Ep 1. Seed Money
- TV-NR
- September 6, 2016
- 53 min
-
7.2 (755)
StartUp is a crime drama and thriller television series that revolves around the lives of three people who come together to start a digital currency company in Miami, Florida. The show explores the challenges they face in creating their product, attracting investors, dealing with rivals and criminals, and navigating the murky waters of the world of finance and technology. The first episode of Season 1, "Seed Money," sets the stage for the rest of the series.
The episode opens with a young Haitian-American man named Izzy Morales (Otmara Marrero) approaching a wealthy investor named Nick Talman (Adam Brody) with a pitch for his new digital currency company, called GenCoin. Nick initially brushes him off, but Izzy convinces him to hear him out by using a clever analogy involving a popular video game. Back in his office, Nick confides in his father, a powerful financier, about the pitch he just heard. His father, suspicious of Izzy's motives, orders him to reject the idea and forget about it.
Meanwhile, we meet a married couple, Ronald and Vera Dacey (Edi Gathegi and Taylor Richardson), who are struggling financially after Ronald loses his job as a loan officer. They are also dealing with the aftermath of Vera's botched and traumatic childbirth, which has left her with PTSD and requiring expensive therapy. Ronald is desperate for a way to support his family and restore his confidence, and he sees an opportunity in his friend, Nick, who he knows has access to wealthy investors.
Izzy, meanwhile, is struggling to keep her head above water financially and is forced to resort to selling her blood plasma to pay her bills. She is also dealing with the fallout of her brother's criminal past, which has put their family in danger. When her brother's violent associates show up at her apartment looking for him, Izzy is forced to take drastic action to protect herself and her brother.
Nick, despite his father's warnings, decides to invest in GenCoin and brings in Ronald as a partner to handle the business side of things. Izzy and her programmer friend, Nick (not to be confused with Nick Talman), begin working on the technical aspects of the company, including mining the digital currency and building the platform. They are joined by a crooked FBI agent named Phil Rask (Martin Freeman), who is investigating Nick Talman and sees an opportunity to launder money through GenCoin.
The episode ends with the four of them meeting in person for the first time, as they discuss the next steps for the company and the challenges they will face. Izzy is hesitant to trust Phil, but Nick Talman reassures her that they need his connections and resources to succeed. Ronald is excited to have a new career path, but his wife Vera is skeptical and worried about the risks involved. As they toast to their new venture, it's clear that they have a long road ahead of them, full of both promise and peril.