Covert Affairs (2010–2014): Season 2, Episode 10 - World Leader Pretend - full transcript

AII right. Instead of the bob,
you're going to break with
your right.

Okay.
Give me your left elbow.
There. One more. Same thing.

My right with your right.
There you go. Break it,
and then, the left elbow.

Very nice, Miss Walker.

One more time.
Where did you go?
AII right.

AII right. Try again. Go.
And bob underneath.

But you've got to bob,
or you're going to
end up like this.

Okay? Go. Break. Right.

Ooh. Sorry, sorry,
sorry, sorry.

Ow. Your other left.

When you're learning
hand-to-hand combat,



it's best not
to be distracted.

It's just this weekend.
I've blocked off two days to
definitely read-in my sister.

You know, if I can.
Assuming the time is right
and I don't push it. Again.

Well, as long as
you're sure.

Look, there's no manual
for this kind of thing.
Just be honest.

Be honest about
having been dishonest?

Exactly. And if all else
fails, you go to plan B.
Check my bag.

Oh! Contraband!

Is this for me or Danielle?

Ideally, both.
Just don't drink it before
the staff meeting, huh?

After careful analysis
and assessment,

we've decided to proceed
with the defection
of one Shen Yue.

A scientist
and Chinese national,

Shen will be in D.C.
this week for
a tech conference.



This is Operation Steelhead.

Shen is a top hydro-electric
engineer who worked on
the Three Gorges dam.

He's a big get, who can
provide us with intel
on China's energy.

It's all in his case file,
which is required
reading for everyone.

Everyone, that is,
except for Annie.

That's because Annie
wrote the file.

And as such,
Annie will facilitate
the defection of Shen.

Shen will be her asset.

We're targeting next
Friday's conference closing
ceremonies for the extraction.

Joan. I expected I would
be the lead on this operation.

But seniority isn't the only
metric we make decisions on.

I managed half the vetting
process and ran point with
Beijing Station.

And Annie set up a dummy
engineering chat site and
cultivated and turned an asset

via the internet
in three months.
She's qualified and ready.

I like Annie.
But this is bad management.

Duly noted.

Oh, hey. Whole Foods
took forever. Pita chip?

I'm good.

Danielle, I... I need to
preface this by saying that
I love you very much. And...

This might be difficult,
but I've thought
about it a lot.

And I think now is the time.

What is it?

That's it. Just that
I love you and, uh...

I love living here
with you and the girls.

That's what you
were going to say?
Mmm-hmm.

Well, I guess it's
just you and me.

Hey.

Hey.
Did you read your sister in?

Ugh. Call me a rooster,
because I'm a big chicken.

Bummer. Well,

Operation Steelhead has been
moved up to this evening.

There's chatter
out of Beijing.

Ops van is already
in position outside the hotel.

Uh... Um...
Give me an hour
to get dressed.

Great. You've got
fifteen minutes.

Keep calm, and that
will help Shen stay calm.

In twenty minutes,
you'll have a story
to tell your grandkids.

Assuming you eventually get
around to reading them in.

We can speak English.

Oh, thank goodness.
Chinese is a
beautiful language,

but sometimes I feel
Iike I'm not doing it justice.

There are times even
when I don't feel
I'm doing it justice.

It's so nice
to finally meet you

after three months
of being encrypted
email pen-pals.

I feel like
I know you already.

Same for me. Although you are
much prettier than you let on.

Flattery will
get you everywhere.

Well, hopefully, to America.

Science knows
no boundaries and sees
no countries or colors.

It is through science that we
bridge the gaps of cultures
and reach towards...

As the great
Johannes Kepler once said...

"So rich. Precisely in
order that the human mind

"shall never be lacking
in fresh nourishment."

Unquote.

Soup's over, Annie.
Time for the main course.

It's time.

Mr. Shen needs
to use the facilities.

I'm going to
freshen up myself.
Please excuse us?

Yes, of course.

Salmon
is swimming upstream.

Salmon is jumping the dam.

No, no, no.
Wait, wait,
wait, wait.

Stay close.

Salmon is home.
Not bad for a day's work.

Mr. Shen, let me officially
welcome you to America.

Thank you.

What would you like to do now
that you've defected?

Is it too late to catch the
Nationals? I do love baseball.

That's very American of you.
Let's get you to the
safe house for debriefing,

then we'll see if maybe
we can't catch a ballgame.

Okay.

"Went to the movies
with K and C.

"Also, Dr. Scott called
to confirm your date. Yeah!"

Annie Walker.
- Protocol Directive 42-30.

Password?
Clover.

Operative Walker. Asset
Shen Yue has been checked
into Georgetown Hospital.

We believe he may
have been poisoned.

Poisoned?

He says it's from the soup.

I had the soup, too.

Report to Georgetown
Hospital immediately.
You may be in danger.

Any internal
medicine resident to the ER.

Hang in. The doctor said
he'll be back soon.
How are you feeling?

Not great.

I've eaten Chinese food for 40
years, never had a problem.

It's too coincidental
to be food poisoning.

Did you tell anyone
about your plan?

No. I've been careful
about my intentions.

I need to talk to my friend,
Xi Peng, at the Asian
Cultural Organization.

He was at the conference.

So, the blood work came back
inconclusive for both of you.

I'm not sure what's
going on. I just want to
do one more test.

What is that?

This is a dosimeter.
It measures exposure
to ionizing radiation.

Radiation?

Yeah. Right now,
this entire wing of the
hospital will be emptied

due to a false gas leak.

Extreme discretion and
cautionary measures
must be taken.

Both of you will be treated in
our biohazard triage unit in
the basement of this hospital.

Hi. I'll be treating you now.
I work with the Agency.

Think of a radioactive isotope
Iike a habanero pepper.

You can be around it,
it won't hurt you.

If it gets on your skin,
it can irritate it.

If you ingest it,
that's a whole
different story.

Your immune system could be
profoundly compromised.

That's why you're in here.

To protect you from us.

Now, I'm just checking
this battery right now,

but if you hear this beep,

you need to
contact us immediately.

Is Shen okay?

He's scared.
We'll know more soon.

What about the others
at our table?

We liaised with all the other
hospitals and medical centers
in the area.

No one else from
the conference has
reported any symptoms.

So, Shen was the target.

Or I was.

We're also checking
the vehicle and the
safe house for radiation.

Any other place that
you've been needs
to be cleared as well,

in case you were
the primary target.

I went home
after the conference.

You live with your sister?

And her family.

You need to call them
immediately. That property
needs to be swept.

Thanks.

Two cones.

Hey. I thought you were
going out with Dr. Scott.

Danielle, where
are you right now?

Uh, we're getting
ice cream after
the movie.

Okay. Good. Don't go home.

What do you mean,
don't go home?

Don't argue with me.

You're scaring me.

I'm trying to scare you. Take
the girls and go to Michael's
mother's house for the night.

What is this about?
You've been acting
really strange lately.

I'll talk to you soon.
I'll explain everything.
Please, just don't go home.

Fine.

Steve Barr.

When I get a visit from
the State Department after
hours, I know it's not good.

The Shen Yue situation. Uh...

We need you to hold off
investigating.

The CIA is not an
investigative organization.

I'm sorry, but State
wants this to go away.

Now, this kind of thing
makes both parties look bad.

Health scare and a security
breach? Nobody needs it.

Least of all my operative
and her asset.

CIA doesn't go
near this, or I will
bring the hammer down.

Glad to see those
anger management
seminars are paying off.

This is the last time we'll
talk about this.

In all the corresponding
we did, I had no idea
you liked baseball.

My brother was obsessed
with the game.

Even though he could access
only box scores from smuggled
western newspapers.

Your brother who died in
Tiananmen Square?

He was my younger brother.

And Wei-Min taught me
and inspired me.

So, when I watch
baseball, he's with me.

You have any siblings?

A sister.

I've been lying to her
for two years.

To protect her?
From your life?

That was the goal. I couldn't.

Now, I have to
tell her everything.

A secret is like a wall.
It can protect.
But it can isolate.

So, our tests came back.

Annie, it appears that you
were not directly poisoned.

What about Shen?

Mr. Shen,

you definitely ingested
a large dose
of Polonium-210.

Enough to be fatal.

However, there is hope.

Ever since the Litvinenko
poisonings in London in '06,

the pharmaceutical companies
have been working on antidotes

for exactly this
kind of situation.

If I weren't directly
involved, I... I would
find that depressing.

There is an injection that
the Air Force Radiobiology
Iab has developed.

It has a 20% chance
of success.

Give it to me.

If it doesn't work,
it may hasten your demise.
So, if there's anyone

that you want to call
to say goodbye to...

No, I... I have
Ieft my home already.
Let me sign the consent forms.

There are no forms.

Good luck with your sister.

Orderly available
to the nurses' station for
wheelchair transport.

Orderly available
to the nurses' station.

Are these three seats taken?

It's amazing how my head,
body, and legs

can all be so uncomfortable
at the same time.

Have you been here all night,
waiting up for me?

Me? No. The gift
shop opens at eight.

I wanted to get in early
before there was a run on
stuffed whales with top hats.

Hey.

It's going to be okay.

You're okay.

Thanks.
Mmm-hmm.

Okay. You ready to
figure out who did this?

Shen has a friend at the
Asian Cultural Organization.

State has asked
us to stand down.

We're not going
to do anything?

It's not fair, I know.

Did we get the soup bowl
when we swept the hotel?

Seems like us.

Can we analyze it?
Maybe we can use
the radioactive signature.

Well, as revealing as that
would be, our internal
Iabs can't touch it.

But...

But...

I have a friend that works
in Johns Hopkins radiobiology
Iab, and he could take a look.

You have a friend everywhere.

Friends come in handy
at times like this.

They certainly do.

Oh, I got your message.
That it was okay to
come back to my house.

What was going on last night?

It was a precautionary
radiation sweep
by an ops team.

I'm a covert officer
for the Central
Intelligence Agency.

I have been for two years.

You're not serious.

Think about it.

Prove it.

I'm a spy.

This is my life.

Come on, Danielle. Can we...

Okay, you want to talk?
Let's talk. AII right,
you're a spy. Since when?

I said two years.

At Langley?
Yes.

What do you do?
I gather intelligence.

And those trips? Cleveland?
Topeka? Des Moines?

Those were lies. I went other
places for the Agency.

Paris?
I did go to Paris.

And the accidents?
The bruises?

They weren't
stapler accidents.

What happened?
I can't tell you.

No. If we're going
to do this, you have
to tell me everything.

I am telling you
everything I can.

Okay. Why? Why do you
choose to do this?

I am good at it.

I love it.

You wanted to see me?

I'll keep this brief.

I know you're not
happy here at the DPD,

and I'm not happy having
people who aren't
happy in my division.

Are you saying you want
me to be happier?

In essence, yes.

I'm going to authorize
a transfer to
the Southwest station.

Southwest Asia?

No. Phoenix. We're expanding
domestic offices. It's a new,
exciting opportunity.

I wish you the best of luck.

And if I don't want to go?

Then, I guess you'll
still be unhappy. It will
just be in Phoenix.

I smell Ostrowski's.
Dan, you here?

Hey, Auggie. Long time no see.

Hey. For me as well, Dan.

There he is.

Listen. I came across a soup
bowl that I think might be
worth something.

Oh. Uh, this particular soup
bowl could be served on
the finest of periodic tables.

I was wondering if maybe
you could help me
figure out its true value.

AII right, I'll establish a
radiological profile and an
origin pattern.

But it will have
to happen after
hours and off-book.

Understood.

Please come in. My secretary
said it was a matter of some
urgency.

I've heard you have
some news about Shen?

He wanted me to
come and see you.

You know where he is?
He disappeared from
the conference.

I've been trying
to reach him.

He's sick.

That's terrible.
Shen Yue is a dear friend.

We've known each other
since our days back
at Beida University.

If there is anything
I can do...

Do you know anyone
who would want to harm him?

Harm him? No.

What is beeping?

It's nothing.

Why is a translator
doing the bidding of Shen Yue?

There are few people in D.C.
he felt he could trust.

And he trusted you.
Who he has known for how long?

Just because you've known
someone a long time doesn't
mean you can trust them.

Wise words for a translator.

You listen to people speak,
you learn to interpret what
they mean. Not what they say.

Indeed. I'll be in touch
if I hear anything.

Thank you for coming.

Thanks for your time.

Ow!

It was January
of last year.

I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, can you
repeat that, please?

It was January of last year.

Leave us alone.

Uh, we're not done.

Yeah, you are.

Okay.

How do you know Xi Peng?

Did you talk to him?
What did he say?

He didn't say anything.
My dosimeter went off
when I was in his office.

Either he has a radioactive
signature, or there
was polonium there.

He poisoned you.

How do you know him, Shen?

Come inside.

It's fine. Come...

Come... Come here.

Xi Peng was...
I thought, a friend.

Did you tell him
you were defecting?

Keeping secrets is a burden.

I wanted to be able
to trust someone.

We knew each
other from University.

We met just after
my brother died.

We spoke about our hopes

for a different China
for many years.

I told him everything.

He betrayed you.

Do you know what it's like to
trust someone completely?

Enough that you would
change your whole life
based on that trust?

Yeah. I know how important
trust is.

Now, I wonder...
When did he betray me?

What part of our
friendship was real?

Don't worry, Shen.
We're going to
make this right.

Annie, Xi Peng
is not touchable.

His father is high
ranking in the Politburo.

The CIA takes care of its own.

I never imagined being
distrusted by the CIA.

Or betrayed by my good friend.

You're going to
get out of here.

And then, we're going
to go to a ballgame.

Peanuts, beer...
The whole deal.

I'd like that very much.

Annie.

Scott. Hi.

We had a date.
And I totally didn't show.

Are you okay?

I'm fine. I'm just
a little scattered recently.
No.

Your arm.
Oh. Oh.

Um, it's nothing.
Actually, I have to go.

I'm going to go fix
you up now. And that's
not a question.

Look, Scott...
I think you're amazing.

The most amazing guy I've met
in a long time, actually.

It's okay.

My life is just

complicated right now.

Those stitches should
dissolve in about a month.

By then, I should
be just about healed, too.

I got
your compensation.

Any results from the lab?

The Polonium was
refined from U-238

at the Benxi Mine in
the Liaoning
Province in China.

And anything on the spectromic
signature? Any Geiger matches?

Auggie, I had no choice.

- Cuff him.
- Yes, sir.

What?

You're under arrest
for possession
of fissile material.

Et tu, Dan?

I'm sorry, Auggie.

I can't believe you're pulling
a Lando Calrissian on me.

How did you come into
possession of that bowl?

Well, it's a funny
story, actually.

I was, uh, on an
antiquing trip in
Brimfield, Massachusetts.

Do you know that antique fair?

No? It's a good one.

Some real finds. Real gems.

You just have to
get there early and haggle.

Anyway, I... I got the bowl
from this gypsy lady.

She said it might
be worth something.

Are you in the habit
of authenticating the value

of flea market soup bowls
at nuclear laboratories?

Only when they
don't come in sets.

Annie, my office.

Sit down.

I went to the Asian Cultural
Organization...

And accused Xi Peng
of poisoning Shen.

I know. Xi Peng told State.

He did poison Shen.

He had a letter opener
with a PLA Special Forces
insignia on it.

He's a spy. I know it.

That could have been a gift.

That could have
been a scare tactic.

He's radioactive.

I forgot to take off
my dosimeter.

Either it was beeping because
he touched the Polonium,

or it was in his office.
Either way,
Xi Peng is our guy.

We have to act.

This has moved
beyond us, Annie.

Why, because of State?

Auggie is in custody because
of your need to push this.

I've had to make
a deal with State
to keep this off book.

What kind of deal?

The kind of deal you make when
you're bent over a barrel.

I'm sorry. The antidote
was a long shot.

Danielle?

Don't worry.
Everything is labeled.

You're kicking me out.

We're going
to need more boxes.

You certainly have
a lot of shoes.

You just started
packing up my stuff.

It's okay. I didn't try
to crack your spy safe.

Uh, can we talk about this?

No, you've had two years
to talk about this.

That's what this weekend was
all about. I was...
I was going to tell you.

Oh, really?
Or is that another lie?

Because right now,
I can't believe
a single word you say.

Yes, you can.

You are very good at getting
people to believe exactly what
you want. Even me.

Especially me.
You're an amazing liar.

I did all this
to protect you.
AII of this.

Oh. Since when do you
get to decide what
to protect me from?

What to tell me and when?

You're my little sister.

And you're my big sister.
I hoped we could
work through this.

Okay. The only thing that
matters to me right now
is protecting my kids.

Keeping them safe.

And I don't feel
they are safe with you here.

With you, the person
that I trusted more
than anyone in the world.

No, I'm in the CIA.
Nothing else is different.

Everything is different.

Someone from the hospital
dropped off this bag.

I wouldn't bother
unpacking it.

Okay.

Auggie! Auggie.

I'm so sorry you got caught.

Ah. No biggie. The coffee in
the State Department is
surprisingly good.

Our relations with Colombia
must have improved.

Shen left me a back
door into his intel.

He must have feared something
Iike this was going to happen.

AII good spies know the risks.

The Chinese are pulling
weapons grade Uranium out
of the Benxi mines.

Funny that you
should say that.

Before I was unceremoniously
pinched, I found out that the
raw Uranium used to process

Shen's poison was extracted
from, you guessed it...
China's Benxi mine.

And guess who owns
a 17% share of
that mine?

Xi Peng.

There's our hand
in the cookie jar.

What just happened?
Was that Joan?

Yeah. She walked out
without saying anything.

That can't be good.

I'm having
a management problem.

I thought you liked
initiative.

This involves State.

Let me make your day
a little easier.
You don't work for State

or for that hothead,
Steve Barr.

No. I work for you.

You work for the CIA.
You run your own division
however you see fit.

Thank you.

But you knew that already.
So, what do you need from me?

Yeah, yeah.
That's good. That's beautiful.

Arthur Campbell.

What brings you
across the Potomac?

Why don't we step
in my office?

Excuse me.

What's this?

Legal briefs from
our General Counsel.

Detailing the six counts
on which Xi Peng is breaking

the International
Atomic Energy Treaty

by allowing enriched
Uranium from the
Benxi mine across borders.

It's ironclad.

We've informed the Chinese.

They are anxious to have
Xi Peng pulled in
to face prosecution.

We have a team doing
that even as we speak.

You asshole.

You bigfoot the CIA,

you play hardball with my
wife, and you expect me to
sit back and take this shit?

This is what we do.

Xi Peng and his
contingent are at
a banquet in Chinatown.

We have an ops team en route.

We need eyes
on Xi Peng ASAP.

Xi Peng is definitely in the
group. He's in the first car
in the convoy.

Passenger side, rear door.

We are go. Go, all units.

Ground team, go.

Split up and take them down.

Convoy is proceeding west
at forty miles per hour.

I have you out to the
intercept at 30 meters.

20. 10.

Don't move!
Hands on the wheel!

Hands on the wheel!
Don't move!

Xi Peng
is not in the vehicle.

I've got a visual
on him. He's on foot.

Ow!

Ow!

Walk. Walk.

You killed your friend
and you're taking
an American hostage.

You're some cultural attach?.

I'm not taking you hostage.

And Shen was never my friend.

Hey, it's Jai.
We need to talk.

Do you want something to eat?

I don't know. Do I?

I know I lost it before.
I'm just trying to
process all of this.

Oh, my God.
What happened?

Oh, uh...

I can't tell you.

But it wasn't
a stapler accident?

Here, Katia always
finds this helpful.

Thanks.

Do you remember when
we were really little,

when Dad was
teaching at West Point

and we'd go skating
on that pond in Cold Spring?

And you'd stay
out until after dark,

and I'd stay out with you
because I was afraid
you'd fall through the ice.

I wanted to protect you.

But now...

I see you don't need me or
anyone to protect you.

You are so brave.

I do need you.

More than you know.

Which is what
makes this so hard.

Annie, I still need
you to move out.

Okay.

I'll move out.

Thanks for going with me.
I know it's probably
not that fun for you.

Are you kidding me? The crack
of the bat, a cold beer...

I may even catch a foul ball.

You know we're sitting in the
Ieft-field bleachers, right?

A home run. Even better.

Is it worth it? This job?

Well, that's a big question.

The short answer is yes.

What's the long answer?

The long answer is that
when the job gets tough and
draining,

sometimes the best
solution is to throw
oneself back into the job.

That's where you'll find out
whether it's worth it or not.

I'd need
an assignment
for that.

Funny you should say that.
I happen to know that Joan
wants you on a plane tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

Sorry. The job's the job.

What do you know about this
assignment that I don't know?

Are you going to open it?

You said I don't leave
until tomorrow, right?

Yep.

Then for now, we have a
baseball ball game to enjoy.

Yes, we do.