Previously on Wild Cards...
I started volunteering at Hemsworth Prison.
We are gonna write.
Thank you for making this easy.
Me and Jessica.
Is that what we are? A family?
Look, Viv, I’m still trying to process.
You are going to steal us a diamond.
I know how we’re gonna get the diamond out.
- How? - With magic.
[laughs] Classic.
[Yates] What’s so funny?
[chuckles] Yeah, that one’s great.
[Simmons] What’s got you guys giggling?
Oh! [laughs]
Yeah, I’ve seen this.
Ellis, you gotta check this out.
Hmm?
- What am I looking at here? - [Max] Seriously?
You’ve never seen the video of Walter the Capybara
eating an entire watermelon?
No, I must have missed out on this
significant cultural moment.
[Max] Is it fun living under a rock?
Yeah, you know what? It is, actually.
It’s nice and shady.
What? The melons so big, but he’s just this little guy.
[Toni] Hey, everyone.
I’m collecting money for the children’s hospital.
Anyone have some bucks to throw in?
For the kids?
Hello?
What the hell’s going on?
[Max] Well, Walter is a charming capybara,
lives in South America,
has a robust internet following, and loves melons.
[Li] I’m talking about all of you
buried in your cell phones like zombies?
You didn’t even acknowledge Officer Toni just now.
Hey, Toni.
- Hi, Toni. - Sorry, Toni.
I’m just gonna leave this here.
Thank you, Toni. Donation jar.
[Simmons] Look, Chief, we got a little downtime.
Yates and I are still waiting on ballistics to get back
on one of our cases.
Simmons, it’s about what you do with your downtime.
Whatever happened to connecting? Talking?
Making eye contact with each other?
[Yates] No offense, sir, but you sound really elderly.
I mean, it’s bad.
[Li] Nobody asked. Stop talking.
Max, Ellis, get down to the waterfront.
A body just got pulled from the water.
Yates. Simmons, find something productive to do
with your downtime.
- Yep. Can do, sir. - Copy that.
Doing it now.
Hey, have you seen the Japanese weasel, Alfred?
Oh, I love that little weasel.
You ever seen him in a tuxedo?
- [Li] Now! - [phones clatter]
[Ralph] In plastic jars.
Silence ferments.
Sharp rebellion.
Masked intents.
Sip of freedom.
Harsh and raw.
Taste of night.
Beyond the law.
[applause]
Thanks for sharing that, Ralph.
Who knew prison hooch could be so poetic.
[chuckles]
So anyone else want to share anything?
Tell us what you wrote about
or even get something off your chest?
Paul’s got something to say.
Come on, man.
He’s getting released and he’s freaking out.
You want to talk about it, Paul?
They told me yesterday I’m getting out next week.
It’s not supposed to be another few years, even.
Now, don’t think I’m not grateful, guys.
I know I’m lucky.
I just thought I’d have more time to, you know,
get ready to go face things.
But now I gotta leave,
get a place, get a job.
Avoid all the bad things from my past life.
Reconnect with the good.
How does anybody do that?
You’ve done it, George.
You’re out. How you doing?
Me? Well...
the first time you wake up and you realize
the day is yours feels like winning the lottery.
I mean, sure, it’s work.
Finding a place, finding a job.
But it’s also freedom.
Real freedom.
And what could be better than that?
So how am I doing?
I’m doing great.
And you will too.
[optimistic music]
[upbeat music]
[Olivia] He was pulled from the water early this morning.
A male in his 30’s.
[Ellis] How long has he been dead for?
Hard to say, given he’s been in the water for a while.
A week, maybe?
Did he drown?
Nope. He was shot.
One bullet went right through, the other still in his body.
The bruising indicates the body was dumped in the water,
but the weird part?
He’s short an index finger.
- It’s a recent cut. - Is there any way
the finger could have been cut off in the past week?
Maybe by the current or something in the water?
It’s a clean cut.
Likely done with shears, maybe bolt cutters.
So you’re saying the finger was cut off intentionally?
That’s exactly what I’m saying.
Is it too soon for a "pull my finger" joke?
[theme music]
Our victim, Cornelius Cooper.
We matched the body to a missing persons report
filed by his sister about a month ago.
Does the sister have any leads?
No. She lives out of town.
When she found out his cell phone was deactivated,
she called his work. Turns out he quit weeks ago.
Yeah, the guy’s got no partner and zero friends.
He worked at a tech startup called SociaScope.
Okay, you and Ellis bring the boss in.
- See what you can find out. - Got it.
Simmons, Yates, dig into Cornelius’s past.
Check in with organized crime.
See if the missing finger fits any mob M.O.’s
All right, you got it.
Hey, Ronan. Thanks for coming in.
Hey. My pleasure.
Now, you were Cornelius’s boss at SociaScope, is that right?
Yeah. Man, I can’t believe Cornelius was murdered.
How long have you been CEO at SociaScope?
Oh, I got the idea in my sophomore year of college.
A year and 100 million in venture capital later, and...
SociaScope was born.
So what is SociaScope?
SociaScope aggregates your social media
to automate messages to your friends in your voice,
so you don’t have to keep up with conversations
or birthday greetings ever again.
It maintains your relationships at the touch of a button.
Well, it’s not you. It’s an app.
Well, the app is you.
Can you tell us more about Cornelius?
- What was he like? - Real tech savant.
He perfected an algorithm to keep people
on the app 33 percent longer.
Total game changer.
Cornelius would have been set for life here if he hadn’t...
you know, gone off the deep end.
What do you mean, "the deep end"?
Well, first he stopped coming in to the office,
working more from home,
and dropped the ball on some major presentations.
And one day he sends an email to the whole company.
A 50-page mission statement.
- What was in it? - Basically, it was like
"SociaScope is evil", blah blah blah.
"It’s driving people apart", blah blah blah.
He sent this to everyone.
Well, sounds like he went full-blown Jerry Maguire.
- Who’s that? - [Ellis] Are you serious?
"Who’s coming with me?" "You complete me."
"You had me at hello."
Forget it. Can you think of anybody
who might have wanted to kill Cornelius?
No clue.
He was a pretty chill dude,
other than his big, weird document.
Speaking of which, we’re gonna need a copy of that.
"The digital world
"has disconnected us under the guise of connection.
"Big tech has made us more isolated and alone than ever."
I don’t disagree.
We’re all way too glued to our phones.
Oh. Here’s something.
He also mentions a woman named Celeste Rainier.
Looks like she started a group called The Apiary.
[Woman] An apiary is a collection of beehives
sharing resources and cooperating with each other.
And the great queen bee rules them all.
For bees, connection is key, but as humans,
we’ve become disconnected,
isolated because of technology.
I’m Celeste Rainier, and I used to be just like you.
Lonely. Depressed. Unsure.
I worked in tech,
contributing to the devolution of society,
but longing for connection.
And that’s why I started The Apiary.
Yeah, I’d swipe right on her.
- Yates. - What?
She’s foxy, sir, and I have eyes.
Okay. What exactly is The Apiary?
Uh, they call themselves a digital detox retreat.
They claim to help people reconnect away from technology.
According to Cornelius’s financial records,
he joined six months ago
and transferred his savings to them.
Yeah. Last month, he moved into their compound full time.
That sounds fishy.
Yeah, that’s what we thought too.
So we did a little digging.
Tess Harwell, a former member,
she’s trying to sue Celeste and The Apiary.
Why?
Tess thinks The Apiary is... a cult.
If it is, in fact, a cult,
there’s guaranteed sex stuff going on.
Okay, we’ll take this one off your hands.
Sit down.
Ellis, Max, bring in Tess.
Get the full story.
Hey, if you all need backup, you know where to find me.
- Yeah. - Sorry. Yeah.
How did you become a member of The Apiary?
I used to work in tech.
I’d code for 16 hours a day,
then go home and scroll all night.
I mean, I had thousands of digital connections,
but no real friends.
When I joined The Apiary,
I thought I’d get back to nature.
Forge real human connections.
And at first I did.
How does The Apiary work, exactly?
Well, there are different levels.
You start off as a drone.
The hope is that you will ascend to worker level.
Those are the members of Celeste’s inner circle.
Let me guess. Celeste is the queen bee?
Is she ever.
Everyone treats her like she’s a god.
They’re desperate to ascend to worker level.
And how does that exactly happen?
Well, it’s almost random.
Maybe they prove their loyalty to Celeste,
or maybe they donate to The Apiary.
Or maybe they excel in the workshops.
What kind of workshops? Like watercolour class or...?
It varies.
Some workshops are innocuous team-building exercises.
Some workshops are more intense.
How so?
Some of them involve pain.
There’s one with hot coals, another with ice water.
They say these weed out the non devout,
but really it’s just a way of controlling people.
Because trust me. In there, you...
you want Celeste’s approval.
I ended up forking over all of my life savings,
hoping that she would look at me favorably.
You were brainwashed.
You mentioned things happening at night.
What do you mean?
You aren’t allowed to leave your lodging after curfew.
They say it’s to get a good sleep, but really,
it’s so Celeste and the worker bees
can meet in secret.
- How did you know that? - Because
one night I snuck out and I followed them
to the meeting house.
I heard them talking about some sort of mission.
They called it a harvest,
but Kurt caught me before I could find out more.
- Who’s Kurt? - Celeste’s right-hand man.
He’s technically a worker bee,
but she trusts him more than anyone.
He’s been with her from the start.
And what happened when he found you?
I snapped.
I told him there are sketchy things going on,
and someone ought to find out what they’re doing in there.
He kicked me out on the spot.
Now, in your time there,
did you ever run into someone named Cornelius Cooper?
I didn’t. Is he a member?
Not anymore. He was found dead.
Oh my God. Wait, you think...
they killed him?
Well, we’re still early in our investigation,
but hopefully the information you just shared
will help us figure that out.
Well, if you want to question them, forget it.
Celeste has a hold on everyone, even the people who have left.
I’ve been building a civil suit for months,
and no one is willing to talk.
Or they’re too afraid.
The only way to find out what’s going on is from the inside.
Yeah. Everything’s trucking along.
Prison support group is going well.
Life is, you know, life-ing.
Okay.
But tell me, George.
How are you?
Me?
Well, I got no complaints. Everything’s great.
Really?
Of course. [chuckles]
It’s just that I’ve noticed that
whenever we talk,
you reassure me how great everything is.
But you’re still adjusting to life on the outside.
People often feel
profound disconnection while they readjust.
I just want you to know that as your parole officer,
I’m not just here to keep you on the straight and narrow.
I’m also an ear.
Well, thanks. But--
You might feel you need to be great,
you know, for all the people in your life.
But me? I don’t need that.
I just need you to be George.
All right. Tess was right.
Yates and I went out
to The Apiary’s property, and we got stonewalled.
Even former members we tracked down,
They won’t talk to us.
But they all collectively seemed very freaked out.
Don’t they have to talk to us? We’re the police?
The Apiary’s essentially made itself into a church.
They can claim religious freedoms to protect themselves.
Yeah, but that only goes so far, legally.
I mean, even at entry level,
we know they’re doing nefarious things.
Imagine what’s happening behind closed doors.
You’re right. Skin branding, Kool-Aid drinking,
cannibalism.
Celeste might have eaten Cornelius’s finger
with fava beans and a nice Chianti.
Look, it’s like Tess said.
The only shot of getting evidence against them
is to go in, become people that Celeste can trust.
Are you saying what I think you’re saying?
[Max] That’s right.
I think it’s time we join a cult.
- Let’s go! - Not you.
Fine.
♪ Here’s to the one who came out for love ♪
♪ Love me ♪
♪ Isn’t it the one? ♪
♪ All little things come back now to haunt me ♪
♪ Isn’t it the one? ♪
Ah. It’s like the first day of school.
Except instead of school it’s a maybe murderous cult.
So game plan?
Right. Game plan.
Connect with Apiary members, find anyone who knew Cornelius
and see what information we can get from them.
See if anyone’s missing any critical digits?
Right, but we gotta be careful, okay?
We don’t know what these people are capable of.
But more importantly, let’s discuss our characters.
Because I made a change to mine.
I’m Beth, a nervous, introverted geek
who’s desperate for community.
That’s what you said you were going as.
What did you change?
I changed my glasses.
These ones are much cuter. Don’t you think?
Oh, yeah. Huge difference.
It’s all about the details.
What did you say your character name was again? Helen?
Dylan.
Single father, out of sorts since my divorce,
searching for meaning.
Oh. Sad dad. Good call.
Okay, break.
Hello and welcome to The Apiary.
I’m Kurt, and this is Fiona.
On behalf of Celeste, I’m honoured
to welcome you to our community.
To start, you must relinquish your phones to Fiona.
This is a core tenant of The Apiary.
Congratulations.
You have all taken the first step to freedom.
Now, the men will follow me to your lodgings,
and the women will go with Fiona.
This way, ladies.
Take it all in.
Breathe.
You’ve come here seeking renewal,
because you knew
deep down that a better way existed.
And that better way is here at The Apiary.
Here are the men’s lodgings.
For those of you that opted for a private sanctuary,
you’ll find them to the left.
Oh! I have one of those.
Oh, sorry.
I’ll shut up. I’m just really excited.
It’s okay.
It’s a lot of stimulation arriving here,
especially for people who spend most of their time alone.
Guilty as charged.
The workshops introduce you to The Apiary’s way of life.
This is to ensure that you experience
the proper benefits of sleep hygiene.
Any questions?
It all sounds really great.
Good.
Over here.
If you’ve opted for a private sanctuary,
you will find those to the left.
Yeah. That’s me.
As per your signed community agreement,
it is forbidden
for you to exit your lodging after curfew.
Please change immediately
and proceed to your welcome session.
[ethereal music]
[Max] Ah. What do you think the hold-up is?
It’s taking a while.
Are we even in the right spot?
I don’t want them to get mad at us for being in the wrong place.
I wonder if there’s a spa here.
I could sure use a facial extraction.
Or a massage. Or a colonic.
Hopefully not at the same time.
[Max laughs]
I really like these outfits.
They’re very... yellow.
Shh!
[ambient, ethereal music]
Welcome everyone.
I am Celeste.
It is such an honour to welcome my new brood.
And congratulations!
You have just completed your first Apiary workshop.
I know what you’re thinking. Weren’t we just waiting?
And you’re right.
It wasn’t so easy, was it?
Did some of you experience fidgeting?
Tapping? Mindless chattering?
Ah.
We have a winner, do we?
I’m just really nervous.
And when I get nervous, I ramble.
And when I start rambling, I just can’t stop.
Like right now?
Yeah, exactly. Sorry.
No need to apologize.
These are signs of digital withdrawal.
Without even knowing it,
you’re constantly seeking another dopamine hit.
It’s an addiction. Like drugs or alcohol.
Think about when you were a young child.
You were living in the moment.
You weren’t thinking about
recording it for a social media post.
Now ask yourself this.
Were you happier living in the moment?
That’s why you came to The Apiary.
To find that person again.
You will experience some discomfort at first,
but soon you will discover true peace.
And I will help you heal, if you’ll let me.
Now, proceed to your next workshop,
and welcome to The Apiary.
Celeste sure knows how to win over a crowd.
That’s for sure. I’d drink her Kool-Aid.
All right. I’m gonna focus on Kurt,
Celeste’s right-hand man. See what I can find out.
Okay, I got Fiona.
Let’s call it Operation Minion Mingle.
So what’s this workshop supposed to help with?
Well, because of technology, we’ve lost the ability
to look each other in the eye.
This helps us get reacquainted with each other’s essence.
What brought you to The Apiary, Fiona?
I used to code for a dating app.
We reduce humans to data points, and it felt... awful.
So then when I joined The Apiary,
it was like someone had turned all the lights on.
And I had no idea how lost I was until then.
And you like it here? You feel safe?
Of course.
I experienced joy now in a way I have never before.
You’ll feel it soon, too.
It’s pretty cool that so many people here
used to work in tech.
We’ve all seen from the inside how tech is ruining us.
It’s time to take responsibility and change it.
Makes sense.
I mean, I heard of The Apiary from someone who works in tech
at a conference.
I think his name was... Cornelius?
I do not know that name.
You’ve reached five minutes.
Five minutes of having your hand submerged in water
ten degrees below freezing.
The night Celeste stepped away from the tech world,
she felt driven mad by disconnection.
Suddenly, she prepared a bowl of water just as cold as this
and submerged her hand.
And in the searing pain,
she saw the truth of what she must do.
Start The Apiary.
[ice cubes rattle]
Jeff, you have chosen not to complete the exercise.
I came here to stop being on my phone.
Not to get frostbite.
If you can’t confront the searing pain of truth,
you’re welcome to leave, Jeff.
You know what? Screw this.
It’s a gift when the unfaithful make themselves known.
Now, it is time to get at the truth.
Dylan, do you want to quit like Jeff, or continue?
I’ll continue.
Good. Now please tell us.
Why have you come to The Apiary?
I’ve been pretty lost ever since my divorce was finalized
A couple of weeks ago
it was my seven-year-old’s basketball game.
And uh, well, I was on my phone
and all of a sudden, the crowd started cheering.
So I looked up and...
he just scored his first basket.
I missed it.
And he knew I missed it.
As a parent, you just
you don’t get those memories back, you know?
Your escapism caused you to let him down.
Yeah. So anyway, I ran into an old high school buddy
the other day, and he told me about The Apiary.
It sounded like it was exactly what I needed.
Actually, I thought I might find him here.
He might be. What’s his name?
Cornelius Cooper.
I don’t know that name.
[bell dings]
That concludes this session.
You may remove your hands.
We now enter an open period where you are encouraged
to build new neural pathways
by interacting with your community.
So take this time to connect with your Apiary members.
Have you met someone named Cornelius?
I do not know that name.
I know someone named Cornelius. Have you seen him here?
I do not know that name.
Do you know someone named Cornelius?
I do not know that name.
His name is Cornelius. Have you seen him here?
I do not know that name.
Uh. Excuse me.
[Fiona] Why do you have to bring me over here to make a scene?
[Kurt] To not be in front of everybody.
So just talk to me right now.
[Fiona] I’m talking to you.
I don’t know what you want me to say.
[Kurt] I want you to tell me the truth!
What is your problem?
I don’t know.
I don’t want to do it, okay? It’s too soon.
Okay. If you’re doubtful, you need to raise your concerns
to Celeste at the meeting tonight.
- [Fiona] I’m not doubtful. - [Kurt] Then enough!
Get back to work.
[tense music]
Did you have to pick the most treacherous
meeting spot possible?
I saw four snakes on the way here.
You did not see four snakes.
Four twigs that looked like snakes, but still.
There’s cameras everywhere except for right here.
I noticed that.
- How was your first workshop? - No finger chopping.
It was more high school drama class than Jonestown.
- How about you? - Yeah.
They made us put our arms in ice cold water,
and then they kicked this guy out
’cause he couldn’t take it anymore.
The mind games begin.
Yeah. Oh, but after, I overheard Kurt and Fiona talking.
Fiona said something about something being too soon.
So then Kurt told her to bring it up at some meeting tonight.
Think it was a meeting of the worker bees?
Sounds like it.
Okay, well, how about Cornelius?
Every person I asked about him said "I do not know that name".
Wait, did they say it just like that?
Yep. Every single one of them.
Just like me.
Someone’s telling them to say that.
You think they’re brainwashed?
I don’t know, but we need to check out that meeting tonight.
Okay, but first, I need to get to the property line.
Li kept insisting that we have a way of communicating,
so I had Simmons bury a burner phone out there.
Okay, I’ll be right back. Just stay in your tent.
[stealthy music]
[Max sighs]
What did people do before phones?
Ellis, where are you?
Cult leader and minions spotted going to a secret meeting.
Okay.
[intriguing music]
[Celest] You are my worker bees.
My faithful inner circle.
But I can feel you questioning.
Why did this happen?
Why, Cornelius?
So they do know Cornelius.
[Celest] I feel your pain. So let’s take a moment.
Let us close our eyes.
Max! Max?
Cornelius, we remember you.
Your strength, your wit, your dedication.
You were a diligent worker bee who wanted your hive to thrive.
And we thank you for your sacrifice,
and for the bounty that you left behind.
Let us open our eyes.
Cornelius’s sacrifice cannot be in vain.
Tomorrow’s harvest will go forward as planned.
And Kurt, my most trusted friend and advisor,
you will take Cornelius’s place.
I would be honoured, my queen.
Guess we know who the teacher’s pet is, don’t we, Kurt?
What are you doing?
[dramatic sting]
What do you think you’re doing?
Would you believe I needed to borrow a cup of sugar?
You’re not supposed to be
outside of your lodging at night.
Fiona, why is everyone pretending
they don’t know who Cornelius is?
Including you.
You knew him, didn’t you?
I more than knew him.
We were in love.
But why did you tell me you didn’t know that name?
That’s what we’re told to say.
When someone leaves, they no longer exist to us.
But Cornelius didn’t just leave, did he?
What happened to him?
Fiona, I know you’re scared, but you can trust me.
I want to help.
I did something... terrible.
I...
[muffled voices]
You need to leave now.
Meet me at the greenhouse in an hour.
[Ellis sighs]
It’s been over an hour. She’s not coming, Max.
I hope she’s okay.
What if they chopped off her finger? Or worse?
At this point, she probably ratted you out.
You should have just stayed in the tent like I told you to.
At least now we know Cornelius was here.
Look, Fiona said that she did something terrible, right?
If she did kill Cornelius,
maybe she got cold feet about confessing.
Well, she does have Manson groupie energy.
Oh, and that harvest is happening tomorrow.
We need to find out what that is.
I think it’s time we leapfrog these minions
and get in with the head honcho, Celeste.
Okay. How do you suggest we do that?
Allow me to refer to The Art of War .
Enlighten me, please.
Sun Tzu says attacking your opponent’s city
isn’t nearly as effective
as weakening your opponent’s alliances.
- Kurt. - Bingo.
Except Kurt worships Celeste.
He even calls her his queen.
Which you’re more than welcome to call me, by the way.
Don’t hold your breath.
Okay. You got any ideas?
Of course. Pass me your phone.
You got Candy crush on this thing?
No, just the one with a snake.
[gasps]
Good morning, Beth.
Celeste! Hi!
There you are. Watching me sleep.
Why?
Let’s take a walk.
[tense music]
Um, hey.
Look, my stomach’s been a little off since last night,
so, uh, if it’s cool with you,
I think I might just sit this one out.
I don’t know which end it’s coming out of, you know?
Let us know if you need anything.
Okay. Thanks.
[tense music continues]
You know, I have been all over the world.
Nothing beats the culinary simplicity of a street dog.
[laughs] Amen.
I am glad you called me, George.
What’s on your mind?
Well, I was thinking about what you said,
and, um, if you want to know the truth,
I’ve been living a lie.
What do you mean?
I haven’t been honest with myself.
Or you.
But I stand up there in front of my counselling group,
preaching like some prison Socrates,
about hope and resilience and second chances.
It’s all very blue sky, and they lap it up.
Well, that’s good, George. They need that.
But it’s all BS.
You see, I’ve always been a planner.
I’ve needed everything planned out to the last detail.
That’s how you run a successful con.
A successful life.
So then I walk out of those prison gates
and nothing’s running to plan.
Everything’s topsy-turvy.
If this was a con, it would be a disaster.
George, adjusting takes work. It’s hard.
Yeah, but I feel like I’m lying to the guys inside.
Like I’m a fraud.
You’re not a fraud, you’re a human.
The fact that you can show these guys hope
while at the same time still struggling
with your own challenges?
That’s not lying. That’s leadership.
- Or hypocrisy. - No. It’s honesty.
And if you can let them see both sides,
the man who doubts and the man who believes,
you give them something real.
You want some gum?
Oh, yeah. Thanks.
You make it all sound so simple.
Yeah. Yeah, it is simple.
Huh. Doesn’t mean it’s easy, though.
Beth, do you know why I named our movement The Apiary?
I figured you just really liked bees.
It’s about what bees represent.
Their focus is on the growth of the whole community.
And wouldn’t the world be a better place
if we all lived like that?
Absolutely.
Beth, I know you came here
seeking connection and community,
and we welcomed you in.
And I really appreciate that.
Then why did you break my rules
and go out after curfew last night?
How did you find out?
Fiona mentioned that she had run into you.
Is she okay?
I haven’t seen her since then.
She’s had a tough time recently.
She’s resting.
I know you were spying on the meeting house.
Why?
I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.
Beth, you can trust me.
The question is, can I trust you?
I heard something outside my tent,
so I went to go check it out.
And that’s when I saw that Dylan guy talking to someone.
Who is he speaking with?
[Celeste] Kurt.
Hello, Celeste, and... Beth.
[Woman] Here he is.
Thank you.
Celeste, what is going on?
Beth, where did you say that Kurt put the phone?
I do not have a phone.
Celeste, that is not mine.
No?
Try dialing the last number.
[dialing]
[phone ringing]
Good morning, City Gazette.
This is Dylan Smith’s desk. How can I help you?
You’re a journalist. Is this right?
I’ve been working with Kurt for months
on an exposé on The Apiary.
That is a lie.
Do not believe him, Celeste.
It’s over, man. We’re burned. Okay?
I’m so sorry, Celeste.
Kurt, how could you?
You’re gonna believe her over me?
It’s done, man. We tried and we failed--
Shut up!
Kurt.
I can’t believe I ever trusted you.
None of it is true.
You know me.
I am Kurt.
I do not know that name.
All right, all right.
Who the hell are you?
Why are you doing this to me?
I’m a cop, dumbass.
I’m asking the questions now, Kurt.
Who killed Cornelius?
I can’t believe Kurt betrayed me.
How could I have missed that?
It’s not your fault. You’re an amazing leader.
Kurt took advantage of your generosity.
Thank you, Beth.
I am so grateful my intuition led me to you.
Well, anything you need, I’m here.
My queen.
I’m glad to hear that,
because I would like you to take part
in tonight’s harvest.
Sure. What are we harvesting?
I’m not very good at gardening.
I’ve killed all my houseplants.
All will be revealed. But for now, just know
that great things await you.
[Ellis] Kurt’s lawyered up.
He’s not talking.
Did you ask about the cult sex?
No, I didn’t ask about the cult sex.
And you call yourself a detective. It’s wild.
What did you two dig up about Kurt?
Yeah, well, when Kurt met Celeste
he was working at a tech company, too.
Shortly after he quit, the company was broken into.
Thieves walked away with half a million in crypto.
No arrests, no answers.
[Yates] Then we looked into Fiona
and her former company was robbed just last week.
Over a million in crypto was stolen.
But it’s digital currency.
Why physically break in when you can just hack it?
The money is digital, but the storage isn’t always.
It’s like a crypto wallet. It’s a physical drive.
So if you put crypto onto the wallet,
and you forget the password?
You’re done for.
[Yates] That happened to me once.
I bought 50 bucks worth of crypto back in 2009.
Put it on one of those things. Forgot the password.
I still have it at home, I just use it as a paperweight.
Do you remember what kind of crypto it was?
I think it was called like,
"small change" or "teeny tiny money".
- Bitcoin? - Bitcoin.
Yeah. That’s it.
Yates, that’s worth like a lot of money right now.
Oh yeah. Maybe I’m rich.
Can we get back to the case here.
Yeah. So tech companies build walls,
internal servers you can’t access
from outside the building. It keeps the hackers out.
Yeah, like in the case of Fiona’s former workplace.
Exactly. They got into the building,
they got into the computers, they transferred the money.
But they made one mistake.
They didn’t realize there was an armed guard on duty.
They got away, but the security guard got some shots off.
He thought he only hit the van.
- Was the van white? - Yep.
The painted van that you found
matched the security guard’s description.
Ballistics just came back on the bullet you found.
Thanks. Okay.
The bullet from the van and the one that killed Cornelius
both came from the security guard’s gun.
So Cornelius was killed by the security guard
and not by someone in The Apiary.
Did Cornelius act alone?
Guard said there was three of them.
Cornelius was one.
The other two, most likely from The Apiary.
Okay. They kept talking about a harvest happening tonight.
What if harvest is just a code word for robbery?
Based on the pattern, I’d say they’re at
one of the tech companies they used to work for.
Cornelius used to work for SociaScope.
- They haven’t been hit. - Yeah. Yet.
[Max] I’m so honoured to be doing this with you, Celeste.
But I’m curious. Where are we going?
Beth, when I first created The Apiary,
I was proud of what we had accomplished
on the personal level, but it wasn’t enough.
If I wanted to undo the wrongs of the tech world,
I had to hurt them.
But they only care about the bottom line.
So my worker bees and I
decided to hit these companies where it hurts.
Their wallets.
So we’re gonna rob somebody?
Harvest.
We take from evil forces to fund The Apiary’s good work.
[Celeste] We’re here.
Okay, so we’re gonna rob-
Sorry, "harvest" the SociaScope offices, why?
Beth, let me tell you the story of Cornelius,
our most faithful worker bee.
And just as Cornelius was getting into the van,
he was shot by the security guard.
He bled out quickly.
Well, that’s awful.
It is.
Cornelius was dedicated to the cause.
Tonight we honour his sacrifice.
And there’s not any security here tonight?
SociaScope operates entirely on a digital security system.
He gave us the tools to override that system.
He also cloned his boss’s access card.
[beeping]
Shall we?
[tense music]
Now sit.
Enter password HX76B49.
It’s a crypto account that can only be accessed
by this computer.
Its touch ID.
It won’t recognize my fingerprints or yours.
[Celeste] No, it won’t.
But it will recognize Cornelius’s fingerprint.
[dramatic sting]
Why do you have Cornelius’s finger?
Before Cornelius quit at SociaScope,
he reprogrammed the internal server
so that his fingerprint would allow him access
to his boss’s personal crypto account.
When Cornelius was killed, we took emergency measures.
So you cut off a dead dude’s finger?
I asked Fiona to do it. She complied.
That’s the terrible thing that Fiona did.
Now take the finger.
You want me to touch that thing?
If you want to ascend to the next level
and become a member of my inner circle,
you must complete this task.
[Max] Sorry, Cornelius.
Okay. It’s done.
Whoa. A lot of money and no paper trail.
Now, transfer 20 million crypto into this account.
- So? - Almost.
And...
- Done. - Great work.
Let’s go.
[dramatic music]
[sirens approaching]
[Ellis] Don’t move!
Hands in the air now!
Celeste Rainier, you’re under arrest.
Easy on her, fellas.
She’s had a long day of exploiting people.
You traitor!
That’s what you get for giving me the finger.
Hey. You okay?
Yeah. I’m fine, but... do you have any hand sanitizer?
Yeah, I think I got some in the car. Why?
Okay, ’cause I’m gonna need a gallon of it.
I’m gonna bathe in it.
Good work, everyone.
The Apiary has officially been shut down.
Where’s Fiona?
She’s fine.
We found her in one of the staff houses
watching hours of indoctrination videos.
It’s what Celeste called "rejuvenation".
Look, I know she was part of the robberies,
but she was brainwashed.
Can we just get her some help?
Yes. Definitely.
Our psychiatrist is evaluating her now.
And Tess is talking to other Apiary members
about her class action lawsuit.
Okay, that’s all well and good, but, uh...
Come on, was there seriously... no sex?
Oh my God, Yates, no.
There’s no sex, okay?
Damn it. What kind of cult was this?
Amateur hour.
Great. She’s gonna be grumpy all night
unless I get a chimichangas and a beef dip.
You guys have a good night.
Yeah.
Look, uh,
Jess and I are gonna get some Chinese food on the boat.
You wanna join?
Uh... yeah. That’d be great.
Hey. Great idea setting up Kurt to get close to Celeste.
And that was good work
figuring out where they were gonna hit next.
It’s almost like we’re one mind. Like a hive mind.
Maybe we should start a cult.
Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that one.
Okay, fine. I’ll start it with Marc.
We’ll be two supreme beings ruling with an iron fist.
[George] I’ve been thinking about
what I tell you guys every week.
About second chances and starting fresh.
I’ve been giving out that advice
like it was candy at Halloween.
But lately I’ve been wondering...
do I even believe it?
See, the truth is, out there,
I’ve been struggling,
and I couldn’t admit it at first.
But then a friend of mine said to me
"no one expects you to be perfect,
they just expect you to be honest."
Wisdom doesn’t come from
pretending you’ve got everything all figured out.
It comes from admitting that you don’t,
but moving forward anyway.
You see, it’s not about never stumbling.
It’s about what we do after we stumble.
[Ellis] Jess, we’re home!
[Max] We come bearing egg rolls!
Must have missed this message. Jessica’s running late.
She says to get started without her.
Oh, well, twist my rubber arm, why don’t you?
Oh, Marc.
Hi, buddy.
Aww, his purrs.
Oh.
I missed you, Marc.
Awe.
It’s been a while since you’ve been on the boat, huh?
You used to just show up here all the time.
Yeah, well, things have changed.
What? Because of Jessica?
Not in a bad way.
I’m super happy that you found her, but...
I know the deal. I can’t just show up anymore.
So I might have disconnected a little bit.
Look, I love Jessica, but
it doesn’t mean I should have to choose between her
and my best friend.
I’m your best friend?
You’re my best friend, too.
Although, so is Ricky.
And George. And, newly, my mom.
But a best friend isn’t singular.
It’s like a tier, you know?
Just like Marc’s right up there with you.
Right.
[phone ringing]
Oh, it’s Jessica. Hold on.
Hello? Hey, you.
That- that is interesting. Huh.
Okay. Yeah. I’ll see you later.
All right. Love you. Bye.
Jessica just got called to cover a story.
Apparently, the children’s hospital
that Toni was raising money for just got a random
crypto donation for $20 million.
Huh. You don’t say.
Yeah, and the donation was traced back
to Ronin from SociaScope.
Wasn’t he now being investigated for tax evasion?
What if he dropped a bunch of crypto
before the cops came knocking?
Max! Come on.
Did you steal the money from Ronin?
I’m sorry.
I do not know that name.
[Ellis] Unbelievable.
Okay, my little spaghetti monsters.
Who’s ready to make a long-distance relationship
extremely uncomfortable?
Secure line. Adorable.
All right.
Fort Knox with a dial tone.
Let’s see how you feel about a little temporary open house.
Don’t be shy. It’s just a little handshake.
No dinner, no flowers.
Look at you cheating on your firewall with me,
you naughty little minx.
Let’s see what you do on the second date.
♪