Bluff City Law (2019) s01e08 Episode Script

You want a refill? Oh, no, no, I'm good.
[CHUCKLES.]
You two are so bad at acting casual that I don't understand how I ever lose to you in poker.
- I don't know what you mean.
- Makes no sense to me.
Camp out with a pair of binoculars.
You'll be less obvious.
Oh, up, up.
Emerson.
[DOOR CLICKS SHUT.]
She's here.
[SIGHS.]
Still don't know what I'm gonna say, Bri.
Like, "Hi, nice to meet you.
"My dad cheated on my mom with you, "but on the bright side, I really like your son.
" I like it.
Break the ice.
- What'd your dad say? - Nothing.
Ever since I came back, all he wants to do is talk, but about this nothing.
Hello, uh, Briana, Sydney, this is my mother, General Virginia Howe.
Ma'am.
This is one of her former lieutenants, Aaron Shepherd.
- Lieutenant Shepherd.
- Lieutenant.
Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Should we wait here? Hello, Virginia.
Elijah.
Why don't you join me in my office? Uh, please, feel free to have a seat.
You look well.
You too.
Emerson tells me he's been enjoying his time with you and your daughter Virginia.
We didn't talk for 20 years, and when we finally did, it was a phone call with some pretty big news, so I'd just appreciate Yeah.
I apologize for coming to you like this.
I wouldn't have done it unless lives were at stake.
People have died.
Good soldiers.
I believe more will unless you help.
Some of what I'm about to tell you is classified.
I am committing a crime by sharing it with you.
Six months ago, I lost a special operations detachment in Niger when they mistakenly called in an air strike on their own position.
This is a civilian GPS application.
I want you to note how the coordinates are displayed.
Now, two things about the incident in Niger troubled me.
The first was that the man who supposedly made this mistake was as careful an operator as I've met in 30 years of service.
And the second was that his mistake wasn't a simple transposing of digits.
It involved reading the last three digits entirely wrong.
With all due respect, I imagine in combat human error does happen all the time.
Which is why I wrote it off.
Until it happened again to Lieutenant Shepherd.
Two-two, this is one, over.
My platoon was transiting an area in a three-vehicle convoy.
Popov 2, watch the ridge to our north! - Excuse me, where is this? - The location isn't important.
If you're gonna come to us and ask us for help, then we get to decide what's important.
Bravo, bravo! - [GUNFIRE RATTLES.]
- [SHOUTING.]
We came under fire.
So I called for close air support.
Manila Hotel, Lightning 34, Request CAS Tomahawk Ridge.
Current pos, six, three, decimal, niner, five, eight, three.
Repeat, six, three, decimal, niner, five, eight, three.
I relayed those coordinates to the combat air controller, who relayed them to the A-10 on station.
[LOUD EXPLOSION.]
And they hit you instead? [SOLEMN MUSIC.]
I lost four soldiers.
16 wounded.
Including myself.
I lost my leg and my career.
In both instances, the patrols were using a GPS prototype manufactured by Nomadis Industries.
If you think there's a problem, why come to us? Why not take it to the Army? Because they don't believe there is a problem.
They investigated the technology, tried to reproduce the fault.
The unit passed every time.
So either the technology isn't at fault Or Nomadis figured out a way to cover it up.
And you think it's the latter.
Prototype is being tested by a few hundred patrols, but division-wide rollout starts in a few weeks.
That's 50,000 soldiers.
- God damn it, Dad.
- I know.
I would send her right back out the door if I didn't believe her.
But I do.
So we have two choices here.
We refer the case to someone else, or we take it.
Well, if we refer the case and they lose, then we're gonna turn on the news one day and hear soldiers dead, and that will be on us.
You know that's what we're gonna think.
You can bet she knows that too.
So then I'll take it.
I'll work it with Anthony.
You stay a thousand miles away.
Nope, see, I can't do that either, because if you two lose, then I still feel the guilt.
We're gonna take the case.
Okay? And we'll win.
And when it comes to the good general, we'll just compartmentalize.
Not exactly your strong suit.
Yeah, well, she'll just have to deal with what she gets, won't she? I think if I can get the City Council to see the error of its ways, it'll mean the school stays in that district.
I think you would make a fantastic civic leader.
I'm just saying.
- Hey, Mom.
- Hi.
- Can we talk? - You know, you're late, Eric.
Your mom's award ceremony was weeks ago.
Anthony.
It's all right.
Let's take a walk.
[COOL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC.]
Mom about the gala.
It was a beautiful event, and you were missed.
Now, what's wrong? You may be grown up, but your facial expressions are the same as when you were a little boy.
It's Buzzy.
What's your grandfather done now? When he retires, it's not like I want him to go off playing golf.
The staff loves him.
I do too.
I know my father.
You can skip the windup.
What did he do? Well, he's undermining me.
First, it was little stuff.
You know, nothing I couldn't handle.
But last week, he ran off our new graphic designer.
Set the label refresh back by months.
He fired them? No, literally ran them off the property.
In his Escalade.
Yeah, the scariest part about that story is that he is still driving.
Well, when he heard I had the team working on an experimental small batch, you know, trying to expand our brand, he called everyone traitors, and dumped the batch into the estuary behind the warehouse.
Sorry to put you in the middle of this, but He's my father.
You're my son.
I am the middle of this.
I'll talk to him.
Come on.
Okay, so, tell me how this sounds.
Detective Walker's testimony, that's gonna make it clear that George was the fall guy for Tess' murder.
Then, gonna put George's wife on the stand, some of his old friends, and I'm gonna tell the jury all the things that George has lost.
And finally, I'm gonna have testimony from George's son Ben.
What about George? Doesn't he have to testify? No, technically, no.
But to be honest, I'd be worried he'd get up on the stand and tell the jury how happy he is that this whole nightmare happened.
- Is he okay, Jake? - Yeah.
Yeah, he's gonna be.
We're gonna get him there.
- Mm.
- Yeah.
- Okay.
- Mm-hmm.
Well, I found something that might help you with the case, a way to find the real killers.
You hear how they found that serial killer in California by uploading his DNA to all those ancestry websites? Yeah.
Yes.
You think Robbie's gonna give us the DNA profile on our guy? You know he'll do anything for Sydney.
You know that.
- Hey.
- Hey.
I, um, I know it can't be easy taking Mom's case.
It's the right thing to do.
Yeah.
How are you? Well, of course, it's complicated, but this is so important.
Dad.
How are you? Confused, angry, frustrated.
I'm scared, son.
Got a whole lot of things going on.
[DOOR CLICKS SHUT.]
- Can I help you.
- Hi.
Is Elijah ready? If you think of a product liability case as a building, depositions are its foundation.
They show us where we're strong, and reveal to us places where we need shoring up.
I'll start with Nomadis.
The Army may not be able to reproduce the fault that you reported, but chances are somewhere in the cycle of product development, they have must've come across a similar issue.
We never ran into a similar issue.
Not once.
Not in the entire development cycle, which you will be able to see once you review the 1,500 pages of data we'll be sending your way.
Then we get our two best witnesses on the record, the soldier who was in the passenger seat, Private Beard.
In all your time serving under Lieutenant Shepherd, did you ever see him make such a gross navigational mistake? No, sir.
Did you ever see him make any navigational error insofar as using a GPS unit? No, sir.
Do you believe Lieutenant Shepherd when he says that he read this unit properly? 100%, sir.
But you didn't see the GPS unit yourself.
- Did you, Private? - No, sir.
So he could've misread it, and you just wouldn't know, correct? That's correct.
And we'll conclude with your testimony.
Now, depositions can become really frustrating, so just remember to keep your answers simple and short.
Tell the truth.
Lieutenant Shepherd, you had completed your service contract last when you decided to re-up.
- Why is that? - I love my country, and I think we're making the world a better place.
And in all your years of service, have you ever misidentified yourself, your soldiers, or even the enemy on a radio call to close air support? No, ma'am.
Is there any chance you read that GPS incorrectly? Absolutely not.
I always check our position twice, which is why I repeated it on that radio call.
Thank you.
Lieutenant Shepherd, what is Embargos? Uh, a bar on our base.
Did you drink the night before the incident? Wells, how is that relevant? I'd say if he was hungover, could have an impact on whether or not he mixed up the numbers.
You drank almost every night, didn't you? No.
In fact, July 12th of this year, you were cited by your commanding officer for excessive alcohol consumption.
Because we lost an entire patrol.
And you drank to deal with it, something you often did.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC.]
- Aaron - How would you sleep at night if you went to a funeral every week? - Aaron.
- Buried more friends than you made? Soldier! Mrs.
Bedford, you know that this club is for men only.
Oh, shut up, Carl! So our CEO ran to his mommy.
For advice on how to deal with a grumpy, old ex-CEO who is getting in his way.
Daddy, I could understand if Eric was doing a bad job, but we've seen more growth since he took over than the last five years combined.
Short-term gains at a long-term cost.
New labels, flavored batches.
His ideas are soft, not in line with the brand that my grandfather created, and that my father and I worked so hard to preserve.
The world is changing, Daddy.
Perhaps new ideas are what the company needs to thrive.
Oh, that's your professional advice? 'Cause I seem to remember you turning our back on the job, coming home one day and telling us all you had an epiphany.
You wanted to be a lawyer! Here we go again.
You had a choice in that, Della Rose.
You chose yourself.
Now I'll sooner sell Bedford Bourbon than let your son drag it into mediocrity.
You can't possibly mean that.
This is the family's legacy.
Wrong.
It's my legacy.
You broke the line.
I'm meeting with some investors from New York week.
I'll let you know what I decide.
[MELANCHOLY MUSIC.]
We believe Lieutenant Shepherd, but with his record and no other evidence Virginia, it's just not enough to get this case to trial.
Let alone win.
So the case is dead.
For now.
Adapting and accepting is what I do for a living.
I never regretted our time together.
And our son is a blessing.
But I I can't help wondering if I could've done something if I had known, if you would've told me.
If I had told you? Well, I-I know you cared about me.
But not like you did her.
I had a child coming.
I had a career that was gonna take me around the world.
And I had a man I loved whose life I would've destroyed.
So I made the choice that was best for all of us.
I made the only choice I could.
And what's bothering you is you know it too.
You said Lieutenant Shepherd's word wasn't good enough.
How about the word of a three-star general? I'll testify.
[COOL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC.]
You said the Niger mission was classified.
Testifying, even before a closed hearing Will end your career, and could see you in prison with no guarantee of success.
A chance is better than no chance.
We'll find another way.
Sydney and I haven't given up.
It won't change the fact that you need me as a witness.
- Give us some time.
- Even if we had time, the equation doesn't change.
You came to us for help.
I cannot support this, Virginia.
Sydney, I want to know what you think.
Your father's and my emotional history is either clouding his judgment, or it's clouding mine.
I didn't get three stars by being special.
I got them by knowing who to trust.
Would you do it if you were me? Yes, I would.
Thank you.
I trust you'll notify the necessary parties, and I can go on record as soon as tomorrow.
So now we want to win so much, we take bad risks with people's lives.
You think if I had lied and said no, she would've backed down? Sydney, I think if she was a different person you would've maybe given a different answer.
Now who's having trouble compartmentalizing? You heard? She told me.
It's, uh a really brave thing, what she's doing.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Protecting people is what she does.
At my expense.
You know, she protected Dad at my expense.
She serves her country at my expense.
I don't know.
I just I wish one time that she would ask me.
You know, it's not like I would say no.
I would just I'd be a part of the yes.
[POLICE SIREN CHIRPING.]
Who are those guys? If I had to guess, I'd say the Department of Defense.
Great.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC.]
General Ardmore, sir.
General Howe.
To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit, General? - And with counsel, no less.
- We've been following Lieutenant Shepherd's civil suit.
You don't actually plan to testify, do you, General? If that's what it takes to get the Army to delay its rollout of a product that can cost American lives, it is her moral right and imperative.
I'd advise you against it, Virginia.
Is that an order, sir? The Department of Defense would prefer to handle this grievance internally.
We take care of our own.
You know that.
I know the Department of Defense has exhausted its resources as far as this matter is concerned.
I haven't exhausted mine.
Virginia I know you believe in what you're doing.
But I've turned over every stone.
Niger's a tragedy.
Nothing more.
And Lieutenant Shepherd needs to have someone to blame other than himself.
We can't afford to lose you over this.
With all due respect, sir we can't afford to lose any more lies over this.
You think he's serious about selling the company? Your grandfather's ego is large and in charge, and when that happens, people make all kind of mistakes.
Forgive me for saying, especially men.
Now, does he still have access to financial records, client lists, pending deals, and partnerships? Technically, no, but I let him take home some of that stuff a few days ago.
He said he wanted to find a pet project to occupy his time.
[GROANS.]
Daddy.
So he's already preparing to have a fight should it come to that.
- Should I step down? - No, son.
I'd sooner do that than have him sell the company.
If he does, it'll be my fault.
- That's not true.
- Yes, it is.
- No.
- Mom, please.
Don't try to tell me I'm wrong.
He'll have sold because of what I said and did.
And that will be my legacy.
[MAN SHOUTING DISTANTLY, MACHINERY WHIRRING.]
Look, Eric.
The only way I can stop this is by making things more uncomfortable.
Not less.
Are you okay with that? Are you? Well, that's why we started making liquor in the first place.
I requested Virginia and Aaron's initial reports from the DOD.
What else? Well, if they refuse to turn them over, we'll petition Judge Taggart and force their hand.
- No, what else? - Like what? Like seeing if we can get her protection under whistleblower statute.
Call in a favor from Senator Hopkins.
She's risking everything here, Sydney.
You do know that, right? Yeah.
She wasn't just a fling.
She wasn't, was she? What was she? This is the past, Sydney.
Why do we need to continually dredge this up? You think that I don't want to put this behind me? The past just walked through our front door, Dad.
I was working nonstop.
She was part of a case.
Part of a world.
It made things easy.
It created an intimacy between us.
Did you love her? Were you gonna leave Mom for her? It never went that far.
Because Virginia left before you could even think about it.
[BREATHING HEAVILY.]
Telling this judge in chambers is as good as doing a deposition? Better.
With a court reporter there, it becomes a matter of public record, so if they try to silence you, the truth will come out.
Your Honor, uh, thank you for seeing us on such short notice.
You were the last to arrive.
The last? Your Honor, what do you Well, this is an impressive array of brass, Abe.
- What's going on? - I just met with general counsel for the Department of Defense.
They petitioned and I have agreed to invoke state secrets privilege.
I'm dismissing your lawsuit without prejudice.
How is our civil litigation against an independent client a risk to national security? We're not at liberty to disclose that information.
How do we fight a dismissal if we don't know why the suit is being thrown out? You don't fight it, Ms.
Strait.
You are to cease all depositions regarding military actions abroad.
Your Honor, I assure you, I have no intention of undermining national security.
Your intention is not in question.
Your actions are.
The case is over, General.
That's my order.
What just happened in there? Well, legally, it's like they wiped the whole case out like it never existed.
So that's it.
Any chance of stopping the rollout is gone.
It's a total overreaction, which makes me think they are hiding something.
We need to look into the whole chain of command here, from Shepherd all the way to Ardmore.
Ardmore's superiors, even.
- Yeah.
- All right? I know this all seems bleak, Virginia, but winning cases like this is what we do best.
Okay? Hey! [SIGHS.]
Hi.
I was just dropping some stuff off for Jake and Briana.
What's up, Syd? This case, it's, uh I heard.
Just watching them, it's like it's like he was comforting his mistress right in front of me.
I get it.
And you know what the worst part is? The worst part is that I'm the one who carries it.
I'm the one with intimacy issues.
I'm the one who everyone thinks overreacts.
I mean, even now, look at me.
I'm storming off, and he gets to be perfect.
He looks wise and noble and perfect.
I know, I know.
Hey, hey.
I should probably take off.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
You gonna be okay? Yeah.
Thank you, Robbie.
All right.
We create a fake profile, and upload the DNA to the site, then we wait to see if there are connections with anyone else in their database.
The killer would have to use the website.
Not necessarily.
It identifies relatives too.
Okay.
That's good.
Tempted to try it yourself? No, I know who I'm related to.
It's nobody special.
Hmm.
You hardly ever talk about your parents or your past.
Well, neither do you.
Well, everyone in town knows my dad and my family, so I don't need to.
What's your excuse? I don't go much in for for sad stories.
Find a way to challenge the entire Department of Defense yet? Nope.
Okay, let's get to it.
Give me a hand.
If you own more than 5% of a company, you're legally required to disclose your stock? - Mm-hmm.
- Look who owns 7% of Nomadis.
You're kidding.
Nope.
Daddy? Daddy? - Hi, Jermaine.
- Ms.
Della.
Well, if you decided to ever do a small-batch bourbon, I think we found our mascot.
Hi, darling.
I wasn't expecting you again so soon.
Here to play on my heart strings? Well, once upon a time, facing your disapproval, I would've retreated, licked my wounds, and built myself back up.
But I am all grown up.
[LAUGHS.]
Oh, come on, Daddy.
Let's work this out.
What is it going to take to make you feel comfortable handing over the reins not just the title? You want to know what it would take? Mm-hmm.
I want to go back 30 years.
I want my daughter to tell me, "Daddy, I've been a fool.
"You spent your whole lifetime "building me a gift, and I accept it.
"I will work beside you, and study at your feet, "and you can retire happy knowing that I will carry on your legacy.
" Divorced.
Lesbian.
That, I could live with.
We've had queers in the family before.
But lawyer? When I was a girl, you told me that I could do anything I wanted to do, be anybody I wanted to be.
You sent me to law school.
You gave me that gift.
I sent you so you could be an asset to the family.
You opened up the world to me, Daddy.
Worst mistake of my life.
Worst decision of yours.
So there's nothing that I can do or say that will change your mind? Eric is a good boy and he is doing a good job.
And I can't let you take out your disappointment in me on him or the company that you built.
You may think I'm a terrible daughter, but I am an excellent lawyer.
You move to sell the business, I will stage a competency hearing.
I will argue that you are unfit to make critical business decisions.
I will paint a portrait of your "colorful" practices.
I'm talking about contributions to cops to make drunk and disorderlies disappear.
I'm talking about paying off union heads.
I'm talking about two sets of books for too many years.
Stuff that doesn't exactly read "charming southern gentleman" on paper.
That's why it should've been you.
Eric doesn't have what you and I do, darling.
Steel for a spine.
If he did, he would've been able to stand up for his mother on her big night.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
I'll have my lawyer draw up paperwork transferring majority stake of the company.
I'll also be revising my will.
You'll get nothing.
You are disowned.
And you are loved.
Virginia isn't the only one who feared the GPS was flawed.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC.]
All this time trying to get Virginia on the record.
It turns out we're looking at the wrong general.
Elijah, we go back a long way.
Are you really putting me to in a position like this? Respectfully, Your Honor we are not putting you in any bad position.
We're getting you out of it.
They are the ones that put you there when they had you dismiss our case without disclosing General Ardmore's 7% ownership stake in the very company whose product is in question here.
There is nothing illegal about that.
Your Honor, Mr.
Strait has insulted a highly decorated officer.
He has questioned your own sound judgment.
Please do not entertain this last-ditch appeal.
If I ask a single question that has to do with national security, shut me down.
Even if it looks like I'm going to ask one, shut me down.
But if a few personal questions are all that it takes to show that Nomadis's technology is flawed, do you really not want me to ask them? General Howe assures us that the military values its people.
Is she mistaken? If the questions are limited I suppose there's no harm in continuing with the line of questioning.
Fine.
This is a terrible precedent you're setting.
But fine.
General, is it true that you're a major shareholder in Nomadis Industries? I'm a shareholder.
I wouldn't say major.
And it's completely legal.
You're correct.
It is.
It's not illegal for a government official to have stock in a defense contractor, so long as they disclose the investment.
Which I did.
Well, technically, your shell company disclosed its investment.
We actually had to do quite a bit of digging to discover that you own Miliserve Consulting.
It's probably because it's not a great look for someone in your position.
You know, an obvious conflict of interest.
General, I have here financial statements showing that on several occasions Your Honor That on several occasions, you actually sold your stock abruptly, only to purchase again later.
Can you tell us why you did that? I wouldn't know.
My broker Can and will be subpoenaed to testify.
Don't worry.
Did you know that on two of the dates you sold your shares, they correspond with the day after Lieutenant Shepherd had his accident, and the Niger operation? Your Honor.
If I may, that's classified.
It's a matter of national security, as I feared.
Sit down.
Counselor? I have no objection to this question, Your Honor.
If we were to look into the two other dates that you sold your shares, would we find two other unfortunate instances of this malfunction, maybe ones that you buried? I take exception to your accusations, young lady.
And I suggest you do your job before you lose it.
You sold your shares, and as soon as you were sure that you had covered up the defect, you bought back in.
What were you gonna do after the big rollout? - Short the shares? - I refuse to sit here and let her attack me like this! Your Honor.
I request a brief meeting in chambers without General Ardmore.
So just sign on the dotted line, and the contract will be fully executed, and you will be a majority stakeholder in Bedford Bourbon.
Did you know he would write you out of his will? I hoped he wouldn't, but I suspected it.
But you're my son.
You need to lead this family now.
He thinks I was protecting you, and I was.
But I was also protecting him.
You think he'll figure that out? Maybe.
In time.
You know, I really am proud of the woman you are.
[POIGNANT MUSIC.]
You know that, right? Even if I do, it doesn't make it any less sweet to hear it.
Okay.
I'm sorry, Mom.
I just spoke with the Secretary of Defense.
As of now, the DOD is recalling the Nomadis GPS from the field, and suspending any further rollout until such time as the fault is identified and fixed.
General Ardmore has been placed on leave, pending an investigation into his actions.
On behalf of the Department of Defense, and by extension, the United States Armed Forces, I'd like to thank General Howe for bringing her concerns to our attention.
If you're willing, Aaron, we'd like to discuss the possibility of consolidating your case with any future legal action the DOD pursues against Nomadis.
We'll get you justice, Lieutenant.
Clear your good name.
I'd like that.
Well done, soldier.
[UPLIFTING MUSIC.]
[LOW CHATTER.]
Sydney.
Yeah.
I wanted to thank you.
I was just doing my job.
I feel like I owe you an apology.
No.
I don't think you should apologize.
Women are too hard on each other as it is.
Fair enough.
I was, um, sorry to hear about your mother.
I I wanted to say so, but I wasn't sure if you Thank you.
You know, this would've been a lot easier if you were just some drunken backseat fling.
Tell me about it.
[BIRDS CALLING DISTANTLY.]
I'm feeling like we didn't have time for a visit.
I think in our situation, hoping for something as casual as a visit might've been optimistic.
- Where to next? - I'm afraid that's classified.
[LAUGHS.]
That was a joke.
[LAUGHS.]
Somalia.
I've been thinking about what you said.
About why you didn't tell me.
I don't think I'm ever gonna be able to say that you did the right thing, but I do understand your choice.
I understand your intentions, and We have a beautiful son, that you raised into a great young man.
Take care, Elijah.
And Take care of Emerson.
Yeah.
Uh, maybe stay in touch? Since the ice is broken? If I don't, it's Just because leaving you was the hardest thing I ever did.
[BITTERSWEET MUSIC.]
Not gonna be able to see the river soon.
You know, I have so many memories from this place when I was a kid.
They're so vivid.
Like playing hide and seek with Della, counting all the books in your office.
I used to rifle through your desk drawers and find the simplest thing, like a paper clip, and just think, wow, this belongs to my dad.
I wonder what he does with it.
Probably something amazing and important.
They're fading.
Those memories, they are fading.
You never met your grandfather.
Biggest man on earth to me.
He ran our family with presence and dignity.
He was a machinist.
One day, I snuck out from school to go see him.
And I turn the corner saw someone yelling at him, some superior.
And I froze.
And then he looked at me, and his face was so red.
His eyes were He never spoke of it.
And I wanted so badly to never have gone there that day.
But you did.
[POLICE SIREN WAILING DISTANTLY.]
Why the mad rush, Reilly? Because Briana's a genius.
There were hits on the ancestry database.
Familial relations.
Some distant cousins in a cluster in Florida.
- One in Austin.
- Wait, wait, wait, you're not gonna tell me you nailed the guy.
Direct relative right here.
In Memphis.
An aunt.
His aunt.
We know who killed Tess.