes ago,

I figured this was as close
to a Beta state

as I'll ever find you in.

Mm.
What then?

You've got
personnel problems.

That's what they'd all
like you to think.

None of 'em
are going anywhere.

I'm talking about one person
in particular.

Taylor is about to get paid
the same as James Harden.

You think they can't get by
on that?

It's not about money.

They keep demanding
more of it.

Because you're not giving them
what's more important

than money.
So money is all that's left.

Well, I'm about to adopt
the official policy

of the United States
and refuse

to negotiate
with terrorists.

You know that's bullshit, right?
Our government

negotiates with terrorists
all the time.

Pays them with pallets
full of hundreds.

But when they're captured,
what breaks them,

in places like Gitmo,
isn't overt torture,

it's a sense of
disenfranchisement

and purposelessness.

That's what I'm sowing?

Here's the thing:
with someone like Taylor,

what they need
is forward momentum,

above all things,
even money.

My recommendation:
Take them to the raise.

I could say yes.

Why don't I want to say yes
though?

Because it's yet another
fucking accommodation.

I got this rich
so I could stop making them.

Gates plays dollar poker.

Buffett eats a drive in
hamburger every day.

There's no amount of money that
frees you from being a person,

from interacting
with others.

Those guys know that.
You know that.

It used to be
an investment pitch

entailed them begging you
to take their money.

Now you've got to peddle your
wares along with everyone else.

Like a fucking door to door
Electrolux salesman.

Giving up trading,
taking on Grigor,

now paying your people
out of your own pocket.

It must feel like death
by a thousand cuts.

Yeah. I'm at 999.
And I'm sticking.

You chose this person
for a reason.

Beyond their mathematical
ability.

Taking on Taylor
as a real partner

isn't gonna kill you.

It may be the very thing
that makes you stronger.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[Sacker] The head of
TexasSouthCable likes to hire

undocumented workers
and pay them under the table.

Drivers, nannies,
landscapers.

[Allerd] But this guy still
spends weekends

with Jock
and his brother, Zeb.

Even if we manage
to spook him,

how can we make sure
he doesn't run to Jock,

who then treats us to our
own personal My Lai Massacre.

The bloodshed
and the cover-up.

That would be
obstruction of justice.

Yes. Yes, it would.

But that would not deter Jock
in the slightest.

He recognizes no legal
or moral authority,

no justice but his own.
Keep looking

for someone lower down:
someone with the goods

but without Jock
in their speed dial.

We can't let him get word
and stop our investigation

before it starts.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

[indistinct conversations]

What are we drinking?

That is
a complicated question here.

Bring me the closest thing
you have

to a Casamigos
on the rocks.

Make that two.
And don't judge us for it.

Hmm.

So, you were right,
my kid does need help.

He doesn't talk much,
but when he does,

I don't love the way
it sounds.

I could give you
the names

of a couple of good people
if you want.

But right now it's time
to help your husband.

Ex, I mean.

Not easy to get used to.

No.

With what?

[bartender] Here you go.

You know
what time of year it is.

Right, comp...

You were
his secret weapon.

He gave me
that much credit?

I know you went through
everybody with him.

Told him
when he was being too soft--

When he was being
an asshole.

He needs that.

Without it,
without... you,

I think he's gonna make
some big mistakes.

Then he's gonna
make some big mistakes.

He doesn't want to hear
that stuff from me anymore.

I'm sorry. I'm not asking you
as his wife or his ex,

I'm asking you
as the largest single investor

in Axe Capital.

You're gonna want to do it
for your own sake.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

[elevator bell dings]

♪♪♪

[sighs]

Hey...
You're not supposed

to get the kids back
until tomorrow.

They're sleeping.

Good.

Then fucking talk to me.

What are you thinking
about comp?

C'mon.
My money's at stake, too.

Yeah. I'm taking care
of your money.

I'm taking care
of everything.

You taking care
of Taylor, too?

[chuckles] Wow.
Wendy. Good move,

well, she's earning
her money.

And so is Taylor.

Aren't they.

Are you ever
coming to bed?

I could try to sleep,
but I know I won't.

I didn't want
to keep you up.

I seem to have done that
anyway.

Mm.

Jock?

Yeah. It's that. Sure.

But more than that,
it's still Ira.

[groans] I could be bounded
in a nutshell

and count myself
a king of infinite space,

were it not that
I have bad dreams.

You've reached Shakespearean
levels of insomnia.

It's disorder
in the house.

Ira is the brother
I chose.

And this rift
between us,

however he fought back,
I caused it.

I used him as an instrument,
not thinking,

not caring
what I was taking from him.

And I know, deep down,
if I were back there,

I would do it again.

Every bit of this
makes me feel like a...

Shit heel.
Indeed.

But now that Ira's
in jeopardy,

I have a chance
to put things right.

To rescue him.
To be a hero.

If I pull it off,
and make him well,

does the reason
really matter?

[chuckles]

Why can't you give Taylor
what they want?

Because it's too much.

And what they want
can't be given.

It needs to be taken.

And what would you do
if they tried to take it?

Cut 'em down
like I was Connor MacLeod.

[chuckles]
What does it say

that you always have to quote
the damn Highlander?

That I spent some time
watching cable TV alone

in high school.
And that I have pristine taste

in movies,
even back then.

Or, that you see
every single challenge

as a life
or death contest

to see who's gonna
lose their head.

Well, kind of is
from where I stand.

You really think I should give
Taylor what they want?

I think you should convince
Taylor that you're partners.

I'm kind of surprised
that you're taking their side.

You and I are on
the exact same side.

They are on the other.

But I want them
happy and earning.

Well, yeah. Me too.

You sure?

'Cause you know
how to keep somebody,

and how to drive them
the fuck away--

I know
some people bail--

We're talking about Taylor.

If you want Taylor gone--
I don't want them gone.

So then give them
more than what you want,

even if it's less
than what they want.

Quickly.

You're right.

You're always right
about this stuff.

I'm right
about a ton of stuff.

Not just this.

♪ soft music ♪

Thanks for coming over.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪

[exhales sharply]

Stay.

C'mon, Bobby.

We're not gonna get sloppy,
are we?

[sighs]
No, I guess not.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

I'll pick up the kids
tomorrow.

Like the lawyers agreed.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[indistinct conversations]

[sighs]

Let's settle this.

You're a valued part
of this place.

You've been effective
in every meeting

you weren't deliberately trying
to sabotage.

Thank you.
And about the 50 million.

You can have half that.

I've never come up that far,
never paid that much.

Now, okay, I know it's
not exactly what you want.

But I've been giving it
some thought,

and I realize that
what you really need is...

forward momentum,
above all things, even money...

So I'm putting you
on the raise team.

Fuckin' A.
Onward and upward.

There's gonna be
30 bil on the table,

get ready to help me
haul it outta there.

Oh, I am ready.

[knock on door]

[Axe] Well, you may be
the one person here

who actually earns
her bonus

every single day
on the job.

You saw Lara.

Because you did.

Thanks for that.

And for all of it.

Your Ice Juice profits, listed
under someone else's account,

they've been put back
under your name.

And I doubled it.

So you can take your
comp meeting off the books,

you just had it.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

He's in the library,
waiting and stewing.

-Good.
-You didn't open it.

Yeah. I meant to,
then I got...

Oh, no,
you gotta open it.

[sighs]

Oh, you are so right.

I won't wear it
'til we've got him. Bad luck.

But once we do, yes,

it's gonna be like Chris LeDoux
came back to life in here.

Can't wait to see it.

Let's go.

Anthony Radaelli.

It's not quite
what I pictured,

but I guess
she has a type.

Who does?

Uh, Taiga, of course.

Oh. So that's
what this is about?

Mm. She is a key figure
in this story.

In your story.

But not for long.
No, because you are gonna

give her back
all of her money,

really her husband's money.

And then fuck off
whence you came.

Yeah. That's not
gonna happen.

Taiga and I,
we're a good fit.

I know.
You were seeing her before Ira.

Before her
last boyfriend, too.

You just keep popping up
in her life, suddenly

when things are going well
for her.

You're like that James Woods
character in Casino.

Come to think of it,
maybe just like James Woods.

Anyway, perhaps you think
you're soul mates,

maybe it's a scam.
Either way,

you're gonna forget
she ever existed.

Or I will summon the full power
of my office

to erase any and all meaning
from your life.

Mm. You wouldn't use
your job like that.

[chuckling]

[Radaelli] Hmm.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

Uh, do you know
the expression Federal Case?

As in, "Hey, bub, don't make
a federal case out of it"?

-I guess. Yeah.
-Yeah. Reason people say it is:

because a federal case

is the worst fucking thing
there is.

State crimes,
city violations,

those can be defended,
mitigated, fought.

Yeah. And even if you
do get convicted,

you probably only serve
a fraction of the time given,

then you get off
for good behavior,

you get parole,

maybe you never
even have to go

'cause the jails
are too crowded.

So you stay at home
with a bracelet on your ankle,

and you spend your day
trying to convince

the pizza delivery girl
to give you a blowjob.

[chuckles]

But, you see,
there are no blowjobs

in a federal case.

Mm. Our conviction rate
is 97 percent.

And there is no parole,
either.

So you do the full time.

And that time
is almost always

exactly what the prosecutor,
what I, recommend.

So I say to you,
Anthony:

Don't make this
a federal case.

Ah, Jesus.

Oh, and whatever
I do to you,

I can do to anyone you gave
any of that money to,

like your family.

I really should take
a closer look at them.

You're
a real sonofabitch.

Oh. A lot of people
hate me.

Tell him
why they hate me, Karl.

You're a real sonofabitch.

I am.
Especially when

you've fucked with someone
I care about.

♪ dramatic music ♪

Go away.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

That was fun.

Just like how Janet Reno and I
used to run it.

You think
he'll really disappear?

Like a fart in the wind
on the Ponderosa.

Close the door.

[indistinct conversations]

How goes
your data scrape?

I met with IT,
explained the sensitivity.

I've established
a series of searches

I can discreetly run
on agents' messages.

If anything pings,
I can widen out the search.

I'm sure the AG will eat that up
with a camping spoon.

[Lynch] Maybe even put a letter
in your file.

Isn't that
why you made your move?

To help rebuild your rep.

Maybe I did it
to shield you.

So it wouldn't be your ass
on the line.

Uh-huh.
Either way,

don't be too zealous
in finding wrongdoing here.

Jock's perch
is many miles away.

But the people
in this building,

you gotta live with them
every day.

My boy, my boy,
my prodigal boy.

What more can I do
for you?

I'd like to use
your apartment.

I know that Mom
is in Palm Beach

and I need some privacy.

You also had to know
I'd ask why, so...

out with it.

I need a private place
to meet with a young woman.

I appreciate
that you're smart enough

not to take this
to a hotel,

it's too public.

Even with things being the way
they've been between us,

I'm proud you know

you can always come to me.
It's not really like that,

Dad.
I've always said:

monogamy is
a form of socialism.

It's testosterone
redistribution

so a few bucks don't keep
all the does to themselves.

I'm doing this for Ira.

I'm taking care
of something

that he can't
take care of himself.

So it's not concupiscence,
it's menschkeit.

I'm even prouder.

[chuckles]

When is she due?

Hour or so.

I could stay,

in an advisory capacity--

No. No.

Thank you, Dad,
no, um, I just need the space.

Mm-hmm.

Taiga, I don't know you
very well.

I didn't try
to get to know you,

and that's on me.
Perhaps I thought Ira

would move on
to someone more--

Substantial?

Closer to
his age bracket.

So I'm at a bit of a loss
whether to appeal

to your decency,
your vanity, your avarice...

or just to
your fear center.

Please.

Anthony returned
the money,

even got back the deposit
on that apartment.

And now he's gone.

You chased him off.
I did.

And I can't say
that you were wrong.

I'm embarrassed
and ashamed and, yes,

I am afraid of whatever
you're gonna do next.

So congratulations.

Your fucked up tactics
fucked me up.

This is
a postnuptial agreement.

It entitles you
to 50,000 dollars

for every year you stay
in the marriage.

Which means, all told,
you'll be walking away

with 50,000 dollars.

You don't need to read it.

I may play dirty,
but I don't deal dirty.

Just sign it,
take it to Ira,

and then tell him
that you're leaving,

but that you wanted to do it
with integrity.

[sighs]

I liked him.

And I really did try
to love him.

Try harder.

-Dad--
-You give a marriage seven years

before you even entertain

-the notion of a divorce.
-Dad.

From the day the Dorsey Brothers
showed that Presley boy

swiveling his hips,

there's been a slow
but steady erosion

of the family.

Well, here is how
you keep one going:

You find a group of friends
better than you,

find one worse,
bitch about them to each other,

and then
when you're all bitched out,

run ten miles a day.

Take your birth control pills
and flush them;

and make that kid
your project together.

And if Ira doesn't know
how to fuck you,

you teach him.

Okay. Yeah.

I'm not done.
One more thing:

give yourself the lime test.
You stick your finger

in lime juice
and put it up inside.

And if it stings,
get yourself cleaned out.

Do not bring the clap
home to your husband;

it's uncivil.

That's what you meant
by "advisor"?

Ira doesn't want or need
another divorce.

[sighs]
He needs a wife who's broken in.

And since he can't break her,
I'll do it for him.

This is what's gonna
make him happy.

And that's what you want,
right, son?

I've missed you, Dad.

Normally we go over
your legal bill on the phone.

To avoid... you know.

After today, I don't think
I'm gonna be writing

any fat checks
for a while.

Plus,
this year's tab,

you outdid yourself.
Record-setting.

I knocked 30 percent
off the hours before

I even sent it to you.

Sure.
Of course you did,

because you inflated 'em
in the first place.

Ten million
fucking dollars--

You're gonna haggle
with me,

after the victory
I delivered?

You delivered it?

I seem to remember
you encouraging me

to tuck tail
and take a plea.

Leaving me to figure out
how to work miracles.

How much
do you want to fucking pay?

Not a penny
over nine million.

You're doing this
over a million dollars--

-Mm.
-A number that doesn't mean

jack shit to you,
but would mean the world

to my firm
and the dozen associates

who worked all-nighters
on your fucking case.

And yet
you push and push.

Most people pick
their spots.

-Well, I pick every spot.
-Of course.

You can't just engage,
you've got to compete,

you can't merely compete,
you've got to win,

and a win isn't a win
unless it's a kill.

You want the fucking
nine million or not?

Fine. Send it.

See ya soon.

♪ dramatic music ♪

There.

Ah. Look
at that porterhouse.

Dynamic duo.

Filet for me.

Strip for this guy.

Lovely. Thank you.

Mmm.

[indistinct conversations]

Mmm.

[chuckles]

Salt?

Doesn't need it.
[chuckles]

Three days seeing you in a row,
Ira. I like this new streak.

And I'm in better spirits
than when we last spoke.

Mm-hmm?

Taiga came home.

Did she?

With the money.

And a postnup.

Well, you were right.
It all blew over.

She just needed
to get it out of her system.

Thank you.

[sighs deeply]
It's funny,

the thing
I was most afraid of,

the thing that haunted me
in the middle of the night,

was Taiga
finding some other guy.

Thought it would
absolutely end me.

But the strange gift
in all this mishegas,

what it taught me.

sometimes the worst thing
happening isn't so bad.

[Ira] I'm not saying
I would have willed this

on purpose, but...
do I sound crazy?

No. On the contrary.

Very wise, my friend.

Very wise.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

[Chuck] Sacker, get us a meeting
with the state

Attorney General,
Alvin Epstein.

♪♪♪

What's the total?

Same as last year.

[bottle thuds]

To the raise.

Ahh.

Next year, when you've got
30 billion under management,

you're gonna
look back fondly

on how little you paid
today.

Actually I still have
one comp meeting left.

Is it mine?
I bet it's mine.

It is. I know it's been
a strange year for you,

serving different masters,
almost losing me...

Don't take me
back there.

But through it all,
you have been

the bulwark
that Axe Cap needs.

And so for this,
I have a special present.

That's more like it.

Reach behind the couch.

Whoa.
[laughs]

Oh, it brings me
back to childhood.

All the high-end nudity
of a cadged Playboy,

but with sophistication,

and that certain je ne sais quoi
of the French.

[chuckles]

Oh, and your bonus
is the age you were

when you first discovered
that magazine.

Pains me to take
from your personal vault...

but nine million
feels good.

Where did you
find these?

[Axe sighs]

I can't believe you kept
all of Dad's crap.

Yeah, well, at first I thought
he was coming back.

And then I was afraid
he'd come back.

Then when I realized
he wasn't... I thought

it'd be petty
to toss everything.

So I didn't want
to give him that power.

Yeah? So you asserted
yourself...

by spending 34 years storing
and toting all his stuff.

[chuckles]

Your father was
your first great enemy.

Yeah, well, if you abandon
your kid, that's what you get.

[bin bangs]

[chuckles]
Found it.

You know, you hated him
long before that.

The way you used to take
the fight to each other.

I used to like the way
you were such a fighter.

I'll admit that I didn't love
when you tried

to take the fight
to me, though.

[chuckles]
That was a fucking mistake.

[chuckles] I maybe
should have told you

not to talk like that
when you were a kid.

I think
I still would have.

Sure. But you also would
have had a little voice

in the back of your head
telling you not to.

Do you have that voice?

At all?

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[Wags] So, come on.
Where?

Just came across them.

♪♪♪

Hmm.

♪ dramatic music ♪

Oliver.
Solid whiskers.

Gets me into
the professorial mindset.

Mm.

You enjoying
the teaching?

When you know the practice
is that different

from the letter
and the spirit...

You feel like
you're lying to them.

Telling the truth
is worse.

We don't need lawyers
pre-jaded.

Hmm.

At least the, uh--

the wife is happy
to have me home.

Yeah.

So...

What I couldn't say
on the phone...

there is an FBI agent I know
who did an opp for Chuck.

Off the books.

The agent
told you about it?

Mnh-mnh.
Found another way in.

Hmm.

I don't know
where this ends,

but I have a start.

You're trying to convince me
to help you go after Chuck.

No. I'm giving you a chance
to convince me.

Why'd you let yourself
get led astray?

Why'd you protect Chuck?

Why did you?

I believed in him.

I didn't believe
in myself.

But I believe
he must be stopped.

♪ dramatic music ♪

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[Epstein] You said you had
the cloak

and wanted me to provide
the dagger.

No idea what that means,
but it got me here.

I want you to launch
an investigation

into Jock Jeffcoat's
brother

and TexasSouthCable.

Based on what.

Based on this.

[Sacker] This is
Ashley Cutler.

This is unusable.
Weak witness.

Yeah.

So no actual
deployable evidence.

None to speak of. No.

We know that our witness,
Mr. Cutler,

isn't strong enough
to win Case A,

but we're not trying
to win Case A.

No. We're gonna get Jock
on trying to stop it.

-Ah.
-So, in the end,

the case you'll be bringing is:
obstruction of justice.

Against the Attorney General
of the United States.

[Stacker] Right now
you're just

the Attorney General of New York
state, Mr. Epstein.

But to be the man
you gotta beat the man.

After you topple someone
of Jock's stature...

you'll be
the motherfucking man.

♪ dramatic music ♪

Nothing makes me
feel so alive

as putting my head
in a tiger's mouth.

Right up until the moment

the tiger
snaps his jaws shut.

But we will be there with chairs
and whips at the ready.

[Epstein] You sure
he'll come?

The three of us,
we'll cause him to.

I was sweating
over the worst possible thing

that could happen,
which was

Jock finding out
what I've been up to

[Chuck] and stopping it.

And then I realized...

what if the worst thing
did happen?

What if we made it so?

Rather than worry about
Jock obstructing,

we're gonna invite it.

-Bait it.
-Your part is simple.

Proceed as usual.

Try to keep everything
a secret.

[chuckles]

The great impossibility.
Right.

And once Jock knows
you're coming

for his brother,
he will realize

that eventually
it will come back to him.

And before
he can let that happen--

He'll try to get
to Cutler,

to shut him up
and shut it all down.

And that's
what we'll get him on.

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[chuckles]

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

[keys clacking]

It's ready.

It's fucking ready.
Don't tell me it's not ready.

-It's ready.
-[chuckles]

It's like a Trident missile
in launch mode.

You sell Axe
on deploying this,

he becomes
state of the art.

He takes human
decision making,

that fallibility,
out of the game.

And he starts moving
in micro-seconds.

We go live in a week.
Good work.

[Don Babylon's
"Ow, My Tiny Heart"]

♪♪♪

♪♪♪

♪ 'Cause you are above me ♪

♪ And you always will be ♪

♪ You stay there just for fun ♪

It looks like you're ready
to get into business.

I need a meeting with your boss,
Grigor Andolov.

♪ You're so much
fucking better ♪

♪ Than everyone ♪

♪ You're so much
fucking better ♪

♪ Than everyone ♪

♪ You're so much
fucking better ♪

♪ Than everyone ♪

♪ You're so much
fucking better ♪

♪ Than everyone ♪

♪ So much fucking better ♪