Reasonable Doubt (2022) s01e08 Episode Script
Song Cry
1
NARRATOR: Previously
on Reasonable Doubt
She's claiming I sexually assaulted her.
First, she accused
him of sexual assault,
now the woman is dead.
- Do you know if he raped her?
- I don't know.
Well, maybe that's why you
don't wanna take the case.
RICH: You're the best
person for the job.
BRAYDEN: What the fuck are you up to?
SARAH: I did what I've always done
Uh
protect this family.
THEO: We have an interested buyer.
With this trial, if we wait,
we could lose this offer.
RICH: I'll do it. Let's
keep this between us?
Are you trying to
take my company from me?
No, I
I really wish you
would have forgiven Daddy
the same way you forgave Paul.
I've done some things
when I was drinking
that I'm not proud of.
JAX: If this is what love looks like,
then I feel sorry for both of us.
You don't know half the
shit I do for this family.
How's it going with vacay bae?
JAX: Well
[BOTH MOANING]
he wants more than I
can give him right now.
WILL: I'm Will, your nightly patrol.
I was hired by your husband.
AUTUMN: Playing with people's
emotions has consequences.
So if this guy is
telling you what he wants
and you don't want the same,
then let him know sooner than later.
There's no such thing
as a free vacation.
- [JAX GROANS]
- JAX: No.
JAX: No.
[GUNSHOT]
[TAPE WHIRRING]
Runnin' by The Pharcyde playing ♪
Come on, come on, come on, come on ♪
Yeah, check it out, check it out ♪
Yeah ♪
One-two, one-two,
one-two, one-two, one-two ♪
Check the sound, check the
sound, check the sound, yeah ♪
Run, run ♪
Run, run ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
I must admit on some occasions ♪
I went out like a punk and a chump ♪
Or a sucka or something
to that effect ♪
Respect I used to never get ♪
'Cause all I got was upset ♪
When niggas used to be like ♪
What's, up fool? ♪
And tried to sweat a nigga ♪
I'm not tryin' to
show, no macho is shown ♪
But when it's on, when
it's on, then it's on ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Who's on the brink of insanity? ♪
Now don't be wishin' of
switchin' any positions with me ♪
'Cause when you in my
position, it ain't never easy ♪
To do any type of maintainin' ♪
'Cause all the gamin' and
famin' from entertainin' ♪
Is hella strainin' to the brain and ♪
But I can't keep runnin', I
just gotta keep keen and cunnin' ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Run, run ♪
Run, run ♪
[♪]
Run, run ♪
Run, run ♪
Hello, family.
- Hey!
- How was work, Jackie?
Britt jacked another sale from me.
She doesn't even need the money.
Her family owns half of Brentwood.
I'm sorry, but you know how it is.
We have to work twice as hard.
Ooh, maybe if you bought me a
car, I could work half as hard.
[LAUGHTER]
You know, I don't know
why you wanna be a nurse.
You were clearly meant
to argue for a living.
I don't wanna be a lawyer, Mom.
I like helping people, not criminals.
Well, criminals need
help sometime, right?
Uh, you wash up for dinner?
Actually I'm eating at
Sally's. Headed there now.
Uh, not on the bus, you're not.
You better tell that rich
girl to come pick you up.
Jackie, I'll give you a ride, okay?
Thank you, Paul.
I'm gonna grab my stuff.
[PAUL SIGHS]
Are you okay to drive?
[♪]
[♪]
Thanks, Paul.
I'll ask Autumn's mom if she
can drop me off tomorrow.
I have a plan to get you a car.
For real?
I've been putting
aside some money for you.
It's not much, alright?
But at least you wouldn't
have to deal with Britt
and her Brentwood BS much longer.
[♪]
[♪]
JAX: Um, I have to head out now.
Leaving already? You've been
on the phone since you got here.
I'm in the middle of a trial, Lewis,
and I already asked for a later
start for a family emergency.
And I'm sure you're able to make time
for things that are important to you.
I understand, Jacqueline. It's okay.
I can stay.
Thank you, Lewis.
[♪]
[♪]
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- BRAYDEN: Wendy. Theo.
I don't remember seeing a
board meeting on my calendar.
Brayden. We thought
you'd be in court now.
BRAYDEN: We're resuming after lunch.
My attorney has a family emergency.
- What's up?
- It's come to our attention
that some of Clout's potential
buyers are getting cold feet.
Well, fuck 'em.
I'm not even sure that
I want to sell anyway.
You may be ambivalent
about selling at this moment,
but it's important to
keep our options open.
Right.
There can be a bit of a herd
mentality in the marketplace.
When one runs, they all do.
Well, so what?
The fundamentals of the
business are rock solid.
- What else do they want?
- What any suitor wants.
Reassurance.
Which they will have
once the trial is over.
Yeah, I'm not sure
we can wait until then.
Especially not knowing
what the outcome will be.
WENDY: Since you're not
able to speak for yourself,
we figured we'd send Theo
out to speak for the company.
I contacted a producer friend at WTNN
to set up an interview about Clout and
its importance in the business world.
It'll air tonight.
I see.
Brayden, you've put in a
very strong executive team.
Let them take some of
this weight off of you,
at least for now.
Yeah. No, no, no, no.
I look forward to watching.
Yeah, look, I'm-I'm sorry
to hear about your stepfather.
Are you guys close?
JAX: [OVER PHONE] Um, not really.
Yo, you fuckin' flaked on me?
- Yo, let me call you back.
- JAX: Okay.
I thought I made it clear
what the assignment was.
Don't tell me you missed
work for this bitch.
Hey, no need to call
her a bitch, alright?
Be easy. It was a one-time thing.
Look, it ain't gonna happen again.
We good?
Yeah. We good.
Ralo got you this time.
But next time, there
ain't gonna be no cover.
I'll see you tomorrow night.
[♪]
Since we finished our
expert witness testimony,
we need to focus on
our character witnesses
since Brayden's not taking the stand.
So that's Theo, Sarah, and Wendy Grain,
one of Brayden's board members at Clout.
Oh.
- KRYSTAL: Uh
- JAX: Okay.
Krystal, are you alright?
Are you? I'm so sorry about Paul.
[GASPS] Oh, girl, I'm
fine. He's not dead.
I know, but I talked to your mom,
and she said he's in bad shape.
She's just being dramatic.
He'll be fine. He always is.
Anyway, speaking of moms,
were you able to get in
touch with Brayden's mother?
I really think that she'll be
a powerful character witness.
No, not yet.
Well, keep trying.
In the meantime, I want to
talk about this fingerprint.
I want to a see if Fallon
Stephens, her daughter Morgan,
or even that shady boyfriend is a match.
You think one of them did it?
I don't know.
I'm not ruling out anyone at this point.
Everyone is on the table.
Even her disgruntled ex-assistant.
Well, how do you expect to get them?
[EVIL LAUGHTER]
Translation, I'm on it.
- KRYSTAL: [SIGHS] Seriously?
- [JAX CHUCKLES]
Okay, back to the character witnesses.
If we put Sarah on the stand,
Mike is going to bring up
those emails to Kaleesha,
and that doesn't help us.
- I'm not worried about Sarah.
- I'm more worried about Theo.
Brayden doesn't trust him,
which means I don't trust him.
I never trusted him.
Ooh. [LAUGHS]
Hmm.
JAX: Well, what do you think, Rich?
I know that's your boy.
Hardly.
Oh, I thought y'all were tight.
Okay, if he couldn't
be loyal to Brayden,
his friend for over 20 years,
why should I expect he'd be loyal to me?
Hmm. All skinfolk ain't kinfolk.
- Okay.
- You heard me. Girl.
Come on. They really don't-don't
- Uh, okay.
- KRYSTAL: Okay.
Well, anyway, Brayden
says Theo's going on TV
to say good things about the company,
so, I guess we'll see what he says.
[♪]
[♪]
[SIGHS] It's about to start.
- News theme playing on TV ♪
- Great.
NEWSCASTER: [ON TV] Joining
us tonight is Theo James.
He is the COO of Clout Liquor.
Mr. James, thank you for being with us.
Thank you for having me.
How did your company start?
Our CEO Brayden Miller and myself
attended Columbia University together.
After burning ourselves
out on Wall Street,
we decided to start our
own consulting company.
And from there, we
garnered some relationships
and found ourselves making liquor.
Speaking of Brayden Miller, your CEO,
he is currently on trial
for the second-degree murder
of former EVP Kaleesha Moore.
How has that affected the company?
It's a very unfortunate
thing for everyone.
Kaleesha was a valued
member of our executive team
and of course what is happening
with Brayden is simply tragic,
which is why the board has
decided to name me interim CEO.
NEWSCASTER: Do you believe
that he killed Kaleesha?
THEO: At the end of the day,
no one knows what anyone is capable of.
Well, true indeed.
What the fuck was that?
That was him stealing the
company from you on national TV.
My pleasure. Thank you for having me.
NEWSCASTER: Alright, we're gonna
take a quick commercial break here
[♪]
MAMA LU: Ooh, look who's here, Paul.
I'm so glad that you could make it.
Hi, baby.
I'm so relieved that he's awake.
I brought you Mr. Frosty
to keep you company
'cause I know you can't sleep at home.
Oh, thanks, Naima.
Are you feeling any better?
A little bit.
What really makes me feel better
is seeing you all.
How's school going?
SPENSER: It's going pretty good.
PAUL: Yeah?
[POP MUSIC PLAYING]
[♪]
- [DOOR OPENS]
- What are you doing in here?
I need Q-tips.
And you've been in here forever.
You couldn't wait ten more minutes?
Ain't nobody trying
to see you, little girl.
What is with all the yelling?
PAUL: Just grabbing a Q-tip.
You know how Jackie is,
dramatic for no reason.
Yeah, I know.
Next time, lock the door if you
want people to know you're in here.
Okay?
[♪]
JAX: Uh [SIGHS]
Okay, guys, I really
think we should get going.
The kids have to get to school.
We just got here.
Hey, sorry, guys, we
can't stay any longer.
- I gotta get to work.
- When are you coming back?
Um, I don't know.
I don't know if we'll
have the time but
we'll be praying for you, okay?
Come on, let's go.
- PAUL: Bye.
- Bye.
[♪]
BRAYDEN: He basically accused
me of murder on national TV.
He announced that he was
taking over as interim CEO
and you expect me to stay silent?
Brayden, I understand you're frustrated,
but taking the stand is a nonstarter.
It's too risky.
My instincts are telling me to do this.
Fine. Let's try some questions.
Hmm?
Okay, then.
Brayden, why were you
at Kaleesha's that night?
It occurred to me that the only
way to get Kaleesha to hear my side
was to talk to her myself.
So you intimidated her.
I went over there to
persuade her to sign the NDA,
which she did.
That was the goal and I accomplished it.
You found it appropriate
to go to your mistress' house
on your anniversary?
I realize that I was wrong
the way that I handled things.
So I apologized.
Gratefully, she accepted my apology.
I left with no regrets.
I just
I didn't know that was
gonna be the last time
I was gonna see her.
That's the part I, I
still can't believe.
Mr. Miller, in the midst
of your affair with Kaleesha,
you made a pact that you would
both leave your spouses, correct?
Yes.
JAX: She left her husband but
you didn't leave your wife.
Which means you're a
person who says one thing
and does something else.
Sounds like someone
who can't be trusted.
Kaleesha knew the situation.
Did I expect her to understand?
No, but I certainly didn't expect her
to come after me the way that she did.
So to recap, you lied
to her, broke her heart,
then accused her of being irrational.
Sounds like gaslighting to me.
Gaslighting? No, no, no, no, no, no.
Did you know that gaslighting is
a tactic commonly used by abusers?
Tell me something.
Did you ever sexually assault Kaleesha?
Now hold on here, Jax.
How would Mike know about that?
He has Kaleesha's personal laptop.
I'll ask you again, Mr. Miller.
Did you ever sexually assault Kaleesha?
It was a misunderstanding.
We talked about it. I
I wasn't aware that she
took it as an assault.
[JAX SCOFFS]
She understood and we moved past it.
"We"? [SCOFFS]
Well, I'm glad you
moved past raping her.
That's not what I said.
What you're saying is that after
gaslighting the woman you raped,
you needed to make it all okay.
Not for her. For you.
This was all about you.
Is everything about you, Mr. Miller?
I did not say that. That is not
Do you know one thing most
murderers have in common, Mr. Miller?
They're narcissists.
No further questions.
[♪]
What are your instincts
telling you now, Brayden?
[♪]
Brayden is so stubborn.
I know that he believes that
taking the stand was a good idea,
but I'm hoping that Sarah's
testimony will leave an impact.
'Cause you know them jurors, they
love them some white woman tears.
- Man, that they do.
- Mm-hmm.
[CELL PHONE BUZZING]
- [SIGHS] Sorry. Give me one sec.
- [BUZZING CONTINUES]
[MUTED] Now's not a great time, Lewis.
I asked you to do it, remember?
Well, I'm-I'm on my way.
Um, yeah, I got to go, that was Lewis.
It's about my kids.
I'm just getting a little tired of
all these niggas popping up everywhere.
Niggas?
What the hell are you talking about?
Lewis is the father of my children.
That's fine, just let
me come with you then.
No, Damon, I will call you later.
I see. I see.
I ain't good enough to be a part
of your regular life, right?
- Damon
- DAMON: So just let me know.
You know what?
We can fuckin' end this shit right now.
The last man who gave me an
ultimatum doesn't live with me anymore.
Don't play with me, Damon.
Fuck outta here.
[♪]
Oh! Hey, babies.
Hi, guys. Hi.
We are so sorry.
Yeah, me and Mom's wires got crossed.
Hey, Nai.
Can you go wait in Dad's car?
Come here, sweetie. Wait.
So what's y'all's punishment
for leaving your kids stranded?
Excuse me?
Watch your mouth, young man.
Look, ever since Dad moved
out, everything has been worse.
And you all ain't the ones
who's feeling it the most.
We are.
Uh
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
JAX: Lewis, this is bad.
I think it's time we
figure out this separation.
I met with a divorce attorney.
You did what?
When did you decide that you
When I saw you with another man.
Okay. Okay.
Lewis, no, it's not like that.
Oh-oh, really?
'Cause it seemed like a
whole lot of something
when I saw you two playing
footsies over espresso
or whatever the hell that was.
- Were you following me?
- Don't worry about how I found out.
Just know I'm done.
And clearly so are you.
No. No, Lewis, I'm-I'm not done.
I-I just, um I
I have no idea what I'm doing
right now, Lewis. I'm
Jax, I'm gonna take the kids
to go spend time with Paul
and your mom at the hospital.
But I'll be damned if I'm
gonna be your babysitter
while you're out spending
time with your boyfriend.
O-okay. He's not my
Whatever, Jax.
Shit or get off the pot.
'Cause this, this is all too messy,
and it's affecting our fucking kids.
I know. You're right.
I'm-I'm sorry.
- I'm gonna figure it out.
- Yeah, figure it out soon, Jax.
Real soon.
[♪]
[CAR DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[CAR ENGINE STARTS]
PAUL: Jackie. That was fast.
Oh, wait, Jackie. You
got something on you.
Why are you being so weird, Jackie?
I'm not.
SHANELLE: Jax, are you okay?
I came over as soon as I got your text.
Paul is in the hospital?
What happened?
- Hey, come here, girl.
- [JAX CRYING]
Hey, it's okay.
I'm so sorry.
So, no one else knows about
what happened with Paul?
No.
Not the other girls.
Not even Lewis.
I haven't talked about
it with anyone since I
Since I told you when we were kids.
Wow.
I'm surprised.
But I'm sure he'd be supportive.
JAX: Lewis would be supportive of me
but there's no way in hell I'd
be able to see my mom again.
Or Paul.
He-he wouldn't allow it.
And he damn sure ain't gonna
let the kids go over there.
Despite everything that
is still my family.
You know, it is my only family.
So I made a decision.
I felt like the kids deserve
to know their grandparents.
Did what I had to do to
keep us all together.
And it's fucked up
because Lewis accuses me of
not putting family first.
Of not choosing him,
when everything I've
done has been for him.
Well, I can't, I can't
tell him. I just I-I
I can't. I can't do it.
SHANELLE: Oh, Jax.
That's a lot.
Oh, God.
Well, you should know
I have never told anyone.
Not even Jamarion.
JAX: I appreciate that.
Now, Shanelle, I know
we have our moments,
but I really love you.
I know, girl.
I love you too.
Thank you for coming over so fast.
I got you.
Just been having a really hard time,
you know, with the case and Lewis
and the kids and now Paul and D
Um
I've been seeing somebody else.
Wait, what?
You know the client that I
connected with back in the day?
When I was a public defender.
When Sally was getting married?
- The one with the auto shop?
- Yeah.
He got out,
and we've been, sounds so crazy to say,
I don't know, we've
been seeing each other.
But, girl, I think it's been a mistake.
I mean, it was fun, you
know, things were going good.
But I told him that I just
wanted to keep it light.
- SHANELLE: Mm-hmm.
- You know.
I don't think he heard me.
And now Lewis is talking
about divorce.
What?
- No!
- JAX: Girl.
Girl, I just saw Lewis
at Jordan's birthday party,
and I told him that you seemed happy
and that you clearly still loved him.
Wait, what?
Wait, why are you talking to
my husband about my marriage?
Do I talk to your husband
about your marriage?
Jax. I'm sorry. I didn't know.
I just assumed that it was
Lewis that was making you happy,
not someone else.
Maybe if you told me more things
This is why I don't.
I just said that I
have never told anyone
your biggest secret
that no one else knows.
And now you're saying
you can't trust me?
Okay, no, I'm just saying
No, you don't know what you're saying.
But it's okay.
Because this is what you do, Jax.
You push away the people
that know you best
because you don't like to be seen.
But it's all good.
I mean, you can sit
here and try to blame me
for what's going on in your life,
but I'm not gonna sit here and take it.
If I wanted to be treated badly,
I'd have stayed my ass home.
Shanelle, wh-what does that mean?
Well, since you don't want
me all up in your marriage,
please don't worry about mine.
[♪]
- Shanelle, look, I'm sorry.
- I'm sorry too.
I'm sorry that you've had
so much trauma in your life
that you have to create it
even when it's not there.
But I suggest you deal with it
before you lose everything
and everyone you love.
[♪]
I still can't believe Theo
is the CEO of Clout now.
Are we still going to
put him on the stand?
I can't imagine Brayden
would want that now.
Probably not, but we need him.
I ran all the
fingerprints you asked for.
So far, no match.
Really?
Wow.
Okay, well, in the meantime,
we need to use Sarah to
shore up Brayden's alibi.
Emphasize how tight that
time line would have been
for him to commit the murder.
Are you worried about what
she might say on the stand?
JAX: We prepped her,
and she seems to not want
the father of her
children to go to prison.
But if we need to, we will go after her.
She's not our client. He is.
Damn, Jax, cold world.
Real world, Daniel.
I don't make the rules.
Y'all think she murdered Kaleesha?
I mean, it's one of the white people.
Either her or Theo.
No offense, Rich.
Thanks, Krystal.
You know, I think I
have a plan for Sarah.
But, Rich, I'll need
your help with Theo.
Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.
Yeah, it's been a long time.
- I've been busy with the case.
- Right.
Speaking of, I want to make sure
that you're still up for
serving as a character witness.
After all, no one knows
Brayden better than you.
I'm sure Kaleesha felt differently.
But as always, I'm happy to
do whatever Brayden needs.
RICH: Great.
How about another round, huh?
- Why not?
- One question first.
How did Brayden find out
about the company's sale?
I told Jax.
When you specifically said you
were gonna keep that between us?
Yeah, I changed my mind.
THEO: [SCOFFS] What happened?
Scared about going against the boss?
- Jax is not my boss
- Mm.
But she is my partner on
this case, and a friend.
So my loyalty is with her.
Just as your loyalty is with Brayden.
Unless things have changed.
If you're trying to get me drunk
so that I'll talk, it won't work.
I'm British and my mother was Irish.
You'd be on your back way
before I'd be on mine.
Nice try, my friend.
- Was there anything else?
- RICH: No.
- I think we're good.
- THEO: Great.
Oh, and tell Jax I don't need
to prep for her little trial.
Tell her I'll email her the
answers to the questions.
Turns out, I have a company to run.
Good to see you, mate.
[BRITISH ACCENT] Good
to see you too mate.
[♪]
JAX: So Brayden stepped
out to get you dessert.
When he came back, did you
notice anything suspicious?
Anything suggesting a struggle
when he walked in the door?
Anything out of place?
Nothing. He just had my ice cream.
And from what you
know about your husband,
after 15 years of marriage,
do you have any reason to believe
Brayden murdered the victim?
My husband is a cheater, not a murderer.
JAX: Thank you.
No further questions.
Mrs. Miller, your husband admitted
to having an affair with the victim.
Is this something that you were
aware of while it was going on?
I found out at some point, yes.
Mrs. Miller, perhaps you recall
that we were able to recover
Kaleesha's personal laptop?
Yes.
Do you also recall sending
several emails to Kaleesha
prior to her tragic death?
I wasn't happy about
the affair, naturally.
Because these emails consist of you
quite literally threatening
to harm Kaleesha
if she didn't leave your husband alone.
I can't recall exactly what I said.
But you lied to your friends and
family and maybe even your husband
saying that you did not have
knowledge about the affair
prior to Kaleesha's death.
Is that correct?
Yes.
What else are you then
willing to lie about?
Maybe your husband
murdering his mistress?
Objection. Argumentative.
Sustained.
No further questions.
Thank you.
It's okay, Sarah.
You let me know when you're ready, okay?
[EXHALES] I'm ready.
Good.
Now, why did you lie about
knowing about the affair?
I was just so embarrassed.
I felt defeated
and sad and angry.
I couldn't even admit what I knew
to myself for a little while,
let alone anybody else.
Tell me about the rest of your evening.
I I waited for Brayden to get home.
- JAX: Did you leave again?
- No.
Is there anyone else who can
corroborate that you were home?
Everyone was off, the
kids were with family. I
We had planned for it to be our night.
So you were home alone by yourself
doing nothing, waiting for your husband?
An alibi that no one
else can corroborate.
[♪]
No further questions.
[♪]
You set me up. I thought
you were gonna protect me.
Look, I told you I needed to do whatever
helps Brayden stay out of prison.
[SCOFFS] And that means throwing
me under the bus like it's nothing.
Don't blame her, Sarah,
you asked for this yourself.
I "asked for this"?
Jesus. After everything you have done.
I have stuck by your side
and now this is my fault?
[CHUCKLES] You're unbelievable.
You made her sign that NDA
because you probably fuckin' raped her.
Now I'm starting to think
maybe you killed her too.
Say that shit to me again.
Okay, okay, okay. Alright, listen.
Hey, hey. Let's take a beat, alright?
Look, we all want the same thing, okay?
For Brayden to leave
this trial a free man.
Falling apart is not an option.
Sarah, why don't you take the car home?
I'll call a separate car for Brayden.
[♪]
- Oh, confirmed?
- Confirmed.
Finally, some good news.
So I'm your favorite now, right?
Over Krystal.
Yes, Daniel. You're my favorite today.
Right now.
Okay, I'll take it.
Mr. James, you've known
Mr. Miller for almost three decades.
Would you characterize
him as being impulsive?
I would not.
Do you think he could
have killed the victim?
No, I don't.
And were you aware that Miss Moore
was planning to whistleblow
company secrets?
- I was.
- Were you privy to these secrets?
No.
I had no idea what Kaleesha
was planning on saying.
Hmm.
Because according to documents
obtained from her personal laptop,
it was made clear that
she was planning to reveal
that you overvalued Clout
in preparation for the sale.
What?
No, that's preposterous.
She would have had no proof of that.
Were you aware that the victim was
planning to come forward with proof
demonstrating that you embezzled
funds from the company?
THEO: What?
No. No, I was not.
When was the last time
you saw Kaleesha Moore?
I, uh, I-I can't recall.
Mr. James, let's not forget
that you are under oath.
The night before she was found dead.
[♪]
You mean the night of her murder?
Yes.
Did the police question
your whereabouts that evening?
No, because I didn't kill her.
So you say.
- Objection, Your Honor.
- Badgering the witness.
Sustained. Mrs. Stewart
That's okay, Your Honor,
I'm almost done here.
Lastly, Mr. James,
you were just promoted at Clout to CEO?
Interim.
So, in summary, Mr. James,
your whistleblower is dead,
the founder of your
company is up for murder,
and you're promoted to CEO, correct?
I guess you could say, yes.
I guess you could say yes.
No further questions, Your Honor.
[♪]
[CELL PHONE BUZZING]
[♪]
Brayden. Jax is here.
BRAYDEN: Not a good time.
Well, if you're staying, you
may as well have a drink.
It's rude to watch.
I came to check on you.
Make sure you weren't doing
well, this.
BRAYDEN: What else is there to do?
I can't run my company, I can't
defend myself to the world,
but I can always drink.
Brayden, I know you wanted
to take the stand, okay?
But I promise you, it
wasn't a good idea.
You see what they did to Sarah.
Imagine what Mike
would have done to you.
You mean what you did to Sarah?
[BRAYDEN LAUGHS]
It's fine. I mean, she already hates me.
My wife hates me, Kaleesha hated me,
and my best friend of 20 years
is trying to steal my company
out from underneath me.
I got no one.
That's not true.
You have two kids who adore you.
And you got me.
You know why I didn't want
you at first? Why I chose Rich?
'Cause you're an asshole.
Probably. But also,
because I don't like being seen.
And you saw me. All the parts.
I got enough mirrors in my house.
I didn't need another
one staring back at me.
I get that. Trust me.
It was shitty.
And I'm glad you're the bigger person.
No, I'm not always.
But this time I am too.
Come on.
Oh. Brayden.
Come on, bring it in. Bring it in.
Hey, Jax, give me some love.
Oh, God, Brayden.
[BRAYDEN SIGHS DEEPLY]
You smell like her.
Smell like who?
Hey. No. Stop it! What are you doing?
[♪]
I'm sorry.
[♪]
[♪]
- PAUL: Ah, you feel so good.
- Paul?
What are you doing?
[♪]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
[♪]
[GASPS]
[CELL PHONE CHIMES]
[POUNDING ON DOOR]
[SIGHS]
Will, what are you doing here?
WILL: [OVER PHONE] Trying to reach you.
It's not really a good time.
WILL: I've been texting and calling.
None of it has gone through.
- [DOOR OPENS]
- Hey.
I've got 9-1-1 on speed dial.
Wow.
- Really?
- Yes, really.
And let me remind you that
there are cameras in here
in case you wanna act brand new.
[SIGHS] Now that makes sense.
Since being let go from your detail,
I got fired from the security company
and haven't been able
to find another job.
I'm guessing your husband
watched your little show
and got me fired.
Fuck.
I'm sorry. I had no idea.
I don't give a fuck now.
All I need is a reference and a job.
It's the least you could do.
- Considering.
- Of course.
I'll have my assistant
type up something.
I'll send it over to you in the morning.
- Okay?
- Okay.
Thanks.
Damon, what are you doing here?
Who the fuck is this?
[SCREAMING]
JAX: No! No! Damon! Damon!
Stop it! What are you doing?
- Damon!
- Who the fuck is this?
- JAX: Stop it! You're gonna choke him!
- [DAMON GRUNTS]
Damon, stop.
What are you doing?
You need to leave. Now!
I'm your man.
And you keep putting me in
these fuckin' situations
with all these fuckin' niggas around!
I'm the one who needs to leave?
You're not my man.
- Get out! [JAX SCREAMS]
- Fuck!
[GROANS] [DOOR SLAMS]
Oh, my God.
Will, I'm so sorry.
- [WILL GROANS]
- I've no idea what got into him. I'm
Trust me you'll
never hear from me again.
I'm so sorry.
Meeting you was the worst fucking
thing that's ever happened to me.
[WILL COUGHING]
- [DOOR SLAMS]
- Oh, shit.
Oh!
[GASPING]
[♪]
[SIGHS DEEPLY]
- Hey, Jax.
- Brayden. How are you feeling today?
Um, better. I-I just wanna
apologize for my actions.
It was misdirected, out of
place, totally inappropriate.
- That is not who I am.
- Okay.
Really?
We have a case to win,
so let's just do that.
Thank you for being here, Mrs. Miller.
Can you tell me a little
bit about your son Ronnie?
Um, Ronnie was Brayden's little brother.
He died while Brayden
was still in high school.
He was very young. Too young.
JAX: I'm so sorry, Mrs. Miller.
How did Ronnie die?
A drive-by shooting.
They were playing out
by the basketball courts
when a stray bullet
caught Ronnie in the neck.
Did you know the person
responsible for his death?
DOROTHY: I did.
But justice doesn't often get
served in our neighborhood,
so we take care of things ourselves.
How did you intend to take care of it?
I bought a gun.
I was so blinded by anger and pain
that I was ready to kill for my son.
- And what stopped you?
- Brayden.
Brayden destroyed the gun.
He didn't want to fight
violence with violence.
He wanted to break that cycle of pain.
I kept this piece of the gun
as a reminder of the healing
we experienced as a family.
JAX: So would it be safe to say
that you would characterize Brayden
as someone who fiercely
believes in anti-violence?
Absolutely.
Brayden has always done what's right.
No further questions.
[♪]
Mr. Ortiz, any questions?
No, Your Honor.
Mrs. Stewart, any more witnesses?
No, Your Honor. The defense rests.
[LINE RINGING]
- Hey.
- LEWIS: [OVER PHONE] Hi.
How are the kids?
Good.
JAX: [OVER PHONE] How are you?
What's up, Jax?
I was wondering if when
you bring the kids by,
we can, we can talk.
About what?
Wow.
You really are not gonna
make this easy for me.
No. No, I'm not.
And I've already said
what I need to say.
I don't feel like talking.
I don't want to get a divorce.
Even when you said the words,
I thought I was gonna throw up.
Yes, I was seeing someone.
That was a mistake. It's over.
I just needed something easy, Lewis.
But what I want is something real.
I want you.
I want us to figure
out how to be together.
I need time, Jax.
JAX: Okay. I understand.
I understand. That's-that's fair.
LEWIS: Okay, I'll, uh, I'll
see you tomorrow, okay?
Okay.
[KNOW THESE THINGS: SHOULDN'
YOU BY MAXWELL PLAYING]
[♪]
[SIGHS]
[♪]
You stung ♪
[♪]
As if you knew I'd sting right there ♪
[♪]
Hey, Jackie.
And you shouldn't know these things ♪
Hey.
About me ♪
[♪]
Abused ♪
[SIGHS]
As if your pain would quench my fear ♪
Jackie, I'm really
sorry about last night.
How could you know ♪
God, I just, um,
had a little too much to drink.
About me ♪
And I thought it was your mom's room.
I blacked out.
I don't know how I got there.
[VOICE FADING] I'm so, so sorry.
Know these things ♪
And be this awfully well in tune ♪
Go as if ♪
I lost my shit. I did.
I just need you to know that I was,
I was trying to protect you.
Is that what you call that?
Protection?
I call it crazy.
Jax.
MAMA LU: Jacqueline?
Baby. What's wrong?
What's wrong?
[CRYING]
Hey.
What's fuckin' crazy is
you're not calling me back,
what is fucking crazy is you
treat me like I ain't shit.
Oh.
Do you ever stop and
think about my feelings?
Or do you just think about yourself?
Wait, so you show up at my
house and attack an innocent man
and you want me to think
about your feelings?
MAMA LU: Paul, I told
you about your drinking
and now this?
PAUL: I told you, it was an accident!
MAMA LU: What am I supposed to do?
PAUL: What, you think
I did it on purpose?
MAMA LU: I don't know. Did you?
[INDISTINCT ARGUING]
Well in tune ♪
Go on as if not ♪
Aware ♪
Go on and be those ♪
Don't look at me like
I'm crazy because I'm not.
I'm not fuckin' crazy,
Jax. I'm in love with you.
Know these things ♪
About me ♪
[SNIFFLES]
[♪]
[♪]
Sixteen years.
I held on to everything.
Everything!
You don't deserve me.
I'm not ready to let you go.
Paul is gone.
[♪]
Be as if not ♪
I asked him to stop drinking.
And he won't.
He can't.
As this appears ♪
He made a mistake getting
in the bed with you.
But he's a good man.
I fucked up. I fucked up. I'm sorry.
Give me another chance.
MAMA LU: [CRYING] I just wish
he could have been better
for me, you know.
Now what am I supposed to do?
[MAMA LU CRYING]
Tell me you know ♪
I don't, I don't wanna live without you.
[♪]
Show me you know ♪
I can't.
It's okay, Mama.
I'm here.
I'm not going anywhere, okay?
I'm here for you, Damon.
[♪]
I'm here for you.
[♪]
KRYSTAL: You finish with
your closing statement?
- JAX: Uh
- So, I can proof it?
I have a draft, but I'm-I'm
still working through it.
KRYSTAL: Yeah, um, I understand.
This isn't your first big case.
But I haven't seen you
this distracted before.
I mean, this Paul thing seems
to really be affecting you, Jax.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess so.
Clear my schedule for
the rest of the day.
PAUL: Hey, Jackie.
You came back.
Where's Mom?
She went down to the
commissary to get a snack.
She'll be back shortly.
How was the trial?
Fine.
PAUL: That's good.
You ever think about what happened
when I was 16?
Uh, I I haven't
I haven't thought about
that in some time.
I learned a long time ago it's
best to leave the past in the past.
How lucky for you.
Uh, it's a mistake I regret.
It's-it's the biggest
mistake of my life.
But was it a mistake?
Of course.
I was blackout drunk that night.
But what about all the other times?
Hmm?
Like the first time it happened.
You grazed my breast
outside of Sally's house?
That time on Crenshaw?
The shower?
And I'm sure there's many more times
that I-I've blocked out of my mind.
Were all those a mistake,
or was the mistake you getting caught?
- Can you get me some water?
- No.
If that's your truth, Jackie,
then that's your truth.
I can respect that.
But
it's not mine.
I'm sorry.
That's a great speech
to tell yourself, Paul.
But I don't believe you.
I think you were grooming
me the entire fucking time.
[GROANS]
[♪]
[GASPING]
PAUL: Jackie, please.
I see who you are.
And I swear to God, if you
come anywhere near Naima,
I will kill you with my bare hands.
[♪]
[GASPING]
That's right, Paul. You
get some fucking help!
- [GASPING]
- [MONITOR BEEPING RAPIDLY]
Oh. Oh.
What happened?
[♪]
[♪]
[MAMA LU CRYING]
- [FLATLINE]
- Paul!
Paul!
[FLATLINE]
[♪]
Rich.
I know who killed Kaleesha.
[♪]
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]
[♪]
NARRATOR: Previously
on Reasonable Doubt
She's claiming I sexually assaulted her.
First, she accused
him of sexual assault,
now the woman is dead.
- Do you know if he raped her?
- I don't know.
Well, maybe that's why you
don't wanna take the case.
RICH: You're the best
person for the job.
BRAYDEN: What the fuck are you up to?
SARAH: I did what I've always done
Uh
protect this family.
THEO: We have an interested buyer.
With this trial, if we wait,
we could lose this offer.
RICH: I'll do it. Let's
keep this between us?
Are you trying to
take my company from me?
No, I
I really wish you
would have forgiven Daddy
the same way you forgave Paul.
I've done some things
when I was drinking
that I'm not proud of.
JAX: If this is what love looks like,
then I feel sorry for both of us.
You don't know half the
shit I do for this family.
How's it going with vacay bae?
JAX: Well
[BOTH MOANING]
he wants more than I
can give him right now.
WILL: I'm Will, your nightly patrol.
I was hired by your husband.
AUTUMN: Playing with people's
emotions has consequences.
So if this guy is
telling you what he wants
and you don't want the same,
then let him know sooner than later.
There's no such thing
as a free vacation.
- [JAX GROANS]
- JAX: No.
JAX: No.
[GUNSHOT]
[TAPE WHIRRING]
Runnin' by The Pharcyde playing ♪
Come on, come on, come on, come on ♪
Yeah, check it out, check it out ♪
Yeah ♪
One-two, one-two,
one-two, one-two, one-two ♪
Check the sound, check the
sound, check the sound, yeah ♪
Run, run ♪
Run, run ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
I must admit on some occasions ♪
I went out like a punk and a chump ♪
Or a sucka or something
to that effect ♪
Respect I used to never get ♪
'Cause all I got was upset ♪
When niggas used to be like ♪
What's, up fool? ♪
And tried to sweat a nigga ♪
I'm not tryin' to
show, no macho is shown ♪
But when it's on, when
it's on, then it's on ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Who's on the brink of insanity? ♪
Now don't be wishin' of
switchin' any positions with me ♪
'Cause when you in my
position, it ain't never easy ♪
To do any type of maintainin' ♪
'Cause all the gamin' and
famin' from entertainin' ♪
Is hella strainin' to the brain and ♪
But I can't keep runnin', I
just gotta keep keen and cunnin' ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Can't keep running away ♪
Run, run ♪
Run, run ♪
[♪]
Run, run ♪
Run, run ♪
Hello, family.
- Hey!
- How was work, Jackie?
Britt jacked another sale from me.
She doesn't even need the money.
Her family owns half of Brentwood.
I'm sorry, but you know how it is.
We have to work twice as hard.
Ooh, maybe if you bought me a
car, I could work half as hard.
[LAUGHTER]
You know, I don't know
why you wanna be a nurse.
You were clearly meant
to argue for a living.
I don't wanna be a lawyer, Mom.
I like helping people, not criminals.
Well, criminals need
help sometime, right?
Uh, you wash up for dinner?
Actually I'm eating at
Sally's. Headed there now.
Uh, not on the bus, you're not.
You better tell that rich
girl to come pick you up.
Jackie, I'll give you a ride, okay?
Thank you, Paul.
I'm gonna grab my stuff.
[PAUL SIGHS]
Are you okay to drive?
[♪]
[♪]
Thanks, Paul.
I'll ask Autumn's mom if she
can drop me off tomorrow.
I have a plan to get you a car.
For real?
I've been putting
aside some money for you.
It's not much, alright?
But at least you wouldn't
have to deal with Britt
and her Brentwood BS much longer.
[♪]
[♪]
JAX: Um, I have to head out now.
Leaving already? You've been
on the phone since you got here.
I'm in the middle of a trial, Lewis,
and I already asked for a later
start for a family emergency.
And I'm sure you're able to make time
for things that are important to you.
I understand, Jacqueline. It's okay.
I can stay.
Thank you, Lewis.
[♪]
[♪]
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- BRAYDEN: Wendy. Theo.
I don't remember seeing a
board meeting on my calendar.
Brayden. We thought
you'd be in court now.
BRAYDEN: We're resuming after lunch.
My attorney has a family emergency.
- What's up?
- It's come to our attention
that some of Clout's potential
buyers are getting cold feet.
Well, fuck 'em.
I'm not even sure that
I want to sell anyway.
You may be ambivalent
about selling at this moment,
but it's important to
keep our options open.
Right.
There can be a bit of a herd
mentality in the marketplace.
When one runs, they all do.
Well, so what?
The fundamentals of the
business are rock solid.
- What else do they want?
- What any suitor wants.
Reassurance.
Which they will have
once the trial is over.
Yeah, I'm not sure
we can wait until then.
Especially not knowing
what the outcome will be.
WENDY: Since you're not
able to speak for yourself,
we figured we'd send Theo
out to speak for the company.
I contacted a producer friend at WTNN
to set up an interview about Clout and
its importance in the business world.
It'll air tonight.
I see.
Brayden, you've put in a
very strong executive team.
Let them take some of
this weight off of you,
at least for now.
Yeah. No, no, no, no.
I look forward to watching.
Yeah, look, I'm-I'm sorry
to hear about your stepfather.
Are you guys close?
JAX: [OVER PHONE] Um, not really.
Yo, you fuckin' flaked on me?
- Yo, let me call you back.
- JAX: Okay.
I thought I made it clear
what the assignment was.
Don't tell me you missed
work for this bitch.
Hey, no need to call
her a bitch, alright?
Be easy. It was a one-time thing.
Look, it ain't gonna happen again.
We good?
Yeah. We good.
Ralo got you this time.
But next time, there
ain't gonna be no cover.
I'll see you tomorrow night.
[♪]
Since we finished our
expert witness testimony,
we need to focus on
our character witnesses
since Brayden's not taking the stand.
So that's Theo, Sarah, and Wendy Grain,
one of Brayden's board members at Clout.
Oh.
- KRYSTAL: Uh
- JAX: Okay.
Krystal, are you alright?
Are you? I'm so sorry about Paul.
[GASPS] Oh, girl, I'm
fine. He's not dead.
I know, but I talked to your mom,
and she said he's in bad shape.
She's just being dramatic.
He'll be fine. He always is.
Anyway, speaking of moms,
were you able to get in
touch with Brayden's mother?
I really think that she'll be
a powerful character witness.
No, not yet.
Well, keep trying.
In the meantime, I want to
talk about this fingerprint.
I want to a see if Fallon
Stephens, her daughter Morgan,
or even that shady boyfriend is a match.
You think one of them did it?
I don't know.
I'm not ruling out anyone at this point.
Everyone is on the table.
Even her disgruntled ex-assistant.
Well, how do you expect to get them?
[EVIL LAUGHTER]
Translation, I'm on it.
- KRYSTAL: [SIGHS] Seriously?
- [JAX CHUCKLES]
Okay, back to the character witnesses.
If we put Sarah on the stand,
Mike is going to bring up
those emails to Kaleesha,
and that doesn't help us.
- I'm not worried about Sarah.
- I'm more worried about Theo.
Brayden doesn't trust him,
which means I don't trust him.
I never trusted him.
Ooh. [LAUGHS]
Hmm.
JAX: Well, what do you think, Rich?
I know that's your boy.
Hardly.
Oh, I thought y'all were tight.
Okay, if he couldn't
be loyal to Brayden,
his friend for over 20 years,
why should I expect he'd be loyal to me?
Hmm. All skinfolk ain't kinfolk.
- Okay.
- You heard me. Girl.
Come on. They really don't-don't
- Uh, okay.
- KRYSTAL: Okay.
Well, anyway, Brayden
says Theo's going on TV
to say good things about the company,
so, I guess we'll see what he says.
[♪]
[♪]
[SIGHS] It's about to start.
- News theme playing on TV ♪
- Great.
NEWSCASTER: [ON TV] Joining
us tonight is Theo James.
He is the COO of Clout Liquor.
Mr. James, thank you for being with us.
Thank you for having me.
How did your company start?
Our CEO Brayden Miller and myself
attended Columbia University together.
After burning ourselves
out on Wall Street,
we decided to start our
own consulting company.
And from there, we
garnered some relationships
and found ourselves making liquor.
Speaking of Brayden Miller, your CEO,
he is currently on trial
for the second-degree murder
of former EVP Kaleesha Moore.
How has that affected the company?
It's a very unfortunate
thing for everyone.
Kaleesha was a valued
member of our executive team
and of course what is happening
with Brayden is simply tragic,
which is why the board has
decided to name me interim CEO.
NEWSCASTER: Do you believe
that he killed Kaleesha?
THEO: At the end of the day,
no one knows what anyone is capable of.
Well, true indeed.
What the fuck was that?
That was him stealing the
company from you on national TV.
My pleasure. Thank you for having me.
NEWSCASTER: Alright, we're gonna
take a quick commercial break here
[♪]
MAMA LU: Ooh, look who's here, Paul.
I'm so glad that you could make it.
Hi, baby.
I'm so relieved that he's awake.
I brought you Mr. Frosty
to keep you company
'cause I know you can't sleep at home.
Oh, thanks, Naima.
Are you feeling any better?
A little bit.
What really makes me feel better
is seeing you all.
How's school going?
SPENSER: It's going pretty good.
PAUL: Yeah?
[POP MUSIC PLAYING]
[♪]
- [DOOR OPENS]
- What are you doing in here?
I need Q-tips.
And you've been in here forever.
You couldn't wait ten more minutes?
Ain't nobody trying
to see you, little girl.
What is with all the yelling?
PAUL: Just grabbing a Q-tip.
You know how Jackie is,
dramatic for no reason.
Yeah, I know.
Next time, lock the door if you
want people to know you're in here.
Okay?
[♪]
JAX: Uh [SIGHS]
Okay, guys, I really
think we should get going.
The kids have to get to school.
We just got here.
Hey, sorry, guys, we
can't stay any longer.
- I gotta get to work.
- When are you coming back?
Um, I don't know.
I don't know if we'll
have the time but
we'll be praying for you, okay?
Come on, let's go.
- PAUL: Bye.
- Bye.
[♪]
BRAYDEN: He basically accused
me of murder on national TV.
He announced that he was
taking over as interim CEO
and you expect me to stay silent?
Brayden, I understand you're frustrated,
but taking the stand is a nonstarter.
It's too risky.
My instincts are telling me to do this.
Fine. Let's try some questions.
Hmm?
Okay, then.
Brayden, why were you
at Kaleesha's that night?
It occurred to me that the only
way to get Kaleesha to hear my side
was to talk to her myself.
So you intimidated her.
I went over there to
persuade her to sign the NDA,
which she did.
That was the goal and I accomplished it.
You found it appropriate
to go to your mistress' house
on your anniversary?
I realize that I was wrong
the way that I handled things.
So I apologized.
Gratefully, she accepted my apology.
I left with no regrets.
I just
I didn't know that was
gonna be the last time
I was gonna see her.
That's the part I, I
still can't believe.
Mr. Miller, in the midst
of your affair with Kaleesha,
you made a pact that you would
both leave your spouses, correct?
Yes.
JAX: She left her husband but
you didn't leave your wife.
Which means you're a
person who says one thing
and does something else.
Sounds like someone
who can't be trusted.
Kaleesha knew the situation.
Did I expect her to understand?
No, but I certainly didn't expect her
to come after me the way that she did.
So to recap, you lied
to her, broke her heart,
then accused her of being irrational.
Sounds like gaslighting to me.
Gaslighting? No, no, no, no, no, no.
Did you know that gaslighting is
a tactic commonly used by abusers?
Tell me something.
Did you ever sexually assault Kaleesha?
Now hold on here, Jax.
How would Mike know about that?
He has Kaleesha's personal laptop.
I'll ask you again, Mr. Miller.
Did you ever sexually assault Kaleesha?
It was a misunderstanding.
We talked about it. I
I wasn't aware that she
took it as an assault.
[JAX SCOFFS]
She understood and we moved past it.
"We"? [SCOFFS]
Well, I'm glad you
moved past raping her.
That's not what I said.
What you're saying is that after
gaslighting the woman you raped,
you needed to make it all okay.
Not for her. For you.
This was all about you.
Is everything about you, Mr. Miller?
I did not say that. That is not
Do you know one thing most
murderers have in common, Mr. Miller?
They're narcissists.
No further questions.
[♪]
What are your instincts
telling you now, Brayden?
[♪]
Brayden is so stubborn.
I know that he believes that
taking the stand was a good idea,
but I'm hoping that Sarah's
testimony will leave an impact.
'Cause you know them jurors, they
love them some white woman tears.
- Man, that they do.
- Mm-hmm.
[CELL PHONE BUZZING]
- [SIGHS] Sorry. Give me one sec.
- [BUZZING CONTINUES]
[MUTED] Now's not a great time, Lewis.
I asked you to do it, remember?
Well, I'm-I'm on my way.
Um, yeah, I got to go, that was Lewis.
It's about my kids.
I'm just getting a little tired of
all these niggas popping up everywhere.
Niggas?
What the hell are you talking about?
Lewis is the father of my children.
That's fine, just let
me come with you then.
No, Damon, I will call you later.
I see. I see.
I ain't good enough to be a part
of your regular life, right?
- Damon
- DAMON: So just let me know.
You know what?
We can fuckin' end this shit right now.
The last man who gave me an
ultimatum doesn't live with me anymore.
Don't play with me, Damon.
Fuck outta here.
[♪]
Oh! Hey, babies.
Hi, guys. Hi.
We are so sorry.
Yeah, me and Mom's wires got crossed.
Hey, Nai.
Can you go wait in Dad's car?
Come here, sweetie. Wait.
So what's y'all's punishment
for leaving your kids stranded?
Excuse me?
Watch your mouth, young man.
Look, ever since Dad moved
out, everything has been worse.
And you all ain't the ones
who's feeling it the most.
We are.
Uh
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
JAX: Lewis, this is bad.
I think it's time we
figure out this separation.
I met with a divorce attorney.
You did what?
When did you decide that you
When I saw you with another man.
Okay. Okay.
Lewis, no, it's not like that.
Oh-oh, really?
'Cause it seemed like a
whole lot of something
when I saw you two playing
footsies over espresso
or whatever the hell that was.
- Were you following me?
- Don't worry about how I found out.
Just know I'm done.
And clearly so are you.
No. No, Lewis, I'm-I'm not done.
I-I just, um I
I have no idea what I'm doing
right now, Lewis. I'm
Jax, I'm gonna take the kids
to go spend time with Paul
and your mom at the hospital.
But I'll be damned if I'm
gonna be your babysitter
while you're out spending
time with your boyfriend.
O-okay. He's not my
Whatever, Jax.
Shit or get off the pot.
'Cause this, this is all too messy,
and it's affecting our fucking kids.
I know. You're right.
I'm-I'm sorry.
- I'm gonna figure it out.
- Yeah, figure it out soon, Jax.
Real soon.
[♪]
[CAR DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
[CAR ENGINE STARTS]
PAUL: Jackie. That was fast.
Oh, wait, Jackie. You
got something on you.
Why are you being so weird, Jackie?
I'm not.
SHANELLE: Jax, are you okay?
I came over as soon as I got your text.
Paul is in the hospital?
What happened?
- Hey, come here, girl.
- [JAX CRYING]
Hey, it's okay.
I'm so sorry.
So, no one else knows about
what happened with Paul?
No.
Not the other girls.
Not even Lewis.
I haven't talked about
it with anyone since I
Since I told you when we were kids.
Wow.
I'm surprised.
But I'm sure he'd be supportive.
JAX: Lewis would be supportive of me
but there's no way in hell I'd
be able to see my mom again.
Or Paul.
He-he wouldn't allow it.
And he damn sure ain't gonna
let the kids go over there.
Despite everything that
is still my family.
You know, it is my only family.
So I made a decision.
I felt like the kids deserve
to know their grandparents.
Did what I had to do to
keep us all together.
And it's fucked up
because Lewis accuses me of
not putting family first.
Of not choosing him,
when everything I've
done has been for him.
Well, I can't, I can't
tell him. I just I-I
I can't. I can't do it.
SHANELLE: Oh, Jax.
That's a lot.
Oh, God.
Well, you should know
I have never told anyone.
Not even Jamarion.
JAX: I appreciate that.
Now, Shanelle, I know
we have our moments,
but I really love you.
I know, girl.
I love you too.
Thank you for coming over so fast.
I got you.
Just been having a really hard time,
you know, with the case and Lewis
and the kids and now Paul and D
Um
I've been seeing somebody else.
Wait, what?
You know the client that I
connected with back in the day?
When I was a public defender.
When Sally was getting married?
- The one with the auto shop?
- Yeah.
He got out,
and we've been, sounds so crazy to say,
I don't know, we've
been seeing each other.
But, girl, I think it's been a mistake.
I mean, it was fun, you
know, things were going good.
But I told him that I just
wanted to keep it light.
- SHANELLE: Mm-hmm.
- You know.
I don't think he heard me.
And now Lewis is talking
about divorce.
What?
- No!
- JAX: Girl.
Girl, I just saw Lewis
at Jordan's birthday party,
and I told him that you seemed happy
and that you clearly still loved him.
Wait, what?
Wait, why are you talking to
my husband about my marriage?
Do I talk to your husband
about your marriage?
Jax. I'm sorry. I didn't know.
I just assumed that it was
Lewis that was making you happy,
not someone else.
Maybe if you told me more things
This is why I don't.
I just said that I
have never told anyone
your biggest secret
that no one else knows.
And now you're saying
you can't trust me?
Okay, no, I'm just saying
No, you don't know what you're saying.
But it's okay.
Because this is what you do, Jax.
You push away the people
that know you best
because you don't like to be seen.
But it's all good.
I mean, you can sit
here and try to blame me
for what's going on in your life,
but I'm not gonna sit here and take it.
If I wanted to be treated badly,
I'd have stayed my ass home.
Shanelle, wh-what does that mean?
Well, since you don't want
me all up in your marriage,
please don't worry about mine.
[♪]
- Shanelle, look, I'm sorry.
- I'm sorry too.
I'm sorry that you've had
so much trauma in your life
that you have to create it
even when it's not there.
But I suggest you deal with it
before you lose everything
and everyone you love.
[♪]
I still can't believe Theo
is the CEO of Clout now.
Are we still going to
put him on the stand?
I can't imagine Brayden
would want that now.
Probably not, but we need him.
I ran all the
fingerprints you asked for.
So far, no match.
Really?
Wow.
Okay, well, in the meantime,
we need to use Sarah to
shore up Brayden's alibi.
Emphasize how tight that
time line would have been
for him to commit the murder.
Are you worried about what
she might say on the stand?
JAX: We prepped her,
and she seems to not want
the father of her
children to go to prison.
But if we need to, we will go after her.
She's not our client. He is.
Damn, Jax, cold world.
Real world, Daniel.
I don't make the rules.
Y'all think she murdered Kaleesha?
I mean, it's one of the white people.
Either her or Theo.
No offense, Rich.
Thanks, Krystal.
You know, I think I
have a plan for Sarah.
But, Rich, I'll need
your help with Theo.
Thanks for agreeing to meet with me.
Yeah, it's been a long time.
- I've been busy with the case.
- Right.
Speaking of, I want to make sure
that you're still up for
serving as a character witness.
After all, no one knows
Brayden better than you.
I'm sure Kaleesha felt differently.
But as always, I'm happy to
do whatever Brayden needs.
RICH: Great.
How about another round, huh?
- Why not?
- One question first.
How did Brayden find out
about the company's sale?
I told Jax.
When you specifically said you
were gonna keep that between us?
Yeah, I changed my mind.
THEO: [SCOFFS] What happened?
Scared about going against the boss?
- Jax is not my boss
- Mm.
But she is my partner on
this case, and a friend.
So my loyalty is with her.
Just as your loyalty is with Brayden.
Unless things have changed.
If you're trying to get me drunk
so that I'll talk, it won't work.
I'm British and my mother was Irish.
You'd be on your back way
before I'd be on mine.
Nice try, my friend.
- Was there anything else?
- RICH: No.
- I think we're good.
- THEO: Great.
Oh, and tell Jax I don't need
to prep for her little trial.
Tell her I'll email her the
answers to the questions.
Turns out, I have a company to run.
Good to see you, mate.
[BRITISH ACCENT] Good
to see you too mate.
[♪]
JAX: So Brayden stepped
out to get you dessert.
When he came back, did you
notice anything suspicious?
Anything suggesting a struggle
when he walked in the door?
Anything out of place?
Nothing. He just had my ice cream.
And from what you
know about your husband,
after 15 years of marriage,
do you have any reason to believe
Brayden murdered the victim?
My husband is a cheater, not a murderer.
JAX: Thank you.
No further questions.
Mrs. Miller, your husband admitted
to having an affair with the victim.
Is this something that you were
aware of while it was going on?
I found out at some point, yes.
Mrs. Miller, perhaps you recall
that we were able to recover
Kaleesha's personal laptop?
Yes.
Do you also recall sending
several emails to Kaleesha
prior to her tragic death?
I wasn't happy about
the affair, naturally.
Because these emails consist of you
quite literally threatening
to harm Kaleesha
if she didn't leave your husband alone.
I can't recall exactly what I said.
But you lied to your friends and
family and maybe even your husband
saying that you did not have
knowledge about the affair
prior to Kaleesha's death.
Is that correct?
Yes.
What else are you then
willing to lie about?
Maybe your husband
murdering his mistress?
Objection. Argumentative.
Sustained.
No further questions.
Thank you.
It's okay, Sarah.
You let me know when you're ready, okay?
[EXHALES] I'm ready.
Good.
Now, why did you lie about
knowing about the affair?
I was just so embarrassed.
I felt defeated
and sad and angry.
I couldn't even admit what I knew
to myself for a little while,
let alone anybody else.
Tell me about the rest of your evening.
I I waited for Brayden to get home.
- JAX: Did you leave again?
- No.
Is there anyone else who can
corroborate that you were home?
Everyone was off, the
kids were with family. I
We had planned for it to be our night.
So you were home alone by yourself
doing nothing, waiting for your husband?
An alibi that no one
else can corroborate.
[♪]
No further questions.
[♪]
You set me up. I thought
you were gonna protect me.
Look, I told you I needed to do whatever
helps Brayden stay out of prison.
[SCOFFS] And that means throwing
me under the bus like it's nothing.
Don't blame her, Sarah,
you asked for this yourself.
I "asked for this"?
Jesus. After everything you have done.
I have stuck by your side
and now this is my fault?
[CHUCKLES] You're unbelievable.
You made her sign that NDA
because you probably fuckin' raped her.
Now I'm starting to think
maybe you killed her too.
Say that shit to me again.
Okay, okay, okay. Alright, listen.
Hey, hey. Let's take a beat, alright?
Look, we all want the same thing, okay?
For Brayden to leave
this trial a free man.
Falling apart is not an option.
Sarah, why don't you take the car home?
I'll call a separate car for Brayden.
[♪]
- Oh, confirmed?
- Confirmed.
Finally, some good news.
So I'm your favorite now, right?
Over Krystal.
Yes, Daniel. You're my favorite today.
Right now.
Okay, I'll take it.
Mr. James, you've known
Mr. Miller for almost three decades.
Would you characterize
him as being impulsive?
I would not.
Do you think he could
have killed the victim?
No, I don't.
And were you aware that Miss Moore
was planning to whistleblow
company secrets?
- I was.
- Were you privy to these secrets?
No.
I had no idea what Kaleesha
was planning on saying.
Hmm.
Because according to documents
obtained from her personal laptop,
it was made clear that
she was planning to reveal
that you overvalued Clout
in preparation for the sale.
What?
No, that's preposterous.
She would have had no proof of that.
Were you aware that the victim was
planning to come forward with proof
demonstrating that you embezzled
funds from the company?
THEO: What?
No. No, I was not.
When was the last time
you saw Kaleesha Moore?
I, uh, I-I can't recall.
Mr. James, let's not forget
that you are under oath.
The night before she was found dead.
[♪]
You mean the night of her murder?
Yes.
Did the police question
your whereabouts that evening?
No, because I didn't kill her.
So you say.
- Objection, Your Honor.
- Badgering the witness.
Sustained. Mrs. Stewart
That's okay, Your Honor,
I'm almost done here.
Lastly, Mr. James,
you were just promoted at Clout to CEO?
Interim.
So, in summary, Mr. James,
your whistleblower is dead,
the founder of your
company is up for murder,
and you're promoted to CEO, correct?
I guess you could say, yes.
I guess you could say yes.
No further questions, Your Honor.
[♪]
[CELL PHONE BUZZING]
[♪]
Brayden. Jax is here.
BRAYDEN: Not a good time.
Well, if you're staying, you
may as well have a drink.
It's rude to watch.
I came to check on you.
Make sure you weren't doing
well, this.
BRAYDEN: What else is there to do?
I can't run my company, I can't
defend myself to the world,
but I can always drink.
Brayden, I know you wanted
to take the stand, okay?
But I promise you, it
wasn't a good idea.
You see what they did to Sarah.
Imagine what Mike
would have done to you.
You mean what you did to Sarah?
[BRAYDEN LAUGHS]
It's fine. I mean, she already hates me.
My wife hates me, Kaleesha hated me,
and my best friend of 20 years
is trying to steal my company
out from underneath me.
I got no one.
That's not true.
You have two kids who adore you.
And you got me.
You know why I didn't want
you at first? Why I chose Rich?
'Cause you're an asshole.
Probably. But also,
because I don't like being seen.
And you saw me. All the parts.
I got enough mirrors in my house.
I didn't need another
one staring back at me.
I get that. Trust me.
It was shitty.
And I'm glad you're the bigger person.
No, I'm not always.
But this time I am too.
Come on.
Oh. Brayden.
Come on, bring it in. Bring it in.
Hey, Jax, give me some love.
Oh, God, Brayden.
[BRAYDEN SIGHS DEEPLY]
You smell like her.
Smell like who?
Hey. No. Stop it! What are you doing?
[♪]
I'm sorry.
[♪]
[♪]
- PAUL: Ah, you feel so good.
- Paul?
What are you doing?
[♪]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[HEAVY BREATHING]
[♪]
[GASPS]
[CELL PHONE CHIMES]
[POUNDING ON DOOR]
[SIGHS]
Will, what are you doing here?
WILL: [OVER PHONE] Trying to reach you.
It's not really a good time.
WILL: I've been texting and calling.
None of it has gone through.
- [DOOR OPENS]
- Hey.
I've got 9-1-1 on speed dial.
Wow.
- Really?
- Yes, really.
And let me remind you that
there are cameras in here
in case you wanna act brand new.
[SIGHS] Now that makes sense.
Since being let go from your detail,
I got fired from the security company
and haven't been able
to find another job.
I'm guessing your husband
watched your little show
and got me fired.
Fuck.
I'm sorry. I had no idea.
I don't give a fuck now.
All I need is a reference and a job.
It's the least you could do.
- Considering.
- Of course.
I'll have my assistant
type up something.
I'll send it over to you in the morning.
- Okay?
- Okay.
Thanks.
Damon, what are you doing here?
Who the fuck is this?
[SCREAMING]
JAX: No! No! Damon! Damon!
Stop it! What are you doing?
- Damon!
- Who the fuck is this?
- JAX: Stop it! You're gonna choke him!
- [DAMON GRUNTS]
Damon, stop.
What are you doing?
You need to leave. Now!
I'm your man.
And you keep putting me in
these fuckin' situations
with all these fuckin' niggas around!
I'm the one who needs to leave?
You're not my man.
- Get out! [JAX SCREAMS]
- Fuck!
[GROANS] [DOOR SLAMS]
Oh, my God.
Will, I'm so sorry.
- [WILL GROANS]
- I've no idea what got into him. I'm
Trust me you'll
never hear from me again.
I'm so sorry.
Meeting you was the worst fucking
thing that's ever happened to me.
[WILL COUGHING]
- [DOOR SLAMS]
- Oh, shit.
Oh!
[GASPING]
[♪]
[SIGHS DEEPLY]
- Hey, Jax.
- Brayden. How are you feeling today?
Um, better. I-I just wanna
apologize for my actions.
It was misdirected, out of
place, totally inappropriate.
- That is not who I am.
- Okay.
Really?
We have a case to win,
so let's just do that.
Thank you for being here, Mrs. Miller.
Can you tell me a little
bit about your son Ronnie?
Um, Ronnie was Brayden's little brother.
He died while Brayden
was still in high school.
He was very young. Too young.
JAX: I'm so sorry, Mrs. Miller.
How did Ronnie die?
A drive-by shooting.
They were playing out
by the basketball courts
when a stray bullet
caught Ronnie in the neck.
Did you know the person
responsible for his death?
DOROTHY: I did.
But justice doesn't often get
served in our neighborhood,
so we take care of things ourselves.
How did you intend to take care of it?
I bought a gun.
I was so blinded by anger and pain
that I was ready to kill for my son.
- And what stopped you?
- Brayden.
Brayden destroyed the gun.
He didn't want to fight
violence with violence.
He wanted to break that cycle of pain.
I kept this piece of the gun
as a reminder of the healing
we experienced as a family.
JAX: So would it be safe to say
that you would characterize Brayden
as someone who fiercely
believes in anti-violence?
Absolutely.
Brayden has always done what's right.
No further questions.
[♪]
Mr. Ortiz, any questions?
No, Your Honor.
Mrs. Stewart, any more witnesses?
No, Your Honor. The defense rests.
[LINE RINGING]
- Hey.
- LEWIS: [OVER PHONE] Hi.
How are the kids?
Good.
JAX: [OVER PHONE] How are you?
What's up, Jax?
I was wondering if when
you bring the kids by,
we can, we can talk.
About what?
Wow.
You really are not gonna
make this easy for me.
No. No, I'm not.
And I've already said
what I need to say.
I don't feel like talking.
I don't want to get a divorce.
Even when you said the words,
I thought I was gonna throw up.
Yes, I was seeing someone.
That was a mistake. It's over.
I just needed something easy, Lewis.
But what I want is something real.
I want you.
I want us to figure
out how to be together.
I need time, Jax.
JAX: Okay. I understand.
I understand. That's-that's fair.
LEWIS: Okay, I'll, uh, I'll
see you tomorrow, okay?
Okay.
[KNOW THESE THINGS: SHOULDN'
YOU BY MAXWELL PLAYING]
[♪]
[SIGHS]
[♪]
You stung ♪
[♪]
As if you knew I'd sting right there ♪
[♪]
Hey, Jackie.
And you shouldn't know these things ♪
Hey.
About me ♪
[♪]
Abused ♪
[SIGHS]
As if your pain would quench my fear ♪
Jackie, I'm really
sorry about last night.
How could you know ♪
God, I just, um,
had a little too much to drink.
About me ♪
And I thought it was your mom's room.
I blacked out.
I don't know how I got there.
[VOICE FADING] I'm so, so sorry.
Know these things ♪
And be this awfully well in tune ♪
Go as if ♪
I lost my shit. I did.
I just need you to know that I was,
I was trying to protect you.
Is that what you call that?
Protection?
I call it crazy.
Jax.
MAMA LU: Jacqueline?
Baby. What's wrong?
What's wrong?
[CRYING]
Hey.
What's fuckin' crazy is
you're not calling me back,
what is fucking crazy is you
treat me like I ain't shit.
Oh.
Do you ever stop and
think about my feelings?
Or do you just think about yourself?
Wait, so you show up at my
house and attack an innocent man
and you want me to think
about your feelings?
MAMA LU: Paul, I told
you about your drinking
and now this?
PAUL: I told you, it was an accident!
MAMA LU: What am I supposed to do?
PAUL: What, you think
I did it on purpose?
MAMA LU: I don't know. Did you?
[INDISTINCT ARGUING]
Well in tune ♪
Go on as if not ♪
Aware ♪
Go on and be those ♪
Don't look at me like
I'm crazy because I'm not.
I'm not fuckin' crazy,
Jax. I'm in love with you.
Know these things ♪
About me ♪
[SNIFFLES]
[♪]
[♪]
Sixteen years.
I held on to everything.
Everything!
You don't deserve me.
I'm not ready to let you go.
Paul is gone.
[♪]
Be as if not ♪
I asked him to stop drinking.
And he won't.
He can't.
As this appears ♪
He made a mistake getting
in the bed with you.
But he's a good man.
I fucked up. I fucked up. I'm sorry.
Give me another chance.
MAMA LU: [CRYING] I just wish
he could have been better
for me, you know.
Now what am I supposed to do?
[MAMA LU CRYING]
Tell me you know ♪
I don't, I don't wanna live without you.
[♪]
Show me you know ♪
I can't.
It's okay, Mama.
I'm here.
I'm not going anywhere, okay?
I'm here for you, Damon.
[♪]
I'm here for you.
[♪]
KRYSTAL: You finish with
your closing statement?
- JAX: Uh
- So, I can proof it?
I have a draft, but I'm-I'm
still working through it.
KRYSTAL: Yeah, um, I understand.
This isn't your first big case.
But I haven't seen you
this distracted before.
I mean, this Paul thing seems
to really be affecting you, Jax.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess so.
Clear my schedule for
the rest of the day.
PAUL: Hey, Jackie.
You came back.
Where's Mom?
She went down to the
commissary to get a snack.
She'll be back shortly.
How was the trial?
Fine.
PAUL: That's good.
You ever think about what happened
when I was 16?
Uh, I I haven't
I haven't thought about
that in some time.
I learned a long time ago it's
best to leave the past in the past.
How lucky for you.
Uh, it's a mistake I regret.
It's-it's the biggest
mistake of my life.
But was it a mistake?
Of course.
I was blackout drunk that night.
But what about all the other times?
Hmm?
Like the first time it happened.
You grazed my breast
outside of Sally's house?
That time on Crenshaw?
The shower?
And I'm sure there's many more times
that I-I've blocked out of my mind.
Were all those a mistake,
or was the mistake you getting caught?
- Can you get me some water?
- No.
If that's your truth, Jackie,
then that's your truth.
I can respect that.
But
it's not mine.
I'm sorry.
That's a great speech
to tell yourself, Paul.
But I don't believe you.
I think you were grooming
me the entire fucking time.
[GROANS]
[♪]
[GASPING]
PAUL: Jackie, please.
I see who you are.
And I swear to God, if you
come anywhere near Naima,
I will kill you with my bare hands.
[♪]
[GASPING]
That's right, Paul. You
get some fucking help!
- [GASPING]
- [MONITOR BEEPING RAPIDLY]
Oh. Oh.
What happened?
[♪]
[♪]
[MAMA LU CRYING]
- [FLATLINE]
- Paul!
Paul!
[FLATLINE]
[♪]
Rich.
I know who killed Kaleesha.
[♪]
[THEME MUSIC PLAYING]
[♪]