Welcome to Chippendales (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 7 - Paper Is Paper - full transcript

Steve Banerjee?

You're the creator
of Chippendales.

Yes, yes, I am.

Here you go.

You missed
your deposition.

- This is a
class-action lawsuit.

You have to take this
seriously, Steve.

This could destroy
us financially.

No matter what shady
scheming bullshit is going down,

there's always one person
who'll have your back.

Everybody's
trying to copy me.



Profit off what I built,
my risk, my hard work!

You swore an oath
of loyalty, Ray.

I know that.

Then show me you meant it.

- I'm talking about a
tour. A Chippendales tour.

So I get
half the profit?

- You, uh, you
understand all that?

How you even know
he's being real with you

about how much
money's coming in?

By the looks of things,
something ain't right.

You are king
of the jungle,

you own that stage, guys.

Scotty, hat back, I
wanna see those eyes.

I wanna see those hungry eyes!



Okay, backs
straight, dicks hard!

Here they are.

Energy, energy, energy!

The men
of Chippendales!

Go, go, go, go, go, go,
go, go!

Go, go, go!
Go, go, go, go, go!

I fucking
love Cleveland!

This is Cincinnati!

What's
the difference?

♪ Been working so hard ♪

♪ I'm punching my card ♪

♪ Eight hours for what ♪

♪ Oh tell me what I got ♪

♪ I'll hit the ceiling ♪

♪ Or else I'll
tear up this town ♪

♪ Tonight I gotta cut loose ♪

♪ Footloose ♪

♪ Kick off your Sunday shoes ♪

♪ Please Louise ♪

♪ Pull me up off my knees ♪

♪ Jack get back ♪

♪ C'mon before we crack ♪

♪ Lose your blues ♪

♪ Everybody cut footloose ♪

Aah! Give it to me!

You gotta shake
it.

Blow on 'em, blow on 'em,
blown on 'em, blown on 'em!

- Shake it, shake it.
- Ah!

I think that works in my favor!

Six, se...

Boardwalk!

- Come on!
- It's my favorite hotel.

Pay up, sucker.

Bradford, do you
have any more coke?

Uh,
check my toiletry.

It's in a fancy vial.

Count it and count
it good.

How could
you do that to me?

Well, all's fair in love
and Monopoly, honey.

Well, your ruthlessness
is a real turn-on.

- Oh yeah?
- Get over here.

- How, how much of
a turn-on is it?

Jesus, get a room!

This is our room, Denise.

Yeah, Denise!

Oh well,
so much for sleep.

We can sleep on
the bus.

We can sleep when we're dead.

Let me in here, you!

- Hey, Scott, it's
Denise from Chippendales.

I'm calling about those
October dates we talked about.

So, the 22nd is
looking best for us.

We just added a Grand
Rapids show on the 21st,

so I'm just thinking we'll come
right to your club and we...

I'm sorry?

- What? SCOTT: I'm
just a little confused.

Mm-hmm?

You're already booked.

What, what do you mean?

- October 14th. You're
playing our theater.

- When did we book a...
I didn't, I didn't call.

Not you, the other guy.

Who, Nick?

No.

Bradford.

- I forget his name, he was...

He, he had an accent.

Are you insane?!

You cannot fucking launch a
competing Chippendales tour!

But, Nick, I just did.

Yes,
well, you're gonna stop.

- I mean, I have every
right. It's my company.

Not the tour.

The tour is mine!

You signed over the
rights, remember?

Yes, and what did I sign it on?

A House of Pies napkin.

Well, paper is paper, Steve.

Expect to hear from my lawyer!

Fucking asshole!

Jesus Christ!

"This
court hereby grants

"plaintiff's temporary restraining
order and preliminary injunction

"so that Steve Banerjee
may not utilize

"the Chippendales
name, style, or essence

in operating its tour."

- Fix it.
- Fix what, the law?

What if we change the name?

Something like
Chippendales Experience

or, or Chippendales Mania,

you know, like that
Beatles Mania Beatles show?

You want to do a
tribute act to your own tour?

I'm just brainstorming.

Look, I gotta go.

Thank you for coming by.

Of course.

Um...

Oh, oh right.

Um...

Could you

maybe wait a week to cash that?

Ma nishtana.

Thank you, Cheryl.

- He did this on purpose. He
knew exactly what he was doing.

Well, he duped you.

Hm?

You were duped. He tricked you.

Yes.

Yes, and

none of this was
your fault at all.

That's right, not at all.

What are those?

Pills.

- Safe flight. Call me when
you land. - I will.

Have you
got your Valium?

I know how you get
with turbulence.

I don't
need anything.

I'm gonna be asleep by the
time the plane takes off.

I beg to differ. I
think you need something.

A little help would be
really good for you.

I don't need any help.

- I don't want you to
be upset. - Nick!

Shouldn't we get going?

Yeah.

Hey, Denise, can
I have him alone

for just like one
minute? - Sorry.

Sorry.

I'll be there in a second.

No, no, I'm sorry.

It's okay. I'll
be there in a second.

- Get on the bus!
- Go!

- That's gotta stop.
- I know. I know.

We just, we love each other.

- Well, great, but I'm not
in a relationship with her.

You, you gotta draw a line.

So how about now?

What do you mean?

- I mean, don't get
on the stupid bus.

- Come on.
- And come back to New York with me.

What, and leave her
out here all alone?

Look, the last thing
I would want to do

is to ask you to
choose between us.

However...

Call me when you land.

You disappoint me terribly.

Hey.

What are you doing?

Um...

I think we have
to sell the house.

Okay, that's, that's absurd.

- We're bouncing vendor
checks left and right.

Between the lawsuit,
the violations,

and the calendar disaster, I
don't think we're gonna make it.

- Okay, I know things are a little
bit bumpy right now, but we...

Bumpy?

Stevie.

We're bleeding money like crazy.

If not for the New York club
and the tour, I don't...

Oh right, if not for Nick.

- I didn't say that.
- That is what you meant, didn't you?

Oh, my God, you've
got to let it go!

- I have to let it go? You're the
one who keeps talking about Nick

like he's amazing,
he's our savior,

everything he touches turns
to gold! Nick, Nick, Nick.

- You sound crazy!
- I sound crazy? I am capable, Irene!

I'm...

I am capable, Irene.

Of course, you are.
I know you are.

Trust me, I've got this.

I got it. I understand.

I understand.

- It's coming. Show's gonna get started...
- What are you doing?

- Huh?
- Let them in!

We're way over the limit.

- We've already been
penalized to the maximum.

At this point, what
does it matter?

- Let them in.
- I mean...

Let them all in
right now, right now.

- Thank God, Steve! Thank you.
- Welcome, ladies, $10.

Welcome to Chippendales.
Have a wonderful night.

Thank you. Thank you so much.

Thank you. Have a good night.

You're going to have
a wonderful time.

The men of
Chippendales!

Have a wonderful night.

Thank you. $10.

Thank you. Thank you.

Have a wonderful night.

Thank you.

They are revoking
your fire permit.

Uh, you're gonna have
to close your doors.

For how long?

If the city has
its way? Forever.

- We'll fight this. We'll
fight this in court.

You've already
paid for my kid's braces.

Now you wanna pay
for his bar mitzvah?

It's over, Steve.

- What's over?
- The club.

Chippendales Los Angeles.

It's over.

That's a backwards three!

Oh, we're all out of Es.

Then why spell "tonight"
like that?

Huh?

- You spell "tonight"
T-O-N-I-G-H-T.

Take the E off that and
put it in the Chippendales,

and then our sign
won't look like shit.

- Thank you.
- Yeah.

- Oh, my God.
- Success!

- Yeah, woo-hoo!
- Here we are!

You've got this.

Got what?

- This. All of this.
- Okay.

So... I'm gonna go
back to New York.

What?

You don't need me.

What are you
talking about, Nick?

- Of course, I need you.
- You don't.

I mean, maybe you haven't noticed,
but you're doing everything.

You're booking the gigs, you're,
you're managing the dancers,

you're coordinating the travel.

I mean, you're in
total fucking command.

Most days, I, I don't
even need to come in.

You wanna go to go be with him.

I do.

- There's a million guys
to fuck on the road, Nick.

I don't want to fuck other guys.

- We had a deal.
- I know.

I know.

What?

But I love him.

But we're the couple.

We're not.

Not really.

You're gonna pick him over me?

I think you're
being unrealistic.

Why not pick me?

- You know why.
- You could pick me.

- Oh, could you...
Do I have to say it?

Well, you were
married to a woman!

You've already done the thing!

Yeah, because I was
in love with her.

- Denise, I...

Can you just be happy for me?

No.

Denise.
Fuck you very much!

Guten tag!

We will
now discuss ze upcoming

- invasion of Europe.
- Wow!

Yeah.

Ze plan for European
domination is as follows.

First, ze Chippendale
armies will land in England,

launching a full-scale
assault of the sexy.

Zen we will move
across ze channel,

where we will take Paris.

Come here.

What?

Come here.

Those French broads
won't know what hit 'em.

Absolute surrender.

Hey.

Hold that thought.

Why?

- I have to pee. I had
three iced teas at lunch.

I'll miss you.

Not half as much
as I'll miss you.

Uh...

Nick?

Nick. Nick.

Nick. No, no, no,
no, no, no, please.

Please, please, please,
please.

Jesus Christ.

Oh God.

Help! Somebody help me!

Will somebody...

Help!

Steve?

Steve?

Irene?

What's going on?

It's Nick.

What about Nick?

He's dead.

- What? IRENE:
He was murdered.

- What are you talking about?
- This morning in the New York office.

Somebody just came
in and shot him.

- Who?
- I don't know.

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Oh!

Was anyone there?

What?

Did anybody see the,
the murder happen?

I don't know. I'm not sure.

Well, who told you?

Bobby.

And how did Bobby hear about it?

Bradford, because he
found the body.

But he didn't witness it?

No, he was, um,

he was down the hall, and then
he heard the gunshot and then

and then he found Nick.

Sounds like just
a random robbery.

- Hm?
- You know, just, um,

a random stick-up or
something like that.

That's what it sounds like.

Yeah, maybe.

- New York is such a
terribly violent place.

Can't believe it.

Steve.

I'm sorry.

I know you two weren't
exactly the closest.

Yeah, we had our differences,

but I would never
wish harm upon him.

Of course not.

Steve!

Steve!

Fucking murderer!

Steve!

Steve! Steve!

Steve!

Steve!

You're a killer!

Steve!

Steve!

- I will see you in jail.
- Shh. Shh.

- You fuckin' shit!
- Denise!

Steve!

- You're a murderer!
- Hey, hey, hey!

- Denise! Denise! Hey! Hey!
- I know what you did!

- Okay, be quiet, there
are neighbors, okay.

It's early in the morning. Just
talk quietly and we can talk.

- Tell me why you ripped
my fucking heart out!

- Stop talking for one moment, okay.
- Murderer!

- Take a deep breath.
- Where's Irene?

- Get in the car and leave and
then we'll talk later, okay.

You talk to me.

- You're drunk. Go, sleep, and then
come back and we can talk, okay.

You're saying crazy
shit. Shut up.

- Am I being crazy or am I being sane?
- Yes!

- You fucking piece of shit!
- Okay.

What game are you
playing? - Shh, shh, shh!

I can see it in your eyes!

- You killed him!
- Shush! Don't talk!

You're a murderer!

- Irene!
- No, hey, hey, hey. Okay.

- Denise, you have to
stop screaming, sweetie.

You're screaming too
loud. What's going on?

She's drunk or on
drugs or something.

- She's not making any sense.
- Honey, look at me.

You're screaming.

- Irene, I'm so glad you're here.
- She's not making any sense.

Your husband

- is a murderer.
- She's not making any sense.

- You're not making any sense.
- You're with a murderer!

- Shut up! DENISE: You
do know what I'm saying!

- Stop talking for one second,
okay. We have neighbors.

Watch him.

You...

- Nick... Nick was...
- We loved... Nick was my friend.

Oh, fuck you! No, you
didn't! - Okay?

- Are you in on it?
- Be quiet!

You have blood on
your hands, Irene.

- Shut up.
- Blood on your hands.

How dare you?

- Blood on your hands!
- Come on.

You have
blood on your hands!

- We have to call the police.
- Irene, listen to me!

She's losing her mind.

- Oh no. We don't need to call the police.
- She's at the gate

- in the front of our house screaming.
- No. No.

Yes, she's going to calm down

- and then she'll go home. We don't...
- We have to call the cops.

No, just think about
this for a second.

- We have to call the police.
- No, I'm call...

Do not call the police!

Okay.

We don't need to
call the police.

Okay?

I'm gonna go check on the baby.

Steve?

I noticed there was $15,000
missing from the safe.

What did you do with that money?

What did you do with that money?

What did you do
with that money?!

Oh, my God!

- Irene.
- Oh, my God!

Irene.

Irene, baby, what's going on?

Irene, talk to me.

Irene.

- Please, please, please,
please, please. - No.

Hey. Irene,
baby, please.

You really think I would
do something like that?

Are you crazy? Just look at me.

Just look at me and
just talk to me.

- Hey, hey! Just look at me!
- No! Get the...

Don't touch me! No!

- Just... Hey!
- No! No.

Hey.

You know me. You know me.

- You know me.
- I don't fucking know you!

Get
the fuck off of me!

Hey, little girl, hey.

Hi, sweetie, we're gonna, we're
gonna go on a little trip.

Hey. I know. Are
you up, sleepyhead?

Come here.

Come here, I gotcha.

Oh...

Please, please, please, please.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

For what, Steve?

Irene?

Hello, I'm looking
for Steve Banerjee.

Who is this?

This is Scott Garriola.

I'm a special
agent with the FBI.

Your name is Somen.

My birth name, yes.

That's funny.

Why's it funny?

You know, it just,

"Shomen,"

and you show men.

That's...

I mean, you never...

Okay.

May I ask why I'm here?

- Yeah, well, as I'm,
I'm sure you're aware...

Nick De Noia was murdered.

Yes.

- I hope to God you catch
whoever it is responsible.

You and me both.

Unfortunately, I
have no information

that will help you in
your investigation.

So how long were you
and Nick partners?

We were not partners.

- No?
- I was his boss.

Oh.

How long were you his boss?

About seven years.

- That's a long time.
- Yes, it is.

- How would you characterize
your relationship?

Characterize it?

Yeah.

Was it good, was it bad,

did you fight much?

We had the occasional
disagreement.

Mm-hmm.

- But no more than a
typical work relationship.

Huh.

May I ask why the
FBI is involved?

I would think this would
fall under the auspices

of New York City police.

- Yeah, so Chippendales is
considered interstate commerce

because you have the
clubs and the tour,

which, you know, it
kicks it upstairs to us.

I did not realize
that's how it works.

That's how it works.

But, yeah, we are, we're
working closely with them on it.

Anyway, um,

so what kind of things
did you two fight about?

- Boring work things,
you know, just...

- Could you please just
answer the question?

Am I a suspect?

I didn't say that.
Did I say that?

You're treating
me like a suspect.

I'm just gathering information.

- Just getting context.
- Context.

- And Nick, he controlled the,
uh, the touring rights, right?

He did, yes.

And that seemed to
be going pretty well.

- Yeah, the tour is one of our
most profitable revenue streams.

Yeah, did that bother you,

that he had such a lucrative
part of the company?

- Not at all.
- Actually, maybe the most lucrative, huh?

- I have 50 percent stake in it. I
was thrilled with its performance.

Now, your failed club,

there were issues
over the years.

Issues?

Yeah, overcrowding, fines,

all sorts of trouble
with the city.

Any club in LA has
things like this.

And then, of course,
the lawsuit, right?

You kept Black people
out of your club.

- Okay... That is not...
- And Hispanics or gays.

- Or anybody else...
- You are not understanding the actual...

- that you found undesirable.
- That is not how it w...

- That is an unfair...
- Did you let Indians in?

- What does this have to
do with Nick's murder?

- I don't know, it just seems
like there's a pattern here.

A pattern?

A contempt for authority.

A certain

disregard for the law.

If you think blocked fire exits

- has anything to do with...
- Hey, hey, hey, take it easy.

Just take it easy.

This is your society.

I beg your pardon?

You made these rules.

You made it so that some
people are born at the bottom.

Why is it my job to come fix it?

I just wanted a successful
business for me and my family.

You put people like
me at the bottom.

You made fun of the name
that my father gave me.

You made it so difficult for me.

And still I made it.

I have everything,
and I regret nothing.

He's guilty. A hundred percent.

Sure as hell seems that way.

- There's just one problem. There's
not a shred of hard evidence.

We'll just keep
digging and then hopefully

something turns up.

And if not?

Then he gets away with murder.