On his office, on the street, in the shower, and in the tanning bed, Philip Grammbbowski is busy on the phone making deals. Someone locks him in his tanning bed and turns it on high, killing him.
Later, Pritkin shows the team all that's left of Philip. AJ comes in late and Pritkin explains that Philip was a rising star on Wall Street and was ostracized for his bizarre ideas. He had everything going for him until someone tanned him to death. Because of the billions he head, the team is going to figure out who killed him.
Maria and Monica check Philip's office, and Maria tries to work out Philip's computer password. Fortunately, it's written on a Post-it note stuck to the screen, and Maria gets in. They find a list of Philip's clients, and he moved $1.4billion out of an account belonging to Kappa Kappa Capital the day before he was killed, even though it was one of his best performers. There's a note saying "Saltine", and Maria shoves the computer on the floor and admits that it could mean anything.
As the team drive to Des Moines, informs them that Norrah Newt is a notorious venture capitalist. Her firm, Kappa Kappa Capital, buys and sells firms. Her company is worth $57 billion, and they figure Norrah got her revenge by killing Philip so they're going undercover. AJ hates financial capitalists, but Pritkin tells him that he'll do his job.
The team is soon undercover at Kappa Kappa Capital, and Angie tells AJ to lose his attitude and cheat people out of their money. On his first call he sells $2 million in stocks. Pritkin hands him his commission check and says that Norrah wants to see him. AJ goes to Norrah's office and she tells him to take a seat. She says that the company AJ sold the shares in will go out of business when she arranges for one of their razors to be used in a suicide. When AJ objects, Norrah explains why having wealth is good and shows him a photo of when her parents abandoned her. She bounced around foster homes until she bought and sold them, making her first trillion. Norrah tells AJ that they're going to go places and hands him a million dollars for walking-around money, and goes to staring out her window for her next meeting.
Later at the van, Pritkin tells the team that it's time to start digging. Angie asks AJ how his one-on-one was with Norrah, and is surprised when he says that it went okay. He wonders why they're so poor, says that money doesn't sleep, and goes back to work. Angie is worried about AJ, and once she and Pritkin leave Maria talks to Monica and says that when she was in college she wrote a paper about the connection between Saltine crackers and the U.S. economy. The paper got some attention on Wall Street and Philip was the only one who took it seriously. Maria is telling Monica because she doesn't look up to Monica so doesn't care if Monica laughs at her.
At the company, Norrah announces that AJ is the winner of the sales contest. Everyone applauds and Norrah winks at AJ> AJ is soon smoking cigars and making money smoothies, and partying every night. Norrah meets with AJ at a club and congratulates him on making money for the company, but says that it's been small potatoes She assures AJ that his mother won't be disappointed in him because he's an orphan like her, and says that they'll raid the U.S. All he'll need is a swimsuit, a towel, and a bad lunch.
Later at the van, Maria presents her paper about Saltine crackers. People aren't eating soup so they're not buying crackers, but Maria doesn't know why. Monica steps in and explains that the earth is getting warmer. People wear jean shorts because of the temperature, and it's destroying the U.S. economy. Philip knew it and Norrah has been buying up all of the denim factories. When Philip found out what she was doing,, he pulled out his money and she killed him. Pritkin tells Angie to take out AJ and she reluctantly agrees.
AJ tells Norrah that they now have 98% of all jean production. A disguised Angie comes in and arrests AJ, and leads him out. She removes the disguise and takes AJ to a conference room where the former CEO of the razor company, Bobson Dugnutt. Now he manages slightly fewer employees, and Angie tells AJ that he isn't thinking of the people that he's putting out of work. AJ worries that he's been too deep, and Angie says that he has to decide who he wants to be. He admits that he loves money too much and refuses to talk, and Angie has AJ arrested.
Later AJ meets Norrah in a park and says that he wants to know everything. She says that once the French government gives them the go-ahead, they'll watch the U.S. economy go into freefall and they'll be on an island in Lake Michigan. AJ excuses himself to go to a bathroom, and Monica and Pritkin are waiting. Monica confirms that AJ's tape was ruined, and they send him back to have Norrah repeat the whole thing. There's too much interference so he goes back again and Norrah repeats the whole thing but notices that he's wearing a wire. She punches AJ and says that he could have been her, and AJ tells her that he needed to be someone who makes his mother proud. Norrah punches him again.
Later, Angie and AJ listen to the recording and Angie tells her son that he has to give the money back. Monica reports that the markets have stabilized and the Treasury Department is raiding Kappa Kappa Capital. The people are confident in the economy again, and Pritkin says that they're heading back to LA.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 30, 2018