Ep 3. Time to Make the Donuts

The show Hustle follows a team of con artists who use their unique skills to execute elaborate scams and heists in order to make a living. Season 1, episode 3, titled "Time to Make the Donuts," begins with the team discussing potential scam opportunities. They come across an article about a millionaire who has announced that he will be giving away a large sum of money to a member of the public who can prove that they are the most deserving. The team sees this as the perfect opportunity to run a scam and decides to take on the challenge.

The team begins to research potential candidates to pose as the most deserving person who could use the money. They come across Brenda, a hard-working woman who runs a donut shop and is struggling to make ends meet. The team decides to pose as a group of wealthy philanthropists who are looking for someone to donate the money to. They approach Brenda under the guise of wanting to help her business and offer to donate a large sum of money to her donut shop, but only if she can prove that she is the most deserving.

The team spends the next few days coaching Brenda on how to appear as the most deserving candidate. They help her to come up with a story about her struggles and teach her how to play up her emotions in order to convince the philanthropists to choose her. The team also creates a fake charity that they claim to represent in order to add credibility to their scam.

Meanwhile, the team members are also dealing with their personal issues. Danny, one of the team members, is dealing with the aftermath of a failed marriage and struggling to move on with his life. Similarly, Stacie, another team member, is dealing with the aftermath of a failed relationship and trying to navigate her way through the dating world.

As the day of the donation ceremony approaches, Brenda begins to feel nervous about the scam and the lies she has been telling. However, the team manages to convince her to go through with it, telling her that it is the only way to save her business.

The team executes their plan perfectly and manages to convince the millionaire that Brenda is the most deserving candidate. However, just as they are about to receive the money, they are caught by the police. It turns out that the charity they were claiming to represent was actually a front for a money laundering operation, and the police had been investigating them for some time.

The team members are arrested and taken into custody, but they manage to talk their way out of trouble. They convince the police that they were simply trying to expose the money laundering operation and that they had no idea that the charity was fraudulent. The team is released, and they meet up to celebrate their successful scam.

Overall, "Time to Make the Donuts" is a thrilling and action-packed episode that showcases the team's intelligence and resourcefulness in executing a complex scam. It also delves into the personal struggles and issues faced by the team members, adding a layer of depth to the characters and making the show even more engaging.