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[explosion]
[***]
[footsteps]
[***]
CORRESPONDENT 1 (ON TV): As we enter the final week
of this historic three-horse race.
I'm surrounded by passionate supporters
of a candidate who burst onto the scene
-no more than five months ago. -ELI: Lucas.
LUCAS (OVER CELLPHONE): Hey.
Did you find him?
-[indistinct chatter] -Uh, no. Not yet.
ELI (OVER CELLPHONE): Where are you?
I'm by ATB.
SHARON (ON TV): A story unheard of
in the history of American politics.
One year ago, former gold medalist,
Nate Sterling, took the political world
by surprise and by storm with his best-selling manifesto,
a Declaration of Independence, a modern-day common sense.
CORRESPONDENT 2 (ON TV): Here we are at Nate Sterling's biggest rally yet.
The independent candidate has created a tsunami,
thrashing its way through America's two-party landscape
as he leads Republican nominee Patricia Turnbull by two points
with just one week to go.
The senior senator from Tennessee beat out ten
of her fellow Republicans in the primary
by courting both the moderate and far left.
CORRESPONDENT 3 (ON TV): President Archer will need
to pull off a miracle to have any hope of securing
a second term.
With an approval rating in the basement,
some are calling the Democratic incumbent
a sitting duck.
He's about to do a hit
on Politics Nightly with Jane Bower.
JANE (ON TV): Nate Sterling is set
to take the stage any minute now.
Shit. Call back when you get him.
JANE (ON TV): But until then, I'm pleased to welcome
Nicholas Booker, esteemed columnist
for the Washington Chronicle and lion of the fourth state.
NICK (ON TV): Oh!
You're too kind, Jane.
[Jane chuckling on TV]
JANE (ON TV): The election is a dead heat.
If it's anything like the last two elections,
it could come down to a few thousand votes
and a handful of swing states, or if it's a repeat of 2000,
a few hundred votes.
Your column is read by a few million.
Your readers really listen to you.
They trust you.
I call it like I see it.
What do you see here?
[crowd cheering]
(***)
Well, I have good news and bad news.
Which do you want first?
-SUPPORTER 1: Bad news! -[Nate scoffing]
NATE: Right! Always the bad. Here it is.
My little girl turned 21 yesterday.
[crowd cheering]
[sighs]
And the first thing Alison did was make sure
her voter registration was current.
[crowd cheering]
Ah, 21 years.
Those of you with kids, you know how fast
the time goes.
And as I looked at those candles flickering on top
of that birthday cake, it brought me back
to the big moments of her life.
Her first words,
her first steps, her first day of school.
[crowd cheering]
But then my mind wandered
to all she's seen in her young life.
Terror reaching our shores.
Two long and costly wars. A great recession.
A deadly global pandemic.
Classrooms getting shot up every other month.
Climate getting harsher by the day.
SUPPORTERS: Yeah!
Our very capitol, the people's house, under siege.
-SUPPORTER 1: Yes! -And the sad truth
is one party fuels this rage while the other sits
on their hands and whines about it.
Now, you want the good news?
SUPPORTERS: Yeah!
The good news is...
my daughter Alison turned 21 yesterday.
[crowd cheering]
And as she blew out
those candles on top of that cake,
a funny thing happened.
The flames reignited.
So, she blew 'em out again.
And then the flames came back again.
And no matter how hard she tried,
she couldn't blow those candles out.
And that made me think two things.
One, my wife has a wonderful sense of humor.
-And two, -[crowd laughing]
just like those candles, we always come back.
America always comes back.
[crowd cheering]
And we have to dig deep and do it again.
Because Alison deserves better. Our young people deserve better.
They deserve to look forward to the future
the way we used to, with hope, with pride, with excitement.
There's no more time for cruelty or fear.
There's no more time for incompetence or inaction.
Their time is up! Our time is now!
America's time is now!
[crowd cheering]
And if you stand with me,
and you vote for me, and you keep fighting
for real change with me,
I promise we will get our fire back, too.
(***)
Now, let me tell you how we're gonna do it.
ANNOUNCER (ON TV): The general election is finally upon us.
And once again, we're forced to choose
between the lesser of two evils.
On one side, a Democrat in decline,
and on the other,
a Republican in the pockets of corporate America.
Oh, boy, our country is mired in a recession,
the whole world's on fire, and these are the best
two people we can come up with? I mean, come on!
Good luck, everyone. We're going to need it.
GORDON: Good news!
We've been bought again.
As I'm sure, some of you have already heard,
Mr. Jack Hampton is our newest overlord.
Of course, I'm gonna try to minimize the casualties,
but it's no secret,
our readership is, uh, spreading thin.
If we hope to compete, we're gonna have to get down
in the mud with the pigs.
And how low does Mr. Hampton want us to go?
Conspiracy clickbait?
Ten thousand words on celebrity pets?
We have to evolve.
The only reason we're not worm feed
like half the other papers in this godforsaken country
is because we do not stop to tread water.
If we don't keep swimmin', we die.
You.
I'm looking for new, innovative ideas.
Something that will ensure that we are all still employed
come Labor Day. Hmm?
We need to win the battle for Millenials and Gen Z.
-Uh-huh. -We-- we program around the Facebook algorithm.
Expand our social media presence.
He, whose name I don't care
to learn, seems to think that because I've got grandkids
born before the Internet, I don't know
that we need to expand. Of course.
I have got a whole fucking sweatshop
working like a Russian troll farm to expand
our social media presence. Okay?
I've also got an army of halfwits
twice as smart as you--
A high school in West Virginia
is going to a four-day school week,
because of budget cuts.
I had a call with the principal--
And how's that gonna sell papers?
I thought--
I mean, cutting a whole day out of the school week--
What percentage
of our readership do you think has ever set foot
in West Virginia?
And as for the banjo-pickers themselves,
if it ain't Fox or Infowars, they ain't readin' it.
Well, maybe that's why they don't read the Chronicle.
They got a point calling themselves
the forgotten people and calling us
condescending coastal elitists.
We are elite.
And if you don't start acting like it,
you're gonna be a forgotten person before you know it.
The school in question is 90 percent minority.
It's gonna make the achievement gap even wider.
Of course, the private school kids
-are gonna be just fine. -GORDON: What else?
Hmm?
Nate Sterling.
Ah. You again.
I hear he's jumping into the race next week.
And you think I haven't heard those rumors?
It's bullshit. It's publicity for his book.
My source on the ground says
he just hired Kathy Gibbs as his campaign manager.
Independents. They're like bees.
Once they sting, they die.
If he does announce, he might buzz around
the honey jar for a week or two, but nobody outside
the two-party system has ever cracked
20 percent of the poles.
Now, it'd be a fool's errand.
His camp secretly hired
a pollster to test his numbers against potential nominees.
When Turnbull secured the bid, they saw a real opening
for an independent like him.
They know he's gonna have to thread the needle,
but it's not impossible.
So, what are you suggesting?
We get in early.
Prep a cover feature.
The wave is coming with this guy.
We may as well paddle out to the break.
Tell me why I would waste my front page on this neophyte?
Are you referring to me or Sterling, sir?
GORDON: Both.
You willing to bet your job on this fever dream of yours?
If we short him, we'll be kicking ourselves later.
But if we're early to the party, we might just sell
enough papers to give the Russian trolls
an extra ten minutes on their lunch break.
[breathes deeply]
Hmm.
[clicks tongue]
Fuck it.
How can I fold when a wounded cub is all in?
Ackerman, you take the reins on the Sterling feature.
Choose your own co-pilot.
I'll take Conrad.
So, you're gonna give me the source of Sterling's camp?
Look, look, look, look. I get it. I get it. All right?
You wanted that story. And that was a valiant effort.
It was. But, you know, karma is still a bitch.
-And so am I. -[chuckles]
Come on. Look.
It's a hard time for guys like me right now.
I mean, look around you.
Oh, come on.
A little awareness maybe--
Okay. Thanks.
Make up your mind.
Either you're a victim or a big shot.
Kid gets to scoop Ackerman's shit on his first cover story.
And suddenly, he's schizophrenic.
[chuckles] No. I was just--
Were you just thanking Eli for the opportunity?
Yeah.
I never liked that arrogant little boat shoe.
Email me the best thing you've ever written.
Which piece did you send him?
The Honduran refugee one?
-Yeah. -Holy shit. He is gonna love it.
What?
Nothing.
What is this?
Now, when did you have time to--
You've been working so hard, I thought,
"He deserves the finest grape Safeway has on offer."
Mm. [does chef's kiss]
[chuckles]
Penny ships off tomorrow.
So, if my mom breaks down in tears, don't be too alarmed.
LUCAS: Your mom? What about you?
Remember the last time she deployed?
[Eli chuckles]
ELI: That's smart, buddy.
LUCAS: Ooh!
-ELI: Hi. -Hello.
LUCAS: Hey.
To my beautiful daughters.
Penelope and Elisha.
One makes the news and one reports it.
[chuckles]
Oh, wow. You make it sound so romantic.
Most days, I just stand by the printer
and get paper cuts.
Well, you accepted the risk when you signed up for the job.
ELI: Why don't you just go AWOL,
and come bunk up with me and Lucas?
PENNY: That'd be fun.
As long as you're cool with harboring a deserter
with a warrant out for her arrest.
Let's change the subject, shall we?
-Eli has some breaking news. -Oh.
She managed to get on the radar of one Nicholas Booker.
Nicholas Booker, huh?
See, now that's what you need.
Your own opinion column.
I'm not on the Daily Tar Heel anymore, dad.
Columns don't just drop out of thin air at the Chronicle.
Well, you wanna have a real impact.
Change minds. You need a pulpit.
A column in the Chronicle is like the pope's balcony
-for Christ's sake. -I'm working on it, daddy.
I'm just saying it might take a couple decades. That's all.
The Dalai Lama was a god-king at 2.
LUCAS: Man has a point.
-Oh, yeah? -Mm-hmm.
Mm. Wow.
Does the man know that religion and politics
are about the only two topics to avoid
when you got a dinner guest?
HAL: Who, Lucas?
He's practically family.
Speaking of, when are you two gonna make that official?
[chuckles]
LUCAS: Have you got any new additions to your collection?
-No, but wait. When are we gonna make it official? -No, no, no. This is important.
-[laughs] -Right.
You know, I never asked you, which one was your first?
HAL: The day we realized
the government had been lying to us all along,
sending me and my friends halfway around the world
to kill and be killed.
Years after, Nixon knew the war was unwinnable.
LUCAS: Do you have a favorite?
He did before it was retracted.
HAL: That's what happens when you play fast.
I wasn't playing, dad.
He played me. There's a difference.
Sweetheart, you let yourself get played.
Why don't you all come in here,
so we can give Penny a proper send-off?
[indistinct chatter]
RECEPTIONIST: He's in meetings all day, but I can give you his card.
ELI: Thanks.
Oh, there he goes right now.
That'll be on Saturday's draw.
Thank you, Sharon.
ELI: Mr. Mayfield.
Eli James, Washington Chronicle.
You're the one who keeps calling.
I'm doing a story
on drastic cuts in public school budgets,
-and it's my understanding that-- -I'm sorry.
I'm late for a meeting.
Our boys looked good this year.
We play like we did against the Tar Heels
in the ACC final, we might really have a shot next year.
You're a Blue Devil?
Yes, sir. Class of '08.
Ah. Well, I got a few decades on you as you can...
Bowties never go out of fashion.
Listen, I gotta ask,
how has the recession affected your jackpots?
Oh, as it affected all of us.
The numbers might have dipped but--
Well, I would have thought that
jackpots would rise in the recession.
How's that?
You know, a lot more desperate daydreamers.
I think you mean grown adults and valued customers.
You should go grab a ticket yourself.
Gotta be in it to win it.
(***)
[indistinct chatter]
8:00 p.m. tonight at The Monaco.
If you're not early, you're late.
[indistinct chatter]
I don't have time for pleasantries.
I've got a hit on CNN at 10:00 p.m.
What are you staring at?
I'm sorry. I just have read every single one of your columns
-since I was in seventh grade-- -I don't need idol worship.
I need something else from you. Sit down.
I'm getting out.
As soon as this election's over, I'm turning in my quill,
and moving to the country.
What? No, you can't retire yet.
Who are you, my accountant?
Well, what good are you gonna do out in retirement?
I'll bury myself in Bourbon.
I can read fiction for a change.
And I might even watch golf on Sundays.
Institutions are crumbling.
Okay? Reality is under attack.
You're one of the only voices whCome on. Come on.--
Tweets with cats boxing yarn get more eyeballs
than a column these days.
I've had a good run.
But what journalism's become, I'm done with it.
There's a reason they tell you not to meet your heroes.
Then why did you invite me here?
ENRIQUE: Mr. Booker!
And how are we tonight?
Ah! Can't complain, Enrique.
Isn't that your job, sir?
Best steak in town.
Only reason I allow him to get away
with being such a smartass.
[Enrique chuckles]
Oh, right. Um,
I...
I'll just have the house salad.
Bring us two rib-eye.
ENRIQUE: Rare?
NICK: Bloody.
Rule number one, you want the rib-eye,
get the rib-eye.
And that's the last time I'm doing it for you.
Excuse me, Enrique?
Give me the house salad.
And the lobster tail.
And may I?
A bottle of the '04 Chablis. Feels like a good vintage.
[laughs]
-How are you? -ELI: Oh.
Lovely to see you.
Hi, Gregg.
Oh, fuck me. She's coming over.
Who are you?
-Eli James. Pleasure to meet you. -A pleasure.
NICK: Your campaign finance bill
proved quite the battle, Senator.
Passed just in time for the run-up to the generals.
Flawless orchestration.
Nicky never was one for small talk.
NICK: I gave you a gold star
for pulling your party out of the insane asylum,
-but this bill... -Good bill, Nick.
It's Citizens United on meth.
First, corporations, and now, individuals?
Oh! She's feisty, this one.
NICK: But she's not wrong.
How many of your billionaire boy toys are bidding a path
towards your bedroom door now that you've cut
the chastity belt off their checkbooks?
Before you go defaming the FSCA,
you might want to look up the word, freedom,
in your pocket dictionary.
Turns out, people like it.
Oh, relax. Relax.
I'm not gonna write about your Free Speech Campaign Act.
No? What you gonna write about?
Your Fuck Small Contributions Act.
[Turnbull laughs]
Listen, I'd love to flirt all night,
but my husband's a jealous man.
I just came by to say, I look forward
to Sunday's column.
A good shellacking from Nicholas Booker
is the best endorsement a candidate could ask for.
If you need help clarifying the fine print on the bill,
door's always open.
I'll call your aide tomorrow.
I wasn't talking to you.
Call anytime.
Don't be shy.
NICK: Rule number two,
Congressmen think they're presidents,
senators think they're kings,
and presidents think they're god.
Yeah, well, I'm an atheist.
NICK: Hmm.
-You married? -ELI: No.
-NICK: Good. Don't. -Is that a rule or a suggestion?
I'm getting divorced again.
-Fool me twice. -ELI: Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh, no, no.
It's uh-- [chuckles]
Congratulations is more appropriate.
Oh, well...
I think you're the one.
What does that mean exactly?
I need someone in my corner on these next few columns.
Gonna be short on time
with the old lady trying to nail me to the cross.
Plus, my TV schedule is wall to wall
with the general heating up.
You be my Angelo Dundee now,
and I'll be your Don King when I get my life back.
You-- you want me to--
I want you to help me with my columns.
[chuckles]
NICK: I'll-- I'll tell you what I wanna cover.
You assist with research, uh, share your notes.
[clears throat] Proof my drafts.
Why me?
NICK: Don't fish. It's unseemly.
No, I just--
NICK: Look. You stood up to Gordon yesterday
when most guys who'd been there two decades
sat with pricks in their hand.
And your writing, it's got punch.
It's raw, but there's something there.
Wow.
In the interest of full disclosure,
I was fired from the Globe.
NICK: You wanted that felon's sob story to be true,
because you had something to say about
the criminal justice system.
You let ambition and bias blind you to the fact
that that fuckwit had something to gain by bullshitting you.
Moral of the story, always follow the facts,
wherever they lead.
Sometimes, it's not where you wanna go.
But you go anyway.
Is that rule number four?
No, that's not a rule.
That's a commandment.
Besides, that felon had three strikes to his name.
Why shouldn't you?
Mistakes used to make you better.
Now, you're not allowed to be human.
Well, fuck that!
You learned your lesson, and I'm buying the dip.
What do you say?
Yeah.
Wonderful.
Now,
I'll need your notes on Sunday's column
by noon tomorrow.
What's our angle?
Reporters use their eyes and ears,
columnists use their brains.
We'll know what my angle is by noon tomorrow, won't we?
Yeah.
ANNOUNCER(ON TV): Well, if you think Archer
has a grasp on foreign policy, then tell me why he refuses
to stand up to China.
I mean, we've got ten times the military spending of Russia,
and yet he cowers in the face of the Kremlin.
Look, he's just a weak president.
I'm just gonna-- I won't say it.
Republicans know it, our allies, and we all know it.
And let's be honest, the Democrats know it, too.
[hums]
What are you so giddy about?
-Wouldn't you like to know? -LUCAS: Oh!
[Lucas chuckles]
[hums]
LUCAS: How'd it go?
[chuckles]
[hums]
-LUCAS: No. -Oh, yeah. It's coming down.
LUCAS: Get outta here. It's coming down.
LUCAS: No.
[chuckles]
-Go away. -[kisses]
-ELI: I got you something. -Oh, yeah?
It's probably worth $44 million.
My own private island,
so I can have some peace and quiet?
Aw! Where's yours? You didn't get one for yourself?
I already won the lottery, because I have you.
How come you're never this sweet to me when you're sober?
Koalas are sweet.
I am a lion.
-Oh, is that right? -A lion.
-Oh? -A hungry lion.
Oh. [chuckles]
-[smooches] -Very hungry.
Oh.
Very hungry.
CORRESPONDENT 4 (ON TV): Breaking news out of the Washington Chronicle.
Olympic gold medalist and best-selling author,
Nate Sterling is set to launch an independent campaign
for president next Sunday in his hometown
of Portsmouth, Ohio.
The reporting out of the Washington Chronicle
claims that Sterling has hired the highly sought-after
Kathy Gibbs as his campaign manager.
While history tells us that an independent bid faces--
The Chronicle?
Oh, Eli, what the fuck?
Come on. Everybody knew he was running.
It was like the worst-kept secret.
Kathy Gibbs. Nobody knew about Kathy Gibbs. Eli.
ELI: I have other sources.
I wouldn't have pitched it if I hadn't double-checked--
Am I your source or am I your boyfriend?
You never said it was off the record.
You can't be serious.
Sorry, Lucas. I really am.
I just-- it just came out. I-- I didn't even plan on it.
And then it was out. I just...
Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck.
Fuck, fuck. Who are you calling?
Eli.
Senator Turnbull, please.
What?
Eli James from the Washington Chronicle.
Senator Turnbull. I'm sorry to call you so late.
I was just wondering if you had any thoughts
on Nate Sterling entering the race.
Right now?
Uh, yeah. Of course.
I'll be right there.
Eli. What the fuck?
I just got an interview with Patricia Turnbull.
Now?
Are you serious? You're drunk!
Buzzed. And I wouldn't have this interview
if it wasn't for you, so thank you so much.
I love you.
-[smooches] -Wait.
-Cold shower now. -I don't have time.
No, now! Give me the keys.
Do not go easy on her, okay?
Okay.
Here.
-Listen to me. -Yes.
Anything you have seen,
heard, or read under this roof...
-ELI: Mm-hmm. -Is of the fucking record...
-Yeah, yeah. -Okay? Especially in Turnbull's office.
-Yeah. -Eli!
Scout's honor.
Yeah. Scout's--
[smooches]
Just global response. No, we don't go for that.
ELI: Eli James for Senator Turnbull.
RECEPTIONIST 2: Please sign in.
She's expecting you.
TURNBULL: Come on in, hon!
Where is...
ELI: Evening, Senator.
Good evening!
I noticed a Tom Mayfield on your sign-in log.
Is that the same Mayfield from SuperMillions?
You know Tom?
ELI: I'm writing a story on lotto.
TURNBULL: Oh, dear.
That sounds like a real tour de force.
How do you know Mr. Mayfield?
TURNBULL: You see the one in the bowtie?
ELI: Oh, my God. Is that you? Wow.
He thinks because we dated
30 years ago, he can drop by unannounced
with all kinds of suggestions.
[laughs]
I love this town.
It'll even turn ex-boyfriends into lobbyists.
ELI: Hmm.
What is your reaction to Nate Sterling
entering the race?
I look forward to a healthy,
robust debate on the future of our great nation.
I'm not too familiar with Mr. Sterling personally,
but anyone who aspires to serve his or her country,
whether it's an Olympian, or a lieutenant, or a president,
it is okay by me. Off the record?
Mr. Sterling is swimming with sharks,
and he can't afford a cage.
How would you describe
your relationship with Harvey Altman?
Harvey was my senior advisor for many years.
Isn't it odd
that your most trusted advisor splits to found
UpRight Super PAC just a few weeks
before you announce your candidacy?
What's odd about it?
Well, UpRight is raking in
loads of cash from high-dollar donors.
As is their legal right.
Thanks to your bill.
My bill gives Americans
the freedom to do what they please
with their hard-earned money.
You seem very fond of that word. "Freedom."
Oh, yes, I am.
It's what this country was built on.
For some.
Hmm.
There are reports that Upright
has raised upwards of $80 million in just four months.
-And? -Won't that give the rich
an outsized influence in a Turnbull administration?
Oh, hon. You talk about the rich as if they're inhuman.
I started my company 40 years ago
with one truck and a whole lot of elbow grease.
Surely, the American dream don't make me a bad person.
I see that same fire in your eyes right now.
You didn't answer my question, Senator.
Listen, Eli.
Five million from a fat wallet and a searing column
from Nicholas Booker are one in the same.
Both might get me off on a good day.
But if you think they so much as sway my stance
on the renaming of a post office
in Wasilla, Alaska,
then you haven't done your homework.
Why did you invite me here tonight?
[chuckles] Oh, honey. Relax.
This ain't the principal's office.
You're here, because if there's one thing
I've learned over two decades in these chambers,
it's to keep your friends close.
And seeing as you'll be helping with the most widely-read
op-ed column in this country, I figured we might get to know
one another.
Nick is a cheapskate. I tip Enrique way better.
[indistinct chatter]
(***)
[door knocking]
Mm-hmm.
Nick, can I ask you something?
There's something gnawing at me with this whole lotto.
What about my column?
ELI: Wrote up my notes last night.
You were drunk last night.
ELI: Just hear me out.
Lotto jackpots increase during recessions.
They have for every economic downturn as far back
as the data goes.
And why should I care?
Because not this time.
Since the recession hit, SuperMillions' jackpots
have fallen close to five percent.
-Tragic. -It's a complete 180.
A behavioral impossibility.
Human nature doesn't just reverse itself.
And SuperMillions is the only lottery
that's had that kind of inversion.
Wherever you're going with this, get there faster.
Public schools that rely
on that money are getting stiffed.
So, where is the missing money going?
NICK: This better be good.
The director of SuperMillions is a guy named Tom Mayfield.
Duke alum. Class of '82. Senator Turnbull's alma mater.
They dated in college.
I hope you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting.
ELI: The same accounting firm,
Meyers & Goldstein, handles the books
for both SuperMillions and UpRight.
You think that Mayfield and Turnbull
are embezzling funds from the lottery,
and smuggling into her largest Super PAC?
At the expense of our nation's public schools.
[laughs]
Everything's a fucking conspiracy.
UpRight's books are sealed shut.
Thanks to Turnbull's bill, they don't have to report
where the money comes from.
It could all be happening under the same roof,
-behind closed doors. -Don't be that guy.
-What guy? -The bug-eyed virtual vigilante,
running a bullshit blog and a libelous YouTube channel
out of her parents' basement.
Okay. Tom Mayfield was in Turnbull's office last night.
I saw his name on the log-in.
-Maybe they're still fucking. -ELI: Nick.
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
-Um, reigniting the spark. -I'm serious.
Turnbull's a bully and a misguided idea log.
She's not a crook.
All I'm asking you to do is to, you know,
go into that legendary rolodex of yours,
and make one or two calls.
See if there's a relationship between the top brass
at Meyers & Goldstein and anyone in Turnbull's camp.
If there's nothing there, I will drop it. I promise.
GIBBS: How the fuck did this leak?
NATE: All right. It's done.
Let's move forward.
This might actually help us?
GIBBS: How's that?
A full week for the word to spread means more people.
A ton more people.
Bigger crowd means more media attention,
which might bring us an air of legitimacy
from the jump.
I drafted a statement last night.
Get it out ASAP and get to work
on as many appearances as you possibly can.
Uh, local morning shows, county fairs. You name it.
We play this right, soon, it'll be Late Night.
And if we're lucky, SNL will come calling.
Got it?
Good. Let's get to work.
Oh. And, Lucas, pack your bags.
What?
You're gonna be living
on the campaign bus for the next few months.
I hope you like cornfields and Big Macs.
Who doesn't?
NATE: Lucas.
You know that I know, right?
Nate, I am so sorry.
NATE: That's all right.
Wouldn't be here without you.
And if I can't roll with the punches,
I shouldn't be running for president.
But we're building something here.
Something bigger than ourselves.
So, from here on out, let's just keep things
close to the chest, okay?
Even in your own house.
Pretend you're in the CIA. See you on the campaign bus.
[exhales deeply]
[indistinct chatter]
You double-checked the lotto stats?
Triple-checked.
Let's go.
The CEO of Meyers & Goldstein hosted two private fundraisers
for Turnbull at his country house
during the primaries.
It's probably just a coincidence.
But fishy enough for us to follow the scent.
Well, there's still something I can't wrap my head around.
If they really are cooking the books,
why are they willing to risk years behind bars?
Government shells out 500 billion a year
in contracts to the private sector.
Meyers & Goldstein's bread and butter.
Right. So, what now?
NICK: Well, we get someone
on the inside to help us find proof and blow the whistle.
ELI: How do we do that?
NICK: That's a good question.
I've got a neighbor who pushes paper
for Meyers & Goldstein.
Got his kid into kindergarten.
[chuckles]
Fuck, I love this town.
I help this poor guy piss away 30K in glorified daycare,
and he owes me a favor.
So, you'll get him to fish around?
No, no, no, no.
He wouldn't do that.
He thinks that Turnbull is Reagan in pearls.
[chuckles softly]
No.
But I have got you an interview with his associate in PR.
So, go! Go. Recruit us a double agent.
Ooh. Where are you going?
I've got my own interview.
ELI: With who?
At worst, your generation's Ralph Nader.
At best, the second coming of Christ.
Although something tells me, he's somewhere in between.
(***)
JENNIFER: We're a perennial benefactor
of the Boys and Girls Club of DC, and this year,
we've implemented a company-wide day of service
with Habitat for Humanity.
Wow.
It must be so rewarding, giving inner-city kids
safe places to grow.
Hmm. It really is.
[chuckles]
Is that your little one?
JENNIFER: Mm! [chuckles]
That's my Maya.
ELI: She is really beautiful.
Isn't she? [laughs]
Look at those cheeks!
You're so sweet. Do you have kids?
Maybe one day.
But for now, this is my baby.
So, Ms. Cooke--
Oh, please call me, "Jennifer".
Jennifer.
How do your company's charitable donations compare
to its political donations?
I knew you'd throw a hard ball sooner or later.
[chuckles]
But I'm not privy to that information.
If you'd like to chat about our sustainability--
What is your opinion on Senator Patricia Turnbull?
You mean personally?
I, uh... [chuckles nervously]
-What does this have to do-- -Some people think
she would set the country back 50 years.
Listen. Between you and me, I think she'd set
the country back 100 years.
But I don't understand why you wanna talk to me--
ELI: Meyers & Goldstein
handles the books for SuperMillions
and for Turnbull's Super PAC, UpRight.
Isn't that correct?
I'm sorry. I can't discuss--
Who handles those accounts?
-I'm not authorized-- -Does the same executive cover both?
Okay. I think I'm gonna have to ask you
-to leave-- -Please. Jennifer.
If you don't tell me what this is about--
I, too, think Patricia Turnbull
is on the wrong side of history, and potentially, the law.
I think you're gonna wanna see this.
[pants]
Planning for a comeback?
NATE: Running for president
is more grueling than decathlon.
[grunts]
I'm surprised you didn't cancel our interview.
Why? 'Cause your team did a better job than mine?
Hmm.
My day maybe a bit more hectic thanks to the Chronicle,
but I always keep my commitments.
NICK: All right.
First question.
Why?
Why? [chuckles]
NICK: Yeah. I mean, you could earn millions,
slapping your face on that protein shake,
and spending your time golfing and fishing.
You know, not a bad life.
So, again, I ask you, why?
Because I suck at golf.
[chuckles]
NICK: We've seen what happens
when a narcissist with no experience
turns delusions of grandeur into reality.
So, you tell me why this isn't anything
more than a vanity run?
Look, I think it's only fair
you give me an honest evaluation before you diagnose me,
Mr. Booker.
I'm not just coming from the locker room
to the debate stage.
I went to Yale.
NICK: Oh, yeah. Law school.
And your foundation's done a lot of good,
but you're up against two candidates
with damn near a century's experience
between them.
How's that worked out for us, huh?
You checked your retirement portfolio lately?
Have you been to any of these towns
destroyed by flash floods or forest fires?
You checked the numbers on drug overdoses or suicides?
Shit! Life expectancy's gone down for the first time
in decades.
People are desperate out there.
They want somebody to do something about it.
Somebody to invest in our future,
not for the next four years, but for the next 40 years.
What, do I have something in my teeth?
NICK: No.
I'm just trying to figure out if you're for real or full of shit.
That is for you to decide.
I assure you, my work was very real
to tens of thousands of grieving families.
Well, you surely made some very powerful enemies.
NATE: Who? Big drug companies?
They were selling bold-faced lies.
Claiming oxy wasn't addictive. Let me ask you a question.
How much do you think the NRA spend on lobbying every year?
Two, three million?
NATE: Correct.
What do you think big pharma spent last year?
300 million.
-They say they got nothing to hide? -[Nick chuckles]
And that's why my heart medicine costs more than my alimony.
-[Nate chuckles] -We're gonna do something about that, too.
Oh, my ex-wife?
Please, please do.
[chuckles]
Look me in the eye.
And tell me why you think you can win.
'Cause I'll tell you what Vegas thinks.
You don't stand a chance. Then what?
You peel off enough votes from the president
to hand Turnbull the election on a silver platter.
I don't play for silver.
ELI: If you are able
to get me any information at all,
emails, financials, expense reports, don't--
Okay, listen. I'm gonna stop you right there.
There has to be another way for you
to get the information you need.
And what if I can't?
Then what?
Do we just let them get away with it?
Your bosses could be committing a crime
that has devastating ripple effects,
and it would be a crime with no consequence,
no punishment, no accountability.
But that's just the way the world works I guess. Right?
Nothing we can do about it.
Pardon me, but fuck that.
This time, we can.
I'm sorry.
I have my daughter to think about.
Of course.
I hear there's a real bad cold going around.
If you have to cough, it's okay. I'll understand.
Robert Friedman, Rebecca Carter...
Ben Florence, Amy Parker...
Spencer Erickson.
[Jennifer coughs]
You need to leave.
Please. Don't contact me again.
Thank you.
(***)
[sighs]
[indistinct chatter]
SPENCER: I spoke with Tom this morning.
That's right.
Okay, I'll talk to Dean, and have him CC you
on the latest approval, so we're all on the same page.
(***)
[indistinct chatter]
NICK: You're kidding me.
Yeah. Gordon didn't have the decency to do it himself.
Son of a bitch.
(***)
You cut our three best
investigative reporters and leave
the whole damn sports page intact?
Relax, Nick.
Nothing I can do. This came down from above.
Oh, yeah. Like the Ten Commandments.
And you sure as fuck didn't follow any of those.
Look, we're bleeding cash.
And the investigative team is among
the highest-salaried employees.
First, they came for the journalists.
We don't know what happened after that.
Don't be so goddamn dramatic.
Well, you're the one who dropped the fucking curtain!
Soon, we'll be no better than the National Enquirer.
I told you,
we're gonna have to get down in the mud with the pigs.
Times have changed.
NICK: Oh, yeah?
What do you suggest we do about it?
I suggest you keep your head down,
and let me worry about it.
This is so weak, Gordon.
I always knew you were a prick,
but I never thought you were a pushover.
We need to hold our best reporters tight.
If there's no one to defend the truth,
then we live in a fact-free world.
And that's a scary fucking place to live.
What's your column about this week?
You've never asked that before.
Mr. Hampton would strongly
prefer you stay out of the New York senate race.
Oh, well, then you can tell
Mr. Hampton that I strongly prefer
he go fuck himself.
Yeah.
(***)
-MAN: Yeah, I got it. -SPENCER: All right?
I wish you'd gotten that promotion.
Please get it done, okay? Thank you.
(***)
[Spencer grunts softly]
(***)
-Hey, hon. -[woman speaking indistinctly]
SPENCER: I'm at the office late tonight.
[woman speaking indistinctly]
Okay. Okay. I'll pick him up.
But I'm gonna drop him home and head right back in.
-[woman speaking indistinctly] -SPENCER: Yeah, it's killing me.
-WOMAN 1 (OVER CELLPHONE): Love you. -SPENCER: Love you, too.
(***)
CORRESPONDENT 5 (ON TV): Senator Patricia Turnbull
has altered her campaign schedule,
adding a stop in Ohio next Sunday in what appears...
Yeah.
ELI: There's your haystack.
Holy shit!
Who's your source?
That's confidential.
Is it the PR associate?
I got you the damn interview.
What's your angle?
You want top byline?
No. I just-- I don't think--
Who is the goddamn whistleblower?
You stole it?
It's everything we need.
They don't give Pulitzers to fucking shoplifters.
I hit a dead-end.
And so, I made a judgment call.
Something this big, the ends justify the means.
The ends? For who?
-For you! -No! The American people!
NICK: Bullshit!
I should have you fired.
ELI: You're the one who should be fired.
You are phoning it in right in the middle
of one of the most crucial elections
of both of our lifetimes.
Where is the integrity in that?
Have fun back at the kids' table,
scooping up Kevin Conrad's scraps!
Please! Somewhere in that pile is the story of a lifetime.
I have no desire to commit
career suicide just before the Lifetime Achievements
start rolling in on the back of my pension.
Literal suicide is a different question.
But you're not my therapist. Now, get out of my office!
We're done!
-[indistinct chatter] -[breathes shakily]
(***)
CORRESPONDENT 6 (ON TV): Senator Turnbull leads
all candidates in total campaign spend,
having raised more cash than both Sterling and Archer
for the third month in a row.
CORRESPONDENT 7 (ON TV): In a surprise to many,
Nate Sterling has gained steam heading into July.
He now sits just six points back from President Archer
and eight points back from...
LUCAS (OVER CELLPHONE): Eli, something special is happening here.
The stump speeches are starting to feel
like rock concerts.
I wish you were here to see it.
CORRESPONDENT 8 (ON TV): Some school districts are moving to a four-day school week.
School boards and superintendents
across the nation blame the recession,
which has caused local tax revenues to fall off the cliff.
Teachers have have taken to GoFundMe campaigns
just to acquire the bare minimum of school supplies.
WOMAN 2: So the truth is I just didn't think it was worth it.
-SPENCER: Yeah. -WOMAN 2: Yeah.
[indistinct speech]
-Take it easy. -WOMAN 1: Take care.
I'm headed to dinner with Harvey Altman.
How do I look?
Like a man in a tie.
[chuckles]
It wouldn't hurt to give a guy a compliment once in a while.
Uh, about this email
encouraging us to donate to UpRight Super PAC...
Yeah. I already gave 'em five grand.
I don't exactly feel comfortable.
Don't be cheap. Just throw 'em a few bucks.
Keep the boss happy.
And if I don't?
You never talked back when you were my assistant.
I kinda like it.
[breathes deeply]
(***)
[indistinct chatter]
(***)
Oh, God.
(***)
Hello?
(***)
How long have you known?
Six months.
Why didn't you tell me?
You had enough to worry about.
And Penny was going back overseas.
How bad is it?
That's why I called.
I met with the oncologist this morning, and...
well...
HAL: Go ahead, Eli.
You can say it.
I mean, I should've quit years ago.
We'll find the best doctors. We-- we--
I'm on top of it. [chuckles]
You don't need to worry.
Don't worry?
-Dad, we need to act fast-- -HAL: Elisha.
I said I'm handling it.
You need to focus on your work.
You know, I was thinking why don't you pitch
-Nicholas Booker about a column? -Dad! Dad! Mom!
Look. I've been talking about cancer all day.
-LYNN: Hal. -I'm sick of it.
Nick and I are working on something really big, dad.
That's good.
ELI: Yeah.
(***)
[sobs, sniffles]
LUCAS (OVER CELLPHONE): Hey, babe.
My plane's about to take off. What's up?
Eli, can-- can you hear me?
[stewardess speaking indistinctly]
LUCAS (OVER CELLPHONE): Oh, shit.
Eli? Is everything all right?
It's my dad.
He's sick.
LUCAS (OVER CELLPHONE): Sick? How sick?
STEWARDESS (OVER CELLPHONE): Sir.
LUCAS (OVER CELLPHONE): Oh, shit.
Listen. I'm gonna catch the first flight back, okay?
No! No, no, no, no.
We're taking care of it. You're where you need to be.
LUCAS (OVER CELLPHONE): Okay.
I love you.
I love you, too, babe.
LUCAS (OVER CELLPHONE): Eli, I'm gonna lose you until we land.
I'm calling you back as soon as I can.
[sobs]
(***)
Who's your source?
Jennifer Cooke in PR.
Let's get to work.
(***)
CORRESPONDENT 9 (ON TV): As summer fades to fall, the race has never been tighter.
CORRESPONDENT 10 (ON TV): I mean, the man's trying
to do something that's never been done before.
And I'm just not convinced that he can pull it off.
CORRESPONDENT 11 (ON TV): Whoa! Hold on.
He sold out the big house in Michigan.
That's a 110,000 for a political rally.
I've never seen anything like it.
CORRESPONDENT 12 (ON TV): Okay. I mean, it is impressive.
But it's not like Senator Turnbull's just
gonna roll over.
She's had the lead since day one.
REPORTER (ON TV): Who do you plan to vote for?
YOUNG VOTER (ON TV): Nate Sterling.
REPORTER (ON TV): Do you usually vote Democrat or Republican?
YOUNG VOTER (ON TV): I've never voted before.
And this is my first time voting.
(***)
[sighs]
Nick.
Huh?
ELI: Does it make any sense
for the director of SuperMillions
to send an expense report for a holiday party
to a partner at Meyers & Goldstein?
No.
An assistant would perform those menial tasks. Why?
I think these invoices are fakes.
They each contain a four, an eight, or both.
That's the tell.
Well, it's human nature
to prefer some numbers over others.
This is how companies spot expense-account fraud.
I mean, I'm willing to bet that the Memorial Day retreat
didn't even happen.
NICK: Well, any real invoices
from Patriot Catering
sure didn't pass through these execs.
ELI: 174684.
(***)
The average SuperMillions jackpot is $20 million.
In recessions, jackpots increase by approximately
eight percent.
So, that means that the average jackpot
-should be... -21.6 million.
Correct. 21.6 million.
But it's holding steady at 19 million.
Well, that's a gap of 2.6 million per drawing.
ELI: Right. The first Patriot trading invoice
goes back to 34 weeks ago.
Two drawings a week. That's...
ELI: That is...
God.
-Pretty damn close to bulls-eye. -Holy fuck.
For every $1,000 embezzled
from the SuperMillions lottery
and transferred to UpRight, the invoice...
Show a buck.
Yeah.
That's their fucking code.
[sighs]
ELI: Erickson.
Erickson fudges the books, okay?
The money moves in the dark of night.
The-- the-- the-- the invoices track the spoils,
letting them communicate without having to type fraud
in the subject line.
[Nick chuckles]
A barn full of haystacks.
And you found the fucking needle.
[chuckles softly]
[indistinct chatter]
COLLEGE KID: Thank you.
(***)
Hey, can I bum a cigarette?
COLLEGE KID: Oh, yeah.
ELI: Thanks.
Oh, so, you're the caterer.
-COLLEGE KID: Yeah. -Excellent job inside.
Those deviled eggs look delicious.
COLLEGE KID: Thanks.
I wish I could tell you that I made them,
but I just load 'em in and hand 'em out.
[exhales]
"Patriot Catering." [chuckles]
-COLLEGE KID: That's us. -Haven't seen you guys before.
Have you been in business for a long time?
Uh, coming up to a year.
-ELI: Wow. Really new. -Mm-hmm.
-ELI: Family-owned? -Nope.
This dude named Dean owns it.
Wait. Not Dean Bender.
No. Dean Clifton.
Oh, gotcha. Clifton.
Yeah.
So, you got a lot of events coming up?
-Rubbing elbows with D.C. big wigs? -[college kid chuckles]
COLLEGE KID: We got some big ones coming up.
But honestly, they're, like, all the same to me, you know?
Same bacon-wrapped scallops. Same penguin suit.
Same rich folks boring up the place.
[chuckles]
You got a card?
COLLEGE KID: Oh, yeah.
Just you know, somewhere here.
Here. Uh, the menu's in that link.
So, if you ever throw a bash, you know, we're around.
Cool. Thanks.
-Yeah. -And thanks.
-Yeah. Have a good one. -You, too.
MODERATOR: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.
We need to move on, and I wanna give
Mr. Sterling a chance to respond before closing statements.
Let's face it.
Washington's got one foot so far left
and the other so far right, that it can't stand up straight.
Congress is doing a split in the quicksand,
and I'm the only guy that can pull us out
of this partisan quagmire.
Why? Because I'm free.
Free of special interests. Free of party-power brokers.
And I'm free to explore the best ideas
from both sides of the aisle.
Because I don't sit on either one.
I stand proudly in the middle.
Credentials to the debate?
TURNBULL (ON TV): Sure.
What's it being Booker's lapdog, eh?
[barks]
TURNBULL: But what you don't seem to understand, sir,
we're talking about decisions
that can mean the difference between life and death.
-The wisdom... -Tell me the truth, though.
Has, um... has the old man lost a step?
You know, just putting so much time
into a cub with a rap sheet.
If I were you, I would just keep asking myself why?
I'm trying to watch the debate.
Take it easy, Patricia.
Mr. Sterling represented our country proudly.
TURNBULL: Oh, oh, oh.
I beg your pardon, Mr. President.
The only reason you're giving his lack of experience
a hall pass is because you see in the polls
that he's gonna steal more votes from me than he is from you
in key battleground states.
But this election is about so much more
than politics.
And I'm not even talking about what it'll mean
to millions of little girls to see a woman take
the oath of office for the very first time
in this country.
That's significant. Oh!
Yes, it is.
But let's leave that discussion to the history books,
'cause what I wanna talk about right now
is what my administration is gonna do
to make your lives better. Plain simple.
Like fixing that pothole on your street.
Getting your 401K moving up and to the right again.
Keeping you and your children safe
from enemies, foreign and domestic.
Pulling us out of this recession once and for all.
And most importantly, shining a light
on the working people of this country
who have been invisible for far too long.
That's what I'm gonna talk about.
[crowd cheering, whistling]
Thank you.
What will it mean
for millions of little girls to see a female president?
Far more than I could ever comprehend.
But what's it gonna mean for our environment,
for our teachers, for our poor and middle class
to see you as president, Senator Turnbull?
We are long overdue for a woman in the White House.
But it can't just be any woman.
It's gotta be the right woman.
Not a woman that denied climate change
is real till just last year.
And that is precisely why my cabinet
will be made up of 50 percent women
at the very minimal.
[crowd cheering]
[indistinct chatter]
-You look nice. -LUCAS: Thanks.
I can't believe we're actually in the same state.
I kinda like it.
Think you might wanna ditch your credentials.
You'll scare the personality out of everyone.
Hey, Nate.
-Awesome job. -[Nate chuckles]
Thank you. What are the mosquitos sayin'?
Well, most of the pundits are calling it for you,
and Twitter's looking pretty bullish.
You remember my girlfriend, Eli.
[chuckles] That I do.
I hear you're making big waves over at the Chronicle.
[chuckles]
Splashing about in the shallow end,
but I'm trying.
NATE: I'm sure you had to disclose
that you're dating this handsome guy.
I did.
But it helps that I'm not covering your campaign.
NATE: Of course.
What did you think of the debate?
Honestly?
I'd be surprised if you didn't poach
a point or two from both parties.
-She's a keeper. -LUCAS: Hmm.
And you, miss,
you are lucky to have a guy like this by your side.
As are you.
Speaking of which, Lucas, can I steal you for a second?
There's somebody I want you to meet.
Thank you.
LUCAS: Hey.
[indistinct chatter]
COLLEGE KID: May I take these?
Hey. Patriot Catering?
[chuckles] I'll be damned.
-[Eli chuckles] -How goes it?
[Eli gasps]
-Wait. This is the big event? -COLLEGE KID: Yeah.
The most exciting night of your life, right?
So boring.
You might just be serving the next president
of the United States of America.
That dude?
We've been catering for him since before he entered
the race.
The lustre's worn off.
Plus, the boss doesn't want me to spread around.
Makes sense.
I mean, you probably do business with the Republicans, too.
No, just Sterling.
Dean's loyal like that.
I should probably get back to work.
He likes us to move around.
-Dean is here? -Yeah.
Talking to Sterling and Jack Hampton.
He's looking over here. I better keep moving.
I'll see you at the next one.
-MAYFIELD: Hey! Gentlemen! -NATE: Hey! How are you, sir?
-Tom Mayfield. -LUCAS: I'm Lucas.
Nice to meet you.
(***)
LUCAS: Hey.
That was the owner of your paper.
Don't worry. I didn't embarrass you.
Who else is there?
Bunch of big donors.
The guy on the right owns a slew
of catering companies.
Nate says that he is a culinary mastermind.
What's his name?
Uh, Dean something.
Everyone calls him "The Chef."
-I gotta go. -Hey. What? We just got here.
Lucas, I gotta go.
I haven't seen you in weeks and you're leaving?
Eli!
(***)
How was it?
ELI: Nick, we need to talk.
Turnbull isn't embezzling money from SuperMillions.
Sterling is.
You think that's funny?
ELI: No, I'm serious.
Patriot Catering worked his debate afterparty.
They have catered all of Sterling's events
since before he entered the race.
It was right in front of our faces the whole time.
Meyers & Goldstein, they handled the books
for Sterling's Super PAC as well.
Sterling reject the Super PAC on principle.
ELI: In the first month of his campaign,
he made a big show of it.
But that did not last long.
NICK: Integrity Super PAC? [scoffs]
That's an oxymoron.
Yeah. He named it something generic to keep a low profile--
Yeah. Still, still, still, this isn't definitive proof
that he-- Why would he be that bold?
Juice isn't worth the squeeze. He's up three points.
He is now.
But this time last year, his name
wasn't on a single poll.
What's the only way to win the New York City Marathon
without any training?
Take the subway, sneak under the rope
-on mile 18. -On mile 18.
But Mayfield, that bow-tied prick.
I mean, he's a Republican. It doesn't make any sense.
I thought the same thing.
So, I checked out his voting records.
And it turns out, he left the Republican Party
right after Reagan rode off into the sunset.
The man has been an independent for the last three decades.
And then he reregistered as a Republican the same month
that Sterling's book hit the best-seller list.
It was all calculated.
He must have thought if people like us picked up
a scent, it would throw us off the trail, and...
it worked.
What the fuck do we do now?
Follow the facts wherever they lead.
Sometimes, it's not where you wanna go,
but you go anyway.
[sighs]
CORRESPONDENT 13 (ON TV): With just one week to go,
Nate Sterling has pulled ahead of Senator Turnbull
for the first time in national polling.
While the lead is still within the margin of error...
Sterling is our megaphone,
our voice of reason, our moral compass,
and our hope for a better tomorrow.
Shit, Eli.
Where did you run off to?
What's wrong?
You see your dad?
-You're gonna have to scrap that speech. -Why? The town hall's tomorrow--
Because you're not a liar.
What are you talking about?
-He's funding his campaign with stolen money. -What? Who?
Sterling.
-What are you saying? -I have hard evidence.
He's embezzling money from the lottery,
and funneling it to his Super PAC.
What? That's crazy.
It's the truth.
Nick and I have been working this story--
No. Why are you telling me this?
I guess I thought
you might like to know that your hero is a fraud.
Hey. Stop!
ELI: And because I need your help.
Are you-- are you listening to yourself?
I need someone on the inside to prove he signed off on it.
Here.
I need you to fill this with Sterling's hard drive.
-We don't have much time. -LUCAS: You're delusional.
ELI: Goddammit, Lucas!
You're in denial.
LUCAS: No. You can't fucking help yourself, can you?
Only this time, when you blow yourself up,
you could take me and the whole goddamn country
-down with you. -No. This is different.
This is real.
Okay. Let's say that it is real.
You go from reporting back-page news
to being front-page news.
I get what?
A seat on the witness stand in the trial of the century
when the only thing I have witnessed
is a good man trying to save his country.
We get hate mails from our friends,
the people we respect.
And then what?
Gun-toting, gay-bashing, autocratic zealots,
they declare us heroes, and the navel-gazing,
holier-than-thou woke mob, they throw us
a fucking parade,
congratulations to the both of us?
ELI: Lucas, please calm down. And just think--
No, you think!
Are you willing to keep Penny at war for the next ten years?
No. Are you willing to sit on your hands
while the fucking Earth fries, because I'm not.
The money that he is stealing
is coming from schools, like that one in--
that one in West Virginia.
Okay? Those kids, Black and brown kids
are losing access to a fair and equal education.
Eli, it is so much bigger than--
Don't you fucking finish that thought!
Why doesn't this matter to you?
They matter!
Everyone else in this country can act like they don't exist--
LUCAS: He is what this country needs!
A liar is the last thing this country needs!
Liars are what fucked this country up
in the first place.
Iraq has stockpiles of WMDs.
The housing market will continue to rise.
The election was rigged. Redlining.
The war on drugs, voter suppression!
Everywhere you look, lobbyists, pundits, bankers, preachers,
billion-dollar industries that run on lies.
LUCAS: What is it that you want, Eli?
-I want-- I want the truth. -LUCAS: Yeah.
Well, you've been duped before, so.
[sighs]
Did you know, Lucas?
I can't believe you would even think that.
[exhales shakily]
I'm publishing this story with or without your help.
You publish this story,
I don't want anything to do with you.
-That is not fair. -What do you want me to say?
Love fades, values don't.
(***)
That's my fucking jacket!
(***)
LUCAS: Nice.
(***)
[sighs]
(***)
Meet me at Recessions.
Two blocks northwest of Farragut Square.
I have something.
[indistinct chatter]
We prove that Sterling knew.
-NICK: Eli. -ELI: I'm going tonight.
Well, Jesus Christ, Eli.
You're being irrational.
There's a right way and a wrong way.
If you want the ribeye, you go get the ribeye.
Not if it's contaminated.
That ends a career before it starts.
Well, already lost my relationship.
I'm losing my dad.
So, why not throw in a career for good measure?
You're losing your mind is what you're losing.
Wait.
Relationship?
Lucas refuses to--
Oh, fuck, Eli!
You told him?
[sighs]
They'll have the place power-cleaned in an hour.
Shit! Shit!
You're right.
(***)
Eli! Shit!
Fuck.
Hello?
Eli. Wait. Who is this?
-Nick, put Eli on. -Hang on.
Just talk to Eli. I'm sorry, Lucas.
She just doesn't wanna talk to you.
Where are you?
We're at Recessions on 18th and L.
LUCAS: Bullshit!
You're at the campaign office.
I'm on my way.
Don't do anything stupid.
They sing karaoke this good at the campaign?
[indiscernible singing]
Shit! All right.
Just tell her to stay right there.
(***)
ELI: Shit!
(***)
What the hell are you doing here?
-It's past midnight. Lucas isn't-- -I have numbers, emails, names.
[scoffs] Sorry, what?
Tom Mayfield, Spencer Erickson, Dean Clifton, Patriot Catering.
I have concrete evidence of all parties involved.
You give me one good reason
right now I shouldn't call Secret Service
and throw you in jail.
-We'd be sharing a cell. - NATE: Bullshit.
I would think twice before you call security.
The story is already written. It's in the drafts.
You have me arrested, it goes on Twitter instantly.
Newspapers in the morning.
What's this little story about?
-You know what it's about. -Enlighten me.
ELI: What it's always about.
Money.
-Did you know? -NATE: Know what?
All I know is I love my country.
All right? I'm our best hope.
I give us a fighting chance.
Wow.
(***)
Are you a patriot, Eli?
Patriots don't steal from the American people.
Who are you to accuse anyone of stealing,
you fucking hypocrite?
Give it to me.
[sighs]
You know, I think you and I have a lot in common, Eli.
And for one, we both lack experience.
Turnbull and Archer are canaries with that attack line.
I'm ahead in every one of the polls,
economy, hot buttons, but the race, still a dead heat.
Why is that?
'Cause unfortunately, for me and for you,
experience seems to matter.
The way I see it,
your story might cause a little stir.
When it comes down to it, who's gonna believe you?
You lack the most vital asset a journalist must have,
credibility.
Looks like I'm late to the party.
-Uh, Mr. Booker. What a surprise-- -Sit the fuck down.
Now...
let us all take a deep breath
and talk this out
like the rational people we are.
Nate, don't say a word.
Eli records everything on her phone.
-What? -Let me see.
Get off! It's not on me.
Hey! No, no. Leave him out.
-NICK: That won't be necessary. -NATE: Hey!
You wanna talk or what?
What the fuck?
NATE: All right.
All right?
Let's just take a deep breath.
Sit down and talk this out, okay?
This is obviously some sort of huge misunderstanding.
NICK: We know what you did.
NATE: Okay.
With all due respect, I have no idea
what you guys are talking about.
NICK: Maybe you don't.
But right now, there are two assholes
saying you do.
There's no need for us to bluff. We don't have a smoking gun.
But as my esteemed colleague has no doubt informed you,
we've got the bullets, the casings,
and the goddamn forensic report.
The whole story tied in a bow, just waiting for the proof
that you knew about it.
If we do decide to print, you got every news outlet
in the country on a scavenger hunt for proof
of your involvement.
There is no proof of my involvement.
The allegation itself knocks you out of the White House.
You'll spend the next few years in court.
And if you did know,
the next couple of decades in prison.
So, the way I see it, if you want any hope
of reversing this unfortunate chain of events,
you will tell us the God's honest truth
right here and now.
Okay. Uh--
But before you do,
a disclaimer.
I've worked in this town for 52 years.
That makes me one of the world's foremost experts
at spotting a liar.
Lie to me, and you lose...
the election and your freedom.
But lucky for you,
the truth may still set you free because believe it or not,
I'm still grappling with a truly punishing question.
Is it worth it?
(***)
I don't have a party war chest.
Okay?
This thing was just a temporary fix
to get me to the starting line.
We were gonna give it all back as soon as we're in a position
to do so.
This is no harm, no foul. It's victimless.
Tell that to the class
of invisible kids in West Virginia.
I don't know.
How do we make this okay? Huh?
First interview after I'm sworn in.
Exclusives for eight years after that.
If there's a leak coming from the White House,
you're the two pots catching it. You have my word!
Eli.
What about Penny?
You worry for your sister's safety
every day that she's serving overseas.
And with your father undergoing chemotherapy...
I can't imagine how hard that must be.
And your sister, Penny, is it?
Lieutenant Penelope James.
We can work out
an honorable discharge for her the day I'm sworn in.
Your sister deserves to be with your dad
during his treatments.
If I wasn't so inexperienced,
I would think you were using a commissioned officer
as collateral in a bribe.
I would more call it an agreement amongst friends.
Look, I feel for you, Eli.
[sighs softly]
Cancer took my mom.
And the emotional toll is hard.
But the treatments add up.
And until we can get in there and reform
the healthcare system, I don't want your parents
to be crushed under the weight of medical bills.
And we can make sure that doesn't happen.
We are on the same team here.
And if you wanna make real, lasting change,
well, you just gotta play the game,
and that's the reality of it.
You were supposed to change the game.
(***)
I had a hunch I'd find you here.
ELI: I'm getting it all down.
Everything that crooked, fucking conman's done.
We don't have enough to publish.
[sighs]
-But he just admitted-- -Unless we find hard evidence
that Sterling himself knew, we're just a couple of trees
falling in the woods.
So, what do we do now?
NICK: Tear it all up.
Everything we know.
I'll track Sterling to his rally in Atlanta,
and see if we can crack the safe.
(***)
ELI: Mom! Dad! Where are you?
I'm calling the police.
They-- they trashed my apartment!
[pants]
-What are you doing here? -Thank God you're okay.
-I looked everywhere. -No. Get out, Lucas.
-HAL: Eli, calm down, sweetheart-- -ELI: Daddy.
-HAL: Lucas told us. -No. Okay?
Don't believe a word that he has to say. Okay?
NATE (ON RECORDING): This thing was just a temporary fix
to get me to the starting line.
We're gonna give it all back
as soon as we're in a position to do so.
This is no harm, no foul. It's victimless!
ELI (ON RECORDING): Tell that to the class of invisible...
[gasps]
Oh, my God.
Did Nick know?
LUCAS: No.
He still doesn't.
I had to commit, or his face would have given me away.
And honestly, I didn't decide to do it
until I was standing outside of the office.
[sighs]
You know, this doesn't fix everything.
LUCAS: I know.
I needed you to be wrong.
I love you.
It's all I got.
[sighs]
I need to tell Nick.
He's on his way to Sterling's rally right now.
I'm flying with the campaign.
I'll track him down and tell him.
-You go work on your story. -I'll just call him.
LUCAS: That might be difficult.
The last time I saw Nick's phone,
it was floating in Sterling's coffee.
[sighs]
Right.
CORRESPONDENT 14 (ON TV): Nate Sterling
will be in Atlanta tonight while Senator Turnbull
travels to Florida.
CORRESPONDENT 15 (ON TV): And Nate Sterling is trending on social media as excitement...
CORRESPONDENT 16 (ON TV): Senator Turnbull leads
all candidates in total campaign spend,
having raised more cash than both Sterling and Archer
for the third month in a row.
ELI: Lucas.
LUCAS (OVER CELLPHONE): Hey.
Did you find him?
-[indistinct chatter] -Uh, no. Not yet.
ELI (OVER CELLPHONE): Where are you?
I'm by ATB.
CORRESPONDENT 17: ...A declaration of Independence.
And some are calling Sterling the most influential...
ELI (OVER CELLPHONE): Nothing?
It's like a zoo with no cages.
CORRESPONDENT 18: Here we are at Nate Sterling's biggest rally yet.
He's about to do a hit
on Politics Nightly with Jane Bower.
CORRESPONDENT 19: ...Tramping its way
through America's two-party landscape.
[indistinct speech]
...by two points with just one week to go.
[indistinct speech]
I got him.
CORRESPONDENT 1: ...Just over a year ago.
[indistinct shouting]
LUCAS: I-- I-- I-- I need to talk to him.
-I need to talk to Mr. Booker. -No access here, sir.
JANE (ON TV): Nate Sterling is set to take
the stage any minute now to make his closing arguments.
Shit. Call back when you get him.
JANE (ON TV): ... by Nicholas Booker, esteemed columnist
for the Washington Chronicle and lion of the fourth state.
The election is a dead heat.
JANE: If it's anything
like the last two elections, it could come down
to a few thousand votes in a handful of swing states,
or if it's a repeat of 2000, a few hundred votes.
Your column is read by a few million.
Your readers really listen to you.
They trust you.
I call it like I see it.
What do you see here?
[crowd cheering]
(***)
[chuckles]
Well, I have good news and bad news.
Which do you want first?
SUPPORTER (ON TV): The bad!
NATE (ON TV) Right!
Okay, here it is.
My little girl turned 21 yesterday.
And the first thing Alison did was make sure
her voter registration was current.
[crowd cheering]
Hello.
No. No, no, no, no. Slow down.
Okay.
(***)
...And the other just sits on its hands
and whines about it.
'Cause Alison deserves better.
Our young people deserve better.
They deserve to look forward to the future
the way we used to with hope, with pride, with excitement.
Holy shit.
GORDON: "Holy shit" what?
(***)
Holy...
This is unreal.
LUCAS: Oh. Hey, Lynn. I got it.
[sighs]
So sorry for your loss, Mrs. James.
LYNN: Thank you.
And thank you for being so good to my daughter.
You and your husband have raised a fine young woman.
Let's...
How fast can you finish the story?
I'm about to bury my dad.
Maybe you should just take over.
It's your story.
You found it. You pushed it. You're writing it.
And if we're doing it, we gotta be quick.
We've got 24 hours, tops.
And it's gotta be airtight.
I'll take care of the rest.
And...
I'm sorry about your father.
Hello, Eli.
ELI (OVER PHONE): Nick and I have a story
ready for publication that just might decide
the next president of the United States.
Is that so?
Should I be worried?
Why do you wanna be president, Senator Turnbull?
TURNBULL (OVER PHONE): Look, Eli.
I assume we don't agree on most policy.
But one thing we do both value is the truth.
So, I'm gonna give you mine.
Right now, I am running as the leader of my party,
but should I be fortunate enough
to take that oath on January 20,
I will be governing as the leader of my country.
Our democracy is fragile.
You protect it from the outside by doing what you do.
And if I get the chance, I'm going to protect it
from the inside with everything I've got.
ELI: And off the record?
Take care, Eli.
(***)
[chuckles softly]
(***)
I don't understand.
What's-- what's so special about this one?
LYNN: The day you were born.
[sighs]
I never got to say goodbye.
We thought it was another false alarm from the chemo.
He knew that you were at the Chronicle, writing.
[sighs]
LYNN: He insisted
that that was where you needed to be.
He loved you.
He's so proud.
[kisses]
(***)
[chuckles softly]
Daddy.
(***)
Okay.
[sniffles]
(***)
[sniffles]
[phone rings]
KEVIN (OVER CELLPHONE): Where are you?
-Kevin? -Hey, where are you?
ELI (OVER CELLPHONE): I'm at my parents' house.
All right.
Meet me at the diner on 4th and Delaware
in 20 minutes. All right?
-I'm not doing that. -KEVIN (OVER CELLPHONE): It's an emergency.
What is this about?
Look, I was fired.
Why?
Because I-- I know the names,
Tom Mayfield, Dean Clifton, and Spencer Erickson.
[indistinct chatter]
How the fuck do you know those names?
The-- the um-- the other night
when you got that call and you left in a hurry,
well, you didn't log out. And Gordon assumed it was mine.
Look, I didn't say anything, 'cause I was in shock
and Gordon flipped for it.
I thought I'd be waking up to a headline
that would change the course of history.
So, why did I instead wake up to an email
informing me that the Chronicle was terminating my contract?
I mean, I rushed to the office,
and security wouldn't even let me in the building.
Apparently, Gordon had HR clean out my desk
and wipe my desktop.
Gordon killed the story to save his own ass.
-Why-- why would he-- - ELI: Jack Hampton.
He's a huge Sterling supporter.
Gordon prints the story,
Hampton orders his head on a platter.
Gordon kills the story, Sterling wins.
Guess which paper has a direct line
to the Oval Office.
So, Gordon is playing politics
dirtier than the goddamn politicians?
[scoffs]
Please nail that motherfucker.
I can't believe
you let Gordon think it was your story.
Look. I never said that it was.
And as it turns out, I did you a favor.
So, you're welcome. Hmm?
No, Eli. I got it. Please.
You're unemployed.
It wouldn't be right. Prick.
Have you shown Gordon the story?
NICK (OVER CELLPHONE): I'm waiting for you.
You should get to see the look on his face.
-Where the fuck are you? -I'm on my way.
Whatever you do, don't talk to Gordon.
And I thought I'd seen it all.
We're doing this?
[chuckles]
ELI: What?
The weight of the world lies in the palm of my hand.
I guess I thought it'd be a bit heavier.
[chuckles softly]
You know what this means if we go through with this.
And you're willing?
I guess that's why they call it the moment of truth.
It's your story.
What?
No. I-- I stumbled upon it, yeah, but you guided me.
If you hadn't have gotten me that interview
-at Meyers & Goldstein-- -You would have gotten it in some other way.
I doubted you.
You fought through the doubt.
You took me for the ride.
I didn't provide anything that you didn't already--
You can now.
What?
Credibility.
Sterling was right. Nobody knows my name.
And those that do aren't so fond of it.
If I were to publish this on my own,
it wouldn't get any traction. Or worse, it'll get dismissed.
But coming from Nicholas Booker, it'll be on every front page
and television network in minutes.
We need to do this together.
And after we break the story, we can set up our own shop.
No editor or parent corporation
to tell us what we can and can't print.
A publication that answers to nothing but the facts,
wherever they lead.
What would we call it?
The Independent.
(***)
[breathes deeply]
(***)
You do the honors.
(***)
[chuckles]
Thank you.
(***)
Now, what?
What do you say we get the hell out of here?
And go where?
Watch the fireworks from the hill.
(***)
[journalists clamoring]
(***)
50 years, Gordon.
I didn't know you had it in you.
I was just trying to protect everyone in here.
And I'm just trying to protect everyone out there.
(***)
Take care, Gordon.
Think they'll read this one in West Virginia?
Hmm.
(***)
* Oh, beautiful *
* For heroes proved in liberating strife *
* Who more than self their country loved *
* And mercy more than life *
* America, hmm, America *
* May God thy gold refine *
* Till all success be nobleness and every gain divined *
* And you know, when I was in school *
* We used to sing it something like this *
* Listen here *
* Oh, beautiful for spacious skies *
* For amber waves of grain *
* For purple mountain, majesties *
* Above the fruited plain *
* But now, wait a minute *
* I'm talking about America, sweet America *
* You know, God done shed his grace on thee *
* He crowned thy good, yes, he did, in brotherhood *
* From sea to shining sea *
* You know I wish I had somebody *
* To help me sing this *
* America *
* I love you, America *
* God shed his grace on the *
* You see, my God, he done shed His grace on thee *
* And you oughta love him for it *
* 'Cause he, he, he, he crowned thy good *
* He told me he would with brotherhood *
* From sea to shining sea *
* Oh Lord, oh Lord, I thank you, Lord *
* Shining sea *
(***)