Pilot - Recap

A hostage negotiator tries to get through to an unemployed salesman, Hollis, who has taken his former business hostage. The negotiator asks for the release of the other hostages while the man keeps Lydecker. Hollis agrees and releases the other hostages while keeping the hooded Lydecker. Once everyone is outside, Lydecker asks if everyone is alone, but Hollis realizes that the voice isn't Lydecker's.

Outside, the negotiator finds the real Lydecker.

The man posing as Lydecker gets up out of his chair and removes his hood, and Hollis recognizes him as the auditor who has been around for week. The impersonator notes that Hollis shouldn't bother making threats and giving a warning, and notes that Hollis is a salesman who got fired after eight years with no severance. Hollis insists that Lydecker deserves to die, but the impersonator says that Lydecker deserves a medal for putting up with him. He walks toward Hollis, who wonders if he's crazy. The man responds by easily disarming him. As Hollis hooks up his explosives, the impersonator wonders if he really wants to do it. Hollis prepares to run outside and get as close to Lydecker as possible and then set off his bomb. As Hollis prepares to leave, the man fires a single shot.



The police hear the shot outside and then watch as the building explodes.

Four Weeks Later

Winston comes in to see the impersonator, Christopher Chance, at his loft. He explains that Lydecker sent a 25-year-old bottle of Japanese whiskey as payment, and Winston isn't thrilled that he accepted it in barter when it isn't that valuable. Christopher insists it is and it will appreciate in value, and explains that letting the building blow up was the only way to stop Hollis from killing everyone outside. Winston wonders why Christopher let it go so far, and wonders if he's slipping. Christopher assures him that he knew the reinforced walls would contain the blast, and the fuse had a three-second delay. Winston goes to check on a referral from their police contact, Lt. Peale, and insists that Christopher stay there until he's recovered from his injuries caused by the blast.

Winston meets Peale and Stephanie Dobbs, who was the target of an unknown assassin who planted a bomb in her car. She found it before it detonated. She doesn't know of any enemies that she has, and the police refuse to provide adequate protection. Stephanie explains that she works for McNamara Engineering and is developing the most expensive public works project in U.S. history, the California Bullet Train, and it will be launching shortly. Her husband, James, is present and insists he wants his wife protected. Winston says they're not taking new clients, but Christopher comes in and asks why she wants him. Stephanie says she wants him to flush out the person responsible, and Christopher explains that he works undercover to bring the threat out, and then deal with the threat. He then asks how fast the train is. When he learns it goes 200 miles an hour, he asks if he'll get to ride on it. When he finds out he does, he agrees to the job.



Stephanie brings in Christopher as her new translator. They go to the San Francisco launch station and Christopher demonstrates his mastery of Japanese, impressing Stephanie's Japanese backers. Afterward, he explains to Stephanie that he gave an extensive description of his Japanese background: all a lie. When Stephanie wonders why Christopher is letting her on board, Christopher explains that it may be a confined space, but the killer will have no way to escape. In the three hours it will take for the train to go to Los Angeles, it'll be over one way or another.



Once the bullet train launches on its initial San Francisco to Los Angeles trip, Christopher chats with Tom, James' co-counsel, notes that Stephanie has many enemies because she's hard to work with. Tom comments that James protects Stephanie from everyone. Christopher steals Stephanie's phone and calls Winston, and tells him to trace the phone's log and bring in Guerrero. Winston wonders if he's serious but Christopher says they can trust him… as long as they pay him on time. As they talk, Christopher notices a man watching Stephanie closely and figures there are a lot of people that want Stephanie dead.

Two thugs come into a diner and confront a man, Guerrero. They want to know why he's been poking around the bank they work for. Guerrero warns that their employer is involved in shady loans and tells them that if things get violent, he'll fight back. The two hoods are unimpressed and Guerrero admits he'll take the beating. However, later he'll track them down later and kill them and their families. They're surprised he knows about their background, and Guerrero invites them to start the beating. They nervously walk away as Guerrero gets a call.



Winston calls Christopher to tell him that Guerrero is in, and he's found something on Stephanie's phone logs. As Christopher talks, she realizes he stole her phone. He asks her about Mark Hoffer, a reporter, whose phone has turned up on her logs several times. As the man watching Stephanie earlier approaches, Christopher secretly draws a gun. The man introduces himself as Bill Arnold and says that he's apologizing for the objections he's raised to the project. When Stephanie reaches for her glass, Christopher notices that the cubes in her glass are different shapes than everyone else's and pulls her away. Arnold drinks from the glass and collapses, as a steward watches them.

Christopher gets Stephanie into a private car and bars the door for the time being. He figures the killer will make a mistake and come to them.

Guerrero meets with an editor, Lowell, and asks him for information on Mark Hoffer. Lowell is surprised to hear Guerrero asking about Hoffer. Guerrero calls and tells him that Hoffer was killed by the same type of car bomb that was rigged to Stephanie's car. Stephanie explains that Hoffer got information on cost-cutting illegalities within the company. She admits she's the inside source that told him, but she claims she doesn't know anything. Christopher figures she knows more and wants to know what she's keeping from him. She hears a squealing noise from the brakes and realizes something is wrong.



Below, someone gets through the door. Christopher grabs the man when he comes in, and discovers that it's Tom, who notes that Arnold is barely alive and may not make it to L.A. Stephanie assures her friend that she's okay but he wonders why she pulled the emergency brakes in the last car. Stephanie has no idea what he's talking about, and Christopher sends him downstairs.

Winston comes back to his office and finds Guerrero using his computer. He's checking out the contents of Hoffer's hard drive. Winston tells him not to get comfortable, insisting Guerrero will be gone when the case is done. Christopher calls in and Guerrero figures it's good news because it's a big company and someone got sloppy. He leaves to find that someone.



Stephanie figures that the killer pulled all of the emergency brakes to get Christopher off the train, but doing so overwhelmed the safety systems. If the emergency brakes are engaged again, they'll explode. Worse, they're heading for a curve in less than 20 minutes. The killer enters the car and opens fire, hitting Christopher in the back as he tries to protect Stephanie. As the killer closes in, Christopher opens fire and then gets Stephanie down via the other end of the car. The killer comes down on his side and moves down the aisle. Christopher gets behind him and the man turns and fires… but discovers his gun is empty. As he reloads, Christopher gets Stephanie into the next car, through and beyond to the next one. He then piles some luggage in front of the door and pulls off his jacket to reveal that he's wearing a bulletproof vest beneath his shirt. She wonders where her vest is, but Christopher tells her to call the others. She lost her phone and the intercom is out, and they realize they have no way to call for help.

Guerrero meets with an old employer, who claims he has no recollection of any word put out on the streets by McNamara. He figures Guerrero has decided to join the good side of the street and advises him to give it up, and that he's no Christopher Chance. Guerrero gets up and leaves.

Christopher gets Stephanie up into the ventilator shaft and they climb toward the grate to the next car. Christopher gets the grate free but discovers the killer coming from the other side. He manages to crawl forward and grab the guy before he can bring his gun to bear. The two men struggle and the ductwork finally collapses, dropping them into the car below. The killer manages to get Christopher in a stranglehold, but Christopher kicks in the window behind the killer. It shatters, spraying glass into the killer's face and breaking his hold. Christopher finally kicks the killer out the window, knocking him into the tunnel walls at 200 miles an hour.



Later, Christopher and Stephanie return to the main car. Christopher fires his gun into the air to get their attention and then suggests they all get off of it before they crash. Stephanie explains what's going to happen, but McNamara tells her that they are fine and the brakes engaged several minutes ago. Stephanie tells him to be quiet as the brakes get louder, and then start to blow. She tells them that there's a supplemental brake system that can slow it down before they hit the curve, and then detach the last car so it will drift backward.

Guerrero returns to Winston's office and asks him to get the phone log information on Hoffer. Winston reluctantly agrees and reads off the dates and times. Guerrero makes a connection and calls Christopher. He gets no answer because Christopher has lost his phone.

Stephanie prepares to cut the coupling hydraulics manually and insists she's the only one who can do it in time. She tells her husband and the others to continue to the back while Christopher stays with her. She breaks the connection and they run to the back car, only to discover the door is locked. Someone has tied it shut using a tie. Christopher kicks the door open but it's too late: the rear car has detached and separated.



As they approach the curve, Christopher starts cutting loose cargo tarps and seat belts. When Stephanie starts to panic, he assures her that it'll be fun. He creates a makeshift harness out of the seatbelts and attaches it to the cargo tarps, then grabs her and tosses the tarp out. The wind pulls them out and they drop to safety, and then run out of the tunnel just as the train crashes.



Afterward, they go back to the station and James arrives to take Stephanie home. As they leave, James gets a call from Guerrero saying that Hoffer met with Stephanie at a hotel in Laguna and was having an affair. Christopher comes up behind him and shows him the tie he used to tie the door shut. Stephanie tells him that her affair had been over for a year, and Christopher explains that he tried to have her killed now instead of a year ago so he'd get the bonus money. Stephanie slaps James and then walks away, brushing off Christopher's hand when he tries to comfort her.

As James is taken away, Christopher goes over to where Stephanie is sitting in the press room. She admits that he was right about her hiding something behind, and Christopher notes that are people are hard-wired to feel regret, but it's not a reason to die. When she admits she doesn't know how much she owes him for her services, he takes her hand and removes her expensive wedding ring in payment. As he walks away, Stephanie asks him what his real name is. He tells her "Christopher Chance," but when she wonders if it's true, he just smiles and leaves.



Later, Winston reluctantly pays Guerrero. Once he's left, Winston insists they won't be needing him again. Christopher just chuckles and says that Guerrero will be back. Winston suggests he take some time off but Christopher insists he isn't losing focus. However, Winston wonders why Christopher keeps putting himself at risk, and figures that maybe one day he'll finally get what he deserves.

One Month Later

Christopher is driving a man in a limousine. They get cut off and Christopher asks the man for the bottle of whiskey he has in the back. Christopher takes a drink, saying he's decided to find out now if it's worth drinking rather than wait 25 years. He then uses the cigarette lighter to ignite the whiskey and toss it at the opposing car.

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