Ryan, you're gonna wear a hole through the floor.
She's been listening to the tapes for hours.
First time Mama's heard her sister's voice in decades.
She needs time.
Well, since we're just waiting here,
plus-ones? For the wedding?
- We're getting down to the wire! - Totally forgot.
- Can't it wait? - Not if you don't want to sit
at the singles' table.
Median age: 56.
What's the big deal?
- You're bringing Joe, right? - He hasn't even met Mama and Baba yet.
- Yeah, they have. - They haven't met him as... you know?
Your boyfriend?
- They'll love him. - Yeah, let's rip the band-aid off.
Okay, Nicky. How about you?
What about me? I don't have a boyfriend.
Yeah, 'cause you've been dragging your feet.
Henry has been barking up your tree
since the day you met, and apparently,
- Evan's back on the market. - What?
You should really check your socials more.
No wonder he had time to go on that road trip.
Wait, are you sure?
He and Sabine unfollowed each other on Instagram.
Guess you've got a choice to make, huh?
No. It's too complicated.
Well, un-complicate it.
Didn't your little 3-way adventure give you any clarity?
Please don't call it a 3-way...
Althea, Ryan, I'm gonna need a moment with Nicky.
Are you okay?
It's been hard knowing she's gone.
I missed her so much for so long
and I never had a chance to say good-bye.
- Mama... - Yeah, but she said good-bye to me.
One of the tapes.
So, thank you.
There are messages in here I can't understand.
Something called Biange.
The Mei-Xue I knew,
she wasn't scared of anything.
But there is something about this word "Biange."
Every time she mentions it,
I can feel the fear in her voice.
So, Nicky, promise me you'll be careful.
Promise.
- Synced & corrected by MementMori - -- www.addic7ed.com --
You've been staring at that dusty, old thing for days.
You need a break.
If you're trying to lure me back into bed...
it won't work.
Ha ha ha!
I thought our little adventure in Myanmar was a smashing success.
We got the axe.
My dad's excavation team was none the wiser.
Don't you think we deserve a little fun?
Hmm. Well, I might be more amenable to some leisure time
if we had the rest of the weapons
in your family's vault.
I thought the plan was to get the meteor hammer first.
The hammer's warrior bloodline died out generations ago.
Its guardian, however... I may have a small lead.
But that will take time.
Your family's vault is just waiting for us.
You're not afraid, are you?
That sounded like a challenge.
I like a challenge.
_
Did you see the news about the Long case?
Yes. I'm surprised he took the plea.
The kid realized he'd be facing 25 years
if the case went to trial.
No new evidence. Nothing changed.
He just flipped?
He's guilty, Evan.
You know, they're not all uphill battles.
The plea goes before a judge tomorrow.
Take the win.
The power of Biange
was harnessed as a force for good,
but in the wrong hands,
it would lead to catastrophe,
utter destruction.
The history books tell of a battle
Kublai Khan waged in Southern China.
Scholars of the 8 weapons...
- Anything good? - Hmm?
On the tapes. Anything good?
Oh, um, a lot of stuff we already know.
Still got a long way to go.
How about the journals?
Yeah, actually.
When we looked at all of Mei-Xue's travels,
I noticed a change in the mid-eighties.
Um, she's in parts of China
that none of our other research connects to
and she definitely shifted her focus.
What kind of shift?
Well, she started her journey obsessed with the weapons,
but then around this time, something changes.
She starts talking about something different.
A place..
- The forge. - Does she find it?
I haven't gotten there yet.
You okay?
Yeah. I'm good.
Just gonna get back to it.
The monks imbued the weapons
with Biange energy.
Qi is life force. Biange has power,
the power to transform destiny to one's will.
- Henry. - Call it mind control.
Call it brainwashing.
But it's much more powerful than that.
The monks knew that when all 8 weapons were together,
the powers were too great, too dangerous.
So, they anointed guardians,
individuals whose job it was to keep the weapons separate.
The monks had built a failsafe.
They knew that over time,
the weapons' power would weaken.
A reemergence of that great, unstoppable force
can only occur if all the weapons
were brought back to where they were created,
to where Biange energy is the strongest...
to the forge.
That's what the source is...
The place where the weapons are made, this forge.
She found it.
Did you read ahead?
She ran away, hid herself
from everything and everyone
to keep a dangerous secret.
This has to be it. Zhilan's been ahead of us,
collecting the weapons,
but we may know something she doesn't.
What?
Mei-Xue said Biange can only be brought about
if all 8 weapons are brought back to the forge.
We have to find the forge before Zhilan does
and protect it.
That's the only way we can stop her...
and stop Biange.
I know the decision to speak out against your abuser
was incredibly difficult.
But before I can move forward as your attorney,
you need to know, as hard as that choice was,
the scary part? That starts now.
Whatever it takes to destroy him.
Chase Matheson will distort the truth.
He'll try to discredit you.
Then there's the NDA.
The fact that you took Matheson's money.
He'll use the NDA to drag you through the mud.
Call you a gold digger.
I gave that money to my brother's clinic.
It doesn't matter how you spent it.
Althea, once you do this, your life will change.
When people search your name,
the first thing they'll see is the story of your abuse.
If you're going to do this,
I need to know that you're ready.
Mm. Yeah.
- Come here. Come. - Mm.
Something smells good.
Try.
- Ohh. Mei-Li. - Huh?
It's out of this world! What is it?
- The plum sauce my mother used to cook. - Mm-hmm.
It's Mei-Xue's favorite.
I thought I would add it to the menu,
like a tribute.
Well, we haven't changed the menu for years.
- Maybe we'll change more than that. - Hmm?
Now, have you thought about taking over back here?
Look, I'm a good cook,
but you are a magician.
You always were.
The only reason you stopped cooking
was because it was easier for you to watch your children that way.
It's obvious... that makes you happy.
I have missed it.
Then it's yours again.
- Okay. - Huh?
Okay.
Althea?
- Everything okay? - Yeah.
No.
- You want to talk about it? - Not really.
Can we talk about anything else?
Okay.
Like, what's going on with you?
- Me? - Nicky...
You're glowing.
And you've got that little smirk-smile.
Did you make out with someone?
What? No.
- That was forever ago. - What was forever ago?
I kissed Henry.
You kissed Henry?
Oh...
Why have you been holding out on me?
It only happened once and it was amazing
and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it,
but things got in the way
and I don't really know how he feels about me after all that.
He told me I need to figure my stuff out.
Your stuff, meaning Evan.
Yeah.
I love Evan.
Always have. Always will.
I mean, he's my best friend.
And I hurt him a lot.
Blew up his life with his perfect girlfriend.
Althea, her hair.
She does have amazing hair.
What if I tell him how I feel
and I lose him again... forever?
All you can do is tell him the truth.
The rest is up to him.
Ryan, the crazy thing was these organizers that I've admired
were asking me questions about graphic design and agitprop.
It was... it was like I had something to teach them.
Wow. That must've been amazing.
I've never felt like I could use
both of my passions like that before.
It was... it was just incredible.
I'm glad. Selfishly, though.
I'm really happy to have you back.
Me, too.
Should we... head back to my place?
We should.
But I haven't eaten since my flight this morning.
How about Harmony Dumplings?
Won't your parents be there?
I'm game if you are.
Ahh.
Okay.
I'll go pay.
Hey.
Nicky, hey. What's up?
I just thought we could talk.
- Knew you'd be getting off work soon. - Uh, yeah. Sure.
Well, it's a nice night out.
I saw a coffee cart across the street.
That sounds great.
Evan Hartley.
Cody Long is innocent.
Excuse me?
There's video. Find the footage.
How do you...
You okay? What was that about?
I think I'm sending an innocent kid to prison.
The witness statement says this Cody kid
slipped GHB into the victim's drink?
Yeah. 4 of the frat members at that party told detectives
they saw him do it.
No physical evidence,
but it was enough to keep him in jail
and ultimately get a confession.
You think his confession was a lie?
I don't know for sure.
We had a good case against him, but he's a poor kid.
Got into school on a scholarship.
When the evidence started pointing his way,
he got stuck with an overworked public defender.
He couldn't afford bail, so he'd been locked up for a while.
It happens.
Doesn't sound like he had much of a chance.
That anonymous call told me to find footage.
Footage that would exonerate Cody.
Thing is, we subpoenaed the phones and laptops of every witness,
every frat member at that party.
They all came back clean.
Not a shred of video evidence.
A frat party without any video?
I thought that was weird, too.
But the D.A. was hot to close the case,
so, we pushed forward.
The plea deal goes before a judge tomorrow.
After that, could take years to get him out, if ever.
Look, Nicky, I gotta stay. Dig back into this case.
See if there's anything I missed.
My hands are pretty tied by my boss, but...
I want to help. If this kid's innocent,
we have to do everything we can, right?
Besides, your hands might be tied,
but mine aren't.
Safe is in there.
And you're certain this is where your father keeps the weapons?
I'm dead certain. When we were kids,
he took me and my siblings into the safe.
He showed us the weapons.
A lot of planning to do.
It's going to be a long night.
Kerwin!
- Uhh! - Sorry.
Did I catch you at a bad time?
- Edgar? - Tie 'em up.
Yes, even my boy.
How'd you find me?
I always find you.
I have several trackers on you at all times.
After all, it is my job.
Kerwin, who the hell is this?
Edgar. My father's head of security,
and an old friend.
- Having second thoughts? - Um, maybe a little.
Hey.
Wow. What a nice surprise!
- Welcome, Joe. - Baba, what's with the tie?
- Hey. - And where's Mama?
Cooking. I'm taking over the front of the house.
We're changing things up around here a little bit.
- You are? - Yeah. Come on.
See for yourself.
- Mama! - Huh?
Heh heh.
Ha ha.
Joe. Right?
You guys hungry?
Can I get you anything?
Uh, sure.
Can't believe you're finally mixing things up around here.
Lots of changes.
I got my pencil out.
Working on a new logo. Mascot.
You know, Joe does this stuff for a living.
Oh.
What do you think?
- Li'l Dumpy. - Huh. That mascot.
- I have thoughts about that name. - Pretty cool, Mr. Shen.
Just clean him up, give him a pop of color,
and this little guy could be a star.
I got this art software program.
Yeah. I never got past installing it.
I could teach you a few things.
You pay me back in dumplings.
It's a deal. Come on! Ha ha ha!
You know, if you guys are on a date right now...
You could've dressed in something nicer.
What? Mama.
What? Why must everything be so casual?
What's wrong with this jacket?
What's wrong with a blazer?
- Let me try. - Okay.
- Ha! Ohh! - All right. All right.
What are you doing here?
We wanted to ask you a few questions.
Haven't I answered enough questions?
You already got your plea deal.
I told you I was innocent.
You said you were gonna find the truth.
Then last week, your boss comes here, all shock and awe,
telling me I'll go away for 25 years
if I don't plea out.
The press was bad enough. My parents...
I couldn't put them through that.
- Through what? - A trial.
D.A. convinced me I'd lose anyway.
This isn't just about the D.A.'s threat.
It's about your parents.
They made so many sacrifices for me.
At least with the plea,
I'd be able to get my name out of the news.
My parents, they'd be able to move on, they'd...
Save face?
Look, Cody, I get it.
But if you'll let us, we want to help.
We got a tip.
There might be footage from that night,
footage that could exonerate you.
Do you remember anyone filming the night Rick died?
I blacked out.
That night's really fuzzy. I...
Thing is, Sigma Eta is obsessed with image.
Justin, the frat's president?
He wants to be a senator.
The seniors keep that stuff tight.
They run the frat socials like dictators, but...
But what?
Logan and Mookie were constantly recording video.
Pranks, parties.
Even when they were hazing pledges during rush week.
Cody, do you have any idea where that footage might be?
No. I was a new pledge. A freshman.
We have to find it.
Thank you.
Do you really think you can get me out of here?
We're gonna try.
In all my years of keeping an eye on you,
well, I've pulled you out of much worse things.
Oh, let's just say Master Kerwin here
used to have a thing for slumming it.
Edgar, what are you doing here?
Myanmar.
You call me out of the blue,
sniffing out the status of Daddy's excavation.
And the next thing I know...
the site gets raided.
Sloppy, Kerwin. Very sloppy.
Now, the raid itself was a thing of beauty.
If I hadn't already been suspicious,
nobody would've noticed.
I hate to admit it, but I'm proud.
How many times have I had to clean up after you?
No matter what you chose to pursue,
it always ended the same way.
You get bored and you move on.
But this time, you really pulled it off.
Seems this woman has had a... fantastic influence on you.
You know I can't go back to your father empty-handed.
- You have the axe. - You're mistaken.
We don't have the old man's toy.
You really did a number on him.
Okay. Fine.
Your turn.
Where's the axe?
Anything on the frat's cloud?
Nothing much. Photos of volleyball tournaments, parties.
Event flyers for the frat.
- Sorry. They're squeaky clean. - Uhh. Damn.
Watch it, Nicky.
That's as close to a real curse word I've heard from you
since the monastery.
No, I know. I understand...
I take it your little talk hasn't happened yet?
And you're roping me into this oh-so-convenient quest for justice
so you can keep putting it off?
No.
Okay, maybe, but it's not just that.
I know Evan.
He's not gonna be able to live with himself if Cody gets put away.
Besides, I think he's innocent.
It's just a feeling. He's like us...
First generation. Taught not to make waves.
I think he took the plea to end this for his family,
not because he's guilty.
Ohh. How mad was your boss?
Uh, livid. But she said she can't stop me.
Actually challenged me to prove her wrong.
Speaking of, how are we doing with that?
Sorry, Evan.
Hacked into their cloud and found nothing.
I should've done something sooner.
What if it's not on their cloud?
If this frat is so tight about image,
wouldn't they want all that data somewhere secure?
We subpoenaed everything.
Unless they held something back.
Flash drives. Hidden computers. Something offline.
I don't have time to file for a new subpoena.
And I can't hack an un-networked computer.
No, but I can get inside the frat.
Uh, you want to sneak in?
Anything you find wouldn't be admissible.
If I lead you back to it through an anonymous tip,
you can follow up legally.
Well, she can't sneak in.
Not tonight.
Big party at S.E. house. There'll be frat boys everywhere.
Then I guess I'm going through the front door.
- Nicky... - I want to do this.
For Cody. For you.
Looks like you're going back to college.
Mom would be so proud.
My employer could use someone of your cunning and determination.
He rewards his allies very handsomely.
I don't work for anyone but myself.
I've been tasked with cutting
a lot of women out of Kerwin's life.
I can tell you, they don't always look like you,
dress like you,
live like you,
nor do they have an interest in rare and ancient weaponry,
as you apparently do.
Fear usually does the trick.
Oh. If you think that I'm afraid...
you're sorely mistaken.
Not your fear.
His.
- No! - Kerwin!
Don't.
I'll show you.
I'll show you where the weapon is.
Good boy.
Yeah.
Althea, I'll kill you for this.
Uh, you were gonna with the fleece and baseball cap.
How would that have played in the room?
- What do you see? - I don't know. It's a party.
Whoo! It's a party!
Yes, girl. Ha ha!
Let's go dance.
Cody said the seniors' rooms are on the second floor.
Can you get up there?
Mm-hmm.
Oh, no.
Sorry.
Oh, my God. Sorry.
Ohh!
- Having any luck? - Maybe.
There's a door. Only one with a deadbolt.
- Whoa! Hey. - Oh. Hi.
This room's off limits.
Sorry. I was, um, I was looking for a restroom.
Downstairs.
So, what's in there?
Executive lounge.
Well, could you show me where the shots are?
Follow me.
4 weapons.
Impressive.
You know your father doesn't have to know about any of this.
Bring him the 4 weapons.
This could be it.
The thing that finally changes his opinion of you.
You care about her,
so, this next part won't be easy.
But we can't leave any loose ends.
I know when it matters...
you'll do what needs to be done.
You're right.
Kerwin!
He called it the executive suite.
20 bucks there's a stripper pole in there.
If there's something here, it's definitely in that room.
We know he has the key.
He's been watching me.
- Need an easier target. - One step ahead of ya.
Pulling up photos of Sigma Eta seniors.
Other guys who would have room access.
We're sending pictures now.
Bingo.
Ah, those Jell-O shots, right?
Here. This'll help.
Come on. Sit with me.
Uh, okay. Sure.
Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Here. Let me help you.
No. Come on. Yeah.
Hey.
Hey, bro.
Your friend's got his job cut out for him.
Graphic design software?
Look, I love your father,
but he's just getting the hang of texting.
What do I call him?
Friend? Your boyfriend?
Um... boyfriend's good.
Okay. I like him.
You'll get the hang of it, Mr. Shen.
Just keep practicing.
- More lessons, right? Ah. - Anytime.
Can't wait to see you at the wedding.
- Mama! - Hmm?
What? You haven't invited him?
Okay. We're going.
Your parents, they're great.
Well, heh, you seem to bring out the best in them.
That was not normal.
And I'm sorry Mama beat me to the punch,
but I'd like to ask you for real... ahem...
Will you, Joe Harper, be my date to Althea's wedding?
What?
Okay, I'm in.
That Justin guy is on to me. I gotta hurry.
Find the computer.
There's nothing in here.
Flash drives, external hard drives. Anything?
- No. - Nicky, you tried.
Get out of there.
It's a screening room.
- What? - There's a projector.
Maybe this is where the video is.
These are a bunch of files.
- Anything for February 20? - Looking.
Some kind of initiation thing. Lovely.
Ladies and gentlemen,
we have ourselves a loser... !
Aww, look, he's sleeping like a baby.
I think this is it.
This is the night it happened.
Guys, come on.
Relax, Margo. It's gonna be funny.
- Hey, Rick. - What's up?
- Hey! - What's up, Justin?
- Ricky, we made you a drink! - Oh.
- Ha ha! - What is it?
Don't ask. We drink!
It's video of the victim.
Drink! Drink!
The frat drugged Rick.
- This whole thing was a cover-up. - Good going!
What the hell are you doing?
You did it. You drugged Rick.
That was an accident.
The cover-up wasn't.
You set Cody up, but kept the footage.
Movie night with the boys.
- Pranks, hazing, manslaughter. - Get her phone.
Uhh.
It's over.
You've got no proof.
Your phone's toast.
SIM card's totally jacked.
Yup. Along with the video.
That was our silver bullet, Evan.
It would've easily exonerated Cody.
Nicky, it... it's okay.
Wait. We still have a shot.
There was a girl on the video... Margo.
She was a sorority girl
and wearing a Chi Gamma sweatshirt.
- A witness? - Mm-hmm.
And she did not like what she saw.
If we find her, get her to talk...
We could take the frat down.
Why didn't you tell me sooner?
They only texted me a couple hours ago.
Chicago?
I didn't know I was being recruited. I...
This job is all I've ever wanted.
When does it start?
Next week.
Look, I have been wracking my brain.
I don't want to lose you, but I don't know
how I can say no to this.
You can't. It's what you're meant to do.
Ryan...
No, I can't.
We found video.
We know you saw what happened that night.
I knew you'd brought him in,
but I thought he'd get exonerated.
Without your testimony,
Cody will go away for a long time.
Why couldn't you figure this out yourself?
Find the evidence and...
It was you. You called Evan. Gave him the tip.
What are you so afraid of?
Everything.
Justin threatened me.
Said he'd make my life a living hell.
Coming forward... he said he'd blow up my whole life.
Coming forward sucks.
It's big, it's messy, ugly. But you know what's simple?
The truth.
You can get stuck in your head,
torturing yourself about the consequences
and the complications, but...
the truth... is simple.
The main living room of the frat house.
It was the end of the night, so most folks had left.
It was Justin. He did it.
But don't go behind my back again.
I won't.
How'd she take it?
Said she wasn't mad about what I did, just how I did it.
Cody Long will be released by the morning.
Time to start building our case against Justin
and his accomplices in the frat.
- You did good, kid. - Thanks,
but to say I couldn't have done it without you...
it's a huge understatement.
Massive. You know that.
You don't seem that happy.
This wasn't the first case I had my doubts about.
Putting people away...
I'm not sure this is the right job for me.
Not exactly how I pictured my life
when we made those 5-year plans back in high school.
Oh, God. Me either.
Yeah. Kind of got that when you ran away to a monastery
to avoid becoming a lawyer.
Uh-huh. Yeah.
Yeah, we're... we're not the people we were then.
No. We're not.
I'll never stop caring about you.
And having those feelings can be confusing.
But...
You want to be with Henry.
Yeah. I do.
Hmm.
If you'd come in here and told me the exact opposite,
I'd probably go for it.
Got a bit of a... weakness where you're concerned.
I envy you.
You broke from your path.
5 years later, I'm still on mine, and now...
I don't know what I'm doing.
Thinking maybe I need to find my ancient Chinese monastery.
There's gotta be a BuzzFeed quiz for that, right?
You know what? Yeah, probably.
Friends?
Always.
The first time... it's always the hardest.
Killing someone you care for.
Edgar checks in with my father often.
Soon enough, he'll know he's gone.
That'll complicate our plans.
It's time to move.
Fast.
- Hey. - Hey.
Everything okay?
Let's call the lawyer in the morning.
You sure?
Whatever they throw at me...
I'm ready.
- Hey. - Hey.
I'm listening to the tapes. Fascinating stuff.
Henry, I don't want to talk about the tapes.
- Okay. - Will you be my date to the wedding?
- What? - Althea's wedding.
No, yeah, I know, but...
I know... I know I've been however I've been.
Obsessed with this quest.
Mixed up with my family. Confused about my past.
- I... - But through everything,
you've been right there with me.
Close. Helping me, understanding me.
Thing is, this whole time,
I've wanted you closer.
And I know we're finally on the cusp of something,
something big, and Biange is scarier than I thought
and it seems like Zhilan will be impossible to stop,
and right now feels like a crazy time to start anything,
but ever since we kissed...
all I've wanted is more.
I want to be with you.
And I don't know how you feel
and I don't know if waiting for me to figure things out
has changed anything, but...
Nicky... things haven't changed.
Do you hear that?
Yeah.
It's Mei-Xue.
I thought I hit the end of the tape.
I just let it run.
Some kind of hidden track.
"The light through the turtle tree leads the way to the source."
With that song, little warrior,
our song, I've given you everything you need.
Let the words guide you, guide you to the forge.
- Synced & corrected by MementMori - -- www.addic7ed.com --
Greg, move your head.