[interviewer] Can you tell us about that moment,
when you realized you might not come home?
It was, uh...
It was terrifying.
- Please, stop. Stop. Just leave that. - Mm-hmm.
My life had been so, uh, normal up until then.
[breathes shakily]
It was scary how quickly everything changed.
You a glutton for punishment? Throw this shit away.
Anything weird about that room to you?
[Fostokowski] Like what?
I don't know. Is it too perfect?
It's called rich parents and a housekeeper.
Emily's home now,
so focus on getting a confession from the kidnapper. Okay?
[interviewer] Emily, the entire nation watched and waited
as the search to find you seemed to run cold.
While you were locked in that cage, how did you keep from losing faith?
All the love I got from people really saved me.
It's like I could feel it, even though I, like, didn't have my phone.
So thank you, all of you.
[breathes shakily]
You were my squad.
[Markus] Hey.
Why would Finney need to pay a useless piece of shit
like Bill Ochoa, huh?
Listen, I had my team do a deep dive into Bill's financials.
Turns out old boy is a VC with investments in all kinds of companies.
- Yeah. - So you've gotta ask yourself,
which one of these would Finney need for one of those mixer parties?
Ah. OPD found hidden cameras all over that house...
- Bam. - ...but they weren't able to trace
where the security feed went.
They said they'd never seen such a complex system.
So what we need to do is find the feed, which means locating the server.
Now look, I may have a contact. Could get me closer to this shit.
Well, let's go.
No, no. [chuckles] Wait a minute, Poppy. My guy, Frankie, he's, uh--
He's kinda off the grid, you know? I have to go at this alone.
- Oh, Markus. - I know, I know, okay?
You've seen it all before.
Plus, you're Shreve's daughter, so you know everything
- about the streets and-- - Shreve is not my biological father.
What?
My mom was pregnant with me when they met.
Holy shit.
And then what's worse,
she even went back to the man for a time, when I was young.
Just up and left me, Shreve and baby Desiree.
And you've been holding on to this all on your own, huh?
- You're the only person I've told. - [sighs]
I mean, I wanna tell Cydie and Desiree, but the minute I do, I feel like...
they'll treat me differently.
[exhales sharply]
Well, I got you...
no matter what.
You're one of my few day-ones, and that shit ain't gonna change.
Ever.
Me, too.
- [exhales sharply]
- [chuckles] - You better just go on off
to meet your secret contact,
and I am going to, uh, track Eva down.
- Even though she's not a day-one. - [chuckles]
I can tell something is off.
All right, Pop. I'll call you later.
Okay.
[door opens, closes]
[sighs]
For what it's worth, Shreve and I have been discussing
how to go about bringing more jobs into the neighborhood.
Um, Sybil's been working with a lot of teens in the community,
so rest assured there will be interns and employees of color on the payroll.
Hmm. Cheers to Sybil.
To Sybil.
- There you are, dear. - Mmm. Thank you.
I've been meaning to ask you your role at Questeur.
Uh, I know you and Lee started the company together.
We did, but it's really his baby.
Uh, I make appearances, um, promote our philanthropy,
stay on top of investors, but the tech is where he shines.
Well, I'll admit I doubted your commitment to our community,
but Lee really proved himself when he unlocked that account for us.
He did what?
One of the members of the trafficking ring was using Questeur
for God knows what.
Being able to see his activity really helped the case.
I heard about the ring, but I had no idea about any of this.
- Oh, uh, I hope I didn't overstep. - [sighs] No, not at all.
Lee and I lead very separate lives.
I don't know what he's doing half the time,
but what he did needs to be kept under wraps.
If investors find out, they're not gonna be happy.
I mean, privacy is everything in our business.
Of course.
[reporters chattering]
What-- What is this?
- Peter, explain. - I don't know what this is.
- What am I looking at? - That's you, Peter.
That's you with Marv Lanelle, Emily's kidnapper,
- your coke dealer, who I spoke to earlier. - I thought you'd stopped that.
[stammers] I did.
After we got Marv's address, we could pull CCTV footage from the area.
That's you, Emily, hours after you went missing.
According to your testimony,
you were blindfolded and bound at this point, right?
Can someone please explain what the hell is going on?
They were conning you.
Both of them.
Peter's drug habit had him in debt to his dealer, Marv.
That added to his gambling debt.
- Right, Peter? - [scoffs, stammers] It wasn't much.
100K? Not that much?
I finally got Marv to fill in the blanks.
Peter needed a way to pay it all off, but he didn't have the money.
He needed yours. You're the one with the family money,
but your accounts are separate.
So he had Victor siphon funds out of your account.
Emily found out.
She contacted Marv with a mutually beneficial plan.
[breathing heavily]
[grunts, gasps]
[breathing heavily]
- [Marv] Emily. - Oh, shit! [panting]
You scared me, asshole.
This is a terrible fucking plan.
We are gonna get caught.
We won't. I checked. No security cameras.
[sighs]
My car and the blood make it look like there was a struggle.
That way, they can't dismiss me as a runaway.
[scoffs]
All right, so when I "find you," right, there's a payout for me.
Your stepdad gets a cut, right?
[engine starts]
What's in it for you?
[scoffs] Fucking fame, dude.
I never said that. [scoffs] That drug dealer guy is lying.
Obviously, he's just trying to save himself.
Yeah, I considered that. And then I, uh--
I looked at your Instagram feed and I saw this, uh--
this bear in your bedroom,
one that wasn't there after you went missing.
See, something bothered me about her room, the way it was left.
And then I realized what it was.
There was nothing in that room that was worn out or loved.
No doll or blanket or-- or bear.
Emily, when kids go missing,
they don't get the opportunity to pack for the trip.
You took it with you, didn't you?
No.
No, I donated that bear weeks ago.
I went back to Marv's house, and I found this...
stashed between the mattress and box spring.
That's your donated bear.
[Joana sighs]
Emily...
[sighs] I just wanted people to know who I was.
You know, Emily, this charade of yours,
it took valuable police resources away from people who are actually victims.
You understand?
Emily will take responsibility for her actions.
[scoffs] What about him?
No, I only knew what was going on after Marv approached me
about getting the reward money up.
Honey... [stammers] ...I would never use Emily like this.
You were stealing from me.
And then, when you found out that Emily wasn't actually missing,
you didn't say a word.
[sobs] Peter.
I know, I know.
[stammers] What can I do?
I will-- I will go to rehab, okay? I-- I promise. I--
Rehab? Oh, no, no, no. Peter, no, no, I don't think so.
But where you are going,
you're gonna have plenty of time to get sober.
- [sighs] Frankie. - Killebrew, it's been a while.
Frankie. What's good, man?
Yeah. Same old, same old.
I hear that. [sighs]
Looks like you got more stuff since the last time I was here.
You gotta keep up with the times.
Yeah, well, times are desperate, and I need your skills.
I need you to trace the feed from a camera surveillance company.
- I'm your guy. - Good.
Come on, it's a pupil-free day. Let's go for a hike.
- [doorbell rings] - [knocking]
[sighs]
Oh, man.
I canceled a date last night and fought through rush hour traffic
to bring you Zachary's, and your ass still didn't eat a slice.
Mm-mmm.
Hi, Vince.
I'm here to check on Eva. She hasn't returned any of my calls.
You have no idea how hard this has been on her,
and I'm pretty sure she is not in the mood for company right now.
What are you, her guardian?
- Excuse me. - [stammers]
- [groans] - Eva...
What's going on?
You tell me.
Well, uh...
Aames and I found payments implicating Finney on Questeur.
We think he was paying Ochoa for the hidden security cameras.
We may be able to access the footage.
Well, this--
this could be the evidence needed against the johns,
and to take Finney down too.
I thought my interview was supposed to help bring down Finney.
"Coming forward might help launch an official investigation."
That's what you told me.
Well? Your podcast should've been out by now.
Hey, uh, how about we take a beat? I can warm up some pizza.
Oh, thank you.
Eva... [sighs]
...I told you after we got Sun, we may not need your interview,
and now we have this whole other--
I need my interview.
I need people to know what Finney did to me.
I bared my soul to you.
Worst moments of my life.
The least you could've done was air it.
Okay, I'm just gonna say it.
Okay.
If your students--
If their parents heard that you were recruiting girls-- [scoffs]
Then what? If they heard, then what?
What would they have thought of me?
Eva, we have this new path to get Finney.
One where you won't have to sacrifice yourself.
So I'm not airing your interview because I'm trying to protect you.
Oh, my God. Spare me with the whole martyr bullshit.
You know what I did. You know.
I warned you that I wasn't a perfect victim,
so-- [stammers, scoffs] I don't understand.
Oh, you-- you enjoy this.
What?
You prey on people like me, like-- like Warren.
- What? - You sent an innocent boy to prison,
and then created a whole-ass show about rescuing him.
- That's so low. - Oh, it's true.
You pride yourself on being this great truth-teller,
but you refuse to be honest.
- It's not true. - It's true!
- It's not true! - It's true. It's true.
Tell me what my students and my parents
would think of me if they knew.
- I don't know. I don't know! - You can tell me.
You can tell me because it's the same fucking thing you think!
Hey, hey, hey, hey, let us just take a step back
and de-fucking-escalate.
Please.
I won't pretend to understand
what this whole ordeal is dredging up for you...
but you do not have a monopoly on pain.
[breathes shakily]
[Melanie chuckles] Aubrey made you one of these every time you rowed?
- Mm-hmm. - That's some true love shit.
[chuckles] Regattas always stressed me out,
but he had a way of knowing when I was all up in my head
without me even telling him.
That's what's up.
TRINI G.O.A.T.
Now he's so far away, though.
Back in the Life, there were a couple of times where I was, like--
This dude's the one, like-- He's really feeling me,
but he would get bored,
or my pimp would just pass me off to someone else.
I figured most guys are just out for themselves, you know...
but totally not Aubrey.
No. No, not Aubrey.
[knocking]
Come in.
- Everything okay, girls? - All good, Ms. Killebrew.
Can we, um, go get some ice cream?
Trini, honey, I don't know. [sighs]
Please, Mom?
You wanted me to get back to normal.
Take your phones. Keep them on.
- Of course. [chuckles] Thank you. - [Zarina] Mm-hmm.
- [Trini] Love you. - Love you.
- Hey. - [Markus sighs]
Did your contact come through, or do you wish you brought me as muscle?
[groans] Well, the files are populating now.
[Markus sighs] Well...
That's a lot of files.
Yeah, but this is not a whole security feed.
These are individual videos.
Look. This one is from 2019,
so clearly, they've been hosting these mixers at that house for a minute now.
This file looks different from the others.
What the--
[Markus] That looks like a young Finney with an even younger girl.
Is Finney being blackmailed too?
Yeah, but by who, hmm?
And to do what?
- That's what I'm about to find out. - Hold up, hold up.
You wouldn't let me talk to him,
but now you're just gonna go waltz up in there?
Well, now we have ammo.
- Well, then I'm going with you. - Nope.
Now it's my turn to go alone.
I'll see you later.
- Excuse me. - Wha-- [sighs]
I'm so sorry. I tried to stop her.
No, it's okay, Alicia.
Well, this is a surprise, Ms. Scoville.
I'm sure it is.
Please, sit.
Thank you.
- So what's on your mind? - As you may know,
I'm looking into the sex-trafficking ring that was recently exposed.
I was disappointed to hear from my OPD contacts
that a detective was involved.
He certainly doesn't represent all law enforcement.
No, no. There are good cops.
Detective Sun, however, is not one of them.
And I also discovered he was reporting to someone.
Well, this all sounds like great fodder for, uh, one of your episodes,
but if you'd like to hear my take on the proliferation of crime in Oakland...
you'll have to schedule an interview.
I'm just swamped right now.
Fine.
I'll schedule something with your campaign manager,
although I'd love your initial take on this ring.
It's a scourge on the city.
Hmm, indeed.
And from what I've learned,
traffickers prey on weaknesses, vulnerabilities.
They use secrets from your past to get you to do things you might not want to do.
That's true.
I've heard that as well.
Please make sure Alicia gets you on my schedule.
- Uh, it's good to see you again. - Mmm.
[door opens]
[Aubrey] I didn't think you ever wanted to see me.
[chuckles] What?
Aubrey, I love you.
How are things in here?
Believe it or not, the Tater Tots are bomb.
[both chuckling]
For real, though, how are you?
I don't know.
I've been thinking a lot.
About what?
About what happened.
I just feel really bad.
Did you know what was gonna happen at the mansion?
I knew about the mixer.
[exhales sharply]
Not everything,
but I did know you were gonna go meet men.
I-- I guess I just thought if--
if you didn't wanna do anything, you could just say so.
Wh-- Like I said no to going to that party in the first place?
Or putting on that skanky-ass dress?
I mean, how did-- how did that work out for me?
- I'm so sorry about that, Trini. - You said that you loved me.
I do!
Then how could you do this to me?
I don't know. I-- I just--
- [breathing heavily] - I got caught up.
You made me think that I had-- had to do that stuff for you.
Trey had me thinking I needed to make you do it for him.
[breathing heavily, stammers] I'm so confused.
It was fucked up.
The whole thing was fucked up.
[breathing heavily]
[Eva] You win.
Oh. Fingers crossed.
The election is still a few days away, though. So... [chuckles]
Fuck the election.
[chuckles] I beg your pardon, I--
Wait, don't I know you?
You're--
You're the principal at Oak Creek.
Your school gave me such a warm welcome.
It's not how I remember it.
Do you need more supplies? More books?
Just reach out to my office. We'll get you whatever you need.
The youth of Oakland are my number one priority.
[sighs] Don't I know it.
Thirty years ago, my name was Tamara...
Ring any bells?
That's back in the day...
Did we party?
Oh, we partied...
You were in law school...
I was in high school.
We tore it up at the Kennel Club that first night.
I was so impressed a white boy could dance like that.
Never did make it back there, though.
You were too busy taking me to the Claremont or the Mark,
introducing me to your classmates, judges, lawyers, clerks.
I was your girl, taking care of them so they'd suck up to you.
But I wasn't enough...
You had me bring in Nadia, China, and Tuesday.
I bled for you.
And you sold Lola up to Seattle,
saying it would help my mother get her green card.
They deported her June 21st, 1994.
She died the next May.
I'm so sorry...
but I don't know what you're talking about.
[sighs]
You're scared I'm recording you...
I'm not...
but you recognize me now, don't you?
You have me confused with someone else.
You took everything from me.
My mother, my pride, my worth.
Sounds like someone really hurt you.
Go to hell.
Ms. Pierre,
I'm sorry you're...
filled with such anger...
but maybe someday, you'll-- you'll be able to channel it...
into something more productive.
[scoffs]
[Zarina] Hey.
[inhales deeply] Melanie and I didn't go get ice cream.
I just needed to talk to Aubrey, so she-- she took me to see him.
I-- I-- I broke up with him.
I'm sorry that I lied.
[inhales deeply] Not just this time, but about the tape
and-- and getting in that stupid car with Aubrey's fake cousins.
All of it. [inhales deeply]
You have all of my forgiveness.
Hmm.
I just--
I feel like I-- I have no control
over my body, my mind, anything.
You've been through something
so hard, so traumatic.
But your Dad and I, we're here.
- [grunts] - We're here.
Why is it so hard with him?
- [sighs] - I get th-- that he's trying to help.
But every time I see him, I just--
- [breathing deeply] - Mmm.
I don't know, honey, m--
maybe that's something Chheng can help us figure out.
Mm-hmm.
[breathes deeply, sniffles]
[sighs]
[elevator bell dings]
[sighs] Fuck.
[tires squeal]
[grunts, breathes heavily]
Finney seemed rattled.
Damning sex tapes, bugged offices.
He's not just being blackmailed.
Maybe he has a boss.
[sighs, scoffs]
- I'm gonna need higher ceilings. - [chuckles]
But then, who's at the top?
My money would be on Ochoa.
He has that security company, you know.
He's definitely capable of tapping Finney.
- [cell phone ringing] - Yeah.
- [chuckles] - Hmm.
Hey, it's Aames.
Aames, you're not gonna believe this.
[Aames] Finney's dead. He was run down in a parking garage.
Looks personal too. Driver hit him a couple of times.
My God.
[sighs]
[Poppy] Oh, my God.
Long story... [sighs] ...I spoke with him
an-and it was clear he was afraid of someone.
So was Sun.
I thought Sun was afraid of Finney, but uh--
Maybe they're afraid of the same person.
Yeah, I gotta go. Just, uh, fill me in later.
[reporters, police officers chattering]
[Aames] Yeah. [sighs]
[sighs] Wow.
Well, OPD doesn't have a Frankie, but they'll find the videos.
[chuckling, inhales sharply]
Even if they do... [sighs] ...this shit ain't gonna work out.
You know why? 'Cause nothing fucking works out for me.
- Oh. - No, no.
Finney is dead, okay?
Can't get answers from a corpse.
Trey is shot.
My little g-- [scoffs]
My little girl, she got turned out right under my own roof
wh-while I was doing what? Hmm?
Playing security guard after OPD shot me.
[huffs]
Nah. My life is fuck up
after fuck up after fuck up.
[sighs]
Keep the faith.
[huffs]
You've been down before.
[sighs]
You fought your way through Santa Cruz
and into policing a neighborhood you loved.
You started a one-man security firm out of your garage
that now employs 25 good, hardworking people.
- You're anything but a fuck up, Markus. - [chuckles]
- [sighs] - You have a huge heart...
and a family that adores you.
So do I.
- [gasps] Markus. - [sighs]
Look, everything bad started when I fucked things up with you, Pop.
Let's be real. You know that.
I am going to chalk this lapse in judgment up to you drinking again.
[Poppy sighs]
I had my suspicions, but I didn't wanna believe it.
You're throwing away ten years of sobriety.
- You're better than that. - [scoffs]
The hell I am.
Please don't make me a home-wrecker.
[Markus sighs]
I'm not my mother.
[groans]
[all cheering] Surprise!
- [squeals, laughs] - [applauding]
What? It's not my birthday or Christmas.
[all clamoring, laughing] Happy New Year!
Happy Halloween!
[all laughing]
You didn't get a single birthday or holiday
all those years you were in the Life.
- So, now we're making up for it. - Mmm.
[laughs] You people are like extra, extra. But I love it.
[all laughing]
Well, the Scovilles do love a party now.
Well, that's 'cause of Mama. She put the X in excess.
[cell phone chimes]
- It's all right. We got you. - [all cheering]
- What've we got? What've we got? - [all laughing, chattering]
[Halloween music playing]
[Poppy] Thank you.
Man, your mother would have loved this.
You ever wonder if Mama went so overboard on parties
because she felt guilty for leaving us?
I think she wanted to celebrate the people she loved.
Come on. Talk to me, sweetheart. Tell me how to make us right.
[sighs]
I think--
I think you know more about Alexander than you're telling me.
I told you all I know.
I don't understand how one man could be so beloved by the Parnells
and so hated by Mom.
- Okay. [chuckles] - [all] Ooh.
[Lillian] Here we go.
- [all] Happy birthday, Melanie! - [chuckles]
[all cheering, laughing]
Happy birthday, Melanie.
- [guest] You got it. - [all cheering]
[chuckles]
Okay. So, um, this song is--
I guess it's an oldie now. [chuckles]
Uh, it used to inspire me when we were all teenagers,
and I hope it does the same for you.
[piano music playing]
[vocalizes]
There's a hero ♪
If you look inside your heart ♪
You don't have to be afraid ♪
Of what you are ♪
There's an answer ♪
If you reach into your soul ♪
And the sorrow that you know ♪
Will melt away ♪
And then a hero comes along ♪
With the strength to carry on ♪
And you cast your fears aside ♪
And you know you can survive ♪
So when you feel like hope is gone ♪
Look inside you and be strong ♪
And you'll finally see the truth ♪
That a hero lies in you ♪
[cries]
That a hero lies in you ♪
[music fades]
[Poppy] Can you ever fully know anyone?
It's an unanswerable question.
The kind I hate to deal in.
And yet it is a question that's been plaguing me
both personally and professionally.
[Poppy] So many people show only fragments of themselves.
The-- The strongest, kindest, the most accepting,
- the parts they want the world to see. - [Markus sighs]
But what happens when you dig deeper, look closer?
Sometimes the picture that develops is better, richer.
[Markus sighs]
But sometimes it reveals ugly truths.
[Markus grunts, sighs]
[Markus exhales sharply]
Recognizing that someone isn't who you thought they were is...
[exhales sharply] ...never easy.
Especially if their duplicity hides behind a badge
or a campaign promise.
[Poppy] The ugly truth is that some of the people we've entrusted
to protect and serve use their power
to deceive and exploit.
Still, they comprise only a fragment
of what I fear will be an even larger,
uglier picture.
Daddy?
Hey, sweetheart. You got a minute?
- Yeah. - Let's go see Uncle Bug.
You two really wanna hear about Ellie and Alexander?
[sighs, stammers]
Leona is a lot of things, but she isn't a liar.
Alexander Michael Troy showed people what he wanted them to see.
[sighs]
But for Elinor,
her prince turned out to be a controlling, abusive son of a bitch.
She could have told me.
And risk losing you?
Elinor understood that you would kill any soul who hurt her.
It took months until she accepted
that what he was doing to her wasn't all in her head, like he said.
She left him.
I only found out after the fact.
And even then, she only told me.
Shame plagues so many survivors.
I mean, for months, our parents thought she was still with Alexander.
Now that ended the second she walked through the door with you, Shreve.
[chuckles]
Oily jeans, leather coat.
[chuckles] You didn't stand a chance.
[chuckles]
Especially when they found out Elinor was pregnant.
[Poppy] But Mama loved Daddy.
Why would she go back to a man that hurt her?
To protect you and Desiree.
Alexander showed up outside the church playground
and swore that he'd changed.
She didn't believe him,
but she knew what his showing up there meant.
That he could get to the girls.
Mm-hmm.
[person] Bug, the food's up.
Rudy's calling me over. Back soon.
You okay?
Is anyone who we think they are?
Only God, Popsicle. Only God.
Tomorrow we're gonna go to the park. We're gonna go to the park...
- Hmm. - ...all day, I promise. Okay?
That sounds like the good old days, doesn't it?
I'm sorry. I, uh-- I thought I had the night off, all right.
No, you obviously have more important things.
- Look, uh, it's better this way... - [Max crying]
...because Justin wants to spend some time with Max.
Doesn't he? Bye, Billy.
- Come on. [kisses] - [Aames] Bye-bye.
Bye, Maxie.
Yeah.
[Poppy] Andrew Finney is dead.
He was run over.
And I-- I just wanted you to hear it from me.
I know it's a lot to process.
He got what he deserved.
I'll be okay.
Really?
Yeah.
I had some tough conversations with myself
and realized that holding on to the past,
it just hurts me,
and it hurts those around me.
I'm sorry about earlier.
I lashed out, hoping you'd clap back and give me what I deserve.
Thank you.
And... [inhales deeply] ...I owe you an apology too.
I should've told you about the podcast.
And, yes,
I judged you.
Thank you for your honesty.
Of course.
And... [sighs] ...when you're ready,
I-- I-- I'll need your help again.
Finney wasn't the head of the trafficking ring.
We think he was being blackmailed
into bringing girls and johns into the operation.
So, we just have to figure out who was blackmailing him
and stop them from trafficking more girls.
And find his killer.
Do you want some tea?
I've got, uh, chamomile, mint, ginger.
Yes. Thank you.