The Company You Keep (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Company Man - full transcript

Previously on "The
Company You Keep..."

How long have you been sober?

Two years, three weeks, one day.

Why did you leave
the way you did?

Maybe you should ask
your father about that.

Connor's in the air in two
hours, which is why I figured

we'd follow him to the airport.

If I feel any hint of your
investigation continuing,

I will expose your family for
the frauds you really are.

If you come work
for me as my asset,

I'll protect your family while
you help me protect mine.



This Aaron Blenner painting
was recently purchased

by a man named Grigory Abramoff.

I want it.

Painting's in the truck.

That is the location
of $2 million

worth of unregistered firearms.

This guy right here
is Brad Wilford.

Daphne wants in
on the gun trade.

You want the Maguire throne.

I help you get it, you
and I are truly square.

A little to the left.

No, Seamus, your left.

You're doing great work, Seamus.

You called?



I want your help delivering
that painting to Brad Wilford.

You want me to return the
painting that we just stole?

Well, you said you wanted to
prove your worth, Charlie.

Call UPS.

Or better yet,
have Seamus do it.

Ouch.

It's above his pay grade.

What I need is an
invitation to Pine Grove.

What's Pine Grove?

The Davos of the
defense industry,

an ultra-exclusive conference
where the 1% of the 1%

set the national security
agenda behind closed doors.

Jesus, can't rich people
get normal hobbies

like the rest of us?

Why does Daphne want
to go to Pine Grove?

Brad Wilford will be a
featured speaker there.

I want to convince him to
sell his weapons to me.

But I need Brad to see
me as a businesswoman,

not just another criminal.

I need to get my
asset into Pine Grove.

You turned an asset?

Who?

For their safety,
it's need-to-know.

Now, this requires
a light touch.

If Daphne suspects anything,
she'll cut them out.

This guest list is
a who's who of D. C.

They're all on a
first-name basis.

How do you plan to
infiltrate a place like that?

With a cover you can't vet.

Your name is Brook Stern Jr.

You're retired from
the government and now

consult for a
weapons manufacturer,

which is a universal
code for ex-CIA.

You realize you're asking
me to help a drug cartel

get into weapons trafficking?

The ends justify the means.

Is that how the CIA justifies
the secret assassinations

and regime changes?

Let's run it back.

Half the attendees will
be from the intelligence

community, so your asset better
have their cover down pat.

Brook Stern Jr.,
Yale, class of 2003.

I was in Panama.

Cómo estás usted?

Soy Brook Stern.

Bien.

Hey, you ever seen
a Moldovan catfish?

I pulled one out of the Prut.

It was the size of
a golden retriever.

Favorite restaurant?

La Sarkis.

Everyone gets the scallops.

It's a thing.

Skeleton Key, Yale's
infamous secret society.

Any member will recognize it.

Your objective is to figure out
the details of Daphne's plan...

Her arrangement
with Brad Wilford,

and how and where
she's moving arms.

Security at Pine
Grove is intense.

Anti-surveillance
measures in place.

I want you to wear
these at all times.

I'll be listening in.

So that's it?

Meaning what?

Well, last week, you
said you loved me.

Last week, you were a bartender.

I'm still a bartender.

♪ Give me shelter
from the rain ♪

Nice to see you all.

♪ Let it all ♪

♪ Fall down on me ♪

♪ There's a thing that I ♪

Hey, don't make this
harder than it is.

We're CIA informants, son.

You know what the CIA
did to Lydia's husband?

It was the cops, Mom.

He was an arsonist.

You should have asked us first.

Look, obviously this
situation is not ideal,

but big picture... For
once, Charlie's love life

may solve our problems.

Thank you.

Are you taking his side?

♪ Sometime somewhere ♪

Sure, Pop. Whatever you say.

- Be safe.
- Yeah.

See you guys in a couple days.

So what?

So I'm the bad guy now?

I'm on your side, babe.

You OK?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Whatever I did, I'm sorry.

I asked Simon about
the night he left,

and I mean, it's
probably BS, but...

What did he tell you?

Nothing.

He said I should talk to you.

Pop, what don't I know?

I was in town
visiting that weekend.

You were working late
that night bartending

at that place down in Soho.

And, uh, when I got home.

I found Simon passed out,

high out of his mind.

And that's when I heard her.

Ollie.

I found her in the bathtub.

The water was freezing.

Her lips, they...
they were blue.

I got her out of the tub.

I... I warmed her
up. I put her to bed.

When Simon woke up, I told
him that you'd given him

enough chances and that he
could screw up his own life,

but there was no way that I
was going to let him put you

and Ollie in danger.

She could have drowned.

I know.

So I gave him an ultimatum
to get clean or else.

Or else what?

Or else I'd kill him.

And what, he believed you?

I put a loaded
pistol to his temple,

so yeah, he did.

You should have told me.

Why didn't you tell me?

You would have called him,
and then he would have talked

his way back into your life...

But if I'd known, I wouldn't
have spent the last ten years

wondering why he
gave up on us, on me,

after I gave him
chance after chance.

That's why I did it.

I did what you couldn't.

If someone told me a month
ago that we'd be heading

to a West Virginia
resort together,

I would have said
they're insane.

You're telling me.

I've got to admit, I'm
impressed, Charlie.

Sorry, Brook.

Why don't I have a cover?

You've got two Ivy
League degrees.

You do not need a cover.

And we're business partners?

Yeah.

I'll play along.

♪ Squeaky clean ♪

♪ I got thoughts
nobody needs ♪

You weren't lying
about the security.

♪ Guillotine ♪

♪ Lost my mind, guillotine ♪

♪ Lost my mind, guillotine ♪

♪ Lost my mind, guillotine ♪

Charlie, there you are.

Yeah, I'm here.

It's a really nice room.

You guys are living
the high life.

Speak for yourself.

Since I have to stay
out of Daphne's sight,

my accommodations are
a little more rustic.

So Daphne's meeting
Wilford in 15 minutes.

Stick to her like a shadow.

Aye-aye, captain.

Does Brad know where to meet?

He knows.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Where do you think you're going?

Being partners is just a cover.

Daphne Finch.

At last, we meet.

Where's Grigory?

Oh, he's enjoying a one-way
red-eye back to Mother Russia.

Turns out illegal arms dealing

was a violation of his A-1 visa.

Oops.

So what is this, some
kind of shakedown?

Brad, no.

Come on, have a drink.

Yes, ma'am.

Blackmail is so short-term.

I like to work long-term.

OK, I'm listening.

Your company produces
the M2010 sniper rifle.

With my capital and
shipping routes,

we could move ten times what
Grigory was able to handle.

Uh, let
me break this down.

Um, for every 100 rifles
American Armory makes,

maybe 3 can disappear.

Chalk it up to quality control,
or factory rejects, et cetera.

But any more than that
and people way above me

start asking questions.

Now, I... I like money,

but I prefer staying
out of prison.

Good luck to you, Ms. Finch.

Every year thousands of weapons

made for and by the
U. S. of A end up

in the hands of our enemies.

But what if we could stop it?

I have three words for you...

End use monitoring.

With just a slight change to
our existing manufacturing,

we can outfit our
military with weapons

that could be
deactivated if they fall

into the wrong hands.

Any updates?

Nope.

She ditched me.

Get her to open up to you.

You're good at getting
women to trust you.

Yeah.

What can I get you, sir?

Two mojitos, please.

I don't actually like mojitos.

I was just messing
with your sister.

Excuse me, could we swap
those out for two Negronis?

Thank you.

I love Negronis.

I know.

You know, a great Negroni,
it's all in the orange peel.

- Is that right?
- Yeah.

Hmm.

Of all the gin joints
in the world...

What are
you doing here, Hill?

I could ask you the same.

I'm running countersurveillance.

There's a lot of
foreign nationals

who'd love to
infiltrate this place.

Saw the guest list.

We were told to give
Daphne Finch a wide berth.

I assume that's your doing?

I can neither confirm nor deny.

All right.

You should swing by
for a drink later.

You talked to Leo.

You could have killed her.

You could have killed
her, our daughter.

I know.

Once I came to, once...
Once your father told me

what had happened,
told me what I did...

Everything changed for me.

So what, you just...

You just walk away
and never look back?

Leaving was the only way
that I could guarantee that I

could never hurt her again.

Your father was right, Bird.

I didn't deserve you.

If it hadn't been for him,
I would have never left.

You and Ollie were the
best parts of my life.

I spent the last ten years
wondering what was wrong

with me, trying to figure out
what was so awful about me

that you could just
leave us like that.

I am so sorry.

I wish I could have
made that call sooner,

but I had to be damn sure
that I was sober for good

before I could ever even
think about reaching out.

But I want to know our daughter.

I... I just want to be some
small part of Ollie's life.

So you going to tell me
what happened with Brad?

I mean, we're here.

It's a no-go.

He can only siphon off a small
number of the M2010 rifles

they produce.

OK.

So we help Brad get more rifles.

OK.

And how do we do that?

We create the supply, right?

We figure out how to get the
top brass at American Armory

to discontinue the M2010.

Well, that would
give Brad a surplus

he'd be happy to unload.

But what would make the
CEO of a weapons company

want to stop manufacturing
a profitable weapon?

The key to getting
someone to say yes

is to understand
what it is they want.

People want one
of three things...

Money, power, or respect.

Henry Scoals, CEO
of American Armory,

grew up the son of a
truck driver and homemaker

in rural Pennsylvania.

We play to his working-class
roots to butter him up.

Is this seat taken?

I can do that.

A 14-karat gold face mask.

Oh, wow.

Excuse me.

Uh, do people still
drink beer here?

We have a Belgian white,
an imperial stout,

- and a seasonal...
- You know what?

Whatever is cheapest.

Make it two.

Then once you got him talking,

you just drop the
lure in the water.

Cheers, Henry.

As a kid, did you always
dream of running the world's

biggest gun manufacturer?

Hell, no.

I wanted to build
colonies on Mars.

All right.

But when you grew
up clipping coupons,

it's hard to say no to
the biggest paycheck.

A science geek at heart.

You ever think of investing
in new gun technology?

No.

As much as I'd love
to, arms manufacturing

is all about risk mitigation.

It's always about the
bottom line, isn't it?

That's the truth.

So it's money that drives him.

Scoals is open to pivoting
his production line.

He's just not comfortable
taking the financial risk.

So we take the decision
out of his hands,

get someone else
to foot the bill.

We need him.

Congressman Eisenberg, chair
of the defense subcommittee

for appropriations.

They determine the DOD's budget.

Get the DOD to open
their purse strings.

Yeah, well, good luck getting
five minutes with him.

This is a room full of
defense contractors.

He's basically prom king.

Not him.

The husband.

Come on.

Sorry about that. Sorry.

Hey, you, uh... you've got
to swing from the shoulder.

Theo's been telling
me that for years.

I've been telling
him that for years.

See?

- Tennis?
- Pickleball.

Oh.

Oh, we were just
talking about that.

Doubles? Tomorrow?

Ah. Come on.

All right.

Uh, how's 10:00?

Sounds great.

See you there.

No one runs for
Congress for the money.

No, he wants respect.

So defense appropriation.

Were you military?

Oh, no.

Don't tell anyone.

He's a pacifist.

I offer a balanced perspective.

It's like, how many
weapons do we need?

The more we make, the more
wars pop up all over the globe.

OK. So what about end
use monitoring weapons?

Remote control guns?

I've heard of them.

Oh!

I mean, it could
slow down conflicts

armed with illegal weapons.

Well, change doesn't
happen overnight.

No, but it does start
with proper funding.

Even if hypothetically
I support the concept,

I don't have that kind of
political capital to spend.

Well, there's no
oversight on earmarks.

What?

It's true.

10, 5, 2.

Oh!

That's game.

- Nice game.

- Good game.
- Thanks.

- Good job.
- I see it now.

You're going to be the new
face of modern warfare.

You could be the
Jimmy Carter of the

military industrial complex.

Go down in history.

- Indeed.
- Thanks, guys.

- Good game.
- Yeah.

Yeah, so subcommittee
meets next week.

We will see what we can do.

We got him.

So your father told
me about your fight.

Fight?

Pop screwed up, and
I called him on it.

Yeah, that's what your
father calls a fight.

Look, I get that he was
just trying to protect us.

But, you know, he had
no right to keep it

from me all these years.

He should have told me.

Oh, damn it.

Here, let me do that.

You know, when your dad
got back from New York,

we talked a lot
about what to do, OK?

But I got to tell you,
Bird, I was really happy

when he sent Simon packing.

You know, it was a clean break.

And we could spare you
the pain of knowing

what almost happened that night.

I know, but
sometimes the stories

that we tell ourselves
to fill in the cracks

of what happened are,
you know, they...

They hurt worse than the truth.

Yeah.

We thought we were
protecting you, but...

of course, you
wouldn't know anything

about keeping your
kid in the dark

in order to protect them, right?

So what do you think?

I think you are conniving
and manipulative.

I meant about the nails.

You think it's optimism
or masochism that

led us into this line of work?

Actually, I used to think
that the job found me...

That my particular brand of
idealism, duty, and rebellion

somehow made me the
perfect recruit.

"The Company"
definitely has a type.

Now what do you think?

I think I liked the idea that
there was right and wrong,

good and evil.

It's a comforting idea.

If we're chasing
down the bad guys,

then we must be the
good guys, right?

But what if they're only
the bad guys because

we're chasing them?

So Scoals is ready
to make the weapon.

Congress is going to
show up with the cash.

All we got to do is get
the Department of Defense

to award a contract to American
Armory to produce a rifle,

and we're set.

The under secretary of defense

was my professor at Columbia.

No kidding.

No kidding. He loved me.

And he happens to be speaking
tomorrow in the Oak Room.

I'll invite him to dinner,

convince him how necessary

end use tracking weapons
are to the future of

American military supremacy.

To getting you what you want.

I'm just glad somebody
finally gets it.

So how did you get
into our line of work?

Two generations of my family
tailored suits for wiseguys.

Collar Bar.

That's where we got the name.

It was my grandfather's shop.

- OK.
- Yeah.

And your dad?

Steelworker till '95.

The job dried up,
pension along with it.

- Oh, that's rough.
- Yeah.

They needed money.

And grifting just
kind of fit perfect.

I mean, the way he saw it,
so long as the guy above him

was cheating him
out of what was his,

it's only fair to do
the same right back.

I get that.

You know, this is about
the most committed

relationship I've ever had.

No boyfriend?

It's kind of tough in
our line of work, no?

Yeah.

What about you?

Yeah, I was seeing someone.

Got bored?

No.

No, she broke my heart.

So money, power, respect.

Which one are you going for?

Nice try, Charlie.

But I'm not the mark.

The Green Revolution is being
throttled by access to cobalt.

75% of cobalt is
stuck in high-conflict

regions like the Congo.

The future depends on resolution

and empowering these
individual states.

Thank you, Under
Secretary Bridges.

Mr. Bridges, so good
to see you again.

Do I know you?

Daphne Finch.

I was in your global
collaboration seminar

at Columbia, class of '09.

Lucky you.

Always good to see a Bonesman
who still respects the pin.

Brook Stern.

First time in Pine Grove?

It is.

I'll make sure you get an
invitation to tonight's event.

Great.

Nice to see you again.

I worked my ass off.

Published a paper on
biotech in the Global South

that that man called
game-changing.

But me, he doesn't remember.

It's you, pale, male, and fake
Yale that gets the respect.

Is it fair?

No.

It'd be disappointing if it
wasn't so utterly predictable.

Maybe.

Not feeling like you
belong. I get that.

Growing up, my...

My mom took a second job
as a janitor, night shift.

And when our neighbor
couldn't look after me,

she used to wake me up
and take me with her.

One of my first memories
is lying on this blanket

on the floor of this fancy
office building bathroom

watching my mom scrub toilets.

It's humbling
watching our parents

go through tough
moments, isn't it?

You know, right
now with my dad...

He's got dementia.

I'm sorry.

Mm.

I was finishing
my undergrad when

she told me she had cancer.

I deferred a year.

Doctors had a treatment
plan, and maybe...

Maybe it might have worked
if she'd been able to afford

health insurance.

I thought if I was there
I could do something,

but it didn't matter.

I just watched her waste away.

She didn't see me graduate.

I really wish I could
have given her that.

I'm sure she would
have been proud.

Patrick showed up
at the funeral,

told me he was my dad,
offered to pay for my MBA.

I saw an opportunity,
and I took it.

Mr. Stern?

You asked me what
I want, Charlie...

Money, power, or respect.

I want it all.

Let's go get it.

Meeting with an
asset in the field.

That is a risky
move, Officer Hill.

We need to talk.

The man you're meeting
tonight, Dalton Bridges...

He's ex-CIA.

So if there are any weak
spots in your cover,

he's going to know.

Anything you can
tell me about him?

That he's a Boy Scout?

Look, that's not really
useful information.

You'll figure something out.

OK.

Hey.

That story you told Daphne
about your parents...

Was it true or just a
way to get her to talk?

Both.

You know, there's
a lot of things

I've wanted to tell you too.

Me too.

Hmm.

Ugh.

Guess our comms got too close.

Yeah.

Be careful, Charlie.

I'll do my best.

Diaz, get in here.

Better be important.

Someone is running surveillance

at the conference.

We've got to
pinpoint the source.

Come on.

Stern, you made it.

Thank you for the invite.

Skip the formalities.

Where were you stationed?

Here we go.

That obvious?

Must be losing my edge.

Panama.

Then a stretch in Moldova.

Interesting.

You a La Sarkis or
an Il Forno's man?

Oh, Il Forno.

I don't trust the seafood
in a landlocked nation.

Smart.

Good.

I've had my moments.

Hey, it's me.

Be right there.

Hey.

What's up?

We picked up an unauthorized
bug at Pine Grove.

That's ballsy.

We have to check everyone.

Hate to ask, but could we
take a look in your room?

Yeah.

Come right in.

So any guesses who it might be?

It's not you, right?

Vik, come on.

- Good?
- All clear.

I just have to give
you a quick once over.

Protocol.

Of course.

Have at it.

All right. Wish me luck.

They're just the leaders
of the free world.

How bad could it be?

Let's go.

What brings you to Pine Grove?

Consulting?

My client has me checking out
end use tracking technology.

You know, keep the guns in
the hands of the good guys.

The end of war.

How noble.

I think Wall Street
just lost a few points

hearing us talk about it.

How many more?

We've located the signal.

It's coming from a lodge deep
on the edge of the property.

Rich people.

Let's hope they've still
got their clothes on.

All of these politicians
wringing their hands

on MSNBC about ending
the civil war in the DRC.

I mean, where do they think
the cobalt that powers

their smartphones comes from?

Without the cover of conflict,

we'd lose all
access to the mines.

Wait. What happened to "the
future depends on resolution?"

We all know that's just spin.

This is a safe space, Stern.

I've got some
contacts down there

doing some work to
support the war.

I'm listening.

Got the infrastructure,
short on arms.

Now, if things were to
shift to trackable weapons

in your current
contracts, then maybe

some of the existing
supply could end up

in the right hands, help
ensure that conflict

doesn't end any time soon.

So what do I have to
do to make this happen?

Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen.

FBI.

Everyone, I need you to relax.

We're just here to check IDs.

Come on. Come on. Come on.

I have to check everyone, ma'am.

Put your arms out
to the side, please.

Are you carrying any weapons?

Pull that out and put
it on the table, please.

- What's your name?
- Brook Stern Jr.

Clear.

You're a lucky man.

Oh, there you are.

Before we got so rudely
interrupted last night,

there was something you
wanted to ask me for?

A DOD contract for
American Armory.

Done.

Send my assistant the details.

I will.

Some of us have to make
the world go round, right?

That we do.

- Safe travels.
- You too.

Mm-hmm.

Won't Brad be pleased?

You know, once Connor's
out of the picture,

I'll need someone I can trust.

Flattered, but I
prefer my own bed

to a federal penitentiary.

We just went legit.

Doesn't make it right.

Oh, I forgot.

Saint Charlie, the
Robin Hood of Baltimore.

You know, considering the hole
you just dug yourself out of,

I thought you'd enjoy a
little profit sharing.

Could help your dad buy a
few more comfortable years.

I'm here to pick up Ollie.

Listen, uh, I just
wanted to thank you.

Thank me?

I'm the one who wanted
to shoot you, remember?

Rings a bell.

I'm sorry for all the
pain that I caused.

I wouldn't be here if
it wasn't for you, so...

Step nine?

That's the one.

OK, then.

You're welcome.

But when you're down at Lucky's
licking your ice cream cone,

I want you to keep
something in mind.

The owner's a regular
here, and if you

so much as smoke
a candy cigarette,

I'll get a call.

Am I clear?

Yeah.

Thanks, Bird.

Did you tell him?

Every word, just like you said.

Thanks, Pop.

Yeah, it's open.

Your stuff's on the table.

That was, um, close out there.

Yeah.

You almost blew your
whole operation.

It's a good thing
you had a friend.

You didn't seem to mind spending

the weekend with Daphne.

At your request.

Hey, when you were in the woods,

were you out there to save
your operation or save me?

The operation.

Right.

I'll be in touch

when we know our next move.

Yeah, OK.

Hey, Emma.

Your comms.

Right.

Hello?

It's Singh.

Everything OK?

I just got grilled
for six hours.

A lot of questions about
why we came up empty-handed.

What did you say?

Nothing, but that's
the last time.

Whatever it is you're up
to, you're coloring way

outside the lines.

And I don't like being used.

- Vik, I wasn't using you.
- Save it.

I just hope that asset
of yours is worth it.

Me too.