How It All Goes Down
Repulse Bay — Hong Kong
- It's been a couple weeks and Charlie decides it's the right time to get Astrid out of the house and on an old Chinese pirate ship form the 18th Century.
- Yeah, that's the fourth stage of grief, right?
- On the boat, Astrid reveals a family rumor that her great-great-grandfather dealt in opium and that's how they really made all their money.
- Ooh, another family secret!
- As they talk, Charlie stops Astrid from blaming herself for what happened with Michael. He assures her she's a good person.
- She can't fathom how Charlie's so nice to her after she treated him so terribly.
- We think we know.
- Astrid notes the irony in the disgrace her family will feel after her divorce when all those years ago they pushed her away from Charlie.
- Charlie asks if she was really happy with Michael.
- She admits she was and Cassian was, too. She says she failed her son.
- Empathizing with Michael, Charlie admits Astrid's family is intimidating.
- Charlie thinks "just my luck" that Astrid is there crying over another man (3.17.31).
- His true intentions: bring her on the boat and confess that he never stopped loving her.
- We knew it!
- He recalls the night he fell in love, at 15, when she sang on the beach at a church youth group outing.
- Keeping his feelings to himself, he suggests that Astrid not grant Michael a quick divorce. He has a feeling "Michael could have a change of heart" (3.17.42).
- He also makes Astrid promise: 1) to stop overcompensating as it just made Michael feel worse; 2) to wait at least one year to grant the divorce.
- She promises.
- After Astrid leaves, Charlie gets on the phone with his CFO and tells him to buy Michael's company for at least 30 million. "Start a fake bidding war […] if you have to" (3.17.61).
- He gives instructions to drive up the value of the business but make sure it never gets connected back to him.
- If Charlie can't have her, he could at least help her "find love again with her husband" (3.17.66).
- Charlie Wu, you just stop with your sweet loving self right now.