The Old Man (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - IV - full transcript

The easiest thing
for me to do now

would be to apologize.

Uh...

It's important for
you to understand

why I can't do that.

That guy in your house...

He was a professional.

Whoever hired him was serious

about putting an
end to me, and...

And in my experience, that means

putting an end to
anyone close to me.



That's... that's you.

Keeping you alive and safe...

That became the priority, Zoe.

I'm not gonna hurt you.

I figured if
you wanted to yell at me

or scream or whatever, this
would be a safe place to do it.

Okay.

We got a long drive ahead of us.

When you're ready to
talk, we can talk.

There is...

one thing I'm gonna
ask you to do.

I'd like you to call your son.

The FBI is gonna
knock on his door.

They're gonna ask
him some questions.



He's gonna do fine, but he's...

you know, he's
gonna be concerned.

Now is the best time to,
oh, set the record straight.

This'll be the last time

you make a call on your phone,

to keep from tracking
us, but at least,

you know, he'll know
it's you calling.

When... You know, just
tell him the truth.

That you're unhurt,

and you're being held
against your will,

but you're safe and that
you'll contact him again soon.

Yeah. You use those
words, that'll prevent you

from being considered an
accessory to anything.

Hey,
this is Jason. Leave a message.

Hey,
this is Jason. Leave a message.

You know, I
guess we'd better,

uh...

get going.

Local PDs, negative.

Regional offices, negative.

Digital teams,
that's interagency,

that's across the
board, negative.

It's been 72 hours
since law enforcement

had any signal on
his whereabouts.

Dan Chase is gone.

And the woman... McDonald?

No sign of her, either.

We made contact with her son.

She called him, but
they didn't speak.

That was three days ago as wel.

We'll keep our ears
open, but, um...

Yeah.

Okay. Thanks, Joe.

Yeah.

Jaden?
Or Caden, maybe?

Brayden.

His father is the
assistant secretary

of state for African affairs,

but that's...

neither here nor there.

What happened? Was it bad?

Apparently, Brayden,

uh, took issue with Henry's
presentation to the class.

He came up to him
afterwards and said...

that you were not
a credible hero.

He said
that the police

are just regular people.

That a lot of them
do bad things,

and they get away with it,

and that Henry should be

more sensible

in choosing who he looks up to.

Oh. Great.

Who did Brayden
choose as his hero?

Spider-Man.

: Oh, Jesus.

- Did Henry sound okay?
- Yeah.

I think he's fine.

He didn't tell me any of that.

He just... tells you things?

Yeah. I mean, I was around

the house a lot.
I... I babysat a lot.

When me and Lily were still
together, she used to say that

I was half his aunt,

half big sister,
and half therapist.

Lily wasn't very good at math.

Yeah, you
were there a lot.

I should've been there a lot.

Well, that may be true,

but it's not like
it's all on you.

You know, Chip could've
made more of an effort, too.

And you're here now.

When all you want to
do is crawl in a hole,

you're holding the
world up with both hands

and signing up to raise
a seven-year-old boy.

I'd like to see Spider-Man
try and pull that off.

So, I spoke to Joe.

We're officially reporting
it's been 72 hours

since...

Chase's trail ran cold.

We're all set to meet with

Hamzad's attorney tomorrow.

She's gonna know we lost him.

That's gonna be an
interesting conversation.

You've got a good
argument to make.

You can help them
get what they want.

Once they understand
how much you know

about Chase and his wife,

they're gonna see
that they need you.

What?

The wife... why are you
so interested in her?

- What do you mean?
- When I talked about this

with Waters, y...

you had a reaction.

Now she's on your mind again.

Is there something I'm missing?

There were three people involved

when this whole thing started.

You know, we keep talking
about the first two,

but this woman might be the
invisible man in all this.

Just seems like it might be
worth keeping an eye on her

until we figure out
what we're missing.

Is there anything
you knew about her

that might be a piece
of an answer here?

I don't know.

I didn't know very
much about her.

I was just aware of her.

Aware of the gravity she exerted

on objects around her.

What she made men do.

You know, it's late.

It's gonna be a
rough day tomorrow.

We should get some sleep.

Do you mind setting the
alarm on your way out?

Sure thing.

- Good night, kiddo.
- Night.

Where are you?

Colorado.

Should be in L.A.
tomorrow. You okay?

Yeah.

Can I ask you a question?

Shoot.

So, we have a meeting
tomorrow with this woman,

Nina Kruger.

She represents Faraz Hamzad.

Okay. Why?

The assistant director
seems to believe

that all this is
happening because...

Hamzad wants some
kind of information.

Something he thinks
you know, that...

he wants to know.

Wait, "we" have a
meeting? Why "we"?

I'm going with him.

What for?

Don't you want to know what's
being said inside that room?

Uh, not if it means
you being in danger.

Emily, he is desperate
and he has failed,

and I'm okay for him to
pay the price for it,

but I don't want you
in the line of fire

- when whatever happens to him happens to him.
- Dad.

- Stop.
- Oh, Em...

My God. Okay.

So, how are you doing?
Are you holding up?

Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine.

- And Zoe?
- Uh, she's sleeping. She's fin.

I think she gets this is how
it has to be for a while.

Listen, can I say one more
thing about the other thing?

Sure.

This isn't some
kind of mystery, Em.

The truth is, at one
point in his life,

Faraz Hamzad thought
Mom belonged to him.

He's got a grudge with
me for helping her

do something about that.

Everything else
is a distraction.

You still there?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here.

So, what do we do about this?

Yeah, well, there-there
are people out there

who've got grudges
against him as well.

Once I get to L.A.,
I can use my company

to get a man's attention
who has that grudge

and might be willing to
do something about it.

Okay.

Stick with me, Emily.
We'll get through this.

I know.

I got to go. Drive safe, okay?

And, uh, give me a
call when you get in.

All right, I will. I love you.

I love you, too, Dad.

I got you some stuff.

Toothbrush,

comb...

Thought you might need

some clothes.

I just guessed on those.

I'm Henry Dixon.

Henry Dixon,

he was an early investor
in an investment fund

called Corsair Finance,

which has done quite
well over the years.

You...

you're Marcia Dixon.

Henry's wife.

We can change the picture
once we get there.

The signature, that's
what's important.

I want you to learn it.

And once
you get it down,

I'm gonna transfer
some money to you

using this name.

I'm going to compensate you.

Compensate you and then some.
A half a million dollars.

Zoe?

Hey, Stuart.

Oh, the drive was
uneventful. Yeah, thanks.

Uh, just walking in now.

Yeah, the place looks great.

Yeah, thanks for, uh,
for doing the shopping.

I don't... Yeah, I'm not
gonna be here for that long,

but, uh, appreciate

you thinking of me.

Yeah, actually, slight
change of plans.

Mrs. Dixon decided
to join me after all.

Yeah, I want to
keep a low profile.

You know, I'm just here for
that short meeting with Zach.

Have-have you confirmed it yet?

Oh, terrific, lunch
today, that's...

Yeah, that's, uh...

that's perfect,
Stuart. What time?

Uh-huh.

That's exactly what
I was hoping for.

Yeah.

What-what time?

And where?

Oh, all right, great.

Thank you very much,
Stuart. Good work.

All right, I'll see you then.

Yeah.

Yeah, the last time I
was here was with her,

shortly after she was diagnosed.

Yeah, I...

I figured that she'd have access
to better care here, you know,

but, uh, it upset her too much.

Being someplace
unfamiliar, someplace...

you know, without
memories of Emily,

so we went home.

And the
wise old man said,

"Language, by its
nature, deceives.

"Cloaks the truth in darkness..

Rather than illuminate it."

"Truth," said the wise old man,

lives only in silence."

When everyone is
lying about everything

until they aren't
saying anything,

then it's the truth.

It's possible you
have missed the point.

Oh, no, I got the
point.

You are a little
bit full of shit.

But in a fun way.

The difference
between here and gone is...

hardly any difference at all.

Few inches of Kevlar,

broken rib,

instead of a bullet
in the heart.

You know, sometimes, I wonder f

we've been too good
at this for too long.

Maybe you might've forgotten
how it could all end

if we're not careful.

You think I'm unaware
of my mortality?

I didn't say that.

I'm not careful, then?

You're not the one I'm worried
about not being careful.

What are you trying to say?

I'm saying either
Morgan Bote knew

he was sending us into
a fucked-up situation

when he gave the guy
your phone number...

or he didn't know.

I'm not sure which one is worse.

We need to know.

- Hello?
I'm calling to conclude our conversation.

Yeah.

So, what's customary in
a situation like this,

where the work
was... unfinished?

Twenty percent.

That's fine. I'll see to it.

But this concludes
our conversation, yes?

I'd like to speak about why
the work was unfinished.

All right.

When I do a job, I
plan for everything.

But I can't plan for
what I'm not told.

You think I withheld
something from you?

The target was on
his way out the door.

What do you mean,
on his way out...

Packed. Ready to
depart. Alert.

Did he know I was coming?

No, he-he couldn't have.

Did he know the police
were coming soon behind me?

Because either he's the
luckiest man in the world,

or someone on your
end tipped him off

that something was coming.

I think you have a
mole in your operation.

I need to understand
how you didn't know.

Do you have any idea
who your mole might be?

Memorandum.

Date, September the 10th.

Subject, Harold Harper.

There are brackets here,

as this is just a template.

It'll be distributed to
several people on Capitol Hill

and across at least
four agencies.

We are aware that law
enforcement has failed

to apprehend the subject
known as Dan Chase.

It has come to our attention
that Mr. Chase's escape

was aided and abetted by

the FBI assistant director
for counter-intelligence,

Harold Harper.

Through at least one
phone interaction,

as well as further subversion f

and interference with

law enforcement's efforts.

I was authorized to send this

before Mr. Waters contacted
my office to say that

you may have something
to say worth hearing.

If that is the case,

I think you should say it.

I can get your
client the answers

he's looking for.

In fact, I may be
the only one who can.

Answers?

What kind of answers
do you imagine

my client is looking for?

That's where you're
gonna have to help me.

I'm not sure yet.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Chase had a relationship

with your client

and with your
client's first wife.

I was there. I observed it

from afar, but in real time.

So, I know as much about
this as anyone does.

If I knew what he
was looking for,

I could very likely
help him find it.

Mr. Harper, for ten years,

I have represented Mr. Hamzad's
interests in the U.K.,

the U.S., across
all of the Americas.

I am intimately involved

in his interests,

in his family's investments.

I'm afforded access to his
most sensitive information.

And the idea that
he's involved in

some kind of information
gathering exercise,

that there are answers
he seeks, for which...

I don't even know the questions,

is not very likely.

Mr. Hamzad's concerns

will be communicated to
the necessary parties...

by the close of business.

Good day.

Her name was Belour Daadfar.

Excuse me?

Hamzad's wife.

That was her name before
they were married.

Did you know that?

He met her in
Kabul, in the city.

She wasn't much liked
amongst his inner circle,

But his love for
her was so great,

his respect for her mind

so deep

that he considered her
his most trusted advisor

during the campaign
against the Soviets,

until she betrayed him

and left him for the man
that we're calling Dan Chase,

but who, back then,

went by the name
of Johnny Kohler.

He hasn't told you
any of this, has he?

You know what he's
allowed you to know.

But maybe I know some
things that go beyond that.

I know the things that happened
before it all went wrong.

I have insight.

Call him.

Tell him not to waste it.

In a couple of hours,
it'll be his morning.

Wait in the bar
downstairs. I'll find you.

What?

What?

What do you want from me?

Oh.

Shit.

Sorry.

Why am I apologizing to you?

I was kidnapped, and
now I am apologizing

to you for not
doing a better job

of seeing to your needs.

Out loud.

Fuck this.

Um, doesn't mean it's gonna
take the same amount of time

to get twice as hot,
if that makes sense.

Holy mother. All right.

- Let's take a temp.

Go in there.

Oh, my God.

Hold on.

That's better. Okay. I
was close to the bone,

and it was going
to 125.

- Hello?
Mrs. Dixon?

Uh, sure.

Who is this?

It's Stuart,
Mr. Dixon's assistant.

I just want to say
if you need anything,

please don't hesitate to ask.

I know we've never actually me,

but we all consider you to be
family here at the company,

so, really, anything at all.

Mrs. Dixon?

Uh, no. No, I think I can...

handle everything myself.

Thank you.

Henry.

Zachary.

You been
waiting long?

Yeah.

- Almost a half hour.
- Sorry about that.

I had a call run long
with Sacramento. Just...

You know how it goes.

- Mm.
- It's great

to finally meet you in
person. We're way overdue.

- Ah.
- You know, we have a connection,

actually, that you
may not know about.

Oh, is that so?

My mother is Julia Lewis.

She was the receptionist when
the company first started.

Oh, how about that.

You know, my mom told me

when she got pregnant with me,

the managing partner
wanted to let her go,

but you stepped in
and shut him down.

- Mm.
- A single mom

in this city.

Yeah, I'm sure
there's a...

study somewhere that says
that I wouldn't be here

if it wasn't for you.

So, listen, there's something
I'd like to talk to you about.

Of course. What's up?

Uh, there's a play
I want to make.

Arslon Mining and Metallurgy.

Okay. What kind of play?

Well, equity investment.

Something that
gets the attention

of their director general,
Suleyman Pavlovich.

Central Asian geological.

Can't say I'm super
familiar with it,

but certainly worth a study.

Why don't we have the guys
at the end of the hall

do some research, put together

- a presentation, and we can see...
- I'd prefer to move

a lot faster than that.

About how much faster
would you like to move?

Today.

I could live with tomorrow.

Henry.

Yes, Zach?

Uh, that's an awfully
risky position to take.

Do you have some information
you could share with me

- that might help me make sense of it?
- Pavlovich.

This is a guy who has
a lot of relationships,

a lot of history in the region.

I want a relationship with him,

and this is the way
I'd like to start it.

Look...

I know the first two big
plays the company made

were these big, wild swings...

They may have even
been your ideas.

Mm. Yeah, they were. Yeah.

And that's great.

And we wouldn't be
here without them.

But money...

See, money grows up, too.

It wants to be comfortable.

Gets picky about the
company it keeps.

Hmm. Yeah, to be honest,

I wasn't looking
for advice on this.

I want you to start putting
the wheels in motion, Zach.

Ooh, the turkey
sandwich is really good.

You thought this would
be a gift to him.

A bird left on our doorstep

to prove your loyalty to him.

Or maybe to demonstrate
something else to me.

Until this moment...

he was so full of promise.

After it,

what a monster he will become.

So monstrous,

you and I will become
monsters ourselves

in order to escape him.

That won't happen.

I don't have that in me.

If I ever loved you,

that was why.

I believed you
actually believe that.

Suleyman Pavlovich.

The beginning of the end.

Don't blame yourself.

The world is full of monsters.

Sooner or later, we
all take our turn.

Do you know what misophonia is?

- Huh?
- Misophonia.

M-I-S-O-P-H-O-N-I-A.

Look it up.

"In which...

"In which certain sounds

"trigger an emotional and
a physiological response

"such as anger, panic or mania.

Common sounds include..."

Yep.

- So right now, you're...
- Yeah.

- Anger or...
- That's the one.

Okay. You know what?

I'm-I'm just gonna say it.

This-this feels like
a-like a big moment for us.

Does it?

We've reached the stage where
we can confide in each other.

- Mm.
- So, takes years for some people.

It's a big milestone.

Maybe we're even past the
point of digging around

for dirt on each other
behind each other's backs.

Find anything interesting on me?

- Not really.
- Mm.

Did you find anything on me?

- Not a whole hell of a lot, no.
- Mm.

There is one story
I heard, though.

But I hesitate to repeat it

'cause it lacks
the ring of truth.

But I-but I'm gonna repeat it

'cause I-I'm
just... I'm curious,

and I got to know.

I heard you assaulted
a supervisor.

Is it true?

Yeah.

What'd you do?

I punched him in the face.

Oh.

- Was he eating almonds?

No.

He kept calling me Freckles.

Now you lost me.

I never really knew my mom.

I mean, she was
there. Every day.

All the time. But, uh...

it just always felt like
a piece of her was...

was missing.

Like there was another
life she had given up

in exchange for this
one, so she was always...

hollow.

So, I made an oath to myself

that I would never
end up like that.

That I would find
something meaningful,

and then I would work
hard until my fingers bled

to get good at it.

And I did.

And then here comes
this motherfucker

who wants everyone to know
that he thinks it's so funny

that I don't seem
like I belong here.

But I belong here.

So I just wanted
him to know that.

You get in trouble?

I was terminated.

But you're still here.

Because five minutes
after I was terminated,

my supervisor's boss

threatened to walk out
the door right behind me.

- Your boss's boss.
- Mm.

Harold Harper?

I am fairly adept

at anticipating how
Mr. Hamzad will react

to a given piece
of upsetting news.

What makes him frustrated.

What makes him angry.

What makes him want to
cause damage and pain

to whatever or
whomever has upset him.

I assumed, when I
called him just now,

I would get one of
the above. Or worse.

His actual reaction was...

somewhat more
complicated than that.

In one hour, there will be
a plane prepared to depart.

If you want to further
engage on this issue,

you will be on it.

No... No, no, no, no, no.

- No.
Hang on. Is he

confirming that my
assertion is correct...

That he's after some
kind of information?

I don't believe he's
confirming anything.

You can't seriously
be considering this.

I'm not
sure I understand

what it is exactly
that I'm considering.

If I get on this plane,

he will engage with
me, personally...

- Is this what we're saying here?
Let me be very clear

about what it is I am saying

as I am authorized to
say this and no more.

If you are on that
plane when it takes off,

Mr. Hamzad will consider
this conversation ongoing.

If you are not,

he will distribute
the memorandum

laying the blame at your feet

for everything that
has transpired.

Hey, kid.
- Hey.

Hey, I'm just on the way
back to apartment. What's up?

I just got out of the
meeting with the lawyer.

Faraz Hamzad wants
the assistant director

to get on a plane,
and he's gonna do it.

A plane? To where?

We don't know where
or what for, exactly,

but it definitely
proves the theory

that what Hamzad wants
out of all of this

- is just some kind of information.

Emily, please tell me
you aren't planning

to be on that plane with him.

I don't think I have a choice.

You absolutely have a choice.

No, I don't.

He's starting to get
suspicious about me.

Suspicious? Wh-What
do you mean?

Oh, shit. Em, why didn't you
say anything about this before?

And if I abandon him now,

at this moment, with
everything that's at stake,

he's going to know
that something's off

because that's just not
something that I would do.

- Not something who would do?

You? Or Angela?

I don't know.

I'm starting to forget
what the difference is.

I think I'm coming
apart here, Dad.

Emily, listen to me, now.

- Here's what I want you to do.

Dump this phone,

burn whatever you
have to and leave.

You know where to go.

Don't say it out loud.
Don't tell anyone.

And I'll meet you there.

No.

Em, I'm not messing around her.

This is serious.

I've worked too hard for this.

I've sacrificed
too much for this.

I'm good at this.

If I walk away now, then...

then it just is all gone.

And then I'll have no idea

what the hell I even
am at that point.

Emily, you know who you are.

Everything was fine.

I was fine.

Until I heard Faraz
Hamzad's name.

Do you have a plan for
how to handle all of this?

Yeah, I do, I do.

And at the end of this
plan, is he still alive?

Because I don't think I'm
gonna be okay until he's gone.

I don't think I'll have any idea

who I am until he's gone.

So, please,

the sooner the better.

And in the meantime,
I have to do this.

Emily, no.

- I love you, Dad.
- E-Emily.

You
understand why I can't

follow you onto
that plane, yeah?

I've got people to answer to.

This is no longer within a
country mile of my assignment.

No, I understand.

All right,
listen, listen. I, uh...

This is strange and
uncomfortable territory

I'm about to venture into.

I'm curious as a motherfucker,
but I do not get involved.

Right? Involved is...

well, it's for people who should
take better care of themselves.

But this one...

she is one of the good ones.

She would walk into a
burning building for you.

And for the life of me, I just,

I can't understand
why you would let her.

Do you have kids, Ray?

No. No, I do not.

One day, if you do,

when the time comes for
them to break your heart,

remember I told you this.

The moment you let them in...

you were asking for it.

I ordered in.

Should we eat?

How was today?

It's gonna be fine.

Well, that's good.

Actually, it doesn't
sound all that good.

- Yeah.
- Sounds like it could have gone better.

Yeah, it could have.

I was about to apologize again.

What for?
It's not your fault.

I know it isn't.

It's just a hard habit to break.

What's that?

It's a letter

from Marcia Dixon.

It's addressed to the...

board of Corsair Finance.

It gives
notice of her intent to enter

into divorce proceedings
against her husband.

What are you doing?

It doesn't sound
like you've ever been

through a divorce
before.

I learned a lot from mine.

I kept thinking that if I
understood the rules better,

I could protect myself.

Turns out that's not
what the rules are for.

But I think Marcia has

a little bit more
leverage than I did.

If I understand the situation,
this letter would cause

a real mess at your company.

Audits, discovery.

The fear of what I might
ask for in a divorce.

The fear of what I might get.

So you'd just kind of be "that
guy" to them for a while.

The guy they keep
at arm's length

unless they want to end
up in depositions, so...

it would make it almost
impossible for you

- to accomplish anything there...
- What the fuck are you doing?

I didn't send it yet.

I set it to send in two hours,
but I can log in and stop it.

Maybe you're right,

and I would be dead if
I hadn't come with you.

Or maybe you're wrong,

and this is nothing
more than a kidnapping.

Maybe it's both.

Either way, I'm here.

And from here, I see
two ways forward.

One...

I stay.

And I help you through this.

You're
gonna help me?

Yeah, I am. I
think you need it.

Once upon a time, I
looked into the mirror

and I didn't know who I was.

I think you know what I felt.

I think you can't remember

what life felt like
before that feeling.

And I believe your daughter.

I believe the guy
she talked about

is in there somewhere, and
I would like to help him.

I never had anybody
help me when I was

going through my experience,
and it nearly killed me,

and that was w-without
having to do it

- while running for my
life. - Zoe.

Zoe, listen to me,
I'm gonna be fine.

- This whole thing is traumatizing...
- But-but if I do that for you,

then you need to acknowledge

that we're in this together.

You need to make a
gesture to prove it.

What kind of gesture
do you have in mind?

Half of everything you own.

Transferred to my name.

Before 10:17,

or the email goes out.

What's two?

Two?

Well, two is that you give me
a reasonable amount of money

for the train wreck that
you've turned my life into,

and I stay silent
in this apartment

-until it's safe for me
to leave, -Wh... Whoa.

And then I will.

Theft. Fucking extortion?

What's this gonna cost me, huh?

Half of everything you own.

So it's not about
money until you choose

- to make it about money.
- No, no, I said

that money is not just money.

What it always is

is a measure of discomfort.

H... How badly do I want this?

How badly do I
want to avoid that?

How much power do I
have to make it so?

In this moment,

I want to amount to more

than just a complication
in your story.

I want to know that the
next time we disagree,

I have the resources
to make you think twice

before threatening me

or throwing me in
the trunk of a car

or looking at me the wrong way

to shut me up.

I want to be accounted for.

I have the resources
to make it so,

so you will account for me.

Do you have any idea

the danger that you're
putting yourself in?

The danger that
you're putting me in?

My kid?

You will account for me.

You have no idea how
different the game is.

- I imagined you were dead.

No. Just retired.