01x01 - Pilot

[bunniefuu]

["Dialing In" sung
by Thom Yorke]

♪ Telephone ♪

♪ Calling me ♪

{\an8}♪ Who put all that
sh*t in your head? ♪

{\an8}♪ Saying things ♪

♪ Telling things ♪

{\an8}♪ Till you break ♪

{\an8}♪ Filthy water ♪

♪ Bubbles up ♪

♪ Who put all that
sh*t in your head? ♪

[narrator] Every
fire starts small.

Mmm... Nah, wait. That's...

That's bullshit.
[inhales sharply]

At an average temperature
of 1,800 degrees, fire is...

Nah. f*ck that.

[inhales sharply, clears throat]

[sighs, clears throat]

Who would you be in a fire?

[shouts, grunts]

-[grunts]
-[firefighter 1] Gudsen, report.

[Gudsen] You carry a g*n?

Won't help.

-[firefighter 1] Gudsen. Report.
-[breathes heavily]

[Gudsen] Own a bigger...
f*cking machine g*n?

Won't help you either.

[breathes heavily]

You work out? Good for you.

Eat well? Awesome.

Rich? Wonderful...

for your rightful heirs.

[breathes heavily, grunts]

[shouts, exclaims]

[Gudsen] Fire doesn't give
a f*ck about your wallet,

or the size of your g*n,

or the size of the d*ck you
wish was the size of your g*n.

[firefighter 2] We're
losing the roof.

[breathing heavily]

[firefighter 1]
Everyone's out but Gudsen.

Gudsen, report now.

[grunts]

[Gudsen] Fire doesn't give
a sh*t if you're gorgeous,

how many followers you have,
what clothes you're wearing.

'Cause those clothes are gonna
burn straight through the flesh,

into the marrow.

[firefighter 3] Heavy fire
approaching our location.

[grunting]

[firefighter 3] Over here!

[Gudsen] Whatever you
do, whatever you know,

however much lifetime
wisdom you've accrued,

fire puts a lie to it all.

[screams]

-[breathing shakily]
-[siren wailing in distance]

Do you remember waking up?

Was I loud?

[sighs] We had
hard-boiled eggs in here.

"Had."

-You didn't.
-I did.

f*ck.

You were just kinda moaning and,
I don't know, like, thrashing...

-Does Emmett even eat eggs?
-They were for me.

I'll eat carrots.

Carrots are awesome.

So, the nightmare?

Dream.

So, the nightmare?

-[chuckles]
-[chuckles]

Remember when I got
trapped in that house,

thought my reflection
was another firefighter?

That was the dream.

Why do you still pack his lunch?

He's grown up, hon.

[sighs]

Hey.

I come in after the fire now.

I know.

I do.

[Gudsen] Just a nightmare.

A dream.

[chuckles, inhales sharply]

All right.

I'm driving him, right?

Same as every Tuesday, babe.

Mm-hmm.

Uh, aren't you
forgetting something?

[Gudsen] Ah!

Emmett!

I got your snacks. Let's roll!

Hey, how was your
dad's this weekend?

Good.

Got anything cool going
on at school today?

Yeah.

Some stuff.

[grunts]

[panting]

[exhales deeply]

[laughing]

[person 1] I did it.

[person 2] You did what?

sh*t.

[person 2] I would
never f*cking do that.

[person 1] You will lose.

[panting]

I did it.

[chattering on radio]

[knocks to the rhythm of
"Shave and a Haircut"]

[chuckles] Investigator Gudsen.

[Gudsen] Gudsen.

[sighs] Detective Calderone.

[exhales sharply] Your commander
told me to wait in here.

I-I'm the one that
was sent by Metro PD.

To do what?

Assist.

In?

[stammers] I've been told you could have
two serial arsonists working this area?

Well, we keep Metro district detectives
apprised in each of the cases.

Why send someone else?

[Calderone sighs]

Well, you've had one serial arsonist
setting fires for over a year,

another one for six months now,
and no significant leads on either.

[Gudsen] Have you studied
arson investigation?

No.

[stammers] And you know I
teach it all over the state?

Oh, yeah. [sighs]

Your reputation precedes you.

[Gudsen] And you
preceded me too.

Into my own office.

[chuckles]

I'm sorry this is awkward.

But... [exhales heavily]

I mean, wouldn't
you like fresh eyes?

But you just said you don't
know anything about arson.

Yeah, but I know a sh*t ton
about crime scene analysis.

-Why send you?
-Excuse me?

Well, you seem smart.

You got a gold shield
at quite a young age...

You can't network here.

You can't make the kind of flashy busts
you can make in Narcotics or Cyber Crime.

[scoffs]

[sighs] You got
transferred to a box.

[sighs]

I don't look at it like that.

Let's head out.

[Calderone] All right. [sighs]

[Gudsen] So, we have four major
classifications for fire around here.

Natural, accidental,
undetermined and incendiary.

"Incendiary" means someone
set the m*therf*cker.

Why don't you take a look around and
tell me which one you think this is?

All right.

[phone chimes]

[shutter clicking]

-[owner] Hello?
-Reginald Irving?

-Yes?
-Yeah, this is Investigator Gudsen

-with the Umberland Arson Unit.
-[coughing]

Yeah, you reported your car
stolen. Yeah, we found it, sir.

Well, unfortunately, I would
describe it as a total loss.

You may want to come by, collect any
valuables that may have survived the fire.

Uh, no, there's nothing in
there. Nothing I remember.

Nothing in the
glove compartment?

-In the trunk?
-No.

Nowhere?

Uh, no. I just washed the car,

so I'm pretty sure that, uh, I
didn't leave anything in there.

Okay.

Well, you seem certain, sir.

-We'll be in touch.
-Okay.

-Thank you.
-Thank you.

Glove compartment?

Nah. Burned-up
registration. Nothing else.

-Figures. Console?
-Empty.

But there is this, uh...

this brick under
the engine block.

[Gudsen] Duraflame log.

Yeah.

[chuckles]

Mr. Irving know that you
think he torched his own car?

Guy was either behind on his payments
or racked up too many miles on a lease.

[grunts]

Hey. My car is not a trash can.

[Gudsen] Hmm.

It's a little trashy.

I hate seat belts. [grunts]

I'm gonna take 'em
out when I get back.

All right. So that guy is probably
not one of your serial arsonists.

One-off. How much
do you know already?

-I know one arsonist likes potato chips.
-Yeah.

-Loves them.
-[engine starts]

["I Just Want to
Celebrate" playing]

[music continues]

[music ends]

[Gudsen] You're probably
not done for the day.

[firefighter] f*cking
D and C again?

-[chattering on radio]
-[Gudsen] Hmm. Be my guess.

[manager] What's "D and C"?

Someone out there likes
to set one fire like this,

and then another one somewhere else on a
time delay, to spread our department thin.

We call him "D and C,"
Divide and Conquer.

[manager] And you
think he did this?

He loves burning potato chips.

Wife leave him for a bag of
f*cking Lay's or something?

You said you had some
security footage?

[manager] Yeah, I was
just looking through it.

Any exterior cameras?

[manager] Yeah, it's
not that helpful.

There's blind spots in the left
and right corners of the lot.

[Gudsen chuckles]

Which he clearly knew about.

Our second guy...

operates exclusively in Trolley
Town and uses a jug of gasoline.

Slips it under a porch or in a doorway,
always at night, and lights it up.

What's the motive?

Serial arsonists tend to be
powerless in their own lives.

They want other people to
know what that feels like.

[sighs] Nothing makes you feel less
powerful than being trapped in a fire.

[breathing shakily]

So, uh...

How'd you become an
arson investigator?

[Gudsen] I was a fireman.

Got trapped in a burning house.

All alone.

Then this other fire jock
showed up, waved me toward him.

I ran to him.

Found out I was
running to a mirror.

-[sighs]
-Uh-huh.

-Jesus.
-Yeah.

I made it out with maybe six or seven
seconds before the roof caved in.

I saw something in that fire.

[Calderone] What?

[Gudsen] Nothing.

Not "no thing," but...

Nothing.

As a defining characteristic
of the universe.

You looked into the abyss, and
the abyss looked right back.

[Gudsen] What about you?

Tell me something.

[Calderone] Not much to tell.

Cop four years, did a tour of
duty in the Marines before that.

[Gudsen] Hmm.

Not many female Marines.

Seven percent.

[Gudsen] So what's the story?

Someone tell you you couldn't do
it so you proved the f*ck wrong?

-[chuckles]
-[chuckles] Am I right?

You know, you find yourself
being strapped down

with 50 pounds of tactical
gear in 100-degree heat,

being shot at from all sides,

other voices really
aren't coming into play.

It's your own voice,
honestly, that's going,

"What the f*ck are you
doing? You can't do this."

And then you got that other voice
saying, "Yeah, b*tch, you can."

[Gudsen] Sounds
like you saw action.

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Didn't much like it?

[chuckles]

Time of my life.

[Gudsen] The D and C
arsonist is a white male.

He wears a rainproof jacket
and a ball cap with no logo.

And he limps. Right leg.

He lit up this hillside
just six months ago.

You said in one of your reports you
suspect the guy's ex-fire department.

Why?

How many of my
reports have you read?

Several.

Well, that doesn't
feel invasive.

[chuckles] Uh... I see. Okay.

You know, I'm really hoping to
avoid any power struggles with you,

but I do outrank you, so...

I promise I'll swear your
d*ck is bigger than mine

if you admit I
could chop it off.

In which case, it doesn't
really matter how big it is.

Not that big.

[Calderone] Hmm.

[Gudsen] Average.

Whoever blinks first has to give
the other one his Almond Joy?

That our game?

'Cause I'm down with it, Dave.

I'm king of this sh*t. Let's go.

-[Gudsen] Oh, you blinked.
-f*ck you I blinked.

-You just did it again.
-No, I didn't.

-I don't even f*cking blink in my sleep.
-Oh.

Hey. Why is she here again?

Somebody up high in Metro Po-po
feeling the heat from all these fires.

[chuckles]

Yeah. Pun intended.

And having a babysitter
won't look bad on me?

You're one man, dealing
with a f*cking fire plague.

Accept the help.

You know what division
she was in before us?

Robbery.

[whistles]

And now she's here?

[sighs]

Can't confirm she has an enemy,

but she isn't making the right
friends, that's for sure.

[grunts]

[Calderone panting]

[sighs]

[Calderone laughing]

[person 1] I did it.

[sighs]

[Calderone] You did what?

[person 1] The thing.

[engine starts]

[soft jazz playing]

You know, a lot of people? Their
marriages suck. Their kids hate 'em.

I hear it all the time at work.

No one lives the life they dreamed
of, even if the dream was small.

-Cheers.
-[glasses clink]

Can I use that?

What?

People not living the life they
dreamed, even if the dream was small.

Use it?

I started, uh...

I don't know...

writing.

[chuckles]

-What?
-Yeah.

Yeah, I don't know, I just...
Lately, I started writing stuff down.

Ideas and things.

About fire and...
fire investigation.

-It's stupid.
-No. Oh, my God. I think it's cool.

Well, maybe there's a story I
could tell people wanna read.

You know?

What's the story?

Well, there's this
arson investigator,

-and... [chuckles]
-Like you?

-[chuckles]
-[chuckles]

And he gets in adventures
and solves crimes and...

super handsome and strong

-and capable and...
-[mutters] Oh. So he's modest?

Sure.

[breathes deeply] My husband.

A writer.

You like that?

Yeah. It's kind of a turn-on.

-We should order.
-[chuckles]

[horns honk]

[workers chattering]

[manager] Guys, let's hold on
the chicken. We need more fries.

[customer] Yo! I've been
waitin' here too damn long!

Where's my motherfuckin' food?

[honking continues]

[chattering]

[grunts]

[strains]

[laughing]

[groans]

[sighs]

I'll need you to open tomorrow.

Wait.

It's my day off.

[groans]

Brett can't make it in.

It's you.

You'll help us out, right?

Yeah.

[electricity humming]

[train horn honking]

[narrator] America is many
things to many people.

To a 17-year-old kid, it's
the malt shop on the corner.

It's the cr*cker-barrel
philosophers in Crabtree Corners

and it's the tycoons
in Wall Street.

It's all races,
creeds and religions.

It's freedom to work
at the job you like,

freedom of speech and
to peaceably assemble.

[moaning on laptop]
Oh, yeah. So big.

Harder. [moaning]

Give it to me. [moaning]

["Naw Naw" playing]

[panting]

[moans]

-[moaning]
-[music continues]

-Come here. Come here.
-[laughing]

Come here.

[Calderone] You want round two?

[person] I mean, in a minute.

[chuckles]

I, uh...

[whispers] I did it.

[whispers] You did what?

The thing.

I, uh...

I left her.

I left my wife.

It's done.

-It's done.
-Why would you leave her?

Huh?

Why?

Because we talked about it.

Okay, that's what people
do after sex, Steven.

They... They talk.

[chuckles] You know, a pipe dream here,
a pipe dream there, but, I mean...

I just left my f*cking kids.

-What do you mean a "pipe dream"?
-Okay, I didn't...

-What do you mean a f*cking pipe dream?
-I didn't ask you to leave anyone, so...

-Yes, you did.
-No, I did not.

I would never f*cking do that.

-If you did that, that's on you.
-Are you f*cking...

Okay, look.

I, uh...

I jumped the g*n. All right?

And so I will, uh...

Michelle.

I'll go back. Okay, baby?

And then maybe you... you
and I, we can just, you know,

take some more time in
this relationship until...

you know...

All right?

What?

What?

Maybe we need to
take a break. [sighs]

I don't know, take a step back.

f*cking what now?

You know, reassess the situation,
look at things objectively.

What, so you don't
wanna f*ck anymore

because I expressed some
inconvenient feelings?

-[scoffs]
-Is that what it is?

All right. Okay.

Okay.

But you know, when you pointed
that out, I don't b*tch.

I adapt to your needs,

and you immediately move
the f*cking goalpost,

and you say that you
wanna, uh, what was it?

"Reassess"?

"Take a little break"?

-Yeah?
-Sounds about right.

Okay. f*cking fine.

And all the, uh, benefits that you've
been reaping from this relationship...

-[scoffs]
-You wanna keep those, I assume?

Benefits?

I didn't reap any
g*dd*mn benefits...

Well, hell, if you've not been reaping any
benefits, then there's none to lose, huh?

[chuckles] You know, you flex
against me, and I flex against you.

-It's not gonna...
-Then you will lose.

Even if you eventually win, it
will be a long runway of losing...

-[chuckles]
-...until that day.

Yeah, well, you're gonna
lose your marriage.

[sighs]

You weren't listening.

I already did.

I already f*cking did.

[breathing heavily]

[door opens]

[door closes]

[sighs]

[panting]

["Smile" playing on PA]

[sniffs]

[customers clamoring]

-[customer 1] Fire!
-[customer 2] Oh, my God!

[whimpering]

[chattering on radio]

-[alarm blaring]
-[customers clamoring]

[grunts]

[song continues on PA]

-[customers clamoring, exclaiming]
-Help! Help!

[screams]

[screaming, whimpering]

[Gudsen] Brock Henry and Ken Maddox
had been partners for ten years,

but now that the fire had claimed
Brock in the line of duty,

-Ken was determined...
-[dispatcher 1] Calling Ward 3.

Command 1, Rescue 1, Ladder


respond to 904 at Craft Cubby.

226 Agnew.

[Gudsen] ...Ken was
determined to work alone...

[dispatcher 2] All units
respond to 904 at Craft Cubby.

[Gudsen] Fate had other plans.

-[alarm blaring]
-[customer coughing]

[cries, groans]

[screams, groans]

[coughing]

[breathing shakily]

[whimpering]

-[firefighters chattering]
-[chattering on radio]

[sirens wailing]

Morning.

Was I supposed to
follow my nose here?

My bad, my bad.

The call came in before
the shift started.

Yeah, and you
declined to call me.

-You're right. My bad.
-Yeah.

[shutter clicking]

-[Gudsen] Hey.
-[Calderone] Yeah.

[Gudsen] Get over here.

[Calderone] What you got?

You see this? Burn pattern?

[Calderone] Uh-huh.

[Gudsen] Indicates
the point of origin.

[Calderone sighs]

The fire gets so hot,
it burns the soot away.

Leaves a "V" shape, and at the
bottom of the V, sometimes,

we find a device.

Yeah, that's gonna be
very helpful in court.

-And it's all that's left.
-[chuckles]

It's just one little
burnt rubber band.

We're lucky. Normally,
we don't find this much.

The fire was started in three
locations, just like the witness said,

all using the same kind
of incendiary device.

This is his preferred ID.
These are just mock-ups.

He lit the cigarette...
[smacks lips]

...placed it in
the foam there...

over there, way over there.

By the time the cigarette
coal reaches the matches...

long gone.

May I?

You may.

[chuckles]

All right. [chuckles]

What brand of cigarette?

Um...

They're usually too burned
by the time we find them.

Tests indicate ammonia.

That's a quick burn.

You know your smokes.

[scoffs]

I quit, but me and
nicotine go way back.

[Gudsen chuckles]

That's his trick.

It's so unreliable.

Working pretty well
for him so far.

Ah, there's got to be
dozens of these devices

lying in places where
they didn't ignite.

[sighs] Fingerprints.

With DNA.

[Calderone] Mmm.

[Gudsen whistling]

Starsky, Hutchinson,
get in my office.

You Bernie Casey
in this scenario?

It's actually Bernie Hamilton. And
yes, I very much m*therf*cking am.

Sit down, please.

[Gudsen] Bernie
never said please.

Do you know who owns Meadow
Farms supermarket chain?

ABSG Ltd.

It's a global food conglomerate with
stakes in international trucking,

transatlantic shipping
and refrigeration R & D.

And why, perchance, do you think
I might have gotten a phone call

from their global VP of loss
prevention this morning?

[Calderone scoffs]

They're probably not happy that someone's
burning their chip displays here.

Which, among other outcomes, could
inspire copycats throughout the country

or the world.

How might they have
expressed their displeasure?

[sighs]

I mean, the easiest way would be
to assemble a budgetary commission,

question your competence.

Mine?

And ours, but, ultimately,

the dead dog with the fleas is
gonna be dumped at your doorstep.

See, this is the kind of

gimlet-eyed assessment of the
realities of this department

that, honestly, I would have
expected out of you, Dave.

Gimlet-eyed?

If I go, you go.

-Well, let's not... Come on now.
-[plate clatters]

-If I go, you'll go.
-[plate clatters]

So here's how I see
it, kids. All right?

There's two of you
against two arsonists now.

So we need to get one of them before
he burns down another Meadow Farms,

or the other one
kills someone again.

Or get 'em both
and be rock stars.

I don't care, but if you
don't get somebody quick,

well, there's not many floors
your elevator can descend, dear.

Think I've already clarified
myself to you, right?

Good.

Gotta have some suspects.

[Gudsen] For the Milk Jug arsons, I've
got the phone book for Trolley Town.

For the D and C fires, well...

there are 37 files in here.

-[sighs]
-All closed.

Mostly ex-firemen, uh,
a couple of civilians,

including a deli manager
at Meadow Farms, a cashier.

All cleared.

What about active firemen?

No way.

Okay, I appreciate your sense
of loyalty and everything...

It's not about that. Union
won't let me access the files.

-And we'd notice a fireman who limps.
-[scoffs]

I don't buy the limp.

-Why not?
-[sighs] f*ck.

Well, we never see his face,

but, oh, he makes sure we see his
physical defect? Yeah, bullshit.

-Want a coffee?
-Yeah.

I'll get us access to the files.

Union can't stop a detective
rank in an open investigation.

Do you know how many active
firemen we have in this county?



Yeah. And each of them work
an A, B or C shift schedule.

And minus, uh, vacation
days, sick days, Kelly days.

Which means you want to cross-check
each of their unique attendance records

-against 67 fires...
-[sighs]

We are looking at 163,346
points of comparison.

Yeah, I don't want to see how much
further my elevator goes, Investigator.

[workers chattering]

[lightbulb explodes]

{\an8}[phone buzzes]

What's this?

That's your PIN to access all active
personnel files in the department.

[typing]

[scoffs]

[no audible dialogue]

[crickets chirping]

[siren wailing in distance]

-Hey, check out the file I just sent you.
-Wait, hold on. I-I finally got someone.

Humor me.

[Calderone sighs]

You know this guy?

Arch Stanton. Dickhead. Out
of his f*cking mind too.

Check out his attendance.

Mm-hmm. How does this
guy keep his job?

Well, his sister's the comptroller,
he's got a brother on the city council.

[sighs] Jesus.

March 28th last year.

Absent.

-April 10th last year.
-Same.

-May 9th.
-Absent.

-July 12th.
-Absent.

-August 4th.
-Absent.

-September 17th.
-[scoffs] Absent.

[sighs]

Who do you got?

Scotty Bucyk. Uh, Ward 7.

He's, uh, been absent for
almost every single fire.

I know Scotty a bit.

Yeah, and?

[Gudsen] He's well-liked.

What do his fitness reports say?

Uh, top-notch.

I mean, he's got a
few commendations too.

But a history of absenteeism
on the days of our fires.

Yeah, so definitely
worth a chat.

[Gudsen] Mm-hmm.

Hello?

Anybody hiding out back here?

-Hey, Scotty. How are you, brother?
-Good, man. How are you?

-Good. This is Michelle Cal...
-Detective Calderone.

All right.

Is this guy giving
you trouble already?

-[chuckles] This guy? He's a softy.
-Ha!

Won't take up too much of your time, just
have a few questions to ask you. Uh...

April 13th. There's, uh,
two calls made to Ward 7.

At 10:37 a.m. for a tree rescue.

And then one at 2:13 p.m.
for a car fire in Walsingham.

[Bucyk] Yeah, I know the one.

[Calderone] Our records
show you were absent.

Oh. Well, it must
be a clerical issue.

We've had our computers from the
Bush administration. [chuckles]

So Wi-Fi only works
two days a week.

[Calderone scoffs]
I see. I see. Okay.

Um... [smacks lips]
...the thing is,

is there seems to be a substantial
history of you not reporting in.

[sighs]

Do you know what
an engineer does?

[Gudsen clears throat] I... I
thought you were on the ladder.

Got promoted almost
two years ago.

Congrats. I had no idea.

[Bucyk chuckles]

The engineer drives the truck.

So if I'm not there, how's
everyone getting to the fire?

Well, this was fun.
You guys are great.

Don't go changing. [laughing]

-You never showed me the file.
-Really?

If I'd seen it, I
would have caught it.

[sighing] Yeah, no, you're
right. That's on me.

I'm truly f*cking sorry. I never
would have allowed you to...

-Get my a*s handed to me?
-Well, yeah.

{\an8}[firefighter] Yeah,
we split with Ward 8.

They got more guys but, you know,
a small team's a tight ship.

Mmm. Yeah, is Randy
still over there?

[chuckles] sh*t.

Randy'll be there till he's
taken out of this world.

[both chuckling]

Uh, Arch, we got indicators you've been
hard to find for six different fires.

Uh, June 7th, Palomar. This
was a fire your house covered.

Requesting EMT for
several injured persons.

No "persons" were hurt.

Presbyterian medical
records would say otherwise.

Yeah, well, hospitals
milk insurance companies.

Way of the world.

No one can confirm
you were there.

Well, anyone will lie to get
a white hat. Way of the world.

Your absences are confirmed
by incident reports.

Reports can be f*cked with.

-All of 'em?
-Why not?

-Can you prove it?
-Prove they weren't?

March 28th last year.
April 10th last year.

May 9th. July 12th. August


July 4th. Christmas Eve.
My birthday. Your birthday.

-No, no, no, no. These are dates of...
-Yeah, they are dates.

Dates of fires that Ward 3
responded to that you were not at.

-So you say.
-[Calderone] So we've proved.

-Oh, you've proved?
-[Calderone] Yeah.

Oh, well, proof is relative.

Oh, no. Proof is just proof.

[Stanton] No, it's your proof.

It's our proof. Okay, so then tell
us where you were on those dates.

-What's it to you?
-It's my job, Mr. Stanton.

Job or agenda?

[Calderone] What kept you from
responding to those fires?

Are you filling out some
kind of quota, sweetie?

Just looking for
some truth, Archie.

[clicks tongue] Well, since
we're talking about truth, um...

Is it true you don't
know what an engineer is?

[sighs] And they gave you an office.
What's next? Your own holiday?

Arch, that's enough.

No. Your face on the $20
bill. f*ck Andrew Jackson.

You've got my union rep's info.

Well, the next time you want to give
busywork to your affirmative action hire,

have her people call my people.

Oh, it just keeps getting
better. Okay. Good for you.

Bravo. That was incredible.

Did you hear him?
Affirmative action hire.

-See you next Tuesday.
-Yeah, yeah. See you on C Block.

You'll be walking a
whole lot different.

[Stanton] Chow's up.

[Gudsen] Come on.

I'ma remember that face.

[Gudsen] Where'd you go?

My happy place.

-Is that where we kick Stanton's a*s?
-[chuckles]

'Cause I'll go back and do it.

[Calderone] You had your shot.
He wiped the floor with us.

He wiped the floor
with you. [chuckles]

[Calderone] So, Milk Jug's
fires k*lled three people?

[Gudsen] That we know of.

Guy who survived
just got promoted.

Demo site back there
displaced this engaged couple.

The dude proposed the
same night of the fire.

Lady in there just found
out that she was pregnant.

[Calderone] Okay, so you think Milk
Jug saw his victims prior to the act?

-[Gudsen] Yeah.
-Well, if he knows them, let's...

Didn't say he knows
them. He observed them.

And you think he works
at a fast food place?

Yeah, he uses fryer
oil in his accelerant.

-So why not just go and...
-Interview every worker in every

-fast food restaurant in Trolley Town?
-Yeah.

[Gudsen] We don't know what our
suspect looks like, what he drives.

Or have any prints
to match to him.

Do you know how many burger joints, fried
chicken joints, fried fish franchises,

say that three times fast,
there are in Trolley Town?

[sighs] So we have nothing.

We found a glove at a
burn he did last January.

There were hairs from his wrist in
that glove. So, we have his DNA.

It's just not in our system.

Yeah, but if we catch him...

We can match it.

[typing]

[Gudsen] Of all the elements, only
fire retains a sense of mystery.

[typing continues]

[door opens]

Hi.

[Gudsen] What you reading?

Book Fair inventory.

I've got a book for you.

[chuckling] Oh, do tell.

Honey, I have written
three chapters in two days.

-What?
-I... It's crazy.

I mean, what if this was what I
was meant to do my whole life?

You're quitting the day job?

-[Gudsen chuckles] No. Not quite yet.
-[chuckles]

You know, I'd have to sell it
first. But that is down the road.

I... You know, I
realized, you know, I...

I've got all this knowledge.

You know, all these case
histories to draw from.

The guy who used to burn church
parking lots in the nude?

Oh, he's in there.

The woman who
filled the dildo...

With the lighter fluid?
I forgot about her.

You have to get her in.

[Gudsen] I will.
Name her Ashley.

I will cut your throat.

Yeah.

What if...

You know, what if you became,
like, a famous writer?

-I know.
-[sighs]

I never f*cked a famous writer.

Get your pill.

[breathing shakily]

I don't need a pill.

[panting]

-We're trying to put it behind us.
-[person 2] Put it behind him.

Yeah, yeah. Don't worry
about that. It's rank.

I'm trying to explain to you.
It's f*cking rank, right?

We've got the onesie open, Trey's
laying on the hatchback. I'm saying...

Oh, yeah. Cars blasting
by. I can't hear anything.

-I'm passing him the old diaper.
-And that's when we hear the sound.

-It just goes like...
-[blows raspberry]

Nah. See, that's what would take me
out. That's why we ain't having one.

-[person 1] You know?
-[person 2] Oh, come on now.

-[person 3] Hundred percent.
-[person 2] No.

-[person 3] Yeah.
-[person 1] Right up and all around.

-He didn't wanna help.
-[person 1] No, no.

I was trying to dodge
that sh*t like a m*ssile.

[person 3] See, this
is why we ain't...

[distorted chattering, laughing]

-Who's got my wallet?
-We gotta pay the babysitter.

-You better have your wallet.
-Ah, it's on you tonight.

I ain't got nothing. I ain't
got nothing left. [chuckles]

Hold up, hold up. You know, you
gotta cut me some slack, baby.

[person 4 chuckling] You're
gonna get the door for me?

[person 1] Always.
I'm a gentleman.

-Just like my mama taught me.
-[person 4] That you are.

[person 1] Mm-hmm.
[kisses] I love you.

-[babysitter] Hello.
-[person 4] Hi.

-He was lovely. Sound asleep.
-[person 4] Yes.

-Yes.
-[babysitter] Yes.

-[person 4 sighs] This is for you.
-Thank you so much.

-[person 4] Thank you.
-Thanks. Have a good night.

-[person 4] Yes. You too. Bye.
-[babysitter] Bye.

[crickets chirping]

[engine starts]

[dog barking]

[siren wailing]

[firefighters
speaking indistinctly]

-[coughing]
-[firefighter 2] Lock it up. Let's go.

[spouse] Baby, I'm right here!

[firefighter 2] Open your mouth.

[spouse] Please,
help him. Please.

Oh, my God. Baby,
you got this, honey.

-Stay with me.
-[groaning]

Daddy's going to be okay.

-[baby crying]
-[spouse] We're right here.

Please help him.
Please. [crying]

[baby crying]

It's okay.

[sirens wailing]

[sighs]

[sighing]

[sighs]

[thuds]

[thuds]

[breathing shakily]

[Steven] Why would
you buy this place?

[sighs] f*cking... Steven, you
cannot come around like this.

[Steven] Well, you know, a man can
do anything he puts his mind to.

-[sighs]
-What you meant to say was I shouldn't.

I shouldn't come
around like this.

This was in your
cabinet, by the way.

Even in all this,
you are well stocked.

How was work, pumpkin?

-It was fine.
-Good.

-[sighs] f*ck are you doing here, Steven?
-Captain.

[chuckles] f*ck are you
doing here, Captain?

[Steven] Checking
up on my officer.

Ah. She's thriving.

[Steven] Job's what you
make of it and all that.

Precisely.

[Steven] Such a fine line
between optimism and delusion.

[both chuckle]

No, see. [chuckles] You got two
serial arsonists in the same city.

-Uh-huh.
-You f*cking know me.

I'ma get one of
them, if not both.

Just the clearance rate on arson is lower
than the clearance rate on auto theft.

Yeah, but if I clear
one of them, or both,

you still gonna have enough
flex to keep me down?

Such moxie.

Go home.

Yeah, okay.

[groans] f*ck.

[sighs]

[bottle cap clicks]

[sighs]

[firefighters, civilians
speaking indistinctly]

Hey!

Milk jug?

Got it from under the
porch before it collapsed.

And the family?

The father got all burned
up saving his baby.

It was the first night out
since the baby was born.

Old friends. Had a
good time, they said.

Hmm. They were happy.

What?

They say where they went?

[cutlery clattering]

[blues playing on speakers]

[bartender] Yeah,
we're closed, sir.

You had two couples in earlier?

Black couples? In their 30s?

-[Gudsen] Yeah.
-Yeah.

They were nice. Tipped well.

-[Gudsen] Where'd they sit?
-Right here.

You notice anyone watching them?

Nah, man.

What was the bar like tonight?

Quiet.

Fill in the f*cking
scene for me, will you?

The cleanest restaurant
in the world?

I can cite it at least ten times
before I reach the kitchen.

-I like vodka.
-[Gudsen] I like vodka.

-You looking at dinner time?
-Yep.

[bartender] Well, there was
a guy sitting here for a bit.

A couple of ex-con-looking
guys sitting over there.

Uh, old biddy nursing her highball,
she's a regular, sitting over there.

Three guys came in to watch
a quarter of the game.

And, uh, some working
girls, but that was later.

[Gudsen] But only one guy alone?

Yeah, some shithead who
wears sunglasses inside.

Not blind, just wore sunglasses
and tipped, like, 8%.

[Gudsen] Fire isn't
just an element.

Fire is an organism.

It...

Fire waits.

Fire watches.

[clicks]

Yeah. Yeah, that works.

-[engine starts]
-["Left Hand Free" playing]