City on a Hill (2019) s03e08 Episode Script
Whipping Post
1
[PULSING, DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Jennifer. Surprise.
Daddy dearest is hitting you
with an assault charge.
Did you assault him?
Yes.
You want to meet him, don't you?
This lost kin of yours.
Secrets are no better than lies.
If we were to compensate Mendoza,
all parties will sign a
nondisclosure agreement.
Needham's bad acts have to be exposed.
I'm gonna find a legal
loophole around the NDA.
Want you to deliver that for me.
Bette Williams, she's
a fine, young woman,
very reasonable,
very sensible.
[JACKIE] This is gonna get bad,
as in real bad.
What are our alternative solutions?
You carry a fucking
gun in your briefcase.
[DECOURCY] My wife and I are alive.
I intend to keep us that way.
[DAN] Ah, Decourcy, there you are.
You know Sinclair Dryden, don't you?
If there ever was a table I
wanted no fucking place at.
Mr. Dryden wants to cooperate.
Cooperate how?
Answer your questions.
Submit tapes from his
home security system.
Take a polygraph test.
Whatever you need to clear his name.
I'm not in the business
of clearing names.
Neither are you.
Yet you did with Curtis Whitaker.
He was innocent.
So is he.
Legally speaking, Mr. Dryden is
protected by civil law against
Is there a reason you're
speaking on his behalf?
You plan to represent him at trial?
Sinclair has always been
an ally to this office,
our office,
the office you hope to run when
I'm elected State's Attorney
- next Tuesday.
- Hmm.
[SINCLAIR] Mr. Ward,
if what you think happened
actually happened,
why hasn't a single woman come forward
and spoken out against me?
Because they're afraid.
Of what, a-a bald guy with a bad back?
A senior citizen?
Of a man so powerful and connected,
he's got the District Attorney
carrying his water.
All right, look, look, I'm not upset
that you're investigating me.
You're doing your job.
And I don't have the
wherewithal to sit here
and say something clever, so I'm just
I'm gonna be frank.
Jackie Rohr is trying to fuck me.
That's really none of my concern.
Well, then you're not
looking at the full picture,
because he's fucking you as well.
He is using you to extort me.
He gets 2,000 bucks a week to,
what, sit around my house,
drink my booze, smoke
my cigars, fuck my wife.
Oh.
Oh, did he not mention that part?
About fucking my wife?
In my bed.
On my goddamn pool table.
[BANGING ON DOOR]
Wow.
That's a knock of a man
that's got something to say.
Is Jenny home?
Oh, this is one of the days that
she does her volunteer work.
- Benny?
- She's back at college.
Good, 'cause we need
to have a little chat.
This might get loud.
Well, loud is what we do in this house.
If these walls could talk,
they would fucking scream.
You want a beer?
Sinclair Dryden has money.
He has influence.
He has high-level law
enforcement experience.
If I take him to trial,
this case needs to be
absolutely bulletproof.
Yeah, I know.
Then why did you fuck his wife?
[STAMMERS]
One's got nothing to do with the other.
That happened before I knew
what Sinclair was doing.
[STAMMERS] It's irrelevant.
"The ignorant are ignorant
of their ignorance."
Okay, well, now I'm insulted.
I hate that fucking word. It's a slur.
Look, Guy Dan and Sinclair
just ambushed me.
They claim you're trying
to blackmail him.
- And you fucking believe them?
- No. I fucking don't.
But because you can't keep
your cock in your khakis,
the man has a compelling defense.
The facts are still the facts.
He drugged and raped women.
To prove that, we need a witness.
I am the witness. You're
looking at the witness.
Jackie, if you take the stand,
you'll have to admit, under oath,
that you cheated on your wife.
That doesn't prove Sinclair's guilt.
That just proves to a jury of your
peers that you can't be trusted.
You fucked away what little
credibility you had left.
Are you done scolding me?
Only because I need to go figure out
how the fuck to clean
up your mess, again.
[WATER BUBBLING]
Have you talked to Mom?
No. How's she doing?
She's going on a date.
Oh. Good for her.
Don't you want to know who
she's going on a date with?
No, I don't think I do.
Will Hanlon's dad.
I don't ever want to get married.
'Cause of what happened
between me and your mom?
Try to remember the good
times we had, sweetheart.
I do try. What pops into my head first
is you two always,
every day, stressing out.
Well, marriage can be stressful, sure,
but marriage can also reduce stress.
Someone will be there for
you when you're sad or sick.
You know, I got food poisoning
on our honeymoon.
Instead of sunbathing on the beach,
your mother spent the entire trip
in our hotel room taking care of me,
putting cold rags on my forehead,
bringing me crackers and ginger ale.
I think Mom's tired of
taking care of people,
especially you.
Yeah.
That's why I'm giving her as
wide a berth as she needs.
[JULIETTA] Do you think you'll
get back together one day?
If I say yes, will you stop worrying?
Just talk to Mom, please.
Maybe this is your turn
to take care of her.
[KASSELL] Judge Pollack, the Big
Dig is a public works project.
Our efforts benefit the very
foundation of this city.
We don't want an accident to taint that
for present or future citizens,
which is why we're asking to keep
the Hernando Mendoza documents sealed.
When the recipient of a
settlement is a minor,
Massachusetts law
requires court approval,
which means the information
becomes public record.
[KASSELL] But the money
doesn't become fully available
until Mr. Mendoza's son turns 18.
At which point, he will
no longer be a minor.
Pepe gets a portion now to
cover the cost of living
and his father's medical bills.
So there's a gray area.
I came here today, in good faith,
to ask for the smallest
amount of discretion.
What makes you think "good
faith" should go your way?
Not the boy's?
[KASSELL] What does a 15-year-old,
sitting on $9 million dollars,
stand to gain from the world
knowing his financial situation?
The minute people find out
how much money he has,
every conman in New England
will be knocking down his door.
Shouldn't we protect the child?
Miss Kassell, I have no doubt that
you have the best intentions,
but the law is the law.
You are so full of shit.
Miss Kassell,
I'm officially done with you.
I no longer have any interest
in what you have to say.
Ah, this isn't about Pepe or Hernando.
This is about you wanting
to disgrace my company
for your own self-interest.
The ACLU took this case pro bono.
Oh, that doesn't mean you
won't benefit substantially.
Some front page publicity
to bury all the negative
press that walloped you.
Negative press that you fed the papers.
Ah, there's the bare-knuckle truth,
- you're after revenge.
- [SCOFFS]
I'm not after anything.
When the cameras start rolling,
don't stare directly
into the bright lights.
They can blind you.
[SLOW, CONTEMPLATIVE MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
- [GUARD] Empty your pockets.
- [SCANNER BEEPS]
Thank you.
- Step through, please.
- [MACHINE BEEPS]
[DOOR BUZZES]
Hi, uh, Jenny Rohr.
Name of the patient
you're scheduled to see?
Joseph Congemi Junior.
Relationship to patient?
He's my brother. Half-brother.
Uh, Joseph just received
his daily prescriptions.
They should take full effect
in about 30 minutes,
- if you don't mind waiting.
- No, not at all.
What kind of medication is he taking?
[MARY] I'm not allowed to say.
Not even to a relative?
Only if that relative is a
court-appointed guardian.
And that'd be who? Like, his-his mother?
[MARY] Again, I'm not at liberty to say.
Please fill these out and,
uh, have a seat over there.
Miss Chan, I-I'm not asking
you to come back to Boston.
No. I'd-I'd be more than
willing to fly to Pittsburgh,
talk to you there.
No, no, no, I-I would never
force you to testify.
I just want to hear your perspective
about what happened.
I Yes, I-I know what kind
of man Sinclair Dryden is,
that's why we need to act now. I
O-O-Okay.
Yeah, I-I understand.
Yes.
I'm sorry to have troubled
you, Miss Chan.
Thank you.
Lucy Chan won't come forward?
Nope.
Dryden's abused five women,
that we know of.
One of them's dead, the rest
of them are silent as she is.
Still no sign of Bette Williams.
Maybe we take another
run at Irina Zhevakin?
No. I can't keep hounding her.
She's too fragile.
Well, we do have Willie Ruder. He's FBI.
He'll get on the stand,
say Dryden paid him to intimidate Irina.
[DECOURCY] Uh-uh.
I checked Ruder's record.
He's not exactly a Boy Scout.
Dryden's lawyer'll rip him apart.
We need more.
Where's Jackie? And what's he
doing to move the ball forward?
Who the fuck knows?
[TENSE, PULSING MUSIC]
- [SIGHS]
- [KNOCKS ON DOOR]
Hello, Bette.
Mr. Rohr. How'd you find me?
Well, you used a credit
card to check in.
I don't really feel like talking.
Well, I-I can handle the talking part.
That's my favorite pastime. [CHUCKLES]
You know, people who
have been through shit,
the real shit, you don't
hear them whining, right?
And then, I don't know,
maybe it's because they see
something that we don't,
or-or-or they think that no
one's gonna pay attention.
My wife and my daughter,
uh, they've suffered,
just like you've suffered.
And I can't take their pain away,
and it kills me.
Kills me every day.
And I can't take your pain away,
but I can offer you something
that they never had,
a chance to be heard.
How old's your daughter?
Benedetta is 18 years old.
Is she okay?
Yeah, sh-she is, uh somehow.
[CHUCKLES]
Must've been tough for her.
Well, yeah, she's relentless.
You know, that's always
been her way of coping.
But you got to do what works
for you, and you alone.
And if the answer is nothing,
then I swear on my sweet, strong Benny,
I will go away and you will
never see my face again.
[JUNIOR] Jenny.
I know what you're thinking.
Man, that's a great shirt.
Christ, I spent damn near half the day
trying to decide what to wear,
and you saying that
[LAUGHS] just made
me feel like an idiot.
Isn't that what brothers are for?
I don't know. I never had one.
Till now.
[SIGHS]
You knew who I was the
second I walked in.
Well, of course.
Did we ever meet before?
Uh, when I was little, or ?
No, but I've seen you before.
- You have?
- I was at your wedding.
- Oh, you were?
- I stood outside.
[CHUCKLES]
Why?
I wanted to be close.
Why didn't you come in, you know?
Say something, uh, you know, wave, even.
And ruin your day? No.
No way.
You were so you were so pretty.
And your husband, too. He was
- He seemed sweet.
- Yeah.
He was.
Dad wasn't there.
Didn't invite him.
I used to hate him, too.
Used to?
I'm not counting chickens
or anything, but
you think Sinclair knew,
eventually, he'd get caught?
He's a fucking fiend.
Fiends don't think about consequences.
Mm, true, but still,
you got to wonder,
- why'd he hire you?
- [DOOR OPENS]
[DECOURCY] Hi. Uh, we, uh,
can do this in my office
if you think that would make you feel
more comfortable, o-or outside.
There's a-a nice park just
right around the corner.
I'm-I'm good here.
Now, feel free to interrupt
me if you need a break.
Miss Williams, being here today
takes no small amount of courage.
I don't feel particularly
courageous at the moment.
Quite the opposite.
[DECOURCY] Is that why you
waited to come forward?
I figured you'd lead with that.
[DECOURCY] Oh, it's a
just a question, not a an accusation.
No, it's okay. Uh
I should probably get used
to people doubting me,
calling me names,
scarlet "A" on the chest.
[DECOURCY] You know, tell
me what happened that night.
Or-or just whatever
you're thinking right now.
I'm here to listen.
Well, um
Quaaludes stay in your
system for about 70 hours.
Three days.
So, when I woke up,
I was still in a fog.
Like a hangover on top of a concussion.
With all that guilt and anxiety,
"What am I doing with my life?
I'm never drinking again." [CHUCKLES]
"Is this the alcohol,
or is something actually wrong with me?"
And then it started to come back.
Pieces of the memories,
never the full thing.
The sound of the bed,
the sweat, and, uh, the smell.
Even talking about it now,
my-my head gets really fuzzy.
It feels like it slows down,
like, stops working.
Like I'm still drugged.
So, to, um, answer your question.
I never came forward
because I didn't know how to
articulate what had happened.
And when I finally could
put a sentence together,
I figured I was too late,
which made me even more ashamed.
Yeah, wow, I, uh I'd-I'd have
probably felt the exact same way.
Thanks for saying that.
Jackie Rohr, the Drydens'
head of security,
he gave you an envelope?
Twenty-five thousand dollars
in cash from Sinclair.
Yeah, he gave me that to keep me quiet
and away from rooms like this.
When you take the stand, uh,
the defense, in all likelihood,
will hassle you for accepting a bribe.
I took that money so Sinclair
would leave me alone,
so he would forget me.
I didn't spend a dime.
Dad abandoned us when I was
when I was six years old,
and, uh you know,
so of course I walked around
thinking terrible shit about him.
Well, you should be glad he left.
I was, for a while, but then
I started having problems.
And my mom had her own issues.
She couldn't handle mine.
Dad found out about that, he came back.
He took charge, emptied his bank account
to get me treatment.
- No fucking way.
- It's true.
Dad was kind.
But he visits. He comes in, it's like,
uh, first Friday of the month,
every month, he just
The man is no teddy bear.
Uh, you know, not even
fucking close, but
I can't hate him.
I can't [STAMMERS] Just not anymore.
You're a better man than I am.
[SIGHS]
[HUMMING]
[CHUCKLES] You don't knock?
Did I startle you?
Not one bit.
I got a story I think you're gonna like.
Oh, good. I love your stories.
You embroider the truth so dexterously.
[CHUCKLES]
There was this kid back in law school.
Rob Huff, and at our
graduation ceremony,
he kept shouting, "Whipping Post,"
over and over again, top of his lungs.
"Whipping Post, Whipping
Post, Whipping Post."
Are you familiar with that song?
Yeah, unfortunately, I am.
[JACKIE] And, here's the thing,
I can't remember anything
else about him.
I don't know where this
kid was from. [STAMMERS]
I don't know what classes he took.
I could barely describe his face to you,
but I remember his name
and I remember "Whipping Post."
So that's the space that
people get in our heads,
you know? So many faces,
so many conversations, memories.
We parse people down to one thing,
to one single fucking thing.
And Rob Huff will forever
be the "Whipping Post" guy.
And you?
You're a rapist.
[GRUNTS]
You went to Letitia first, didn't you?
Warned her, tried to
get her to betray me.
[JACKIE] Ah, that I did.
Yeah, well, not smart.
You fuck her, you fall for her,
then you come in here and
you're making these accusations.
A discerning mind might, uh
might think this was a desperate attempt
to win the affections of my wife.
Did you hurt her like you
hurt the rest of the girls?
Ah, Jesus.
You do love her.
[JACKIE] Absolutely not.
I take back what I said about
you embroidering the truth.
That was a pretty hollow denial.
Did you love any of them?
Bette? Irina?
Dominique?
Yes.
Yes, I did, very much.
Well, that's the thing about love,
it's shit on your shoe
unless they love you back.
And those girls didn't love you.
You had to drug them to get
them within arm's reach,
like the worst kind of coward.
Enough, Jackie.
Get the fuck out of my house
- before I call the cops.
- They're already here.
Officers.
Oh, fuck.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. Let me
just let me take off my watch,
so you don't scratch the face.
[WATCH THUDS]
Are-are you gonna come back?
Yeah. No, I'd love to.
I mean, if you'll have me.
Consider this an open invitation.
No-no-no limits,
no restrictions, in perpetuity.
Come whenever you want.
Are you lonely here?
Yeah, sometimes.
Are-are you ever allowed
to leave this place?
I don't know.
I-I haven't asked in a while.
You want me to ask for you?
I don't think so.
I mean, where would I go?
I have a question for you.
Why
Why did you come see me?
I just found out I have a brother.
Didn't know till now what
I was missing in my life.
Is your life good?
Yeah. I have the most
wonderful daughter.
I got some nice friends.
I'm healthy.
So you're happy?
Not really.
I have a good life, you know,
but, uh I'm not happy.
Does that make any sense?
Yeah. I think it's probably
more common than you think.
Maybe.
But it's still no way to live.
Yeah, I'm realizing that
more and more every day.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Dryden.
- Exquisite.
- Thank you.
But we both know that you're
not here about the house.
Well [GRUNTS] In a way, I am.
How far are you willing
to go to keep it?
Mr. Ward, I'm as shocked as
you are by these allegations.
Well, let me inform you unequivocally
that your husband is guilty.
Oh, I doubt that very much.
And I know him better than anyone.
Better than you do.
Oh. Then you must be
aware of his infidelities.
That's a conversation for a
husband and wife in private.
[CHUCKLES]
You're clearly a smart woman.
So, you know, I-I just
I have a hard time accepting
that you spent 12 years living
with someone so amoral
and didn't suspect the harm he caused.
My husband hasn't been
convicted of a crime.
Nor will he be, because he's innocent.
If I believe that, won't a jury?
Have you ever strayed in
your marriage, Mrs. Dryden?
That's also a husband
and a wife conversation.
Hmm. Are affairs routine
behavior for you?
Or is Jackie special?
It's a fair warning.
If you protect Sinclair,
I will have no choice
but to eviscerate you.
On the stand. In the press.
No more galas, gallery openings.
No, you'll become a leper to
all those high society folks
you spent your entire adult life
trying so hard to impress.
The whole world will know that
you facilitated sexual abuse.
Fighting blackmail with blackmail.
No, I'm offering choices.
Speak the truth on your husband
or face conspiracy charges.
The, uh, forensics team's outside.
You might want to take
a walk while they work.
Mull things over a bit.
No. I'm comfortable where I am.
["KISS OFF" BY VIOLENT FEMMES]
I take one, one,
one 'cause you left me ♪
And two, two, two for my family ♪
And three, three,
three for my heartache ♪
And four, four, four
for my headaches ♪
And five, five, five for my lonely ♪
And six, six, six for my sorrow ♪
And seven, seven, seven
for n-n-no tomorrow ♪
And eight, eight,
I forget what eight was for ♪
But nine, nine, nine
for the lost gods ♪
Ten, ten, ten, ten for everything ♪
Everything, everything, everything ♪
Well, you can all just
kiss off into the air ♪
Behind my back I can see them stare ♪
They'll hurt me bad,
but I won't mind ♪
They'll hurt me bad,
they do it all the time ♪
How'd it go?
Forensics didn't find anything.
Yeah, well, we figured as much.
No, I-I meant with Letitia.
Did you scare some sense into her?
The woman didn't flinch.
Yeah, that's probably the fucking Botox.
Hey, look, the lab will
sniff something out.
All right? Pill residue, bloodstain.
Well, what about that surveillance
video that I gave you?
That-That'll paint a not-so-pretty
picture for the jury, right?
Maybe. Uh, it shows women in the house,
but the tape also shows them
going up the stairs with
Sinclair voluntarily.
Which, I assume, is why there
are cameras in the hallway,
but nowhere near a mattress.
Yeah, but I saw Bette
Williams that night.
She was stumbling around in a daze,
clearly on something.
Well, on the video, she looks drunk.
And considering she initially took
hush money, we need more.
It's always "more" with you, Dee.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Chris.
Come in.
How are you, Elena?
- Pretty much the same, I guess. Alone.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
You came all the way to
Holbrook to ask me that?
Well, the details of Duke's murder,
his involvement in the drug
ring, that was harsh.
Wanted to see how you were holding up.
Figured Duke hid shit from me, but this?
My husband robbing dealers?
Shootouts with other cops?
Jesus Christ.
I'm not sure if knowing makes
things easier or harder.
- Coffee?
- Mm-hmm.
Well, least the guys who killed him
- are headed to prison, right?
- [COFFEE POURING]
The guy I thought was
guilty has been set free.
We live in a topsy-turvy world.
If there's anything I can do
[ELENA] No. No more.
I might be a widow, but I don't
want to be treated like one.
How about I take you to dinner, then?
To be honest, that's why I stopped by,
to ask you on a date.
[SCOFFS]
I'm too old for dating games.
Can we just skip to the part
when you bring me home?
[CHUCKLES]
I mean, we're already here.
Something bothering you?
Eh, nothing worth discussing.
Well, now I'm curious.
It's just the Dryden case.
- It's a coin flip.
- Mm.
Like most of the work we do?
Mm-hmm. As I said, it's
not worth discussing.
Your turn.
My bosses want me to do an
interview for Channel Four.
About the lawsuit and the
Mendozas and the Big Dig.
Hey, that's great. What's the problem?
Is a good deed still a good deed
if you run around bragging?
Yeah. 'Cause this is your career.
Being being ambitious isn't a sin.
"When ambition ends, happiness begins."
Hey, the man who said that is a monk,
lives in an abbey, barely spoke.
All right, you are a lawyer.
A little showmanship is essential.
What if I panic or freeze
up or say the wrong thing?
You know how I've been
since the shooting.
Life has dropped the worst in your lap,
and here you are winning big cases.
What does that tell you?
That I got lucky.
That you can handle anything.
Got a news flash for you, Molly.
Gravy train's over.
You can tell the upstairs maid,
you can tell the downstairs maid.
You can tell that dickhead driver,
"Best to get off at the next stop."
Slow down, Mr. Rohr.
I-I don't quite grasp
what you're meaning.
Time has come for
everybody in the castle
to save your own asses.
Subpoenas. Got one for each of you.
Miss Murphy, if I were
you, I'd cooperate.
[HEART'S "BARRACUDA" PLAYING]
[ENGINE STARTS]
So, this ain't the end ♪
I saw you again today ♪
I had to turn my heart away ♪
Hey, Moustafa.
What happened to the BMW?
I hated that Nazi shitbox.
I'm a red, white and
blue-blooded patriot.
I drive American.
And right now, so do you. Get in.
Fuck off.
Why you getting so testy with me?
My girlfriend's 3,000 miles
away because of you.
Well, you're in luck.
It's time for Victoria Dryden
to come on home,
which is why I need you.
So I say again, with increasing
urgency and agitation,
get in.
No deal.
But I haven't even laid out my terms.
No matter what you say, the
answer will be an emphatic no.
Miss Hofmann, are you
really that confident?
Thank you for wasting
my time, Counselor.
Well, before you head
back to the Ponderosa,
here's an updated list of the witnesses
we plan to call at trial.
Would have been nice to get
this to us a little sooner.
Apologies. We're spread
a little thin here.
You know, new cases every day.
She asked for protective custody.
Jackie's handling that.
Which is what you paid him for, right?
[HOFMANN] Anything Victoria
says about Dominique Zanghi
will be hearsay.
The 30-second incoherent,
drug-induced phone call
won't carry weight in court.
I'll make sure of that.
I doubt they'll ask about Dominique.
They don't need to.
Victoria attacks your character,
we dismantle hers.
History of self-destructive behavior.
Prescription medication
for mental health issues.
Might be our only viable option.
We used to fight, Victoria and I.
Sometimes I even provoked
her to toughen her up.
Until now, I never realized
she truly hates me. [CHUCKLES]
Sinclair
if we're not tactical, we could lose.
Sleep on this.
I need to find Victoria.
Gotta reason with her.
In the meantime, if my
wife asks about the case,
you do not mention my daughter.
Tell her that we are in
We're in good shape.
Why?
Well, I don't want to give
Letitia a reason to worry.
We need to be tactical, as you say.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Yeah?
I wanted to wish you luck
on the Dryden trial,
and offer some unsolicited advice.
Oh, the best kind.
You probably think that you need
to focus on the male jurors;
that women are more
likely to believe women.
But the dividing line is usually age.
Right. Young people tend
to identify with the victim
while old people, they think,
"Grow a pair of balls, kid."
We lost a case like
this back in Chicago.
Did a study to tighten up our voir dire.
During your opening
and closing arguments,
aim for the gray hair.
Well, look at you being
all genuine and helpful.
You said we're not a team. Fine.
But a creep like Dryden
needs to be crushed.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[BAILIFF] Your Honor,
we are convened today
in the matter of the
Commonwealth v. Sinclair Dryden.
[JUDGE] Mr. Ward, you may proceed
with your opening statement.
Sinclair Dryden raped women.
He drugged them, undressed them,
put a condom on his genitals,
and then he penetrated
their unconscious,
unconsenting bodies.
Now, does that make you uncomfortable?
Good.
Perhaps it'll give you a sense
of how his victims felt.
I mean, the man poisoned women
for his own gratification.
Why? I do not know.
But that doesn't matter.
What matters is that this happened.
You'll get to hear how it
happened step by step,
straight from one of the women
whose life he infected.
Now, the defense will most
likely try to shame this woman.
Convince you that she's
an opportunist, a liar,
- or even weak.
- [WHISPERS INAUDIBLY]
Why? Because that's the easiest
way to obscure the truth.
The witness is fully aware
that she will be ridiculed
and embarrassed and harassed.
But she still wants to take the stand.
That should tell you
all you need to know.
She's willing to endure more pain
just so she can stop Sinclair Dryden.
Now, we have a mountain of evidence
that will prove his guilt.
Toxicology reports,
surveillance cam footage.
Sworn testimony from
key figures of his staff.
Now, if all of this doesn't demonstrate
a pattern of criminal behavior
beyond reasonable doubt,
Victoria Dryden
Sinclair's own daughter
will put her hand on a Bible
and tell you exactly what
kind of man her father is.
Let that sink in.
His own child thinks
he's a sexual predator.
[SCREEN DOOR SLAMS]
[JOE] You here about the lawsuit?
No. Take the money. Take the house.
Whatever else you want.
Except the model airplanes.
Those are in the trash.
Then what are you doing here?
I came to say
I'm sorry.
For hitting you. That's not who I am.
Oh, I guess you want me
to apologize in return.
No. You had 30 years.
You lost your chance.
Your husband told me
to stay away, so I did.
Before that?
What would you like me to have said?
That I was ashamed?
I don't even know.
I went to see your son.
Yeah, my brother.
Ah, he loves you.
Says you take care of him.
Which fucks me up even more.
With Junior I can be a parent.
With you, I'll always be the villain.
No, there was good, too. I remember.
Going to the playground after church.
Sledding at Whitman Park
whenever there was enough snow.
Since I was 14, all I wanted
was an explanation
so I could stop blaming myself.
You know, make the hurt go away.
But seeing you back at the house,
looking at you right now,
I realize that shit
doesn't really go away.
I just gotta learn to live with it.
You shouldn't have done
what you did, Dad.
Not to your daughter. Not to anyone.
Jennifer, if you didn't
know this before,
you should know it now.
You don't need jack shit from me.
That's the first decent thing
you ever said to me, Dad.
[LOUDLY] Hello?
Letitia?
Hello?
Honey?
[SOFT, SLOW MUSIC]
And Theseus killed the minotaur
with his bare hands.
Due to unforeseeable circumstances,
the trial will be postponed.
This was very foreseeable, Your Honor.
The defendant never should
have been granted bail.
But that's a moot point.
The defendant, he's unconscious
in a hospital bed.
We can't proceed without him.
We will resume when Mr. Dryden
is medically cleared to stand trial.
Court is adjourned.
[BAILIFF] All rise.
I know, kid. It's fucked up.
Fucked up and more of the same.
This is what he does. He gets away.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- What do you got?
- The notes you asked for.
Thank you.
[SIGHS]
[WOMAN] Quiet on the set.
[MAN] Do you need a minute?
- No. I'm ready, thank you.
- [WOMAN] And in four, three
So, Ms. Quays, tell us the
ACLU's position on this case.
Well, unions don't exist to provide
cheap labor for corporations,
or voting blocks for politicians.
They exist to protect their workers.
Which is why the construction
union's inaction
is beyond unacceptable.
Hernando Mendoza was the
victim of criminal negligence.
The union did nothing.
They've still done nothing.
The question we need
answered now is: why?
[HYPNOTIC MUSIC]
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
Fuck.
[JENNY] Yeah, I knew
something was going on.
I'm not a total fucking idiot.
[LETICIA] Well, I thought
you should hear it from me.
Or him.
[JACKIE] Hell hath no
fury like a rich bitch
who didn't get her way.
Well, at least she had the decency
to come and tell me the truth.
Yeah, her demented version of the truth
to gaslight you and get at me.
I only told Jenny what I
thought she'd want to hear.
Nothing more.
I'm finished, so I'll leave.
Don't come looking for me
or I'll get a restraining order.
You knew what your boss was
doing to those poor girls
- and you still went to work.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
Well, no, no, that-that was because
You wanted to keep fucking his wife.
There's no denying I'm a piece of shit,
so I will resist the urge
to talk my way back into your graces.
You sure?
You don't want to tell me some story
about something your
mom did to fuck you up?
You're always hiding
behind your stories.
Yeah. Being with you day after day,
I hear the same shit over and over.
- No surprises.
- No surprises, Jen.
I could say the same
fucking thing about you.
I have a brother.
I saw my father again,
and I slept with someone.
You did what?
I slept with someone.
Out of spite.
- But also 'cause I wanted to.
- Who?
- Doesn't matter who.
- I disagree.
He's who I think he is, right?
Right.
Well, there's a twist.
You're just as big a
piece of shit as I am.
Yep.
We're fuckin' perfect for each other.
[SCOFFS]
I'll pack a bag.
Mine's already packed.
I need out of this house.
[VICTORY MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
[CHEERING CONTINUES]
I want to thank each
of you for your help,
your support, your hard work,
and most importantly,
your votes! Ha, ha!
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
[APPLAUSE CONTINUES]
Thank you.
Very well done, sir.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Good job at the Dryden trial.
There was no trial.
The defendant is comatose.
Because you were gonna win.
Sinclair knew that.
Surrendered.
Sliced open the underbelly.
Seppuku.
Ahh.
[DECOURCY] All those
years working with him,
collaborating on the same cases,
you didn't know what he was doing?
No. But even if I did,
knowing isn't enough.
You could have done some digging.
Could've found some proof, like we did.
Yeah, well, everything worked
out sweet as sugar in the end.
And good news,
I'm appointing you
interim District Attorney.
Why?
- That's really your response?
- That's really my response.
Because you're good at this, Decourcy.
You're fierce and fearless,
and committed to doing the right thing.
You're a massive ache in the ass,
but there's no denying you
were built for this job.
I agree.
[CHUCKLES]
Something you should learn.
Being in charge means you're
always gonna piss someone off.
Every decision makes this person happy
and that person miserable.
I have no doubt you will
excel at the second part.
You know, I find myself wondering
how Sinclair knew so much
about our investigation.
Felt like he had someone on the inside
feeding him information
every step of the way.
I intend to look into that.
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- [DOOR CLOSES]
[RAPID SCRUBBING]
Thought you had a date tonight.
I did.
But I left.
Walked out of the restaurant
and came straight here.
Why would you do that?
You know, we get bugs when
you don't clean the stove.
Duly noted.
Chris, I'm sorry.
But after Russ Wallace
and-and Hank Signa
and the funerals and
the fuckin' bagpipes,
I just I got scared,
and I took the easy way out.
And all that stuff should have
made me hold onto you tighter.
And I think we should try again.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING ON TV]
[DOOR SHUTS LOUDLY]
- You said no?
- Julietta, please.
Mom asked to be a family
again, and you said no?
Sweetheart, we're still a family.
No, we're not, thanks to you!
- Aiden's right.
- Wait.
- Give me a chance
- [DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR SLAMS]
[SIGHS]
Ah, Miss Rohr, so sorry for the wait.
Been a busy day.
So, what can I do for you?
I have a brother. A half brother.
He's in a mental health facility.
He's been there for years,
and I would like to become
his legal guardian.
When I said I wanted to buy you dinner
to celebrate your
life-changing promotion,
this isn't quite what I had in mind.
I was craving shrimp lo mein.
[SIGHS] Lo mein is
what you normally eat.
I figured we could do something special.
Look, I'm happy. Deliriously happy.
But if I start thinking I'm special
because of what I do,
that would just make me a dickhead.
Well, I feel special on your behalf.
[DECOURCY] Here, let me
run out and grab the food.
[GLASS SHATTERS]
You got a mouth on you, Ms. Quays.
Talking shit about the
construction union on TV.
Words don't work with you.
So how do I get you
to take me seriously?
Drop it.
Drop it.
[CROWBAR CLANGS]
Now leave, or I will kill you.
All right.
Next time, I'll bring mine.
That's enough, Decourcy.
- How many times?
- I don't know.
How many times did
that man threaten you?
- I don't know.
- More than once?
- Yes.
- And you never told me?
- Oh, I couldn't.
- Why? Why, Siobhan?
I understand why you lied
about Lulu, but this?
Why would you bring up Lulu?
Because I don't like
being left in the dark,
especially by you.
There are things that I
need to handle myself.
And with all the bullshit
that's happened,
I was worried you'd run off
and do something reckless.
Reckless? Reckless?
What, you don't trust my judgment?
Was I wrong?
Decourcy, you almost shot that man.
Yes.
And I would've to protect you.
[SHAKY BREATH]
You know, when I first
started at the Bureau,
you-you took a bunch of us out drinking.
[CHUCKLES]
You must've downed, like, six
whiskeys in the first 30 minutes,
but if you were fucked up,
you kept that to yourself.
[SCOFFS]
End of the night,
you gave us this speech
about how we were gonna
see a lot of bad shit.
And how, when the worst
of the worst happens,
pretty much everyone asks
the same three questions.
First, why me?
It's a reflex to the pain.
Uh, we think if, uh, we understand
how something happened,
that the pain will go away.
But then, we take it up a notch.
"Why, God?"
It's desperate. It's existential.
And the third and final question:
What's for breakfast?
[SCOFFS]
No matter how horrible the atrocity,
people always forget.
They move on.
They adapt.
It's how we survive,
and it's why bad shit
keeps happening.
But you told us that we weren't
allowed to ask that third question.
That our job was to never forget,
to-to never stop, 'cause
what we do is too important.
So we keep going,
when everybody else is at
home hugging their families.
And eating fucking quiche.
[SCOFFS]
Your wife is gone.
Your daughter is gone.
But I'm here.
And I'm gonna be here in
this chair every fucking day
until I drag your ass to prison
or to the fucking morgue.
And I know you can hear me in there.
So fuck you for not responding.
["WHIPPING POST" BY THE
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND]
I've been run down ♪
I've been lied to ♪
And I don't know why ♪
I let that mean woman make me a fool ♪
She took all my money ♪
Wrecks my new car ♪
Now she's with one of
my good time buddies ♪
They're drinking in
some crosstown bar ♪
Sometimes I feel ♪
Sometimes I feel ♪
Like I've been tied
to the whipping post ♪
Tied to the whipping post ♪
Tied to the whipping post ♪
Good Lord, I feel like I'm dying ♪
[PULSING, DRAMATIC MUSIC]
Jennifer. Surprise.
Daddy dearest is hitting you
with an assault charge.
Did you assault him?
Yes.
You want to meet him, don't you?
This lost kin of yours.
Secrets are no better than lies.
If we were to compensate Mendoza,
all parties will sign a
nondisclosure agreement.
Needham's bad acts have to be exposed.
I'm gonna find a legal
loophole around the NDA.
Want you to deliver that for me.
Bette Williams, she's
a fine, young woman,
very reasonable,
very sensible.
[JACKIE] This is gonna get bad,
as in real bad.
What are our alternative solutions?
You carry a fucking
gun in your briefcase.
[DECOURCY] My wife and I are alive.
I intend to keep us that way.
[DAN] Ah, Decourcy, there you are.
You know Sinclair Dryden, don't you?
If there ever was a table I
wanted no fucking place at.
Mr. Dryden wants to cooperate.
Cooperate how?
Answer your questions.
Submit tapes from his
home security system.
Take a polygraph test.
Whatever you need to clear his name.
I'm not in the business
of clearing names.
Neither are you.
Yet you did with Curtis Whitaker.
He was innocent.
So is he.
Legally speaking, Mr. Dryden is
protected by civil law against
Is there a reason you're
speaking on his behalf?
You plan to represent him at trial?
Sinclair has always been
an ally to this office,
our office,
the office you hope to run when
I'm elected State's Attorney
- next Tuesday.
- Hmm.
[SINCLAIR] Mr. Ward,
if what you think happened
actually happened,
why hasn't a single woman come forward
and spoken out against me?
Because they're afraid.
Of what, a-a bald guy with a bad back?
A senior citizen?
Of a man so powerful and connected,
he's got the District Attorney
carrying his water.
All right, look, look, I'm not upset
that you're investigating me.
You're doing your job.
And I don't have the
wherewithal to sit here
and say something clever, so I'm just
I'm gonna be frank.
Jackie Rohr is trying to fuck me.
That's really none of my concern.
Well, then you're not
looking at the full picture,
because he's fucking you as well.
He is using you to extort me.
He gets 2,000 bucks a week to,
what, sit around my house,
drink my booze, smoke
my cigars, fuck my wife.
Oh.
Oh, did he not mention that part?
About fucking my wife?
In my bed.
On my goddamn pool table.
[BANGING ON DOOR]
Wow.
That's a knock of a man
that's got something to say.
Is Jenny home?
Oh, this is one of the days that
she does her volunteer work.
- Benny?
- She's back at college.
Good, 'cause we need
to have a little chat.
This might get loud.
Well, loud is what we do in this house.
If these walls could talk,
they would fucking scream.
You want a beer?
Sinclair Dryden has money.
He has influence.
He has high-level law
enforcement experience.
If I take him to trial,
this case needs to be
absolutely bulletproof.
Yeah, I know.
Then why did you fuck his wife?
[STAMMERS]
One's got nothing to do with the other.
That happened before I knew
what Sinclair was doing.
[STAMMERS] It's irrelevant.
"The ignorant are ignorant
of their ignorance."
Okay, well, now I'm insulted.
I hate that fucking word. It's a slur.
Look, Guy Dan and Sinclair
just ambushed me.
They claim you're trying
to blackmail him.
- And you fucking believe them?
- No. I fucking don't.
But because you can't keep
your cock in your khakis,
the man has a compelling defense.
The facts are still the facts.
He drugged and raped women.
To prove that, we need a witness.
I am the witness. You're
looking at the witness.
Jackie, if you take the stand,
you'll have to admit, under oath,
that you cheated on your wife.
That doesn't prove Sinclair's guilt.
That just proves to a jury of your
peers that you can't be trusted.
You fucked away what little
credibility you had left.
Are you done scolding me?
Only because I need to go figure out
how the fuck to clean
up your mess, again.
[WATER BUBBLING]
Have you talked to Mom?
No. How's she doing?
She's going on a date.
Oh. Good for her.
Don't you want to know who
she's going on a date with?
No, I don't think I do.
Will Hanlon's dad.
I don't ever want to get married.
'Cause of what happened
between me and your mom?
Try to remember the good
times we had, sweetheart.
I do try. What pops into my head first
is you two always,
every day, stressing out.
Well, marriage can be stressful, sure,
but marriage can also reduce stress.
Someone will be there for
you when you're sad or sick.
You know, I got food poisoning
on our honeymoon.
Instead of sunbathing on the beach,
your mother spent the entire trip
in our hotel room taking care of me,
putting cold rags on my forehead,
bringing me crackers and ginger ale.
I think Mom's tired of
taking care of people,
especially you.
Yeah.
That's why I'm giving her as
wide a berth as she needs.
[JULIETTA] Do you think you'll
get back together one day?
If I say yes, will you stop worrying?
Just talk to Mom, please.
Maybe this is your turn
to take care of her.
[KASSELL] Judge Pollack, the Big
Dig is a public works project.
Our efforts benefit the very
foundation of this city.
We don't want an accident to taint that
for present or future citizens,
which is why we're asking to keep
the Hernando Mendoza documents sealed.
When the recipient of a
settlement is a minor,
Massachusetts law
requires court approval,
which means the information
becomes public record.
[KASSELL] But the money
doesn't become fully available
until Mr. Mendoza's son turns 18.
At which point, he will
no longer be a minor.
Pepe gets a portion now to
cover the cost of living
and his father's medical bills.
So there's a gray area.
I came here today, in good faith,
to ask for the smallest
amount of discretion.
What makes you think "good
faith" should go your way?
Not the boy's?
[KASSELL] What does a 15-year-old,
sitting on $9 million dollars,
stand to gain from the world
knowing his financial situation?
The minute people find out
how much money he has,
every conman in New England
will be knocking down his door.
Shouldn't we protect the child?
Miss Kassell, I have no doubt that
you have the best intentions,
but the law is the law.
You are so full of shit.
Miss Kassell,
I'm officially done with you.
I no longer have any interest
in what you have to say.
Ah, this isn't about Pepe or Hernando.
This is about you wanting
to disgrace my company
for your own self-interest.
The ACLU took this case pro bono.
Oh, that doesn't mean you
won't benefit substantially.
Some front page publicity
to bury all the negative
press that walloped you.
Negative press that you fed the papers.
Ah, there's the bare-knuckle truth,
- you're after revenge.
- [SCOFFS]
I'm not after anything.
When the cameras start rolling,
don't stare directly
into the bright lights.
They can blind you.
[SLOW, CONTEMPLATIVE MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
- [GUARD] Empty your pockets.
- [SCANNER BEEPS]
Thank you.
- Step through, please.
- [MACHINE BEEPS]
[DOOR BUZZES]
Hi, uh, Jenny Rohr.
Name of the patient
you're scheduled to see?
Joseph Congemi Junior.
Relationship to patient?
He's my brother. Half-brother.
Uh, Joseph just received
his daily prescriptions.
They should take full effect
in about 30 minutes,
- if you don't mind waiting.
- No, not at all.
What kind of medication is he taking?
[MARY] I'm not allowed to say.
Not even to a relative?
Only if that relative is a
court-appointed guardian.
And that'd be who? Like, his-his mother?
[MARY] Again, I'm not at liberty to say.
Please fill these out and,
uh, have a seat over there.
Miss Chan, I-I'm not asking
you to come back to Boston.
No. I'd-I'd be more than
willing to fly to Pittsburgh,
talk to you there.
No, no, no, I-I would never
force you to testify.
I just want to hear your perspective
about what happened.
I Yes, I-I know what kind
of man Sinclair Dryden is,
that's why we need to act now. I
O-O-Okay.
Yeah, I-I understand.
Yes.
I'm sorry to have troubled
you, Miss Chan.
Thank you.
Lucy Chan won't come forward?
Nope.
Dryden's abused five women,
that we know of.
One of them's dead, the rest
of them are silent as she is.
Still no sign of Bette Williams.
Maybe we take another
run at Irina Zhevakin?
No. I can't keep hounding her.
She's too fragile.
Well, we do have Willie Ruder. He's FBI.
He'll get on the stand,
say Dryden paid him to intimidate Irina.
[DECOURCY] Uh-uh.
I checked Ruder's record.
He's not exactly a Boy Scout.
Dryden's lawyer'll rip him apart.
We need more.
Where's Jackie? And what's he
doing to move the ball forward?
Who the fuck knows?
[TENSE, PULSING MUSIC]
- [SIGHS]
- [KNOCKS ON DOOR]
Hello, Bette.
Mr. Rohr. How'd you find me?
Well, you used a credit
card to check in.
I don't really feel like talking.
Well, I-I can handle the talking part.
That's my favorite pastime. [CHUCKLES]
You know, people who
have been through shit,
the real shit, you don't
hear them whining, right?
And then, I don't know,
maybe it's because they see
something that we don't,
or-or-or they think that no
one's gonna pay attention.
My wife and my daughter,
uh, they've suffered,
just like you've suffered.
And I can't take their pain away,
and it kills me.
Kills me every day.
And I can't take your pain away,
but I can offer you something
that they never had,
a chance to be heard.
How old's your daughter?
Benedetta is 18 years old.
Is she okay?
Yeah, sh-she is, uh somehow.
[CHUCKLES]
Must've been tough for her.
Well, yeah, she's relentless.
You know, that's always
been her way of coping.
But you got to do what works
for you, and you alone.
And if the answer is nothing,
then I swear on my sweet, strong Benny,
I will go away and you will
never see my face again.
[JUNIOR] Jenny.
I know what you're thinking.
Man, that's a great shirt.
Christ, I spent damn near half the day
trying to decide what to wear,
and you saying that
[LAUGHS] just made
me feel like an idiot.
Isn't that what brothers are for?
I don't know. I never had one.
Till now.
[SIGHS]
You knew who I was the
second I walked in.
Well, of course.
Did we ever meet before?
Uh, when I was little, or ?
No, but I've seen you before.
- You have?
- I was at your wedding.
- Oh, you were?
- I stood outside.
[CHUCKLES]
Why?
I wanted to be close.
Why didn't you come in, you know?
Say something, uh, you know, wave, even.
And ruin your day? No.
No way.
You were so you were so pretty.
And your husband, too. He was
- He seemed sweet.
- Yeah.
He was.
Dad wasn't there.
Didn't invite him.
I used to hate him, too.
Used to?
I'm not counting chickens
or anything, but
you think Sinclair knew,
eventually, he'd get caught?
He's a fucking fiend.
Fiends don't think about consequences.
Mm, true, but still,
you got to wonder,
- why'd he hire you?
- [DOOR OPENS]
[DECOURCY] Hi. Uh, we, uh,
can do this in my office
if you think that would make you feel
more comfortable, o-or outside.
There's a-a nice park just
right around the corner.
I'm-I'm good here.
Now, feel free to interrupt
me if you need a break.
Miss Williams, being here today
takes no small amount of courage.
I don't feel particularly
courageous at the moment.
Quite the opposite.
[DECOURCY] Is that why you
waited to come forward?
I figured you'd lead with that.
[DECOURCY] Oh, it's a
just a question, not a an accusation.
No, it's okay. Uh
I should probably get used
to people doubting me,
calling me names,
scarlet "A" on the chest.
[DECOURCY] You know, tell
me what happened that night.
Or-or just whatever
you're thinking right now.
I'm here to listen.
Well, um
Quaaludes stay in your
system for about 70 hours.
Three days.
So, when I woke up,
I was still in a fog.
Like a hangover on top of a concussion.
With all that guilt and anxiety,
"What am I doing with my life?
I'm never drinking again." [CHUCKLES]
"Is this the alcohol,
or is something actually wrong with me?"
And then it started to come back.
Pieces of the memories,
never the full thing.
The sound of the bed,
the sweat, and, uh, the smell.
Even talking about it now,
my-my head gets really fuzzy.
It feels like it slows down,
like, stops working.
Like I'm still drugged.
So, to, um, answer your question.
I never came forward
because I didn't know how to
articulate what had happened.
And when I finally could
put a sentence together,
I figured I was too late,
which made me even more ashamed.
Yeah, wow, I, uh I'd-I'd have
probably felt the exact same way.
Thanks for saying that.
Jackie Rohr, the Drydens'
head of security,
he gave you an envelope?
Twenty-five thousand dollars
in cash from Sinclair.
Yeah, he gave me that to keep me quiet
and away from rooms like this.
When you take the stand, uh,
the defense, in all likelihood,
will hassle you for accepting a bribe.
I took that money so Sinclair
would leave me alone,
so he would forget me.
I didn't spend a dime.
Dad abandoned us when I was
when I was six years old,
and, uh you know,
so of course I walked around
thinking terrible shit about him.
Well, you should be glad he left.
I was, for a while, but then
I started having problems.
And my mom had her own issues.
She couldn't handle mine.
Dad found out about that, he came back.
He took charge, emptied his bank account
to get me treatment.
- No fucking way.
- It's true.
Dad was kind.
But he visits. He comes in, it's like,
uh, first Friday of the month,
every month, he just
The man is no teddy bear.
Uh, you know, not even
fucking close, but
I can't hate him.
I can't [STAMMERS] Just not anymore.
You're a better man than I am.
[SIGHS]
[HUMMING]
[CHUCKLES] You don't knock?
Did I startle you?
Not one bit.
I got a story I think you're gonna like.
Oh, good. I love your stories.
You embroider the truth so dexterously.
[CHUCKLES]
There was this kid back in law school.
Rob Huff, and at our
graduation ceremony,
he kept shouting, "Whipping Post,"
over and over again, top of his lungs.
"Whipping Post, Whipping
Post, Whipping Post."
Are you familiar with that song?
Yeah, unfortunately, I am.
[JACKIE] And, here's the thing,
I can't remember anything
else about him.
I don't know where this
kid was from. [STAMMERS]
I don't know what classes he took.
I could barely describe his face to you,
but I remember his name
and I remember "Whipping Post."
So that's the space that
people get in our heads,
you know? So many faces,
so many conversations, memories.
We parse people down to one thing,
to one single fucking thing.
And Rob Huff will forever
be the "Whipping Post" guy.
And you?
You're a rapist.
[GRUNTS]
You went to Letitia first, didn't you?
Warned her, tried to
get her to betray me.
[JACKIE] Ah, that I did.
Yeah, well, not smart.
You fuck her, you fall for her,
then you come in here and
you're making these accusations.
A discerning mind might, uh
might think this was a desperate attempt
to win the affections of my wife.
Did you hurt her like you
hurt the rest of the girls?
Ah, Jesus.
You do love her.
[JACKIE] Absolutely not.
I take back what I said about
you embroidering the truth.
That was a pretty hollow denial.
Did you love any of them?
Bette? Irina?
Dominique?
Yes.
Yes, I did, very much.
Well, that's the thing about love,
it's shit on your shoe
unless they love you back.
And those girls didn't love you.
You had to drug them to get
them within arm's reach,
like the worst kind of coward.
Enough, Jackie.
Get the fuck out of my house
- before I call the cops.
- They're already here.
Officers.
Oh, fuck.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay. Let me
just let me take off my watch,
so you don't scratch the face.
[WATCH THUDS]
Are-are you gonna come back?
Yeah. No, I'd love to.
I mean, if you'll have me.
Consider this an open invitation.
No-no-no limits,
no restrictions, in perpetuity.
Come whenever you want.
Are you lonely here?
Yeah, sometimes.
Are-are you ever allowed
to leave this place?
I don't know.
I-I haven't asked in a while.
You want me to ask for you?
I don't think so.
I mean, where would I go?
I have a question for you.
Why
Why did you come see me?
I just found out I have a brother.
Didn't know till now what
I was missing in my life.
Is your life good?
Yeah. I have the most
wonderful daughter.
I got some nice friends.
I'm healthy.
So you're happy?
Not really.
I have a good life, you know,
but, uh I'm not happy.
Does that make any sense?
Yeah. I think it's probably
more common than you think.
Maybe.
But it's still no way to live.
Yeah, I'm realizing that
more and more every day.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
You have a beautiful home, Mrs. Dryden.
- Exquisite.
- Thank you.
But we both know that you're
not here about the house.
Well [GRUNTS] In a way, I am.
How far are you willing
to go to keep it?
Mr. Ward, I'm as shocked as
you are by these allegations.
Well, let me inform you unequivocally
that your husband is guilty.
Oh, I doubt that very much.
And I know him better than anyone.
Better than you do.
Oh. Then you must be
aware of his infidelities.
That's a conversation for a
husband and wife in private.
[CHUCKLES]
You're clearly a smart woman.
So, you know, I-I just
I have a hard time accepting
that you spent 12 years living
with someone so amoral
and didn't suspect the harm he caused.
My husband hasn't been
convicted of a crime.
Nor will he be, because he's innocent.
If I believe that, won't a jury?
Have you ever strayed in
your marriage, Mrs. Dryden?
That's also a husband
and a wife conversation.
Hmm. Are affairs routine
behavior for you?
Or is Jackie special?
It's a fair warning.
If you protect Sinclair,
I will have no choice
but to eviscerate you.
On the stand. In the press.
No more galas, gallery openings.
No, you'll become a leper to
all those high society folks
you spent your entire adult life
trying so hard to impress.
The whole world will know that
you facilitated sexual abuse.
Fighting blackmail with blackmail.
No, I'm offering choices.
Speak the truth on your husband
or face conspiracy charges.
The, uh, forensics team's outside.
You might want to take
a walk while they work.
Mull things over a bit.
No. I'm comfortable where I am.
["KISS OFF" BY VIOLENT FEMMES]
I take one, one,
one 'cause you left me ♪
And two, two, two for my family ♪
And three, three,
three for my heartache ♪
And four, four, four
for my headaches ♪
And five, five, five for my lonely ♪
And six, six, six for my sorrow ♪
And seven, seven, seven
for n-n-no tomorrow ♪
And eight, eight,
I forget what eight was for ♪
But nine, nine, nine
for the lost gods ♪
Ten, ten, ten, ten for everything ♪
Everything, everything, everything ♪
Well, you can all just
kiss off into the air ♪
Behind my back I can see them stare ♪
They'll hurt me bad,
but I won't mind ♪
They'll hurt me bad,
they do it all the time ♪
How'd it go?
Forensics didn't find anything.
Yeah, well, we figured as much.
No, I-I meant with Letitia.
Did you scare some sense into her?
The woman didn't flinch.
Yeah, that's probably the fucking Botox.
Hey, look, the lab will
sniff something out.
All right? Pill residue, bloodstain.
Well, what about that surveillance
video that I gave you?
That-That'll paint a not-so-pretty
picture for the jury, right?
Maybe. Uh, it shows women in the house,
but the tape also shows them
going up the stairs with
Sinclair voluntarily.
Which, I assume, is why there
are cameras in the hallway,
but nowhere near a mattress.
Yeah, but I saw Bette
Williams that night.
She was stumbling around in a daze,
clearly on something.
Well, on the video, she looks drunk.
And considering she initially took
hush money, we need more.
It's always "more" with you, Dee.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Chris.
Come in.
How are you, Elena?
- Pretty much the same, I guess. Alone.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
You came all the way to
Holbrook to ask me that?
Well, the details of Duke's murder,
his involvement in the drug
ring, that was harsh.
Wanted to see how you were holding up.
Figured Duke hid shit from me, but this?
My husband robbing dealers?
Shootouts with other cops?
Jesus Christ.
I'm not sure if knowing makes
things easier or harder.
- Coffee?
- Mm-hmm.
Well, least the guys who killed him
- are headed to prison, right?
- [COFFEE POURING]
The guy I thought was
guilty has been set free.
We live in a topsy-turvy world.
If there's anything I can do
[ELENA] No. No more.
I might be a widow, but I don't
want to be treated like one.
How about I take you to dinner, then?
To be honest, that's why I stopped by,
to ask you on a date.
[SCOFFS]
I'm too old for dating games.
Can we just skip to the part
when you bring me home?
[CHUCKLES]
I mean, we're already here.
Something bothering you?
Eh, nothing worth discussing.
Well, now I'm curious.
It's just the Dryden case.
- It's a coin flip.
- Mm.
Like most of the work we do?
Mm-hmm. As I said, it's
not worth discussing.
Your turn.
My bosses want me to do an
interview for Channel Four.
About the lawsuit and the
Mendozas and the Big Dig.
Hey, that's great. What's the problem?
Is a good deed still a good deed
if you run around bragging?
Yeah. 'Cause this is your career.
Being being ambitious isn't a sin.
"When ambition ends, happiness begins."
Hey, the man who said that is a monk,
lives in an abbey, barely spoke.
All right, you are a lawyer.
A little showmanship is essential.
What if I panic or freeze
up or say the wrong thing?
You know how I've been
since the shooting.
Life has dropped the worst in your lap,
and here you are winning big cases.
What does that tell you?
That I got lucky.
That you can handle anything.
Got a news flash for you, Molly.
Gravy train's over.
You can tell the upstairs maid,
you can tell the downstairs maid.
You can tell that dickhead driver,
"Best to get off at the next stop."
Slow down, Mr. Rohr.
I-I don't quite grasp
what you're meaning.
Time has come for
everybody in the castle
to save your own asses.
Subpoenas. Got one for each of you.
Miss Murphy, if I were
you, I'd cooperate.
[HEART'S "BARRACUDA" PLAYING]
[ENGINE STARTS]
So, this ain't the end ♪
I saw you again today ♪
I had to turn my heart away ♪
Hey, Moustafa.
What happened to the BMW?
I hated that Nazi shitbox.
I'm a red, white and
blue-blooded patriot.
I drive American.
And right now, so do you. Get in.
Fuck off.
Why you getting so testy with me?
My girlfriend's 3,000 miles
away because of you.
Well, you're in luck.
It's time for Victoria Dryden
to come on home,
which is why I need you.
So I say again, with increasing
urgency and agitation,
get in.
No deal.
But I haven't even laid out my terms.
No matter what you say, the
answer will be an emphatic no.
Miss Hofmann, are you
really that confident?
Thank you for wasting
my time, Counselor.
Well, before you head
back to the Ponderosa,
here's an updated list of the witnesses
we plan to call at trial.
Would have been nice to get
this to us a little sooner.
Apologies. We're spread
a little thin here.
You know, new cases every day.
She asked for protective custody.
Jackie's handling that.
Which is what you paid him for, right?
[HOFMANN] Anything Victoria
says about Dominique Zanghi
will be hearsay.
The 30-second incoherent,
drug-induced phone call
won't carry weight in court.
I'll make sure of that.
I doubt they'll ask about Dominique.
They don't need to.
Victoria attacks your character,
we dismantle hers.
History of self-destructive behavior.
Prescription medication
for mental health issues.
Might be our only viable option.
We used to fight, Victoria and I.
Sometimes I even provoked
her to toughen her up.
Until now, I never realized
she truly hates me. [CHUCKLES]
Sinclair
if we're not tactical, we could lose.
Sleep on this.
I need to find Victoria.
Gotta reason with her.
In the meantime, if my
wife asks about the case,
you do not mention my daughter.
Tell her that we are in
We're in good shape.
Why?
Well, I don't want to give
Letitia a reason to worry.
We need to be tactical, as you say.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Yeah?
I wanted to wish you luck
on the Dryden trial,
and offer some unsolicited advice.
Oh, the best kind.
You probably think that you need
to focus on the male jurors;
that women are more
likely to believe women.
But the dividing line is usually age.
Right. Young people tend
to identify with the victim
while old people, they think,
"Grow a pair of balls, kid."
We lost a case like
this back in Chicago.
Did a study to tighten up our voir dire.
During your opening
and closing arguments,
aim for the gray hair.
Well, look at you being
all genuine and helpful.
You said we're not a team. Fine.
But a creep like Dryden
needs to be crushed.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[BAILIFF] Your Honor,
we are convened today
in the matter of the
Commonwealth v. Sinclair Dryden.
[JUDGE] Mr. Ward, you may proceed
with your opening statement.
Sinclair Dryden raped women.
He drugged them, undressed them,
put a condom on his genitals,
and then he penetrated
their unconscious,
unconsenting bodies.
Now, does that make you uncomfortable?
Good.
Perhaps it'll give you a sense
of how his victims felt.
I mean, the man poisoned women
for his own gratification.
Why? I do not know.
But that doesn't matter.
What matters is that this happened.
You'll get to hear how it
happened step by step,
straight from one of the women
whose life he infected.
Now, the defense will most
likely try to shame this woman.
Convince you that she's
an opportunist, a liar,
- or even weak.
- [WHISPERS INAUDIBLY]
Why? Because that's the easiest
way to obscure the truth.
The witness is fully aware
that she will be ridiculed
and embarrassed and harassed.
But she still wants to take the stand.
That should tell you
all you need to know.
She's willing to endure more pain
just so she can stop Sinclair Dryden.
Now, we have a mountain of evidence
that will prove his guilt.
Toxicology reports,
surveillance cam footage.
Sworn testimony from
key figures of his staff.
Now, if all of this doesn't demonstrate
a pattern of criminal behavior
beyond reasonable doubt,
Victoria Dryden
Sinclair's own daughter
will put her hand on a Bible
and tell you exactly what
kind of man her father is.
Let that sink in.
His own child thinks
he's a sexual predator.
[SCREEN DOOR SLAMS]
[JOE] You here about the lawsuit?
No. Take the money. Take the house.
Whatever else you want.
Except the model airplanes.
Those are in the trash.
Then what are you doing here?
I came to say
I'm sorry.
For hitting you. That's not who I am.
Oh, I guess you want me
to apologize in return.
No. You had 30 years.
You lost your chance.
Your husband told me
to stay away, so I did.
Before that?
What would you like me to have said?
That I was ashamed?
I don't even know.
I went to see your son.
Yeah, my brother.
Ah, he loves you.
Says you take care of him.
Which fucks me up even more.
With Junior I can be a parent.
With you, I'll always be the villain.
No, there was good, too. I remember.
Going to the playground after church.
Sledding at Whitman Park
whenever there was enough snow.
Since I was 14, all I wanted
was an explanation
so I could stop blaming myself.
You know, make the hurt go away.
But seeing you back at the house,
looking at you right now,
I realize that shit
doesn't really go away.
I just gotta learn to live with it.
You shouldn't have done
what you did, Dad.
Not to your daughter. Not to anyone.
Jennifer, if you didn't
know this before,
you should know it now.
You don't need jack shit from me.
That's the first decent thing
you ever said to me, Dad.
[LOUDLY] Hello?
Letitia?
Hello?
Honey?
[SOFT, SLOW MUSIC]
And Theseus killed the minotaur
with his bare hands.
Due to unforeseeable circumstances,
the trial will be postponed.
This was very foreseeable, Your Honor.
The defendant never should
have been granted bail.
But that's a moot point.
The defendant, he's unconscious
in a hospital bed.
We can't proceed without him.
We will resume when Mr. Dryden
is medically cleared to stand trial.
Court is adjourned.
[BAILIFF] All rise.
I know, kid. It's fucked up.
Fucked up and more of the same.
This is what he does. He gets away.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- What do you got?
- The notes you asked for.
Thank you.
[SIGHS]
[WOMAN] Quiet on the set.
[MAN] Do you need a minute?
- No. I'm ready, thank you.
- [WOMAN] And in four, three
So, Ms. Quays, tell us the
ACLU's position on this case.
Well, unions don't exist to provide
cheap labor for corporations,
or voting blocks for politicians.
They exist to protect their workers.
Which is why the construction
union's inaction
is beyond unacceptable.
Hernando Mendoza was the
victim of criminal negligence.
The union did nothing.
They've still done nothing.
The question we need
answered now is: why?
[HYPNOTIC MUSIC]
[EXHALES SHARPLY]
Fuck.
[JENNY] Yeah, I knew
something was going on.
I'm not a total fucking idiot.
[LETICIA] Well, I thought
you should hear it from me.
Or him.
[JACKIE] Hell hath no
fury like a rich bitch
who didn't get her way.
Well, at least she had the decency
to come and tell me the truth.
Yeah, her demented version of the truth
to gaslight you and get at me.
I only told Jenny what I
thought she'd want to hear.
Nothing more.
I'm finished, so I'll leave.
Don't come looking for me
or I'll get a restraining order.
You knew what your boss was
doing to those poor girls
- and you still went to work.
- [DOOR CLOSES]
Well, no, no, that-that was because
You wanted to keep fucking his wife.
There's no denying I'm a piece of shit,
so I will resist the urge
to talk my way back into your graces.
You sure?
You don't want to tell me some story
about something your
mom did to fuck you up?
You're always hiding
behind your stories.
Yeah. Being with you day after day,
I hear the same shit over and over.
- No surprises.
- No surprises, Jen.
I could say the same
fucking thing about you.
I have a brother.
I saw my father again,
and I slept with someone.
You did what?
I slept with someone.
Out of spite.
- But also 'cause I wanted to.
- Who?
- Doesn't matter who.
- I disagree.
He's who I think he is, right?
Right.
Well, there's a twist.
You're just as big a
piece of shit as I am.
Yep.
We're fuckin' perfect for each other.
[SCOFFS]
I'll pack a bag.
Mine's already packed.
I need out of this house.
[VICTORY MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you.
[CHEERING CONTINUES]
I want to thank each
of you for your help,
your support, your hard work,
and most importantly,
your votes! Ha, ha!
[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
[APPLAUSE CONTINUES]
Thank you.
Very well done, sir.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Good job at the Dryden trial.
There was no trial.
The defendant is comatose.
Because you were gonna win.
Sinclair knew that.
Surrendered.
Sliced open the underbelly.
Seppuku.
Ahh.
[DECOURCY] All those
years working with him,
collaborating on the same cases,
you didn't know what he was doing?
No. But even if I did,
knowing isn't enough.
You could have done some digging.
Could've found some proof, like we did.
Yeah, well, everything worked
out sweet as sugar in the end.
And good news,
I'm appointing you
interim District Attorney.
Why?
- That's really your response?
- That's really my response.
Because you're good at this, Decourcy.
You're fierce and fearless,
and committed to doing the right thing.
You're a massive ache in the ass,
but there's no denying you
were built for this job.
I agree.
[CHUCKLES]
Something you should learn.
Being in charge means you're
always gonna piss someone off.
Every decision makes this person happy
and that person miserable.
I have no doubt you will
excel at the second part.
You know, I find myself wondering
how Sinclair knew so much
about our investigation.
Felt like he had someone on the inside
feeding him information
every step of the way.
I intend to look into that.
- [INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- [DOOR CLOSES]
[RAPID SCRUBBING]
Thought you had a date tonight.
I did.
But I left.
Walked out of the restaurant
and came straight here.
Why would you do that?
You know, we get bugs when
you don't clean the stove.
Duly noted.
Chris, I'm sorry.
But after Russ Wallace
and-and Hank Signa
and the funerals and
the fuckin' bagpipes,
I just I got scared,
and I took the easy way out.
And all that stuff should have
made me hold onto you tighter.
And I think we should try again.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYING ON TV]
[DOOR SHUTS LOUDLY]
- You said no?
- Julietta, please.
Mom asked to be a family
again, and you said no?
Sweetheart, we're still a family.
No, we're not, thanks to you!
- Aiden's right.
- Wait.
- Give me a chance
- [DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR SLAMS]
[SIGHS]
Ah, Miss Rohr, so sorry for the wait.
Been a busy day.
So, what can I do for you?
I have a brother. A half brother.
He's in a mental health facility.
He's been there for years,
and I would like to become
his legal guardian.
When I said I wanted to buy you dinner
to celebrate your
life-changing promotion,
this isn't quite what I had in mind.
I was craving shrimp lo mein.
[SIGHS] Lo mein is
what you normally eat.
I figured we could do something special.
Look, I'm happy. Deliriously happy.
But if I start thinking I'm special
because of what I do,
that would just make me a dickhead.
Well, I feel special on your behalf.
[DECOURCY] Here, let me
run out and grab the food.
[GLASS SHATTERS]
You got a mouth on you, Ms. Quays.
Talking shit about the
construction union on TV.
Words don't work with you.
So how do I get you
to take me seriously?
Drop it.
Drop it.
[CROWBAR CLANGS]
Now leave, or I will kill you.
All right.
Next time, I'll bring mine.
That's enough, Decourcy.
- How many times?
- I don't know.
How many times did
that man threaten you?
- I don't know.
- More than once?
- Yes.
- And you never told me?
- Oh, I couldn't.
- Why? Why, Siobhan?
I understand why you lied
about Lulu, but this?
Why would you bring up Lulu?
Because I don't like
being left in the dark,
especially by you.
There are things that I
need to handle myself.
And with all the bullshit
that's happened,
I was worried you'd run off
and do something reckless.
Reckless? Reckless?
What, you don't trust my judgment?
Was I wrong?
Decourcy, you almost shot that man.
Yes.
And I would've to protect you.
[SHAKY BREATH]
You know, when I first
started at the Bureau,
you-you took a bunch of us out drinking.
[CHUCKLES]
You must've downed, like, six
whiskeys in the first 30 minutes,
but if you were fucked up,
you kept that to yourself.
[SCOFFS]
End of the night,
you gave us this speech
about how we were gonna
see a lot of bad shit.
And how, when the worst
of the worst happens,
pretty much everyone asks
the same three questions.
First, why me?
It's a reflex to the pain.
Uh, we think if, uh, we understand
how something happened,
that the pain will go away.
But then, we take it up a notch.
"Why, God?"
It's desperate. It's existential.
And the third and final question:
What's for breakfast?
[SCOFFS]
No matter how horrible the atrocity,
people always forget.
They move on.
They adapt.
It's how we survive,
and it's why bad shit
keeps happening.
But you told us that we weren't
allowed to ask that third question.
That our job was to never forget,
to-to never stop, 'cause
what we do is too important.
So we keep going,
when everybody else is at
home hugging their families.
And eating fucking quiche.
[SCOFFS]
Your wife is gone.
Your daughter is gone.
But I'm here.
And I'm gonna be here in
this chair every fucking day
until I drag your ass to prison
or to the fucking morgue.
And I know you can hear me in there.
So fuck you for not responding.
["WHIPPING POST" BY THE
ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND]
I've been run down ♪
I've been lied to ♪
And I don't know why ♪
I let that mean woman make me a fool ♪
She took all my money ♪
Wrecks my new car ♪
Now she's with one of
my good time buddies ♪
They're drinking in
some crosstown bar ♪
Sometimes I feel ♪
Sometimes I feel ♪
Like I've been tied
to the whipping post ♪
Tied to the whipping post ♪
Tied to the whipping post ♪
Good Lord, I feel like I'm dying ♪