Guilty Party (2021) s01e02 Episode Script

1
Beth, this is Doreen Paulson.
She's our in-house attorney.
It's come to our attention
that you may have falsified
a quote.
We all know your reputation.
The way you were fired
from the Chronicle.
You don't know
what you're talking about.
I was wrongfully accused.
Ellie, baby, say cheese.
Ah, perfect!
I want a cousin.
There are some people
who can have babies
like Mommy and Daddy,
and then there are some people
like me and your Uncle Marco,
who can't.
This one's for you.
It's from Toni Plimpton.
The Duck Cutter!
"Three and a half
"years ago, I was convicted
of murdering my husband.
"I could come to peace with that
if I had pulled the trigger,
but I didn't do it."
You don't believe this woman,
do you?
I mean, the whole thing
seems super sketchy.
Who did kill Wallace?
Wyatt, Wallace's brother.
They ran guns.
That's the guy
the D.A. should've gone after,
but who's serving time?
Wyatt Plimpton?
Hi there.
Down, Freddy! Down!
Who the fuck are you?
Uh, I'm a journalist.
Uh, I'm here to ask you
a few questions
about the night
your brother was murdered.
- Oh.
- Nope.
I don't talk to the press.
Mr. Plimpton, I think you're
misunderstanding. I'm not
You got, you got five seconds
to get off the property.
One.
- Okay, can I just explain?
- Two.
I'm not with the press
in the traditional sense.
- Three.
- I'm
- Four.
- I'm in TV.
What kind of TV?
Right, so w-we're making
a show about women.
- What kind of show?
- Awful women.
It's-it's called, uh, Crazy
Crazy Bitches Who Kill.
Crazy Bitches Who Kill?
Yeah.
I would watch that show.
I would straight--
I would fucking watch that show.
Every bitch I know is
fucking crazy.
: Oh, God.
I know, right?
Um, but why watch the show
when you could star in it?
We want to profile you.
Word?
How do I know you're not just
some psycho bitch
out here to fuck me over,
you know what I'm saying?
You say you're from TV, huh?
Uh, then where's your cameras
at, you know what I'm saying?
Where's your microphones?
Where's your little
pretty makeups and shit?
You know what I'm saying?
Where's the glamour?
Preliminary, uh,
interview first,
and-and-and then, uh,
that comes after we've
Oh, you think I'm stupid,
don't you?
Think you can just come up here
and lie to my face?
- Hell no!
- No! Ah! Goddamn it!
Why would, why would you do
that? Why would you stick
your foot in the door
as I'm trying to slam the shit?
You got a small-ass brain
or something?
Mr. Plimpton, please.
If I could
I'm not lying
when I tell you that
what happened to your family
was was brutal.
And unfair.
That crazy woman Toni,
she took your brother from you.
I think the world needs to hear
your story.
Sorry.
D-Do you have any ice?
Can
Yeah, come on in.
Of course I got fucking ice.
It's just frozen water.
- What? No fucking way.
- Yep.
Straight up, true.
Yeah, Wally would be over there
making us pancakes and shit,
and when we weren't looking,
homeboy would be dunking
his fucking nuts
up in the batter.
Wait, so, so
Wallace lived here?
Yeah, this was his house,
you know what I'm saying?
He got shot right there.
- Right there?
- Yep.
Before Toni dragged his ass off
to be trampled by the buffalo.
I tell you what,
Toni, she
I met some crazy ones,
but Toni,
she wasn't just crazy,
she made him crazy.
I mean, she maimed
the motherfucker.
He didn't even do shit,
you know what I'm saying?
That'd been my wife,
damn, I would smoke the bitch.
Bam! You know what I'm saying?
No, of course.
I totally get that.
Um, so this was her house, too?
Yeah, she wishes.
Wh-What's it called when
someone, like, lives somewhere
but they, like, never pay rent,
they just live there for free?
A squatter?
Yep, squatter.
She was a fucking squatter.
A magician-ass squatter,
you know what I'm saying?
Like, she had his ass
believing he loved her.
I mean, like,
I'll tell you what, though,
like, I mean, he loved
that sweet ass.
I'll give it to her,
she was fucking fine.
You know what I'm saying?
She was some A1 spank fuel.
I thought they didn't get along.
You never knew with those two,
you know what I'm saying?
One day it'd be all, like,
- kissy-kissy, fucky-fucky.
-: Stop!
Stop.
Next day, like,
you know what I'm saying,
he'd be mad as hell at her
for something.
Wally, I said stop!
Oh. I'm so-- I'm sorry.
No, I just Wally.
- Get the fuck back here!
- Wally, Wally!
Stop!
That's what's up.
Ain't no road flares,
cold medicine in this shit.
You know what I'm saying?
I get this imported from, uh,
Hawaii, you know
what I'm saying?
A little Honolulu style.
You want to hit this?
You want a little aloha?
Oh, I would love an aloha,
but, um,
not while I'm on the clock.
Word. I hear that. I hear that.
You know what I'm saying?
A working girl,
you know what I'm saying?
You got to keep
your mental straight.
Right.
Um, what line of work
are you in?
Um I got a card right here,
actually.
- Mile-High Linens?
- Yep. Linens.
- Regional delivery manager.
- Yeah.
- Cool.
- That's what's up.
And-and Wallace, too?
Yeah, it's a family affair,
you know what I'm saying?
- Family business.
- Hmm.
Is there a lot of money
in linens?
Yes. You look educated,
but you're coming off
lightweight dumb, for real.
Know what I'm saying, dressed
like a time traveler and shit.
Yo, let me just show you
some stuff.
I'll show you what
linens gets you, straight up.
Come take a look at this.
Yep, check it out.
This is the entertainment dojo
right here,
- you know what I'm saying? Yeah.
- Whoa.
- All this from linens?
- Yep, all of it.
Linen Kingdom,
that's what I call it.
Anyway, check it out,
I got my katanas right here.
They're ceremonial, but, uh,
you know what I'm saying?
I know how to use 'em,
self-taught.
Do you keep a lot of weapons
in the house?
Oh, yeah, you got to.
Say a bunch of illegals
come in here and try to rape me.
Know what I'm saying? They
wouldn't get past the mailbox.
And if they do
slip in the house--
and that's a big if--
oh, it's Wu-Tang time, baby.
Shaolin, motherfucker.
Oh!
- Hell yeah.
- Oh, my God.
Aw, chill, Freddy.
That's Lucy right there.
You scared?
What is that?
It's a dragon
from the isle of Komodo.
Yep, she's a little
bunny rabbit,
unless she catches the whiff
of a fertile woman.
What?
Yeah, if she catches a whiff
of you when you're on the rag,
she will eat your insides out,
fucking K.D. Lang style.
Saying, eating pussy for real.
Talk about a crazy bitch.
Yo
You still bleed?
Yeah.
That's what's up.
Yo, this is what I want
to show you right here.
Check this out.
Boom.
Oh.
Cool boat.
Yep. That was Wally's pride
and joy right there.
Yep.
He never even got to use it,
though,
you know what I'm saying,
because, uh
'cause he, uh
Fucking Toni.
Fucking Toni had to go
fucking shoot him,
like the fucking stupid bitch
that she is,
and fucked everything up.
I'm s-so sorry.
- Goddamn! You fucking
- Oh, God!
- Fuck.
-: Yeah.
It's chill, it's chill.
It's just whatever, just
But how about I-I give you
a minute?
Uh, is-is the bathroom
down the hall?
Yeah, just down--
Yeah, go-- Yeah.
Okay.
- The fuck are you doing?
- Um
- Where's the bathroom?
- Who the fuck are you,
and what are you doing?
I'm here to, uh
Wyatt!
Yo, Georgie.
Fucking chill out.
Be nice to the little lady.
Bro, she's snooping in our shit.
- Oh, word? You snooping?
- No. No.
I wa-- I was
looking for the bathroom.
- She was looking in the closet.
- No, I wasn't.
I wasn't.
- I swear. I wasn't.
- What's the deal?
You fucking pooping
or you snooping?
You calling my boy a liar?
You know what, I don't,
I don't need this.
I-I thought you might be
a good interview for the show,
but this-this tough guy shit,
this is boring.
Uh, and as you say,
there's-there's tons of
crazy bitches out there, so
Yeah, it's chill.
- It's chill.
- Okay.
- Thanks for the peas. Oh!
- Yo, hold the fuck up.
- Chill the fuck out, man!
- Don't you fucking push me.
Oh, yeah,
you're gonna fucking hit me?
Gonna fucking hit me?
Oh, go for it.
'Cause if you punch me,
you know what,
you got to find
a new fucking boat to live in.
Man, you're fucking high
as shit!
You fucking,
fucking chill the fuck out!
Yeah, that's right,
you little pussy.
Yeah.
Fucking, fucking walk.
Pussing out as usual.
- Fucking dumbass.
- Okay.
- Oh, God!
- Hold the fuck up.
I did not get your name.
It's Vivian.
Uh, Vivian Steele.
Word. All right,
Vivian Steele.
Well, you know where to find me.
- What the fuck?
- Shit, man.
Why the fuck
did you invite her in?
Nice one, you fucking dumbass.
- Trying to get my dick wet.
- Fuck you.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
Vivian Steele?
Fuck.
I found it. The big one.
Toni Plimpton.
What, the psycho?
Did you go and see her?
Yes, I did.
And her brother-in-law,
who's actually psycho,
- he owns a dragon.
- I'm sorry, a dragon?
Yeah, like a, like a monster
in his house, like a pet.
Will someone please tell me
what we're talking about?
Toni Plimpton. She was convicted
of killing her husband
three and a half years ago,
but it's actually a story
of a young African American
wife and mother,
who was raised in a,
in a country that systematically
kept her down
and locked her up.
Are you talking
about the Dick Cutter?
Yes. You've heard of her, too?
- Yeah.
- Okay, okay.
She-she nicked
her husband's penis once,
but that, but that's not
the whole story.
- Well
- It'd be the whole story for me.
Amber, trust me.
It has everything.
It has guns, murder, injustice.
So, you want to write a story
about you saving a Black woman?
Uh, no,
the story's not about me.
But the goal is to save her,
right?
From a life of
wrongful incarceration, sure.
She cut a dick.
There are consequences
when you do that.
Oh, fuck off, Pierre.
It reeks of white saviorism.
Right?
Sure.
But maybe we're not
understanding.
Okay?
If Toni was white,
you'd still love the story,
right?
Right, but if Toni was white,
she wouldn't be in prison.
- Fair point.
- Sorry, Beth.
- I don't like the optics.
- The optics?
Since when does Fiona
have to be a wizard
- to write about wizards?
- Dude, what the fuck?
- Sorry.
- Please tell me you didn't just
equate America's original sin
with Ron Weasley.
Okay, I'm sorry, you guys.
I've been doing this
a lot longer than all of you,
and this is
a huge opportunity.
I just feel like, when do we
ever get to write a story
that's great
and also redeems a human life?
But that's-that's why
we signed up for the job.
Or at least it's why I did.
Fine, but please,
God, keep it short for once.
Oh, thank you.
Mwah! I love you.
Never do that again.
Okay.
- Hey, you owe me.
- I'm sorry. I do. I owe you.
Hi there.
Beth Burgess
to see Toni Plimpton.
Are you a lawyer?
No.
No visits on Thursdays
unless you're a lawyer.
Okay, well, I'm a,
I'm a journalist.
And I'm working
on Ms. Plimpton's case,
so in a way I-I'm like a lawyer.
She's not a lawyer.
Not a lawyer exactly.
No. Look, I need to see
- Toni Plimpton.
- No.
I don't think you understand
the stakes here.
That woman is innocent.
Do you understand Thursday?
No visits on Thursday.
Okay, uh
Could-could I call her?
Or-or could you have her
call me?
That's my card.
Lady, do you get
how a prison works?
I know she has rights.
Uh, this has to be
a violation of her rights.
That's really funny.
Oh, man.
Can you say that again,
just the way you said it?
I want to remember it
to tell it to the guys.
Okay. Go ahead.
Mock me, threaten me.
I'm not leaving
until I see Toni Plimpton, okay?
This is a protest.
So, until you let me in,
I'm-a stay right here,
raising hell!
The body
was found in the area east
Cause of death appears
- to be strangulation.
-: Shit.
No suspects have been
arrested yet.
And that'll be Denver's
seventh homicide this year.
Tragic stuff.
But on a lighter note,
uh, tonight
I will be accepting my first
Colorado Journalist
Association award,
and I am just so beyond humbled.
And I vow, I vow
to continue bringing you
the stories
that matter most.
De mi corazón a tuya,
as my father used to say,
in heaven.
"From my heart
to yours."
Thank you for that,
Tessa. In other news
Hello again.
Do you happen to know if, uh,
any other journalists
have come by to visit?
Tessa Flores? She's
she's TV-pretty but in person
her head is way too big.
Um
Have you heard
of Susan Burgess?
She wrote a best-selling memoir
called Acts of Devotion,
about a single mom
in the '80s.
Kind of reinvented our concept
of modern motherhood.
Well, I'm her daughter.
Not a big reader? Okay.
Five minutes.
Get off me!
I'm a taxpaying citizen!
I have the right to be here!
Don't come back!
I want my 20 bucks back!
You guys,
I'm so sorry I'm late.
My boss is a total lunatic.
- Hi.
- Hey.
- What, still no table?
- No, they wouldn't seat us
till our whole party's here.
- Geez.
- Yeah.
Why didn't you tell them
I was in the bathroom?
Well, 'cause you weren't
in the bathroom.
Okay, here, Beth.
Before I forget,
I made you some prints
from the other day.
- Oh, wow. Thanks.
- Yeah.
Aw, look at Ellie's little face.
It's crazy how much she looks
like the both of you.
So, what's this Marco tells us,
you're moving to Wyoming?
Wyoming is where white people
go to get killed in the woods.
- Yeah, a-all right.
- Yeah, we're not moving
to Wyoming. Right, babe?
Well, I mean,
anything's possible.
- It's not possible.
- They just posted the job today.
It's possible.
- Would you work out there?
- Of course.
No. No. That's why we're not
seriously considering it.
- Yes.
- Besides, I think I just landed
a really big new story, so
- Oh, that's great!
- Yeah.
Wait, hon.
For real this time?
What? Yes, for real this time.
She's coming back.
Excuse me, miss,
we're all here.
Great. Right this way.
All right!
Oh, uh, you guys.
This is gonna take one second.
- No, Beth. No, no, Beth.
- One second.
- One second.
- Beth. Beth, Beth, Beth.
No, no, no. I'm so hungry.
She just went to the bathroom.
may be
recorded and monitored.
To accept this call,
press one or say yes.
- Yes!
- Now.
Yes, yes, yes.
Hey, Toni. Are you there?
Hey, what the hell
do you think you're doing?
Staging a protest or something?
Yeah, I sure am.
I told them I won't leave
until they let us talk.
You fucking fascists!
I hope you eat your own shit!
- Hey, look.
- Sorry, not you.
COs are up my ass right now.
If you want to help me,
leave me the hell alone.
Toni, listen.
I know the first time
we met was
was weird, and-and
I'm really sorry about that,
but I
I've been diving into your case
and, uh, and doing
my homework and
Listen,
I went to your house.
- My house?
- Yeah.
I met Wyatt,
and-and-and he told me a lot.
I mean, Mile-High Linens?
Yeah, it's a front.
Yeah, obviously.
And-and I found
a bunch of guns,
clearly illegal guns.
Yeah, he's a gun runner,
I told you.
No, I know,
I know that you did.
And I just
I just wanted to say
that I believe you.
And your story,
I know how to tell it.
Like, I know how to write it
so that you come off innocent.
I aminnocent.
Yes, but the-the world
doesn't know that.
- Beth.
- Listen, I can do this.
I know I can.
I really can do this.
Beth, I gave the story to Tessa.
Fuck.
I mean, she has
a bigger audience.
How is a local
Denver news station
a bigger audience
than the World Wide Web?
And she has, uh,
more credibility.
What did she tell you?
That you got fired
from theChronicle
'cause you misquoted people.
- Put words in their mouths.
- No.
Those were false allegations
made by a lying scumbag.
I was railroaded, okay?
You of all people
should understand that.
Toni, please.
You're making the wrong choice.
I know Tessa Flores.
She's vile.
Yeah, but we watch her in here
every night.
And when she speaks,
people listen.
They believe.
I just want to get back
with my baby girl,
and Tessa is my best chance.
So, that's it?
Look, if you ever get
that tattoo,
you let me know, all right?
Your call has ended.
Goodbye.
I stole these from a table.
- Uh, they look untouched.
- Oh, thank you, Marco.
Work emergency!
Sorry!
Hi, excuse me.
We'll just take a table
for three.
But in a country
where the press is
under assault
and where media is no longer
synonymous with objectivity
but instead with bias,
we, all of us here
in this room,
are this nation's last line
of defense
against outrageous
manipulations of the truth.
This award is
for all of you out there
on the front lines,
speaking truth to power.
Just know that I see you.
I see you.
Te veo.
Thank you.
Hi, can I get a
Hello?
Nice. Real nice.
What are you doing here?
Getting a drink.
Tessa Flores taking home
the blue ribbon.
How far we've fallen.
Oh, well,
some of us didn't fall.
- We were pushed.
- Don't.
- Don't dredge it all back up.
- Just admit it.
- I want my fish back.
- Why?
So you can flush it
down the toilet
as soon as it doesn't do
exactly what you want?
I want my reputation back,
Ravi.
I don't suppose you have that
sitting in a glass tank
in your office?
It's a tropical red swordtail,
Beth.
It needs very specific food.
I didn't take your fish.
Look, there's
an exotic pet store
down on 26th and Cherry.
Ask for Pete.
And remember, you're mad at me,
not the fish.
Can I get a goddamn drink?!
Please?
Well, look at you, all
dolled up on my big night.
Is this because of Toni?
It's not my fault
she has brains in her head.
You're just using her.
I'm using her?
I'm using her, wow.
What are you trying to do?
You're trying to
save her precious soul?
She's not just
another piece of crime-porn
to feed to
your perverted fanbase.
Do not tell me
how to do my job.
- You've had plenty of chances.
- Okay.
- Okay?
- Fine. Fine.
Just, please look
into Wyatt and the linens.
Okay? There's more there.
It could be a path
to reopening her case.
Thank you, but I'd really
rather just skip
the Beth Burgess master class
for now.
Why don't you, uh, watch this
while I take a piss.
Get reacquainted
with an old friend.
Uh, welcome to
What can I get you?
Can you call 911?
There's a creep following me.
Any-Anything else?
Excuse me, ma'am,
- anything else?
- No.
Fuck this.
Hey! Hey!
- Goddamn it.
- Look at my fucking car!
What the fuck are you doing?!
What the fuck are youdoing?!
You followed me.
You tracked me down
- and you followed me?
- Shut up, shut up.
Well, guess what, George,
you picked a real shit time
to follow me.
Shut up.
If you need a witness,
I saw the whole thing.
She's clearly nuts.
That's okay.
It's under control.
Thank you, sir. I'm not nuts.
He's a criminal.
- Call the police!
- I said
Shut the fuck up!
You really know how
to pick 'em, don't you, George?
What was it about me
that made you go,
"Oh, I know,
I'll give her a hard time?"
- What was it?
- Lady,
- keep your fucking voice down.
- How pathetic do I look?
- I get it! You made your point!
- Oh, my God. Shut the fuck up.
I'm a husk! I'm a dried-up husk
of a useless woman!
You better calm
- the fuck down, lady.
- Why?
Why?
So I can spend my life
pumping out babies,
writing wizard stories
in the Tetons?
You go ahead and kill me.
Be doing me a favor.
Okay, I will.
Get off me.
Get in the fucking car.
What, you're really
gonna kill me?
Shut up.
Shut up!
You don't push me, okay?
You don't push me!
Nobody pushes me! Okay?
Okay.
- Are you really gonna
- Shut up!
I'm here to tell you
to stay away.
Okay, but you were the
The other day, what you saw
- I didn't see any
- What you saw, you didn't see.
Okay? You didn't see anything,
you didn't hear anything,
because you were never there.
All right?
No more coming around,
no TV show, no cameras.
We don't want any of it.
All right?
I need to hear you say
"All right."
Well, first you tell me
not to talk
- and now you want
- Say "All right"!
All right.
Fuck, you're pretty!
I'm really bloated today.
Shut the fuck up. You know
you're fucking beautiful.
Fuck!
Are you okay?
Just stay away from us.
All right?
You can't go with Tessa.
Jesus, Beth,
we've been over this.
She's a vampire.
She's gonna use you
for ratings, for attention,
to ratchet up her own career.
And then, when she gets
what she wants,
she will pull her fangs
from your neck
and let you rot in here.
I'm trying to help you.
Or are you trying
to help yourself?
How do I know
you're not playing me?
Well, how do I know
you're not a murderer?
- I made my decision.
- Okay, wait. Stop, stop.
What the hell are you doing?
What the f?
What?
Is that?
Laila?
My baby.
Yo, where is she?
I can get you back to Laila.
I just
I need your story.
Who the hell are you?
I just want to get you home.
Oh, fuck. Fuck.