2005
Veteran CIA operative Bob Baer uncovers a conspiracy within the agency and the oil industry after a botched assassination, while energy analyst Bryan Woodman becomes entangled with reformist Prince Nasir Al-Subaai. Corporate lawyer Bennett Holiday investigates the corrupt merger of two major oil companies, as young migrant worker Wasim Khan is radicalized after losing his job. These storylines converge when Prince Nasir's attempt to shift oil contracts leads to a CIA-sanctioned drone strike that kills him and Bryan, with Bob caught in the attack. Wasim carries out a suicide attack, Bennett exposes corporate corruption leading to arrests, and Bob is forced into retirement, illustrating the devastating consequences of global oil politics.
Save the Cat beat sheet
Three interwoven storylines follow CIA operative Bob Baer, energy adviser Bryan Woodman, and lawyer Bennett Holiday as they navigate Middle East politics, corporate espionage, and personal crises.
Open full beat sheetBob Baer is listed as CIA Operative. Professionally nondescript, 40s, eyes miss nothing. In the parsed data, Bob Baer is connected to 45 scenes, 34 dialogue lines, 34 text mentions, first appearing around scene 2.
45 scenes / 34 dialogue linesBryan Woodman is listed as Energy Analyst. American, late 20s, blonde, blue-eyed, modern T.E. Lawrence type. In the parsed data, Bryan Woodman is connected to 30 scenes, 18 dialogue lines, 18 text mentions, first appearing around scene 11.
30 scenes / 18 dialogue linesBennett Holiday is listed as Corporate Lawyer. African-American, 35, clean-cut, ambitious. In the parsed data, Bennett Holiday is connected to 28 scenes, 24 dialogue lines, 25 text mentions, first appearing around scene 16.
28 scenes / 24 dialogue linesPrince Nasir Al-Subaai is listed as Prince. Handsome, large expressive eyes, powerful and serious. In the parsed data, Prince Nasir Al-Subaai is connected to 17 scenes, 19 dialogue lines, 20 text mentions, first appearing around scene 60.
17 scenes / 19 dialogue linesDean Whiting is listed as Power Broker. 60s, congenial, powerful, ex-marine. In the parsed data, Dean Whiting is connected to 16 scenes, 17 dialogue lines, 18 text mentions, first appearing around scene 40.
16 scenes / 17 dialogue linesWasim Khan is listed as Migrant Worker. 17, tall, bright. In the parsed data, Wasim Khan is connected to 16 scenes, 2 dialogue lines, 2 text mentions, first appearing around scene 149.
16 scenes / 2 dialogue linesSydney Hewitt is listed as Washington Counsel. 60s, Alabama smooth accent, ever-so-certain. In the parsed data, Sydney Hewitt is connected to 12 scenes, 23 dialogue lines, 23 text mentions, first appearing around scene 18.
12 scenes / 23 dialogue linesJimmy Pope is listed as Oil Executive. 50s, powerful presence. In the parsed data, Jimmy Pope is connected to 10 scenes, 10 dialogue lines, 10 text mentions, first appearing around scene 17.
10 scenes / 10 dialogue linesMohammed Sheik Agiza is listed as Radical. 40s, bearded, calm, blue eyes. In the parsed data, Mohammed Sheik Agiza is connected to 7 scenes, 5 dialogue lines, 5 text mentions, first appearing around scene 63.
7 scenes / 5 dialogue linesLeland Janus is listed as Chairman of Connex. 60s, vigorous, pit-bull. In the parsed data, Leland Janus is connected to 6 scenes, 7 dialogue lines, 7 text mentions, first appearing around scene 38.
6 scenes / 7 dialogue linesReligious men walk through Tehran; three women emerge from a door and remove their heels.
Bob Baer meets with Arash Amiri and his brother to discuss business.
Bob BaerBob arrives at the location and opens his car trunk.
Bob BaerBob walks toward the kebab shop with an attache case.
Bob BaerBob inspects Stinger missiles and is confronted by Mohammed Sheik Agiza.
Bob Baer, Mohammed Sheik AgizaA remote trigger is prepared on the rooftop.
Bob walks away as the Amiris' car explodes.
Bob BaerBob and Margaret discuss his career and potential promotion.
Bob BaerBryan Woodman has breakfast with his family.
Bryan WoodmanBryan drives along Lake Geneva.
Bryan WoodmanBryan gives a market analysis on television.
Bryan WoodmanBryan walks through the trading floor.
Bryan WoodmanBryan receives an invitation to the Emir's party.
Bryan WoodmanAerial view of an oil facility in the Kazakhstan tundra.
A bulldozer clears the path for goats.
Bennett Holiday questions Russian oil executives about contracts.
Bennett HolidayCorporate executives discuss strategy and the merger.
Bennett Holiday, Dean Whiting, Jimmy Pope, Leland JanusSydney Hewitt advises Bennett Holiday on his career and the merger.
Bennett Holiday, Sydney HewittWasim and his father work at the plant.
Wasim KhanWorkers are transported across the refinery.
Chinese engineers fire the Pakistani workers.
Wasim KhanWasim and his father walk through the desert.
Wasim KhanWorkers wash in the compound.
Wasim KhanWasim and other teenagers drink and talk in the desert.
Wasim KhanBob sits in traffic.
Bob BaerThe Division Chief and Fred Franks discuss Bob's promotion.
Bob BaerBob exits the highway.
Bob BaerThe discussion about Bob's promotion continues.
Bob BaerBob waits for his meeting.
Bob BaerThe Deputies Meeting discusses Iran and the potential for reform, with Bob Baer introduced as a new asset.
Bob Baer, Bryan Woodman, Sydney Hewitt, Mohammed Sheik AgizaTerry George warns Bob Baer before he enters the meeting.
Bob Baer, Bryan WoodmanBob Baer presents analysis on Iran, leading to a confrontation with the Committee for the Liberation of Iran.
Bob Baer, Bryan Woodman, Sydney HewittBennett Holiday interacts with his father, Bennett Sr., who is struggling with alcoholism.
Bennett HolidayFarish and Bennett discuss the Holder Memoranda and corporate sentencing.
Bennett Holiday, Leland JanusSydney and Bennett play squash and discuss the Kazakhstan deal and the U.S. Attorney's investigation.
Sydney Hewitt, Bennett HolidayThe Emir demonstrates his home automation system to Chinese oil executives.
Prince Nasir Al-SubaaiBennett and Sydney have lunch and encounter Dean Whiting.
Sydney Hewitt, Bennett Holiday, Dean WhitingBryan and Julie struggle with the grief of losing their child.
Bryan WoodmanBryan comforts his son Riley.
Bryan WoodmanBob and Franks discuss the nature of intelligence work.
Bob BaerBob is briefed on Prince Nasir and the missile situation.
Bob BaerBob and Stan drink and discuss Bob's career.
Bob BaerBryan finishes a broadcast and is told the Prince's man called.
Bryan WoodmanBob and Stan leave the bar.
Bob BaerBennett joins oil executives for a hunting trip.
Bennett Holiday, Jimmy PopeBennett and Jimmy hunt on a private preserve.
Bennett Holiday, Jimmy PopeBennett shoots a Kudu.
Bennett Holiday, Jimmy PopeJimmy and Bennett track the wounded animal.
Bennett Holiday, Jimmy PopeBob travels through Beirut and is intercepted.
Bob BaerBob waits to meet the Hezbollah leader.
Bob BaerWasim and his family are harassed by police, leading to a violent confrontation.
Wasim KhanBob meets with Said Hashimi.
Bob BaerBob meets Mussawi.
Bob BaerBryan is in the Persian Gulf.
Bryan WoodmanBob and his son Robby have a tense conversation about their lives and Bob's work.
Bob BaerBryan is ushered out of the hotel.
Bryan WoodmanBennett Holiday meets with Donald Farish to discuss legal strategy regarding Killeen Oil.
Bennett HolidayBryan meets Prince Nasir.
Bryan Woodman, Prince Nasir Al-SubaaiNasir offers Bryan's firm a deal.
Bryan Woodman, Prince Nasir Al-SubaaiBryan and Prince Nasir discuss economic strategy and the future of Nasir's kingdom.
Bryan Woodman, Prince Nasir Al-SubaaiReverand Stewart delivers a sermon to a large congregation.
Jimmy PopeMen pray in a mosque while a cleric speaks about the West.
Teenagers including Wasim and Farooq eat and listen to the Cleric.
Wasim KhanThe Cleric teaches the boys about the Koran and the true confrontation.
Wasim KhanPrince Nasir announces a new agreement, followed by an assassination attempt.
Bryan Woodman, Prince Nasir Al-SubaaiNasir and Bryan escape the scene.
Bryan Woodman, Prince Nasir Al-SubaaiBob encounters Nasir and Bryan in an elevator.
Bob Baer, Bryan Woodman, Prince Nasir Al-SubaaiBob is kidnapped by three men.
Bob BaerBob is tortured by Mussawi.
Bob Baer, Mohammed Sheik AgizaBennett discovers a lead regarding Vidak Limited.
Bennett HolidayWhiting meets with Prince Meshal.
Dean WhitingCIA officials discuss the fallout of the Bob situation.
Bob BaerBob is interrogated by CIA security officers.
Bob BaerBob is visited by Margaret in the hospital; he reveals his frustration and the truth about his recent ordeal.
Bob Baer, Sydney HewittNasir and his family shop in Geneva.
Prince Nasir Al-SubaaiPeople mingle in the hotel.
Bryan plays Monopoly with Arab men while Julie and Riley arrive.
Bryan WoodmanBob gets coffee at the CIA.
Bob BaerBob tries to find people in meetings.
Bob BaerBob searches for classified files and gets audited.
Bob BaerInnocent until investigated. That's nice. It has a nice ring to it. I bet you've worn some miles on little sayings like that. Very wise, gives the listener the sense of law being written as it's spoken. If anything happens to me or my family, an accident, an accusation, anything, then first your son will disappear, his body will never be found. Then your wife. Her body will never be found either. This is guaranteed. Then, whatever is the most dangerous thing you do in your life, it might be flying in a small plane, it might be walking to the bank, you will be killed. Do you understand what I'm saying? I want you to acknowledge that you do understand so that we're clear and there won't be any mistakes.
I studied at Oxford. I have a PHD from Georgetown. I want to create a parliament. I want to give women the right to vote. I want an independent Judiciary. I want, to start a new petroleum exchange in the Middle-east and cut the speculators out of the business. why are the major oil exchanges in New York and London anyway? I'll put all of our energy up for competitive bidding, I'll pipe through Iran to Europe like you proposed, I'll ship to China, anything that achieves efficiency and maximizes profits for my people, profits which I'll then use to rebuild my country.
If the Caspian is a sea, you can make deals with the Stans, but if it's a lake, then the rights are shared equally by all countries, including Iran. And by an act of our Congress it is illegal to trade with Iran, so we can't be in business with any of those countries, even though they have oil and we sell it. This is our business, Tommy, selling oil, not finding it. Anyone can find it. It's everywhere.
Provided we don't start running cars on water. Provided there's still chaos in the Middle-East. This ain't the SEC anymore, son, and maybe you got a couple scalps on your belt from your time over there - Enron, World Com - but now the job is find the problem, fix the problem. And if you don't find a problem, then there is no problem.
so what they're thinking is keep playing, keep buying your toys, keep spending fifty thousand dollars a night for your hotel room, but don't invest in your infrastructure, don't build a real economy, so when you finally wake up, they will have sucked you dry and you will have squandered the greatest natural resource in history.
And WHEN the government approves this merger it's gonna buy a lot of houses out on the Vineyard, maybe even yours, so, of course, it's delicate all around. Who's this U.S. Attorney, Donald Farish the 3rd? What's his agenda? Who's behind him? Is it a political force? Another corporation? Is he a glory boy making a name?
It's a desert town on an ocean controlled by an oil company. Tankers lined up offshore. There's this smell in the air. They pass out flyers to families moving in. This town is a quiet town where everyone works and our families are happy. If you have a problem with it or if you don't like the smell, you can leave.
His dad's about to keel over and Prince Nasir could be like Mossadegh in Iran in 1952, with a real democracy springing up organically. I mean if we could just be a part of one of these countries getting a Parliament, helping them find efficiency, showing them how real incentivized capitalism can do its job --
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