The Dropout

Hello, Walgreens!

Welcome to Theranos.

Theranos is gonna be in stores!

Retail is in freefall.

So you're going to have to find a new source of revenue.

For example, a wellness center.

You can't put this in stores!

- You're fired. If you fire Ian,

you'll have to fire me.

You wanna fire me?

This is your new desk.

But, but my lab's downstairs.

Project Beta!

- We are looking to make a strategic connection in government.

Having George Schultz would be a game-changer.

It's wonderful.

- We start construction at the Arizona store soon,

so trying to get everything ready.

So, um...

I just wanted to get a sense

of how much longer you guys are going to need

before we can launch the wellness centers.

Obviously, we had agreed on February.

That passed last month.

What is this?

That's where the device will go.

But we don't have dimensions

or any details yet, so--

I mean, obviously, we would like to get them as soon as possible.

I hate to be the bad guy here,

but I'm going to need a firm date.

I, I thought you understood that

this process was going to be long.

Absolutely.

But it has been three years.

And we have put in about $140 million.

So I think that Wade is getting a little bit frustrated.

Wade?

If you're not the one calling the shots,

then maybe I should just give Wade a call.

We can skip the call.

Because I'm here.

Okay.

Well, I said I could handle it.

Can you guys give us a moment?

Isn't that comfy?

It's fine.

So... Elizabeth.

We're building these wellness centers in our stores.

Two in Arizona, one in Palo Alto--

Well, I, I explained that,

that this device is-- - Yeah, you've explained.

Except there's nothing to explain because

we don't have this.

So here's my question.

When do we get it?

- Wade, we care deeply about our partnership.

And we're anxious to put our best foot forward.

And what's the timeline for,

"We are anxious to put our best foot forward"?

Because I've got one.

You want to hear it?

Hmm?

September.

September.

Six months from now.

No more breaks, no more extensions.

We'll be ready in September.

Sunny is spearheading operations.

Ooh!

Fuck!

Okay.

Oh, also, Wade asked me about the lawsuit.

He just found out that I guess you're suing

your old next-door neighbor from when you were growing up?

Richard Fu-eez?

- Fuisz. Yeah, he, uh, applied for competing patents

to try to get us to pay him off.

What? Does this door not work?

- And he thought you'd settle. - Where's the door?

- Right, right. Well, just putting this out there.

But is this the best time to be in the middle of a lawsuit?

Wade would prefer if it was all cleared up by the launch.

- It will be. We just hired David Boies to represent us.

David Boies.

Wow. The big guns. - We're declaring war.

Richard, it's that man again.

The car is still there. Richard!

I see you. I see you.

I see you. Yes, you.

- Get out of here. - I'm taking your picture.

- Get out of here, you assholes.

- I got it. - Assholes!

Beth. Judy.

They're going to chew on this for a month.

I can't do this anymore.

Just end it. End the lawsuit.

That car's been out there all morning.

They're watching us.

Well, of course, they are.

Of course, they are.

They think they can intimidate us

because they're rich, entitled pricks.

But we're not intimidated. - We're not? Because I am.

Settle it. Who cares? It's one patent.

You want to give her more money.

I just want it to be over.

- If I settle now, I'm the schmuck.

I'm giving them what they want.

And then, what did I spend

hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees for.

- I can't even talk about the amount of money you spent.

- I had to defend myself and my family.

She's coming after us.

Why are you doing this?

Look-- okay, wait, I--

I want to show you something. Sit down.

I, I had a-a-a breakthrough.

Look at these. - What are these?

- Theranos patents. And there, right there.

There's a man whose name is on every patent with Elizabeth.

Who is Ian Gibbons?

- Ian Gibbons. - Yes?

- You've been subpoenaed. - What?

- What am I supposed to say about the company under oath?

I don't want to play these games. I'm not a lawyer.

Dr. Gibbons, let's calm down.

- I'm a chemist. It's what I am. It's all I ever wanted to be.

Until she stopped me from doing it.

Stopped me from working in my own lab.

Who stopped you?

Elizabeth Holmes stopped you?

I don't know who you are.

They told me to come here. - I'm Linda Tanner.

I'm part of Theranos' in-house legal team.

Oh, Theranos' in-house legal team.

How exciting.

Which means that you represent the company, not me.

- Okay, that's not how I would characterize it.

- You're going to want me to say and do whatever benefits the company.

- I do represent Theranos and your interests align with Theranos' interests.

- And I'm left to defend myself and my reputation and my work.

Would you like a caramel?

- What? - I'm just going to look this over, okay?

- And anyway, I don't even get what I can testify about.

She banned me from, from my own lab.

I'm barred from, from meetings and emails.

I come in, I sit at my desk all day long,

but I haven't done any real chemistry for, for three years, Linda.

I would leave, but I need the health insurance.

Okay, so this lawsuit is about patents,

and your name is on multiple patents that belong to Theranos.

- Patents? - Mm-hmm.

- I strongly suggest you don't do anything or tell anyone

until legal has a plan to get you out of testifying, okay?

But if I did testify?

We'll make sure you don't.

September?

Baby, why would you tell them September?

We're not going to be able-- - How did the demo go?

- I'm telling you how the demo went. It fucking overheated.

- Well, you, you need to do something different then.

Different?

Different like what?

Different like what?

When are you coming back? I'm on my way to LA.

I have that marketing meeting with Chiat\Day.

- We don't need to focus on marketing right now.

I had an idea for a new logo.

A logo? - The Flower of Life.

It's an ancient symbol from alchemy.

Intersecting circles

that form a sacred geometry connecting all of life.

The, the shape is found in blood cells

and the Mona Lisa--

- We're in trouble. I need you back.

- Oh, I, I have to go. I'm getting another call.

No. No!

What's going on?

- Whoa. Is that how you answer your phone?

Christian, what?

Uncle Ron's gettin' worse.

Mom says that they caught it too late.

It's like brain cancer?

I don't know, Mom says that I-- - I can't talk about that now

because I'm about to go into a meeting, so--

- Oh, I thought you were on, like, a plane right now or something.

- No, I'm-I'm-I'm walking into a meeting, so I'll talk to you later.

- Just got the news we're launching in September.

What?

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.

September?

Yeah.

Why is he here?