In the third episode of Your Friends & Neighbors season 2, Owen Ashe is shown off as he displays the hidden footage from the bookshelf. Impressed by Coop's unperturbed attitude towards stealing, Ashe labels him a pro. It turns out that Ashe always plants a few hardwired i-PROs around his house due to his job dealing with dangerous individuals, leading to a healthy level of paranoia. Unfortunately for Coop, he has not just taken a first edition book; he has also taken something very precious to Ashe - a book gifted to him by his deceased wife, which holds immense significance for him.
Ashe demands that Coop return the book, warning him that failure to do so will result in dire consequences. Meanwhile, Ali heads off for her first day at the school, while Mel visits Jeff, the college interviewer at Princeton, hoping to convince him to give Tori another chance despite her reluctance. Barney and Grace head to the hospital for a scan, with Barney feeling jittery and on edge. Coop, on the other hand, returns to see Lu, pleading with her for the book.
When Lu finds out that Coop has been caught, she is not pleased. The book has been sold off to a collector for a tidy profit of $200k, and Coop only received $100k. He will likely need closer to $300k to get the book back and convince the seller to part ways. Eventually, Lu manages to convince the buyer to meet with Coop for lunch, but she implores him to be on his best behavior.
Elsewhere, Barney confronts Nick in the middle of this and questions his calendar. He has missed the walk-through for a publicity stunt, and Barney is not pleased. He reminds Nick that this expansion needs to be a priority. The episode builds tension as each character grapples with their own set of challenges and tries to navigate their way through them.
Barney presents a power of attorney document, enabling him to oversee the gyms while Nick assumes his online persona. He avoids involving lawyers, evidently due to his use of Nick's gyms for money laundering, and successfully convinces Nick to sign the dotted line.
At home, Mel embarks on her menopausal journey, starting a war with her dog that defecates in her garden. She also brings up the topic of giving Tori another chance at Princeton, disregarding Tori's wishes. Tori eventually lashes out, questioning why she would want to be anything like Mel. A valid question!
As all this unfolds, Ashe accompanies Sam to hit the town. She's uneasy about it, but he insists they eat pizza. Meanwhile, Elena passes her citizenship test, and Coop surprises her by actually buying her a genuine gift to congratulate her.
Tori decides to move in with Coop after Mel's outburst. Ali also has a successful first day at school, and the gang throws a party to celebrate. When Coop meets the buyer, he's shocked to realize that the man is none other than Owen Ashe himself. He jokes and claims it was a "team-building" exercise for Coop. Coop wants to end their business relationship and promises to reimburse him, but Ashe has other plans.
Owen Ashe is looking to invest some funds in a Bailey Russell hedge fund, known as Excelsior, which is Jack Bailey's baby. Bailey runs the fund and holds a grudge against Coop for leaving the company, making it an uphill battle for Ashe to get in. However, Coop is determined to help him out, bringing in $400 million. There's a reason for going through Coop, though: Ashe is on the Office of Foreign Assets Control's (OFAC) list, and his assets are vulnerable to seizure. Coop needs to run his money and diversify the funds away from the government's scrutiny.
Coop explains that even if he can get Ashe into Excelsior, the money may not pass compliance. He has two options: either help Ashe or risk getting arrested again. Ashe gives him 48 hours to figure it out, but Coop sees no other way out than to help the guy.
That night, Coop meets up with Barney, who isn't happy about Coop getting caught. Barney warns that rumors suggest Ashe is an arms dealer, so Coop needs to be careful. Despite this, Barney seems to have taken to the crime easily and brings his newfound energy home with Grace. After a passionate lovemaking session, he also makes it clear that he's not working for her father.
Coop shows up to see Ashe on the golf course and explains what they need to do. They need to set up four different shell companies - two overseas and two in the US - and also create a handful of intermediary accounts. Coop will oversee all of this and use around $1 billion. The reason for this is that the amount of money Coop has to invest must be less than 40% of the money under his management to avoid triggering a KYC check at Bailey's. If they get into Excelsior, he'll be able to give Ashe back his $600,000. However, Coop isn't taking a 4% commission cut for this like usual; given his commission could lead to getting arrested. However, if he ends up with a violation for this fund, he could face 20 years in prison.
To add more complexity, Hunter is getting involved with Delilah, who has convinced him to break up with Morgan and be with her instead. This only muddies the water further. As the episode closes out, Coop slips back into his old ways, working Ashe's money... and attracting the attention of Jack Bailey in the process.
