Matlock (2024) s01e16 Episode Script
The Johnson Case
1
- Previously
- Good evening, Marcus.
Good evening, Mrs. Kingston.
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.
That pen is a recording device.
Julian? The partner race. The divorce.
What did I do before
you, Madeline Matlock?
How about invasion of privacy?
JULIAN: Can we start fresh?
I just want honesty.
Done.
So, no more looking back?
SENIOR: Talk to me about Slamm'd.
This is the case that's
winning me partner.
SENIOR: $40 million!
Hell of a settlement.
EDWIN: Olympia is a suspect.
Are you sure you're feeling okay?
- You and Olympia were friends.
- MATTY: I thought
Olympia was someone she isn't.
And she definitely thinks
I'm someone I'm not.
Glad to have clarity.
Oh, we're reaching out to the Redditor.
BITSY: What's a Redditor?
It's a person who posted
on the Reddit board
about the hidden Wellbrexa documents.
ReadEmAndWeep31.
I got hives when Barry Manilow was sick.
MATTY: Your fur baby?
BELVIN: Exactly.
MATTY: ReadEmAndWeep31.
But I know who it is.
(PHONE BUZZING)
(PHONE CONTINUES BUZZING)
Hello?
- DISTORTED VOICE: Hello, Emmalyn.
- (GASPS)
Thank you for coming.
- I knew that you cared.
- Where are you?
(NORMAL VOICE): Where I can
see that your shoes are black
(DISTORTED): and your top is green.
I just have a few questions.
Then come out and talk to me.
Did you look through the
information I sent you?
We know what the missing documents were:
a marketing study.
I just need you to confirm our timeline.
Not until I know who
you are. It's not fair.
Fair?
You want to talk about what's fair?
You knew that Wellbrexa took
those documents 14 years ago,
and you didn't come
forward, and people died.
I did what I could.
No.
You posted on a Reddit
board, and you hid.
Like you're hiding now?
The timeline.
Did you look at it?
I did. And it's wrong.
Wrong? In what way?
(DISCONNECT TONE BEEPS)
(SIGHS)
Edwin, I'm telling you,
it took every ounce of
willpower not to march over there
and just shake that
smugness right out of her.
Is she telling the
truth or is she bluffing?
I don't know. And I
hate that I don't know.
Well, if we're wrong about the window
when the study was stolen,
we could also be wrong
about Olympia doing
Stop. I'm not letting that thought in.
I made the mistake of letting my heart
lead my head once, and
that's not happening again.
We need to find out if
Belvin is telling the truth.
What are you thinking?
The carrot didn't work, so
now it's time for the stick.
Ah.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
OLYMPIA: Wait up, Matty.
Ah, there she is. (LAUGHS)
All decked out for her victory lap.
Just reminding everyone
- that we do it backwards and in heels.
- (LAUGHS)
Ooh, can you make drinks tonight?
I want to take our whole
team out to celebrate.
Aw, shucks.
Alfie's got some biology thingamadoodle,
and I'm on cut and glue duty.
- Cut and glue duty is important.
- (LAUGHS)
But we're good, right?
You and me?
These last few weeks with
Slamm'd have been slammed.
- (CHUCKLES)
- And I just want to say
that I clearly couldn't
have done it without you.
And when I make partner
- knock on elevator
- (CHUCKLES)
I'll need you by my side.
Well, good, 'cause that's
where I'm posting up.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS, DOORS OPEN)
(QUIET MURMURING)
Morning, Kyle.
Have I died and I'm the last to know?
Let's talk.
BILLY: Matty, hi. I need your call
on our respectful disagreement.
Disagreement, yes.
Respectful, less so,
'cause you are wrong.
- She's gonna jinx it.
- You can't jinx a shoo-in.
You can by calling it a shoo-in.
Just wait until after Olympia
presents her final presentation
to the partner board to
ask for your first case.
SARAH: Okay, you can say that
because you already had a case.
Olympia's in a good mood.
It's the right time to ask.
I can't believe this.
Elijah just told me
that the partner board
is unhappy with my performance.
- And there's the jinx.
- What? Why?
Apparently, there's a sense
amongst the corporate clients
that my Slamm'd class action
took down one of their own.
Suddenly, I'm not a team
player or partner material.
I can't even win when I win.
(PHONE DINGS)
Amina's here.
I'll see you guys in
the conference room.
Who's Amina?
The old you.
Well, actually the young
you. The old young you.
Olympia's law school bestie.
Took two very different paths.
Olympia went corporate,
and Amina joined the
public defender's office.
- Golden handcuffs versus real handcuffs.
- Exactly.
(LAUGHING) (SIGHS)
- Olympia, this is Isabel Sanchez.
- Mm-hmm. Hi.
Isabel, this is the only
person I'm scared of in court.
Oh, okay. You're here
because you need something.
Of course I need something.
I made an appointment and everything.
But you are great and
resourceful and well-funded.
Which is what Isabel needs.
Got it. What's going on?
I was on a jury 21 years ago,
and we got it wrong.
There's a man sitting in a prison
for a crime he didn't commit.
Amina said maybe you could help him.
AMINA: Eugene Molina was
a doorman charged with murdering
one of the building's
tenants, Linda Gallo.
And this was 21 years ago?
Prosecution argued
Linda lodged a complaint,
Gene snapped,
used his doorman key to get in
and stabbed her to death
in the nine-minute window
he left his desk to pick up
dinner for another tenant.
Must have been some complaint.
It wasn't. That's the thing.
She complained about all the doormen.
It didn't make sense.
Any eyewitnesses?
An unreliable one. Teenager.
Said the man was six feet.
Gene's only five-six.
She picked him out of
a lineup, but the NYPD
was still doing single blinds back then.
OLYMPIA: DNA?
None of it matched Gene.
And the police tested everything.
The carpet, magazines,
the socks under the couch,
the spoon on the floor near the body.
Plus the caviar thing.
What's that?
Well, during the original trial,
they show us all these
pictures of the crime scene,
and there was this trail of caviar
from the kitchen to the living room.
But the rest of the apartment: spotless.
And Linda was one of those ladies
with a housekeeper who
came every single day.
Hmm, she could've made the
mess herself before she died.
Autopsy said Linda
hadn't eaten in hours.
She still had her jacket on.
She just got home.
It doesn't make sense.
Gene was so mad, he went to
pick up a tenant's dinner,
ran upstairs, murdered Linda,
had some caviar in nine minutes?
That does sound pretty insane.
So, what happened in deliberation?
Everyone else thought he did it.
I brought up the caviar
over and over, but nothing.
But you must have voted guilty.
Or else it would've been a hung jury.
Not at first. I said no.
I tried to talk, but Dale,
the foreman, he told me I
was wasting everyone's time.
He said I was just dragging this out
so I can get a free
lunch from the government.
Geez. And he kept on screaming at me.
And everyone else agreed with him.
He took away my chair so I had to stand,
and I just
I caved.
And Gene was found guilty.
And I have regretted it every day since.
Then why did you wait
so long to come forward?
Sorry.
I'm just trying to understand.
I just thought eventually
it would right itself,
that one of his appeals would work.
When the last one was
denied, I called the D.A.
Amina was the only
one who would help me.
But I can't. I mean, not really.
We have no resources at my office.
Can we have a moment? In private?
(SOFTLY): It's okay.
AMINA: Oh, no,
that's the look you gave Mills
when he gave you a B-plus in Torts.
I don't even know
what the case is about.
I was hoping you'd have one
of those Hail Mary epiphanies.
Like the night you figured
out the meaning of life.
- Okay, there were other substances involved.
- Mm-hmm.
And I believe my answer
was "Gouda and Cristal."
- Have yet to hear a better one.
- (CHUCKLES)
Come on, after Slamm'd,
you got to have some
capital around here.
Spend it developing
novel legal arguments
for someone who needs you.
- Oh, what the hell?
- That mean you're in?
- That means I'll talk to Gene, then I'll decide.
- Mm.
But in return,
there is something I need from you.
(LOCK BUZZES, LATCH CLICKS)
A juror thinks I didn't do it?
She does.
She thought your case
would resolve on appeal,
and when it didn't, she found us.
So we wanted to hear from you.
Can you walk us through
the night of Linda's murder?
It's all in the transcripts.
Right.
But is there anything you want to add,
anything you think they missed
or you didn't get to say?
I said everything.
I read that you left your
post to go across the street
to pick up food for a tenant, correct?
Life before DoorDash, huh?
What's DoorDash?
Sorry. Right.
Look, Gene, if you
don't want our help
It's been 21 years.
I have a routine.
I work in the library.
It's a hard job to get,
but get to read a lot.
Law mostly.
So what are you saying?
You're afraid to hope?
That's right, Gene?
(SIGHS)
All those years, during the appeals,
I'd think, finally this
nightmare would be over.
Made myself sick.
Had to just move on.
Understood.
You don't have to hope.
In fact, you shouldn't.
Just answer our questions.
And if there's hope,
we'll carry it for you.
Why did Linda file a
complaint about you?
I forgot to bring up her dry cleaning.
She filed about two a
month. That's who she was.
I felt bad for her.
All that money, but she was lonely.
So she complained.
I apologized after her dinner party.
When she left for the Hamptons
the next morning, we were fine.
And that was the last
time you saw her alive?
Exactly.
On Saturday, I went out
to get dinner for 3A.
Didn't know Linda was home, but
she came back to the city early,
and the next thing I know, she's dead.
And I'm being charged.
OLYMPIA: He didn't do it.
No way, no how, no chance.
So we're taking the case?
We are,
and since all of Gene's
appeals have been exhausted,
we are going to have to use
a pretty brilliant workaround.
Cool. What's the workaround?
I have no idea.
How are we even supposed
to get in front of a judge
- if Gene's exhausted his appeals?
- Isabel's on the phone.
I'll call her right back
as soon as we have a plan.
BILLY: I can't imagine
what it's been like,
carrying that guilt all these years.
Probably not as bad
as it's been for Gene
sitting in a prison cell for 21 years.
Ooh, cold and callous
is usually my thing,
but I like this on you.
I'm just saying, Isabel got
to decorate Christmas trees,
blow out birthday candles,
and go to the grocery store.
She had a life.
A life haunted by an extremely traumatic
experience in a jury room
- that no one should ever have gone through.
- That's it.
Isabel was belittled, berated,
and battered into silence.
That foreman Dale was intentionally
bullying her into voting guilty.
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress.
- Yup.
An IIED is our door into Gene's case.
We go through Isabel's trauma.
Mailroom just dropped this.
(WHIMPERS)
(GASPS)
CROSS: This is insanity.
First off, the statute of
limitations has long passed.
Incorrect. It resets on appeal.
And Eugene Molina's
last one was rejected
- three months ago.
- Fascinating.
Unfortunately, you can't sue a juror.
Juror immunity is a fundamental
principle in our legal system.
Oh, so you can steal
from a fellow juror?
- Murder a fellow juror?
- I didn't murder
Shh! Don't be ridiculous.
Verbal and emotional harassment is
not your right as a jury foreman.
Things can get heated
in the deliberation room.
Agreed, but we're not
talking about heated.
We're talking tortious
intentional infliction
of emotional distress,
which prevented my client
from doing her
constitutionally mandated duty.
She couldn't vote her conscience.
Your client was keeping
everyone away from their families
over a few clumps of caviar.
No, she was carefully
examining the evidence
because she took her job seriously.
And my client took his job
as foreman very seriously.
Oh, please.
Mr. Foster truly believed
the defendant was guilty,
as did ten other jurors.
If anything,
he's the one being harassed here.
My client should be suing
Mrs. Sanchez for IIED.
OLYMPIA: Your Honor. (SIGHS)
Counselor Cross is absolutely right.
But the real question is,
who was acting extreme and outrageously?
Her client or mine?
And the only way to determine that
is to decide if it was reasonable
to doubt Gene's guilt.
What are you proposing, Counselor?
Order us to look into
Eugene Molina's case.
If Gene was obviously guilty,
then Mr. Foster was reasonable
in his actions as foreman,
but if we find cause for doubt,
then my client was reasonable,
and Dale's actions rise
to the level of IIED.
A legal ouroboros.
I'm interested.
I'll give you 48 hours to untangle it.
Otherwise, I'm granting
summary judgment for Mr. Foster.
BILLY: Okay,
we have two days to
prove a man's innocence
when one trial, six appeals,
and three different lawyers couldn't.
All the previous appeals
were based on procedural grounds,
so we have to focus on
proving Gene's innocence,
and the most obvious place to start
is with the eyewitness.
She was 16. (SIGHS)
Let's just hope that
she's had a nagging doubt
over the last 21 years.
- We'll get her in for an interview.
- OLYMPIA: Great.
D.A. had two other tenants
from the building on the stand.
Matty, can you call them in?
I could, but I actually think
we should call in the tenant
they didn't have testify.
The appellate attorney's notes said
the detective put little stars
next to three tenants in the building.
Two they called in and tenant 6C.
Why star it unless they
said something important?
And why leave one off
unless it didn't serve their case?
- Exactly.
- Do we know who tenant 6C is?
The rental records
show that a corporation
held the lease at the time.
According to the
secretary of state, the
the corporation's now defunct.
(SIGHS)
I could ask Gene,
- see if he remembers.
- OLYMPIA: Great.
Uh, Amina sent this for you.
- She said it's about the Johnson case.
- The Johnson case?
I don't remember that one.
I'm good. Thank you.
Go and prep for the
eyewitness interview.
SARAH: Olympia's lying.
I keep an Excel file
of everything current,
closed, and pending, and
there is no such thing
as the Johnson case.
So what's your theory?
Because I know you have one.
Her big play to clinch the
partner position backfired,
and now, all of a
sudden, she's taking on
a Innocence-type Project case
and huddling with her
bestie from law school
who works for the P.D.'s office.
So you think she wants
to move over there?
Admit it's not out of the question.
(SIGHS)
It's not out of the question.
Oh, no, you were supposed to
say it is out of the question,
and that means I'm right,
which means this is an emergency.
No, an emergency is the fact
that we have 43 hours left
to get a man out of prison.
The tenant in 6C?
If you could just try to remember.
You know it probably
won't lead anywhere.
6C was Cheryl Clauson, I think.
Not sure of the spelling.
Got it. (SIGHS)
It probably won't
change anything anyway.
No reason to hope.
Okay. Bye.
(LINE RINGING)
(PHONE BUZZING)
(LINE BEEPS)
(PHONE BUZZES)
Hello?
DISTORTED VOICE: You won't believe this.
Matty? Is that you? You
still got that voice thing on.
(NORMAL VOICE): Belvin did not pick up.
(DISTORTED): We're
gonna have to escalate.
- (DISCONNECT TONE BEEPS)
- Matty?
(DOG BARKS, GROWLS)
(GASPS) Matty, oh, thank God.
Oh, my.
Is this who I think it is?
Yes, it's Barry Manilow.
(CHUCKLES) Oh.
Cute as a bug's ear.
- (SNIFFLES)
- Emmalyn, are you okay?
You seem upset.
I am because I have to get
a dental procedure done. Uh
O-Ow!
Oh, no.
So, I will be going under anesthesia
and unavailable if Barry needs me.
I know
what great care you took of your Cookie.
Are you asking me to take
care of Barry Manilow for you?
There are so few people I trust
to give him his eye drops correctly.
Emmalyn, it would be my honor.
Just hand that little guy over to me.
Oh
Oh.
(CHUCKLING)
(WHIMPERS)
Mrs. Belvin says, "Barry
Manilow is safe now,
so you no longer have the upper hand."
(LAUGHS)
All right, easy, Cruella.
It's just too perfect.
- She just handed me her dog.
- (LAUGHING)
- Keep reading. What else did Belvin say?
- All right.
She said, "Tomorrow you'll
go to Dublin's at 2:00.
Order a stout and wear a red hat."
(LAUGHS)
Sorry, but I know my next step.
We'll keep Barry here,
and I'll tell her that
Alfie's staying home
from school to watch him.
Oh. Uh, Madeline, I'm not a dog person.
Edwin, you were a college professor.
- You can take care of a dog.
- (PHONE BUZZES)
- Your case?
- Yeah.
Our eyewitness is standing by her story.
I don't understand these women.
Our client, Belvin (STAMMERS)
- They see an injustice and then they wait.
- Mm.
We're gonna follow through.
Aren't we, Barry? Yes, we are.
And we're gonna sic 'em.
(BOTH LAUGH)
You're babysitting Mrs. B's dog?
The point is, Barry had to get up
and tinkle at the crack of dawn,
and I couldn't get back to
sleep, so I combed through
social media posts, dating profiles,
and voilà.
The address and phone
number of Cheryl Clauson, 6C.
Wow, I'm impressed.
I actually taught Matty
everything she knows
about how to research like
a professional stalker.
Which is why you are the
perfect person to find out
if Olympia's leaving the firm.
Olympia's doing what now?
We don't know for sure
that that's happening
I have proof.
- I may have done a thing.
- What thing?
I just asked Annie if I
could look through something
in Olympia's client compensation.
What? It's not my fault
that she gave me access
to all of Olympia's billables
since she started 15 years ago.
You were able to look back that far?
I will not confirm or
deny, but I will say
there is no Johnson case.
I think that Olympia and Amina
are actually working together
to get Olympia a job at the
public defender's office.
Matty, this is our future, too.
If she's leaving, I have, like,
three people I need to suck up to.
Way more.
Will you please ask her?
Okay, next time I see her.
Thank you.
Also, Olympia would like to see
you in her office, by the way.
I told her you'd be there in five.
Ugh.
What's up, boss?
Just in need of a good, old-fashioned
brainstorming session because so far
we've found exactly nothing new.
Hoping Cheryl Clauson
leads somewhere. Same.
(SCOFFS) I can't believe
that eyewitness won't recant.
She was off by six inches.
She's told herself the same
story for the last 21 years.
Hard to admit you could have been wrong
about something so big.
So true.
Can I come clean?
The kids think the Johnson
case is some kind of a code name
and that you're conspiring
with Amina to blow this popsicle stand.
I've been thinking about it.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Well, I didn't see that coming.
I'm always rowing upstream.
And it would be better for my
family not to work with Julian.
Honestly,
the only thing I'd really miss is you.
It's wild to me, Matty,
how far we've come.
You remember when you
left your dinner here
- Oh.
- and I had to bring that fettuccine Alfredo
all the way to your apartment in Queens?
We barely knew each other,
and you invited me in.
MATTY: An invitation you declined.
- Couldn't get out of there fast enough.
- (LAUGHS)
Never thought you'd end up becoming
the person I would go to
for everything. My cases.
You were a big part
of me winning Slamm'd.
I'd like to submit into evidence
Violet's medical records.
OLYMPIA: Even if you
did almost mess it up.
But you came through.
And with my marriage,
you protected me when it got messy.
That pen is a recording device.
Julian? The partner race. The divorce.
You turned out to be the complete
opposite of what I thought.
And not just because I
now know you get high.
(LAUGHS)
Hey, Matty.
Want some ice cream?
Why would I want ice cream?
Because you look a little stoned, Matty.
(BOTH LAUGH)
Sounds like you're saying goodbye.
No. I'm still thinking about it.
- Hmm.
- I'm just in a sentimental mood, I guess.
(SIGHS) Let's keep
this between us for now.
Okay?
Always.
(PHONE BUZZES)
Matty said that Olympia
avoided the question.
- What now?
- ANNIE: Uh, your 10:00.
Hi. Cheryl Clauson, 6C.
Hi, Cheryl. Thank you
so much for coming.
Oh, excuse the get-up.
I came straight from spin class.
Hey, do you guys ever
take on any pro bono work?
My trainer could really use a lawyer.
- Uh, not really.
- Except sometimes. Here's a card.
Thanks. Uh, but first, Linda Gallo.
Do you remember her?
Of course. Used to live next door.
She had the penthouse,
and I rented the studio
that she was pissed she didn't own.
- Hmm.
- And then,
all of a sudden, she was gone.
According to our notes,
cops took your statement
but didn't call you to
the stand. Do you know why?
They didn't say it, but come on.
They weren't interested in hearing
what an emotional woman had to say
about an argument she
heard through the walls.
You heard an argument? With Gene?
N-no, with her grandson Roger.
The day before she died.
- No, there is nothing in here about a grandson.
- (SCOFFS)
What do you mean? He
isn't even in the notes?
Classic confirmation bias.
They have a suspect in sight and then
ignore everything that
doesn't fit their narrative.
What did she fight
about with her grandson?
The usual. Linda thought
he was a deadbeat.
And he was always on her
about his inheritance.
SARAH: He was basically
a vulture on the wall,
waiting for Linda to die.
And we looked at the
probate for her estate.
Worth eight figures.
- Sounds like motive to me.
- It gets better.
Roger's six feet tall,
and the cops never checked
if he had an alibi the
night Linda was murdered.
Go talk to him. Take Matty.
If he didn't have an alibi,
he's definitely not gonna offer it up.
Got it. We'll have her do
one of her Matty tricks.
By which I mean, talk to people nicely.
Your home reminds me
of my Aunt Bertie's.
She had a living room that
was filled with fineries.
We thought she was rich,
and then when she died,
boy, oh, boy, did we
learn the difference
between antiques and old junk.
Clearly, not the case here. (LAUGHS)
Well, sometimes it's hard
to tell what's of value.
So, you said there was news
in my grandmother's case?
- Yes.
- MATTY: Oh.
May I have a sandwich?
ROGER: That's why they're here.
I know, but you're the host.
You have to go first.
It's the law of the South.
So, we're here because a juror
in your grandmother's case
thinks she made a mistake.
MATTY: Wait.
Didn't we see one of these
in the evidence photos?
Was it Delaware?
Yes. I replaced and
remounted the display
like Grandma Lin had it.
So, Grandma Lin didn't use the spoons?
You don't eat on antiquities.
Maybe on old junk.
(LAUGHS)
But then again, one was found
near your grandmother's body.
The display case was broken.
Gene must have done that.
So he killed her in a fit of rage
and then ate caviar with
one of her prized spoons?
I'm not sure what you're getting at.
Did you and she ever argue?
Because one of your neighbors
heard you and your grandma get
into an argument the
day before she died.
Are you implying that I was
involved in my grandmother's death?
Oh, we're just dotting our I's
and crossing our decorative spoons.
I loved my grandmother.
The week she died,
I threw her a 70th birthday party.
It is the only thing that has
given me peace all these years.
That and the sizable
estate you inherited.
Get out before I call the police.
- Now!
- Ladies.
BILLY: The cops only scraped the spoon
for blood, not saliva.
We need the saliva tested.
Alongside this sample of Roger's saliva.
Wow. That's a slick move.
Matty's idea. Law of the South.
Wh-where is she?
Dealing with Belvin's dog.
Honestly, that woman's a saint.
Hey there. Wanted to
see how you were feeling
and give you a little
update on Barry Manilow.
Just recovering from my procedure.
- Is he okay?
- Oh, he's better than okay.
He's such a sweetheart.
And Alfie said he really loves Adam.
- Adam?
- MATTY: Yeah.
Your friend Adam, who came to get Barry.
My friend Adam
has Barry?
Yeah.
He passed along the message
that you were trying
to get a hold of me.
And, you know, at first,
I was a little mad at Alfie
for just handing over Barry
Manilow, but Alfie said
Adam knew all about Barry's
eye drops and everything.
(BELVIN LAUGHS INCREDULOUSLY)
Wait. Did I do something wrong?
Uh, no.
So (LAUGHS)
my friend Adam has Barry now?
Sure does.
Thank you. Um, I need to call you back.
My dentist is calling. Bye.
(SIGHS)
(PHONE BUZZING)
So now
(DISTORTED): you're ready to talk?
First, I need proof that my dog is okay.
(QUIETLY): My God.
Hello. Hello.
- (GROWLS, BARKS)
- Come here. Come here. Come here.
- (DISTORTED BARKING)
- Oh, my God, that's his cadence.
(DISTORTED): He's fine and he's happy.
And you'll have him back
just as soon as you tell me
why my timeline is wrong.
There was a fire drill
in the building that day.
That's when the document went missing.
(DISTORTED VOICE): A fire drill?
Yes. At 11:30.
And during a fire drill,
the doors get unlocked,
which means no key card required.
How do you know the documents
from Wellbrexa weren't taken before?
Because I was in charge of
scanning the discovery back then.
That's when the alarm went off.
When I came back, one of the
folders was suddenly empty.
How did you narrow it
down to three suspects?
- No!
- (BARKS)
You said if I told you the timeline,
I'd get Barry back.
This is the last question.
So, what did she say?
That of the team of people
working on the Wellbrexa case,
Julian, Olympia and Senior
were the only ones who didn't
sign in to the fire drill.
Now, we know Senior was in Australia.
So now we're back to 50-50.
It's either Olympia or Julian.
We need to figure out where they were.
And I know where to look first.
So, what's the plan?
What are you looking for?
Well, we have Olympia's laptop,
which means we have
access to her billables.
- (BARRY MANILOW BARKING)
- ALFIE: Please, Grammy, can we keep him?
Definitely not.
Whoa.
Olympia charged a client
from 9:50 to 12:45 p.m.
on our date for a court appearance.
Well, how do you know it
was for a court appearance?
The billing code.
So it wasn't Olympia?
She didn't take the Wellbrexa study?
Well, billables can be faked.
- Look what we've done.
- Oh.
We need absolute proof
that Olympia was in court.
And we're gonna get it.
ALFIE: Uh-oh! Barry Manilow peed.
Ugh.
Relax. Edwin, he's just an animal.
Tomorrow you'll return him.
I'm coming.
The last time a woman showed up in
my office this often unannounced,
I had to get a restraining order.
- (CHUCKLES) Did you get my email?
- I did.
- Did you read the case file?
- I did not.
Come on. An innocent man
could be sitting behind bars.
You mean a man that was convicted
by a jury of 12 of his peers?
Technically, only 11.
One juror, my client, is
convinced he's innocent.
Right, I heard. Uh,
bullied into a "yes."
Seems improbable, huh?
Then again, maybe you've had
the privilege of never being made
to feel that your opinion was not valid.
I have.
I bet your mom has, too.
Even if I wanted to
help you, I couldn't.
A lot of my superiors were here
when that case came through.
Thanks for stopping by, Counselor.
Who do you want to be, Park?
Like, for Halloween?
Like, for life.
This is one of those moments
where you stick your neck
out for someone because
because it's just the right thing to do.
And I know you care about what's right.
When you were in college,
you exposed campus
security's racial profiling.
You ran housing clinics
for the homeless in law school.
You put bad guys away for a living.
And, yeah, the risk is really high,
but think of the reward.
I actually wish I could help you.
I'm sorry.
Uh, did someone send over
that deal memo for Optireon?
Because I need it.
Hey. You need something?
I can just come back later.
No, no. It's fine.
Um
give me 15.
Thank you, guys. Thank you.
What's up?
- (SIGHS HEAVILY)
- (CHUCKLES)
I, um
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
Do you need a hug?
Aw.
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
(PHONE RINGING)
Hello?
AUTOMATED VOICE: You have
a collect call from
GENE: Eugene Molina.
an inmate at the Auburn
Correctional Facility.
MATTY: Gene, is everything all right?
Yeah, yeah. Uh, just checking
in because the deadline's
creeping up, so, uh
It's not looking good.
I'm sorry.
I wish I had better news.
Okay.
That's what I thought.
Just making sure.
(PHONE HANGS UP)
(SIGHS)
Olympia will be here any minute.
I know what you think.
That I waited too long.
But you don't know what
it was like in that room.
Over and over, I tried to talk,
but the foreman Mr. Foster
kept shutting me down.
That's terrible.
But if you knew you were right
I didn't.
I thought I was right,
but I was the only one, and I was
also taught to respect authority.
Men specifically.
When I came to this
country, it became white men.
They were always in charge.
Could get you in trouble
if you did anything wrong.
Like, imagine that girl going
up against the top guy here.
That's how it felt.
I understand.
I'm sorry I didn't before.
Oh. I'm just checking in.
How are you feeling after
your dental procedure?
Great.
- It was way less invasive than I expected.
- Good.
I know it was scary to
get that dental work done.
I'm so glad it's behind you.
Me, too.
What are you doing here?
What can I say? You got to me.
I sent the spoon in for testing.
Did you clear it with the D.A.?
I did not, which means
I could lose my job.
Tell me it was worth it.
- Did the saliva match Roger's?
- No, it did not.
- (SIGHS)
- That said, what we found
is way better for your case.
OLYMPIA: For the record, how did
you come to know about this case?
A relentless and
rather irritating lawyer
brought it to my attention.
So you did not want to get involved?
No, I did not.
So why are you here?
Because you subpoenaed me.
And also because justice
is supposed to be blind.
So I took a good look at the Molina case
and decided to have the spoon
tested for a saliva profile.
- And did it match who I thought it would match Roger?
- It did not.
OLYMPIA: What did you do next?
I ran it through the
federal DNA database.
And who did it match?
John Quinmar Jr.
A three-time convicted felon
who died in prison six years ago
while serving a sentence for burglary.
Apparently, his M.O. was to case homes
while he worked as a catering waiter,
then go back later and burglarize them.
And were you able to find
out if John Quinmar Jr.
Ever catered an event
at Linda Gallo's home?
♪
Yes.
He did. For Ms. Gallo's
70th birthday party,
the night before her murder.
As a result, my office has been working
all morning to get
Eugene Molina released.
You should have believed me.
(PHONE BUZZING)
JUDGE: Ladies and gentlemen, in
light of the evidence presented,
I'm entering summary judgment
on behalf of Isabel Sanchez.
Thank you.
(CRYING)
It wasn't Olympia, Matty.
You were right.
The transcript is public record.
They emailed it over.
- She was in court?
- She was in court during the fire drill.
Olympia didn't take the Wellbrexa study.
Oh, Edwin, thank you.
♪
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
(SNIFFLES)
Okay, fine. Worth losing my job.
Oh, you're not losing
it. You're about to become
the most valuable guy
in the D.A.'s office.
Eugene Molina would not be free today
without A.D.A. Andrew Park,
who went back through his own
office's work to right a wrong.
It has been one of
the greatest privileges
of my career to partner
with a D.A.'s office
who cares so much about
truth and integrity.
See?
That is the speech of
a woman who is leaving.
OLYMPIA: Uh-oh.
- Did I bomb?
- You're leaving, aren't you?
To go to the public defender's office?
And your first case is
the Johnson case, right?
I considered leaving.
But then I realized I
need my resources here.
Meaning my team.
I did that press conference
so A.D.A. Park would
have a public profile,
but also, just let the board try
to tell me I'm not partner material
now that I am the top
story on New York 1.
Is it bad that this hits
harder for me than the verdict?
Yes. Glad you're sticking around, boss.
Oh, I'm like a barnacle.
They're gonna have to
scrape me off with one
of poor Linda's spoons.
You're incredible.
- Oh. Okay.
- (LAUGHING)
EDWIN (OVER PHONE): How happy
are you that it's not Olympia?
So happy, Edwin. Just so happy.
Get home safe.
Okay. Love you.
Heading home?
Olympia. My goodness.
You could give an old
lady a heart attack.
Did you need me to go back to work?
Is it the Johnson case?
You are the Johnson case.
That pen is a recording device.
Julian? The partner race. The divorce.
I just want honesty.
Done.
So, no more looking back.
Did you spy on me?
Because there was this pen in
my office a recording device.
O-Olympia, I swear on our
children that was not me.
Then who put it there?
MATTY (ECHOING): Julian
OLYMPIA: And I had to bring
that fettuccine Alfredo
all the way to your apartment in Queens.
Hey, Matty.
Want some ice cream?
Why would I want ice cream?
Rhonda, can I ask you a quick question?
Could I see the CCTV footage
from outside the courthouse?
But in return, there is
something I need from you.
(SIGHS) Come here.
I need you to trace
this car's license plate.
So, who the hell are
you, Madeline Matlock?
- Previously
- Good evening, Marcus.
Good evening, Mrs. Kingston.
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.
That pen is a recording device.
Julian? The partner race. The divorce.
What did I do before
you, Madeline Matlock?
How about invasion of privacy?
JULIAN: Can we start fresh?
I just want honesty.
Done.
So, no more looking back?
SENIOR: Talk to me about Slamm'd.
This is the case that's
winning me partner.
SENIOR: $40 million!
Hell of a settlement.
EDWIN: Olympia is a suspect.
Are you sure you're feeling okay?
- You and Olympia were friends.
- MATTY: I thought
Olympia was someone she isn't.
And she definitely thinks
I'm someone I'm not.
Glad to have clarity.
Oh, we're reaching out to the Redditor.
BITSY: What's a Redditor?
It's a person who posted
on the Reddit board
about the hidden Wellbrexa documents.
ReadEmAndWeep31.
I got hives when Barry Manilow was sick.
MATTY: Your fur baby?
BELVIN: Exactly.
MATTY: ReadEmAndWeep31.
But I know who it is.
(PHONE BUZZING)
(PHONE CONTINUES BUZZING)
Hello?
- DISTORTED VOICE: Hello, Emmalyn.
- (GASPS)
Thank you for coming.
- I knew that you cared.
- Where are you?
(NORMAL VOICE): Where I can
see that your shoes are black
(DISTORTED): and your top is green.
I just have a few questions.
Then come out and talk to me.
Did you look through the
information I sent you?
We know what the missing documents were:
a marketing study.
I just need you to confirm our timeline.
Not until I know who
you are. It's not fair.
Fair?
You want to talk about what's fair?
You knew that Wellbrexa took
those documents 14 years ago,
and you didn't come
forward, and people died.
I did what I could.
No.
You posted on a Reddit
board, and you hid.
Like you're hiding now?
The timeline.
Did you look at it?
I did. And it's wrong.
Wrong? In what way?
(DISCONNECT TONE BEEPS)
(SIGHS)
Edwin, I'm telling you,
it took every ounce of
willpower not to march over there
and just shake that
smugness right out of her.
Is she telling the
truth or is she bluffing?
I don't know. And I
hate that I don't know.
Well, if we're wrong about the window
when the study was stolen,
we could also be wrong
about Olympia doing
Stop. I'm not letting that thought in.
I made the mistake of letting my heart
lead my head once, and
that's not happening again.
We need to find out if
Belvin is telling the truth.
What are you thinking?
The carrot didn't work, so
now it's time for the stick.
Ah.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS)
OLYMPIA: Wait up, Matty.
Ah, there she is. (LAUGHS)
All decked out for her victory lap.
Just reminding everyone
- that we do it backwards and in heels.
- (LAUGHS)
Ooh, can you make drinks tonight?
I want to take our whole
team out to celebrate.
Aw, shucks.
Alfie's got some biology thingamadoodle,
and I'm on cut and glue duty.
- Cut and glue duty is important.
- (LAUGHS)
But we're good, right?
You and me?
These last few weeks with
Slamm'd have been slammed.
- (CHUCKLES)
- And I just want to say
that I clearly couldn't
have done it without you.
And when I make partner
- knock on elevator
- (CHUCKLES)
I'll need you by my side.
Well, good, 'cause that's
where I'm posting up.
(ELEVATOR BELL DINGS, DOORS OPEN)
(QUIET MURMURING)
Morning, Kyle.
Have I died and I'm the last to know?
Let's talk.
BILLY: Matty, hi. I need your call
on our respectful disagreement.
Disagreement, yes.
Respectful, less so,
'cause you are wrong.
- She's gonna jinx it.
- You can't jinx a shoo-in.
You can by calling it a shoo-in.
Just wait until after Olympia
presents her final presentation
to the partner board to
ask for your first case.
SARAH: Okay, you can say that
because you already had a case.
Olympia's in a good mood.
It's the right time to ask.
I can't believe this.
Elijah just told me
that the partner board
is unhappy with my performance.
- And there's the jinx.
- What? Why?
Apparently, there's a sense
amongst the corporate clients
that my Slamm'd class action
took down one of their own.
Suddenly, I'm not a team
player or partner material.
I can't even win when I win.
(PHONE DINGS)
Amina's here.
I'll see you guys in
the conference room.
Who's Amina?
The old you.
Well, actually the young
you. The old young you.
Olympia's law school bestie.
Took two very different paths.
Olympia went corporate,
and Amina joined the
public defender's office.
- Golden handcuffs versus real handcuffs.
- Exactly.
(LAUGHING) (SIGHS)
- Olympia, this is Isabel Sanchez.
- Mm-hmm. Hi.
Isabel, this is the only
person I'm scared of in court.
Oh, okay. You're here
because you need something.
Of course I need something.
I made an appointment and everything.
But you are great and
resourceful and well-funded.
Which is what Isabel needs.
Got it. What's going on?
I was on a jury 21 years ago,
and we got it wrong.
There's a man sitting in a prison
for a crime he didn't commit.
Amina said maybe you could help him.
AMINA: Eugene Molina was
a doorman charged with murdering
one of the building's
tenants, Linda Gallo.
And this was 21 years ago?
Prosecution argued
Linda lodged a complaint,
Gene snapped,
used his doorman key to get in
and stabbed her to death
in the nine-minute window
he left his desk to pick up
dinner for another tenant.
Must have been some complaint.
It wasn't. That's the thing.
She complained about all the doormen.
It didn't make sense.
Any eyewitnesses?
An unreliable one. Teenager.
Said the man was six feet.
Gene's only five-six.
She picked him out of
a lineup, but the NYPD
was still doing single blinds back then.
OLYMPIA: DNA?
None of it matched Gene.
And the police tested everything.
The carpet, magazines,
the socks under the couch,
the spoon on the floor near the body.
Plus the caviar thing.
What's that?
Well, during the original trial,
they show us all these
pictures of the crime scene,
and there was this trail of caviar
from the kitchen to the living room.
But the rest of the apartment: spotless.
And Linda was one of those ladies
with a housekeeper who
came every single day.
Hmm, she could've made the
mess herself before she died.
Autopsy said Linda
hadn't eaten in hours.
She still had her jacket on.
She just got home.
It doesn't make sense.
Gene was so mad, he went to
pick up a tenant's dinner,
ran upstairs, murdered Linda,
had some caviar in nine minutes?
That does sound pretty insane.
So, what happened in deliberation?
Everyone else thought he did it.
I brought up the caviar
over and over, but nothing.
But you must have voted guilty.
Or else it would've been a hung jury.
Not at first. I said no.
I tried to talk, but Dale,
the foreman, he told me I
was wasting everyone's time.
He said I was just dragging this out
so I can get a free
lunch from the government.
Geez. And he kept on screaming at me.
And everyone else agreed with him.
He took away my chair so I had to stand,
and I just
I caved.
And Gene was found guilty.
And I have regretted it every day since.
Then why did you wait
so long to come forward?
Sorry.
I'm just trying to understand.
I just thought eventually
it would right itself,
that one of his appeals would work.
When the last one was
denied, I called the D.A.
Amina was the only
one who would help me.
But I can't. I mean, not really.
We have no resources at my office.
Can we have a moment? In private?
(SOFTLY): It's okay.
AMINA: Oh, no,
that's the look you gave Mills
when he gave you a B-plus in Torts.
I don't even know
what the case is about.
I was hoping you'd have one
of those Hail Mary epiphanies.
Like the night you figured
out the meaning of life.
- Okay, there were other substances involved.
- Mm-hmm.
And I believe my answer
was "Gouda and Cristal."
- Have yet to hear a better one.
- (CHUCKLES)
Come on, after Slamm'd,
you got to have some
capital around here.
Spend it developing
novel legal arguments
for someone who needs you.
- Oh, what the hell?
- That mean you're in?
- That means I'll talk to Gene, then I'll decide.
- Mm.
But in return,
there is something I need from you.
(LOCK BUZZES, LATCH CLICKS)
A juror thinks I didn't do it?
She does.
She thought your case
would resolve on appeal,
and when it didn't, she found us.
So we wanted to hear from you.
Can you walk us through
the night of Linda's murder?
It's all in the transcripts.
Right.
But is there anything you want to add,
anything you think they missed
or you didn't get to say?
I said everything.
I read that you left your
post to go across the street
to pick up food for a tenant, correct?
Life before DoorDash, huh?
What's DoorDash?
Sorry. Right.
Look, Gene, if you
don't want our help
It's been 21 years.
I have a routine.
I work in the library.
It's a hard job to get,
but get to read a lot.
Law mostly.
So what are you saying?
You're afraid to hope?
That's right, Gene?
(SIGHS)
All those years, during the appeals,
I'd think, finally this
nightmare would be over.
Made myself sick.
Had to just move on.
Understood.
You don't have to hope.
In fact, you shouldn't.
Just answer our questions.
And if there's hope,
we'll carry it for you.
Why did Linda file a
complaint about you?
I forgot to bring up her dry cleaning.
She filed about two a
month. That's who she was.
I felt bad for her.
All that money, but she was lonely.
So she complained.
I apologized after her dinner party.
When she left for the Hamptons
the next morning, we were fine.
And that was the last
time you saw her alive?
Exactly.
On Saturday, I went out
to get dinner for 3A.
Didn't know Linda was home, but
she came back to the city early,
and the next thing I know, she's dead.
And I'm being charged.
OLYMPIA: He didn't do it.
No way, no how, no chance.
So we're taking the case?
We are,
and since all of Gene's
appeals have been exhausted,
we are going to have to use
a pretty brilliant workaround.
Cool. What's the workaround?
I have no idea.
How are we even supposed
to get in front of a judge
- if Gene's exhausted his appeals?
- Isabel's on the phone.
I'll call her right back
as soon as we have a plan.
BILLY: I can't imagine
what it's been like,
carrying that guilt all these years.
Probably not as bad
as it's been for Gene
sitting in a prison cell for 21 years.
Ooh, cold and callous
is usually my thing,
but I like this on you.
I'm just saying, Isabel got
to decorate Christmas trees,
blow out birthday candles,
and go to the grocery store.
She had a life.
A life haunted by an extremely traumatic
experience in a jury room
- that no one should ever have gone through.
- That's it.
Isabel was belittled, berated,
and battered into silence.
That foreman Dale was intentionally
bullying her into voting guilty.
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress.
- Yup.
An IIED is our door into Gene's case.
We go through Isabel's trauma.
Mailroom just dropped this.
(WHIMPERS)
(GASPS)
CROSS: This is insanity.
First off, the statute of
limitations has long passed.
Incorrect. It resets on appeal.
And Eugene Molina's
last one was rejected
- three months ago.
- Fascinating.
Unfortunately, you can't sue a juror.
Juror immunity is a fundamental
principle in our legal system.
Oh, so you can steal
from a fellow juror?
- Murder a fellow juror?
- I didn't murder
Shh! Don't be ridiculous.
Verbal and emotional harassment is
not your right as a jury foreman.
Things can get heated
in the deliberation room.
Agreed, but we're not
talking about heated.
We're talking tortious
intentional infliction
of emotional distress,
which prevented my client
from doing her
constitutionally mandated duty.
She couldn't vote her conscience.
Your client was keeping
everyone away from their families
over a few clumps of caviar.
No, she was carefully
examining the evidence
because she took her job seriously.
And my client took his job
as foreman very seriously.
Oh, please.
Mr. Foster truly believed
the defendant was guilty,
as did ten other jurors.
If anything,
he's the one being harassed here.
My client should be suing
Mrs. Sanchez for IIED.
OLYMPIA: Your Honor. (SIGHS)
Counselor Cross is absolutely right.
But the real question is,
who was acting extreme and outrageously?
Her client or mine?
And the only way to determine that
is to decide if it was reasonable
to doubt Gene's guilt.
What are you proposing, Counselor?
Order us to look into
Eugene Molina's case.
If Gene was obviously guilty,
then Mr. Foster was reasonable
in his actions as foreman,
but if we find cause for doubt,
then my client was reasonable,
and Dale's actions rise
to the level of IIED.
A legal ouroboros.
I'm interested.
I'll give you 48 hours to untangle it.
Otherwise, I'm granting
summary judgment for Mr. Foster.
BILLY: Okay,
we have two days to
prove a man's innocence
when one trial, six appeals,
and three different lawyers couldn't.
All the previous appeals
were based on procedural grounds,
so we have to focus on
proving Gene's innocence,
and the most obvious place to start
is with the eyewitness.
She was 16. (SIGHS)
Let's just hope that
she's had a nagging doubt
over the last 21 years.
- We'll get her in for an interview.
- OLYMPIA: Great.
D.A. had two other tenants
from the building on the stand.
Matty, can you call them in?
I could, but I actually think
we should call in the tenant
they didn't have testify.
The appellate attorney's notes said
the detective put little stars
next to three tenants in the building.
Two they called in and tenant 6C.
Why star it unless they
said something important?
And why leave one off
unless it didn't serve their case?
- Exactly.
- Do we know who tenant 6C is?
The rental records
show that a corporation
held the lease at the time.
According to the
secretary of state, the
the corporation's now defunct.
(SIGHS)
I could ask Gene,
- see if he remembers.
- OLYMPIA: Great.
Uh, Amina sent this for you.
- She said it's about the Johnson case.
- The Johnson case?
I don't remember that one.
I'm good. Thank you.
Go and prep for the
eyewitness interview.
SARAH: Olympia's lying.
I keep an Excel file
of everything current,
closed, and pending, and
there is no such thing
as the Johnson case.
So what's your theory?
Because I know you have one.
Her big play to clinch the
partner position backfired,
and now, all of a
sudden, she's taking on
a Innocence-type Project case
and huddling with her
bestie from law school
who works for the P.D.'s office.
So you think she wants
to move over there?
Admit it's not out of the question.
(SIGHS)
It's not out of the question.
Oh, no, you were supposed to
say it is out of the question,
and that means I'm right,
which means this is an emergency.
No, an emergency is the fact
that we have 43 hours left
to get a man out of prison.
The tenant in 6C?
If you could just try to remember.
You know it probably
won't lead anywhere.
6C was Cheryl Clauson, I think.
Not sure of the spelling.
Got it. (SIGHS)
It probably won't
change anything anyway.
No reason to hope.
Okay. Bye.
(LINE RINGING)
(PHONE BUZZING)
(LINE BEEPS)
(PHONE BUZZES)
Hello?
DISTORTED VOICE: You won't believe this.
Matty? Is that you? You
still got that voice thing on.
(NORMAL VOICE): Belvin did not pick up.
(DISTORTED): We're
gonna have to escalate.
- (DISCONNECT TONE BEEPS)
- Matty?
(DOG BARKS, GROWLS)
(GASPS) Matty, oh, thank God.
Oh, my.
Is this who I think it is?
Yes, it's Barry Manilow.
(CHUCKLES) Oh.
Cute as a bug's ear.
- (SNIFFLES)
- Emmalyn, are you okay?
You seem upset.
I am because I have to get
a dental procedure done. Uh
O-Ow!
Oh, no.
So, I will be going under anesthesia
and unavailable if Barry needs me.
I know
what great care you took of your Cookie.
Are you asking me to take
care of Barry Manilow for you?
There are so few people I trust
to give him his eye drops correctly.
Emmalyn, it would be my honor.
Just hand that little guy over to me.
Oh
Oh.
(CHUCKLING)
(WHIMPERS)
Mrs. Belvin says, "Barry
Manilow is safe now,
so you no longer have the upper hand."
(LAUGHS)
All right, easy, Cruella.
It's just too perfect.
- She just handed me her dog.
- (LAUGHING)
- Keep reading. What else did Belvin say?
- All right.
She said, "Tomorrow you'll
go to Dublin's at 2:00.
Order a stout and wear a red hat."
(LAUGHS)
Sorry, but I know my next step.
We'll keep Barry here,
and I'll tell her that
Alfie's staying home
from school to watch him.
Oh. Uh, Madeline, I'm not a dog person.
Edwin, you were a college professor.
- You can take care of a dog.
- (PHONE BUZZES)
- Your case?
- Yeah.
Our eyewitness is standing by her story.
I don't understand these women.
Our client, Belvin (STAMMERS)
- They see an injustice and then they wait.
- Mm.
We're gonna follow through.
Aren't we, Barry? Yes, we are.
And we're gonna sic 'em.
(BOTH LAUGH)
You're babysitting Mrs. B's dog?
The point is, Barry had to get up
and tinkle at the crack of dawn,
and I couldn't get back to
sleep, so I combed through
social media posts, dating profiles,
and voilà.
The address and phone
number of Cheryl Clauson, 6C.
Wow, I'm impressed.
I actually taught Matty
everything she knows
about how to research like
a professional stalker.
Which is why you are the
perfect person to find out
if Olympia's leaving the firm.
Olympia's doing what now?
We don't know for sure
that that's happening
I have proof.
- I may have done a thing.
- What thing?
I just asked Annie if I
could look through something
in Olympia's client compensation.
What? It's not my fault
that she gave me access
to all of Olympia's billables
since she started 15 years ago.
You were able to look back that far?
I will not confirm or
deny, but I will say
there is no Johnson case.
I think that Olympia and Amina
are actually working together
to get Olympia a job at the
public defender's office.
Matty, this is our future, too.
If she's leaving, I have, like,
three people I need to suck up to.
Way more.
Will you please ask her?
Okay, next time I see her.
Thank you.
Also, Olympia would like to see
you in her office, by the way.
I told her you'd be there in five.
Ugh.
What's up, boss?
Just in need of a good, old-fashioned
brainstorming session because so far
we've found exactly nothing new.
Hoping Cheryl Clauson
leads somewhere. Same.
(SCOFFS) I can't believe
that eyewitness won't recant.
She was off by six inches.
She's told herself the same
story for the last 21 years.
Hard to admit you could have been wrong
about something so big.
So true.
Can I come clean?
The kids think the Johnson
case is some kind of a code name
and that you're conspiring
with Amina to blow this popsicle stand.
I've been thinking about it.
- Really?
- Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Well, I didn't see that coming.
I'm always rowing upstream.
And it would be better for my
family not to work with Julian.
Honestly,
the only thing I'd really miss is you.
It's wild to me, Matty,
how far we've come.
You remember when you
left your dinner here
- Oh.
- and I had to bring that fettuccine Alfredo
all the way to your apartment in Queens?
We barely knew each other,
and you invited me in.
MATTY: An invitation you declined.
- Couldn't get out of there fast enough.
- (LAUGHS)
Never thought you'd end up becoming
the person I would go to
for everything. My cases.
You were a big part
of me winning Slamm'd.
I'd like to submit into evidence
Violet's medical records.
OLYMPIA: Even if you
did almost mess it up.
But you came through.
And with my marriage,
you protected me when it got messy.
That pen is a recording device.
Julian? The partner race. The divorce.
You turned out to be the complete
opposite of what I thought.
And not just because I
now know you get high.
(LAUGHS)
Hey, Matty.
Want some ice cream?
Why would I want ice cream?
Because you look a little stoned, Matty.
(BOTH LAUGH)
Sounds like you're saying goodbye.
No. I'm still thinking about it.
- Hmm.
- I'm just in a sentimental mood, I guess.
(SIGHS) Let's keep
this between us for now.
Okay?
Always.
(PHONE BUZZES)
Matty said that Olympia
avoided the question.
- What now?
- ANNIE: Uh, your 10:00.
Hi. Cheryl Clauson, 6C.
Hi, Cheryl. Thank you
so much for coming.
Oh, excuse the get-up.
I came straight from spin class.
Hey, do you guys ever
take on any pro bono work?
My trainer could really use a lawyer.
- Uh, not really.
- Except sometimes. Here's a card.
Thanks. Uh, but first, Linda Gallo.
Do you remember her?
Of course. Used to live next door.
She had the penthouse,
and I rented the studio
that she was pissed she didn't own.
- Hmm.
- And then,
all of a sudden, she was gone.
According to our notes,
cops took your statement
but didn't call you to
the stand. Do you know why?
They didn't say it, but come on.
They weren't interested in hearing
what an emotional woman had to say
about an argument she
heard through the walls.
You heard an argument? With Gene?
N-no, with her grandson Roger.
The day before she died.
- No, there is nothing in here about a grandson.
- (SCOFFS)
What do you mean? He
isn't even in the notes?
Classic confirmation bias.
They have a suspect in sight and then
ignore everything that
doesn't fit their narrative.
What did she fight
about with her grandson?
The usual. Linda thought
he was a deadbeat.
And he was always on her
about his inheritance.
SARAH: He was basically
a vulture on the wall,
waiting for Linda to die.
And we looked at the
probate for her estate.
Worth eight figures.
- Sounds like motive to me.
- It gets better.
Roger's six feet tall,
and the cops never checked
if he had an alibi the
night Linda was murdered.
Go talk to him. Take Matty.
If he didn't have an alibi,
he's definitely not gonna offer it up.
Got it. We'll have her do
one of her Matty tricks.
By which I mean, talk to people nicely.
Your home reminds me
of my Aunt Bertie's.
She had a living room that
was filled with fineries.
We thought she was rich,
and then when she died,
boy, oh, boy, did we
learn the difference
between antiques and old junk.
Clearly, not the case here. (LAUGHS)
Well, sometimes it's hard
to tell what's of value.
So, you said there was news
in my grandmother's case?
- Yes.
- MATTY: Oh.
May I have a sandwich?
ROGER: That's why they're here.
I know, but you're the host.
You have to go first.
It's the law of the South.
So, we're here because a juror
in your grandmother's case
thinks she made a mistake.
MATTY: Wait.
Didn't we see one of these
in the evidence photos?
Was it Delaware?
Yes. I replaced and
remounted the display
like Grandma Lin had it.
So, Grandma Lin didn't use the spoons?
You don't eat on antiquities.
Maybe on old junk.
(LAUGHS)
But then again, one was found
near your grandmother's body.
The display case was broken.
Gene must have done that.
So he killed her in a fit of rage
and then ate caviar with
one of her prized spoons?
I'm not sure what you're getting at.
Did you and she ever argue?
Because one of your neighbors
heard you and your grandma get
into an argument the
day before she died.
Are you implying that I was
involved in my grandmother's death?
Oh, we're just dotting our I's
and crossing our decorative spoons.
I loved my grandmother.
The week she died,
I threw her a 70th birthday party.
It is the only thing that has
given me peace all these years.
That and the sizable
estate you inherited.
Get out before I call the police.
- Now!
- Ladies.
BILLY: The cops only scraped the spoon
for blood, not saliva.
We need the saliva tested.
Alongside this sample of Roger's saliva.
Wow. That's a slick move.
Matty's idea. Law of the South.
Wh-where is she?
Dealing with Belvin's dog.
Honestly, that woman's a saint.
Hey there. Wanted to
see how you were feeling
and give you a little
update on Barry Manilow.
Just recovering from my procedure.
- Is he okay?
- Oh, he's better than okay.
He's such a sweetheart.
And Alfie said he really loves Adam.
- Adam?
- MATTY: Yeah.
Your friend Adam, who came to get Barry.
My friend Adam
has Barry?
Yeah.
He passed along the message
that you were trying
to get a hold of me.
And, you know, at first,
I was a little mad at Alfie
for just handing over Barry
Manilow, but Alfie said
Adam knew all about Barry's
eye drops and everything.
(BELVIN LAUGHS INCREDULOUSLY)
Wait. Did I do something wrong?
Uh, no.
So (LAUGHS)
my friend Adam has Barry now?
Sure does.
Thank you. Um, I need to call you back.
My dentist is calling. Bye.
(SIGHS)
(PHONE BUZZING)
So now
(DISTORTED): you're ready to talk?
First, I need proof that my dog is okay.
(QUIETLY): My God.
Hello. Hello.
- (GROWLS, BARKS)
- Come here. Come here. Come here.
- (DISTORTED BARKING)
- Oh, my God, that's his cadence.
(DISTORTED): He's fine and he's happy.
And you'll have him back
just as soon as you tell me
why my timeline is wrong.
There was a fire drill
in the building that day.
That's when the document went missing.
(DISTORTED VOICE): A fire drill?
Yes. At 11:30.
And during a fire drill,
the doors get unlocked,
which means no key card required.
How do you know the documents
from Wellbrexa weren't taken before?
Because I was in charge of
scanning the discovery back then.
That's when the alarm went off.
When I came back, one of the
folders was suddenly empty.
How did you narrow it
down to three suspects?
- No!
- (BARKS)
You said if I told you the timeline,
I'd get Barry back.
This is the last question.
So, what did she say?
That of the team of people
working on the Wellbrexa case,
Julian, Olympia and Senior
were the only ones who didn't
sign in to the fire drill.
Now, we know Senior was in Australia.
So now we're back to 50-50.
It's either Olympia or Julian.
We need to figure out where they were.
And I know where to look first.
So, what's the plan?
What are you looking for?
Well, we have Olympia's laptop,
which means we have
access to her billables.
- (BARRY MANILOW BARKING)
- ALFIE: Please, Grammy, can we keep him?
Definitely not.
Whoa.
Olympia charged a client
from 9:50 to 12:45 p.m.
on our date for a court appearance.
Well, how do you know it
was for a court appearance?
The billing code.
So it wasn't Olympia?
She didn't take the Wellbrexa study?
Well, billables can be faked.
- Look what we've done.
- Oh.
We need absolute proof
that Olympia was in court.
And we're gonna get it.
ALFIE: Uh-oh! Barry Manilow peed.
Ugh.
Relax. Edwin, he's just an animal.
Tomorrow you'll return him.
I'm coming.
The last time a woman showed up in
my office this often unannounced,
I had to get a restraining order.
- (CHUCKLES) Did you get my email?
- I did.
- Did you read the case file?
- I did not.
Come on. An innocent man
could be sitting behind bars.
You mean a man that was convicted
by a jury of 12 of his peers?
Technically, only 11.
One juror, my client, is
convinced he's innocent.
Right, I heard. Uh,
bullied into a "yes."
Seems improbable, huh?
Then again, maybe you've had
the privilege of never being made
to feel that your opinion was not valid.
I have.
I bet your mom has, too.
Even if I wanted to
help you, I couldn't.
A lot of my superiors were here
when that case came through.
Thanks for stopping by, Counselor.
Who do you want to be, Park?
Like, for Halloween?
Like, for life.
This is one of those moments
where you stick your neck
out for someone because
because it's just the right thing to do.
And I know you care about what's right.
When you were in college,
you exposed campus
security's racial profiling.
You ran housing clinics
for the homeless in law school.
You put bad guys away for a living.
And, yeah, the risk is really high,
but think of the reward.
I actually wish I could help you.
I'm sorry.
Uh, did someone send over
that deal memo for Optireon?
Because I need it.
Hey. You need something?
I can just come back later.
No, no. It's fine.
Um
give me 15.
Thank you, guys. Thank you.
What's up?
- (SIGHS HEAVILY)
- (CHUCKLES)
I, um
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
Do you need a hug?
Aw.
(BREATHES DEEPLY)
(PHONE RINGING)
Hello?
AUTOMATED VOICE: You have
a collect call from
GENE: Eugene Molina.
an inmate at the Auburn
Correctional Facility.
MATTY: Gene, is everything all right?
Yeah, yeah. Uh, just checking
in because the deadline's
creeping up, so, uh
It's not looking good.
I'm sorry.
I wish I had better news.
Okay.
That's what I thought.
Just making sure.
(PHONE HANGS UP)
(SIGHS)
Olympia will be here any minute.
I know what you think.
That I waited too long.
But you don't know what
it was like in that room.
Over and over, I tried to talk,
but the foreman Mr. Foster
kept shutting me down.
That's terrible.
But if you knew you were right
I didn't.
I thought I was right,
but I was the only one, and I was
also taught to respect authority.
Men specifically.
When I came to this
country, it became white men.
They were always in charge.
Could get you in trouble
if you did anything wrong.
Like, imagine that girl going
up against the top guy here.
That's how it felt.
I understand.
I'm sorry I didn't before.
Oh. I'm just checking in.
How are you feeling after
your dental procedure?
Great.
- It was way less invasive than I expected.
- Good.
I know it was scary to
get that dental work done.
I'm so glad it's behind you.
Me, too.
What are you doing here?
What can I say? You got to me.
I sent the spoon in for testing.
Did you clear it with the D.A.?
I did not, which means
I could lose my job.
Tell me it was worth it.
- Did the saliva match Roger's?
- No, it did not.
- (SIGHS)
- That said, what we found
is way better for your case.
OLYMPIA: For the record, how did
you come to know about this case?
A relentless and
rather irritating lawyer
brought it to my attention.
So you did not want to get involved?
No, I did not.
So why are you here?
Because you subpoenaed me.
And also because justice
is supposed to be blind.
So I took a good look at the Molina case
and decided to have the spoon
tested for a saliva profile.
- And did it match who I thought it would match Roger?
- It did not.
OLYMPIA: What did you do next?
I ran it through the
federal DNA database.
And who did it match?
John Quinmar Jr.
A three-time convicted felon
who died in prison six years ago
while serving a sentence for burglary.
Apparently, his M.O. was to case homes
while he worked as a catering waiter,
then go back later and burglarize them.
And were you able to find
out if John Quinmar Jr.
Ever catered an event
at Linda Gallo's home?
♪
Yes.
He did. For Ms. Gallo's
70th birthday party,
the night before her murder.
As a result, my office has been working
all morning to get
Eugene Molina released.
You should have believed me.
(PHONE BUZZING)
JUDGE: Ladies and gentlemen, in
light of the evidence presented,
I'm entering summary judgment
on behalf of Isabel Sanchez.
Thank you.
(CRYING)
It wasn't Olympia, Matty.
You were right.
The transcript is public record.
They emailed it over.
- She was in court?
- She was in court during the fire drill.
Olympia didn't take the Wellbrexa study.
Oh, Edwin, thank you.
♪
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
(SNIFFLES)
Okay, fine. Worth losing my job.
Oh, you're not losing
it. You're about to become
the most valuable guy
in the D.A.'s office.
Eugene Molina would not be free today
without A.D.A. Andrew Park,
who went back through his own
office's work to right a wrong.
It has been one of
the greatest privileges
of my career to partner
with a D.A.'s office
who cares so much about
truth and integrity.
See?
That is the speech of
a woman who is leaving.
OLYMPIA: Uh-oh.
- Did I bomb?
- You're leaving, aren't you?
To go to the public defender's office?
And your first case is
the Johnson case, right?
I considered leaving.
But then I realized I
need my resources here.
Meaning my team.
I did that press conference
so A.D.A. Park would
have a public profile,
but also, just let the board try
to tell me I'm not partner material
now that I am the top
story on New York 1.
Is it bad that this hits
harder for me than the verdict?
Yes. Glad you're sticking around, boss.
Oh, I'm like a barnacle.
They're gonna have to
scrape me off with one
of poor Linda's spoons.
You're incredible.
- Oh. Okay.
- (LAUGHING)
EDWIN (OVER PHONE): How happy
are you that it's not Olympia?
So happy, Edwin. Just so happy.
Get home safe.
Okay. Love you.
Heading home?
Olympia. My goodness.
You could give an old
lady a heart attack.
Did you need me to go back to work?
Is it the Johnson case?
You are the Johnson case.
That pen is a recording device.
Julian? The partner race. The divorce.
I just want honesty.
Done.
So, no more looking back.
Did you spy on me?
Because there was this pen in
my office a recording device.
O-Olympia, I swear on our
children that was not me.
Then who put it there?
MATTY (ECHOING): Julian
OLYMPIA: And I had to bring
that fettuccine Alfredo
all the way to your apartment in Queens.
Hey, Matty.
Want some ice cream?
Why would I want ice cream?
Rhonda, can I ask you a quick question?
Could I see the CCTV footage
from outside the courthouse?
But in return, there is
something I need from you.
(SIGHS) Come here.
I need you to trace
this car's license plate.
So, who the hell are
you, Madeline Matlock?