The Recruit (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 6 - Episode #1.6 - full transcript
- Previously on The Recruit:
- Owen Hendricks.
I need you back in Phoenix.
- You're out, I'm done.
- Not your decision.
Mr. Hendricks, I'm Kevin Mills,
chief of staff to the president.
- Not Bob.
- Not here.
Maxine Meladze said you were
one of her handlers.
I've heard of her. She wasn't one of mine.
- Someone is pretending to be you?
- Call me when you find something.
Why is our former asset demanding
that you come back to Phoenix?
Because I kept my promise
and got her out of prison?
Go to Phoenix, bring her back. No drama.
- Can I put a hotel room on your card?
- Sure.
What's happening?
You're right. Something's going on.
Have you ever been in love?
- Have you ever loved someone?
- Yes, my daughter.
- Cut him off.
- The card?
All of it.
You walk two blocks north,
three blocks west.
Talco will pick you up. You do the deal.
I'm just here as a proxy to negotiate
the terms of the sale of Max's business.
You're not making a deal with me.
You're making it with El Jefe.
♪ All I hear is blah, blah, blah ♪
♪ Get the fuck out my face
I'm trying to think... ♪
Man, I'm clearly in a train yard.
Is the hood really necessary?
No. But it's fun to make you wear it.
Come on.
Over there.
Let's get out of here.
Not for you. Come on.
Go on.
I'm here to make the deal
on the safe houses.
- You're Max's partner, right?
- Associate. We have a temporary alignment.
$3 million.
Talco will pay you on the way out.
Yeah, that's not gonna work for us.
Okay, then tell him
to strangle you with his bare hands.
Or just take your body back to Mexico
and hang it from a bridge. How's that?
Uh, look, um...
no offense,
but the price just went up to $7 million
because you're being an asshole,
and I had to wear a bag on my head
that smelled like Hot Cheetos.
In fact, Talco out there is the one
that you should consider strangling
for not communicating
how badly you need this deal.
You see, I'm not just
selling Max's safe house business.
If you stand up
and make a respectable deal,
she will give you an inroad
to her operation in Eastern Europe.
What operation?
She's ex-Russian mafia, no?
Emphasis on the "ex."
Ah. You don't think I do my homework
on who I'm doing businesses with?
You're never ex-Russian mafia.
Just like you're never ex-Aquino Cartel.
There's a powerplay coming
and Max is gonna end up on top.
And if she doesn't?
Well, then you're out
the equivalent of a rounding error
on whatever it is
you cut your cocaine with.
Look. Bottomline here,
you have the opportunity
to get a foothold in a major new market
if you make a healthy deal with Max.
Okay.
$7 million. What am I buying?
A name of a banker
who's gonna feed you foreclosure houses
and slow roll the paperwork so that
you can do whatever you want in them.
Mm. What is the name?
This is the risky part.
Because I could just give you a name
and then you could kill me.
Oh, right.
See, you need to
stop thinking about time as linear.
Do you understand that concept?
What will happen
has already happened in the future, right?
So in this moment,
you're either already dead, or you're not.
So, what is the fucking name?
Zuri Wench, Sun City Bank.
And Eastern Europe?
When Max is settled, she'll reach out.
Deal. Go get your money.
Hey, Mike! Thanks for the ride.
I'll watch that show.
Wendy, tell her to put a ring on it, okay?
- Ready?
- Do you have to be so friendly?
What can I say? I'm a people person.
What were you drawing on the plane?
Just something I saw
while I was selling your business.
Set off my espionage
Spidey-senses, actually. Here.
Jesus.
I didn't think you'd be coming personally.
My op, my asset.
Yeah, Max Meladze, this is...
Ellen Davis.
Yeah.
So you're my new case officer.
I am.
We'll get you cleaned you up,
take you to the safe house,
then move you on to Langley
for your intake procedure.
Where we pretend that Max is a new asset.
- Got a problem with that?
- A little.
You know, it's compounding duplicity.
If the agency has a vested interest
in Max becoming an asset,
why can't we just say that?
Because the CIA is not one entity.
We don't all have the same agenda.
Operations is in
the "get shit done" business.
OGC is in the "do it legally" business.
But the Office of Security,
they're in the "paranoia" business.
They are true believers,
who actively assume
we are all spies and traitors,
and they are the ones
who are going to vet Max.
They'll look for anything that could
compromise the integrity of the agency.
- Integrity.
- I know, but it is a short-term problem.
Once we get her back, vetted,
and in Belarus, they can't do a thing.
It's locked.
I need to debrief Ms. Meladze.
Meet us at Langley in two hours.
Really?
♪ Loved you once, shame on me ♪
♪ Loved you twice, count to three ♪
♪ Loved you once, shame on me ♪
♪ Loved you twice, count to three ♪
♪ I don't wanna be afraid of you... ♪
Graymailing the agency.
Gotten reckless since you left Belarus.
I had no choice.
You abandoned me in this shithole country.
- It wasn't my call.
- But you went along with it.
So, what now,
you want me to forgive and forget?
Go back to Belarus,
risk my life again for the CIA?
If that's even your real plan.
Trust me, if I wanted you dead,
I wouldn't wait.
Inserting you back in country?
Getting you close to Kuznetsov?
That's an intelligence coup for me,
which makes keeping you alive
worth the risk.
Unless you've already gone
and told the lawyer too much.
No.
Don't lie, Max.
I know you're sleeping with him.
He's a useful tool, nothing more.
I certainly wouldn't jeopardize my future
by giving him dirt on you.
Then at the moment,
I need you and you need me.
So we're in balance.
But let's be crystal clear...
You don't pass your test today,
you become a liability, not an asset.
♪ Hey ♪
♪ We've been playing games
For way too long... ♪
There is no way
you get the fake Air Force One shot.
I've tried six times.
Security's always on it.
You're not in a book club
with the overnight guard.
You have a book club?
You didn't invite me? I... I'm devastated.
I still could.
If you help me get a picture
in the cash room at the Main Treasury.
- OFAC doesn't have access.
- We're on different teams.
So what? Double agents are sexy.
Hey, buddy.
Hi. Owen. Prodigal roommate.
Linus. I work with Terence at Treasury.
He's being modest.
He's a big deal at OFAC.
Good for you.
Yeah.
I'm gonna go see
if Laura got that NSA challenge coin.
- He's cute.
- And you're a dead man walking.
Clearly my pep talk didn't work.
Using Hannah's credit card
for a hookup is cruel, even for you.
- Come on. That's not what happened.
- Don't tell me, tell her.
She does not wanna talk to you.
Don't you have
some creepy senator to go worship?
I heard your little one-act play
at the gala failed.
Smoot confirmed you're still a nobody,
so they're ready for a new hearing date
just as quickly as we schedule it.
Don't you lose sleep
working for a psychopath?
You think Nyland's any better?
Everyone in D.C. is out for themselves.
- Including you.
- Thank you for your wise words.
- Can we have a minute now?
- It's fine.
- I'm sorry. I know you're pissed.
- What are you sorry about, Owen?
Lying to me? The hotel bill?
Or using my credit card
to sleep with some Russian woman?
That did not happpen, it was for work.
I slept on the couch.
You don't have to lie to me.
I am not your girlfriend anymore.
Hannah, I'm not lying to you.
She's a former asset
that I was forced to babysit.
She's the bane of my existence.
I thought I got rid of her,
and then I was dragged back to Phoenix.
Well, she sounded sexy.
- Is she sexy?
- No, she's crazy.
- You have a thing for crazy.
- I do not.
Don't make me go through the laundry list
of hot and crazy you mowed through.
I... I was processing our breakup.
You're the most serious relationship
I ever had. I was trying to get over you.
I am really sorry.
I never should've
asked for your credit card,
never should've involved you in my work.
I'm still figuring out this job,
figuring out my life,
and I've made a lot of mistakes,
but, by far, the worst one is hurting you.
What am I gonna do with you?
I know better
than to keep trying to fix you.
But here I am,
invested in the guy that you could be,
if you just got your shit together.
So get your shit together.
No, I think... I think we're good.
Okay. I'm gonna cut you off.
Fine. But you have to help me
with the scavenger hunt.
Sure. Yeah. Please.
Oh, there's, like, a CIA thingy here.
Donus Kronus? No...
- Kryptos Donuts?
- Kryptos.
What the fuck is that?
It's a sculpture at Langley
of an unsolved encrypted message.
The donut shop in the CIA lobby
sells a donut that has the code
out of powdered sugar.
You can only get it
if you work at the CIA.
- I'll just grab a bag of them. You know?
- Mr. Hendricks.
He just got here.
Can you just give me a minute, please?
- No can do.
- Yeah, can do.
I'm talking to my friend.
I'll come when it's over.
- The chief of staff can fucking wait.
- No, he can't.
- Yeah, he can. What are you...? No.
- Owen. It's fine.
It's not okay. I'm sorry, again.
I'll bring you some donuts.
I was very clear. If the president
needs to call you about this,
you will find yourself primaried.
Is that a piña colada?
Yeah, you want some?
No. What have you found?
Yeah.
Uh... Actually, first...
How well do you know Senator Smoot?
Well enough to know he is not the asshole
who gave your asset my CIA nickname.
Okay. He sent me a subpoena,
mostly to get at my boss.
But it's gonna jam me up,
so I'd like for it to go away.
Permanently.
And for him to leave the OGC alone
for a while.
Leverage is nice, isn't it?
Yeah.
So can you make him stand down?
Yeah. He'll squawk, but, yeah.
Great.
The case officer
that broke security protocol
and told an asset your former nickname
is Xander Goi.
Never heard of him. You trust the source?
- The source is the former asset.
- Which means you don't trust her.
Except this makes sense.
I went to Vienna
to speak to Xander about the asset,
and the next thing I know,
someone tries to kill me
on the way to the airport.
Interesting.
Sounds like Goi has a lot more to hide
than my CIA nickname.
Okay, I'll handle it.
Sir, when you... Forgive me.
When you say "handle it,"
you mean you'll call and yell at him,
or are you gonna poison needle
jam him on a pastry run?
Things seem hectic over at the OGC lately.
Could be good for me
to have a clear picture
of potential problems
that might land on my desk.
- Is that...? Are you asking me...?
- You've proven yourself useful.
I'm asking if you'd like to continue.
Well, I appreciate that, sir.
But I have too much respect for Mr. Nyland
to do anything behind his back.
Good. You passed.
Nyland's a friend.
I'd never actually ask you to betray him.
We're done.
You can drink your piña colada.
The first step to becoming
an official asset is paperwork.
Dozens of forms to fill out,
including a full history.
Then you'll go through a psych eval,
and finally you'll get polygraphed.
The riskiest part.
Not for me. I lie for a living.
There's literally a sensor on the chair
to measure your sphincter response.
My what?
Your butt pucker.
If we're trying to slip Max in
as a brand new asset,
don't we all have to be on the same page
about her recruitment backstory?
Yes, we'll say her name came up
in intelligence gathering,
we did a little digging
and discovered that she was in prison.
- We got her out in exchange for...
- No, we didn't get her out.
When her case was thrown out,
it created an opportunity
for Operations to recruit her.
What? Wha... Who brings a kid to the CIA?
Someone doesn't check his e-mails.
It's Family Day.
The perfect day to vet Max because
they've scrubbed the office for civilians.
- I thought it would be nicer.
- Ha. Yeah.
When I showed up, I thought it'd be
Mission: Impossible, high-tech shit.
All I got was a 20-year-old computer
and a shredder from the Cold War.
- You got any friends up there?
- No.
A lot's changed since you've been gone.
Turns out being a Russian mobster
has a high degree of getting you killed.
Top row is management, right?
Council. Only a few remain from my time.
There's Stas, Lev, Ivan.
Stas was the one who approved
my execution.
You'll have to kill him
along with a few lieutenants.
Sorry, we're killing people now?
She means neutralize,
and we've already started a list.
Yuri. Oksana.
Nichka.
No, I think I can
win over Yuri and Nichka.
Oksana definitely has to be killed,
or neutralized.
- Do you know who the gatekeeper is yet?
- The who?
It's the Council member who I need
to bribe to welcome me back on.
We're working on it. Paperwork time.
May I?
Knock yourself out.
Full name.
Maxine Vasilyevna Meladze.
Birthplace?
Babruysk, Belarus.
Parents?
Deceased.
- Siblings?
- Deceased.
Marital status?
Widowed.
Children?
None.
All right. I'm gonna go talk to the shrink
and the polygrapher.
Play up the fact I'm new and never
overseen an evaluation of an asset before.
With luck, I'll be able to flag
any potential issues
before Max even sits down.
That's smart.
Yeah, I know.
God, I could be at a spa right now.
I say we wait an hour, then we sneak out.
Yeah.
Are you guys hiding in here?
A hundred percent.
Can one of you two do me a huge favor?
- What?
- No.
Can I tag you in on my graymail case?
She's being vetted and I feel
a more seasoned attorney is required.
Forget it. The only reason
you'd try to pawn this off on us
is if it was a shit show
you were trying to get away from.
That's not true.
Hard pass. Good luck.
What if I ask Nyland?
You're gonna tell the boss
you're incapable of doing your job?
Confess all your fuck-ups and let him
use them against you? Go for it.
You've been super helpful. Thank you.
Hey, kids.
Lester's got candy in his office.
Enjoy.
Guys, who did this?
What?
Uh, should I come back, sir?
No, no, no. Things will only
get worse once the sugar kicks in.
Guys. Come on.
Give Dad a minute, all right?
Wanna go play in the waiting room?
Yay.
Get out of here.
Thank you.
The asset has been secured.
Gilbane is starting the vetting process.
I assume you want me to provide oversight?
Yes, the asset is still on our dance card
until she's fully vetted.
You wouldn't happen to have any advice
for me to help me navigate the process?
Well, unfortunately there's
not a lot you can do.
We don't get any control
over the questions in the swirl.
Clearly you have to hide her
agency history from the polygrapher.
- What about her criminal history?
- No one cares.
She was a spy, traitor to her country.
Agency expects her to be a scumbag.
Anything else?
No. Uh, yes.
Actually, I had a meeting...
Two meetings with Kevin Mills, Not Bob.
He wanted to discuss the asset situation
and why his nickname had come up.
You didn't tell me that.
I wanted you to have deniability
in case things went south.
I assured him that
it was an isolated incident and then...
he asked me if I wanted to spy for him
at the OGC, and I said no.
I know.
Kevin called me, said it was a test,
and you passed.
Did he say that to you because
he thought I wouldn't say anything,
or because I would?
Good question. Always assume the worst.
Fewer surprises. Now, get back to work.
Hey, guys. Who wants a donut?
- Hey, I've been looking for you.
- Sorry, can't really talk now...
- Good. I just need your pretty face.
- What is happening?
Selfies for my mom. Look cute.
- Jesus.
- She found out it's Family Day.
I've gotten three messages about the fact
I haven't given her grandkids.
Right.
- What's wrong with you?
- Nothing. I'm just a little overwhelmed.
You don't wanna help me
get my graymailer vetted, do you?
- Fuck no.
- I didn't think so.
Can you point me in the right direction
for Dr. Hirsch, the psychologist?
Not for me. He's vetting the asset.
Fourth floor. But stay out of his office,
or everyone'll think you're nuts.
Sure. Thank you.
Hey, Dr. Hirsch? Hi, I'm Owen Hendricks.
Oh, yes, and I owe you a psych eval
for a new asset.
- I thought we weren't starting till 12:30.
- No, we're not. I just, um...
I'm new, and I guess I'm a little nervous.
Well, say no more.
Have a seat. Let's talk about it.
Uh, I'm not here for me.
I figured I'd introduce myself
before you sat down with the asset.
- You know, see if I could help at all.
- Look, since you're new, I'll be honest,
I always check yes, okay?
Unless they pull down their pants
and take a dump on the floor, I pass them.
Actually, there was a guy I passed
who pissed himself,
but he was charming in all other respects.
Oh, okay, great. That's...
Um, hey, you don't happen to know
the polygrapher, Dustin something?
Dustin Hatch. That kid's wound tight.
- Um, meaning?
- Let's say, he's as tough as I am easy.
If your asset makes a single screw up,
he'll bounce them.
Right. You don't happen to see
a lot of employees suffering from anxiety?
No, most of them enjoy it.
- That's a joke.
- Right.
Actually, it's not.
You kind of have to be crazy to work here.
Are you having anxiety?
No. No, no. I was just asking.
I will see you out there.
Hi.
- You okay in there?
- Yeah. Yeah.
Hey.
Are you the polygrapher?
- Yes, sir.
- Yeah?
Dustin Hatch.
Owen Hendricks, OGC.
I just started a couple of weeks ago.
This is the first asset I've vetted.
Pretty standard stuff.
You've been swirled before, obviously.
Same protocol, control questions,
and then the heavy stuff.
As long as she tells the truth,
we'll be done in 30.
Good to know.
People are fascinated with the whole
lie detector thing, aren't they?
I guess.
You ever taken it over
to a friend's place,
wait for your buddy to get loaded
and then strap him in?
No. I haven't.
You know, agency equipment
is carefully calibrated.
So any deviance
would impugn the validity of the test.
Right. No, of course.
I just meant I wonder what would
happen to the results if you were drunk.
I don't drink.
Right on, right on.
Yeah. No, neither do I.
- Hey, you got a sec?
- No.
Great, I saw this yesterday.
I thought that it looked important.
Was wondering if it means anything to you.
Hey, buddy. Have you seen this?
Jesus. Motherfucker.
- I'll take that as a yes.
- Where did you see that?
- You don't want to know.
- Where did you fucking see that?
It was in a train car in Arizona
owned by the Aquino Cartel.
There were a dozen crates
with this symbol. What are they?
Uh, they are why I was Ambien sandwiched.
That doesn't sound good,
but what are they?
What are they?
American anti-tank missiles.
Basically, a terrorist's wet dream.
My nightmare spec ops team
is smuggling them out of the country,
so they can covertly track who buys them.
They're dumb enough to think this
will turn into a terrorist turkey shoot,
instead of a career-ending clusterfuck
that will headline the New York Times
for a month.
- I'll just leave you to it.
- Don't fucking move.
Fuck.
- Hello?
- Oh, hi, it's me.
You made a deal
with a fucking drug cartel?
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Bullshit.
I have an eyewitness.
Hey. Hi, I work with Janus.
I saw the rockets
on the cartel freight train.
What were you doing on a cartel train?
Not the point.
Get the rockets back now.
Look, say we did make a deal
with a third party for distribution.
We definitely would've disabled
the rockets before we handed them over.
Uh, yeah, if you're talking about
clipping the guidance wires,
there is a YouTube video
on how to fix that.
- Let me get back to you.
- Yeah, you do that.
We are so fucked.
We?
Uh, if I have to testify
about how I allowed
an unsanctioned covert op
to put rockets in the hands of terrorists,
you'll have to testify about
how you ended up on a cartel drug train.
That would be bad.
Yeah, asshole.
If Congress finds out about this,
it will be the biggest scandal
in a generation.
Oh. Dustin.
Hey. I wanna clear the air from earlier.
I was just being friendly,
trying to get a sense
of what the deal was.
I wasn't trying to suck up or sway
the outcome of this thing in any way.
You're saying you were trying to influence
the impartiality of the swirl?
What? No. That's the exact opposite
of what I was trying to say.
Okay, Amish, she's all yours.
So?
So she's incredibly intelligent
and profoundly ruthless.
She'll make a phenomenal asset,
but you can't trust her,
like, at all.
I need to pee.
Whoa, hey.
I thought you said you had to pee?
I do but if holding it will help
with the polygraph, so will these.
If he finds out you messed with
your heart rate, he'll fail you.
If I don't pass the polygraph, I'm dead.
Is that what Ellen told you
in your pre-brief?
- Yes. So you need to make sure I pass.
- I don't have that kind of power.
- I thought you wanted to help me.
- I do. I can't help with this.
Do you still not understand me
after all we've been through?
I will do what I must to survive,
and that means exposing your duplicity
and criminality if I think it will help.
Jeez, your baseline is super twitchy.
Are you nervous?
A little.
Well, don't be.
As long as you tell the truth,
this will be easy.
Do you think she's gonna pass?
What happens if she doesn't?
Remind me, back in Yemen you said
you hadn't met Max before, right?
Right.
Why?
It's just, ever since she's gotten here,
you haven't asked me
one question about her.
And yet, it feels like you know
exactly who she is.
All right, Miss Meladze,
First, I'll ask you a couple of questions.
Please answer yes or no.
Is your name Maxine Meladze?
Yes.
Were you born in the United States?
No.
Relax, Miss Meladze,
so we can get an accurate reading.
Were you born in Belarus?
Yes.
Please lie to the next question
to establish your baseline.
Is it the year 2015?
Yes.
Okay.
Good.
Now, how were you recruited?
I work for the CIA.
I know you killed your husband
and blamed his murder on a rival.
Then used the tragedy to drop some bodies
and take your late husband's place
in the Russian mafia.
And I know if the Council
were to find out what you did...
they'd cut you apart with a blowtorch.
What do you want?
For you to start working for me.
Nothing dangerous. Just...
tell me everything everybody tells you,
especially your friends
in Russian military intelligence.
And if I say no?
You won't.
You can't.
I'll be in touch.
A case officer approached me,
when I came out of prison.
She made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
That's a strong accusation.
Yes, sir.
But this operation is priority one,
and I don't feel comfortable
taking Hendricks
if there's even a hint
he's been compromised.
What's going on?
Gilbane wants to swirl Hendricks.
She's worried he's been compromised
by our squeaky wheel.
Since when do we trust Operations?
You're just trying to torpedo Owen
because you don't a lawyer on your op.
They shared a hotel room
together in Phoenix.
You sent someone to spy on him?
Given Meladze's value,
I felt I had no other choice.
Go get Hendricks.
You shouldn't be here when I tell him.
Go make sure the asset is squared away.
Fine, but I am observing the swirl.
It's my operation.
Understood.
But Salazar will be observing with you.
He's my guy.
Owen's not gonna be happy.
This is bullshit!
It's a single-issue polygraph.
There's a concern the squeaky wheel
may have compromised your objectivity.
A concern. Of whose?
Gilbane's?
She's just trying to get rid of me.
She's not even being subtle about it.
You shared a hotel room with Meladze
in Phoenix.
Yes, of course, I did.
She ditched her first babysitters.
So they asked me
to go down there and get her.
How stupid would I have been
if I let her have her own room?
Listen to me. Listen to me.
Gilbane is the one who has been
compromised by the asset.
You have proof of that?
No.
But there's clearly
a history between them,
even if she insists that there isn't.
Look, my hands are tied.
She made a formal request.
I can't legally ignore it.
But Salazar will oversee the swirl.
She'll make sure
everything stays on track.
Is your name Owen Hendricks?
Yes.
- Are you 24 years old?
- Yes.
Please lie to the next question
to establish your baseline.
Are you a citizen of the United States?
No.
Did you lie earlier
when you told me that you didn't drink?
Yeah.
You know these tests are dog shit, right?
The National Academy of Sciences
says they're no more accurate
than flipping a coin.
That study was incredibly flawed.
You're saying that 'cause
you'd be out of a job if people bought it.
- No, that's not true...
- Come on.
Any test that I can fool by clenching my
sphincter is flawed. I'll prove it to you.
- I'm clenching, I'm not clenching...
- Mr. Hendricks.
Mr. Hendricks could you stop that.
Would you stop doing that?
Tampering with the test
is an automatic failure.
Fine. I've ceased clenching.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Have you ever had contact with Maxine
Meladze prior to joining the OGC?
No.
Have you ever done
or said anything to Miss Meladze
that would constitute a breach
of professional conduct?
No.
Have you ever seen Miss Meladze naked?
Go fuck yourself.
You are an employee of the CIA,
and that is an unacceptable response.
Now, have you seen the asset naked?
Yes.
Have you ever had sexual contact
with the asset?
- No.
- Have you ever wanted to have sexual...?
- What kind of fucking question is that?
- You could just answer.
Move on. The question was sexual contact,
asked and answered.
Have you witnessed every step
of the asset's vetting process personally?
Yes.
And has Miss Meladze
lied in any of her responses?
It's too broad of a question.
I can't answer that.
Okay. To the best of your knowledge,
has she lied about anything?
No.
Are you compromised?
Fuck yourself.
Okay, you got what you needed.
This session is finished.
Ah!
- You okay?
- No. That was humiliating.
I know, but you passed
and so did your asset.
Wait.
- Seriously?
- Yeah.
Oh, good. Fuck.
- Listen, about Max...
- Stop.
I truly do not care
that you saw her naked.
I'd be shocked
if she didn't try and seduce you.
- That's Asset 101.
- Yeah.
And it's not why I'm breaking up with you.
What? Wait, you're breaking up with me?
You're a fun guy, Owen.
And the sex is top notch.
But this thing that you do
where you stumble through serious stuff
and hope that it works out well...
it's too 20-something for me.
I have my whole career mapped out.
The last thing that I need
is to be dating some wildcard
who doesn't even know what tomorrow holds.
Be very careful with those two women.
You can't trust either of them.
Yeah.
Congratulations,
not only did you pass your polygraph,
but you got your boss to call mine
to insist that you stay
on my operation through reinsertion?
No, I didn't.
But if you ever try to sabotage me again,
it'll end badly for you.
Consider me unafraid.
Enough posturing.
Let's focus on what's next:
buying my way back in.
Do you know yet who I need to bribe?
Lev Orlova.
Oh, shit.
We definitely don't have enough money.
He used to work with my husband.
He thought he should be made
a lieutenant instead of me.
He's gonna want at least 10 million
to make it hurt.
That's three million more.
We really can't get it from the agency?
Not without explaining
what we need it for.
Which will level the Potemkin Village
we just built.
Can you unsanction a Swiss bank account?
I'm guessing you used to launder money
into Swiss banks under an assumed name?
Five of them. But all the accounts
were locked six years ago
when the U.S. hit Belarus and Russia
with sanctions.
So we have to
get your accounts unsanctioned.
Yes. You do.
- Me?
- You insisted on staying involved.
No, I didn't. I...
Fine. How do I get the sanctions lifted?
You're the lawyer, figure it out.
Kryptos Donuts, as promised.
- Score.
- Thank you.
Late night cereal sesh? Right on.
So?
How's the hangover going?
Tolerable.
How was your day?
It was so good.
Solved some problems, made a new one.
Oh, Amelia dumped me,
said I was too 20-something for her.
She meant 14.
I was gonna say 12.
Well, it's nice to know
I can count on your compassion.
- Can I ask a Treasury Department question?
- Okay.
One of my new problems
has to do with international sanctions.
But I can't give you the specifics.
- It'll make it hard for me to help you.
- Okay, um...
Let's say Tony the Tiger works
for a foreign criminal organization
which the U.S. has sanctioned.
Are we talking tariffs, embargoes, NTBs,
or has Snap, Crackle, and Pop
frozen Tony's individual assets?
The last one.
Okay, it's probably a unilateral sanction
on an SDN.
Specially Designated National.
Okay. Is there any way to get that lifted?
You'd need an act of God, basically.
My parents have repped several oligarchs
over the years.
It's so gross, and they have never gotten
the U.S. government to budge on sanctions.
Is there any way at all Tony the Tiger
could get into one of those
sanctioned accounts
without Snap, Crackle and Pop knowing?
No. There's a giant list of sanctioned
accounts that goes to all the banks.
It's updated daily and each account
is literally locked
into the bank's computers.
A red flag goes up
if anyone tries to access them.
The only way to unlock an account
is to get it excluded by the bank.
Okay, so who do I have
to talk to about that?
Yo!
As requested. Thanks for meeting me.
No problem.
You made it sound so clandestine,
how could I refuse?
You know, in giving me these,
I win the scavenger hunt. I beat Terence.
Yeah.
Unfortunately, national security
trumps friendship at this moment.
What's going on?
I can't give you details
because this is so sensitive,
but I need sanctions lifted
on a few Swiss bank accounts.
They were swept up
in Russian sanctions six years ago.
Yeah, no.
Russia is way too radioactive.
I know, but these are tangential.
They're tied to
a mid-level criminal in Belarus.
No one's gonna give a shit.
The money in the accounts is crucial
to the success of a covert operation.
One with profound
national security benefits.
You'd be making a huge difference.
- Why can't you go through proper channels?
- You know why.
Nobody wants to put their name
on something that could fail.
But it's not going to.
That's what they all say.
Yeah.
Why should I stick my neck out for you?
You mean
how can I make it worth your while?
You tell me.
I want a date.
With your roommate.
I mean, I can ask.
Pretty sure he'll say yes.
Well, if he does, I will release
the sanctions on one account for one hour.
That's the only way they go unnoticed.
Deal?
Deal.
♪ Breaking ice, see your motorbike
Blazing through the sky ♪
I need to clarify something
before you're wheels up.
The results of your swirl? You aced it.
Except for here,
when the polygrapher asked if the
squeaky wheel had lied about anything.
Yes, sir, it was nothing relevant.
The asset had a child that died,
a long time ago.
She answered "none"
when asked if she had any children.
Technically, it wasn't a lie. And I didn't
wanna give Dawn emotional leverage...
Why the fuck not?
This asset has a proverbial gun
to our heads.
Threatening to expose secrets.
We need all the leverage we can get.
Yes, sir. With respect, I wasn't finished.
I will use every ounce of leverage
that we have to protect the agency.
I just don't trust Dawn Gilbane
to do the same.
I agree.
Which is why I'm sending you.
If Gilbane has been compromised,
you need to get me the proof.
The next 48 hours are mission critical.
We'll drop you in Italy, where you'll
continue on to Geneva by car.
While you secure fresh money
from Meladze's accounts,
my team and I will take your bag of cash,
and we will head to Germany
where we will begin mission planning
your reinsertion into Belarus.
- What?
- There's no way that you allow us
to run around Geneva
without operational oversight.
Xander Goi landed in Geneva an hour ago.
He is setting up shop at the consulate.
I'm sending you to Geneva
to backstop Hendricks.
Does he know this?
No, and if things go smoothly,
he never will.
And if things go sideways,
do we protect him or the asset?
You protect the agency.
If you can do that...
and support Hendricks, fine,
if not, can't swing a dead cat
in this town without hitting a new lawyer.
You excited? You're going home.
First, we need to survive the journey.
- Owen Hendricks.
I need you back in Phoenix.
- You're out, I'm done.
- Not your decision.
Mr. Hendricks, I'm Kevin Mills,
chief of staff to the president.
- Not Bob.
- Not here.
Maxine Meladze said you were
one of her handlers.
I've heard of her. She wasn't one of mine.
- Someone is pretending to be you?
- Call me when you find something.
Why is our former asset demanding
that you come back to Phoenix?
Because I kept my promise
and got her out of prison?
Go to Phoenix, bring her back. No drama.
- Can I put a hotel room on your card?
- Sure.
What's happening?
You're right. Something's going on.
Have you ever been in love?
- Have you ever loved someone?
- Yes, my daughter.
- Cut him off.
- The card?
All of it.
You walk two blocks north,
three blocks west.
Talco will pick you up. You do the deal.
I'm just here as a proxy to negotiate
the terms of the sale of Max's business.
You're not making a deal with me.
You're making it with El Jefe.
♪ All I hear is blah, blah, blah ♪
♪ Get the fuck out my face
I'm trying to think... ♪
Man, I'm clearly in a train yard.
Is the hood really necessary?
No. But it's fun to make you wear it.
Come on.
Over there.
Let's get out of here.
Not for you. Come on.
Go on.
I'm here to make the deal
on the safe houses.
- You're Max's partner, right?
- Associate. We have a temporary alignment.
$3 million.
Talco will pay you on the way out.
Yeah, that's not gonna work for us.
Okay, then tell him
to strangle you with his bare hands.
Or just take your body back to Mexico
and hang it from a bridge. How's that?
Uh, look, um...
no offense,
but the price just went up to $7 million
because you're being an asshole,
and I had to wear a bag on my head
that smelled like Hot Cheetos.
In fact, Talco out there is the one
that you should consider strangling
for not communicating
how badly you need this deal.
You see, I'm not just
selling Max's safe house business.
If you stand up
and make a respectable deal,
she will give you an inroad
to her operation in Eastern Europe.
What operation?
She's ex-Russian mafia, no?
Emphasis on the "ex."
Ah. You don't think I do my homework
on who I'm doing businesses with?
You're never ex-Russian mafia.
Just like you're never ex-Aquino Cartel.
There's a powerplay coming
and Max is gonna end up on top.
And if she doesn't?
Well, then you're out
the equivalent of a rounding error
on whatever it is
you cut your cocaine with.
Look. Bottomline here,
you have the opportunity
to get a foothold in a major new market
if you make a healthy deal with Max.
Okay.
$7 million. What am I buying?
A name of a banker
who's gonna feed you foreclosure houses
and slow roll the paperwork so that
you can do whatever you want in them.
Mm. What is the name?
This is the risky part.
Because I could just give you a name
and then you could kill me.
Oh, right.
See, you need to
stop thinking about time as linear.
Do you understand that concept?
What will happen
has already happened in the future, right?
So in this moment,
you're either already dead, or you're not.
So, what is the fucking name?
Zuri Wench, Sun City Bank.
And Eastern Europe?
When Max is settled, she'll reach out.
Deal. Go get your money.
Hey, Mike! Thanks for the ride.
I'll watch that show.
Wendy, tell her to put a ring on it, okay?
- Ready?
- Do you have to be so friendly?
What can I say? I'm a people person.
What were you drawing on the plane?
Just something I saw
while I was selling your business.
Set off my espionage
Spidey-senses, actually. Here.
Jesus.
I didn't think you'd be coming personally.
My op, my asset.
Yeah, Max Meladze, this is...
Ellen Davis.
Yeah.
So you're my new case officer.
I am.
We'll get you cleaned you up,
take you to the safe house,
then move you on to Langley
for your intake procedure.
Where we pretend that Max is a new asset.
- Got a problem with that?
- A little.
You know, it's compounding duplicity.
If the agency has a vested interest
in Max becoming an asset,
why can't we just say that?
Because the CIA is not one entity.
We don't all have the same agenda.
Operations is in
the "get shit done" business.
OGC is in the "do it legally" business.
But the Office of Security,
they're in the "paranoia" business.
They are true believers,
who actively assume
we are all spies and traitors,
and they are the ones
who are going to vet Max.
They'll look for anything that could
compromise the integrity of the agency.
- Integrity.
- I know, but it is a short-term problem.
Once we get her back, vetted,
and in Belarus, they can't do a thing.
It's locked.
I need to debrief Ms. Meladze.
Meet us at Langley in two hours.
Really?
♪ Loved you once, shame on me ♪
♪ Loved you twice, count to three ♪
♪ Loved you once, shame on me ♪
♪ Loved you twice, count to three ♪
♪ I don't wanna be afraid of you... ♪
Graymailing the agency.
Gotten reckless since you left Belarus.
I had no choice.
You abandoned me in this shithole country.
- It wasn't my call.
- But you went along with it.
So, what now,
you want me to forgive and forget?
Go back to Belarus,
risk my life again for the CIA?
If that's even your real plan.
Trust me, if I wanted you dead,
I wouldn't wait.
Inserting you back in country?
Getting you close to Kuznetsov?
That's an intelligence coup for me,
which makes keeping you alive
worth the risk.
Unless you've already gone
and told the lawyer too much.
No.
Don't lie, Max.
I know you're sleeping with him.
He's a useful tool, nothing more.
I certainly wouldn't jeopardize my future
by giving him dirt on you.
Then at the moment,
I need you and you need me.
So we're in balance.
But let's be crystal clear...
You don't pass your test today,
you become a liability, not an asset.
♪ Hey ♪
♪ We've been playing games
For way too long... ♪
There is no way
you get the fake Air Force One shot.
I've tried six times.
Security's always on it.
You're not in a book club
with the overnight guard.
You have a book club?
You didn't invite me? I... I'm devastated.
I still could.
If you help me get a picture
in the cash room at the Main Treasury.
- OFAC doesn't have access.
- We're on different teams.
So what? Double agents are sexy.
Hey, buddy.
Hi. Owen. Prodigal roommate.
Linus. I work with Terence at Treasury.
He's being modest.
He's a big deal at OFAC.
Good for you.
Yeah.
I'm gonna go see
if Laura got that NSA challenge coin.
- He's cute.
- And you're a dead man walking.
Clearly my pep talk didn't work.
Using Hannah's credit card
for a hookup is cruel, even for you.
- Come on. That's not what happened.
- Don't tell me, tell her.
She does not wanna talk to you.
Don't you have
some creepy senator to go worship?
I heard your little one-act play
at the gala failed.
Smoot confirmed you're still a nobody,
so they're ready for a new hearing date
just as quickly as we schedule it.
Don't you lose sleep
working for a psychopath?
You think Nyland's any better?
Everyone in D.C. is out for themselves.
- Including you.
- Thank you for your wise words.
- Can we have a minute now?
- It's fine.
- I'm sorry. I know you're pissed.
- What are you sorry about, Owen?
Lying to me? The hotel bill?
Or using my credit card
to sleep with some Russian woman?
That did not happpen, it was for work.
I slept on the couch.
You don't have to lie to me.
I am not your girlfriend anymore.
Hannah, I'm not lying to you.
She's a former asset
that I was forced to babysit.
She's the bane of my existence.
I thought I got rid of her,
and then I was dragged back to Phoenix.
Well, she sounded sexy.
- Is she sexy?
- No, she's crazy.
- You have a thing for crazy.
- I do not.
Don't make me go through the laundry list
of hot and crazy you mowed through.
I... I was processing our breakup.
You're the most serious relationship
I ever had. I was trying to get over you.
I am really sorry.
I never should've
asked for your credit card,
never should've involved you in my work.
I'm still figuring out this job,
figuring out my life,
and I've made a lot of mistakes,
but, by far, the worst one is hurting you.
What am I gonna do with you?
I know better
than to keep trying to fix you.
But here I am,
invested in the guy that you could be,
if you just got your shit together.
So get your shit together.
No, I think... I think we're good.
Okay. I'm gonna cut you off.
Fine. But you have to help me
with the scavenger hunt.
Sure. Yeah. Please.
Oh, there's, like, a CIA thingy here.
Donus Kronus? No...
- Kryptos Donuts?
- Kryptos.
What the fuck is that?
It's a sculpture at Langley
of an unsolved encrypted message.
The donut shop in the CIA lobby
sells a donut that has the code
out of powdered sugar.
You can only get it
if you work at the CIA.
- I'll just grab a bag of them. You know?
- Mr. Hendricks.
He just got here.
Can you just give me a minute, please?
- No can do.
- Yeah, can do.
I'm talking to my friend.
I'll come when it's over.
- The chief of staff can fucking wait.
- No, he can't.
- Yeah, he can. What are you...? No.
- Owen. It's fine.
It's not okay. I'm sorry, again.
I'll bring you some donuts.
I was very clear. If the president
needs to call you about this,
you will find yourself primaried.
Is that a piña colada?
Yeah, you want some?
No. What have you found?
Yeah.
Uh... Actually, first...
How well do you know Senator Smoot?
Well enough to know he is not the asshole
who gave your asset my CIA nickname.
Okay. He sent me a subpoena,
mostly to get at my boss.
But it's gonna jam me up,
so I'd like for it to go away.
Permanently.
And for him to leave the OGC alone
for a while.
Leverage is nice, isn't it?
Yeah.
So can you make him stand down?
Yeah. He'll squawk, but, yeah.
Great.
The case officer
that broke security protocol
and told an asset your former nickname
is Xander Goi.
Never heard of him. You trust the source?
- The source is the former asset.
- Which means you don't trust her.
Except this makes sense.
I went to Vienna
to speak to Xander about the asset,
and the next thing I know,
someone tries to kill me
on the way to the airport.
Interesting.
Sounds like Goi has a lot more to hide
than my CIA nickname.
Okay, I'll handle it.
Sir, when you... Forgive me.
When you say "handle it,"
you mean you'll call and yell at him,
or are you gonna poison needle
jam him on a pastry run?
Things seem hectic over at the OGC lately.
Could be good for me
to have a clear picture
of potential problems
that might land on my desk.
- Is that...? Are you asking me...?
- You've proven yourself useful.
I'm asking if you'd like to continue.
Well, I appreciate that, sir.
But I have too much respect for Mr. Nyland
to do anything behind his back.
Good. You passed.
Nyland's a friend.
I'd never actually ask you to betray him.
We're done.
You can drink your piña colada.
The first step to becoming
an official asset is paperwork.
Dozens of forms to fill out,
including a full history.
Then you'll go through a psych eval,
and finally you'll get polygraphed.
The riskiest part.
Not for me. I lie for a living.
There's literally a sensor on the chair
to measure your sphincter response.
My what?
Your butt pucker.
If we're trying to slip Max in
as a brand new asset,
don't we all have to be on the same page
about her recruitment backstory?
Yes, we'll say her name came up
in intelligence gathering,
we did a little digging
and discovered that she was in prison.
- We got her out in exchange for...
- No, we didn't get her out.
When her case was thrown out,
it created an opportunity
for Operations to recruit her.
What? Wha... Who brings a kid to the CIA?
Someone doesn't check his e-mails.
It's Family Day.
The perfect day to vet Max because
they've scrubbed the office for civilians.
- I thought it would be nicer.
- Ha. Yeah.
When I showed up, I thought it'd be
Mission: Impossible, high-tech shit.
All I got was a 20-year-old computer
and a shredder from the Cold War.
- You got any friends up there?
- No.
A lot's changed since you've been gone.
Turns out being a Russian mobster
has a high degree of getting you killed.
Top row is management, right?
Council. Only a few remain from my time.
There's Stas, Lev, Ivan.
Stas was the one who approved
my execution.
You'll have to kill him
along with a few lieutenants.
Sorry, we're killing people now?
She means neutralize,
and we've already started a list.
Yuri. Oksana.
Nichka.
No, I think I can
win over Yuri and Nichka.
Oksana definitely has to be killed,
or neutralized.
- Do you know who the gatekeeper is yet?
- The who?
It's the Council member who I need
to bribe to welcome me back on.
We're working on it. Paperwork time.
May I?
Knock yourself out.
Full name.
Maxine Vasilyevna Meladze.
Birthplace?
Babruysk, Belarus.
Parents?
Deceased.
- Siblings?
- Deceased.
Marital status?
Widowed.
Children?
None.
All right. I'm gonna go talk to the shrink
and the polygrapher.
Play up the fact I'm new and never
overseen an evaluation of an asset before.
With luck, I'll be able to flag
any potential issues
before Max even sits down.
That's smart.
Yeah, I know.
God, I could be at a spa right now.
I say we wait an hour, then we sneak out.
Yeah.
Are you guys hiding in here?
A hundred percent.
Can one of you two do me a huge favor?
- What?
- No.
Can I tag you in on my graymail case?
She's being vetted and I feel
a more seasoned attorney is required.
Forget it. The only reason
you'd try to pawn this off on us
is if it was a shit show
you were trying to get away from.
That's not true.
Hard pass. Good luck.
What if I ask Nyland?
You're gonna tell the boss
you're incapable of doing your job?
Confess all your fuck-ups and let him
use them against you? Go for it.
You've been super helpful. Thank you.
Hey, kids.
Lester's got candy in his office.
Enjoy.
Guys, who did this?
What?
Uh, should I come back, sir?
No, no, no. Things will only
get worse once the sugar kicks in.
Guys. Come on.
Give Dad a minute, all right?
Wanna go play in the waiting room?
Yay.
Get out of here.
Thank you.
The asset has been secured.
Gilbane is starting the vetting process.
I assume you want me to provide oversight?
Yes, the asset is still on our dance card
until she's fully vetted.
You wouldn't happen to have any advice
for me to help me navigate the process?
Well, unfortunately there's
not a lot you can do.
We don't get any control
over the questions in the swirl.
Clearly you have to hide her
agency history from the polygrapher.
- What about her criminal history?
- No one cares.
She was a spy, traitor to her country.
Agency expects her to be a scumbag.
Anything else?
No. Uh, yes.
Actually, I had a meeting...
Two meetings with Kevin Mills, Not Bob.
He wanted to discuss the asset situation
and why his nickname had come up.
You didn't tell me that.
I wanted you to have deniability
in case things went south.
I assured him that
it was an isolated incident and then...
he asked me if I wanted to spy for him
at the OGC, and I said no.
I know.
Kevin called me, said it was a test,
and you passed.
Did he say that to you because
he thought I wouldn't say anything,
or because I would?
Good question. Always assume the worst.
Fewer surprises. Now, get back to work.
Hey, guys. Who wants a donut?
- Hey, I've been looking for you.
- Sorry, can't really talk now...
- Good. I just need your pretty face.
- What is happening?
Selfies for my mom. Look cute.
- Jesus.
- She found out it's Family Day.
I've gotten three messages about the fact
I haven't given her grandkids.
Right.
- What's wrong with you?
- Nothing. I'm just a little overwhelmed.
You don't wanna help me
get my graymailer vetted, do you?
- Fuck no.
- I didn't think so.
Can you point me in the right direction
for Dr. Hirsch, the psychologist?
Not for me. He's vetting the asset.
Fourth floor. But stay out of his office,
or everyone'll think you're nuts.
Sure. Thank you.
Hey, Dr. Hirsch? Hi, I'm Owen Hendricks.
Oh, yes, and I owe you a psych eval
for a new asset.
- I thought we weren't starting till 12:30.
- No, we're not. I just, um...
I'm new, and I guess I'm a little nervous.
Well, say no more.
Have a seat. Let's talk about it.
Uh, I'm not here for me.
I figured I'd introduce myself
before you sat down with the asset.
- You know, see if I could help at all.
- Look, since you're new, I'll be honest,
I always check yes, okay?
Unless they pull down their pants
and take a dump on the floor, I pass them.
Actually, there was a guy I passed
who pissed himself,
but he was charming in all other respects.
Oh, okay, great. That's...
Um, hey, you don't happen to know
the polygrapher, Dustin something?
Dustin Hatch. That kid's wound tight.
- Um, meaning?
- Let's say, he's as tough as I am easy.
If your asset makes a single screw up,
he'll bounce them.
Right. You don't happen to see
a lot of employees suffering from anxiety?
No, most of them enjoy it.
- That's a joke.
- Right.
Actually, it's not.
You kind of have to be crazy to work here.
Are you having anxiety?
No. No, no. I was just asking.
I will see you out there.
Hi.
- You okay in there?
- Yeah. Yeah.
Hey.
Are you the polygrapher?
- Yes, sir.
- Yeah?
Dustin Hatch.
Owen Hendricks, OGC.
I just started a couple of weeks ago.
This is the first asset I've vetted.
Pretty standard stuff.
You've been swirled before, obviously.
Same protocol, control questions,
and then the heavy stuff.
As long as she tells the truth,
we'll be done in 30.
Good to know.
People are fascinated with the whole
lie detector thing, aren't they?
I guess.
You ever taken it over
to a friend's place,
wait for your buddy to get loaded
and then strap him in?
No. I haven't.
You know, agency equipment
is carefully calibrated.
So any deviance
would impugn the validity of the test.
Right. No, of course.
I just meant I wonder what would
happen to the results if you were drunk.
I don't drink.
Right on, right on.
Yeah. No, neither do I.
- Hey, you got a sec?
- No.
Great, I saw this yesterday.
I thought that it looked important.
Was wondering if it means anything to you.
Hey, buddy. Have you seen this?
Jesus. Motherfucker.
- I'll take that as a yes.
- Where did you see that?
- You don't want to know.
- Where did you fucking see that?
It was in a train car in Arizona
owned by the Aquino Cartel.
There were a dozen crates
with this symbol. What are they?
Uh, they are why I was Ambien sandwiched.
That doesn't sound good,
but what are they?
What are they?
American anti-tank missiles.
Basically, a terrorist's wet dream.
My nightmare spec ops team
is smuggling them out of the country,
so they can covertly track who buys them.
They're dumb enough to think this
will turn into a terrorist turkey shoot,
instead of a career-ending clusterfuck
that will headline the New York Times
for a month.
- I'll just leave you to it.
- Don't fucking move.
Fuck.
- Hello?
- Oh, hi, it's me.
You made a deal
with a fucking drug cartel?
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- Bullshit.
I have an eyewitness.
Hey. Hi, I work with Janus.
I saw the rockets
on the cartel freight train.
What were you doing on a cartel train?
Not the point.
Get the rockets back now.
Look, say we did make a deal
with a third party for distribution.
We definitely would've disabled
the rockets before we handed them over.
Uh, yeah, if you're talking about
clipping the guidance wires,
there is a YouTube video
on how to fix that.
- Let me get back to you.
- Yeah, you do that.
We are so fucked.
We?
Uh, if I have to testify
about how I allowed
an unsanctioned covert op
to put rockets in the hands of terrorists,
you'll have to testify about
how you ended up on a cartel drug train.
That would be bad.
Yeah, asshole.
If Congress finds out about this,
it will be the biggest scandal
in a generation.
Oh. Dustin.
Hey. I wanna clear the air from earlier.
I was just being friendly,
trying to get a sense
of what the deal was.
I wasn't trying to suck up or sway
the outcome of this thing in any way.
You're saying you were trying to influence
the impartiality of the swirl?
What? No. That's the exact opposite
of what I was trying to say.
Okay, Amish, she's all yours.
So?
So she's incredibly intelligent
and profoundly ruthless.
She'll make a phenomenal asset,
but you can't trust her,
like, at all.
I need to pee.
Whoa, hey.
I thought you said you had to pee?
I do but if holding it will help
with the polygraph, so will these.
If he finds out you messed with
your heart rate, he'll fail you.
If I don't pass the polygraph, I'm dead.
Is that what Ellen told you
in your pre-brief?
- Yes. So you need to make sure I pass.
- I don't have that kind of power.
- I thought you wanted to help me.
- I do. I can't help with this.
Do you still not understand me
after all we've been through?
I will do what I must to survive,
and that means exposing your duplicity
and criminality if I think it will help.
Jeez, your baseline is super twitchy.
Are you nervous?
A little.
Well, don't be.
As long as you tell the truth,
this will be easy.
Do you think she's gonna pass?
What happens if she doesn't?
Remind me, back in Yemen you said
you hadn't met Max before, right?
Right.
Why?
It's just, ever since she's gotten here,
you haven't asked me
one question about her.
And yet, it feels like you know
exactly who she is.
All right, Miss Meladze,
First, I'll ask you a couple of questions.
Please answer yes or no.
Is your name Maxine Meladze?
Yes.
Were you born in the United States?
No.
Relax, Miss Meladze,
so we can get an accurate reading.
Were you born in Belarus?
Yes.
Please lie to the next question
to establish your baseline.
Is it the year 2015?
Yes.
Okay.
Good.
Now, how were you recruited?
I work for the CIA.
I know you killed your husband
and blamed his murder on a rival.
Then used the tragedy to drop some bodies
and take your late husband's place
in the Russian mafia.
And I know if the Council
were to find out what you did...
they'd cut you apart with a blowtorch.
What do you want?
For you to start working for me.
Nothing dangerous. Just...
tell me everything everybody tells you,
especially your friends
in Russian military intelligence.
And if I say no?
You won't.
You can't.
I'll be in touch.
A case officer approached me,
when I came out of prison.
She made me an offer I couldn't refuse.
That's a strong accusation.
Yes, sir.
But this operation is priority one,
and I don't feel comfortable
taking Hendricks
if there's even a hint
he's been compromised.
What's going on?
Gilbane wants to swirl Hendricks.
She's worried he's been compromised
by our squeaky wheel.
Since when do we trust Operations?
You're just trying to torpedo Owen
because you don't a lawyer on your op.
They shared a hotel room
together in Phoenix.
You sent someone to spy on him?
Given Meladze's value,
I felt I had no other choice.
Go get Hendricks.
You shouldn't be here when I tell him.
Go make sure the asset is squared away.
Fine, but I am observing the swirl.
It's my operation.
Understood.
But Salazar will be observing with you.
He's my guy.
Owen's not gonna be happy.
This is bullshit!
It's a single-issue polygraph.
There's a concern the squeaky wheel
may have compromised your objectivity.
A concern. Of whose?
Gilbane's?
She's just trying to get rid of me.
She's not even being subtle about it.
You shared a hotel room with Meladze
in Phoenix.
Yes, of course, I did.
She ditched her first babysitters.
So they asked me
to go down there and get her.
How stupid would I have been
if I let her have her own room?
Listen to me. Listen to me.
Gilbane is the one who has been
compromised by the asset.
You have proof of that?
No.
But there's clearly
a history between them,
even if she insists that there isn't.
Look, my hands are tied.
She made a formal request.
I can't legally ignore it.
But Salazar will oversee the swirl.
She'll make sure
everything stays on track.
Is your name Owen Hendricks?
Yes.
- Are you 24 years old?
- Yes.
Please lie to the next question
to establish your baseline.
Are you a citizen of the United States?
No.
Did you lie earlier
when you told me that you didn't drink?
Yeah.
You know these tests are dog shit, right?
The National Academy of Sciences
says they're no more accurate
than flipping a coin.
That study was incredibly flawed.
You're saying that 'cause
you'd be out of a job if people bought it.
- No, that's not true...
- Come on.
Any test that I can fool by clenching my
sphincter is flawed. I'll prove it to you.
- I'm clenching, I'm not clenching...
- Mr. Hendricks.
Mr. Hendricks could you stop that.
Would you stop doing that?
Tampering with the test
is an automatic failure.
Fine. I've ceased clenching.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Have you ever had contact with Maxine
Meladze prior to joining the OGC?
No.
Have you ever done
or said anything to Miss Meladze
that would constitute a breach
of professional conduct?
No.
Have you ever seen Miss Meladze naked?
Go fuck yourself.
You are an employee of the CIA,
and that is an unacceptable response.
Now, have you seen the asset naked?
Yes.
Have you ever had sexual contact
with the asset?
- No.
- Have you ever wanted to have sexual...?
- What kind of fucking question is that?
- You could just answer.
Move on. The question was sexual contact,
asked and answered.
Have you witnessed every step
of the asset's vetting process personally?
Yes.
And has Miss Meladze
lied in any of her responses?
It's too broad of a question.
I can't answer that.
Okay. To the best of your knowledge,
has she lied about anything?
No.
Are you compromised?
Fuck yourself.
Okay, you got what you needed.
This session is finished.
Ah!
- You okay?
- No. That was humiliating.
I know, but you passed
and so did your asset.
Wait.
- Seriously?
- Yeah.
Oh, good. Fuck.
- Listen, about Max...
- Stop.
I truly do not care
that you saw her naked.
I'd be shocked
if she didn't try and seduce you.
- That's Asset 101.
- Yeah.
And it's not why I'm breaking up with you.
What? Wait, you're breaking up with me?
You're a fun guy, Owen.
And the sex is top notch.
But this thing that you do
where you stumble through serious stuff
and hope that it works out well...
it's too 20-something for me.
I have my whole career mapped out.
The last thing that I need
is to be dating some wildcard
who doesn't even know what tomorrow holds.
Be very careful with those two women.
You can't trust either of them.
Yeah.
Congratulations,
not only did you pass your polygraph,
but you got your boss to call mine
to insist that you stay
on my operation through reinsertion?
No, I didn't.
But if you ever try to sabotage me again,
it'll end badly for you.
Consider me unafraid.
Enough posturing.
Let's focus on what's next:
buying my way back in.
Do you know yet who I need to bribe?
Lev Orlova.
Oh, shit.
We definitely don't have enough money.
He used to work with my husband.
He thought he should be made
a lieutenant instead of me.
He's gonna want at least 10 million
to make it hurt.
That's three million more.
We really can't get it from the agency?
Not without explaining
what we need it for.
Which will level the Potemkin Village
we just built.
Can you unsanction a Swiss bank account?
I'm guessing you used to launder money
into Swiss banks under an assumed name?
Five of them. But all the accounts
were locked six years ago
when the U.S. hit Belarus and Russia
with sanctions.
So we have to
get your accounts unsanctioned.
Yes. You do.
- Me?
- You insisted on staying involved.
No, I didn't. I...
Fine. How do I get the sanctions lifted?
You're the lawyer, figure it out.
Kryptos Donuts, as promised.
- Score.
- Thank you.
Late night cereal sesh? Right on.
So?
How's the hangover going?
Tolerable.
How was your day?
It was so good.
Solved some problems, made a new one.
Oh, Amelia dumped me,
said I was too 20-something for her.
She meant 14.
I was gonna say 12.
Well, it's nice to know
I can count on your compassion.
- Can I ask a Treasury Department question?
- Okay.
One of my new problems
has to do with international sanctions.
But I can't give you the specifics.
- It'll make it hard for me to help you.
- Okay, um...
Let's say Tony the Tiger works
for a foreign criminal organization
which the U.S. has sanctioned.
Are we talking tariffs, embargoes, NTBs,
or has Snap, Crackle, and Pop
frozen Tony's individual assets?
The last one.
Okay, it's probably a unilateral sanction
on an SDN.
Specially Designated National.
Okay. Is there any way to get that lifted?
You'd need an act of God, basically.
My parents have repped several oligarchs
over the years.
It's so gross, and they have never gotten
the U.S. government to budge on sanctions.
Is there any way at all Tony the Tiger
could get into one of those
sanctioned accounts
without Snap, Crackle and Pop knowing?
No. There's a giant list of sanctioned
accounts that goes to all the banks.
It's updated daily and each account
is literally locked
into the bank's computers.
A red flag goes up
if anyone tries to access them.
The only way to unlock an account
is to get it excluded by the bank.
Okay, so who do I have
to talk to about that?
Yo!
As requested. Thanks for meeting me.
No problem.
You made it sound so clandestine,
how could I refuse?
You know, in giving me these,
I win the scavenger hunt. I beat Terence.
Yeah.
Unfortunately, national security
trumps friendship at this moment.
What's going on?
I can't give you details
because this is so sensitive,
but I need sanctions lifted
on a few Swiss bank accounts.
They were swept up
in Russian sanctions six years ago.
Yeah, no.
Russia is way too radioactive.
I know, but these are tangential.
They're tied to
a mid-level criminal in Belarus.
No one's gonna give a shit.
The money in the accounts is crucial
to the success of a covert operation.
One with profound
national security benefits.
You'd be making a huge difference.
- Why can't you go through proper channels?
- You know why.
Nobody wants to put their name
on something that could fail.
But it's not going to.
That's what they all say.
Yeah.
Why should I stick my neck out for you?
You mean
how can I make it worth your while?
You tell me.
I want a date.
With your roommate.
I mean, I can ask.
Pretty sure he'll say yes.
Well, if he does, I will release
the sanctions on one account for one hour.
That's the only way they go unnoticed.
Deal?
Deal.
♪ Breaking ice, see your motorbike
Blazing through the sky ♪
I need to clarify something
before you're wheels up.
The results of your swirl? You aced it.
Except for here,
when the polygrapher asked if the
squeaky wheel had lied about anything.
Yes, sir, it was nothing relevant.
The asset had a child that died,
a long time ago.
She answered "none"
when asked if she had any children.
Technically, it wasn't a lie. And I didn't
wanna give Dawn emotional leverage...
Why the fuck not?
This asset has a proverbial gun
to our heads.
Threatening to expose secrets.
We need all the leverage we can get.
Yes, sir. With respect, I wasn't finished.
I will use every ounce of leverage
that we have to protect the agency.
I just don't trust Dawn Gilbane
to do the same.
I agree.
Which is why I'm sending you.
If Gilbane has been compromised,
you need to get me the proof.
The next 48 hours are mission critical.
We'll drop you in Italy, where you'll
continue on to Geneva by car.
While you secure fresh money
from Meladze's accounts,
my team and I will take your bag of cash,
and we will head to Germany
where we will begin mission planning
your reinsertion into Belarus.
- What?
- There's no way that you allow us
to run around Geneva
without operational oversight.
Xander Goi landed in Geneva an hour ago.
He is setting up shop at the consulate.
I'm sending you to Geneva
to backstop Hendricks.
Does he know this?
No, and if things go smoothly,
he never will.
And if things go sideways,
do we protect him or the asset?
You protect the agency.
If you can do that...
and support Hendricks, fine,
if not, can't swing a dead cat
in this town without hitting a new lawyer.
You excited? You're going home.
First, we need to survive the journey.