City on Fire (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - The Family Business - full transcript

Sam was here all the time.
No one loves the music like her.

For Sam, it's a religion.

Doesn't matter how crowded it is,
she always finds her way to the front.

She never missed a show.
Every night was better than the last.

The night of the 4th,
a band was playing here, called Ex Nihilo.

You see Samantha?

Yeah, but she didn't stay
for the show, which was unlike her.

Must've had somewhere
real important to be.

Said she was going uptown,
but she'd be back.

But I didn't see her again. Is she okay?

Was Samantha alone when she came by?



With a young dude.

He went inside. Not sure when he left.

Size 28 jeans?
Type of guy who might piss himself?

Sounds about right.

You think you can describe him
to a sketch artist?

Bet you make it a habit to remember faces.

But not talk to cops.

Come by the station. No one has to know.

Hey, Charlie. You're awake.

You mean conscious?

After being knocked unconscious
by your boyfriend?

Okay, Sol didn't hit you that hard.

Trust me. Think you were mostly tired.

I'm also missing my
cell phone and my wallet.



Have I been kidnapped?

Okay, look. If you're holding me
for ransom,

my mom doesn't have any money.

Yeah, no shit. You don't exactly
scream "high-value target."

We just have some questions
about what you saw last night.

I didn't see anything.

We know that's not true.

Well... What I meant was, what...
What I did see, I'm...

I didn't understand,
and I'm more than willing to forget it.

No? Why were you creeping around
in the first place?

And you can drop that right fucking now.

Before I rip it from your bony hands
and shove it up your ass.

I... But I wasn't creeping.
I came for help.

What kind of help?

Did you guys hear about Sam?

Our Sam?

A girl got shot in Central Park.

What?

Sam got shot.

Is Sam okay?

Yeah, she's alive.

She's in a coma.

But I was there in the park, I found her.

Damn, Charlie man.

Did you see anything else?

Yeah.

There was this guy standing over her.

He seemed upset, but...

But maybe more like he found her
than he hurt her.

I don't know.

I heard police sirens and then I ran, but...

There was a...

a hole in her forehead.

There was blood everywhere.

I mean, if I'd been on time, you know,
if only I'd...

Instead I was dancing, and stealing drinks
and getting high.

But I just wanted a good story
to tell her, you know.

She loves a good story.

Why did you come here?

I mean, I didn't know where else to go.

But, I mean, you guys know Sam.

Right?

You might know why she made plans
to hang out and then just took off?

Why she left me at that club

and then went somewhere
we'd never gone before and got shot?

Please, you guys have to help me.

I-I have no one else. My...
My mom, she'll just ground me forever.

My therapist will just tell me
that I'm trying to save Sam

because I couldn't save my dad, or some...

What happened to your dad?

He...

He died in North Tower.

Oh, fuck.

Charlie man?

You came to the right place.
We're gonna figure this out.

I can't believe
I let you talk me into this.

It's Bruno. You love Bruno.

Bruno loves Bruno. He's my gallerist.

He only cares about one thing
and that is art he can sell.

And he brought Jenny.

Gallery girls are the fucking worst.

How they fawn over you
and tell you you're a genius.

That's terrible.

- Hi. How are you?
- Hi.

- This hair, though!
- Stop it.

Did you do that yourself,

- or did you bring somebody over?
- Please.

- Professional all the way.
- Professional.

You wanna know the problem with William?

I'll explain it to you, Mercer. Okay?

Please. He's very familiar with my flaws.

He was too naturally talented.

That's... How tragic.

- Stop.
- It's awful. Really.

No. It's true. Okay?

Everything has happened for him.
Without any effort, right?

Born to great wealth.
Never needed to work a day in his life.

So when he struggles,
he views this as a failure,

instead of part of the process. You see?

Okay, therapy.

You can't blame him.

His band made one album,
it helped define a generation.

Then he gives up music to paint,

and his first show
gets the cover of Art Forum.

Yes, and every collector
from Miami to Beijing

is fighting over his pieces.

Except, there's only one little problem...

Here we go. It's coming.

They wait, but then there's no more art.

It's coming, the art is coming.

- I just need a few more months...
- This is what you always say to me,

and so this is what I tell the buyers.

But you know what? When there's nothing,
they look at me like I'm a liar.

- Well, I...
- Actually,

I'm usually the one
on the phone dealing with the clients.

You must have something
you're ready to show them.

He spends all of his time in the studio.
He's there every day for hours?

There are some things
that I am working on, yes.

There are ideas. They're more like...
More of concepts, really.

I am very excited for them
to reach their potential.

But, as I've said,
I need a little more time.

No. Look, there is no more time, okay?

Please. William,
people are starting to ask me if you died.

What a bastard. Hey!
The more pent-up demand is, right?

- The higher the price is.
- Come on. He's just being modest.

He never thinks
anything he does is any good.

Okay, well, we will be the judge of that.

Ben.

- What does that mean? What are you doing?
- What? We're leaving.

- Where are we going?
- We're going to the studio.

We all must see what it is
that you have been creating.

I'm gonna get an espresso first, though.

Look, everyone is here
because we are rooting for you.

All right? We love you, William.

- Would you like anything else?
- No.

- Come on. Let's go.
- Go, get a cab.

I'll meet you outside, okay?
I'm gonna hit the head.

Okay.

My mom has night terrors.
Like, dreams where I die.

So it's hard for her to even let me
go to school, you know?

Which means she hated Sam.

'Cause Sam pulled me into the world.

Into Sam's world,
which is not exactly risk-free.

So what happened was basically
Ramona Weisbarger's worst nightmare,

except it happened to Sam.

No thanks to me.

You really think
you could have protected her?

- Taken down a guy with a gun?
- No. I...

But I would have taken a bullet
for her if I was there.

Guilt.

Explains why you've been
carrying this around.

Charlie, the Prophet.

No. I haven't even read it.

I'm not sure
if I'd even believe it if I did. But...

presumably, there's something
about forgiveness in there.

That's what you need right now?

So bad I can hardly breathe.

Oh, Charlie. Okay, close your eyes.

You think of Samantha.
Let the thought of her fill you up.

Now, open your eyes.

Look at me. Right at me. Don't look away.

The Bible says that all sinners
who truly repent,

shall be granted great mercy
and forgiven all offenses.

Doesn't matter what we've done,
or why we did it.

This is the law of God.

Now, I'm no priest.

Just a kid who paid attention
in Sunday school.

But I am the only other guy here,

which means the job of absolution
falls on me.

Charlie Weisbarger, I absolve you.

You are absolved.

Hey, kid, what happened to Sam
is not your fault. You hear me?

Say it.

- What happened to Sam was not my fault.
- Nah, a little more like you mean it.

What happened to Sam was not my fault.

You stand up and yell it.

- What happened to Sam was not my fault.
- Yell it.

- What happened to Sam was not my fault.
- Louder!

What happened to Sam was not my fault!

Obviously, it's living
in a theoretical space.

Just beginning its life journey
into a more tangible form.

So that's a stop sign?

I mean, it was a stop sign,
but now it is a "spot" sign.

Come on. Yo, just...

Imagine encountering this
in the streets of New York City.

Yes, because the streets is the only place

where anyone is going to see
this piece of shit.

Do you have anything else, William?

I mean,
nothing that is as far along as this.

Far along as a "spot" sign?
I don't understand, William.

After all the time
you've been spending here,

this is all you have to show for it?

Please. Mercer, please. Okay?

It is obvious he has been coming here
only to get high.

Not to mention
that you are high right now, huh?

Yeah. See? You have wasted my time.

But worse, you are wasting your talent.

Controversial, but I kind of love it.

So, you shot up in the bathroom at Odeon?

It's not like I could've just done it
right there at the table.

McNally sort of frowns at that.

- You said you were quitting.
- I will.

I am, okay? Babe.
I really want to. I'm going to.

What I want is to stop having this fight.

How are we supposed to go on like this?

Maybe we're not supposed to.

You're going down a dark road, William.

One that ends in a "spot" sign

and nothing else.

Regan, we weren't expecting you, dear.

Try the eggs. It's like eating a cloud.

No, I'm not staying.

I'm just here because I thought
it might be nice for Daddy and I

to walk into the office together.

It's gonna be a rough day for him,

since someone leaked
the pretrial arraignment to the press.

I saw. Nasty stuff.

And I thought people liked us.

People like scandal at anyone's expense.

Hi, honey.

Hi, Daddy. You're not dressed.

Amory and Felicia didn't tell you?

I'm not going in today. Or ever.

This is the first I'm hearing of it.

My failing. It's a condition of
his pretrial release.

No, I read the agreement
and it said nothing about him

not going into the office.

It was in a side memo
in case the agreement was leaked,

as it was, the fucking vultures.

We'll call it retirement.
I've already started planning the party.

A party.

The only thing more important
than your father's defense is his health.

This way, he can focus on both.

The lawyers can come here to work.
Everything very private, comfortable.

Dad, is that what you want?

Darling, it's what everyone wants.

You work hard to create a beautiful life,
then you finally get to enjoy it.

The sooner the better, I say.

You go, sweetie. Business as usual.

The board needs to see
that you can handle things. Without me.

Well, I'll call you. I love you.

Love you too.

If you won't give me her number,
please just call her, it's important.

- Once again my name is M...
- Mercer.

Sorry, Mrs. Lamplighter.
I didn't realize that you knew him.

Oh, really? And why is that?

Hey. I voted for Dinkins.

Okay.

I was just stopping by to see my father.
What are you doing here?

It was the only place I knew to find you.
It couldn't wait. It's William.

We're having an intervention
at our apartment tonight.

No. He's gonna hate that.

Not as much as he'll hate being dead.

It's that bad?

I know he wants help.

Even if he won't ask for it.

So I've just been tasked with finding
any of William's friends and family

who still care about him.

- Yeah.
- I hope that includes you.

Sam is an artist.

Used this place as her studio,
or maybe a storage locker,

but not sure how any of this matters.

My instinct is Sam knew her shooter.

This doesn't feel like a
"wrong place, wrong time" situation.

Samantha wasn't assaulted.
Nothing was stolen.

First shot went wide,
second one got her, but didn't kill her.

Fact that the shooter
didn't stick around to verify, you know,

very thankful for that,

but it makes me think
that this was personal, but amateur.

A shooter with a motive,
but not a lot of experience.

Now, unfortunately,

most of the physical evidence
in this case is shit.

So, the way we find this perp is motive.

That means learning everything
we can about your daughter.

Got any kids?

Not yet. I'm working on it.

Then you've no goddamn clue.

Moment they're born,
you do everything you can to protect them,

and then something like this happens.

Look, Mr. Yeung.

This is the hardest thing
you're ever gonna go through.

And everybody needs something to lean on.

To believe in. For me,
I believe in a father's love.

I believe in you.

We're gonna find who did this to her,
but not without your help.

You know Samantha better than anyone.

That one's her favorite.

You know, I think I heard
that music is good for people in comas.

Keeps them connected.

You find a cell phone?

No. Did she have one?

Never gave me her number,
but I saw her on it a couple times.

Could be someone who didn't want us
to know who her friends were.

You'll wanna see this.

She calls it a zine.

Was always working on it.

Heading over to Kinko's all hours,
making copies.

If you wanna know my daughter,
it's in there.

So, how'd you end up down here?

I guess because I love roller coasters.

My mom died when I was 16.

No dad, so I just kind of drifted up north
from Louisiana after that.

Cleaned motel rooms from Memphis
to Nashville to Cincinnati.

Then I heard about Cedar Point
in Sandusky, Ohio.

Figured a place with
18 world-class roller coasters

and a water park couldn't be all bad.

But I was wrong.

I don't know what you've heard
about cleaning motel rooms, Charlie,

but it's a low-pay, high-risk profession.

Math only goes your way for so long.

And then what happens?

Then it goes the other way.

So...

that's why they call you Sewer Girl?

'Cause you were, like,
living in the gutters or...

No.

No, Nicky says I'm stuck
on a lower level of consciousness.

I still get sentimental
about cute animal pics

and my horoscope and shit.

He says I can pick a new name
once I evolve,

but I don't know, kinda used to it.

Okay, sorry, what?
So, what's the deal with Nicky?

I thought he was, like,
the lead singer in a cover band?

You don't get it, Charlie.

But you will. The band is the cover.

Come with me.

Now.

Come on.

Okay. This is the band's rehearsal space,
but we're converting it.

To what, you don't need to know.

But all this equipment
goes into the basement,

the window needs to be covered
and the carpet has to go.

That's a lot of carpet.

Then you better get started.

Wait, I'm doing this all by myself?

Was this Nicky's idea?

Nothing happens here
that isn't Nicky's idea.

Hey. Is that for me?

It's none of your goddamn business
is what it is.

He was awkward. Like a puppy.
Sweet-eyed. Smiley.

Maybe some freckles.

And his hair was curly.
White boy curly. A mop.

Like this?

That's him.

Nailed it.
That kid's a fucking labradoodle.

Wait. A shooting? What shooting?

The... Right outside the party.
The girl in Central Park.

Poor thing was an NYU student.

Mercer found her
and put his jacket over her.

Well, it's like... It was William's jacket,
'cause he borrowed it.

And then when the cops found the drugs,

that's when Mercer realized
that William's a fucking junkie.

Is she okay, this girl?

You know anything else about her?

I mean, she's in a coma.

And they're not releasing
any other information.

Apparently she's a freshman, I think.
I don't know.

She's freshman.

What difference does it make, really, right?

You're right. Yeah, it's tragic.

Oh, my God. I'm so nervous.
I am so fucking nervous.

I get it.

Hello.

Regan,

there's an emergency board meeting.
We need to convene at the office.

- Tonight?
- Afraid so. It's time-sensitive.

I can't. Just reschedule.

Well, surely Keith can watch the children.

As we feared,

the board is extremely concerned
about the charges against Bill.

So then reassure them that he's innocent.

- Can you get...?
- Well, I...

- Obviously, I have, strenuously, but...
- Kids.

Amory, it's William.
He's in trouble, and I need to be there.

William.
I hadn't realized you'd connected.

I'm sorry to put you in this position

having to choose between your father
and your brother,

but this is where we are.

I'm here if you need me.

Goodbye, Amory.

If I wanted to share, I would. Okay.

My dear, your favorite.

- Salmon.
- Okay.

Oh, my God. I cannot be late.
I have to go.

But you're staying. Right, Mom?

No. Sweetie, I'm sorry. I can't.

I just came to make you dinner.

Which we should thank her for.

I told you, Cate. Give it up.
They're not getting back together.

- Hey, we don't know that.
- Yeah, we do.

Still, there's nothing
more important than family.

Okay?

I love you both.

Will, just try it, please.

You got an eyeful today.
Like what you saw?

I didn't not like it.
I just don't understand.

You're Sol's girl, right?
So, are you with Nicky too, or what?

I won't apologize for not conforming
to your delicate suburban sensibilities.

Monogamy is just a tool of
patriarchal capitalism.

That sounds exactly like something
that Sam would say,

and that I would, like,
pretend to understand.

Sam is a believer.

A believer in what, sleeping around?

If you ask me, Sammy's saving herself.

For what?

Who knows? Could be you, Charlie man.

Hey. Come over here.

When we started this revolution,
we knew it would have a cost.

And tonight, we celebrate
a wounded warrior fighting for her life.

To Sam. Tonight's for her.

- To Sammy.
- To Sam.

- To Sammy.
- Sam.

What's for Sam? What are we doing?

We don't even know this fucking kid.

He has had a rather rapid ascent
into our good graces,

but what does he bring
to the table, really?

Sam likes him.

Yeah? Well, she didn't tell him shit.
So, why should we?

All right, well, whatever Sam knew,
I wanna know too.

Knock me out. Lock me up.
Force me into hard labor.

Whatever. I'm all in.

Oh, shit.

He's all in.

Guess we'll see about that.

The zero hour is upon us.

Let's have some fun.

- Relax. William wouldn't knock.
- Right.

- Hi.
- Hey.

- Thank you so much for coming.
- Uh-huh.

Regan, this is Venus De Nylon.

Hi. I'm William's sister.

Didn't know he had a sister.

Venus played keyboard for Ex Post Facto.

Had to represent.

Everyone from the original band's
either more fucked up than Billy,

hates him or is already dead.

Well, we who are living
will have to do everything that we can.

Hello. Hi.

Come.

- Have a seat.
- Thanks.

Hey.

I just wanted to say thank you

for being there for William
when no one else was.

Of course.

So, everyone ready?

- Yes.
- Yeah.

Any moment now,
William's gonna walk through that door,

and he is probably not gonna like
what he sees.

Because you're here to tell him
that you love him.

Love makes people accountable.

Hey, you've reached Sam.
Please leave a message,

or you can do it the old-fashioned way
and page me.

The mailbox is full
and cannot accept any messages...

- Hello.
- Hey, Mrs. Santos.

I hope I haven't called too late.

Hello, William. My name's Earl.

These good folks here gathered today

because they're afraid
that you're gonna die.

Would you like to have a seat?

No, Earl, I would not.

Okay, listen. This was my idea, William.

So you can be mad at me, but mostly,
you need to be mad at yourself.

Because your addiction
is diminishing your work as an artist,

but your lying,
your lying is diminishing you as a person.

So please, please don't act like
you are better than this.

You're done?

Earl here is just doing his job.
And I appreciate that.

Fuck. I mean, Bruno, I understand.

I have nothing for you to sell,

and therefore I am of no value to you.

But you, babe.

You?

Did you really think this was gonna work?

He didn't think this would work.

He's just running out of ways
to show you that he loves you.

Who are you exactly?

Don't... Please don't do that.

I'm impressed.

Hey, Reegs.

What... What has it been, 15 years, right?

Yeah. Give or take.

Wow.

That's how long it took me to find you.

Really?

Don't do that. Don't go. No.

I miss you.

- Oh, my God.
- No, I miss you so much.

- I can't do this right now. I can't.
- I never stopped missing you.

I wasn't that hard to find.

- So whatever this is...
- No.

- I was in a band. We made an album.
- I know.

I had a show at a gallery
that was reviewed

by The New York fucking Times.

I was never more
than 20 minutes away from you.

You could have walked.

I had a family. I had two kids.
I was married. I had a job. I was...

I was right fucking there.

- Right where you left me. Right there.
- Where...

Where I left you.

I wanted you to come with me.

I fucking begged you to come with me.
I just wanted to protect you.

I wanted our father to protect you.

I didn't know what else to do.
I was hanging on by a fucking thread.

I had to find a way to survive. I didn't...

- Well, congratulations, Reegs...
- Please.

...that you survived. You did it.

Please.

You don't have to do anything.

I love you.

I don't even know these people,

but I wish you understood
how much I love you.

Do you know that Dad is sick?

Dad?

Do you know that he would
welcome you back with open fucking arms?

Daddy is a fucking coward.

You are a coward.

All of you, everyone here
is a fucking coward! Okay?

What, and shooting dope
is your idea of bravery?

You're so fucking cool, aren't you?

Sounds like there is a lot to discuss.
So let's all sit and just have some tea.

You see, this is why I came home.

I remembered it was here.
So, thank you all very much.

William, you can change your whole life
right now with just one decision.

Please, William,
will you just listen to him?

- I'm begging you. You'll thank me...
- Shut up! Please stop!

Stop. Mercer.

So, if I leave with Earl here,
it's the only way you'll love me?

I don't want that kind of love.

No, thank you. I don't want that.

I'm so sorry.

Hey, Tony. How you doing?

Listen, I'm heading to Aspen
with the family tonight.

I could drop the paperwork on the way.

Yeah, thank you. Is that gonna work?
I got it with me.

Okay. All right, great.
All right, I'll see you in a bit.

Looking for something?

I'm guessing you want this back.

I'm Sam.

- Hey, Sam.
- Hi.

This is so wrong. Let's go anywhere else.

- No.
- There's a W in Union Square.

This is way more fun.
There are no boys allowed after 11:00.

- Boys?
- Yes.

Sam.

Okay.

Your roommate's panda fetish
isn't making this any less weird.

She's in Des Moines for the holidays,

- so you can focus on me, not her.
- Okay.

What about you? What are you into?

'Cause it looks like you
don't even live here.

I'm into you. And you know where I live.

Speaking of...

Yeah?

Now that I know you, I realized I don't...

I don't really know you.
A married finance guy.

How did you end up on my doorstep?

You're not the only one with secrets.

Who, me? I'm an open book.

That's the biggest lie you've told yet.
Look how easily it came.

- Tell me who you work for.
- No one. I'm self-employed.

Everyone answers to someone.

Hi.

Hey.

That's my door.

Right.

Panda lover from Des Moines.

I'm a friend of Samantha's.

I was just wondering if you knew
how she's doing,

or if you've seen her
in the last couple of days.

Yeah, the cops wondered that too.

The cops were here?

I...

Hey, can I ask you...

Sam told me she was gonna
be a senior this fall.

No.
She started last fall. She's a freshman.

Hey. I can do lunch tomorrow. Okay.

Tim, I appreciate
that you've always had my back.

Thank you. We'll stay in touch.
All right, thank you.

Regan,
how did the reunion go with William?

It was short-lived.
And I see I'm too late.

Not at all. Amory has swooped in
and saved the day.

He's interim chair until we can find
a suitable replacement for your father.

The board is very happy.
The ship has been steadied.

Yeah, or hijacked.

I mean,
you force my father into retirement

and then the CEO job
just falls right into your lap.

Interim. Until we can find
a permanent replacement.

I'm sorry things didn't go so well
with your brother.

But I need you too, now more than ever.

We need each other.

I'll see you in the morning.

Yeah.

Don't.

Come on, Prophet. Front and center.

- Come here. Hey.
- What?

Ne cede malis. Means "yield not to evil."

It's the motto of the Bronx. Come on.

Fucking beautiful.

What's the matter, Charlie man?

I don't understand what we're doing here.

Sam loves music. She's not into violence.

- She'd never hurt anybody.
- And neither would we.

It's okay, Charlie.
No one lives in that building.

Then why?

Sam asked the same questions you are.

I tried my best to answer.
We love this city.

We think it should belong
to the musicians and the artists.

To the Black and the brown folks.

To the dreamers, the junkies, the poets.

But some very bad people
are trying to take that away from us, and...

we're just fighting back.

By setting it on fire?

Hey, you're gonna have to trust me, Prophet.

There's a plan.

A plan to keep this city for the people

and lock up those bastards
who are stealing our island.

We're building a new world

that requires the destruction
of the old one.

Also, it feels really fucking good
to blow shit up.

- So fucking good.
- Hell yeah.

We sang songs about it.

If the question you're asking is,
"What would Sam do?"

I think we all know the answer.
Sam was one of us,

and you're not gonna get closer
to the truth of what happened to her

running in the other direction.

Come on, Charlie. Join us.
Show Sam what you're made of.

...a person of interest
in the July 4th shooting

in Central Park has been identified.

Police are looking for a Caucasian male
between 15 and 25.

Medium height, slim build,
dark hair and eyes.

Anyone with information,

please call the NYPD at 212-111-TIPS.

As shootings in the park...

Skinny kid, bushy hair.

Like a poodle died on his head.

He wasn't a kid. He was, like, 40.

Preppy, clean-cut, Rolex.

I'm gonna go pull that tape.

If it's not the 28 jeans kid,
then who the hell is it?

Come with me.

- Yeah.
- Hey.

The kid in the photo,
his mother called in.

Okay, yeah. I'll head right over.

Summers in Southampton.
So many good memories.

Some things are better left forgotten.

- Come on, Charlie.
- Come on, Prophet.

- You can do it, Charlie. Breathe.
- Do it.

- We believe in you.
- Come on.

- Don't even think about it.
- Come on, Prophet.

Just throw it.

- We can head out.
- Let's go.

Yeah.

Come on, Charlie man.

Come on, Charlie man! Come on!

Keith?

So, what was so urgent
that it couldn't wait till morning?

This is where the girl was shot.

Yeah, I saw the police from the party.

You have a special interest in this case?

I was just won... I mean...

I think I know who she is.

And I was wondering if you knew if...

if you...

If you knew about...

Keith, what is there to know
about a young girl

and a married man
who owes his good fortune,

not to mention his actual fortune,
to his lovely wife's family?

Surely such a man wouldn't mix business
with that kind of pleasure.

No. That wouldn't be smart.

It would be pure stupidity.
It would be dangerous even.

Jesus, Amory.

What happened here, is it because of you?

Come on, Keith.

We both know that what happened here...

is because of you.