Matlock (2024) s01e12 Episode Script
This is That Moment
1
Previously on Matlock
MATTY: The law firm
Jacobson Moore hid documents
that could have taken
opioids off the market
ten years earlier.
Think of how many lives
that could have saved.
Including our daughter's.
BILLY: You've been so
obsessed with figuring out
why Matty took Autry's case from you.
Is it so inconceivable
that she could think
I'm a good lawyer, too?
It's inconceivable that she would think
you're a better lawyer than me.
You crossed a line, and I'm tired
of always trying to make
things right with you.
I can do this job on my own.
EDWIN: Ruling out Olympia is a mistake.
My friendship with
Olympia is gonna be useful.
OLYMPIA: Feels so bad letting
our divore get this ugly.
MATTY: When your gut tells you
something fishy's going on,
there's almost always
a four-day-old carp
lying around somewhere.
I don't like the way you've been moving,
and secrets need to come to the light.
So you want to go to war?
Of course not, but I will.
Have you thought any more about
looking for Alfie's father?
I think about it constantly.
So you're not gonna look
for him behind my back?
You're the one who got
the email from that guy
after Ellie's funeral.
EDWIN: My old university account
has been wiped clean.
I couldn't find it.
[INSECTS CHIRRING]
I found the email.
What?
You knew about Alfie's father.
You knew about him,
and you kept it from me.
- Madeline
- All this time.
Madeline, it's a huge decision.
He may want custody.
I-I just needed time, Madeline,
just to think, to-to breathe.
[LAUGHING]: Well, you'd
better think faster
because I found him.
[ECHOING]: Alfie's father is downstairs.
[INAUDIBLE]
MATTY: Sweetheart.
- Shh. Breathe.
- [PANTING]
Breathe.
It's just a nightmare.
Do you want to talk about it?
No. I'm fine.
I-I I don't even remember it.
[SNIFFS]
Are you sure you're okay?
Oh, yes. Yes, I'm fine.
Uh, the "sell by" date
isn't always accurate.
So that would be a "no."
You need sleep.
No. Really, I'm fine.
I-I might be a little
nervous because it feels like
we're finally about to break
this whole thing wide open.
A marketing document.
So, not only did Wellbrexa
know the opioids were addictive.
They aggressively pushed
them out into the world.
So that's got to be what went missing.
And Shae alerts Senior
that it's in discovery.
Senior's out of the
country, then calls Julian.
So we have to place Julian
at the scene of the crime.
Prove that he was in that
document room 14 years ago.
Any ideas outside of a time machine?
You know it, baby.
[LAUGHS]
Ah, you forgot your purse.
Oh, no, I didn't. I lost it.
And by the way, that's been
in there since we moved in.
[DOOR OPENS]
[JAR LANDS IN TRASH]
[DOOR CLOSES]
Where do you remember last
seeing your purse, Ms. Matlock?
Oh, darling, at my age,
I'm lucky to remember
which president was responsible
for my sexual awakening.
Sometimes I think it was
Kennedy, but I don't know
there was just something about LBJ.
Do you have any enemies in the building?
No, a-and to be clear, I don't
think anybody stole my purse.
I'll be the one to make
that determination, ma'am.
You're too close to it.
Oh, makes sense, Lucius.
Hey.
Can y'all see my comings and goings?
It would behoove you to
trust the process here.
- Copy that.
- Do you have your key card?
That way I can track your movements.
Right here.
[BEEPS]
That's amazing.
How long have y'all had this system?
- About 20 years.
- And then what'd you do?
You just, you just tap
this little key card?
Yup, and then enter the date.
And then
like I said
Trust the process.
So you definitely can't babysit?
Because I have this important dinner,
and Julian won't switch nights, and
I understand.
I'm actually great with kids.
Mm-mm.
Remember, we talked
about this. 18 inches.
Do you need me to babysit?
Because I feel like I make
a wicked mac and cheese.
That's not something you just feel.
Never mind.
This mentorship is
not about babysitting.
- It's about your
- Professional growth.
- Yes, but also
- Setting clear and achievable goals?
I 100% agree. Which is
why I made a list of ways
for us to attack our class action,
which I believe is the key to
us winning the race to partner.
- Us?
- Yes. Of course.
Well, how about you hold on to that?
- Okay.
- Because first we need
to focus on Paloma DeLeon.
- Mm-hmm.
- Hopefully, her ex-husband
pays all his child support today
so she can put this
custody stuff behind her.
Then we pivot.
Excited to settle and pivot.
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
Speaking of
- Is this a follow situation?
- It is not.
Copy that!
[BEEPS]
I'm gonna ask you one more time.
I'm not switching nights.
Will you at least listen?
Just so you can meet
with potential clients
and edge me out of this partner race.
- No, thank you.
- [SCOFFS] This is a new low for you.
Oh, yeah, for me?
I did what I needed to
do on the business side,
but I would never let
anything come down on our kids.
What are you talking about?
Your whole attitude
is "burn it all down."
- So I'm not switching days anymore.
- Understood.
But if you really want to
win this fight for partner,
you're eventually gonna
have to stop playing games
and get in the ring, like a real lawyer.
Oh. Morning.
And not that you asked,
but Olympia has requested
that I give her 18
inches of personal space,
and since I'm a size seven, it's looking
like two of my feet minus a big toe.
Okay. This is the part where you tell me
that I'm being super literal, and I say,
"I'm just being super detail-oriented."
And then you say, "That's
just another word for 'manic.'"
And I say "I'm super sorry."
[HUMS FANFARE]
What's that?
It's a bottle of that cologne
you like for some reason.
Look, Billy, I'm super sorry.
- I was out of line.
- It's fine.
- It doesn't seem fine.
- It is.
We don't have to be
friends, just coworkers.
Good morning, you two.
Oh, uh, "Billy and Sarah." Thanks.
Oh. Sorry about that.
No, Matty, I'm sorry for
the way that I treated you.
My mentor and I are working
on my interpersonal skills.
Well, I appreciate that, Sarah.
So, we getting into that
big class action today?
After we settle a child support case.
Oh, I wasn't aware Olympia
handled that sort of stuff.
Normally, she doesn't,
but Olympia met Paloma
when she was volunteering her time
to help immigrants get
small business licenses
Is this you wondering if you need
to volunteer your time to immigrants?
- Yes.
- OLYMPIA: Let's go.
Matty, we'll catch you up.
For the past year, Paloma's been stuck
in nasty post-divorce disputes
Mostly custodial, over their son Tenoch.
Sidenote: it is an honor
to be finishing each other's sentences.
BILLY: Paloma maintains
primary physical custody,
while her moneybags ex-husband
Bruno maintains visitation rights.
Where'd the money bags come from?
Overseas business.
We just found out he's
been sheltering money
- in an offshore account.
- Which is why today
we're reopening the
child support agreement.
Never ceases to amaze me
what men think we won't find out about.
I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't catch that.
Good thing there's always a paper trail.
Some lead to Swiss bank accounts.
My late husband's led to
a casino on a cruise ship.
And believe you me,
he took full advantage
of the all-you-can-eat.
And I don't mean the food.
Well, this is less scandalous.
It's about money on the surface.
Under the surface?
It's all about custody.
So, highest stakes for everyone.
All emotion, no logic.
Any experience with custody cases?
I'd like to call Madeline
Kingston to the stand.
In your own words, can you tell us
why you and your husband are here today?
Because my daughter
Ellie is a drug addict.
So we are requesting sole
physical custody of our grandson.
OLYMPIA: Matty?
Any experience with custody cases?
None, unfortunately.
Oh, that's my grandson texting me.
- Uh, can I call him back?
- Of course.
- Okay.
- Hopefully, I can shut this down
so we don't wind up in court again.
Again, it's simple.
If your client doesn't pay Ms. DeLeon
the full amount of child support owed,
I will file a petition to revoke
his business license, driver's license,
American and Spanish passports.
She can't take my passports.
Is that a challenge?
Adam, do something.
Mr. Cortez's financial
situation has changed.
If he could afford to make the
payments, of course he would.
But all three Swiss bank accounts linked
to his very lucrative
exporting business are empty?
That's right. We know about them.
And if we end up back in court today,
- so will the judge.
- BRUNO: What the hell?
I'm not giving you a single dime.
And you can forget about seeing
your family in Mexico next month.
No way am I subsidizing that.
Bruno, my father's sick.
!¡Y tú, ponte las pilas!
See you in court.
OLYMPIA: Hold it.
[SQUEALS] Hey. Grabbing coffee?
- It's that time.
- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]
It really is.
[SIGHS]
What an awkward meeting.
Our divorce case.
So, how was your hang?
- Jury's still out.
- Okay. He's being picky.
I respect that.
[LAUGHS]
[CHUCKLES]
Part of being a
professional is recognizing
when someone needs space
for something personal.
- 1,000% get you.
- Great.
Just to be crystal clear,
you and Elijah have something personal?
It's personal to ask.
Got it. Won't happen again.
But if it does, maybe we can do
some supersubtle yet super clear signal.
[SIGHS SHAKILY]
The jaw thing might
be a little too subtle.
[BOTH INHALE AND EXHALE]
From the looks of it, your
ex-husband may not even show up.
We got this.
Sorry we're late, Your Honor.
I'm Julian Markston,
new legal counsel for Bruno Cortez.
This is ridiculous.
And low, even for you.
I am just stepping into the
ring, like you suggested.
I'm sorry, Your Honor,
but opposing counsel is using the court
to try to carry out some
kind of personal vendetta.
I'm doing nothing of the sort.
Ms. Lawrence just can't fathom
something not being about her.
You're saying that this is not about me?
Bruno needed counsel
who knows what it's like
to face someone vindictive
during a divorce.
- Vindictive?
- Well, let me guess.
- You two used to be married?
- Ink can't try fast enough.
- The divorce is almost final.
- Mm.
Just what this case
needs more marital drama.
If it were up to me, I'd
conflict you both out.
But it's not up to me.
Your clients get to
pick their representation
and waive any conflict of interest.
So, have they?
I know my client will.
How about yours?
Billy, I know you're angry,
but can you just look and see
if Simone Delgado is staring at me?
- She's not.
- You're not even looking. She totally is.
She's been my nemesis
Since law school, you mentioned.
She's just insufferable.
Ever since she spent time
clerking for the Supreme Court.
I'm sure Julian picked her
as his first-year assist
just to get under my skin.
He probably heard about the mentorship.
I can assure you that's
not what happened.
SIMONE: Sarah?
Oh, this is going to be ugly.
Hi!
- Hi.
- I can't believe it.
We finally get to face off.
Sarah was already a pro in law school.
I was low-key intimidated.
Really? I heard you clerked
for the Supreme Court.
Sounds pretty high-key.
Oh, stop. [LAUGHS]
- Agreed. Stop.
- Anyway,
I really look forward to
getting to know you, Billy.
- Yup.
- And, Sarah,
I know you'll keep me on my toes.
I definitely will.
Girl to girl, you got the teeniest
bit of breath thing going on.
Maybe just grab a mint if you have one.
She actually seems really nice.
- Are you out ?
- OLYMPIA: All right. Firewall's set.
Judge will grant waivers on both sides.
Get ready for Kramer v. Kramer.
Is that an old case you worked on?
Uh, oh, no, was it not? Oh.
Your Honor, I assure you, this
is all a big misunderstanding.
My client had no intention
of hiding any money.
Yet he socked over $2 million
in an account in the Caymans.
Off advice from his former accountant
who was navigating complicated
international tax laws.
I'm going to give you the benefit
of the doubt this time, Mr. Cortez,
and only adjust the support
according to the DissoMaster.
Next time there will be consequences.
There won't be a next
time. Thank you, Your Honor.
There is one other issue,
Your Honor, and it's a big one.
Ms. DeLeon has been driving a wedge
between Mr. Cortez and his son.
She's deliberately overscheduling Tenoch
during his time with my client.
She can't help it if
activities fall on his days.
She violated the screen time provision
of the divorce agreement
and bought Tenoch an Xbox,
which stays at her house,
- so he never wants to leave.
- Xbox
And worst of all, she has
been bad-mouthing my client.
A seven-year-old shouldn't know
the meaning of the word
"affair," Your Honor.
Is this true, Ms. DeLeon?
He overheard us arguing.
But that's not why he
didn't want to leave.
It-It's because Bruno's too strict.
Plus he's always
working when he's there.
- You're just angry that I'm getting remarried
- Tenoch is all alone
- all day long
- and you're poisoning our
That's enough.
We'd like to move for
full physical custody
on the grounds of parental alienation.
¿Bruno, cuál es tu problema?
- Your Honor, my client has only ever done what
- Order.
I'm scheduling a custody
hearing for next week.
In the meantime, I'd like
to hold a Lincoln hearing
to hear from Tenoch Cortez.
Court is adjourned.
They're going to question Tenoch?
He's a child.
Why would his parents
put him through that?
Paloma's just fighting back.
I know, but no one will win.
Then it's up to us to
mitigate the damage,
which means we need to dig up
any dirt we possibly can against Bruno.
BILLY: Here's what we got from Paloma.
Bruno keeps Tenoch on a tight leash
when Tenoch stays with him.
He doesn't allow him
to call or text his mom.
Now, there's some
alienation we can build on.
He also looks down on
Paloma's family in Mexico.
Tell them that part, too, Billy.
He prevents Tenoch from having
any relationship with them,
and Paloma's father is very sick.
Now, all this comes from Paloma.
Makes it a little bit fruit
of the poisoned marital tree.
Billy has an angle. Super smart.
You're going to be impressed.
Bruno's behavior fits a pattern
of authoritarian parenting
that could cause a lot
of emotional damage.
We got an objective third
party to testify on this?
Not an expert, but we could
use Tenoch's soccer coach.
Apparently, Bruno's
temper comes out at games,
so the coach banned him from attending.
[PHONE BUZZES]
SARAH: We're hoping there was some kind
of physical altercation between them,
preferably one with blood spilled.
Go talk to the coach.
- Yeah.
- Yes.
Matty, wait.
What do you think this means?
Oh, my. [LAUGHS]
I'm shocked.
I don't know what to
say or how to respond.
You could always go
with a question mark.
Hey, Sarah.
Big mentor advice coming at you.
Ready for it, ma'am.
From now on, when you want to speak,
stop, count to five, then decide
if it's appropriate or not.
When in doubt, go with "not."
[QUIETLY]: One, two, three
Got it.
[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]
Does everyone take a
beat before they speak?
Well, everyone but you.
Want a mint?
No.
Why?
What? I'm just trying to make
sure we present a united front.
Plus these Ice Flame bodega
mints are extra strong,
which we need because
this whole school smells
like mall perfume and preteen angst.
Come on. Just tell me what I need to do
to make it good between us.
SIMONE: Hey, guys.
BILLY: Simone?
Of course you're here.
I was just informing Coach Reyes
that Mr. Cortez is suing him
for assault and defamation.
What?
Yeah, so he's lawyering up,
and he asked me to tell
you that he's not speaking
to anyone else from Jacobson Moore.
Suing the coach?
Dirty move.
Just doing what's best for my client.
Um, you want me to go research if
No, please stay.
THERAPIST: Tenoch, do your
parents say nice things
about each other? Or not nice things?
I don't want Mommy to get in trouble.
[QUIETLY]: Ask the kid about the coach.
THERAPIST: Is that why you don't like
going to stay at your dad's house?
He doesn't have Xbox.
THERAPIST: Can you tell
me about why your dad
doesn't go to your soccer games anymore?
Because of Coach Reyes.
What happened with Coach Reyes?
TENOCH: Daddy got mad at him.
THERAPIST: And what happened?
He grabbed him and
they started fighting.
It was really scary.
MATTY: The drugs
make her very scary, unfortunately.
When Ellie's off them, she's
funny.
Smart.
A caring mother. A
excellent baker.
And isn't it true
that she's off them now
and has been for three months?
That's what she says.
And what her drug testing has shown.
Addicts know the way around those tests.
- They know the schedules.
- It's random.
My grandson was born
addicted to opioids,
after Ellie swore she was clean.
Have you ever seen a newborn go
through withdrawal, Counselor?
They convulse.
Their limbs spasm.
They cry a high-pitched wail.
And I wasn't allowed to
comfort Alfie, to hold him.
Because they told me that
might overstimulate him.
So I sat there,
watching him suffer in that incubator.
Six seizures.
72 days.
I'm sure that was painful.
Painful?
It was preventable.
JONES: And I understand
now that you are angry.
Damn right I am.
She keeps saying she's sober.
And just five weeks ago,
Alfie ended up in the emergency
room with a burn on his arm.
Teakettle accident, she
said it was, but I don't know
how an 18-month-old climbs
up on a counter by himself
unless his mother is high.
- Objection, Your Honor.
- Dad, make her stop, please!
- You know this isn't right!
- [MOUTHS]
You still can't sleep?
Well, clearly I'm in good company.
Watching that little boy today
so alone and scared
[SIGHS]
brings back a lot, huh?
About our case.
Madeline, I can't go there.
Darling, it's 3:00 in the
morning and you're cleaning.
You only clean when
something's bothering you.
Oh, it's nothing.
I just want you out of all this.
I assume you have a plan for
snagging Julian's key card?
I sure do.
Nice and clean.
Well, sort of.
[BEEPS]
Oh! [GASPS] Oh! Ooh!
- Ooh, Lord!
- What the hell?
I'm so sorry! I got my box
step muddled with my Watusi.
Here, let me get that cleaned for you.
N-No, no, no. It's not necessary.
Oh, yes, it is, believe you me.
Oh. Now, I know things have been uneasy
between the two of us,
but I just want you to know
I hold you in the highest esteem.
And in order for any of us to look good,
- we all have to look good.
- Just give me back my coat.
- Oh.
- Thank you.
[SIGHS]
Have a little coffee today?
You have a big problem.
Your client was caught at the airport
trying to take Tenoch to Mexico.
- What?
- Yep, without my client's permission,
- which is technically, um
- Oh, come on.
She wasn't trying to kidnap him.
Well, we'll see what
Judge Coburn thinks.
I'm setting up an emergency hearing.
We're getting full custody.
[SIGHS]
[LASER SOUNDS PLAYING OVER HEADPHONES]
[CRYING]
I thought you might need these.
[SNIFFLES]
We haven't officially met.
I'm Matty.
I work with Olympia.
I messed up.
- Well, who hasn't?
- Not like this.
You'd be surprised.
Where were you going?
My sister called.
My dad's dying.
He wanted to see Tenoch,
and I wanted to see him.
Oh, darling.
I didn't tell anyone because
it's during my custody days.
We were gonna be back before
he went to his dad's house.
[EXHALES] I really thought
I was doing the right thing.
Okay.
A social worker is coming
to stay with Tenoch.
What? A stranger?
The judge has set an
emergency hearing for 2:00 p.m.
- Today?
- MATTY: Cases involving the safety
and security of minors
they go real fast.
My son wasn't in danger.
I-I'd never hurt him.
Y-You know that, right, Olympia?
I-I just wanted to visit my father.
Wait a minute, if, if
you didn't tell anybody
that you were leaving,
how did Bruno know?
Good question.
Do you or Tenoch have
any tracking turned on
- for your devices?
- No.
Unless Bruno hacked into my account.
O-Or maybe he's been watching me.
You know, th-there could be a bug.
Oh, God. I'll have my
team sweep your house.
In the meantime, I'll try to
get ahead of this with the judge.
But I need you to be calm
when we go back to court.
Anything else will hurt your case.
You cannot seem unstable.
Matty will bring you to the courthouse.
And I hate doing this, Paloma,
but I need your passport.
[WHIMPERS SOFTLY]
If he's spying, that will help my case.
Right?
They can't take him,
right? They-they won't
take him from me, right?
Huh?
Okay, so, no bugs at Paloma's house.
Now what? [SIGHS]
We tell Olympia.
Really good thinking.
- Have you seen my mints?
- What?
My mints. Simone must have stolen them.
- Are you serious?
- She would do that.
Make me self-conscious about my breath
and then steal my mints?
I'm telling you, she's toxic, and
Oh, my God, Sarah.
First it was me, then
Matty, now Simone. Wake up.
You're the one who's toxic.
Everyone knows it.
Hi there, you two.
I'm Moira.
I live next door and am head
of the neighborhood watch.
I try to keep an eye out for Paloma,
since she's a single
mom and woman of color.
What a queen.
- Does she know you're here?
- SARAH: Just so you're aware,
neighborhood watches tend to
be aggressively ineffective,
given that a nonbinding citizen
group with no legal standing
usually is just a bastion
for white supremacy.
Paloma knows we're here.
Well
I am right next door
if you need anything.
- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]
- Thank you.
How's that "taking a beat
and thinking" thing going?
[WHISPERS]: Damn it.
MATTY: Paloma? Where are you going?
Why isn't Tenoch with the social worker?
They didn't find any bugs, and I'm
not leaving him with a stranger.
We're just, uh, headed
to the courthouse.
I just wanted to get there early.
Be honest with me. If you're
thinking about leaving
I'm thinking about everything.
Bruno is powerful.
What if they take him away?
Please don't take him away, Mom.
You're gonna destroy our relationship.
Drugs are destroying your relationship.
I'm clean.
Three months?
One. Ever since the burn.
But, Mom, I promise.
You've scared me enough.
I'm done. I'm going to meetings
Great. When you've
put together a year
You can test me every single day.
You can have supervised
visitation every single day.
[SNIFFLES] Can you at least
give him his lovey?
[SNIFFLES]
You keep it.
For when Alfie comes
back to live with you.
It'll happen.
- It works if you work
- Yeah, I know.
Okay.
♪
Oh, there you are. You need
to leave the child with me.
Where are you going?
Paloma.
Ma'am, surrender the child.
Wait. Paloma.
Wait.
Plea
Please.
No, come You don't want to do this.
I won't let them take him from me.
COBURN: Where on God's green earth
- is your client, Counselor?
- [PHONES BUZZING]
[LOW]: Get over there now.
COBURN: Counselor, is there
some kind of a problem?
OLYMPIA: Apologies, Your
Honor, if we could just
have 20 more minutes, Ms.
DeLeon has been delayed.
I'll give you 30 minutes,
because that's when
I'll be making my ruling,
with or without Ms. DeLeon.
Understood. Thank you, Your Honor.
[PHONE BUZZES]
Simone, get to the firm.
BRUNO: What's going on?
MATTY: Paloma, I know you're scared,
but you've got to come out.
- [MUFFLED GROAN]
- Please, I want to help.
Does he have a lovey?
Anything to calm him down?
His binder, with soccer cards.
He sorts them when he's upset.
It-It's at my house.
It's okay it's okay.
It's on its way.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
[GRUNTS]
- Your client has barricaded
- No one said the word "barricade."
- [PHONE BUZZING]
- "Barricade," legal definition:
no one can get in, she
won't let anyone out.
Hi, Julian.
Yes, it's a barricade.
It is not a barricade.
Ma'am, we need you out of there
or we are calling the police.
- This is your final warning.
- Hey, hey.
Slow down, s-slow down.
Don't call the cops yet.
- Definitely call the cops right now.
- No, don't escalate
the situation, all right? We
need to keep the temperature down.
There is a scared little kid in there.
MATTY: Paloma, please.
Don't make a bad decision that
could impact the rest of your life.
You have to show up.
JUDGE EDWARDS: Where is she?
Counsel, have you
heard from your client?
As Ms. Kingston has
decided not to attend
her own custody hearing,
I have no choice but to rule
in favor of the plaintiff.
Mr. and Mrs. Kingston, I
hereby grant you sole legal
and physical custody of your grandson
Alfred Edwin Kingston.
[GAVEL BANGS]
Thank you.
[PALOMA CRYING]
Paloma, look at me.
I have made a lot of
mistakes in my life.
But there's just one I
wish I could take back.
Every single day.
This is that moment.
You got to open that
door and get to court.
MOIRA: Oh, it's you again.
You here to give me a copy
of White Fragility?
'Cause I already own it.
[SOFTLY]: One, two, three, four, five.
- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]
- That's Tenoch's, right?
It is, and you're observant.
You spend a lot of time out here, huh?
Well, I love to garden.
Ah, me, too. Are those uh, tulips?
[LAUGHS] Geraniums.
[LAUGHS] Let me smell.
[INHALES SHARPLY]
Wow.
So, what is that camera for,
and why is it pointed
directly at Paloma's house?
You're in violation of New
York's surveillance laws,
so if you'd rather not
say, I can just subpoena
the contents of your
camera and press charges.
Wait.
OLYMPIA: Your Honor,
I just got word that
Bruno paid a neighbor
to spy on Paloma with a hidden camera.
That's how he knew that she was leaving.
This is ridiculous. She
tried to kidnap his son.
- Apparently, she is barricaded
- OLYMPIA: She is not barricaded.
And how about invasion of privacy?
That's something you
should know plenty about.
- What's that supposed to mean?
- Let's keep it civil.
- Oh, you know exactly what that means.
- Oh, you stealing my clients?
- Is that what you're talking about?
- Counselors,
- this is your last warning.
- The pen, Julian? The pen.
What the hell are you
even talking about?!
That's enough! [BANGS GAVEL]
I am holding you both
- in contempt of court.
- No, no, no, I
- Officer.
- Judge
Please take Ms. Lawrence and
Mr. Markston into custody.
- You know, this is really
- I can't believe you.
Me? Oh, you're gonna put this on me?
If you hadn't pointed out
- the conflict of interest
- You called me vindictive.
- we wouldn't be here.
- You said this was personal!
GUARD: Quiet!
- What the hell are we doing?
- [SCOFFS]
Look at us.
We're just as bad as Paloma and Bruno.
Oh, I know.
And to end up here, as a mother
[SIGHS] I-I know.
It must've been tough.
Watching Bruno in there
fight so hard for his son,
the way your dad should have.
I don't want to fight.
Me neither.
But so much ugly stuff has happened.
Can we
Can we put it behind us? Start fresh?
Whatever you need from my finances
I don't want your finances.
I just want honesty.
From this point forward.
Done.
So no more looking back?
We're here, Judge.
Where the hell is everybody else?
Pardon my French.
Had to throw your friends
Frick and Frack in a jail cell
for contempt of court.
Let them cool off. Officer,
go spring those honorable
members of the New York Bar
from the clink. And tell them
they have an hour to reach a settlement.
[CRUNCHING]
So, you really like sorting
those soccer cards, huh?
Yeah, I sort them by
the player's position,
and then the pages are
all in order by team,
and any duplicate cards
go behind each other,
so you can see exactly what you have.
Do you feel more, um, cozy and
kind of calm when you do it?
Yeah, I guess so.
And how do you feel at
your mom and dad's houses?
Is there one that feels more like this?
Cozy? Calm?
I just want them to stop fighting.
That's all I want in the whole world.
And if it's my fault,
I'll do something different.
Look, I'm gonna tell you something
that my father tried to
teach me a long time ago,
but I may not have actually
learned it until today.
You can be right
or you can be happy.
Choose your kid.
Move forwards, not backwards.
This is a fair agreement.
50-50 custody, a good
financial settlement,
and mandated parenting classes.
For both of you.
Personally, I'd rather
be happy than right.
Every time.
BILLY: Okay, you were right.
Simone did steal your mints.
Hmm.
Did you hear me? You were right.
I don't care.
About being right?
Are you feeling okay?
No. [SIGHS] I feel toxic.
Because I have been to you.
And you mean a lot to me.
So I don't care about being right,
I care about making it up to you.
You're not toxic.
- I was hurt.
- And you have every right to be.
Billy
you're my mentor.
In being nice, or my muse,
or I-I don't know what to call you,
but
you're one of the most important
relationships in my life.
So whatever I have to
do to make it better,
I will.
Should we just start over?
[SIGHS] I would love that.
Yeah, I Oh.
Okay, let it out.
I knew Simone hated me.
I knew it! I'm her nemesis.
I'm that bitch's worst nightmare.
- Yes! [LAUGHS]
- And I'm
Oh totally unclear
what we're celebrating.
Oh, my gosh.
[BILLY CLEARS THROAT]
But you did good work today, Sarah.
Thanks. You gave me great advice.
And I have to say,
that whole five-second
rule really helped me.
Elijah.
- Oh. Hey.
- Hey.
So, listen, I got your text
Oh, my God. Uh, Olympia,
that wasn't meant for you.
[NERVOUS GIGGLE]
O-of course it wasn't.
- That's what I was coming to tell you.
- [WEAK CHUCKLE] Oh.
Resend it to the right woman.
So, the jury reached a verdict, huh?
The jury had a good time.
I'm happy for you.
You rat me out?
Oh, come on.
Sarah was an absolute
beast in law school,
so I couldn't resist
getting a little baby jab in,
minimal impact.
You were doing the same thing.
What do you mean?
Being all friendly to me,
just to get under her skin.
Yeah, fair.
But Sarah and I worked it out.
Cool. I'm all about clean slates.
Admit it was a barricade,
and we'll start over.
It was not a barricade,
there was clearly no weapon
Hostage situations have weapons,
barricades are boundaries.
I double-checked my work.
[SCOFFS]
I could explain the difference
in detail over a drink?
Or are you worried that
your work wife won't like it?
[SCOFFS]
[TEAKETTLE WHISTLING]
[GASPS]
MATTY: Hello, my darling Alfie.
Hello.
- [PHONE BUZZING]
- Hi, buddy.
Hi Oh.
I don't recognize this phone number.
- Pick up. Always pick up.
- Okay.
Hello?
Yes, this is Ellie Kingston's father.
Do we need a sitter?
Edwin?
Where is she?
♪
[SIGHS]
I got an email this
morning before the funeral.
From?
Some guy named Joey
who said he was a
close friend of Ellie's
and he would like to talk to us.
About?
I didn't write back.
I wanted to talk to you.
In case it's
Alfie's father.
What are you doing?
You told me you couldn't find the email.
I just needed some more time to think.
We can't write him back. End of story.
- Slow down.
- No, no, he's an addict.
And addicts cause chaos.
- So, I don't let you think?
- No.
Not when your mind is made up.
You're a bull in a china shop.
Who cares what anyone else says? And
What?
We can't go through
another custody battle.
Agreed. I wish we didn't
go through this one.
Edwin.
Do you blame me for Ellie's death?
Oh, Madeline.
Of course not.
Say it.
Do you blame me?
For Ellie's death?
It's just that if we hadn't
pushed so hard for custody
It wasn't "we," Edwin.
It was me.
Do you blame me?
Sometimes!
[GASPS SOFTLY]
Previously on Matlock
MATTY: The law firm
Jacobson Moore hid documents
that could have taken
opioids off the market
ten years earlier.
Think of how many lives
that could have saved.
Including our daughter's.
BILLY: You've been so
obsessed with figuring out
why Matty took Autry's case from you.
Is it so inconceivable
that she could think
I'm a good lawyer, too?
It's inconceivable that she would think
you're a better lawyer than me.
You crossed a line, and I'm tired
of always trying to make
things right with you.
I can do this job on my own.
EDWIN: Ruling out Olympia is a mistake.
My friendship with
Olympia is gonna be useful.
OLYMPIA: Feels so bad letting
our divore get this ugly.
MATTY: When your gut tells you
something fishy's going on,
there's almost always
a four-day-old carp
lying around somewhere.
I don't like the way you've been moving,
and secrets need to come to the light.
So you want to go to war?
Of course not, but I will.
Have you thought any more about
looking for Alfie's father?
I think about it constantly.
So you're not gonna look
for him behind my back?
You're the one who got
the email from that guy
after Ellie's funeral.
EDWIN: My old university account
has been wiped clean.
I couldn't find it.
[INSECTS CHIRRING]
I found the email.
What?
You knew about Alfie's father.
You knew about him,
and you kept it from me.
- Madeline
- All this time.
Madeline, it's a huge decision.
He may want custody.
I-I just needed time, Madeline,
just to think, to-to breathe.
[LAUGHING]: Well, you'd
better think faster
because I found him.
[ECHOING]: Alfie's father is downstairs.
[INAUDIBLE]
MATTY: Sweetheart.
- Shh. Breathe.
- [PANTING]
Breathe.
It's just a nightmare.
Do you want to talk about it?
No. I'm fine.
I-I I don't even remember it.
[SNIFFS]
Are you sure you're okay?
Oh, yes. Yes, I'm fine.
Uh, the "sell by" date
isn't always accurate.
So that would be a "no."
You need sleep.
No. Really, I'm fine.
I-I might be a little
nervous because it feels like
we're finally about to break
this whole thing wide open.
A marketing document.
So, not only did Wellbrexa
know the opioids were addictive.
They aggressively pushed
them out into the world.
So that's got to be what went missing.
And Shae alerts Senior
that it's in discovery.
Senior's out of the
country, then calls Julian.
So we have to place Julian
at the scene of the crime.
Prove that he was in that
document room 14 years ago.
Any ideas outside of a time machine?
You know it, baby.
[LAUGHS]
Ah, you forgot your purse.
Oh, no, I didn't. I lost it.
And by the way, that's been
in there since we moved in.
[DOOR OPENS]
[JAR LANDS IN TRASH]
[DOOR CLOSES]
Where do you remember last
seeing your purse, Ms. Matlock?
Oh, darling, at my age,
I'm lucky to remember
which president was responsible
for my sexual awakening.
Sometimes I think it was
Kennedy, but I don't know
there was just something about LBJ.
Do you have any enemies in the building?
No, a-and to be clear, I don't
think anybody stole my purse.
I'll be the one to make
that determination, ma'am.
You're too close to it.
Oh, makes sense, Lucius.
Hey.
Can y'all see my comings and goings?
It would behoove you to
trust the process here.
- Copy that.
- Do you have your key card?
That way I can track your movements.
Right here.
[BEEPS]
That's amazing.
How long have y'all had this system?
- About 20 years.
- And then what'd you do?
You just, you just tap
this little key card?
Yup, and then enter the date.
And then
like I said
Trust the process.
So you definitely can't babysit?
Because I have this important dinner,
and Julian won't switch nights, and
I understand.
I'm actually great with kids.
Mm-mm.
Remember, we talked
about this. 18 inches.
Do you need me to babysit?
Because I feel like I make
a wicked mac and cheese.
That's not something you just feel.
Never mind.
This mentorship is
not about babysitting.
- It's about your
- Professional growth.
- Yes, but also
- Setting clear and achievable goals?
I 100% agree. Which is
why I made a list of ways
for us to attack our class action,
which I believe is the key to
us winning the race to partner.
- Us?
- Yes. Of course.
Well, how about you hold on to that?
- Okay.
- Because first we need
to focus on Paloma DeLeon.
- Mm-hmm.
- Hopefully, her ex-husband
pays all his child support today
so she can put this
custody stuff behind her.
Then we pivot.
Excited to settle and pivot.
[FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
Speaking of
- Is this a follow situation?
- It is not.
Copy that!
[BEEPS]
I'm gonna ask you one more time.
I'm not switching nights.
Will you at least listen?
Just so you can meet
with potential clients
and edge me out of this partner race.
- No, thank you.
- [SCOFFS] This is a new low for you.
Oh, yeah, for me?
I did what I needed to
do on the business side,
but I would never let
anything come down on our kids.
What are you talking about?
Your whole attitude
is "burn it all down."
- So I'm not switching days anymore.
- Understood.
But if you really want to
win this fight for partner,
you're eventually gonna
have to stop playing games
and get in the ring, like a real lawyer.
Oh. Morning.
And not that you asked,
but Olympia has requested
that I give her 18
inches of personal space,
and since I'm a size seven, it's looking
like two of my feet minus a big toe.
Okay. This is the part where you tell me
that I'm being super literal, and I say,
"I'm just being super detail-oriented."
And then you say, "That's
just another word for 'manic.'"
And I say "I'm super sorry."
[HUMS FANFARE]
What's that?
It's a bottle of that cologne
you like for some reason.
Look, Billy, I'm super sorry.
- I was out of line.
- It's fine.
- It doesn't seem fine.
- It is.
We don't have to be
friends, just coworkers.
Good morning, you two.
Oh, uh, "Billy and Sarah." Thanks.
Oh. Sorry about that.
No, Matty, I'm sorry for
the way that I treated you.
My mentor and I are working
on my interpersonal skills.
Well, I appreciate that, Sarah.
So, we getting into that
big class action today?
After we settle a child support case.
Oh, I wasn't aware Olympia
handled that sort of stuff.
Normally, she doesn't,
but Olympia met Paloma
when she was volunteering her time
to help immigrants get
small business licenses
Is this you wondering if you need
to volunteer your time to immigrants?
- Yes.
- OLYMPIA: Let's go.
Matty, we'll catch you up.
For the past year, Paloma's been stuck
in nasty post-divorce disputes
Mostly custodial, over their son Tenoch.
Sidenote: it is an honor
to be finishing each other's sentences.
BILLY: Paloma maintains
primary physical custody,
while her moneybags ex-husband
Bruno maintains visitation rights.
Where'd the money bags come from?
Overseas business.
We just found out he's
been sheltering money
- in an offshore account.
- Which is why today
we're reopening the
child support agreement.
Never ceases to amaze me
what men think we won't find out about.
I'm-I'm sorry. I didn't catch that.
Good thing there's always a paper trail.
Some lead to Swiss bank accounts.
My late husband's led to
a casino on a cruise ship.
And believe you me,
he took full advantage
of the all-you-can-eat.
And I don't mean the food.
Well, this is less scandalous.
It's about money on the surface.
Under the surface?
It's all about custody.
So, highest stakes for everyone.
All emotion, no logic.
Any experience with custody cases?
I'd like to call Madeline
Kingston to the stand.
In your own words, can you tell us
why you and your husband are here today?
Because my daughter
Ellie is a drug addict.
So we are requesting sole
physical custody of our grandson.
OLYMPIA: Matty?
Any experience with custody cases?
None, unfortunately.
Oh, that's my grandson texting me.
- Uh, can I call him back?
- Of course.
- Okay.
- Hopefully, I can shut this down
so we don't wind up in court again.
Again, it's simple.
If your client doesn't pay Ms. DeLeon
the full amount of child support owed,
I will file a petition to revoke
his business license, driver's license,
American and Spanish passports.
She can't take my passports.
Is that a challenge?
Adam, do something.
Mr. Cortez's financial
situation has changed.
If he could afford to make the
payments, of course he would.
But all three Swiss bank accounts linked
to his very lucrative
exporting business are empty?
That's right. We know about them.
And if we end up back in court today,
- so will the judge.
- BRUNO: What the hell?
I'm not giving you a single dime.
And you can forget about seeing
your family in Mexico next month.
No way am I subsidizing that.
Bruno, my father's sick.
!¡Y tú, ponte las pilas!
See you in court.
OLYMPIA: Hold it.
[SQUEALS] Hey. Grabbing coffee?
- It's that time.
- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]
It really is.
[SIGHS]
What an awkward meeting.
Our divorce case.
So, how was your hang?
- Jury's still out.
- Okay. He's being picky.
I respect that.
[LAUGHS]
[CHUCKLES]
Part of being a
professional is recognizing
when someone needs space
for something personal.
- 1,000% get you.
- Great.
Just to be crystal clear,
you and Elijah have something personal?
It's personal to ask.
Got it. Won't happen again.
But if it does, maybe we can do
some supersubtle yet super clear signal.
[SIGHS SHAKILY]
The jaw thing might
be a little too subtle.
[BOTH INHALE AND EXHALE]
From the looks of it, your
ex-husband may not even show up.
We got this.
Sorry we're late, Your Honor.
I'm Julian Markston,
new legal counsel for Bruno Cortez.
This is ridiculous.
And low, even for you.
I am just stepping into the
ring, like you suggested.
I'm sorry, Your Honor,
but opposing counsel is using the court
to try to carry out some
kind of personal vendetta.
I'm doing nothing of the sort.
Ms. Lawrence just can't fathom
something not being about her.
You're saying that this is not about me?
Bruno needed counsel
who knows what it's like
to face someone vindictive
during a divorce.
- Vindictive?
- Well, let me guess.
- You two used to be married?
- Ink can't try fast enough.
- The divorce is almost final.
- Mm.
Just what this case
needs more marital drama.
If it were up to me, I'd
conflict you both out.
But it's not up to me.
Your clients get to
pick their representation
and waive any conflict of interest.
So, have they?
I know my client will.
How about yours?
Billy, I know you're angry,
but can you just look and see
if Simone Delgado is staring at me?
- She's not.
- You're not even looking. She totally is.
She's been my nemesis
Since law school, you mentioned.
She's just insufferable.
Ever since she spent time
clerking for the Supreme Court.
I'm sure Julian picked her
as his first-year assist
just to get under my skin.
He probably heard about the mentorship.
I can assure you that's
not what happened.
SIMONE: Sarah?
Oh, this is going to be ugly.
Hi!
- Hi.
- I can't believe it.
We finally get to face off.
Sarah was already a pro in law school.
I was low-key intimidated.
Really? I heard you clerked
for the Supreme Court.
Sounds pretty high-key.
Oh, stop. [LAUGHS]
- Agreed. Stop.
- Anyway,
I really look forward to
getting to know you, Billy.
- Yup.
- And, Sarah,
I know you'll keep me on my toes.
I definitely will.
Girl to girl, you got the teeniest
bit of breath thing going on.
Maybe just grab a mint if you have one.
She actually seems really nice.
- Are you out ?
- OLYMPIA: All right. Firewall's set.
Judge will grant waivers on both sides.
Get ready for Kramer v. Kramer.
Is that an old case you worked on?
Uh, oh, no, was it not? Oh.
Your Honor, I assure you, this
is all a big misunderstanding.
My client had no intention
of hiding any money.
Yet he socked over $2 million
in an account in the Caymans.
Off advice from his former accountant
who was navigating complicated
international tax laws.
I'm going to give you the benefit
of the doubt this time, Mr. Cortez,
and only adjust the support
according to the DissoMaster.
Next time there will be consequences.
There won't be a next
time. Thank you, Your Honor.
There is one other issue,
Your Honor, and it's a big one.
Ms. DeLeon has been driving a wedge
between Mr. Cortez and his son.
She's deliberately overscheduling Tenoch
during his time with my client.
She can't help it if
activities fall on his days.
She violated the screen time provision
of the divorce agreement
and bought Tenoch an Xbox,
which stays at her house,
- so he never wants to leave.
- Xbox
And worst of all, she has
been bad-mouthing my client.
A seven-year-old shouldn't know
the meaning of the word
"affair," Your Honor.
Is this true, Ms. DeLeon?
He overheard us arguing.
But that's not why he
didn't want to leave.
It-It's because Bruno's too strict.
Plus he's always
working when he's there.
- You're just angry that I'm getting remarried
- Tenoch is all alone
- all day long
- and you're poisoning our
That's enough.
We'd like to move for
full physical custody
on the grounds of parental alienation.
¿Bruno, cuál es tu problema?
- Your Honor, my client has only ever done what
- Order.
I'm scheduling a custody
hearing for next week.
In the meantime, I'd like
to hold a Lincoln hearing
to hear from Tenoch Cortez.
Court is adjourned.
They're going to question Tenoch?
He's a child.
Why would his parents
put him through that?
Paloma's just fighting back.
I know, but no one will win.
Then it's up to us to
mitigate the damage,
which means we need to dig up
any dirt we possibly can against Bruno.
BILLY: Here's what we got from Paloma.
Bruno keeps Tenoch on a tight leash
when Tenoch stays with him.
He doesn't allow him
to call or text his mom.
Now, there's some
alienation we can build on.
He also looks down on
Paloma's family in Mexico.
Tell them that part, too, Billy.
He prevents Tenoch from having
any relationship with them,
and Paloma's father is very sick.
Now, all this comes from Paloma.
Makes it a little bit fruit
of the poisoned marital tree.
Billy has an angle. Super smart.
You're going to be impressed.
Bruno's behavior fits a pattern
of authoritarian parenting
that could cause a lot
of emotional damage.
We got an objective third
party to testify on this?
Not an expert, but we could
use Tenoch's soccer coach.
Apparently, Bruno's
temper comes out at games,
so the coach banned him from attending.
[PHONE BUZZES]
SARAH: We're hoping there was some kind
of physical altercation between them,
preferably one with blood spilled.
Go talk to the coach.
- Yeah.
- Yes.
Matty, wait.
What do you think this means?
Oh, my. [LAUGHS]
I'm shocked.
I don't know what to
say or how to respond.
You could always go
with a question mark.
Hey, Sarah.
Big mentor advice coming at you.
Ready for it, ma'am.
From now on, when you want to speak,
stop, count to five, then decide
if it's appropriate or not.
When in doubt, go with "not."
[QUIETLY]: One, two, three
Got it.
[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]
Does everyone take a
beat before they speak?
Well, everyone but you.
Want a mint?
No.
Why?
What? I'm just trying to make
sure we present a united front.
Plus these Ice Flame bodega
mints are extra strong,
which we need because
this whole school smells
like mall perfume and preteen angst.
Come on. Just tell me what I need to do
to make it good between us.
SIMONE: Hey, guys.
BILLY: Simone?
Of course you're here.
I was just informing Coach Reyes
that Mr. Cortez is suing him
for assault and defamation.
What?
Yeah, so he's lawyering up,
and he asked me to tell
you that he's not speaking
to anyone else from Jacobson Moore.
Suing the coach?
Dirty move.
Just doing what's best for my client.
Um, you want me to go research if
No, please stay.
THERAPIST: Tenoch, do your
parents say nice things
about each other? Or not nice things?
I don't want Mommy to get in trouble.
[QUIETLY]: Ask the kid about the coach.
THERAPIST: Is that why you don't like
going to stay at your dad's house?
He doesn't have Xbox.
THERAPIST: Can you tell
me about why your dad
doesn't go to your soccer games anymore?
Because of Coach Reyes.
What happened with Coach Reyes?
TENOCH: Daddy got mad at him.
THERAPIST: And what happened?
He grabbed him and
they started fighting.
It was really scary.
MATTY: The drugs
make her very scary, unfortunately.
When Ellie's off them, she's
funny.
Smart.
A caring mother. A
excellent baker.
And isn't it true
that she's off them now
and has been for three months?
That's what she says.
And what her drug testing has shown.
Addicts know the way around those tests.
- They know the schedules.
- It's random.
My grandson was born
addicted to opioids,
after Ellie swore she was clean.
Have you ever seen a newborn go
through withdrawal, Counselor?
They convulse.
Their limbs spasm.
They cry a high-pitched wail.
And I wasn't allowed to
comfort Alfie, to hold him.
Because they told me that
might overstimulate him.
So I sat there,
watching him suffer in that incubator.
Six seizures.
72 days.
I'm sure that was painful.
Painful?
It was preventable.
JONES: And I understand
now that you are angry.
Damn right I am.
She keeps saying she's sober.
And just five weeks ago,
Alfie ended up in the emergency
room with a burn on his arm.
Teakettle accident, she
said it was, but I don't know
how an 18-month-old climbs
up on a counter by himself
unless his mother is high.
- Objection, Your Honor.
- Dad, make her stop, please!
- You know this isn't right!
- [MOUTHS]
You still can't sleep?
Well, clearly I'm in good company.
Watching that little boy today
so alone and scared
[SIGHS]
brings back a lot, huh?
About our case.
Madeline, I can't go there.
Darling, it's 3:00 in the
morning and you're cleaning.
You only clean when
something's bothering you.
Oh, it's nothing.
I just want you out of all this.
I assume you have a plan for
snagging Julian's key card?
I sure do.
Nice and clean.
Well, sort of.
[BEEPS]
Oh! [GASPS] Oh! Ooh!
- Ooh, Lord!
- What the hell?
I'm so sorry! I got my box
step muddled with my Watusi.
Here, let me get that cleaned for you.
N-No, no, no. It's not necessary.
Oh, yes, it is, believe you me.
Oh. Now, I know things have been uneasy
between the two of us,
but I just want you to know
I hold you in the highest esteem.
And in order for any of us to look good,
- we all have to look good.
- Just give me back my coat.
- Oh.
- Thank you.
[SIGHS]
Have a little coffee today?
You have a big problem.
Your client was caught at the airport
trying to take Tenoch to Mexico.
- What?
- Yep, without my client's permission,
- which is technically, um
- Oh, come on.
She wasn't trying to kidnap him.
Well, we'll see what
Judge Coburn thinks.
I'm setting up an emergency hearing.
We're getting full custody.
[SIGHS]
[LASER SOUNDS PLAYING OVER HEADPHONES]
[CRYING]
I thought you might need these.
[SNIFFLES]
We haven't officially met.
I'm Matty.
I work with Olympia.
I messed up.
- Well, who hasn't?
- Not like this.
You'd be surprised.
Where were you going?
My sister called.
My dad's dying.
He wanted to see Tenoch,
and I wanted to see him.
Oh, darling.
I didn't tell anyone because
it's during my custody days.
We were gonna be back before
he went to his dad's house.
[EXHALES] I really thought
I was doing the right thing.
Okay.
A social worker is coming
to stay with Tenoch.
What? A stranger?
The judge has set an
emergency hearing for 2:00 p.m.
- Today?
- MATTY: Cases involving the safety
and security of minors
they go real fast.
My son wasn't in danger.
I-I'd never hurt him.
Y-You know that, right, Olympia?
I-I just wanted to visit my father.
Wait a minute, if, if
you didn't tell anybody
that you were leaving,
how did Bruno know?
Good question.
Do you or Tenoch have
any tracking turned on
- for your devices?
- No.
Unless Bruno hacked into my account.
O-Or maybe he's been watching me.
You know, th-there could be a bug.
Oh, God. I'll have my
team sweep your house.
In the meantime, I'll try to
get ahead of this with the judge.
But I need you to be calm
when we go back to court.
Anything else will hurt your case.
You cannot seem unstable.
Matty will bring you to the courthouse.
And I hate doing this, Paloma,
but I need your passport.
[WHIMPERS SOFTLY]
If he's spying, that will help my case.
Right?
They can't take him,
right? They-they won't
take him from me, right?
Huh?
Okay, so, no bugs at Paloma's house.
Now what? [SIGHS]
We tell Olympia.
Really good thinking.
- Have you seen my mints?
- What?
My mints. Simone must have stolen them.
- Are you serious?
- She would do that.
Make me self-conscious about my breath
and then steal my mints?
I'm telling you, she's toxic, and
Oh, my God, Sarah.
First it was me, then
Matty, now Simone. Wake up.
You're the one who's toxic.
Everyone knows it.
Hi there, you two.
I'm Moira.
I live next door and am head
of the neighborhood watch.
I try to keep an eye out for Paloma,
since she's a single
mom and woman of color.
What a queen.
- Does she know you're here?
- SARAH: Just so you're aware,
neighborhood watches tend to
be aggressively ineffective,
given that a nonbinding citizen
group with no legal standing
usually is just a bastion
for white supremacy.
Paloma knows we're here.
Well
I am right next door
if you need anything.
- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]
- Thank you.
How's that "taking a beat
and thinking" thing going?
[WHISPERS]: Damn it.
MATTY: Paloma? Where are you going?
Why isn't Tenoch with the social worker?
They didn't find any bugs, and I'm
not leaving him with a stranger.
We're just, uh, headed
to the courthouse.
I just wanted to get there early.
Be honest with me. If you're
thinking about leaving
I'm thinking about everything.
Bruno is powerful.
What if they take him away?
Please don't take him away, Mom.
You're gonna destroy our relationship.
Drugs are destroying your relationship.
I'm clean.
Three months?
One. Ever since the burn.
But, Mom, I promise.
You've scared me enough.
I'm done. I'm going to meetings
Great. When you've
put together a year
You can test me every single day.
You can have supervised
visitation every single day.
[SNIFFLES] Can you at least
give him his lovey?
[SNIFFLES]
You keep it.
For when Alfie comes
back to live with you.
It'll happen.
- It works if you work
- Yeah, I know.
Okay.
♪
Oh, there you are. You need
to leave the child with me.
Where are you going?
Paloma.
Ma'am, surrender the child.
Wait. Paloma.
Wait.
Plea
Please.
No, come You don't want to do this.
I won't let them take him from me.
COBURN: Where on God's green earth
- is your client, Counselor?
- [PHONES BUZZING]
[LOW]: Get over there now.
COBURN: Counselor, is there
some kind of a problem?
OLYMPIA: Apologies, Your
Honor, if we could just
have 20 more minutes, Ms.
DeLeon has been delayed.
I'll give you 30 minutes,
because that's when
I'll be making my ruling,
with or without Ms. DeLeon.
Understood. Thank you, Your Honor.
[PHONE BUZZES]
Simone, get to the firm.
BRUNO: What's going on?
MATTY: Paloma, I know you're scared,
but you've got to come out.
- [MUFFLED GROAN]
- Please, I want to help.
Does he have a lovey?
Anything to calm him down?
His binder, with soccer cards.
He sorts them when he's upset.
It-It's at my house.
It's okay it's okay.
It's on its way.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
[GRUNTS]
- Your client has barricaded
- No one said the word "barricade."
- [PHONE BUZZING]
- "Barricade," legal definition:
no one can get in, she
won't let anyone out.
Hi, Julian.
Yes, it's a barricade.
It is not a barricade.
Ma'am, we need you out of there
or we are calling the police.
- This is your final warning.
- Hey, hey.
Slow down, s-slow down.
Don't call the cops yet.
- Definitely call the cops right now.
- No, don't escalate
the situation, all right? We
need to keep the temperature down.
There is a scared little kid in there.
MATTY: Paloma, please.
Don't make a bad decision that
could impact the rest of your life.
You have to show up.
JUDGE EDWARDS: Where is she?
Counsel, have you
heard from your client?
As Ms. Kingston has
decided not to attend
her own custody hearing,
I have no choice but to rule
in favor of the plaintiff.
Mr. and Mrs. Kingston, I
hereby grant you sole legal
and physical custody of your grandson
Alfred Edwin Kingston.
[GAVEL BANGS]
Thank you.
[PALOMA CRYING]
Paloma, look at me.
I have made a lot of
mistakes in my life.
But there's just one I
wish I could take back.
Every single day.
This is that moment.
You got to open that
door and get to court.
MOIRA: Oh, it's you again.
You here to give me a copy
of White Fragility?
'Cause I already own it.
[SOFTLY]: One, two, three, four, five.
- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]
- That's Tenoch's, right?
It is, and you're observant.
You spend a lot of time out here, huh?
Well, I love to garden.
Ah, me, too. Are those uh, tulips?
[LAUGHS] Geraniums.
[LAUGHS] Let me smell.
[INHALES SHARPLY]
Wow.
So, what is that camera for,
and why is it pointed
directly at Paloma's house?
You're in violation of New
York's surveillance laws,
so if you'd rather not
say, I can just subpoena
the contents of your
camera and press charges.
Wait.
OLYMPIA: Your Honor,
I just got word that
Bruno paid a neighbor
to spy on Paloma with a hidden camera.
That's how he knew that she was leaving.
This is ridiculous. She
tried to kidnap his son.
- Apparently, she is barricaded
- OLYMPIA: She is not barricaded.
And how about invasion of privacy?
That's something you
should know plenty about.
- What's that supposed to mean?
- Let's keep it civil.
- Oh, you know exactly what that means.
- Oh, you stealing my clients?
- Is that what you're talking about?
- Counselors,
- this is your last warning.
- The pen, Julian? The pen.
What the hell are you
even talking about?!
That's enough! [BANGS GAVEL]
I am holding you both
- in contempt of court.
- No, no, no, I
- Officer.
- Judge
Please take Ms. Lawrence and
Mr. Markston into custody.
- You know, this is really
- I can't believe you.
Me? Oh, you're gonna put this on me?
If you hadn't pointed out
- the conflict of interest
- You called me vindictive.
- we wouldn't be here.
- You said this was personal!
GUARD: Quiet!
- What the hell are we doing?
- [SCOFFS]
Look at us.
We're just as bad as Paloma and Bruno.
Oh, I know.
And to end up here, as a mother
[SIGHS] I-I know.
It must've been tough.
Watching Bruno in there
fight so hard for his son,
the way your dad should have.
I don't want to fight.
Me neither.
But so much ugly stuff has happened.
Can we
Can we put it behind us? Start fresh?
Whatever you need from my finances
I don't want your finances.
I just want honesty.
From this point forward.
Done.
So no more looking back?
We're here, Judge.
Where the hell is everybody else?
Pardon my French.
Had to throw your friends
Frick and Frack in a jail cell
for contempt of court.
Let them cool off. Officer,
go spring those honorable
members of the New York Bar
from the clink. And tell them
they have an hour to reach a settlement.
[CRUNCHING]
So, you really like sorting
those soccer cards, huh?
Yeah, I sort them by
the player's position,
and then the pages are
all in order by team,
and any duplicate cards
go behind each other,
so you can see exactly what you have.
Do you feel more, um, cozy and
kind of calm when you do it?
Yeah, I guess so.
And how do you feel at
your mom and dad's houses?
Is there one that feels more like this?
Cozy? Calm?
I just want them to stop fighting.
That's all I want in the whole world.
And if it's my fault,
I'll do something different.
Look, I'm gonna tell you something
that my father tried to
teach me a long time ago,
but I may not have actually
learned it until today.
You can be right
or you can be happy.
Choose your kid.
Move forwards, not backwards.
This is a fair agreement.
50-50 custody, a good
financial settlement,
and mandated parenting classes.
For both of you.
Personally, I'd rather
be happy than right.
Every time.
BILLY: Okay, you were right.
Simone did steal your mints.
Hmm.
Did you hear me? You were right.
I don't care.
About being right?
Are you feeling okay?
No. [SIGHS] I feel toxic.
Because I have been to you.
And you mean a lot to me.
So I don't care about being right,
I care about making it up to you.
You're not toxic.
- I was hurt.
- And you have every right to be.
Billy
you're my mentor.
In being nice, or my muse,
or I-I don't know what to call you,
but
you're one of the most important
relationships in my life.
So whatever I have to
do to make it better,
I will.
Should we just start over?
[SIGHS] I would love that.
Yeah, I Oh.
Okay, let it out.
I knew Simone hated me.
I knew it! I'm her nemesis.
I'm that bitch's worst nightmare.
- Yes! [LAUGHS]
- And I'm
Oh totally unclear
what we're celebrating.
Oh, my gosh.
[BILLY CLEARS THROAT]
But you did good work today, Sarah.
Thanks. You gave me great advice.
And I have to say,
that whole five-second
rule really helped me.
Elijah.
- Oh. Hey.
- Hey.
So, listen, I got your text
Oh, my God. Uh, Olympia,
that wasn't meant for you.
[NERVOUS GIGGLE]
O-of course it wasn't.
- That's what I was coming to tell you.
- [WEAK CHUCKLE] Oh.
Resend it to the right woman.
So, the jury reached a verdict, huh?
The jury had a good time.
I'm happy for you.
You rat me out?
Oh, come on.
Sarah was an absolute
beast in law school,
so I couldn't resist
getting a little baby jab in,
minimal impact.
You were doing the same thing.
What do you mean?
Being all friendly to me,
just to get under her skin.
Yeah, fair.
But Sarah and I worked it out.
Cool. I'm all about clean slates.
Admit it was a barricade,
and we'll start over.
It was not a barricade,
there was clearly no weapon
Hostage situations have weapons,
barricades are boundaries.
I double-checked my work.
[SCOFFS]
I could explain the difference
in detail over a drink?
Or are you worried that
your work wife won't like it?
[SCOFFS]
[TEAKETTLE WHISTLING]
[GASPS]
MATTY: Hello, my darling Alfie.
Hello.
- [PHONE BUZZING]
- Hi, buddy.
Hi Oh.
I don't recognize this phone number.
- Pick up. Always pick up.
- Okay.
Hello?
Yes, this is Ellie Kingston's father.
Do we need a sitter?
Edwin?
Where is she?
♪
[SIGHS]
I got an email this
morning before the funeral.
From?
Some guy named Joey
who said he was a
close friend of Ellie's
and he would like to talk to us.
About?
I didn't write back.
I wanted to talk to you.
In case it's
Alfie's father.
What are you doing?
You told me you couldn't find the email.
I just needed some more time to think.
We can't write him back. End of story.
- Slow down.
- No, no, he's an addict.
And addicts cause chaos.
- So, I don't let you think?
- No.
Not when your mind is made up.
You're a bull in a china shop.
Who cares what anyone else says? And
What?
We can't go through
another custody battle.
Agreed. I wish we didn't
go through this one.
Edwin.
Do you blame me for Ellie's death?
Oh, Madeline.
Of course not.
Say it.
Do you blame me?
For Ellie's death?
It's just that if we hadn't
pushed so hard for custody
It wasn't "we," Edwin.
It was me.
Do you blame me?
Sometimes!
[GASPS SOFTLY]