"Hi, it's Beth, but it's not." "Please leave me a message." "Hi, Beth, hello." "Oh it's Clark, I should have said that..." "Clark..." "I really... think, if you called me back, and we talked, this could all be fixed." "This could all be fixed." "I'd feel a lot better." "You know what?" "I think you'd... you'd feel better, too, if we just..." "Clark!" "I got to go." "I miss you." "I..." "I... go... goodbye." "Who was that?" "N... no one." "Literally not talking to a person." "Just practicing." "I need you focused!" "You realize this is the last investor willing to talk to us." "Latrell worked this guy's assistant for a month to get us this meeting!" "I've had a breakthrough!" "You ready for this?" "We lead with our weaknesses." " That's your new strategy, huh?" " Hey." "Studies show that you're judged to be more likeable if you begin by admitting your faults rather than waiting." "We'd be better off making up things to admit to than appearing to be perfect." "Oh, I highly doubt we have to worry about appearing perfect." "Yeah." "Was that Beth?" "Huh?" "Were you on the phone with Beth?" " Yeah, I was just..." " Clark, you got to stop." " You've had other women..." " Oh, no, no, no." "Not like her." "Not like her." "Ross, you're killing my mojo here!" "Can we do this later?" "Because right now I want to shake the money tree!" "Let's dominate!" "Come on." "Pssh!" "Let's go." "Is there a level just below "dominate"?" "The more my brother and I discussed it, it became very clear that in the right hands, these little observations about human nature that had just been laying around in academic journals could be turned into very powerful tools" "capable of doing nothing short of helping decide who becomes the next leader of the free world." "And that got us thinking... what if you could use this vast body of knowledge to help people manipulate the most important moments in their lives?" " What if..." " What if, Ted?" "!" "What if we started the way that we agreed we were going to start, which is by saying that I'm severely bipolar, my academic career recently imploded when the university became aware that I was having an affair" "with a 22-year-old undergraduate student?" "Also, Ross here just finished a two-year stint in a minimum-security prison for fraud." "Okay, there's that." "Now, the point is, we're not hiding anything, even though by not leading with it... which we agreed to... it makes it seem like we are." "We're not." "Because we have nothing to hide." "Because this is an incredible opportunity." "You want to play "what if," Ted?" "What if you just need help finding that job you always wanted or to make sure that your company is chosen for that billion-dollar contract, or that your duaghter, doesn't run marry that dirtbag, freeloading musician that she's threatened to run off with?" "What if instead of leaving all the big moments to fate  We manipulate them with 60 years of research into human behavior?" "Stacking the odds in your favor so that when it really, really mattered, you came out on top?" "So..." "let me get this straight." "You're offering me an alternative to fate?" "Yes." "Okay." "Sure." "I'll take two." "There you go!" "Now we're cookin'!" "Yeah." "Clark is a world-renowned expert in human behavior, psychology, and motivation, and from that knowledge, he's able to tailor a plan to influence any situation so that at that critical life-altering moment..." "Thank you." "Shh." "Ted, you lost a, uh, shareholder revolt that you were trying to lead last year, right?" "Well, we could have won that for you." "So, you're saying that you could have constructed a better argument for replacing the board?" " Yes." " No..." "I could have replaced the board without knowing anything about your argument." "I saw the clips of your presentation... class "A" dividends." "Hell, I don't know if it was a good argument, but I do know that you're short, and you're balding, you sound a little effeminate, and pointy shoes make you look like an elf." "Ted, I know that you lost when you stood up on the far-left side of the conference room, Ted." "No one important is wearing pointy shoes on the far-left side of a room, Ted, ever... ever!" "Don't you get it, Ted?" "!" "This is how people work!" "We don't listen to each other." "No one's listening to you." "No one's listening to me." "We don't hear." "We react to a million little things that we're not even aware of." "The mind's full of jedi mind tricks and back alleys and secret passageways." " Sit." " But... but if you know what they are, you..." "Watch this." "Watch this!" " Clark, stop." "Stop." " No, no, no." "Stop." "Stop." "Clark, no, no, no, no, no!" " Please don't move the desk!" " No!" " We can assert his power using only his feet." " Please." " I'll show you." "Here... back up." " No, no, no." "Wait, wait." "No, no!" "Stop!" "Stop moving around!" "Stop!" "Find me a female!" "Any female!" "Go!" "Go!" " Stop." "Stop." " Stop." "He looks like he's fine." " Clark, Clark!" "Get your hand off his foot." " Take your hand off my shoe!" "No, no, no!" "Aah!" "Ooh!" "Oh, my God." "Oh." "I think I'm beginning to get an idea of why you're having so much trouble getting this business off the ground." "Look, it's gonna take some time to educate..." "Look, your brother has a stunning résumé for academics, but come on... this is real life." "And let me tell you something... in real life, the guy that you needed to get money from is gonna have to call a cleaning crew after you finish your pitch!" "So, I think I'll just wait for the next bus into this brave new world." "I can't take the drugs, Ross!" "Okay?" "It's like when you go for a jog and you got the headphones on and the great music's playing and it's like life has a soundtrack." "And then you take the headphones off, and then suddenly, everything's flat and dull!" "Look, drugs stop the music." "Music is where all the ideas come from." "I can think of several ideas we could have gone without in that meeting." " That's all." " Yes, okay." "But my condition highly correlates with creativity, and some of the greatest minds in history have been..." "We're not talking about history." "We're talking about right here, right now, where we just blew our best possible chance to get some money in this..." " We didn't get it." " No, Latrell." "I blew it." "Is that what you want to hear, Ross?" " I was just suggesting that you..." " Hey, this is serious." "Does it look like I'm taking it lightly?" "I called every contact I had left and practically offered to mow their lawn to get you in there." "The landlord is ready to lock us out." "Ted was our lifeboat." "We needed Ted." "Miles, you were a very promising graduate student." "You shouldn't have followed me here." "I don't understand." "Did you talk about a dominance display or..." "Um, I talked about a lot of things, and then I remember trying to take off his shoes." "Why did you try to take off the man's shoes?" "I was gonna demonstrate how putting his feet between himself and a female..." "Miller-Barre study." "Miller-Barre!" "Exactly!" "Miller-Barre!" "But I didn't say "Miller-Barre."" "I ripped off his shoes, and I knocked over his marbles." "Marbles?" "You said you could control him." "He's just in an up phase right now." "When will he come down?" "We don't want down." "Well, what do we want?" "Someplace in the middle." "Look, it's not an exact science." "Where were you last night?" "What... are you checking my place now?" "You had that on yesterday." "Oh." "Funny story." "Morning." "Megan." "Thought you weren't coming in till Thursday." "Um... right." "Well, I was just in between auditions, and I thought I would stop by to..." "You wanted to see me." "Sorry?" "I know what you're trying to do, but that's not how you do it." "Really?" "It was authoritative." "It was declarative." "I looked right into her eyes." "Shut up for a minute!" "There's someone out there." "What do you mean?" "Like a client?" "I..." "I don't know." "I don't know what a client looks like." "What are we waiting for?" "Let's go dominate!" "No, no. "Dominate" is bad, remember?" "Let's try "communicate."" " How's that?" " Okay." "Oh!" "What?" "Will you help me move that plant over to that chair?" "I don't even know if this is what you do." "One of Tyler's doctors suggested maybe you could help." "Dr. Allen?" "He said you used to be faculty at the same medical school." "Yes." "I was let go for throwing my lunch at a classroom full of first-years." "He mentioned that." "I was also recently let go from another institution for having an affair with an undergraduate." "But, in my own defense, I was deeply in love, and I felt like she understood and accepted me exactly as I am." "Okay." "I've been convicted of securities fraud and spent two years in a minimum-security prison." "Would you like to hear about the time" "I accidentally drove off without paying for gas when I was 17?" "Why are you telling me these things?" "Such a good question." "Because, uh, we've made mistakes, and we want you to know that we've learned from them, and this is our chance to apply those lessons and expertise that I've gained through a lifetime of studying" "human behavior... a study that, frankly, has been at least partly an attempt to understand the difficulties that I have controlling my own." "Where was that answer an hour ago?" "At the beginning of the meeting, if you would have stuck to the plan." "I'm sorry." "Continue." "Tyler has a heart condition." "It makes him very weak and requires invasive surgery to repair his valves almost every year." "One more surgery, and I'll have had as many broken ribs as Evel Knievel." "The doctors have offered a new, permanent treatment that uses stem cells to help re-grow the valves, but the insurance company is saying it's experimental and they won't pay for it." "Without the insurance, we can't possibly afford the procedure, and Tyler will just keep suffering through the surgeries." "I mean, Tyler's existing bills alone have already bankrupted us." "Bankrupted?" "Who have you been talking to?" "Well, we've worked our way up." "I have a meeting scheduled with the head of the claims department tomorrow." "And they can approve the surgery?" " Yes." " That's really good." "Hey!" "What... what is he... what is he like?" "Um, h... how educated is he?" "Is he aggressive?" "Do you have any pictures of his hands?" "No." "I'm sorry." "I guess I don't fully understand what it is you do." "What we do is research and deploy a psychological strategy so that the people that have been saying no to you begin to say yes." "Simply put, we change people's minds without them knowing we did it." "Like jedi mind tricks." "Like jedi mind tricks!" "Exactly!" "I said that this morning!" "Ross, didn't I say that this morning?" "Ha ha." "Yeah." "It went over very well." "Now, you say you have a meeting tomorrow." "His name is Charles Murray." "I don't know much else." " We'll figure out a way..." " Oh, dear." "You know what?" "We actually have to get into a meeting." "So before we get too deep into this, why don't you give us your contact information, and we will be in touch with you as soon as possible." "Thank you." "Clark." "This one is very intriguing." " This is not a one." " Tell the kid staring at 20 more heart surgeries this isn't a one." "I would, but I'm pretty sure his phone's been cut off since they have no money." "Metromutual has sued their own policyholders to avoid paying for conventional treatments." "We got a better chance of getting a unicorn to perform experimental surgery than getting them to pay for it." "We're not talking about Metromutual." "We're talking about one man here..." "Charles Murray... and that opens up several very strong strategies." "Mirroring, triangulated confidence structuring, request reversal." "Guess what... it doesn't matter." "They're bankrupt." "There's zero upside here." "Maybe the fact that it's impossible is the upside." "We can't nail down business or investment because no one seems to believe that we can do what we say we can do." "So maybe we pro bono this, get a head on the wall." "Then you and I have something to point to when we're trying to close someone who can pay." "Wait." "Are you on our side?" "Yeah, I... guess I am." "Oh!" "I'm sorry." "I just assumed you'd be against us." "You know, you should really be sitting over here." "You know what?" "Megan, why don't you sit opposite Ross?" "Why?" "Because looking at someone they're attracted to largely destroys a person's ability to form a cogent argument." "Just, you... yeah." " Go around." " Stop!" "Stop!" "Stop!" "Just... everybody, sit!" "Sit." "Do you seriously think you can pull this off?" "I've always wondered if these elements could be isolated outside the labo..." "Yes." "Because if this blows up in our faces..." "What the hell is she doing here?" "Who's that?" " My ex-wife." " Our new office manager!" "What?" " Hi." " Hey." "I told you I..." "I needed one more person." "Oh." "Where should I sit?" "Yes, where should you sit?" "Claire calms me down, Ross." "She's like a magic feather." "You may have noticed she has the exact opposite effect on me." "Besides, I'm your magic feather." "Yes, traditionally." "But we're starting a new business together, which just happens to be full of negative triggers," " like stress..." " She's not the answer." "Even if you were close when we were married..." "Ross, when you were in prison," "I was trying to deliver a grant proposal, and I had been awake for almost two weeks, and I began to believe I needed to go on a cross-country mission for God." "I called her." "She came." "The minute I saw her, I started to come down." "If she just sat in a room with me, I could focus." "If she just laid in the bed with me, I could sleep." "If she... what?" "!" "You slept together?" "!" "Yeah." "We slept in a bed together, Ross, after I'd been awake for two weeks!" "No!" "You don't do that." "You don't call my ex-wife to come tuck you in." "We all got divorced." "That's how it works." "Oh, were you available?" "I didn't know they let you out for "brother's grant proposal has turned into an interstate holy mission."" "I know things are stressful right now." "It's not just work!" "All my journal entries indicate the fact that I let Beth get away." "You've got to get over this woman." "She was absolutely not the one." "Shh!" "No!" "She... she accepted me right from "go."" "She loved me as-is." "That doesn't happen." "Listen." "Listen." "Listen to me." "In a few weeks, I promise you..." "No, no, no!" "I'm leaving her 10 to 15 messages a day, Ross!" "I'm sending 20,000-word e-mails!" "You cannot be..." "That's why I need Claire!" "That's why we need Claire!" "To keep me from going to that place I was in during the pitch, to help me sleep and stop moving furniture, to get control before I'm charged with stalking a former student." "She turned me in, Clark." "I spent two years in prison because my own wife turned me in!" "You spent two years in prison because you were a fraud." "I told you he'd be like this." "Then why the hell did you come?" "Because Clark asked me to." "And if he's working with you, then God knows he needs it." "Oh, I see." "When Clark calls, you come running." "When I call, you run away?" "Yep." "Well, he wasn't asking me to break the law." "All I asked for was a little bit of..." "It's not gonna work." "I can't do it." "It's impossible." "Ross, I told you that I wasn't cut out for the real world." "I told you I needed to find another teaching job." "But you wanted me to try." "If you want me to stay, I need her." "By which I mean, I won't do it without her." "Come on." "Just please, just... just take the day." "I don't want to take the rest of the day!" "I want to help figure this out!" "We can get a lot more done without you." "Do you want to meet the gang?" "Yes!" "You're gonna love 'em." "Uh, Megan... she's an actress that we use... or would use if we did anything." " But, um, she was in an infomercial once..." " Oh, wow." "With, uh, it's like an oven mitt for the shower." "I still think that a request reversal" " is our best chance." " It's a first-order effect." "We can't teach a nervous mother to do it in four hours." "Oh, my God!" "Four hours!" "Okay." "What?" "What happened?" "I'm sorry." "I'm just I..." "I'm a little..." " Is this okay?" " Yeah, this is fine." "This is okay." "Go back to sleep." "Okay, we just need a way to prime his response." "Ooh." "Wait." "What if instead of focusing... on getting him to help Sophie and Tyler specifically, we focus on making him believe that he's the kind of person that'll help anybody in need?" "You suddenly want to turn him into a kind and generous guy?" "Yes!" " In four hours?" " Yes!" "How?" "Adrenalized implantation!" "That's... has that ever been tried in a..." "Nope!" "Okay, we need a... a... a scenario that's going to..." " Right." " Implantation." "Someone's got to perform it." " Exactly." " Wait." "Will someone please finish a sentence?" "What... what are we talking about?" "Adrenalized implantation." "It's..." "All right." "We've known for a long time that... that incidents that occur when you significantly raise adrenaline levels become highly memorable." "It's like they're seared into your brain." "Think of a... think of, like, a... a car crash or a... a soldier in a firefight." "We know from talking to people that have been in these highly adrenalized circumstances that what you do, your actions under fire, you start to see those as being character-defining." "It's like you get a glimpse of your true self." "So the question became, if we controlled the circumstance that elevated your adrenaline levels, if we guided your reaction, could we essentially implant thoughts that you would begin to see as being part of your deepest character?" "It's almost as if when someone's adrenaline levels are raised, their brain becomes like wet cement and we can write..." "Anything we want inside it." "A... a... and when it dries, it'll become like a deep personal truth." "So, you think this could work on our guy?" "If we can spike his adrenaline level and plant the idea that he's the kind of person that we need him to be, that he's the kind of person who would be willing to help a desperate family in need, then yes." "The research suggests that's exactly how he'll behave." "But..." "But..." "What?" "Oh, my God." "You said he rides the bus to work." "Uh, yes." "Okay." "Okay." "So, we put Megan in..." "in a distress scenario and we have her do the implantation." "And for a heavy, we get..." " Latrell." " Latrell." "Latrell!" "Ha!" "Ha!" "Would he do it?" "Would he do that?" "Would he do what?" "What are we doing?" "You want me to fight him?" " Just a little." " No!" "No." "Be threatening until he... snaps." "Whoa." "What the hell?" "Our first job, you're gonna do it without me?" "I sent you a text." "We didn't have time for anything else." " Where did you get this bread truck?" " I have a friend who... they want me to get in a fight with Charles Murray." "Fight him?" "That doesn't sound like a psychological manipulation." ""Sounds like you guys were up all night watching Good Fellas"." "There's not gonna be a fight." "Latrell's just gonna upset the guy until he wants to fight so Megan can redefine his character." "It's called adrenalized... implantation." "If you all think this is such a great idea, why can't one of you fight him?" " Because you're... black." " Oh, there's no white homeless people?" "!" "Hey, hey, hey." "He just means that the racial difference between you and Murray will get the most adrenalized response." " But the anger's good." "Do that." " Guys." "I think that's him.." "All right." "I don't think I can do this." "I can't do this." " I'm not doing this." "I'm not..." " No." "Listen." "You'll be fine." "Latrell, I always get nervous before auditions." "But as soon as you open your mouth, it'll all go away." "I'm not an actor." "I'm in business development." "But I will be with you." "Just focus on me." "All right?" "Yes, Megan." "That is exactly the sort of reassurance display that we're looking for." "Do the implantation just like that." "Yeee!" "Okay, you ready?" "Let's go." "Wolverine in position." "Guys, I don't think I can do this." "Stop whining and just do it!" "Sudden negative reinforcement alleviates reluctance." "I'm familiar with yelling at people." "You don't need to explain it." "I wouldn't have thought one of your Ponzi-scheme jockeys would have this much trouble playing a bad guy." "Latrell's not like that." "He was only good 'cause he never knew the investments we were selling weren't real." "Oh!" "So you lied to him, too." "We should start a support group." "Come here." "Come here." "Let's be honest." "This isn't going to work." "Come on, Latrell!" "Come on, come on, come on!" "I had it all worked out." "I was inches from making it legitimate." "Guys, bus incoming." "Come on!" "L..." "Latrell!" "What is wrong with you?" "!" "What are you doing?" "!" "Come on!" "Do it now!" " I tried to protect you!" "Do you understand?" "!" " Oh!" "I'm so sure." " What is wrong..." " You guys, stop it!" "The bus is coming!" "Latrell, w... what are you doing?" "!" " God!" " No, no, no, no, no!" "Clark!" "Clark, Clark!" "Okay." "Clark." "Clark." "Hey, hey!" "Hey!" "Latrell, now!" "Now!" "Hey." "Hey." "Do it now!" "Now!" "Now!" "Now!" "Now!" "Now!" "Now!" "Look at me." "Look at me." "Hey!" "Move!" "Get off my bench!" "You gonna move?" "Move now!" " Oh, please, please." " Hey, um..." "Hey." " What?" "!" " There's no need." " There's just, uh..." " What'd you say?" "!" "I need her to move!" " Nothing." "Um..." " Shut up!" " It's my bench..." " Okay." "And I don't want her ass or your ass on my bench!" "Latrell, don't let up." "Keep going." "I promise he'll snap." "Do you understand me?" "!" "Move!" " I will lay your ass out!" " Hey, hey, don't you..." "This is my bench!" "Aah!" " Don't touch me!" " It's my..." "Is everything okay?" "Yeah, we're fine now." "Thank you." "Okay, see, at this moment, he is completely suggestible." "You don't meet a lot of people who are willing to stick their neck out like that... to help someone they don't even know just because it's, like, the right thing." "Everything she plants into his head will crystallize into a new way he sees himself once the adrenaline fades." "If you hadn't been the kind of person that you are..." "I'm just lucky you're one of the good ones." "What's she doing?" "Giving him her number ... or a number, anyway." "It's gonna keep him thinking about her and, by extension, the type of person she believes him to be when he sits down with Sophie and Tyler." "All that's really gonna make him say yes?" "No." "But it's gonna make him believe that when someone's really in need, he's the kind of person who says yes." "We can't force him to say one thing or another." "It's not mind control." "But we can make him believe he's a different, better person, and we can hope that leads to a different, better answer." "How'd we do?" "Um, I'd say if we get a call in the next three hours, we have a 40% chance." "No offense, but shouldn't you overestimate?" "I assume you've read the papers arguing that even expressing false confidence can positively shape outcomes." "But we just deployed a highly experimental procedure using the untrained head of our business development dressed as a homeless person." "I did overestimate, Miles... by a lot." "It's been too long." " The effect can fade if you miss the window!" " Relax." "Relax." "You said yourself that it would take some time for him to create the narrative to come to the decision on his own." " Right?" " I know, but it w... w... wouldn't take this long." "Clark, you did a great job." "O... okay." "Okay." "It's him." "Yes?" "I understand." "Right." "Okay." "Yes." "I appreciate it." "Thank you." "Yes." "Okay." "Oh!" "Oh." "I was so..." "Mm!" "Told ya." "Huh?" "Yes!" "Whoo!" "Oh, you did it." "I'm talking about the people with deep pockets... politicians trying to get elected." "Politicians trying to avoid jail." "Billionaires who want to take over a company." "We could affect the stock price." "There's almost nothing that you cannot manipulate." "You could start a war if you want to." "Now, why the hell would you want to start a war?" "Okay, well, you can stop a war, then." "You could do either." "The point is, once word gets out about what we can do, there's gonna be millions there for the taking." "Let's not forget that we actually changed this kid's life." "And there's a lot more people like that... innocent people getting screwed who could use our help." "So instead of just chasing the highest bidder, wouldn't it be cool to actually fix some things?" "I was more interested in the "millions" part." "Work for free?" "Who are you?" "Uh, also, I just remembered this Danish fisherman study was interesting because it was scalable, and, uh... ♪ summer lovin' had me a blast ♪" "♪ summer lovin' happened so fast ♪" "Clark." "Clark!" "What?" "You okay?" "I'm fine." "Great night!" "Good job!" "I'm super-tired." "I'm gonna go." "See you guys tomorrow." "Wha... hey!" "What's the rush?" "Come on!" "There's no rush." "I..." "I..." "I got to go." "Well, then I'll take you." "I'm ready to go myself." "Hey, I'll take him." "He can get by without you holding his hand." "Guys!" "I..." "I..." "I..." "I got to walk." "I'm gonna walk." "So I'm walking." "See you tomorrow." "Clark!" "Clark!" "Clark!" "Beth!" "Please, can we just talk?" "!" "We just need to talk, Beth!" "Um, Beth, come on, please?" "I love you." "But can I say that to your face?" "If it doesn't change anything..." "Professor Edwards?" "Oh, hi." "Hi." "I didn't mean to be a disturbance." "I was just..." "She moved out like two weeks ago." " What?" "Where?" " I don't know." "I just saw movers and..." "No!" "No!" "No!" "No!" "No, no, no!" "Sh..." "Um, thank you." "Anytime." "Good luck." "You just need some rest." "If you... if you hadn't been up, for so long..." "Ross." "Not now." "Why aren't you answering your phone?" "Been a little busy." " We have a problem." " I got one of those, too." " Murray okayed the surgery, but it got kicked upstairs." " Not now, Miles." "It's been denied, Ross." "Murray agreed, but they immediately put it before a review panel, and now everything's..." "It's a sham... seven people, no medical training, obvious biases." "We can go after them, but we're talking about planning and executing seven different..." "And we are literally facing eviction, Ross." "Now, we don't have the time or the resources to chase this." "And without it, we have nothing." "Whoa, whoa!" "Hey, hey, hey!" "Oh, you're right." "I... it would work a lot better over there." "I'm sorry." "Clark." "Clark, stop." "Stop!" "No." "Why, Ross?" "It doesn't matter." "T... they're gonna take it all anyway." "Relax." "We just need to put our heads together," " come up with something else." " I don't want to put our heads together!" "I don't want to do this." "I told you this wouldn't work." " I told you I didn't belong here." " Listen." "You were doing fine." " This is a setback." "We're gonna..." " I'm not doing fine, Ross!" "I... need to get away from here because everything... everything in here makes me think of her, and I can't..." "You got to stop with this Beth stuff, all right?" "W... whatever you think it was, it wasn't." "How do you know?" "!" "I just know." "And you need to face that and move on." "Fine!" "I'm gonna move on." "I'm going to Alaska." "Or Spain." "What?" "No, you're not going anywhere." "Or a mental hospital in South America." "But I'm not staying here!" "There are... triggers all over the place!" "Then let me help you!" "Remember when dad died, who's the one who pulled you through that a... and put you back together?" "Me." "Why are you shutting me out now?" "Because!" "I am trying to tell you I need to get away from here, but you're not listening because you don't care about me!" "You just can't stand the idea that your latest get-rich-quick scheme is walking out the door." "This has got nothing to do with the money." "Good!" "Then it shouldn't matter that I quit." "Hmm." "Miles." "Are you seriously walking out of here with a cardboard box?" "Well, I guess I figured we were pretty much done." "I'm not done." "You done?" "I want to ask you a question." "How do you feel about moral ambiguity?" "Well..." "I'm pretty comfortable with it, actually." "What'd you have in mind?" "I want to hold a press conference." "Uh, there's a million stories out there about insurance companies trying to screw people." "Raking them over the coals is just likely to solidify their position." "What if I don't want to rake them over the coals?" "What if I want to thank them?" "Thank them for... what?" "Approving the surgery." "But they denied it." "Nobody at the press conference is gonna know that." "O... okay." "So, um... you put the kid up there." ""Thank you for saving my life."" "You generate a ton of positive press, make it a feel-good piece, and then basically dare them to ruin it by backing out." "Pretty much." "I could put together a quick focus group, pull some data, maybe actually put together a real case for when they come in here with their hair on fire." "Ha!" "That's... that's..." "That's insanely risky." "Okay." "The kid... he's not an actor." "So to make it seem real, we would have to convince him and his mom that we'd actually gotten Metromutual back on board." "And then, if it went wrong, if we had to yank it away again..." "They'd be exactly where they are now." "Yes, but we would be in some really iffy legal territory... probably beyond iffy." "Maybe we should loop Clark back in before we..." "Even if he were in a good headspace, which he's not, we both know what he'd say." "Let's worry about fixing this problem first." "We can apologize later." "Does that strategy usually work?" "I've had pretty good luck with it." "What the hell is this?" "Claire." "Uh, look, now is not good timing." "I think we're ready." "Just give me a sec." "Ross." "Ross, don't try to fix this." " Whatever it is you're..." " We needed a new approach." "Let me guess." "Does this approach include lying, fraud?" "I know you don't think much of me, and... you're probably right, but you, more than anybody, know that I love Clark." "Oh." "So this is about Clark now?" "It's always been about Clark." "I wanted this because I think we are good for each other." "Remember that time he stayed with us after the med school let him go?" "He was in a good place then." "Yeah, because I talked to him every day while you were off doing..." "Fine." "Fine." "Maybe you're the Clark whisperer." "Maybe it's always been you." "I was in a good place then, too." "Remember that?" "I had my act together." "I wasn't in any trouble." "So..." "Fine." "Fine." "Maybe Clark doesn't need me." "Maybe I need him." "Is that the worst thing in the world... to think you are a better person when your brother's around?" "And if I can keep this thing alive..." "Ross." "I'm coming." "Ross, whatever you're planning..." "First, I'd like to thank you all for coming." "I'm Rebecca Downs, consulting public outreach director for Metromutual Insurance." "At times..." "Trust me... it's gonna be fine." "Ross, can you think of a single time you've ever said that to me and you weren't wrong?" "This amazing young man, Tyler, would like to share with you how Metromutual was able to help him." "I just..." "I just wanted to say thank you." "We should have told him to cry." "The doctors said I might be able to do some of the things I've always wanted to do, like play soccer." "And now... my mom won't have to watch after me all the time." "And... maybe she'll get to do some of the things she's always wanted to do, too." "Jackpot." "We'd certainly like to thank Tyler for those kind words." "At times, we've been accused of caring more about the bottom line than the people, and, sadly, there have been occasions where those charges have seemed warranted." "But Metromutual is changing that." "And we want to prove that cutting-edge and bottom line don't have to be in conflict." "Is it just me, or does this suddenly feel more like something we could go to jail over?" "I wouldn't say "more."" "The odds of it blowing up in our faces has always been relatively high to me." "Only one way to find out." "Hello." "Ross Edwards, Edwards and Associates." "No, but I assure you he's gonna want to speak to me before the afternoon news hits the air." "A similar "Metromutual saves cute kid" story's been picked up by the cable news channels and nightly network broadcasts." "It's going viral on Facebook and Twitter." "The promotional value of the clip for you guys is close to $7 million." "Further, initial focus-group testing shows that the new business potential for Metromutual stemming from the positive name recognition actually renders the essential cost of the surgery itself completely insignificant." "I can't believe he's doing this." "What can I say, Clark?" "He loves you enough to be incredibly stupid." "Was your hope that a few charts would make it seem less overtly criminal?" "It was our hope that you would see what was on them and recognize a fantastic opportunity for your company." " Hey, what's going on?" " You really don't know?" "Know what?" "Ross sent me on a lunch in Evanston, but the guy never showed up." "Probably wanted to keep you clean in case it went wrong." "You're delusional." "The only opportunity we are remotely interested in is the opportunity to see you dismantled and prosecuted." " What's going on?" " She keeps saying "extortion," but I'm pretty sure it's covered under a false-pretense statute." "Mr. Daniels, just hold on a minute." "Let's not turn a misunderstanding... extortion is not a misunderstanding." "See, I don't think anyone really understands how that's defined." " Clark." " Sit there." "Look impatient." "Latrell, when I put my hand in my back pocket, step up and say "Dr. Barnes is very busy."" "What?" "Sit." "Do it." "Please." "Oh, is this the idiot from Metromutual?" "I told you these guys would be too stupid to accept millions in free publicity." "But he kept saying, "it's a win-win." "It's a win-win."" "See, that's the difference between he and I." "I'm more win-lose, win-destroy." "I..." "I'm sorry." "Who are you?" "You're not sorry." "You haven't even begun to be sorry." "Making you sorry... that's my job." " Do you recognize her?" " No." "Oh." "Well, of course." "That would imply that you had some clue as to what you were doing." "That's Dr. Claire Barnes, special liaison to the senate subcommittee on health-insurance regulation and reform... you know, the people that hold the fate of your industry in their hands." "See, they don't think you guys should decide for yourselves what is and what isn't experimental." "They want a panel of doctors and bureaucrats to do that for you." "And they are just dying for a case just like this to hammer you with." "And, boy, are we gonna hammer." "Little teary Tyler and his curable heart condition are gonna be sitting in front of Congress, and you're gonna be twisting in your chair, covered in so much flop sweat," "Mark McGuire's gonna call to say that you come off poorly." "And then when you end up with some committee telling you when and how to pay up, you're gonna be sobbing at the memory that someone once offered you a gift-wrapped win-win "get out of jail free" card" "but you were too stupid to accept it." "I'm sorry, but Dr. Barnes is really very busy." "Oh." "Uh, of course." "Let's go to my office." "Wait." "We'll take the publicity." "We'll take the business." "But eventually, this is going to catch up with you." "I'm gonna make sure of it." "Well, until then, you ever find yourself in a tough spot, you know who to call." "That was brilliant!" "What?" "W... we just won." "No, Ross, you just lied and cheated, just like you've always done." "We have to have rules if we're all gonna do this, okay?" "You can't just turn your new business into your old one." "You don't issue demands." "I don't work for you." "I'm with her." "If this is gonna be another boiler room, I'm out." "Look." "I know she comes on a little strong, but Claire has a point." "Clark, if you want Claire, I'll give you Claire." "You want rules, I will follow rules." "You want to staple furniture to the ceiling," "I will hold the ladder." "If I'm gonna give you everything, you got to not walk out on me." "At the minimum, I got to know we are at least in this thing together... you and me." "Look." "The thing is, I'm not a very good teammate, Ross." "I get ahead of myself." "And the more you do to try to help me, the more nervous I get about messing it up." " I don't care." "You can mess up all you want." " Yeah, you do." "Remember when I started having issues and you brought that girl home from college and I totally freaked her out and you guys broke up?" "That had nothing to do with you." "I saw your face." "How embarrassed you were and how disappointed and..." "I don't want to do that to you again." "You don't embarrass me." "You... amaze me." "The only times I've ever been disappointed is when you leave." "All right, well, then..." "I..." "I won't do that again." "Really?" "Yeah." "Now what do we do?" "Hug?" "Uh, there was a study once that said that physical contact after an emotional out..." "Where you going?" "I'm gonna go see if I can get the money to keep this mess going." "Want me to come with you?" "No." "Thanks." "Hey, uh, I did manage to get that kid his surgery." "I mean, doesn't that count for something?" "The question isn't whether what you did matters to me." "It's whether how you did it will ever matter to you." "Ross?" "What are you doing here?" "Um..." "Well, CcClark..." "he's been calling me, and he..." "You cannot be here, Beth." "That was not the agreement." "I paid you a small fortune to just disappear, never to be heard from again." "Do you understand?" "That's all of it." "I don't want it." "Look, I know it was supposed to be an act, but something happened, and I..." "I really..." "I like him." "I tried to stay away, like we said, but I think maybe we can make it work." "It did work, all right?" "You were supposed to get him fired." "That was the agreement." "You cannot come back now." "I'm sorry, but I can't let him go, and, obviously, he can't let me go, either." "Look, I won't tell him about our deal." "I..." "I mean, it would be as bad for as it would for you." "Oh, really?" "Are you his brother?" "You see the red dress?" "Red is one of the most basic sexual signals." "Um, and you see the way her eyes are?" "It's... it's a two-dimensional come-on." " To sell a faucet?" "No." " Yeah, to sell anything." "It's called experiential transference." "You confuse..." "Sorry." "Ross, Claire, this is Beth." " Like..." "Beth." " Yeah." "Beth, you know?" "B..." "Beth." "Hi." "Hi." "We met... uh... in the lobby." "What are you doing?" "I..." "I sent you all those messages and I stopped by your place and..." "I know." "I messed up." "Okay." "S... okay, bye." "S..." "see you in the morning." "Why do I have a very bad feeling about those two?" "I have no idea." "Well, look..." "I'm just..." "I'm glad we got all the ugly stuff out of the way early, hmm?" "I'm sure it's gonna be smooth sailing from here on in."