Such a compelling story, because everyone involved has an element of wrongdoing. Learning more about the Japanese system of "hostage justice" was eye-opening to say the least, and Mike Taylor, the man who devised the extraordinary scheme of spiriting Nissan/Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn out of the country concealed in a giant box, a plot straight out of Hollywood, should have realized he was committing grave criminal offenses despite his altruistic intentions.
But then there's Ghosn, an executive who claimed he was trapped in an elaborate conspiracy, but who in all likelihood stole tens of millions of dollars and continues to escape justice in both Japan and France by hiding in Lebanon. It's just incredible that director James Jones was able to get all parties to participate, Ghosn included, and the way the story was peeled back, layer by layer, made for a great watch.
Ghosn had my sympathy in the early episodes because of his business abilities and for falling victim to what seemed like a political coup within Nissan, but the first whiff of possible corruption and tipping point was the elaborate party he held at Versailles, one attended more by personal rather than business contacts. The descent from there was not terribly surprising given the behavior of the ultra-wealthy, who are often the first to believe they deserve the crazy amount of wealth they acquire through bending or breaking the rules, and also the first to play the victim card when investigated.
Ghosn left a trail of others holding the bag, including fellow Nissan executive Greg Kelly, who spent over three years going through Japan's legal process, and Mike Taylor, who didn't even have his legal fees reimbursed, much less the amount of gratitude you'd expect for things he did for Ghosn. Watching Ghosn splutter half-assed explanations for these things and the giant yacht he purchased with this company's money in the final episode was well worth watching on its own. Overall, the story is positively Shakespearean, complete with the ominous comment from Taylor that "it's not over yet."
