Almost Human (2013–2014): Season 1, Episode 4 - The Bends - full transcript

WOMAN:
The year is 2048.

Evolving technologies
can no longer be regulated.

Dangerous advancements forever

alter the criminal landscape.

Police are not prepared.

Law enforcement combats
this corruption

with a new line of defense.

But not all are created equal.

RUDY:
The idea behind the DRNs

was to be as human as possible.

They were based on a program
called Synthetic Soul.



JOHN:
That's one of the crazy ones.

- I'll lead you in?
- Let's go.

WOMAN: Now all cops...
human and manmade together...

take on the battle
to watch over us all.

(phone line ringing)

MAN:
It just keeps ringing.

MAN 2:
Call him again.

MAN:
He's still not picking up.

MAN 2: He's supposed to be
waiting for our call.

There's no reason
for him not to answer.

MAN:
This is not like him.

Something must be wrong.

(gunfire)

(indistinct chatter)



John, let's get going.

We should get back out there.

Come on, man, you're gonna
hurt Nuri's feelings.

He's not the one
being inconsiderate.

- I already offered you one.
- I don't eat.

Well, I do. You got a problem
with that, go wait in the car.

Don't you know...
in Japan, it's rude to leave

before finishing a meal.

We'll leave when I finish
every single bite.

(speaking Japanese)

What did you just say to him?

(speaking nese.

(Nuri speaks Japanese)

(laughs quietly)

I like Nuri, he's funny.

Yeah, I like him, too.
What did you say?

Bon app?tit.

That's alive.

You don't want
to hurt Nuri's feelings.

(Nuri speaks Japanese)

You're gonna pay for this.

JOHN:
Oh... God... ugh!

(phone line ringing)

Hey.

Are you on your way home?

I am.

I just, uh...

I'm just stopping
at the grocery store

to pick up some things.

How was your day?

Long.

Carl called in sick

so I had to take an extra shift.

Again?

I know, right?

Kell, I got to go.

Will I see you
before I leave in the morning?

You bet.

I love you.

I love you, too.

Good night.

You ready?

Yeah.
Just let me do the talking.

We give them a sample,
prove that you're a good cook,

and get out of there, okay?

Weapons check.

He's clean.

MAN:
You're always late.

Hey, you're the ones
with the need.

This your cook?

This is him.

Yeah, where's The Bishop?

Yeah.

Frank's here with his cook.

Your guy better be good.

(door closes)

Nice to finally meet y, shop.

I hear you're a man of talent.

The Fijians thought so.

COOK:
I brought a sample.

84% pure.

Now does the finder's fee
seem fair?

We're talking 600 liters
of raw product.

I gonna need
to see him cook first.

What the hell are you doing?!

(grunting)

Whatever you're thinking,
you're wrong!

(groans)

(device blipping)

(rapid blipping)

(groans)

(groans)

What the hell is that?

A subcutaneous wire.

He's a cop.

Come on...

Okay.

I'm not here alone.

Yeah, you are.
Oh, no, no...

(gunshots)

DISPATCHER:
We have a 31. Double homicide.

Officer down.

South turn, pier 22.

PAUL: We got an
unmarked car here.

Deceased officer's prints
are all over it.

We found this.

Benzupropine.

It's made from an algae
that grows in the ocean.

It was only discovered
three years ago.

They call it The Bends.

Just what the department needs...

a corrupt cop with a trunk
full of drugs.

JOHN:
Who was he?

His name's Cooper.

He's from the 25th division.

You know him?

He was a good cop.

No way he's dirty.

When was the last time
you saw him?

Five or six years ago.

A lot can change
in five years, John.

Some things don't.

He had drugs in his trunk.

Do you want to read the initial
investigation report?

I don't care what it says.

He was not registered
on any undercover operation.

Someone pulled
a subcutaneous wire.

If he was dirty,

how come he's wearing a wire?

PAUL: You know who that is?

That's Alexio Barros.

He's the captain of 2-5
precinct, narcotics division.

This is the part
where he tells Maldonado

IA was already investigating
Officer Cooper

for dealing on the side.

Save it, Paul.

If he was such a saint,
why'd he have

15 liters of The Bends
in his trunk?

If he's guilty,
why he was wearing a wire?

Well, one theory's obvious.

He wanted hard evidence

against whoever's trafficking,

use as leverage,
force them to give him

a bigger cut of the profits.
I don't know.

You tell me.

He was your friend.

Yeah, he was.

John.

Cooper's wife is here.

JOHN:
Kelly.

John.

I'm so sorry.

This is my partner Dorian.

I'm sorry for your loss, ma'am.

Please tell me
the things that they're saying

about Trevor aren't true.

Cooper was one
of my best detectives,

but he hadn't been actively
undercover for months.

Any reason for that?

Cooper thought
The Bends was gonna

hit the streets in a big way.

He wanting to make a run
at the distributor.

But netting a big fish
like that takes time.

Trying to get
funding and resources

for long-term surveillance
is like pulling teeth.

Yeah, I know.
And they want immediate results.

Yeah, and Cooper
wasn't getting them.

I tried to keep it going
as long as I could,

but when he couldn't
get any arrests...

His personnel reports mentioned
some disciplinary action.

Coop was always
a dog with a bone.

He would get onto something
and wouldn't let it go.

It could rub people
the wrong way.

MALDONADO:
I know the type.

Did Coop tell you anything
about what he was doing?

MALDONADO:
He never took it home.

He didn't like to expose me

to the things he saw on the job.

DORIAN:
Mrs. Cooper?

Did you notice
any changes recently

in your husband's demeanor?

Not really.

I mean, he was stressed.

I figured 'cause of work.

They've been treating him

like he's a criminal
and not one of their own.

He's innocent.

You believe that, don't you?

I do.

But I have to prove it.

So, you believe Cooper was
working a rogue investigation

without the department's say-so.

That's what I would like
to believe, yeah.

And the drugs in his trunk?

Could be planted.

The murder of a cop draws

a lot of heat,
so dirtying Cooper up

is one way to deflect it.

Alex, one of my detectives
looked into Cooper's finances.

She found an account

under his father's name
with recent activity.

Large deposits and withdrawals.

His father passed away
seven years ago.

Look, you know,
I hope I'm wrong,

but if Cooper became
too familiar with the people

he was after,
went in too deep...

I mean, he wouldn't be the first
undercover cop to do so.

I'm gonna have to pursue it.

Look, it's your case...

but Cooper was my man.

So if you find anything,
I'd like to know.

Of course.

Thanks.
Yep.

(sighs)

JOHN:
Can you recall

anything out of the ordinary,
any change of routine?

He, um... took a day off
earlier this week,

to go up to the cabin.

Cabin?

We inherited one

from his father,
on Lake Casalino.

Four walls, no heat.

Coop loved it,
but I was always freezing.

Actually, he was coming back
from the cabin

the night he died...
he was fixing up

(voice breaks):
the fireplace so we could

spend more time up there.

Would you mind
if we go up there

and have a look around?

No, of course not.

DORIAN: What exactly
are we hoping to find up here?

That wire Cooper was wearing
was transmitting to somewhere.

Now, maybe he was
doing more up here

than just fixing his cabin.

You seem entirely convinced
that Cooper was somehow

unfairly set up
by these traffickers.

Cooper was my friend.

And until someone
can prove any different,

he deserves my allegiance.

Ugh, if I had to live
in a cabin, I'd kill myself.

You should buy a cabin, John.

That's cute.

You can walk home.

(door creaks)

Whoever turned over this place

was probably looking for
the same thing that we are.

John, if the same people
that killed Cooper came here,

that means they knew details

- about his life.
- Can you...

Put a protection agent

outside Kelly's house.

You got it.

Thanks, man.

You're welcome, my friend.

Great, now we're friends.

I never thought
I'd miss my coma.

Cooper was the only person
in my class

who could outrun me,
outshoot me...

So there were only two
people in your class?

Kelly said he was working
on the fireplace.

But the Cooper I knew

couldn't even use a hammer.

It's on.

This is the recorder

that Cooper's wire
was transmitting to.

COOPER (on recording): Now does
the finder's fee seem fair?

BISHOP: We're talking 600 liters
of raw product.

I'm gonna need
to see him cook first.

(two gunshots)

COOPER:
What the hell are you doing?!

(three gunshots, Cooper groans)

What-Whatever you're thinking,
you're wrong!

(Cooper panting, groaning)

(gunshot, Cooper groans)

So Cooper got a meeting
with The Bishop?

Vice has been trying
to build a case

against for the last decade.

No one's gotten so much as
a photo, let alone a name.

Cooper found him.

Found him?
He was working with him...

brokering a deal
to sell him a cook.

Perhaps that was the only way
he could get a face-to-face.

Oh, I don't remember
asking the synthetic.

Because The Bends
is so difficult

to harvest from the ocean.

But 600 liters
of raw product...?

PAUL: Looks like someone
found a way to mass produce.

MALDONADO:
That's what The Bishop does.

If his pattern holds,

first he takes out
the competition,

creates aa shortage,
drives up the price.

VALERIE: The Bends is
notoriously addictive.

We could be looking
at an epidemic.

Jimmy...

Jimmy, are you okay?

Jimmy!
He did too much.

You wanted to see me?

We got a call from County;

25 cases of bends overdose.

Five dead already.

Let's finish
what Cooper started.

The Bishop still needs a cook.

I could pose as one,
get a CI to vouch for me.

You can't cook ramen,
let alone The Bends.

Oh, come on. I can cook ramen.

I can order ramen.

John, let's talk about

what's really driving you here.

Cooper was your friend.

You can't help but
make this personal.

But we got kids dying
on the streets here.

We gotta hand this
to Narco, and I'm sorry,

but we gotta put your
friend's case on hold.

Look, this has got nothing
to do with my friend.

This is about
catching The Bishop.

It's been ten years.
This is our best shot.

We finally have
an angle on him.

We know he's desperate
to find a cook for his drug.

If I agreed,
where are we gonna find someone

with a background in chemistry,

that is so good,
so believable in his skill,

he'll convince even The Bishop?

We don't have time for this.

I got just the guy.

You want me to go undercover?

That's what he said, dummy.

You'll be working
on the front lines...

a hero to the department.

You'll be keeping a highly
addictive drug off the streets

and saving countless lives.

All you gotta do
is know how to cook.

And it may not even
get to that, if you get

a face-to-face
with The Bishop first.

Just please consider it.
It's an extremely dangerous job.

But we'll have you under
full surveillance at all times.

You'll never be out of sight.

Full surveillance, yeah?

Yeah, an entire detail
watching you,

ready to move in if anything
should go wrong.

Okay, I'll do it.

I'll do it.
I've already got some ideas

about my alter ego. John...

Fantastic. Why don't you discuss
that with Detective Paul?

He's spent half his
career working Vice.

He'll be prepping you.

Valerie's building you a cover
with a criminal background.

Would I wear a disguise?
Can I wear a disguise?

I don't know...
Sure.

Something sophisticated,
European?

Yeah, absolutely.
Good man.

Where-Where are you guys going?

To find someone
to arrange the meet.

(synthetic head
clears its throat)

So I assume this means
you're abandoning me?

Prick!

JOHN: Every time I come
to this part of town...

the impoverished,
the destitute, the lonely...

DORIAN: How could it
get any worse, man?

They could have you
as a partner?

Ha-ha.

Who's this guy we're after?

Tony Han. A low-level
dealer for The Bishop.

Why is he gonna help us?

'Cause he hates jail.

Hey, uh, this place is, uh...

They don't take too
kindly to androids.

You should wait out here.

(groans)

(rap music playing)

Maybe you should come in
this time.

Callum Waits... convicted
on two counts of possession

with intent to distribute
and manufacture narcotics.

Spent six years on the barge.

Sentence reduced
for good behavior.

PAUL:
That's nice work.

It'll get him in the door.

The rest is up to Rudy.

RUDY: Can I get some "Pomp
and Circumstance," please?

(weakly hums fanfare)

No.

Absolutely not.

Callum Waits wears a fedora..

No. No, no, no... no.
I like it.

Callum Waits wears
what I tell him to wear.

Can we get back to work?

Yeah, now that all
the fun's gone,

I guess that's all there is.

Okay, lesson number one:

convince me you're not you.

Whoa!

(groaning)

Oh, God, I thought
you were dead.

Well, in the afterlife,
you're still a dealer.

3.6 milliliters of The Bends.

3.6 milliliters
of The Bends.

That's 18 to 24
in the cubes, pal.

Come on.
Unless you want to cut a deal.

Last time I did you a favor,
Iggy tried to cut my throat.

(gasps) Lucky for you,
he couldn't find it.

Okay, okay,
what do you want me to do?

I want you to broker a meeting

between The Bishop
and a new cook.

(scoffs)

Are you insane?

Occasionally he is.

What's it gonna be, Tony?

It's gonna cost you
something big.

Try me.
I'm in a generous mood.

My girl got pulled over
a couple months back.

The cops found a few guns.

She's got prio,
ich means major time.

What's her name?

Maya Davis.

She got booked downtown.

Access the docket
in the 11th District.

Dismiss the charges;
officer's discretion.

John, we need
clearance for that...

Just do it.

Set the meeting.

VALERIE: What was the date
of your first arrest?

RUDY:
March the 29, 2014.

Where were you born?

Newcastle. Until my mom
moved us to Reading

when my dad died of the scales.

Who taught you how to cook?
Uh, Dr. Darmadi.

Spent an endless summer in
Guam for a couple of years...

Are you mad?!
That's a 100-millileter...

You were picked up by a Narco
task force last December.

What was the charge?

What was the charge?!

What are the color of the
holding cells on the barge?

Richard...

What color?
Blue.

Until they repainted them gray.

Okay.

Good.

I'm sorry, but you kept
your concentration.

When you're undercover,
nothing's perfect.

Not your cover story,
not the product.

The only thing that has
to remain steady is you.

If everything falls apart,
you fall back on the truth.

Keep your lies as close
to the truth as possible.

The truth is your friend.

Especially when
you're telling a lie.

Got it.
Good.

Now let's see if you can cook.

No hat.

RUDY: Compound is
rather simple, actually.

You get your methyl nitrate,

you add a simple chloride...

(whistling)

...put it in here.

Set the pressure cooker to...

exactly 457 degrees and...

it's easy peasy.

Is it supposed to do that?

(rattling, hissing)

Oops.

Forgot the iodine.

Easy peasy, huh?

(siren chirping)

Okay.

So I called in
every favor I have.

My ass is on the line.

You understand what
that means, right?

This don't work, it ain't

"we don't do no more
business together" bad.

It's "kill my girlfriend
and kid" bad.

Where's the meet?

The Bishop wants to meet
your cook at pier four

in the Defense District, in one
of those old abandoned buildings.

It makes sense.

It's isolated, discreet.

This whole thing
only works if The Bishop

turns up in person, you understand that?
Yeah, he'll the.

He's got a lot of people
waiting for this product.

Let's hope your guy knows
what he's walking into.

JOHN:
Rudy, how you feeling?

RUDY:
Well, actually, John...

JOHN:
Good to hear.

What's the one thing
you gotta remember?

Uh... don't mess
up the drugs?

Don't get killed?

Don't soil myself?

(stammers) You gotta
get The Bishop to say

that he distributes narcotics.

No problem.
Keep him talking.

JOHN: The more we can learn
about his operation,

the better a case
we can build against him.

Do we need
to go over this again?

RUDY:
I got it, I got it.

Well...

here goes nothing.

I... I'll just, uh...

No.

No.

Bottoms up.

You sure that's gonna work?

The department's
still beta testing,

but theoretically, it should...

(shudders)

...make my whole body

into an undetectable
GPS locator.

And tracking beacon for
same-platform technology.

(farting)

There.

(computer beeps)

There I am.

MALDONADO:
All right.

We're tracking Rudy
here, as well.

(over comm):
Under your command, John.

DORIAN:
Rudy.

You okay?

Yeah. Pumped.

Let's, uh...

rock and-and roll.

Let's rock and roll.

All right. Let's do it. Yeah.

JOHN:
You can do this, Rudy!

Bring it home!
You got this!

He's gonna die.

(beeping)

Roaches are set.

I've got a visual.

(knocking on door)

JOHN:
He's in.

VX: Stop.
Put your hands out.

Ooh! Bonus.

It's, uh...

small but powerful.

(glass shatters)

I'm Cruz.

I'm Rudy.

(gasps)

Did he just tell 'em
his real name?

Thought your name
was Callum Waits.

Yeah.

Callum Randolph Waits, yeah.

Rudy for short.

We gotta go in.
Wait, wait.

Let me go in alone... we can
still salvage this mission.

What are you doing?

DORIAN:
They can't know I'm a cop,

so I'm shutting down
all my comm relays

so they won't detect
any outgoing transmissions.

Are you kidding?

We'll have no way to
communicate with you.

Do it.

You gotta do it.

If anything goes down,
you're Rudy's only hope.

RUDY:
...because... well, anyway...

I mean, anyone else thirsty?

If you've got flavored vodka,

I can... I can make you
some cocktails.

(gun clicks)

(farts)

Are you kidding me?

Excuse me.

(knocking on door)

DORIAN:
Uh, Dolph...

Okay, take it easy.

All right, Dolph.

I just have your glasses.

Way to go, John.

Really got our best
and brightest in there.

Yeah. Explains why you're
not in there. Guys...

DORIAN: Tell them to call off
this busted refrigerator

before I send him back
to the scrap pile.

CRUZ: You were supposed
to come alone.

TEMPESCO:
He's a DRN.

This bot's police issue.

He was police issue.

Until they malfunctioned.

I found him on the black market

and completely refurbished him.

Come on...
we've all got bots here.

(exhales)

Let him go.

Let's go.

Okay, we're good.

(sighs)

Well, the ventilation
could be better.

Guys, I've got a facial rec.

Effren Cruz.

Charges for weapons,
assault and robbery.

These Erlenmeyer
flasks are filthy.

Whose lab was this?
Sweeney Todd?

CRUZ: Enough talk.
You've 60 seconds.

Let's see what you can do.

Well, if I get this job,

there's gonna be some
changes around here.

(timer ticking)

(sniffs)

(machine whirring)

Done.

(over comm):
Yes! Whoo-hoo!

Taste perfection.

It's 95% pure.

Come on.

This cook is now a chef.

THE BISHOP: You are indeed
quite a chef, Callum.

(claps)

Wait a minute,
where'd he come from?

Are you The Bishop?

Stay there.

Got a hit.

Gavin Maxwell.

JOHN: He's gotta
be The Bishop.

Second they make
the deal, we move in.

So how did you choose
the name Bishop?

Is that a chess thing?

It's just... there was this, uh,
great chess Grandmaster

who was once asked,
"Do you prefer the queen

on the bed
or on the board?"

He said, "Depends on
the position."

(laughs)
Which is... is funny...

Um, so...

how much, uh, weight
are-are we moving?

VALERIE:
What is that?

It's-it's just that
I'm a bit...

emp-empty stomach, and...

Wait. What just happened?

VALERIE:
We lost Rudy's GPS signal.

Move, move, move!
Let's go! All teams, go!

All right.

Let's go to the real lab.

Police!

(gunshot, Cruz yells)

PAUL: We searched everywhere.
Rudy's not here.

That's impossible.
We had eyes on every exit.

He's gone.

We've got three pressure
synthesizers in here,

so we can process

while we treat the product
in its chemical bath.

(gasps)

It's like being able to
do three loads of laundry

at the same time.

(grunts)

CRUZ:
Please...

Where did they take him?

I told you.

I don't know anything.

You shot me in the leg!

I need a doctor.

(yells)

(groans) DORIAN:
You'll get a doctor

- when you tell us where The
Bishop took Rudy. - All right,

okay, stop!

Maxwell's not The Bishop.

Nobody meets The Bishop.

DORIAN: Cruz's vitals suggest
he's telling the truth.

He's told us all he knows.

But if Maxwell
isn't The Bishop,

then who is?

VALERIE:
Hey, guys...

DORIAN:
The GPS solvent

Rudy took so we
could track him...

this is the counteragent.

That's impossible.

The police department

only developed
this tech weeks ago.

JOHN: They must have
somebody on the inside.

MALDONADO:
John, that's a huge accusation

to have floating
around the precinct.

They gave Rudy
the GPS counteragent.

How else can you explain that,

unless someone from PD
gave it to them?

JOHN:
Pull up Maxwell's priors.

I've got his file up.
It looks like

Maxwell beat a major
distribution charge.

It says Maxwell's case
was thrown out

due to lack of evidence.

JOHN: Who signed the papers
for his release?

MALDONADO:
Captain Barros.

(over comm):
Barros is The Bishop.

So, Callum...

what do you think of my setup?

I think I want to get
in bed with you.

Uh, I mean... not...
I don't mean like that.

I... you know
what I mean.

(phone ringing)

Captain Maldonado.

MALDONADO:
Alex. You said you wanted

to be kept in the loop
regarding Detective Cooper.

Out of respect,

I wanted to update you.

We talked to his wife,

and found out he had a cabin
outside the city.

I sent a couple of my men
to check it out.

- Did you find anything?
- Nope.

Someone got there before us.

Probably whoever Cooper
was working with.

So... back to square one.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Me, too.

I'll let you know
if anything develops.

I appreciate the update.

Yeah.

Got him.

He's at the old.

Ironworks District
on Dunn Street.

We're seven minutes out.

Copy.

So I've had more
than a dozen cooks

trying to perfect The Bends.

You've come closer than anyone.

Um...

It's...

uh...

it's about passion.

(clears throat)

Passion in your work.

It's science, yes,
but it's also an art.

Ingredients are
ingredients, but...

if you go quiet
and you just listen...

...they start to
talk back to you

and they tell you
what they need,

and the whole becomes greater
than the sum of the parts.

Take-take your robot,
for instance...

so many disparate
ideas and-and concepts

that all need to come together,

but if you approach your
work with reverence

and pour your
very soul into it,

it starts to get
a life of its own.

And, dare I say,

you can grow very
fond of that creation.

Did you make the droids
or did you do them?

(laughing)

I have to admit, you have
a very unique perspective.

And I think
you're gonna fit in here.

Call the others and tell them
to bring in the materials.

Thank you for the opportunity.

You won't regret it.
(chuckles)

(phone line ringing)

(phone ringing)

No one is picking up.

It just keeps ringing.
Call him again.

(phone beeps three times)

(phone line rings)

VX:
He's still not picking up.

MAXWELL: He's supposed to be
waiting for our call.

There's no reason
for him not to answer.

VX:
This is not like him.

Something must be wrong.

(phone line ringing)

(steam hissing)

Get him!

(gunshot)

(ragged breathing)

?

(gunshots) (grunts)

I see him!

Move!

(panting)

DORIAN:
Rudy!

Let's get you down from there.

(gunfire)

ELECTRONIC VOICE: Alert...
weapon not functioning.

Oh, great.

(grunting)

(electronic whirring, blipping)

(Barros grunts)

(grunting)

(buzzing)

(electronic buzzing, blipping)

(buzzing, crackling)

(grunting)

(panting)

(Barros coughs)

You stupid cop.

I'll bury you like I buried
your loser friend Cooper.

I'm a captain.

This will be a mistrial...

(applause, laughter)

Look, you'll probably have
a scar but no long-term damage.

A scar?
H-How big of a scar?

You forgot something back there.

JOHN:
Look, Rudy,

you did a-a really terrific job.

I'll be ready for my next
assignment in a couple of weeks.

Uh, yeah, look, Rudy,

about that...

You guys think I'm too fragile.

I got a friend
who trains horses.

I was thinking of having
him take me out,

bulk me up a bit.

MALDONADO:
John...?

Great job.

Kelly.

I came by to thank you

for not giving up on my husband.

Look, Coop would've done
the same thing for me.

You're a good man.

(siren chirping, blipping)

There's been a slight change
of plans. We're going to...

McQuaid's.

McQuaid's? Oh, come on, man.

No way. That's-that's my bar.

I told Rudy we would
take him out to celebrate.

(chuckles)

You gotta be kidding me.

Okay, fine... I'll take
you guys to McQuaid's.

McQuaid's.

A genuine cop bar.

We can drink martinis.

We'll be drinking beers.

Do you think the, uh...
the badge rabbits

will go for the hat?
Badge bunnies,

Rudy... they're-they're
called "badge bunnies."

But don't ever call them that.

And there are a few rules.

- Such as...?
- First of all,

you got to promise me
not to embarrass me, okay?

Secondly, don't talk
about your test tubes.

Is that a euphemism?

No. Is there a third rule?

JOHN: Yeah.
Pretend we just met.

(starts engine)

RUDY: Um, any chance
we can get into a bar fight?

JOHN and DORIAN:
No.