_
Black 26.
Baby, I need more chips.
Absolutely not.
You just lost $100,000. That's not a bet.
That's a down payment on someone's house.
Oh, please, baby.
- You can afford it. - Is there a problem?
I'm sorry, Anika.
I'm not letting her lose any more of my money.
Your money?
Mr. Luppina, what would your wife say if she knew you were here?
She thinks you're in Dubai, on business.
Her family's business.
How are the kids, by the way?
Your daughter must be, what, early 20s by now?
- Yeah. - Anika.
Mr. Cullen, may I help you?
I need to talk to you a minute.
I've been vetting the whales you're bringing in
for your private game this coming Wednesday.
An impressive list.
A hundred million on the tables in that room.
- You're welcome. - I'm curious.
Most of these people are your regulars. Either here or at other parlors,
but there's a name I've never seen.
A Mr. Yao Liang.
And you want to arrange for the casino to extend
a $15 million line of credit to him.
I don't hear a question.
I've done my due diligence, and that person doesn't exist.
You don't need to worry who my players are.
I'm paid to worry,
and I'm filing this with the ACT Racing and Gambling Commission.
You have the house advantage here.
What are you doing?
I'm sorry.
Maybe we didn't get to know each other very well.
I'm in and out of here so fast.
Or maybe we got off on the wrong foot.
I want you to be comfortable with me.
I want you to be comfortable when you leave the house
in the morning and start up that sexy Holden HK Monaro.
Comfortable that the ignition doesn't ignite an incendiary device
packed with EPX-1,
which has the highest detonation velocity
of all plastic explosives.
Comfortable?
Good.
CREDITS
_
Meera Malik's daughter?
After all these years?
On loan from MI6 on a provisional basis.
She just lost her whole team to Wujing.
She has skin in this game.
Well, if she's anything like her mother,
she'll be a keen asset.
With a discerning eye.
And you'll be okay with her?
I believe the question is whether she'll be okay with me.
She's been fully read-in. She knows what she's signing up for.
Ms. Malik, your government is in agreement,
your security clearance has been authorized,
and you understand what we do here?
You work with a very high-level confidential informant.
- I've been debriefed on this. - Not just any informant.
We work with Raymond Reddington.
It's a symbiotic relationship.
On balance, it's a net plus for us and the work we do.
He's invaluable.
You realize now that you know this, there's no going back?
My mother knew all of this, too,
and she still chose the work.
She did.
Then what time should I be here Monday morning?
I look forward to meeting her.
See anything you like up there?
What are we doing here, Red? This is not the most discreet.
Street food, Harold. I'm on a pilgrimage.
I won't stop until I've tried it all.
The pan-seared brains are supposed to be delicious here.
Ooh, peppery goat breast. Hi.
Okay, we'll take the number one, three, the five,
and I guess the seven.
Odds today, evens tomorrow. Homan.
Live like you're dying.
Am I right, Harold?
I just spent three hours on a train from DC.
Ooh, I love that trip.
Three hours of peace and quiet.
The low rumble of the rails.
And a very nice ham and cheese sandwich, I must say.
Please. Wujing.
What are we doing? Have there been any updates?
It appears he's out there marshaling his forces.
And for some reason, you've disbanded yours.
I'm hearing you don't even have security.
Keeping a lighter footprint.
Simpler all around.
We know what he's up to. The question is where.
In the last week and a half,
Wujing's been spotted in Monaco, Lisbon, Klerksdorp, South Africa.
Do you know what all those locations have in common?
Not off the top of my head.
Casinos, Harold.
Wujing is frequently somewhat fancier surroundings,
I assume in the hopes of falling in with a fancier set of friends.
The associates of mine who spotted him in Monaco
saw him with an Australian woman named Anika de Beer.
De Beer? Who is she?
In the world of gambling, de Beer is known as the Whaler.
She's a freelancer who pulls in high-rollers to casinos.
She works across the globe.
After Monaco, she flew to the Crown Rocks in Sydney.
This is a formidable woman.
She'd do anything to get whales to the table.
What does he want with her? Is this all about money?
Too many things in life are.
The same man out gathering an army isn't taking time to gamble, is he?
I don't know, but de Beer might.
She's our best lead.
Char?
Is everything all right?
Oh, no. Not again.
She didn't say anything after school yesterday.
Sure, I can be free to meet Wednesday.
Is it just with the teacher?
Okay, hon. See you when I get home.
Bye.
Is there a problem with Agnes?
Agnes is having some trouble with a bully at school.
An older girl. But we're handling it.
Anything I can do to help?
Thank you, but Agnes already has two parents,
and it's our belief that she needs to work this out herself.
Order's up. Homan.
I've got this.
Whatever you and Charlene think is best, Harold.
But we better working on our working lunch,
because I believe
this Whaler is now our best chance
at getting to Wujing.
I want you gentlemen to welcome the newest member of our team.
- Siya? - Hello.
I just want to say that I'm excited about being here.
I know my mother felt proud of what she did in this place,
and I'm looking forward to feeling the same way.
It's good to have you.
Aram made it look so easy.
Here, let me help with that.
Thanks, Agent Malik.
Right. Anika de Beer.
Casinos around the world treat her like royalty
because her client list is so impressive.
Millionaires, billionaires, tech giants, industry tycoons,
and some of the best players ever to touch a deck of cards.
She's working with Wujing, but we don't know to what end.
Could they be planning something with one of de Beer's whales?
Big gamblers, big bank accounts. That's a lot of very powerful people.
Is it possible Wujing might be targeting some or one of these players?
You just might be onto something.
Reddington has informed me that she's bringing a group
of the biggest whales on her roster
to the Crown Rocks Casino in Sydney, Australia,
in two days' time for a private game of Texas Hold 'Em.
Whatever she and Wujing are doing,
the timing of this upcoming tournament feels suspicious.
So, what's the plan?
Well, if we want to get to de Beer,
we know exactly where she'll be in 48 hours.
Reddington also informed me
that there are still a few open chairs for her Sydney game.
- So, we're going into that game? - How?
This is Spencer Waters.
Waters is a wealthy music promoter
and owner of the Alcazar Theatre in New York.
He's also the organizer of one of the richest
poker game pots on the East Coast.
It's a monthly underground game. Millions on the table.
No one gains entry without Waters' approval.
The Whaler is known to have eyes
in the biggest card rooms around the world,
so if we want her attention,
we'll need to make a splash in Waters' game.
Reddington's already working on an invitation.
I gotta admit.
I'm a little nervous sitting here, Mister...
Oh, please, Spencer, it's Raymond.
Although, Steve Jones always calls me "Rotten Ray."
In fact, I did a little guest DJ thing with him
on "Jonesy's Jukebox" using that moniker.
Apparently, Johnny got pissed off
thinking we were making fun at his expense.
Which maybe we were, or maybe we weren't.
I don't know.
It doesn't take much to piss off John.
Steve Jones? Johnny Rotten? Seems like you got a lot of friends.
That phone call I got from, Huey Lewis' manager...
Jerry. Yes.
Yeah, he told me about that, favor that you did for him once.
Well, technically, it was for an associate of Jerry's,
but Jerry benefited.
But I prefer to leave past business in the past.
Let's talk about the future.
I'm someone who can do quite a lot
when it comes to favors
for a person with a fertile imagination.
A favor for me?
- In return for... - A favor for me.
Well, actually, it's for a friend.
A friend who enjoys playing cards.
I see.
Is your friend any good?
Spencer, if it's a friend of mine,
they're either the very best or the most fun.
Often both.
I apologize for our disagreement yesterday.
That was unfortunate.
Now, what can you arrange for me here?
As requested, you'll have the entire room reserved for your event.
The lift is private and dedicated to this floor.
You'll have a checkpoint at the entrance
with handheld metal detectors.
Fire exits will be locked during the length of game play,
but will open automatically in the event the fire alarm is tripped.
What about security?
Would you like some of our team made available to you?
No, thank you.
I use my own people for events like this... always.
Now,
what about my list of players?
Fully approved.
How many of our Sky Villas
would you like available to you for the evening?
All of them.
And tell me, which one is the most private?
Ah. Welcome.
What's all this for?
Your costumes, Donald. For the theater this evening.
Ms. Malik, please allow me to introduce myself.
You're a man of wealth and taste?
Clever.
I'm Raymond Reddington. Please.
I knew your mother many years ago.
And what did she think of you?
I don't know if she ever liked me very much.
Mr. Reddington, you and I don't need to be friends with one another.
Like my mother, I'm also extremely capable.
I can liaise with you, work beside you,
smile at your jokes,
but this is a professional relationship to me.
Nothing more.
Practiced that, have you?
You mind walking us through this?
For Spencer Waters' poker game,
I took the liberty of having an associate of mine
concoct a flawless fake identity... E.M. Lyons,
buried several layers deep
in a couple of dozen databases.
Lyons will play in the game tonight
with Waters' full endorsement
and my financial backing.
It's the best chance we have of baiting the Whaler.
Oh, and Lyons is allowed a plus one.
So, Agent Ressler poses as Lyons
and I'm the arm candy? Is that it?
On the contrary, Emilia Marie Lyons
will sit at the card table,
and Donald will be the arm candy.
- Come again? - These are poker players.
Experts in bluffing and deception,
reading people.
It has to be Siya.
They're less likely to see her coming.
She's not ready for this.
I have a feeling any daughter of Meera Malik
will be smart and quick on her feet, and you, Donald,
will be more believable as her bank and much better
as the eyes and ears watching her back.
If I were in a pinch, I'd want you watching mine.
I don't suppose it makes a difference to anyone
that I don't know how to play poker?
Well, that's where Mr. Endicott comes in.
His services are available to you for as long as you need.
A bit of a crash course, if you will.
Learn the mechanics of the game, pick out some new threads.
There's some lovely items over there for your choosing.
I'll be off. Errands to run.
But I'll be rooting for the debut of
Ms. Lyons and her trusty bankroll tonight.
Good luck.
"She's not ready for this"?
May I ask what your issue is?
You have no idea what you're inviting in with this job.
I mean, this is how he operates.
He has no idea putting somebody out on a limb,
because he's out there himself.
There's no line he won't cross, Agent Malik.
I'll be there when you figure that out.
Great job today, Agnes.
Why are you being so sarcastic?
What? No! I did. What do you mean?
"I did."
What? No. I'm on this team.
Get away from me! What are you doing?
Agnes!
What happens to kids that makes them this way?
Emilia.
Spencer.
How are you, gorgeous?
I thought you had shows all this week?
Ah, Robert Plant canceled on me last minute.
Oh. Who are you gonna sell overpriced cocktails to now?
I think I'll sell 'em to you and your gentleman friend here.
- He's the bank. - I'm the bank.
The bank's always welcome.
Just can't have you near the tables, I'm afraid.
If you make yourself comfortable, plenty of food
and booze in the wings with the rest of the guests.
Emilia, I'll show you to your table. Right this way.
Thank you.
$20,000.
Call.
Pair of kings, queen kicker.
Trip threes.
I get it. You thought you had something.
You keep coming, girl.
It's just not your night.
Maybe you want to stop spending your man's money?
You want to keep trying to piss me off,
or should we just play cards?
How much you got left there, short stack?
You feeling lucky?
I'm putting you all in.
Call. $50,000.
Lady wins with a pair.
You went all in with two fives?
With three face cards showing?
You didn't know what I had here.
Oh, I knew. I watched you win,
so I'd know the moment you were losing.
Remember?
That's when you called me "short stack."
Is your player free to talk?
Now that she has all the chips, sure.
Excuse me.
My employer would like a word.
Hello?
There's my wild card. That was an impressive play.
You waited him out and took him by surprise.
I suppose that's the game.
I'm hosting an event down in Sydney tomorrow.
I can send a Gulfstream for you and your bank.
Travel, hotel... all on me.
I have some talented players coming, but I'd love
to see you shake things up like you did there tonight.
I'll try my best.
That's worth the jet fuel alone.
I'll see you soon.
We're going to Australia.
You barely said a word to me on the plane ride down.
Do you want to continue what you started back in DC?
I was being honest in Washington.
You don't think I understand what this job is?
Well, I think you understand it fine, and you're ignoring the dangers.
Or maybe you understand those, too, and you just don't care.
I'm not reckless, Agent Ressler.
Neither was your mother, and look where it got her.
I'm sorry.
I've seen this job tear down a lot of people.
I saw it kill a woman I loved very much named Elizabeth.
I saw it kill your mother. It's nothing personal.
You seem very good at what you do.
I'm just not sure I want to see it tear you down, too.
I appreciate that. I do.
But I can handle myself.
They're taking every precaution here.
Yes. Let's hope that we have.
Please, make yourself comfortable.
Each game starts one half-hour behind the other
so that the games are staggered.
Ms. Lyons, you'll be over at Table Two, starting in just a few moments.
This is quite the collection of people.
I see a weapons dealer, a country singer,
and a chairman of the Gemeinschaft Bank in Zurich.
What? Forbes was the only magazine on the flight down here.
There's a Saudi royal over by Table Two.
The two players at Table Three are both Chinese billionaires.
British SIS has a file on both of them.
At the same table? Is it a coincidence?
I don't know.
What does Wujing want here?
What is the Whaler providing him?
I need to sit and play cards.
Where do you want me?
Make yourself useful, honey, and get us some drinks.
Your brave agents have made it into the belly of the beast?
They checked in safely from the casino.
They're off comms for at least a few hours now.
Agent Malik sitting at the card table was your idea, I understand?
She's quite something, isn't she?
Listen, Harold, while I have you,
what do you know about the Ruthermans?
Who?
Phil and Justin Rutherman, and their one daughter, Amanda.
Is that...
Did you look into the family of the girl bullying Agnes?
I had a friend do a little poking around,
and I saw the bullying myself.
- Things are volatile. - You went to the school?
Do you know how totally out of bounds that...
Harold, don't be absurd.
I would never be so conspicuous, let alone creepy,
as to loiter outside of a middle school.
I found her at soccer practice.
I simply thought it prudent to get ahead of the situation.
Raymond, for once, please listen to me.
Stand down and stop it. I won't ask you again.
Why am I always the bad guy?
What made this guy stand out?
Something. In the way he moved.
He was casing the room. It felt military.
He's not in the game. This guy isn't right for this place.
You're not kidding. That guy is Zhang Wei,
former Chinese special forces turned mercenary,
no longer associated with their government,
wanted for extrajudicial shootings in several NATO countries.
He could be recon, scouting this place for Wujing.
Agent Ressler, you have a private mercenary
in a room full of potential targets and the Whaler.
You need to alert Agent Malik to the threat immediately.
All right. I'm on it.
You're not the only one taking pictures.
I got this lovely one of Ms. Lyons.
I have an NSA-level computer team at my disposal.
Routine vetting of every new player at my tables.
Took them a day, but they busted her alias.
You might've fooled Mr. Waters in New York,
but you didn't fool me.
So, who are you two?
'Cause she's certainly not Ms. Lyons,
and I'm very interesting in who you are.
Well, I could tell you,
but that would compromise my partner out there.
These gentlemen work with me.
They're not affiliated with the casino, so, if you go with them quietly,
they'll get the answers I need.
I'm Nigel.
I'm in charge here.
Then trust me, Nigel, you need to let me explain.
Give me my phone so I can make a call.
Everybody's got an explanation.
An excuse.
We are past that, mate.
Sorry to interrupt your play,
but there seems to be a problem with your gentleman friend.
He's taken ill, I'm afraid.
Oh, where is he?
Would you like to come with me?
Is there a problem?
Not one that can't be rectified.
They'll take care of you.
This is Mr. Yao Liang. Please see him to Table Three
and open his line of credit right away.
We've got real problems, I think.
- I'm aware. - Bigger than this.
Guess who I just saw walk in downstairs?
Wujing is here.
That's why the mercenary. He was recon.
Case the room.
What are they doing here?
Whatever it is, they've done it at several casinos around the world.
Wujing was using an alias.
Going to sit and play at Table Three.
With the two Chinese billionaires?
You said that MI6 had files on both. Why?
We've got files on thousands and thousands of people.
Can't remember the exact details of those two,
but it was probably Triad association,
or something of the sort.
The Whaler put Wujing in a room with
two Triad-associated businessmen and millions on the table, why?
If you two are done whispering,
where did we leave off?
Let's get a few answers.
Well, let me save you the trouble.
I'm an FBI agent here undercover. She's MI6.
You really don't want to do what you're about to do.
Sure.
So,
which one of you do I start with?
I guess I'll be your first dance.
Get him up.
Where did you get that?
Us spies have all the best toys.
I keep underestimating you.
Yes, I've noticed that.
Shall we check back in with home?
But you're both all right?
Yeah, might need some dental work, but yeah, we're okay.
We need to get you out of there.
Not so fast. Wujing is here.
He's on site. Downstairs right now.
Hey, Ressler?
Take a look at this.
I'll be damned.
He is gambling.
That's not what I see.
What do you mean?
One of those billionaires just folded with two pair.
Lookit, you can see their cards from this angle.
Why would he fold with that?
Wait. Watch, the other one's gonna fold now, too.
They're letting Wujing win.
This isn't a game. This is a payday.
You're telling me the men in that game are losing on purpose?
They must be plants. That makes sense.
The Whaler set up the guest list herself.
Wujing needs to fund his war with Reddington, right?
So, let's assume that he's left behind a fortune
in Chinese bank accounts before his arrest.
Old funds from his spy hunter days?
That was over a decade ago.
Wujing is a criminal and a fugitive from justice now.
Any bank transaction, any money transfer,
he has to assume that the Chinese government,
the US government, not to mention Reddington
and his network... they're all watching.
So he needs to get that money in an untraceable way.
Exactly.
So, Wujing strikes up a working relationship
with a casino specialist.
He gives her a cut, and she goes to work
setting up lines of credit for him under aliases.
Clean money for a dirty little war against Reddington.
He has up to...
What looks like millions of dollars.
Think about those casinos
they've already hit in those other cities.
We can't let him walk out the door with that money.
Well, there's no way we're getting anywhere back
near that room, not with all this security.
Harold, what a lovely surprise.
Wujing is in Australia.
He's sitting at a table in a casino
while two Triad money men hand him
millions and millions and millions.
Quite a tidy little scheme, courtesy of our Whaler.
- She's a clever one. - Wujing's up millions,
and they're doing it right out in the open.
The best cons are always in plain sight.
Ressler and Malik were ejected from the room and we can't stop him.
Well, don't worry yourself.
I had an inkling he'd make an appearance at the game.
- So, I have a backup. - What backup?
What's sweet and fun and Red all over?
Hello, there.
My name is Raymond Reddington.
I don't have a seat in this game, but I'd love to play in.
Mr. Reddington, I'm afraid all our seats are full.
Anika, tell me,
how much is your cut of Wujing's take here tonight?
- Excuse me? - 10% of his winnings?
No, you're better than that. 15.
I don't know how much you helped him to collect
at all those other casinos,
but I'm guessing he heads for the door this evening with,
what, 20, 25 million?
That's a little less than four to you, yes?
Here's six. In diamonds.
You can take it right now.
I'm a sure bet.
You've never made a wrong decision in your life.
Don't start now.
I'm sure something could be arranged.
Pull me up a chair to the man himself, please.
Anyone mind if I join the fun?
I don't have a great deal of time,
so here's an idea.
What do you say we play one hand?
Wouldn't that be exciting?
Just you and me.
No limit.
I must have millions and millions here.
This is quite a bold move.
Well, I'm not armed and you're not armed,
and I highly doubt we're going to leap
across the table and do what?
Give each other bloody noses?
Call.
How'd you know I'd be here?
Calculated guess.
And a $5 million bet.
You haven't checked your cards.
They are what they are.
You seem to be a man who takes an awful lot of risks.
Well, there are risks everywhere.
Although, you've tipped the odds a bit in your favor
by stocking the game with your bagmen here.
The irony of Raymond Reddington making an accusation.
I know exactly what you are.
And soon, the rest of the world will see that, too.
You have no idea what I am.
You don't even know how to really look.
Your anger and your hate have made you shortsighted.
I'm going to be the end of you.
I'm all in.
There's an end waiting for all of us.
Call.
This is Local Area Commander Baker.
This is Special Agent Dembe Zuma,
Federal Bureau of Investigation, badge number 81452.
We have two agents on the premises of the Crown Rocks Casino.
They've been assaulted, and currently,
there is a wanted fugitive on site in a private gambling suite.
I suggest you lock down the facility.
We need to get Raymond out of there.
You think you can what?
Frighten me off?
This is an impressive display of audacity,
you sitting there,
but there isn't a tactic you have in your arsenal
that will steer me off course.
At the moment, I don't need anything in my arsenal,
except for the two cards in front of me.
Then you'd better hope they're the right ones,
if you plan to take me on.
Three aces.
There's one thing you should know
before we go any further than this table.
Whatever they are, if they're in my hand,
they're always the right cards.
Flush wins.
Aha. Look at that.
This doesn't end here.
I hope not.
But at least we've played a hand.
Ladies and gentlemen, excuse me.
I've just been informed that the police have entered the casino
and they're heading up here as we speak.
If everybody can please just remain calm...
We got to get out of here.
I'll be seeing you.
We need to go.
Lead the way, Agent Malik.
No sign of Wujing or the Whaler since the game broke up.
Security's checked every inch of the property.
They're not here.
We should be done here pretty quick.
We found a bunch of hard drives.
This game she was running with Wujing was just the tip of the iceberg.
Looks like we have evidence on dozens of clients.
Laundering, conspiracy, illegal gambling, fraud.
Wow. Great.
You know, you saved my ass tonight.
We made a good team.
You can watch my back in the field any day,
but I still meant what I said before.
About not getting sucked down the drain of this job?
I didn't know Elizabeth.
I barely knew my mother.
Maybe I'm not like them.
Welcome to the team, Siya.
But I'm still gonna lose sleep over you.
You know, I don't usually take meetings like this.
What sort of meetings do you mean?
Ones where I have no idea what's going on.
Well, I guess I'm just lucky.
You should see me at cards.
You have a project manager on your team.
Philip Rutherman.
You also have a $78,000 debt to two bookies in Baltimore.
That's 100.
The extra 20-something's for...
whatever you like.
If that's for me, what's for you?
I have it on good authority that there's an opening
for a project manager on a site of yours
in Sarasota, Florida, starting in a couple of weeks.
I think it's time that Mr. Rutherman and his family
transferred somewhere a little warmer,
a little wetter, a little further away.
What's going on? Why have we stopped?
I'm already late for my flight.
Hello?
You told me we were safe.
You told me you had thought of everything.
I had.
But you never told me you were on some path
of assured mutual destruction with Raymond Reddington of all people.
You held those cards and you didn't show me,
so I'm not responsible for what happened in Sydney.
And that?
Was that Reddington, too?
How much did it cost for you to betray me?
I'll think of another plan.
We can get back to work.
I have another idea.
Tell me,
how much is in the bag?
Enough to replace what I lost?
I guess it's a start.
- Hello, Harold. - Authorities in
Australia are still looking for Anika de Beer.
They won't find her.
Wujing will have disposed of her by now.
At least he wasn't able to collect his money.
He'll find another way.
There's always another way.
This is far from over.
So you won't believe this, but the problem
Agnes was having at school seems to have rectified itself.
The girl's whole family just moved to Florida.
That's serendipitous news.
Don't treat me like an idiot, Raymond.
Your fingerprints are visible from a mile away.
You asked me to stay out of it and I'm out of it.
If that's the case...
Then what are you doing here?
You know, Maurice Sendak,
one of the most celebrated
and most wonderful children's book authors of all time,
he said about children...
"You tell them anything you want.
Just tell them if it's true.
If it's true, you tell them."
I hear that and I think it's the best advice,
and yet, still...
what if I want to protect her?
What if I just...
Want her to be
a safe,
happy
young girl?
I know how much you care.
Truly.
I know you have the best possible intentions
when it comes to her.
But that also means allowing her to skin her knees sometimes.
I've raised two children of my own in my life.
Now I'm raising someone else's,
and I can tell you with certainty,
they grow up to be
whomever they're going to be.
CREDITS