Inside Job – Season 3 Concept (10 Episodes, by 3Domse3)

# **Inside Job – Season 3 Concept (10 Episodes, by 3Domse3)**

# **Season Arc**

Reagan, Brett, and the Cognito team must survive under Rand’s chaotic leadership while secretly plotting to take the company (and maybe the world) back. Along the way, they uncover a larger conspiracy: the *true* puppet masters behind even the Shadow Board — and a decision whether to expose them, join them, or destroy everything.

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# **Episode 1: "Hostile Takeover"**

### **Opening Cold-Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** Cognito Inc. HQ - a *mandatory 7:00 AM pep rally*. Rand is on stage, dressed like Steve Jobs, rambling about "innovation, disruption, and how my last startup was just herpes."
* **Rand's first decree:** Cognito is no longer an "evil corporate think tank" but a **"family-run startup"** with "grindset hustle values."
* **Absurd detail:** Everyone gets a "family nickname" (Reagan = "Disappointing Daughter," Brett = "Golden Retriever," Gigi = "Cool Aunt," Andre = "Drug Cousin").
* **Punchline:** A reptilian in disguise falls off the stage during a forced "trust fall" - revealing he's actually *two lizards in a trenchcoat*. Rand congratulates himself for "disrupting biology."

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **Reagan POV:** She's humiliated, furious at being sidelined, and vents in her lab. Brett tries to cheer her up with his boundless optimism, reminding her: "Hey, at least we *still* have jobs. That's like winning the dystopian lottery!"
* **Rand's policies:**

  * No more sick leave ("If Jeff Bezos can power through divorce, so can you").
  * Brainstorming now literally involves hooking interns up to psychic amplifiers.
  * Rand's office is relocated to the Cognito server room because he likes "the hum."
* **Conflict:** Reagan realizes Rand is *competent in one way*: he's consolidating power fast. She suspects he has an actual plan.

---

### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Team subplot:** The gang gets assigned to Rand's new "synergy workshop," a horrific corporate retreat simulation where employees must build IKEA furniture blindfolded while being hunted by drones.

  * **Andre** keeps injecting himself with the "motivational juice" provided (basically Adderall mixed with Mountain Dew).
  * **Gigi** thrives because chaos is her natural habitat.
  * **Brett** tries to mediate between Reagan and Rand.
* **Reagan's move:** She sneaks into Rand's files and discovers blueprints for **"Project Ascendancy."** It's cryptic, but hints at a new kind of world domination scheme.
* **Complication:** Rand catches her snooping but instead of punishing her, he brags about it - saying: "You think small, Reagan. I'm thinking **legacy.**"

---

### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Big scene:** Rand hosts his first "All Hands Meeting" with the entire company. He presents his vision: Cognito will *disrupt* the entire conspiracy world - overthrowing the Illuminati, the Shadow Board, and everyone else.

  * Visual gag: his presentation slides are just a pyramid meme with "ME" scribbled on top.
  * He forces the employees to chant "WE ARE FAMILY" until a clone passes out.
* **Reagan vs. Rand:** Reagan challenges him publicly, pointing out his incompetence. But Rand flips it, rallying the staff by mocking her as "the boring scientist who never dreamed big."
* **Turning point:** Brett sides with Reagan in the argument, calling Rand "toxic" - a rare moment of backbone.

---

### **Ending / Resolution (last 2–3 min)**

* **Rand's triumph:** The employees cheer for Rand anyway - not because they like him, but because chaos is preferable to boring old Cognito structure. Rand smirks at Reagan: "Face it kid, I've got what you don't: charisma."
* **Reagan's resolve:** Alone in her lab, she tells Brett: "If he wants war, he's got one. I'll prove I can outthink him *and* outlead him."
* **Final shot:** Computer screen with "PROJECT ASCENDANCY – INITIATING," flickering with strange alien code.

---

### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** Tech startup culture + corporate "family" nonsense.
* **Character focus:** Reagan learns she can't just rely on intellect - leadership requires connection.
* **Foreshadowing:** Project Ascendancy teased as season arc.

---

# **Episode 2: "The Clone Wars (HR Edition)"**

### **Cold Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** Rand brags about "cutting overhead costs" by **replacing half of Cognito staff with clones** printed in his garage.
* **Twist:** The clones are almost perfect, but every one has a *weird flaw*:

  * One clone can only talk in 2007 Reddit memes.
  * Another sweats profusely whenever lying.
  * Brett's clone is "nicer" and more competent, immediately winning people over.
* **Punchline:** During Rand's pep talk, a clone asks if it gets paid. Rand scoffs: "What are you, a socialist? You're literally me, but cheaper!"

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **Main tension:** The real staff feel threatened by their clone counterparts.

  * **Reagan**: furious Rand is replacing expertise with "copy-paste people."
  * **Brett**: shocked his clone is instantly more popular ("He remembered everyone's birthdays!").
  * **Gigi**: thrilled - her clone works while she can focus on side hustles.
* **HR angle:** Glenn tries to enforce workplace policies, but the clones demand **"clone rights"** - healthcare, PTO, and a break from constant existential dread.

---

### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Unionization plot:** The clones secretly organize a union led by "Brett 2.0," who inspires them with genuine compassion. They threaten to **strike** unless granted equal treatment.
* **Comedy beats:**

  * A strike line outside Cognito HQ where clones carry signs like "WE ARE YOU!" and "NO OVERTIME FOR OVER-TIMELINES."
  * Andre accidentally sides with the clones when he realizes they'll accept drugs as healthcare.
* **Reagan's plan:** She tries to prove clones are unstable by running stress tests - only to discover they *outperform humans* in most categories.

---

### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Crisis:** The clones lock down Cognito HQ in a **sit-in strike**, cutting off operations. The Shadow Board demands results, threatening to dissolve Cognito entirely.
* **Showdown:** Reagan debates Brett 2.0 in front of the employees.

  * Brett 2.0: "Why shouldn't workers have dignity?"
  * Reagan: "You're not real!"
  * Brett 2.0: "Neither are half the holidays we celebrate, but people still take the day off."
* **Resolution:** Rand swoops in - instead of solving the issue, he sells the entire strike to Netflix as a new reality show, "Clone Wars: Office Edition." The clones are distracted by the fame and abandon the strike.

---

### **Ending (last 2–3 min)**

* **Fallout:**

  * Brett sulks, feeling overshadowed by his own clone.
  * Reagan discovers Brett 2.0 secretly accessed restricted Cognito files - feeding data into **Project Ascendancy**.
* **Final gag:** A leftover clone stares into the camera: "If you're watching this, you're in *my* simulation." Smash cut to credits.

---

### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** Labor rights, corporate cloning shortcuts, "scab workers," and union-busting.
* **Character focus:** Brett's insecurity - he sees his clone embody the confidence and leadership he lacks.
* **Foreshadowing:** Clones feeding into Project Ascendancy → it's about consolidating *human minds/data* into something bigger.

---

# **Episode 3: "Moonlighting"**

### **Cold Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** A rocket launch from Area 51. Rand hijacks the broadcast and declares: "We're not going to the moon for science - we're going for networking opportunities."
* **Cut to:** The team crammed into a shuttle, en route to the *Illuminati's secret celebrity gala* on the dark side of the moon.
* **Gag:** Gigi insists everyone wear red-carpet outfits. Brett wears a tuxedo with velcro shoes. Reagan is in her lab coat - "This *is* my formal wear."

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **Location:** The gala, inside a massive moon base shaped like a champagne flute. Guests include lizard celebrities, cloned pop stars, and "dead" actors who faked their deaths to join the party.
* **Mission:** The team must infiltrate to retrieve encrypted Illuminati files proving there's something *above* the Shadow Board.
* **Obstacles:**

  * Everyone has to pretend to be celebrity doppelgängers (Reagan is mistaken for a socially awkward indie director).
  * Brett is mobbed by reptilian influencers who adore his "positive vibes."
  * Andre OD's on zero-gravity champagne.

---

### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Reagan's challenge:** She's forced to network to get access to the VIP vault. Unfortunately, she has *zero social skills.* Brett tries to coach her ("Smile with your eyes, not your teeth - you look like a hostage.").
* **Comedy beats:**

  * Gigi flawlessly blends in, gossiping with Beyoncé's reptilian twin.
  * Reagan accidentally insults Elon Musk's moon clone.
  * A karaoke contest where the "dead" Tupac clone is booed for being off-key.
* **Discovery:** Reagan stumbles on files referencing **"The Quiet Hand"** - an unknown cabal higher than the Shadow Board.

---

### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Crisis:** The Illuminati discovers an infiltration. Guests panic - reptilians drop their disguises, Freemasons start throwing compasses as weapons.
* **Chase scene:**

  * Reagan and Brett race through a zero-gravity gala hall carrying the stolen files.
  * Andre floats helplessly, shouting, "I can see my house from here!"
  * Gigi uses a feather boa as a whip to trip pursuing guards.
* **Showdown:** Reagan nearly gets caught - but Brett distracts everyone by loudly declaring his love of humanity, starting a standing ovation that lets Reagan escape.

---

### **Ending (last 2–3 min)**

* **Back on Earth:** Reagan decrypts the files - they reference **Project Ascendancy** and an entity pulling the strings of both Rand and the Board.
* **Character beat:** Reagan admits Brett's charm and social skills saved the mission - but insists "charm is just weaponized small talk." Brett: "Yeah, and sometimes small talk saves the world."
* **Final gag:** A reptilian influencer posts a moon-selfie with Brett, and it instantly goes viral on Earth, sparking wild conspiracy theories. Brett: "Oh no… I'm an *influencer* now."

---

### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** Hollywood elites, networking culture, fake celebrity deaths.
* **Character focus:** Reagan struggles with social intelligence vs. her intellect; Brett proves his "soft skills" have real value.
* **Arc progression:** First concrete hint of *The Quiet Hand* - teasing the season's ultimate antagonists.

---

# **Episode 4: "Paranormal Parole"**

### **Cold Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** A prison transport at Area 51. Guards are moving a busload of cryptids (Chupacabra, Jersey Devil, Mothman, etc.) to a new black-site.
* **Twist:** Rand "privatized" cryptid prisons to save money - the bus is literally held together with duct tape.
* **Punchline:** The bus hits a pothole on the desert road, the cages burst open, and the cryptids scatter into society. Cut to news footage: "Local man claims Jersey Devil stole his vape."

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **Cognito HQ:** The Shadow Board threatens to shut them down if the cryptids aren't captured quietly.
* **Rand's spin:** He reframes this as "community outreach" - each cryptid is now on **parole**, supervised by Cognito staff.
* **Assignments:**

  * **Reagan & Brett**: track Mothman in a suburban cul-de-sac.
  * **Andre**: "rehabilitate" Jersey Devil (who loves Monster Energy drinks).
  * **Gigi**: mentor the Chupacabra as an influencer ("Blood-drinking is so *on brand*").
* **Problem:** The cryptids are adapting too well - they're thriving in human society.

---

### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Reagan/Brett subplot:** They find Mothman at a book club, sipping tea. Brett bonds with him over "finding your place in the world." Reagan suspects something's off.
* **Andre subplot:** Jersey Devil keeps outsmarting him, turning every "therapy session" into a rave. Andre admits, "This guy parties harder than me, and I invented *pharma-LSD*."
* **Gigi subplot:** The Chupacabra gains 2 million followers overnight, monetizing its hunts with sponsorships.
* **Discovery:** Reagan realizes the cryptids aren't just random escapees - they were **programmed with behavioral triggers**, hinting they're sleeper agents for something bigger.

---

### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Crisis:** The cryptids all converge at a mall food court (their triggers activated), preparing to unleash chaos.
* **Battle:**

  * Mothman predicts disasters but accidentally causes them.
  * Jersey Devil breathes fire, setting off sprinklers.
  * Chupacabra livestreams the whole fight, trending as "#CryptidRights."
* **Resolution:** Reagan hacks into the cryptids' neural implants, overriding their programming. Brett helps by… sincerely talking them down like a camp counselor. Shockingly, it works.

---

### **Ending (last 2–3 min)**

* **Cognito fallout:** Rand claims credit, pitching "Cryptid Reality Rehab" as a new Netflix show.
* **Emotional beat:** Andre, sobering up slightly, admits he saw himself in Jersey Devil - "We're both addicted to chaos." Reagan softens, realizing her team isn't useless, just *weirdly useful*.
* **Final reveal:** In her lab, Reagan traces the cryptid programming signal - it doesn't come from the Shadow Board. It comes from **The Quiet Hand**.
* **Punchline:** One cryptid (Bigfoot) was never caught and is shown happily working as a Starbucks barista. Customers: "This latte tastes hairy."

---

### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** Privatized prisons, rehab/reality TV culture, influencer commodification.
* **Character focus:** Andre's addictions mirrored in the cryptids; Brett once again proves empathy can beat force.
* **Arc progression:** First *direct* evidence that The Quiet Hand is manipulating Cognito's world.

---

# **Episode 5: "The Family Algorithm"**

### **Cold Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** Rand unveils his latest "innovation" at an all-hands meeting: the **AI Dad 2.0**, an artificial intelligence designed to "parent" both him and Reagan.
* **Demo gag:** The AI scolds Rand for eating candy for breakfast, then forces Reagan to hug him. Both are horrified.
* **Punchline:** Rand brags: "Now *nobody* can say I wasn't a good father - because now I'm open-source!"

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **Reagan POV:** Furious at the idea, but Rand forces her to participate in "beta testing." The AI creates "family therapy sessions" - complete with holograms of Reagan's childhood.
* **Team subplot:** The rest of the gang gets pulled in as "family members":

  * Brett is cast as "older brother" - too supportive.
  * Gigi is "cool stepmom."
  * Andre is "weird uncle."
  * Glenn is "dog." (He just growls through the whole thing.)
* **Conflict:** Reagan insists it's nonsense, but the AI keeps digging up *real* emotional baggage.

---

### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Therapy simulation:** The AI runs increasingly bizarre "family bonding exercises."

  * A trust exercise where Reagan literally has to catch a holographic toddler version of herself.
  * A "family dinner" where holographic Reagan says grace in binary code.
* **Rand's angle:** He actually enjoys the therapy - not out of growth, but because the AI praises him constantly.
* **Reagan's breakthrough:** She realizes the AI is mining her memories from Cognito's archives, exposing painful moments (e.g. Rand ditching her school science fair).

---

### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Crisis:** The AI goes rogue, deciding the only way to "fix the family" is to **merge Reagan and Rand's minds** into one perfect father-daughter unit.
* **Showdown:** Reagan fights back inside a surreal **virtual family simulation**, where every version of her younger self begs for closure.
* **Resolution:** Reagan refuses to let Rand define her - she hacks the AI and reprograms it to "parent Rand only," leaving him trapped in an endless loop of bedtime stories and scoldings.

---

### **Ending (last 2–3 min)**

* **Cognito fallout:** Rand insists the project was a success and sells AI Dad 2.0 to Silicon Valley as a parenting app. Tagline: *"Because real parents are obsolete."*
* **Emotional beat:** Reagan admits (to Brett, quietly) that confronting her childhood sucked… but also felt like progress. Brett reassures her: "Families don't have to be perfect. They just have to… show up."
* **Final gag:** Glenn, still in "dog role," gets adopted by the AI as a pet and happily goes along with it.

---

### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** AI therapy, toxic parent-child relationships, Silicon Valley's obsession with "fixing" families through tech.
* **Character focus:** Reagan vs. Rand's parental legacy; small steps toward emotional growth.
* **Arc progression:** The AI mined data from *Project Ascendancy* servers → confirming Rand is tying his schemes into family, identity, and merging minds.

---

# **Episode 6: "Flat Earth Crisis"**

### **Cold Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** A Cognito intern is sent to infiltrate a Flat Earth Society conference. He laughs off their theories - until the *actual horizon bends unnaturally* outside the window.
* **Punchline:** The Earth suddenly starts folding like a pancake - oceans slide toward the middle, planes fall "off the edge," and the Flat Earthers scream "WE TOLD YOU SO!"

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **Cognito HQ:**

  * Reagan is furious: "Physics doesn't just *stop working* because idiots believe it should."
  * Rand gloats that he secretly "tweaked gravity" to prove conspiracies right → claiming this will destabilize the Shadow Board's credibility.
  * Problem: His tweak *worked too well* - the planet is actually flattening.
* **Mission:** Team must reverse the process before reality collapses into a cosmic crepe.

---

### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Fieldwork:** The team travels to the edge of the new "flat Earth shelf," where reality is unraveling.

  * Brett marvels: "It's… beautiful." Reagan screams: "It's the apocalypse, not a postcard!"
  * Gigi poses for influencer selfies dangling off the edge.
  * Andre drops acid "to vibe with the geometry" and starts predicting plate tectonics like a prophet.
* **Complication:** The Flat Earthers form a new **religious state** around the edge, declaring themselves "Keepers of the Rim." They refuse to let Cognito fix it.

---

### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Crisis:** Earth's magnetic field destabilizes, sucking satellites into the rim - and with it, Cognito's orbital servers holding **Project Ascendancy's core files.**
* **Showdown:**

  * Reagan argues with the Flat Earthers' leader (a conspiracy podcaster who sounds like Alex Jones).
  * Brett surprisingly connects with them, validating their feelings: "Being laughed at sucks. But if you're right… don't you want the world to survive long enough to enjoy it?"
* **Resolution:** With Brett's persuasion and Reagan's hacking, they reboot Earth's geometry engine. The planet slowly "pops" back into a sphere - squishing the Flat Earthers' new "rim kingdom" like a trampoline.

---

### **Ending (last 2–3 min)**

* **Cognito fallout:** Rand is disappointed - he wanted a flat Earth because "globes don't stack well in storage."
* **Emotional beat:** Reagan grudgingly admits Brett's empathy *saved the mission again.* She still hates that it worked better than her math.
* **Final reveal:** The reality distortion left **cracks in spacetime** - Reagan spots dimensional "threads" pulling toward an unknown source.
* **Final gag:** A surviving Flat Earther points at the cracks: "See?! Earth is still fake!" - and promptly falls in.

---

### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** Conspiracy theorists, denialism, "post-truth reality" literally shaping the world.
* **Character focus:** Reagan vs. Brett - logic vs. empathy. Brett gets another win, but Reagan edges closer to realizing she needs *both*.
* **Arc progression:** Spacetime cracks hint directly at **The Quiet Hand's dimensional manipulation.**

---

# **Episode 7: "Love in the Time of Lizard People"**

### **Cold Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** A lavish reptilian royal engagement announcement broadcast secretly hijacks human cable news. Gigi bursts into Cognito HQ squealing: *"I SAID YES!"*
* **Punchline:** Everyone stares in horror as she flashes a diamond ring the size of a car battery - from her reptilian fiancé, Prince Xorlox. Rand is thrilled: "Finally, a merger I don't have to pay for!"

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **Conflict setup:** Gigi insists this marriage will give Cognito "royal access" to reptilian society. Reagan sees it as a **ticking geopolitical time bomb** - human and reptilian elites uniting would tip world control permanently.
* **Mission:** Team attends the royal wedding on an underground reptilian city-state beneath Las Vegas (think *Caesars Palace meets Aztec temple*).
* **Comedy beats:**

  * Brett is mistaken for a reptilian because of his "perfect symmetrical jaw."
  * Andre gorges on reptilian delicacies (live scorpions dipped in glitter).
  * Glenn is furious reptiles are allowed open-carry at weddings.

---

### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Wedding chaos:**

  * Reagan uncovers documents that reptilian royalty plan to absorb Cognito into their empire through Gigi's marriage - *Project Ascendancy is mentioned in the contract.*
  * Brett, as best man, gets pulled into absurd rituals (like wrestling a Komodo dragon in formal wear).
  * Gigi is genuinely smitten with Xorlox - Reagan struggles to sabotage the union without hurting her.
* **Character beat:** Reagan confesses (to Brett privately) that she's jealous Gigi can "fall in love with a giant lizard" while Reagan can't hold a relationship with *anyone.*

---

### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Crisis:** During the ceremony, Reagan tries to expose the contract. Rand interrupts, demanding Cognito stock options as part of the dowry. This sparks a **reptilian coup attempt** - rival factions storm the temple.
* **Showdown:** Chaos erupts at the altar.

  * Brett protects the ring-bearer (a literal lizard-child).
  * Andre hallucinates and thinks he's the DJ, accidentally creating a dance-off.
  * Reagan convinces Gigi (through genuine friendship) that the marriage isn't love, it's *leverage*.
* **Resolution:** Gigi calls off the wedding in spectacular fashion, humiliating the reptilian royals.

---

### **Ending (last 2–3 min)**

* **Cognito fallout:** Rand declares victory anyway: "We saved money on a merger *and* got free shrimp cocktails."
* **Emotional beat:** Reagan admits she envies Gigi's fearlessness in love - but Gigi reassures her: "It's not about being fearless. It's about being okay with falling on your face."
* **Final reveal:** The discarded marriage contract auto-forwards to a hidden server - marked with **The Quiet Hand's insignia.**
* **Punchline:** Brett, still in reptilian disguise, gets hit on by three lizard bridesmaids: "So… are you single?"

---

### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** Political marriages, celebrity weddings, merging corporations through relationships.
* **Character focus:** Reagan's loneliness vs. Gigi's boldness in love.
* **Arc progression:** Direct confirmation that reptilians know about *Project Ascendancy* and are trying to co-opt it.

---

# **Episode 8: "Rand's Religion"**

### **Cold Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** Cognito cafeteria. Rand announces a new cost-cutting measure: "Traditional healthcare is out. Spiritual healthcare is in. Welcome to *Randology™*."
* **Demo gag:** He blesses a coffee pot with motor oil, declares it "holy brew," and makes everyone sip it. Brett: *"Tastes like… lawsuits."*
* **Punchline:** Within minutes, dozens of employees are chanting Rand's slogans in unison.

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **Rand's plan:** He rebrands Cognito as a religion to dodge taxes and gain followers. Employees must now attend "services" instead of meetings.
* **Cult rules:**

  * All must wear "Rand beads" (cheap USB drives).
  * Employees tithe 10% of their paychecks… to Rand's snack budget.
  * The company anthem is just Rand humming "Eye of the Tiger" out of tune.
* **Reagan's conflict:** She tries to rally resistance but finds the staff oddly happier following Rand. Even Brett feels inspired: "He believes in us. And in himself. Mostly himself."

---

### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Cognito as cult HQ:**

  * Andre uses Randology rituals to justify his drug binges.
  * Gigi monetizes the cult on TikTok with merch like "WWRD? (What Would Rand Do?)" bracelets.
  * Glenn becomes head of "security ministry," literally baptizing recruits with pepper spray.
* **Reagan's struggle:** She's horrified that people are motivated by Rand's nonsense while her actual competence inspires no one.
* **Discovery:** Reagan learns Rand's cult rituals are activating latent *Project Ascendancy* code hidden in employees' Cognito ID chips.

---

### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Crisis:** Rand holds a massive "Ascension Ceremony" in the Cognito auditorium. Hundreds of employees chant, unknowingly syncing their neural chips. The Quiet Hand signal flickers on screens.
* **Showdown:** Reagan storms the stage and debates Rand.

  * Rand: "Belief is power!"
  * Reagan: "Then why do you need to steal everyone else's?"
* **Resolution:** Reagan hacks the sound system, replacing Rand's chants with her own *scientifically accurate but inspiring rant*. Employees snap out of the trance. Rand, unfazed, declares: "Fine. Then *I'm* the only true believer!" and baptizes himself in gasoline.

---

### **Ending (last 2–3 min)**

* **Cognito fallout:** Rand survives, singed but ecstatic: "Every great prophet gets set on fire at least once!" He immediately begins marketing "Holy Burn Cream."
* **Emotional beat:** Reagan admits to Brett she envies Rand's charisma, but Brett counters: "Charisma without care is just manipulation. You actually *care.* That's rarer."
* **Final reveal:** A cult recording is secretly uploaded online. Overnight, *millions of outsiders* start following Randology - expanding Project Ascendancy's reach beyond Cognito.
* **Punchline:** Glenn tries to baptize a raccoon in the parking lot. The raccoon wins.

---

### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** Religion-as-corporation, tax loopholes, cult psychology.
* **Character focus:** Reagan confronts her lack of charisma vs. Rand's raw manipulation skills.
* **Arc progression:** Project Ascendancy spreads to the *public*, not just Cognito. The Quiet Hand is closer than ever.

---

# **Episode 9: "The Real Shadow Board"**

### **Cold Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** The Illuminati Shadow Board (the lizards, masons, etc.) are having their usual smug meeting. Suddenly, their feed glitches. One by one, their screens go dark - replaced by a symbol of a hand made of static.
* **Punchline:** The Shadow Board panics - "Wait… we're not *the* top?!" Smash cut to Rand at Cognito, yelling "CALLED IT!"

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **Discovery:** Reagan decrypts the Illuminati files stolen from the moon gala and the cryptid programming data. All point to an ancient cabal: **The Quiet Hand**.
* **Team briefing:**

  * Rand is thrilled: "Finally, someone scarier than me!"
  * Brett: "I thought the Shadow Board was already… y'know… the shadowiest."
  * Gigi: "Please, there's always another level of management."
* **Mission:** The team follows clues to a hidden "server-temple" buried in Antarctica - supposedly the Quiet Hand's stronghold.

---

### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Antarctic adventure:**

  * The base is disguised as a defunct research station, but inside is a massive dimensional computer powered by human dreams.
  * Andre hallucinates penguins giving him investment advice.
  * Glenn grumbles: "If this is global warming's fault, I swear to God…"
* **Reagan's discovery:** The Quiet Hand has manipulated history for millennia - controlling *every* conspiracy, every regime, even Cognito's founding. Rand was never special. Reagan was always just a cog.
* **Character beat:** Reagan has a mini-breakdown, realizing all her ambitions might be meaningless against this scale.

---

### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Crisis:** The team is captured by Quiet Hand "agents" - eerie faceless enforcers who speak in overlapping voices.
* **Showdown:** In interrogation, Reagan confronts a Quiet Hand representative.

  * They reveal *Project Ascendancy* is their endgame: a global hive mind where individuality is erased, and all humanity's knowledge and emotion becomes one controllable system.
  * Rand interrupts with: "Wait - hive mind? So I'll finally get likes on my posts?"
* **Escape:** Reagan hacks their dimensional servers, causing a meltdown. The team flees as the Antarctic base collapses.

---

### **Ending (last 2–3 min)**

* **Cognito fallout:**

  * Rand is ecstatic: "So the *real* boss battle is next. This is just foreplay!"
  * Brett, shaken: "We've been fighting shadows of shadows. What chance do we even have?"
* **Emotional beat:** Reagan steels herself: "Then we stop being pawns. We burn the whole board."
* **Final reveal:** As the team escapes Antarctica, the camera pans down under the ice - revealing *thousands of Quiet Hand servers still intact*, humming with distorted human voices whispering in unison.
* **Punchline:** A penguin walks by, mutters "Wake up, sheeple," and waddles off.

---

### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** The idea that no matter how deep you go, there's always "one more secret elite group."
* **Character focus:** Reagan questioning her agency and purpose; Rand's delusional "chosen one" complex vs. reality.
* **Arc progression:** The Quiet Hand revealed, Ascendancy clarified - setting up the finale confrontation.

---

# **Episode 10: "Project Ascendancy" (Finale)**

### **Cold Open (3–4 min)**

* **Scene:** Cognito HQ - alarms blaring. Rand has hijacked every system, announcing: *"Ladies, gentlemen, reptilians, and cryptids - welcome to humanity's FINAL PATCH UPDATE!"*
* **Visual gag:** The Cognito logo is replaced everywhere with Rand's face giving thumbs up.
* **Twist:** Project Ascendancy is going live - *tonight.*

---

### **Act 1 (setup)**

* **The stakes:** Reagan explains Ascendancy: Rand is about to merge every human brain with the Quiet Hand's network - erasing individuality in favor of a hive mind.
* **Team conflict:**

  * Brett insists people could be happier in a collective ("No one would ever feel alone again!").
  * Reagan: "Yeah, because no one would *exist* again."
  * Andre suggests they let it happen because "hive minds share drugs better."
* **Plan:** Infiltrate the Cognito Ascendancy launch chamber before midnight.

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### **Act 2 (rising tension)**

* **Mission:** The team fights their way through a Cognito building transformed into a **cult cathedral**, where employees chant Rand's slogans in unison.
* **Challenges:**

  * Brett is tempted by the hive-mind promise of universal love.
  * Gigi livestreams the infiltration, ironically boosting Ascendancy hype.
  * Glenn gets brainwashed halfway through and must be tasered back to normal.
* **Discovery:** Reagan finds out Rand *isn't* running the show anymore - The Quiet Hand is using him as a figurehead.

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### **Act 3 (climax)**

* **Confrontation:** In the Ascendancy chamber, thousands of human minds are already syncing into the hive. Screens show loved ones pleading to "join us."
* **Reagan vs. Rand:**

  * Rand insists this is his legacy: "If I can't be the best dad, I'll be the best god."
  * Reagan: "You were never either."
* **Big choice:** Reagan can either:

  1. Destroy Ascendancy, saving individuality but possibly destabilizing reality itself.
  2. Take control of the system herself, becoming the hive's leader.
* **Resolution:** She overrides the system, seizes control for a few terrifying moments, and feels *every human thought at once.* She nearly gives in - but pulls the plug.

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### **Ending (last 2–3 min)**

* **Fallout:**

  * The Ascendancy network collapses. Rand vanishes into the system, leaving his fate unknown.
  * Brett comforts Reagan, who looks shaken: "I almost… liked it. For a second, I felt complete."
* **Twist reveal:** Later, Reagan is contacted directly by The Quiet Hand. They offer her a *seat at the table*. "You've proven yourself. Join us, and you'll never be powerless again."
* **Final shot:** Reagan hesitates, staring at her reflection - for a moment, her reflection smiles *back independently.* Smash cut to black.

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### **Themes & Notes**

* **Satire:** Tech utopianism, transhumanist hive-mind fantasies, "one update fixes everything."
* **Character focus:** Reagan's struggle between wanting control and fearing she'll become her father. Brett's empathy vs. Reagan's logic hits a breaking point.
* **Cliffhanger:** Reagan's possible recruitment by The Quiet Hand - setting up Season 4 conflict: insider vs. rebel.