Boss

I want you to run for governor against Mac Cullen.

I know my city and I know my state.

I know the dark side of us as well as the good.

We've got the tape. It'll work.

Reporter: The images show incumbent governor Mac Cullen

on a recent trip to Miami with... a close friend?

Miller: I'm doing a story,

taking a deeper look at Tom Kane.

- O'Hare. - Tom: Yeah.

How long before it's done?

Stone: They're gonna put on some extra security at night.

But we come in the morning and we find these piles of dirt from the night.

I spoke to Emma last week.

Meredith: Emma's a liability.

Do I need to remind you the danger she poses?

Dr. Harris: It's called Lewy body. There is no known cure.

Are you aware that your husband has been to see Dr. Harris?

She's a neurologist.

Maybe there's something that the public should know?

What are you doing?

Washing my sheets.

- Why? - Spilled some wine.

- It's 3:00 in the morning. - I know.

Why don't you use the machine?

I can't turn it on.

Why are you here?

I don't know.

What does it matter?

Does it matter?

No.

Meredith.

I'm sorry I woke you up.

Leave those for the maid.

Oh, I've been coming here since I was about your age.

The only difference now is that back then

a side of fries cost a quarter.

- How about a bite, sir? - Huh? Oh yeah!

Mm.

Well, a pleasure having lunch with you.

I hope I can count on your vote.

Gotta get 'em young.

- They want a few questions. - Fuckin' fat, salt, sugar. Fuckin' shit.

Why do you keep setting these things up in diners?

My fucking stomach lining-- Jesus.

We asked them to stay away from the whole airport tape thing,

- but we can't guarantee-- - all right, I'll do it.

Dilip: All right, everyone, the governor will take a few questions.

Let's try to keep today happy.

Yeah, Andy.

Zajac's bump in the polls-- it's sticking, sir.

Yeah, it's an entrance applause.

Besides, at this stage in the game,

checking polls is like digging up your garden

to see how everything's growing.

- Andy: Two weeks out? - The metaphor still holds. Next.

- A quick follow-up, sir. - Yeah.

The young man with you at the airport--

can you finally confirm the nature of your relationship?

There is no relationship.

- Woman: So he's not your lover, sir? - No, he is not.

Man: There are rumors that you were paying for his services.

Come on, Jim, you know me better than that.

I mean for one thing, it's illegal--

- buying sex, not homosexuality. - They're in it now.

- Tom: Who's in the pack? - Salazar.

- Ask him. - Yep.

Flight records indicate that you've

traveled to Miami six times.

Governor, flight records indicate that you've traveled

to Miami six times in the past two months.

What exactly was the nature of these trips?

Those trips were, uh, personal in nature.

And by personal--

- what were you doing in Miami? - What were you doing in Miami?

What were you doing in Miami, sir?

The nature of those trips is personal.

- I don't need to justify-- - hit him again.

Why have you been going to Miami?

You know, I have a tremendous amount of respect

for the gay community.

- This is not about that. - Again.

Miami, sir-- why have you been going there?

My record will show my strong support--

- again. - Please answer the question, sir.

- Miami? - Even at great personal risk...

Sometimes...

- He's done. - Yep.

Thank you for coming.

I'm not sure I had much of a choice.

One of the greatest engineering feats of the 19th century.

Men bold enough to believe they could do the impossible--

change the river's flow.

They did it.

Some things are not reversible.

You should have told me what to expect,

about the side effects.

The only thing I prescribed to you was Xanax.

We are both in predicaments we did not choose.

I am sorry

about the overzealousness of certain communications.

The method was unintended.

You have my word it won't happen again.

What happened?

I wet the bed this morning, pissed myself.

How much rivastigmine are you taking?

- 6mg. - Cut it down to 2mg.

Stay away from coffee and alcohol. Avoid antihistamines.

This is for ditropan. It's common.

Controls urination.

Once a day in the morning.

- Did you bring it? - Yes.

I still think it's a mistake.

It's a lot to take in.

I want to know.

Our research indicates he's now seen as a serious opponent,

so marketing suggests going with this line--

darker suits, maybe gray in the hair.

We're testing regional issues

for inclusion in his current platform as well as generating

a statewide sector-specific list of topics he should avoid.

We've scheduled face time with Danziger

of the Illinois corn growers coalition,

the head of the northeastern Illinois federation of labor.

His name is--

Chuck Deakins.

And he doesn't need any face time with him

because they are already good friends.

And just to clarify, he has no intentions

of changing his suits or his hair.

He's going to do something radical in this election.

He's going to run a response-based campaign.

Listen, respond and win.

There's two weeks left, okay?

If he goes with tired insider-versus-outsider formulas,

experience versus the future,

he knows he may as well call it quits right now.

It's a primary.

These are voters who engage, okay? They give a shit.

Tired formulas means they'll slot him into a box and they'll move on.

And they won't listen to anything he has to say

because they'll believe they already know his answers.

Branding will kill him.

So instead, he's going to ask his team to craft

the message as they go.

Win every cycle, tailor every moment,

day by day, hour by hour.

How do you avoid looking like a flip-flopper?

Stick to the truth.

For most people they only know one such thing.

See, it's when you get into all of this

that it just becomes another shapeable factor.

So we've set a 4:00 with natural propane gas

and a 4:30 with service employees international union.

- Will you be there? - No.

We have to maintain the appearance of impartiality.

Both are establishing PACs for you.

And as long as you're in town,

we recommend the Chicago lawyers' committee for civil rights.

They can do a 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.

- You've closed all the blinds. - Yeah...

I have.

I don't think it's a good idea.

Me neither.

And an 11:00 coffee

with the international brotherhood of teamsters.

I think there's a good chance we can get them to...

...Switch their support.

God damn it, I'll just tell the truth.

Fuckin' homo bullshit!

Sir, if you take Torossian's money,

it will put a spotlight on Miami.

So I'll just come out--

I'll admit to it. My bad.

So I went over the limitation on out-of-state contributions.

Shit happens.

People will at least understand that the travel was for money,

not fuckin', you know-- Jesus.

We've run the hypotheticals. And in every iteration, it is better for you

to remain ambiguous about your sexual orientation

than to admit to taking illegal amounts

of out-of-state money.

Are you telling me it's better

if people think I suck cock?

No offense.

Sir, you are up three points with Asian Americans.

Oh? Good. Why?

Apparently, they...

Approve of your taste in men.

Yo, I don't know what you're talking about.

Your guys at O'Hare sitting on their asses all day?

As long as the city writes you a check every week,

there's no point in completing the job, right?

There have been a couple of obstacles.

Obstacles?

- But the work is progressing. - Yeah, at night.

Then it's-- it's crazy over there.

What's going on that we're not supposed to see?

I don't know what you're talking about.

And this-- this is over.

What happened to your head?