Telgi sets up shop. He starts by dabbling in counterfeit passports, a dangerous game that lands him in police custody. But this arrest is his Harvard. Inside the prison, he meets a master forger. Telgi learns the trade not just of printing, but of procurement. He learns that the machinery to print stamp paper is difficult to get, but the paper itself? That can be bought.

If you haven't watched the first drop of episodes yet, or if you want to understand the complex web of stamps, paper, and political patronage, this article is your exclusive backstage pass.