City on Fire (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Annus Horribilis - full transcript

Hey there, William.

Hi.

Can you smile for Mama?

I love you so much, William.

Please,
can someone tell us what's happened?

Have you found anyone?
We saw a gurney go inside.

Gurney doesn't mean bad.

- It could just be a precaution.
- Okay.

- Okay, it's bad. Don't...
- Wha...

- Don't look.
- Oh, my God. Mercer, who is it?

I don't know. I just... I don't wanna know.



It's Bruno. It's Bruno.

Is there anyone else inside?

God, what is going on?

You knew the victim? Augenblick?

He was William's gallerist.

And his dear friend.

But as for William?

He's not in there.

I saw him earlier tonight.

Witnesses say he was chased onto a ferry.

Probably by the same people who did this.

And? Is he okay?

There's no clear evidence that he isn't,
but I lost him.

So, you're pretty sure
this wasn't an accident?



Why would anyone wanna kill Bruno?

I don't think they did.

They were trying to destroy the evidence
of whatever William was figuring out.

Oh, my...

Nicky. Come on.

- Yo, let us in.
- We're here to help.

Help with what?

Don't worry about it.

Hey, what's going on?

I just said don't worry about it.

No, I know what you said.
I wasn't asking you, I was asking her.

It's Nicky.

- He's fucked up about what happened t...
- Hey. That's enough, SG.

Where you been, Charlie?

Don't worry about it.

I said, leave me alone!

Oh, shit. Charlie.

Charlie, the Prophet.

You shall pass.

Misery loves company, boy.

No. No, thanks.

Are you all right?

How can I be?

The demon's made me into a fucking devil.

Maybe you always were one.

I know about you and Sam.

You found the photos?

I wasn't expecting that.

Little man's growing up.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry, kid.

I'm sorry. What can I say, you know?

Girls dig musicians. Even the smart ones.

Did you have feelings for her?

Did you... Do you love her?

Yeah.

And...

does she love you?

I don't know.

Maybe she did for a little while.

Why? Why only for a while?

See, if you found the photos,
you already know. Right?

It was an accident, but it broke her.

It broke us.

I made her question... everything.

How am I supposed to
just forget what happened?

Hey, hey. Hey, Sammy.

Sammy. Our hearts are pure.

Please hold onto that.

Hold onto that.

Know we will make...

- We'll do something to make it right.
- No, no. Nothing...

- Nothing can make this right!
- Hey, come on. S...

Nicky, it's all so fucked.
Everything is so fucked!

She lost faith, Prophet.

Now I have too.

Don't... Charlie, absolve me.

Absolve me, Charlie.

I need absolution.

Man.

What you need is to sleep it off.

Amory. What a surprise.

A not unpleasant one, I hope.

I do apologize
for dropping by unannounced,

but I was worried about you.

And that was before
I saw your new fixer-upper.

Listen, as pressing as Daddy's case is,
right now is not a good time.

It seems like bad times
is all you're having lately.

That's why I'm here.
You must be overwhelmed.

The sordid business with Keith,
your father's health, and seeing William.

You never really said how that went.

It was fine.

There was a fire at William's studio.

My God. And William?

He wasn't there.

But William's friend, Bruno, was.

He's dead.

William is missing.

- That's awful.
- Some men chased William onto a ferry.

The police think
they may have started the fire,

but Mercer's apartment isn't safe.

- And he came to you?
- Yeah.

When I heard the news, I invited him in.

Well, I hope you'll do the same for me.

I never got to know Bruno,
but I know how much he meant to William.

And now he's gone.

- And William...
- About William,

these thugs that were chasing him,
what do the police know about them?

Names, faces, are they still at large?

Why? You thinking of becoming a vigilante?

The masked dandy?

Gallows humor,
very important in trying times.

But I am connected
to those who could help.

The police, the coast guard,
search and rescue, search and recovery...

We are not looking for a body.

William is going to turn up,
and he is going to be okay.

Mr. Goodman,
if only wishes could make it so.

Wow, I wish you would just leave.

Granted.

Here. Amory, it's been a night.

Thank you for making the trip out here.

If we hear anything, we'll let you know.

I do hope you get some rest, Mr. Goodman.

With the way things are going,
who knows what could happen next?

Reegs, I'll let myself out.

Yo, it's Nicky.
Let's be honest, I'm never checking this.

The mailbox is full and c...

Goddamn it, you motherfucker!

God! You killed someone else,
and William might still be alive!

Goddamn, motherfucker!

Ruin my fucking life!

Drive on.

What the hell happened that night?

Mr. Yeung? I hope I'm not interrupting.

No, not at all.

Do whatever poking and prodding
you need to do. I can step out.

I'm actually not here to check up on Sam.
I wanted to talk to you.

Mr. Yeung, Sam isn't getting better.

She's not getting worse either, right?
So, that's good.

Not as good as we'd hoped.

There's a trajectory
to an injury like this,

where after a few weeks,

once the brain has had a chance to heal,
it wakes itself up.

We don't see that happening.

Yet.

Or maybe ever.

What are you trying to say?

You don't need to make a decision
today or tomorrow,

but it's time to start
wrapping your head around the idea

that you likely
do need to make a decision.

I can't.

It's not even a consideration.

I'm never gonna give up.

Mr. Yeung, in these situations,
we don't call it giving up.

We call it letting go.

That looks like a request for a warrant.
You get a break in the case?

Maybe, if you back me on this.

The day after the shooting,

I solicited CCTV footage from
all the buildings across from the park.

Got shot down by everyone.

Fancy buildings, fancy people,
privacy concerns...

Yeah, exactly.

God forbid we catch a glimpse of
someone's mistress or coke dealer

while we're doing our jobs.

Anyway, maybe when I first asked,
that was fair enough.

There was no clear evidence
linking any of the residents to the crime,

but what if now there is?

The girl was waiting outside
the Hamilton-Sweeney apartment building.

William Hamilton-Sweeney was followed
from the Hamilton-Sweeney Group offices.

There is a clear connection.

To who?

I mean, I know from the papers
Bill Senior's in legal trouble.

Bill wasn't at the party
or at the office on either of those days.

According to witnesses, William went
to see his step-uncle, Amory Gould.

- That's gonna be a tough...
- Gould was at the party too.

Come on. It's enough to justify
seeing if he or anyone else of interest

is on those tapes.

Gould is a big donor.

Across the department,
city council, the Mayor.

It's gonna get sticky.

Captain, I just heard from the hospital.

The girl might not make it.

We got her, this arson death,
now William Hamilton-Sweeney's missing.

This could be shaping up to be
a triple homicide.

You wanna waive
this guy's parking tickets? That's on you.

But looking the other way right now
is wrong.

You get a signature, you got your warrant.

Good luck finding a judge
not in Gould's pocket.

Thank you.

- Sir.
- What you got?

Forensics came back
on that bombing in the Bronx.

Looks like someone got ahold of
a shit ton of fireworks.

Samantha Yeung's father makes fireworks.

Hello? Yeah? Yeah.

Thank you. Bye.

Get dressed.

- What happened?
- I know where he is.

Came as soon as you called.

Thanks.

Why did a teacher from our school
sleep over?

His name is Mercer,
and he's your uncle William's boyfriend.

Yes, I am a teacher named Mercer,

and William's boyfriend.

Where's our uncle? I wanna meet him.

And hopefully,
you'll be doing that very soon.

Bye.

I love you, like, a lot.

Hey, look at me.
I'm gonna explain everything to you.

Hey. I don't wanna sound like a dick,

but you're pulling Regan
back into William's life.

We got a lot going on right now, and...

Well, you probably noticed
William makes everything more complicated.

Maybe what makes things complicated

is the fact that they were separated
in the first place.

I just want what's best for Regan.

Clearly my well-being
is your top priority.

I'll look out for myself.

Okay. Just be careful.

I guess I'll add this to
the list of things William never told me.

You have a house in The Hamptons.

Though I guess I'd be surprised
if you didn't.

It was the last place
we were all together.

The last place we were truly happy.

After my mom died,
my dad lost himself in his work

and his new girlfriend, Felicia.

William and I
were everything to each other.

I mean, everything.

Look at Amory.
Lucifer and his three witches.

What do you think they're talking about?

The coven is planning to frolic naked
in the woods tonight under a full moon.

I bet they sacrifice
a Bear Stearns intern.

Regan, dear,
there's someone I want you to meet.

Do you have someone you want me to meet?

This one's not quite your type.

Come this way.

- Okay, what are you doing?
- Here she is.

This is Bill's daughter,
Regan Hamilton-Sweeney.

- Hi.
- Hi.

Just down from Vassar.
Isn't she exquisite?

It's like one of Botticelli's angels
has merged with one of Charlie's Angels.

Why do you talk like that?
There has to be some kind of explanation.

He means it as a compliment.

- Right, Mr. Gould?
- That's correct.

My father speaks the same
ancient language,

I've just become fluent by necessity.

This witty young man
is going to school at Yale.

And yes, he is the son of
your father's new partner.

A partnership which will make
both of you very rich one day,

providing everything goes well
with the merger.

Speaking of mergers,
I'll let you two get acquainted.

Oh, my God. I'm sorry. He's a psycho.

- No doubt.
- Yeah.

I actually asked him to introduce us.

I thought maybe we could go somewhere
and talk.

Oh, yeah. Sure.

Everyone, hello!

Thank you all so much for coming.

Today is a day I will remember forever,

and not only because this is
the best party of the summer.

Oh, yeah.

Because this is the day
Bill and I announce

we are going to be married!

That's right!

This is an engagement party! Whoo!

Really, Dad?

I know how both of you feel about her.

So you thought this was
the way to tell us?

I asked her not to do it this way.

Yeah, exactly.

That's why
we feel the way we feel about her.

Dad.

Honey, just be happy for me.

I mean,
you gotta hand it to her, right?

Like, she got him to buy the ring.

Do you think that she's pregnant?

- She has to be right?
- What? No.

Like... Felicia gain 30 pounds?

I mean, are you kidding me?

No amount of money ever.

What is happening?

You don't stop. I like it.

Well, my brother and I
are processing some rather tragic news.

Tragic.

Maybe we should go for a walk.
Get some air.

We're outside. We have air.

- Hey, William.
- Hi, Bret.

Hi.

Come here for a sec.

Yeah, yeah, no... Go, go, go, go, go, go.

Just don't let Dad catch you.
Don't give Felicia the win.

Be careful.

Guess who got a key to the cottage.

Yes. There's a full bar in there.

Finally, the little prince awakens.

I was waiting to see if I should call
the police or the coroner.

No. Please don't call anyone.

It's Jacob, right?

You remember my name.

Don't recall you ever using it
to say hello,

or acknowledging me much at all,
for that matter.

I'm sorry.

I apologize for my behavior.

- People change.
- Not people like you.

Let me guess.

You shoot your inheritance up your arm,

and then you show up here in the dead of
night to steal the family silver.

I understand.

And I realize you never really liked me

or approved of my lifestyle,

but I know you have worked
for my parents and my sister loyally

for decades.

And I am here...

because I just wanna save my family.

Well, I can't argue. I found you
a spoiled child and ungrateful teen.

But as for your lifestyle,

if you'd taken the slightest interest
in the household help,

you'd have known
that I partook in this said lifestyle

long before it was fashionable.

But, yes.

Your mom was very dear to me.
God rest her soul.

Despite everything they had, your family
deserved better than what they got.

Yeah.

And there is one person
responsible for that.

Amory Gould got where he is
by paying off busboys and doormen.

Digging up dirt on exactly the same people
he now calls his friends.

Yeah, extortion.

Exactly...

but the fucker was smart.

He was after something
way more valuable than cash.

What?

Access.

He traded silence for invitations.

Weaseled his way to
tables at fundraisers...

- Uh-huh.
- ...and seats on private jets.

And pretty soon, he's sitting at
Bianca Jagger's table at Studio 54,

and nobody even remembers
how he got there.

- I caught this old guy following me once.
- Yeah?

I thought I was getting cruised
until I recognized him.

I'd seen him out here before, with Amory.

I think he was some kind of PI.

Amory's cottage.

What are you hoping to find inside?

- Proof.
- Of his blackmailing?

Of his connection
to the shooting of an innocent girl.

What? Murder?

Uh-huh. What?

You don't think Amory could be involved
in something like that?

On the contrary,
I think Amory Gould is a very bad man.

No, no. I didn't say... No. I don't know
what I... Get the fuck off of me.

Oh, come on. What are you crying about?
You liked it.

Ms. Regan?

Regan!

Hey! You!

Did you have a good time?

So you knew.

I knew what I felt in my gut and my heart.

In any case, it wasn't my place.

That was the argument, wasn't it?
The day of the wedding.

Okay. I know this wedding
is totally fucked up, but it is happening.

And you have been off at college, right?

Gallivanting around all of Italy,

while I have been right here,

waging a full-on terror campaign
against the unholiest of matrimonies.

Really, it just...

It just made Dad hate me more, so...

You want this?

Okay.

So this isn't about the wedding.

Seriously,

- why the tears?
- Oh, please.

I'm not fucking crying.

Come on.

You are Daddy's favorite,
you graduated summa cum laude,

you are the future of this company,

and that varsity rower
boyfriend of yours...

I'm not really sure about his IQ,
but that wingspan...

You have a perfect life, Reg.

I can...

I can handle him coming to the wedding.

But Amory just told me that
Daddy's giving him a seat on the board?

Like,
he's gonna be part of our lives forever.

I can never work there.

- I can never work there.
- I don't know who you're talking about.

I can't tell you. I can't tell...
I haven't even told Keith.

Tell Keith what?

What could you possibly have
to tell Keith? That you fucked a guy?

Okay, Reg,

that is none of Keith's business.

It wasn't a fuck.

Oh, my God. Hey.

Was it that guy
from the party last year?

When I woke up,
he said you had left early.

You had to get on the road
to get back to school.

- You wanted to beat traffic.
- Yeah, well, he lied.

Fuck.

Well, then he should go to prison.

What?
With all the other Ivy League rapists?

It's his word against mine.

You know how that goes.

Fuck.

I knew I should've stayed with you.

Yeah, you couldn't have known.
I didn't know.

He took me to the cottage.

You know Amory's the only one
who has a key to that, right?

Fucking Amory.

- Did you tell Dad?
- Of course not.

We have to keep those people
away from our family.

The merger's already done.

I'm talking about the Goulds.

Come on! We have to go tell him right now.

Please, William. Please don't do anything.

Okay. I'm sorry.

Please.

You need to tell Dad.

You need to.

La la la la

Our new business partners will not be
joining us at the celebrations today

or for any social engagements
in the future.

And now that she's graduated,

Regan will be receiving
a seat on the board.

I wasn't aware a board seat was available.

I just made it available.

So, that's it?

This matter is between your sister and me,
and we've had a frank, private discussion.

And we are taking steps
to remedy the situation as best we can.

Okay, I mean...

I just...

I just figured your best would maybe
include keeping a rape-enabling psychopath

- out of our family, but...
- William, please.

I don't even understand the words that are
coming out of your mouth right now.

Well, if they're vitriolic and irrational,
I believe they would be aimed at me.

Oh, yeah. And I would be more than happy

- to explain them to you.
- Don't!

William,
I've had just about enough out of you

with these childish outbursts
and condescending comments.

Not to mention all the checks
I've had to write recently

- every time you get kicked out of school.
- Oh, right. 'Cause it's so bad.

And don't think I don't know
about your trips to the park at night.

Are you spying on me?

Did you really believe
your father was gonna allow you

to freely roam the city unobserved?

So you observed me, huh?

Okay. Dad...

this person is a pervert,

and she is a money-grubbing soul-sucker.

They're both vampires
feasting on our family!

Bill, he cannot speak to us that way.

- You are way over the line, young man!
- What line? Please. A line?

After what he did to Regan?

I would never hurt either of you.

William. William,
we can't know for sure what he did.

Yes, he's a liar, obviously.

But we'll never know
if he's lying about this. Right?

- I mean, I was drunk.
- No.

Yes, it was stupid!

- Are you serious?
- I'm not gonna ruin Dad's life over this.

I'm not trying to ruin his life. I'm not.

I'm trying to save it.
I'm trying to save yours.

Hey, Reg, please stand up for yourself
right now.

Come on!

Come...

You know what? Fuck you all.

You're all dead inside.

And I am gonna get outta here
before you kill me too. Okay?

So, have a great wedding.

Or should I say funeral, really?

And that was the last time that I saw her
or any of them for 15 years.

What the hell is this, Regan?

What?

She was pregnant?

Holy shit.

I bet that Ivy League fucker
knocked her up.

She must've taken care of it
before she went to Italy.

Or she never went to Italy.

That poor girl.

Oh, my God.

I can't believe...

Regan went through this shit
and didn't say anything to me.

If I would've known,
I would've done... I...

I would've done things differently, right?
Everything.

Jesus. Amory's got files on all of us.

Yours is as thick as a fucking phone book.

Your bandmate's overdose.

Practically every guy you were ever with
or bought a bag off.

But nothing on Nicky?

That doesn't make any sense.

- What's this one?
- That's a business pile.

This would be personal, right?

Unless this is business for Amory.

Holy fucking shit.

Wait. Who's Nicholas McKay?

Nicky, Nicky Chaos.
This is his juvie records.

His PI reports.

"Public mischief. Shoplifting.

Arson.

Arson. More arson."

"McKay is not an intravenous drug user.

I do believe, however,
that he may suffer from pyromania"...

..."an impulse control disorder resulting
from unprocessed childhood trauma

usually seen in young men.

Based on his predilection for arson,

I would ask you to consider McKay
as a candidate for the 'LH project.'"

What's that, the LH project?

I don't know.

But I know someone who might.

I gotta get back to town, ASAP.

Gotta catch a bus or a train.

Or I could
gas up that stolen boat for you.

I mean,
I should probably give that back, huh?

Yeah.

I called.

She said to keep you here
until she arrived.

Dude, you're alive!

Yeah.

I was so worried.

I'm okay. I am.

William,
something terrible has happened.

It's Bruno.

Hi.

I'm gonna need to see your security tapes.

Strontium nitrate burns red.
Copper chloride burns blue.

Now, you combine these two powders,
and you get a new color. Purple.

Just like a kid with crayons.

Okay, what about black powder?

Something called pulverone.
You keep any of that?

Of course. That's the explosion.

That's how the whole thing
gets off the ground.

But that's in a separate bin.

Locked.

What the hell?

- What is it?
- It's gone. All of it.

Okay, what can someone do with that,
with what's missing?

Take down a city block.

All right,
let's get it done. This is it.

She's beautiful.

Hey, Prophet. You're just in time.

For what?

Our project is now complete.

Come on. Come.

Meet...

the demon brother.

Okay. Stop here.

Play it in real time.

Jesus, Nicky,
you're gonna fucking kill us!

Turn it off!

I'm just fucking with you.

So, it's not a bomb?

Oh, no. It's most definitely a bomb.

I just gotta hook up
the timer and the detonator.

But not yet.

What do you plan on doing with it?

Answering your prayers.

What if I told you I had the knowledge
that you've been searching for

ever since you turned up on our doorstep?

What if this could deliver you vengeance

against the devil
responsible for Sam's shooting?

You know who shot Sam?

Yeah. I'm pretty fucking sure.

He's a man who believes in
killing to protect his secrets,

and Sam knew too many of his.

You know this guy?

I mean, can't totally see his face

- but it's...
- But the hair?

Yeah. And those pants.

He's entering from the park.

Look at the time stamp.

He was gone from the party
right around the time our victim was shot.

Mr. Gould?

Look, Nicky,
of course I wish for nothing more

than to see Sam's shooter
brought to justice.

And yeah, certainly in my darkest moments,
I wished...

Okay,
I prayed for that person to die.

But that...

I mean, that's a big-ass bomb.

A painter paints.

A dancer dances.

I give birth to a force
with a life all of its own.

Yo, fire breathes, Charlie.

But, unlike us, it has the power
to change water to steam.

Solid to liquid.

Liquid to light.

Fire is an alchemist. A magician.

It's poetic justice
that this is how he should die,

consumed by the beautiful monster
he paid me to unleash.

What a bunch of bullshit.

Do you even care about gentrification...

about artists and dreamers?
Or do you just like burning shit?

- Charlie.
- No, for real.

Are you just some sick fuck
who likes fire,

and everything else is a lie

because the only other thing
you get off on is controlling people?

Hey. You need to leave now, Prophet.

Ayo, this isn't gonna work out.

Fine by me.

He can't leave.

Why not?

He knows too much. Like, everything.

Fuck it.
What's another body at this point?

What? No!

You're not killing Charlie!

Do you hear yourself right now?

Look, she's right.
He's just a little fucking kid.

He's not gonna do anything.
I need you to calm down.

- You're doing a lot.
- How do you know?

- Don't put your fucking hands on me!
- Yo! Sol!

Give me a reason to knock someone out.

- If anyone moves.
- Sol! Stop! Please.

- Come on!
- After him! You're letting him fucking...

- Fuck.
- Sol, stop!

Please!

Fuck!

911. What is your emergency?

- It's a bomb.
- Excuse me?

There are these guys,
they're making a bomb.

Henry Mechanics alley.

It's an old restaurant, Cicciaro's.

It's big. The bomb, not the restaurant.

Who is this?
Can I get more information?

Yeah, you need to hurry.

This is Charles Weisbarger.
And I'm not fucking around.