Ep 1. The House of Getty

In Trust season 1 episode 1, titled "The House of Getty," we are introduced to the Getty family, one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the world. The episode starts with a narration of a kidnapping incident that took place in Rome in 1973, where a young man is seen running alone in the dark, chased by a group of men. We then flash back 14 months earlier to the Getty family estate in England, where the patriarch, J. Paul Getty Sr (played by Donald Sutherland), is seen swimming in his private pool, surrounded by his wealth and opulence. However, his seemingly perfect life is about to crumble as he receives a letter from his grandson, John Paul Getty III, known as Paul (played by Harris Dickinson), who is struggling to make a living in Rome as an artist.

Paul writes to his grandfather, asking for financial support, but J. Paul Getty Sr, known for his strict adherence to frugality, refuses to give him any money. He is shown to be eccentric and obsessed with art and antiquities, but also cold and distant from his family. J. Paul Getty Sr's closest confidant is his butler, Fletcher Chase (played by Brendan Fraser), a former CIA agent who handles his business affairs and manages his estate.

Meanwhile, Paul is living a bohemian lifestyle in Rome, hanging out with artists and hippies. He meets a young woman named Martine (played by Anna Chancellor), who seems to be interested in him. However, things take a dark turn when he is kidnapped by a group of men, who demand a ransom of $17 million from his family. Paul's mother, Gail Getty (played by Hilary Swank), who is divorced from his father and living in poverty, travels to Rome to negotiate with the kidnappers and rescue her son. She is helped by a journalist named Misha (played by Norbert Leo Butz), who sees the story as a way to advance his career.

The episode builds up tension and suspense as we see the Getty family struggle to come up with the money for the ransom and negotiate with the kidnappers. J. Paul Getty Sr's refusal to pay the ransom is a shocking revelation that highlights his greed and lack of empathy towards his own family. The scenes of Paul's captivity are brutal and disturbing, showing the harsh reality of the kidnapping industry. The episode ends with a cliffhanger, leaving the viewer wondering what will happen next and whether Paul will be rescued or not.

Overall, "The House of Getty" is a gripping and well-crafted pilot episode that sets up the premise of the series and introduces us to its complex and fascinating characters. The show is a character study of a wealthy and dysfunctional family, exploring themes of money, power, ambition, and loyalty. The acting is superb, with Donald Sutherland giving a standout performance as the enigmatic J. Paul Getty Sr. The direction and cinematography are also impressive, capturing the grandeur and decadence of the Getty estate and the gritty reality of Rome's criminal underworld. Trust is a must-watch for fans of drama, suspense, and true crime.