Mind Games (2014): Season 1, Episode 4 - Apophenia - full transcript

I'm Ross Edwards.

Ex-con man who's opened an agency
with my genius brother Clark.

A former psych professor.

Our business? We transform lives
using psychological strategies.

- Yeah.
- In other words,

we change people's minds
without them knowing we did.

It's like part science,
part Jedi mind tricks.

Like Jedi mind tricks, exactly!

Our crack team includes, a felon,

an actress, a grad
student, and an accountant.

Together, we try to make
our clients' dreams come true



and their nightmares go away.

Sometimes it even works.

Afraid to ask.

That's your new wallpaper.

Miles, run off a thousand copies of this.

- We're gonna plaster Ross' office with it.
- Uh, no.

Between paper and toner
costs, we really can't do it.

Seriously, you have a problem.

And, you, I have no idea
what you're talking about.

Um, I was at home on the phone with Beth

planning a relaxing weekend

when I get a call from Ed Boski.

Sophie's dad.

The girl we got out of the cult.



Well, he wanted to know why

we had put a reporter in touch with him.

Ross, we don't need you
generating any publicity.

I didn't have anything to do with this.

I don't even understand...
what did Ed say exactly?

He said that a reporter called
with all kinds of questions

about us, our business,

what exactly we had done
for his family and how.

- That doesn't sound good.
- No.

Some hack writing a puff
piece... this could...

Trust me, when they start out
talking to everyone but you,

they're not writing a love letter.

He's planning to bury you
and then ask you for a comment

just before he tosses in
the last shovelful of dirt.

This is how the end started
at Ross' last "business."

You really have to do
the little air quotes?

Yeah, but we have a real
business, not a Ross "business."

Seriously, it's really insulting.

Put the words "fraud" and "convicted felon"

in an article about us,
and I doubt "real business"

is the first thing most people think.

Before we panic, let's call Ed back,

find out who this reporter
is, see what he's really about.

- How do we...
- Read his stuff.

Does he write mostly

community-interest
pieces about dog adoption

or hit pieces about escorts
with corrupt politicians?

And if it's the second one?

Hello?

I'm sorry, uh, I have an appointment,

and there was no one out front, so...

Oh. Yeah.

Well, we don't have anyone out there,

but come in.

This is gonna be fine.
We got nothing to hide.

- What?
- That is exactly what he said the last time.

Four days later, he was in handcuffs.

So, Ryan, what's up with the tattoos?

You're not a fan?

Tattoos represent a
fundamental misunderstanding

of the persistence of personal identity.

- Okay.
- Let me put it this way.

What was your favorite song five years ago?

- I don't know. I guess...
- Actually, it doesn't really matter.

Is it your favorite song now?

- No.
- Exactly.

Now imagine that song

around your neck for the rest of your life.

The philosophical question
of who we are through time

- is actually a very interesting.
- My apologies, Ryan.

Clark sometimes forgets

what "very interesting" actually means.

How can we help you?

There's a bill coming up for a vote

in Congress on Friday,

and my dad was gonna vote for it,

but lately he seems he's changed his mind,

and I want you to change it back.

- Wait. Who... who's your father?
- Representative McKee.

- And what's the bill?
- It would make trigger locks for handguns mandatory.

It was his only campaign promise.

He's pushed for it nonstop
since getting elected.

And if he backs out, others will follow.

- Why is he backing down?
- Pressure from the party.

The bill is controversial,

and they want to keep his district,

so they're threatening to
pull his re-election funding

if he goes ahead with it.

So, if we get him to change his vote back,

we pretty much wreck his political career?

I don't know. Maybe.

- It doesn't really matter.
- He might disagree.

He promised he was gonna do something.

He needs to do it.

That's kind of the opposite

of how politics usually works.

Are you saying you can't help me?

I'm just saying that
making political enemies

might not be an ideal
survival strategy for us.

And binding someone to the
opinions of their former self

is kind of tricky.

Again, imagine your favorite
song from five years ago,

- but this time, it's...
- Stop talking about my favorite song.

This isn't about taste. It's...

How about you imagine something.

Imagine that it's six years ago

and you're staying with your Uncle.

He's got guns.

Your dad hates guns.

He's very clear about that.

He's very clear that you
need to stay away from them.

But instead...

you decide to sneak one out, take it home.

Then one night, you and your brother

are screwing around with it,

and you accidentally shoot him.

Imagine that.

Your little brother.

8 years old,

lying there scared and bleeding.

And he asks you if he's gonna die...

and you tell him no,

promise him he's gonna be fine.

And he isn't.

Now, imagine that you
lost your mom to cancer

and now your brother,

and all you have left is your father,

who decides this will
never happen to anyone else.

So, imagine he runs for
office and gets elected,

all the while telling people

that he's gonna fix this and change it.

Imagine that this Friday,

your father could keep that promise

and make something good come from the fact

that you don't have a brother anymore.

Imagine that and tell me if you give a damn

about politics or favorite songs.

I know how tattoos work, Dr. Edwards.

But sometimes our future
self needs to be reminded

of our decisions from the past.

His name was Michael.

And I put it there so I'd see it

every time I look in the mirror.

I'd never ask you to do anything for me.

But I'd be willing to
beg you to do it for him.

- The guy's basically an assassin.
- Who?

The reporter Mark Andrews.

Every story is blowing
the lid off of something.

His Christmas cards probably
blow the lid off of something.

People lose their jobs,
businesses shut down.

I mean, he's like the
Grim Reaper with a byline.

In addition to Andrews
being a muckraking nightmare,

guess who also turns out

to not only be an often-quoted source,

but his college roommate
and fraternity brother?

- Tom Daniels.
- Doesn't ring a bell.

Maybe if I use his full name.

Tom Daniels, C.E.O. of Metro Mutual,

also known as Tom Daniels,
C.E.O. of Metro Mutual,

who stood in that
elevator and swore revenge

after you blackmailed him into
paying for a kid's surgery.

Right. It's all starting
to come back to me.

His reporter friend could
write something that essentially

guaranteed no one ever walked
through those doors again.

Wait. Can he shut us down before Friday?

- I don't know. Why?
- Because...

We need to change a
congressional vote by then.

Okay. We have two problems.

One, how do we deal with a reporter

looking to pay us back for
blackmailing his friend?

Two, how do we get a congressman

to return to his original
position on trigger locks?

- Invite him in.
- The congressman?

No. The reporter.

Do what the military does when
they want to control a story.

- Embed him.
- You mean...

He already knows the bad,
so let him see the good.

He'll at least have to mention it,

and then you neutralize the blow.

Covert memory reactivation!

- Covert what?
- Our brain stores memories while we sleep...

Hold on. Are you talking about
the reporter or the congressman?

The congressman. Why?

Was somebody talking about the reporter?

- Yes!
- Oh. Sorry. I wasn't paying attention.

Sam was saying that we
should let the reporter

do a sort of ride-along
while we work the case.

No! Absolutely not!

Especially given the delicate
political nature of this one.

What if we had another case,
one that it wouldn't hurt

to let him see, even... even write about?

Uh, we're broke, but suddenly

you're sitting on a backlog of cases?

We need to focus on the period

- when he made the promise.
- Who?

Reconsolidate the old memories

- as high-value new ones.
- Right.

- Is anyone else confused?
- Very.

- We make one up.
- A high-value memory?

What? No, no. A case!

Unh-unh, Ross.

That is how we go from
bad publicity to handcuffs.

Just listen.

Sam wasn't with us yet
when we ran into Daniels,

meaning he doesn't know she works here,

so his reporter pal won't, either.

So we make Sam the client,
let him follow her case.

Okay, what are we gonna accomplish for Sam?

- Buy her a car.
- What?!

Wow. I love this job.

Not literally. She was
already going to get a car.

- I heard you asking Miles for some tricks...
- We call that science.

That you could use to
get a better deal, right?

So we make it a case.

You play the client, we work up a strategy,

and he follows along while
we show off what we can do.

- You know, it really is perfect.
- Thank you!

- It's like a time machine.
- What now?

If... if he meant what he
said during the campaign,

bringing his memories forward
should elevate their value.

You're talking about the congressman again?

Yeah. Why? What are you talking about?

Doesn't matter.

Do you know how to do
whatever it is you just said?

Yeah, I just hone in on specific cues

to reactivate the relevant memories.

Do you need my help with that
sentence I didn't understand?

Not yours, specifically.

Do you understand the plan
to deal with the reporter?

Miles is buying Sam a car for some reason?

Close enough! Let's get to work!

Does anyone have any idea what
we're supposed to be doing?

I thought I did, and then it went

all sort of telepathic there at the end.

They'll come get us
when they realize that...

- Hey! Come on!
- Come on, guys! Let's go!

You will eventually explain
what it is we're doing, right?

I told you... four years ago,

this was the congressman's
campaign headquarters.

We're looking for
auditory and olfactory cues

that he would associate with
what it was like back then.

Okay. We understand the what.

We're just totally confused as to the why.

Well, think of the way of
smelling a certain perfume

can bring back memories of your mom

or hearing a certain song

can remind you of a high-school crush.

That's the way memories work.

It's, uh, like a... a bowl of fishhooks.

You pull one out, a bunch
of others come with it.

Okay. I'm with you so far.

So, we're looking for
little hooks that will let us

pull up the congressman's
memory of his campaign...

a campaign where he swore day after day

he was gonna pass this bill.

But just reminding him of his campaign

can't be all it takes for
him to change his vote.

I mean, don't you think
his son has done that?

Don't you think there's
angry voters calling

and doing that every day?

Yeah, well, that's why what we're doing

is called covert memory reactivation,

not "calling up someone and
yelling at them" reactivation.

- What does the covert part mean?
- Oh, it's simple.

We sneak into his house
and do it while he's asleep.

So, wait now. You want to
know how this place smelled?

Yes. And sounded.

When you were managing
the campaign volunteers,

maybe someone was wearing
a particular cologne

or maybe the office was newly painted.

Fried chicken.

I'm sorry?

Place smelled like fried chicken.

Yeah, one of our early supporters,

he ran that fast-food place, Gus's.

Sent over fried chicken almost every day,

which was real nice, except...

- It was fried chicken every day.
- Exactly.

What about sounds?

Sounds? Oh. That's easy.

Hey.

I'll... I'll give you a piece

when we're done with the experiment.

- Ross!
- Where the hell have you been?

Oh. You brought fried chicken

and a friend with a saxophone.

Ross, William. William, Ross.

William apparently
played outside the offices

every day during the McKee campaign.

Very good tippers. Sorry
to see them move on.

I know you called and texted,

but William was not easy to track down.

Yeah, he was under a
bridge on the West Side.

On a totally unrelated note,

I gave up a national commercial to be here.

Ross, he's just waiting
in the conference room,

and he does not seem happy to...

Um, oh. That's interesting.

Miles, where is the condenser Mike

that we use for the subject interviews?

Clark, listen to me. The reporter is here.

So? I thought you were on that.

Look, what I'm doing is
very important here, Ross!

- I'm trying to keep this from being...
- I got to...

the last important thing you get to do,

do you understand?

But if this guy's gonna
ride along on a "case,"

we need to work it like a "case."

That means we meet with the "client"!

God, now you got me doing it!

So meet! Have Miles sit in!

Thank you. That's what I've been
saying for quite a while now.

He thinks he's gonna ride along

on a regular case... our only case.

If the brains behind the company

is hosting a fried
chicken and saxophone party

instead of meeting with the
client, he's gonna wonder

if maybe there isn't
something else going on.

This guy is dying to blow us up.

If we're gonna defuse it, we're
gonna have to do it together.

Fine!

Guys, go into Sam's office.

Miles, I need a high-fidelity
recording of William

to be played back at low levels.

Megan, Latrell, go get
a box of cotton swabs.

Put the ends into the chicken.

Make sure that you really
soak in the grease and aroma.

Soak up the grease. Got it.

National.

I was gonna be on TV coast to coast.

How do you think I feel?
I have 80% of a PhD.

Really? I also have a PhD.

Do I really have to go
through with this charade?

Defusing things is not my specialty.

This will be great practice for you.

I'm gonna go get Sam.

Hi. Hi. Clark Edwards.

I know who you are.

I'm sorry. Are we not gonna do that thing

- where we pretend to like each other?
- Would you prefer that?

No. This is much easier for me.

I've always found it
hard to smile at people

who are trying to take me down.

You are aware you're the
ones who invited me in.

Ross thinks that if you
see the truth in what we do,

you will feel obligated to mention it.

- But you disagree.
- I think you decided what you were gonna write

when your fraternity buddy called.

Hey! You guys want to
come out and meet Stephanie?

Hmm. Can't wait.

Stephanie, Mr. Andrews understands

that you're willing to let him follow along

but that you don't want
to use your full name

or be identified in his story,

so don't be afraid to speak freely.

Can I start out by asking...

He told her to speak freely, so
you should just really observe.

Go ahead.

Okay. Um...

Well, I... I've been trying to buy a car,

but I don't have great finances.

And being a single woman,

when I go into these dealerships,

I... I guess it sort of feels like

I'm always being pushed around.

Um, I don't know if
this is the sort of thing

- you guys deal with, but...
- Sure!

No, that's, uh... that's a common problem.

- We can absolutely help.
- Yeah. Right.

Uh, there's a number of
strategies that we can employ

to help you with this process.

Uh, the first one to look at...

Is, um...

The...

Uh, the first is a reciprocal...

... Benefit strategy.

I'm gonna let them know to knock it off.

Wait.

It brings back everything.

- What's that?
- The whole context.

Not just the promise. It's the fishhooks.

Um, I'm sorry. I have to go.

- Clark, we're in the middle of a meeting.
- Stephanie, I'm on it.

Ideas, plans, strategies.
They're percolating.

Just need to think. We'll keep in touch.

Would you say these
meetings usually wrap up

in two minutes, or is this a long one?

Dr. Edwards, what's going on?

Hey. Thought we weren't meeting till later.

Oh, I know.

We didn't talk about your relationship.

My relationship?

Yeah. With your dad.
Relationship with your dad.

Are you guys, what?

We're fine, I guess.

I mean, now.

What about during the campaign?

Then, no.

He hated me, basically.

We couldn't really be in the same room.

You know how you can tell

when someone really wants to hit you?

He was like that.

He'd just look at me, and...

all he could think about was Michael.

He'd fill up with this rage and sadness.

I'm gonna have to call it off.

Wh... what?

You said you had a
strategy all planned out.

- I can get you into his place. That's not...
- No, I'm sorry.

I didn't think it all the way through.

- What? It won't work?
- It will. It's just, look...

We basically bring your
father back to the campaign.

We get him to remember and feel now

what he thought and felt then,

which should reactivate
his passion for this bill

and get him to reconsider his vote.

Well, that's perfect. That's what I want.

But memories aren't isolated.

They bring a whole context with them.

If we bring him back to that time,

there's a chance that he'll not only

rediscover his passion
for passing this bill,

but...

rediscover his anger...

at you.

- It's okay.
- No.

- No, I need to think of another way to...
- Dr. Edwards.

My dad and I...

we're never going back to the days where

he was a little-league coach
and I was his star pitcher.

What I did was unforgivable.

If you remind him of that,

it's probably a good thing.

Ryan, look...

Just please, Dr. Edwards.

If you don't do this,

there's no vote, there's no law.

And then what was it for?

Why did Michael die?

It can't be for nothing.

Please. I'm begging you.

Do it and make it all mean something.

Please, Dr. Edwards.

- You can't be serious!
- It's always been the plan, Ross.

Funny how you didn't mention the part about

sneaking into a congressman's bedroom.

I'm not sneaking in. Ryan's letting me in.

With fried-chicken cotton swabs

and a recording of a
homeless saxophone player?

It's called covert memory reactivation.

Just repeating that isn't
helping me understand

why we're sending you out of
the office dressed like a ninja.

- It's because we have to do it while he's asleep.
- Why?!

Because when we're asleep,

our brain goes through consolidation.

Think of it like this.

Our mind sifting through the day,

deciding what's important enough to keep

and what to get rid of.

Memories aren't just a
mental scrapbook, Ross.

They're what define us,

what drives us.

What we choose to remember...

is nothing short of who we are.

If we secretly use cues...

like a sound...

or a smell...

to activate a dormant memory,

your brain experiences it
almost as if it just happened.

The methodology may be exceedingly simple.

But the effects are
extraordinarily powerful.

When you wake up, you have no idea

why you've suddenly
assigned great importance

to this set of memories,

but you know your brain is
telling you they're valuable,

saying, "don't forget this."

"Don't let this go."

The idea is the same one

that caused Ryan to
give himself that tattoo.

Memories don't just
remind us what we've done.

They point us at what
we're going to do next.

Hey! Come on. Wake up.

We got a "case"... to work.

Hey, I'm... I'm sorry.

Um, I'm 50 cents short
for the vending machine,

and I'm just dying for a can of pop.

- Um, could you help me out by any chance?
- Yeah.

What brings you in today?

It's called the consistency principle.

By getting him to do her a favor,

Stephanie establishes a subtle precedent,

and it actually makes him more likely

to do a favor for her in the future,

like when she wants a better price.

So, that's what you have?

Oh, that's just the start.

We're gonna be reversing the strategy

that car dealers use on buyers...

it's called the sunk cost effect,

where they make you wait repeatedly

while they go back to their
manager over and over again

to try to shave off a few more dollars

till you've invested
so much time and energy

in the negotiation

that you're more apt
to agree than walk away.

Instead, Stephanie's gonna
readily agree to his offers,

but she'll have to keep
checking with the bank...

us... to get approved.

- So, we're gonna be here a while.
- Yep.

When we take on a case,
mark, no matter how small,

we're all-in.

Get comfortable.

Mm. Nothing?

No. Not yet.

It's gonna work.

That's kind of what I'm afraid of.

Okay. I think he's at the end of his rope.

Uh, I told him that I thought
it was a totally fair price

and I would beg the bank one more time.

Perfect! Okay, here's what you're gonna do.

Take the phone back in.

Ross will be the loan
officer on the other end.

Tell the salesman that you tried,

but Ross isn't listening,

and you give the salesman the phone

and ask him to try talking to Ross.

Letting the salesman
ultimately get Ross to say yes

gives him complete ownership
and investment in the deal.

It's his. He made it.

When Ross agrees, Stephanie
will leave to finalize the loan,

but when she comes back tomorrow,

she's gonna need an even lower price.

The fact that he owns the deal,

that he spent so much time and energy

will push him to accept
just to get it done.

And nothing about these
tactics bothers you?

It's a car dealership. We're...

we're simply leveling the playing field.

Fine. Take it. Take it.

I'll see you back at the office.

Latrell? What's the word?

I don't even know how to thank you.

I mean, I've been trying to
talk to him about it for weeks,

and you do some magic
with chicken and music,

and it

means a lot to me, really.

So, thank you.

And you and your dad Did you two talk?

Uh, no, not exactly.

I went back to the office
after word had leaked

that he switched his position
back to say thank you,

and it was like you said, actually.

Like we went back to how it used to be.

He couldn't really look at me.

You could tell he just
needed me to go away.

Ryan, I don't want you to...

No, it's okay, really.

The law's gonna change,
and that's what's important.

And honestly, it's easier if he hates me.

Makes two of us.

Ryan, it doesn't make it any easier

if he hates you.

There we are.

There's dad.

I want to go back.

Why can't you go back?

Wait.

Little league.

Hello!

Sir, you want to tell me
what you're doing up there?

Uh...

I don't suppose you're familiar with

covert memory reactivation?

Do you have any idea how this looks?

Reporters get tips, you know.

Mark Andrews is gonna be all over this.

I'm surprised he didn't beat me here.

- Oh, screw him.
- No, Clark!

Not screw him! Screw you!

Everyone else in that
office is killing themselves

to keep one article from taking us down!

You're getting wasted and walking
around a congressman's roof

like a... a deranged Santa claus?

If you don't want to help us, fine.

The least you could do is not help him.

I'm sorry.

That's exactly what you're
gonna say to Mark Andrews.

And then you're going to explain

that you were drunk on
a congressional rooftop

shoveling grass clippings down a chimney

because of a very poorly thought-out

and misguided attempt to
make a political statement

about environment policies
that you disagree with.

- Okay?!
- Okay.

Now...

Explain to me why

you were actually on
a congressional rooftop

shoveling grass clippings down a chimney.

- Oh, hi, Mark.
- Rough night?

Mark, we were just about to call you.

Were you?

I have to say, I'm dying to hear this.

In my zeal to express my dissatisfaction

over the lack of political progress

on a host of environmental issues,

I embarrassed myself, my co-workers,

and unnecessarily troubled
an innocent congressman,

and I just want to express
my sorrow and regret.

Not bad, but...

You've had practice making
these statements, haven't you?

Now... do you see your tendency

toward this kind of
difficult-to-explain behavior

as a problem?

Sadly, it's not difficult to explain.

I'm just very passionate
about the environment.

But does that really account for...

Again, I'm... I'm very sorry.

But I... I still hope that
you're planning on joining us

for the remainder of the current case.

I think you'll be
impressed with what myself

and the rest of our
hardworking team are able to do.

Like I said, genius shows
itself in very strange ways.

It obviously wasn't smart,

but I had one comment about
little league, no help,

so I found a field.

You were evoking memories

by putting grass clippings in his chimney?

I wanted to resurrect a
time when they had bonded.

What is this? What's going on?

Oh, uh, Clark was just explaining how

we need to find a new strategy

for the case we already finished.

It's only partially finished.

- You mean the part we were actually hired to do?
- Yeah.

That part's done. Now we
have to do the other part.

What other part? What
are you talking about?

Ross, we wrecked their relationship.

McKee won't even look at his son.

Okay, we did that. I did that.

And the thing is, you know,
Ryan thinks he deserves this.

- He doesn't deserve that...
- Whoa, whoa, hey, look.

Ryan asked you to do something.

You did it, and he was
very thankful for it.

We can't fix everything
in our clients' lives.

- Sometimes...
- Not this time!

This time, it doesn't end like this.

That's not why I'm here...

to do this to people, to
leave people in pain, okay?

So I'm sorry if it's bad timing

and if you don't want to do it.

But this one isn't over for me.

And it won't be over until
Ryan and his dad are fixed.

But if Ryan doesn't care...

Ryan doesn't know!

Ryan doesn't understand, Latrell!

I do!

My dad was... was my idol.

He taught me how to throw a curve...

how to clean a fish.

Basically made my world go around.

And then I started having problems,

and then my problems became his problems.

And it ruined his marriage,

it ruined his life, and he hated me for it.

Clark, you can't take anything dad said...

He did, Ross, and you know it.

He hated me right into the ground.

And at the time, I thought
it was okay, you know?

"I can handle it. Hell,
I probably deserve it.

He'll get over it," right?

But he didn't.

Because he died.

And I'm not gonna let
that happen to Ryan, okay?

I'll do it.

It's my case.

I'll do it alone if I have to,

but I just wanted... I
wanted you to know that

I... I...

I'd love your help.

Well, then I guess we've got to figure out

how to get Ryan's dad
to forgive him, right?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

Guys...

Thanks.

My grandmother used to say
everything happens for a reason.

Maybe you were supposed
to end up with this case

because you're the only one
who can go the extra mile...

apophenia.

What?

Megan!

You're brilliant! That's it!

The... the human tendency to
see patterns in randomness,

to see meanings in coincidences!

That's it!

Wh... can you expand on "that's it"?

We're not gonna bring Ryan
and his father together.

The universe is.

Human beings are essentially

highly evolved
pattern-recognition machines.

That tendency to assign special value

to coincidental events

is exactly what we're gonna use.

How?

Take Ryan's tattoo.

We make it a logo for a band or something.

We paper a city block where
his father walks with posters.

It's a coincidence, and it
makes him think of his son.

We keep doing that... taking
information about Ryan,

his birthday, where he went to school.

We create incidents that all feel like

they're pointing McKee back toward his son

until we create the ultimate coincidence

and actually bring them together.

And what happens then?

With any luck, a miracle.

Make 1,000 posters of that symbol.

Uh, could 100 work? Maybe 10?

Time to go. Latrell, don't cheap out.

Where are you going?

To help Sam buy a car
in such a spectacular way

that her success becomes breaking news.

Or at least bears a mention
next to the mug shots.

Hey, could I at least do
black-and-white copies?

I'm so sorry.

I thought you were totally being fair,

but when I went to get the cashier's check,

he said that he talked to his boss,

and there was absolutely no way

he could approve me at that number.

So, ultimately, this
is the best I could do.

It's $600 less than what
they said they would give you,

And I totally understand

if you can't match that price...

I don't know. I don't...

excuse me one second.

Hello. Skip Murray.

Mr. Murray, this is Pam Jordan

from the district tax assessor's office.

I'm calling because we've
discovered some discrepancies

in the placement of your property lines.

By offering him stressful news,

we're raising his cortisol levels.

Elevated cortisol levels
can lead people to seek out

any available rewarding outcome.

This is gonna prime him to
want to simply seal the deal.

Now, as soon as she's off the
phone, we're gonna marry that

with a contiguous
consumption compliance window.

- The cookie.
- Totally.

See, research has shown this
really strange phenomenon

where if I offer you something to eat,

you're more apt to comply with my commands

while you're actually eating
whatever it is that I've offered you.

So, Stephanie, she's gonna make
a peace offering of a cookie.

Guys, guys, he's, uh, really angry.

What do you want me to do?

Come back yet?

Clark, this guy is yelling at
me. What do you want me to do?

Yelling at you? What?

- We did a cortisol selection bias.
- What?!

It... it promotes r... reward
seeking, and that's good.

If the subject has limited options!

If his cortisol levels
weren't already elevated,

in which case, you can simply push him

until he... he snaps
into an adrenaline loop!

You think that I go out and survey my land

every time I receive a tax bill?!

I understand, sir, but
that is simply our policy.

This is the carefully executed,

scientific manipulation
you were referring to?

If he's adrenalized, the changes have...

He's not adrenalized.

Of course he is! He is yelling at Megan!

No.

Guys, he hung up.

What?

You came in, and you sat down,

and you said yes, and your bank said yes.

You've wasted two days of my time.

Do you understand that?

Sa... Stephanie.

You have to match his anger!

Okay? He's become adrenalized.

No, don't... don't get angry.

The cortisol bias is still gonna work.

Just, uh, give him the cookie.

No, no, no! Don't give him the cookie!

You placate him, you'll actually...

It's not placating. It's
contiguous consumption.

Get angry! Snap him out of what...

No! Do not get angry!
Just give him the cookie!

Here!

I brought you this cookie!

What's she doing?

I think she's trying to
angrily give him the cookie.

That... would that work, I wonder?

Which sounds correct...

chaotic incompetence or incompetent chaos?

Maybe I'll just get a
place closer to the train.

Edwards and Associates.

One moment, please.

It's for you. Tom Daniels.

Mr. Daniels.

Is this Ross Edwards of
Edwards and Associates?

- That's me.
- Well, Mr. Edwards,

I have had the pleasure of
reading a copy of an article

about you and your firm
that's set to run tomorrow.

Now, obviously I'm not the
P.R. expert that you are,

but from where I'm sitting, this seems like

the kind of article that, uh,

could put someone out of business.

So, I'm gonna have my
assistant send you over,

uh, a parting gift.

I understand you're partial to cookies.

So, now what?

Probably not too much.

We still need to fix Ryan and his dad.

Kind of a fitting way to end...

doing something that we weren't hired to do

and that we're not getting paid for.

Look, I can't speak for the rest of you,

but personally, and as
short as it may have been,

this has been the best job I have
ever had the chance to screw up.

So, I say we finish strong.

Blaze of glory, et cetera. What do you say?

Who wants to join Clark and
me for one more non-paying gig

that no one will ever
hear about or appreciate?

In.

In.

Definitely.

I went full color on those posters.

- Spared no expense.
- Yeah, I'm all for it, too.

I'm just gonna need a ride.

Pseudo-science, criminal history,

emotionally unstable.

Oh, there's even a mention
of allegations of blackmail.

"No trick too dirty or
opportunity too underhanded."

Wow.

Please stop reading that.
You're breaking my focus.

All right, let's... let's run through it.

- Megan?
- On her way back now.

Staged a run-in with
McKee almost an hour ago

using the fact that Ryan went to DePaul

and that his middle name is Alex

to create our first coincidence.

Congressman McKee?

Hi. My name is Alex.

I'm from the DePaul Students Association.

- Latrell?
- Already headed back.

10 minutes ago, he hit
the congressman downtown

with Ryan's birthday to
create coincidence number two.

The garage code is 12-16-91.

No, no, listen to me.

12-16-91.

A... are you deaf?

12-16-91!

Perfect. And Sam is with Ryan.

Yes, we found a band he
liked on his Facebook page,

told him he won tickets.

Sam's gonna be the
promotions representative,

meet him on the El platform.

Afterwards, she walks
him over to the office

- to pick up the tickets.
- Except things never get that far,

because if everything stays on the clock,

Ryan gets off the train
exactly as McKee is getting on.

They see each other, and then

because coincidences don't
feel like coincidences,

but instead like the universe
has brought them together...

There's McKee.

And there's coincidence number three.

It's his son's tattoo.

Okay. Go.

Time?

You just checked your watch.

He's on schedule. It's gonna work.

I just got a text from Sam.

She says Ryan's train
is about two minutes out.

Okay. Okay. Tell her to clear out.

I want them to just meet
when he hits the platform

so it really seems like it... it...

Wait. Wait. Whoa. Why's he...

why's he stopping?

He looks like he...
like he forgot something.

Wait. Come on, come on, come on.

What is he doing? Why is
he... where's he going?!

- He's gonna miss everything!
- Look, look, don't... don't worry.

- We'll... we'll come up with another...
- No, this is it!

Everything is pointed to this!

Clark, wait! Wait! Wait!

Sir! Sir!

Representative McKee!
You have to go back, sir!

- Sir, sir, sir!
- Whoa. Stop right there.

- Relax. He's not a problem. I got him.
- I need to talk... talk to you for a second.

Clark, you don't want to do this, okay?

- You're on a list. You don't need to be...
- No, sir! Sir, you need to...

- you need to go up on the
- ... Sir, it's about Ryan!

What are you talking about?

What about Ryan? What did he do?

Do? Nothing.

He didn't do anything. I did. I did.

I... I... I wanted it to seem like...

like there were signs,
there were coincidences

that were pointing you back to your son.

And if you would have
gone on that train platform

like you usually do
instead of turning around,

you would have found him.

He's up there right now waiting for you,

and he doesn't even know
he's waiting for you,

because I wanted it to
feel like it was fate,

like the... like the universe

was trying to pull you guys together again.

But it wasn't fate.

It's just us. It's just us.

And I don't have a better answer.

I don't have better science.
I don't have anything else.

But you need to go on that platform.

You need to see your son.

And no matter how hard it... it is,

no matter how strange it feels,

you have to forgive him.

And not just for him. For you.

Look, I know you don't know who I am.

You probably think I'm crazy.

And I don't... I can't imagine...

what it's like to lose a son.

But it's not too late to
get the other one back.

Someday it will be. Trust me.

But today it's not.

Are you the nut who was
putting grass in my chimney?

No, sir.

I'm the guy whose father never
forgave him before he died.

And the world doesn't need any more of me.

Ryan!

I've been thinking about you.

Suddenly, here you are.

Imagine that.

Dad, the other day,

I just wanted to say thank
you for passing the bill.

You know, I know nothing's gonna...

"A firm with no scruples,
no shame, and no heart."

"Edwards and associates is populated

with the sort of people who seem

not to genuinely care
about anything or anyone.

They want only to win

and seem spectacularly
incapable of even that.

The last thing our city needs

is a group like this running amok...

unstable, reckless, and downright criminal.

Contacting them seems more likely to result

in breaking the law than fixing anything.

With as many problems as Chicago faces,

we'll certainly be facing one less

when these problem
solvers close their doors."

Wow.

Let's put that one in a
frame for mom and dad's house.

He did mention that my
research was award-winning.

He also called you emotionally unstable.

I say we all get drunk.

Ha! It's 4:00 in the afternoon.

Then we have time to get really drunk.

Latrell, we still got
money in the petty cash,

or we got to hock a computer
on the way to the bar?

Latrell.

I don't understand.

What?

There's 57 messages,
and I'm only on number 8.

Come on. Don't listen to that stuff.

No, no. You don't understand.

They all want to make appointments.

What?

How?

Maybe when you have a problem,

a group of criminals who want
to win doesn't sound so bad.

What? Just any press is good press?

You tell me. You're the
award-winning scientist.

Maybe it's a sign.