Drop Dead Diva s04e06 Episode Script
Rigged
See that aspiring model there? That was me -- Deb -- until the day I died.
I thought I'd go straight to heaven, but there was a bit of a mix-up and I woke up in someone else's body.
So now I'm Jane, a super-busy lawyer with my very own assistant.
I got a new life, a new wardrobe, and the only people who really know what's going on with me are my girlfriend Stacy and my guardian angel, Luke.
I used to think everything happened for a reason and, well, I sure hope I was right.
Hey, sweetie.
Have you seen my -- Engagement ring? Yes, like 101 times, and it's gorgeous.
It is gorgeous.
But I was gonna ask, "Have you seen my fiance?" Owen left about an hour ago.
He had an early meeting.
So, now that you're awake, I've downloaded a to-do list from IamEngaged.
com.
Are you ready? Oh, I'm ready.
Number one, have you created your wedding blog? Of course.
It is personal, interactive, and linked to a guestbook.
Check.
Okay, engagement announcements? I have a photo of me and Owen at the Ponte Vecchio on 100-pound matte cardstock.
Check.
Big question.
Drumroll, please.
Who's baking your wedding cake? You are, of course! Okay, so shall we start talking cake concepts? As much as I want to do this right now, I have an important meeting with a potential client.
Say no more.
I will brainstorm while you go to work.
Okay.
Good luck, future Mrs.
Owen French.
Check it out.
Pretty awesome, huh? What is it? Are you kidding me? It looks like someone took a bite out of a frisbee.
That's exactly what I was going for.
No.
All right.
What's going on, Eric? Aren't you excited to see your mom today? I know she's excited to see you.
In fact, she's coming to my office so she can take you to school.
And then what? I'll never see you again.
No way, Jose.
I'm gonna talk to your mom, and we're gonna figure this out.
I'm thinking Saturday will be our day.
And if you're not gonna eat this frisbee pancake, let's at least see how it flies.
Go long.
Here it comes.
Teri, I can't thank you enough for this opportunity.
Working for Kim is not an opportunity.
It is an execution.
I just need a job.
Okay, well, to be her assistant, you have to figure out what she needs before she needs it, whether it's a file or an e-mail password or her gynecologist's emergency phone number or -- Car keys! Teri, I can't find my -- Keys.
Briefcase.
Your cellphone is charged.
Breath strips are in the outer flap, anddriving directions in case your GPS goes wonky.
Thank you, uh Liz.
She's your new assistant.
Parker authorized the hire.
She's an old friend, and she's gonna kick ass for you.
Okay.
Well, I'm off To a very important meeting to land a Fortune 500 client.
- How do you know that? - I heard you praying in the bathroom.
I wasn't praying.
I was rehearsing.
And before I go, can I just get -- Half-caf, two Splendas, soy milk.
Thank you.
How'd I do? A little brown-nosey, but you're off to a great start.
It sounds cliche but Alan was my whole world, from the moment I met him.
We couldn't wait to have kids, to start a family.
We just bought a new home with a tree house in the backyard.
I-I know what it's like to be in love.
I just can't imagine.
Ms.
Bingum, oil rigs are supposed to be safe.
Ivar Oil told us that he would be safe And then this How could this happen? We don't know how this happened.
I understand there was a fatality? Alan Maslin.
The ballast-control operator.
Look, Ivar rigs are the most stable in the industry.
And the inner passage met every safety requirement.
And if this goes to trial, we can make those arguments.
But right now, you have a dead employee, and the only thing to blame is the rig.
Did Alan ever mention any safety concerns before the collapse? Yeah.
He thought there might be something wrong with the ballast-control system.
Our ballast-control system was state-of-the-art.
We passed every single federal inspection.
We've done nothing wrong here.
Accidents happen.
Has there been any contact with the victim's family? No one's contacted me.
I mean, other than to tell me he was dead.
I'm not surprised.
Anything they say could be used against them.
I just want them to take responsibility.
The press is calling Alan Maslin a hero.
They're saying that his co-workers owe him their lives and that he prevented a massive oil spill.
I've seen the coverage.
We anticipate a significant claim.
Should you hire my firm, our strategy is simple -- inundate the other side with motions and discovery.
You do not want a widow's claim to make it to a jury.
We want to get this to a jury as soon as possible.
If you hire my firm, our strategy will be to fast-track your claim in federal court.
Ms.
Bingum, there's something I want you to hear.
Okay.
As the rig was going down, my husband left me a voicemail.
Baby, it's me.
We got a problem out here.
I'm doing everything I can, but it's not looking good.
I got to stay back until the others can get clear of this mess.
ButI love you, and I hope I'm so sorry.
And then dad took me to the place where you see the stars.
Griffith Observatory.
Nice.
Mom, why couldn't the astronaut book a room on the moon? (Jay and Eric together) Because the moon was full.
Oh, that's a good one.
Baby, why don't you go wait in the lobby for a second, okay? I need to talk to dad.
- All right.
- Okay? I got a nursing job.
Congratulations.
You got your nursing license back? Well, not in the U.
S.
That's still pending.
So, where's the job? - In Toronto.
- Toronto.
Canada? As in, clear across the continent? Jay, the way you feel about being a lawyer is the way I feel about being a nurse.
And since I can't practice in the U.
S.
-- But Eric wants me close.
I want to be close.
And I appreciate that, but the move is what's best for me and Eric.
We leave in two days.
I'm sorry.
- Is that all for me? - Mm-hmm.
- Getting engaged is like Christmas morning.
- Ho-ho-ho! - Now, that is a vase from Judge Summers.
- Mm.
And the champagne is from your mother.
She signed the card "Finally.
" And the orchid is from your fiance.
The note says that he's sorry.
He has to go out of town for a few days.
- Oh.
- He's gonna visit his friend Eddie Channing? His college roommate.
Lives in Seattle.
Know how I know that? Um, because now that you're engaged to Owen, your hearts beat as one? You better believe it.
Well, Eddie was in a motorcycle accident.
- Oh, no.
- Yeah, just a couple of broken bones.
Not a big deal.
I think he'll be okay.
It's all in the card.
- Jane, Parker wants to see us in his office.
- Why? I don't know.
Is it your birthday or something? She got engaged, Kim.
Oh, good for you.
Let's go.
Alan Maslin and the Ivar Oil rig collapse.
That's my case.
That's my case.
What? What? And therein lies the problem.
You each met with opposing parties, and the firm can't represent both sides.
Well, uh, I'm a partner now, so -- Partner or not, Annie Maslin is counting on me.
And the firm is counting on billable hours from Ivar Oil.
What am I gonna say, "Yes, I'll help you," and then be like, "No, I'm not gonna help you"? What are you even saying right now? Okay, the oil company represents long-term upside.
But jury verdict for a grieving widow -- instant payday.
So whoever gets the retainer agreement first gets the client.
Oh, well, I just faxed one to them.
I should have a signature in a few minutes.
Sorry, Jane.
Apology rejected.
Retainer agreement signed by Annie Maslin.
Bam.
And we have a winner.
I'm sorry.
I'm Jack Starnum, C.
E.
O.
of Ivar Oil.
This is Gordon Marks, my V.
P.
of project services.
This is Gordon Marks, my V.
P.
of project services.
We appreciate you coming in so quickly.
Can we get started? - Actually, we're still waiting on our attorney.
- Ahh.
As you know, we almost went with your firm.
Oh, yeah, I've heard something about that.
That's a magnificent ancistrochilus, Ms.
Bingum.
Excuse me? Your orchid.
Oh, well, thank you.
It's from my -- my fiance? I'm an amateur botanist.
So sorry I'm late.
Walter Burr, Duddly & Burr.
Hello.
I am Jane Bingum, and this is -- Look, we're prepared to offer Ms.
Maslin $20,000 plus funeral expenses.
We'd like to keep your client from suffering the heartache and the expense of protracted litigation.
Well, Mr.
Burr, that was rude, and my client is maxed out on heartache, so Please come back when you have a serious offer.
And in the meantime, you should be aware that we have filed in federal court.
And you should be aware our salvage team found the inner passage black box this morning.
And it indicates that Alan Maslin disengaged the ballast-control system during the storm and botched the manual adjustments.
Your husbandpanicked and is responsible for the accident.
No.
No, Alan was a hero.
There was something wrong with the BCS, and he told you so.
What's wrong with you people? Excuse me.
Annie.
Annie? I hate them.
I know you do.
But let's hate them productively, okay? Now, you just said that Alan told Ivar the BCS was malfunctioning, right? So if we can prove that they had notice, then their failure to correct the problem proves negligence.
Alan told me he sent them some sort of report.
Great, great.
Uh, can you find me a copy? Maybe in his files or his computer.
I'll look.
Okay.
Annie, listen to me.
You get me that report, and I'll make them pay.
Okay.
Flights to Canada.
What, are you trying to duck the draft? Elisa's moving to Toronto the day after tomorrow.
She's taking Eric.
What? I thought everything was -- was great.
You know, I want to be a good dad, but, realistically, I mean, how often am I gonna get to see him now? Well, you could file a petition with family court for a declaration of paternity.
It's a slam dunk for a restraining order keeping Elisa in L.
A.
I want to keep things civil.
Look, you have to pursue this now, or it's just gonna get harder down the line.
A court will wonder why you waited.
And if I force Elisa into court, I might wreck any chance I have of a good relationship with my son.
You've reached Owen French.
Please leave a message.
Hey, fiance? I'm just checking in, seeing how you're doing.
And Eddie, too, of course.
Uh, miss you.
Call me.
Or text or e-mail.
Okay, love you.
Bye.
Hey, sweetie.
What a surprise.
Are we doing lunch? Ah, sorry.
No time.
Previous engagement.
There she is, my favorite tenant.
Oh, did I say "favorite"? I meant one of my favorite tenants.
It's a tie.
Okay, rain check.
Jane, you just got a call.
From Owen? Oh, good.
I hope you told him I planned the whole wedding without him.
No, you didn't tell him that, did you? Don't tell him that.
How's Eddie? It wasn't Owen.
It was Annie Maslin, your client.
Oh.
She found a copy of the report her husband sent to Ivar Oil.
Fantastic.
You and Grayson are meeting her downstairs for coffee.
Oh, great.
Thanks.
Oh, and if Owen calls -- - Interrupt you, no matter what.
- Yeah.
The report's a little technical, so I asked Tom to join us.
He's an engineer.
Alan and I worked on half a dozen rigs together, so anything you need.
Well, actually Uh, "A 1.
5-degree leeward decline in moderate 18-meter seas caused a sequence of BCS R.
O.
A.
s.
" The R.
O.
A.
is a run-off alarm.
It's like a false alarm for the BCS -- it's the ballast-control system -- what keeps the rig steady.
What if we still don't follow? Okay, let's imagine this half-and-half as a semi-submersible floating oil rig.
Okay? Jane: Okay.
Now, the tide rises, and the rig platform rises with it.
Now, the BCS keeps it on an even keel Or over it goes.
Alan's report stated that the ballast-control system was no good, that the false alarms were off the charts.
- He was right.
- How would you know that? Because I was on the inner passage with Alan.
He asked me to proofread his report before he sent it off.
All the engineers were aware of the problem.
So if the BCS was working right, Alan would not have disengaged it.
But during the storm, he couldn't risk it, - which is why he went manual.
- Exactly.
Do you know if Alan got a reply to his report? Um, I don't.
I'm sorry.
Doesn't matter.
Ivar will have a copy of the report in their files, and that will prove that they were on notice.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Got your message.
Is everything okay? Everything is great.
I had to pull a few strings, but I got you a job.
What? Yeah, it's at St.
Catherine's in the admin department.
Twice your previous salary.
You'll be working with nurses, coordinating human relations -- Jay, I already have a job.
Yeah.
In Canada.
This job is right around the corner.
Look, I'm not trying to take Eric away from you.
Then don't.
But I'm an O.
R.
nurse.
I'm not an administrative coordinator.
You kept Eric a secret from me for seven years, and now -- - And now what? - You owe this to me.
Wait.
Elisa, wait.
Jay I'm going to Canada because it's what's best for Eric.
My child, my decision.
I can have a move-away custody suit filed within the hour.
Do it.
Ivar Oil's response to Alan's memo wasn't indexed with their discovery.
Did you look through all the boxes? Yes, Liz and I searched every file.
What about Alan's report? I mean, Ivar should have included a copy.
It's like it never existed.
They're playing games.
That's why I called the magistrate's office.
He's seeing you in an hour.
All right.
Mr.
Burr, tell me why I shouldn't immediately impose sanctions for your client's discovery violation? Because there was no such report.
We're not hiding anything.
Wow.
Lying.
We have Alan Maslin's report right here.
Whatever she's holding has no verifiable provenance, the purported author being deceased.
Ms.
Bingum, how would you suggest the court authenticate that report? We have a witness who will vouch for its integrity.
Mr.
Tom Witten.
You may proceed, Ms.
Bingum.
Mr.
Witten, I direct your attention to plaintiff's exhibit one and ask if you recognize it as the report Alan Maslin sent to Ivar Oil.
- I do not.
- And that report -- I'm sorry, what did you say? I've never seen this report.
- Excuse me? - Tom? Didn't Alan Maslin ask you to proof the document you're holding in your hand? No.
Why are you doing this? Ms.
Maslin, please.
Mr.
Witten, when we met, what did you tell me about that report? Objection.
Assumes facts not in evidence.
The witness is lying.
He's your witness.
Your honor, this case is a sham.
I demand it be dismissed.
And I demand that Mr.
Burr learn some manners.
Enough.
Defense motion is taken under advisement.
Assuming I let this case go forward, Ms.
Bingum, I advise you, get to know your witnesses better.
For the centerpieces, just no hydrangeas.
And for the bridesmaids' dresses Uh, no matchy-matchy, okay? Now, for the guest list, do I have to invite my mom's bowling team? Jane, darling, I am not your wedding planner.
I am your psychiatrist.
Well, I guess that explains why I'm lying down.
Well, thank you, but I don't need a psychiatrist.
You're just like Madonna when she talks about her 23-year-old boyfriends.
You're in denial, darling.
Denial? No.
Let's talk about that fantastic necklace.
Now you've moved on to avoidance.
Seriously, why would I be seeing a shrink about my wedding? You tell me.
Is this pre-wedding jitters? Honeymoon anxiety? Does this have something to dowith Owen? Bingo! Perhaps it could be the fact that he hasn't called, he hasn't e-mailed.
And how do you feel about that? Do you feel angry, deserted, pissed as holy hell? Okay.
You are supposed to be making me feel better, not worse.
You are confusing me with Prozac, which is silly.
Most people confuse me with Betty white.
Oh, look, Jane.
Everything, darling, is going to be okay.
There is one thing I absolutely must say to you.
What is it? Wake up.
You know, the blue-backed in limine motions make a much better pillow.
Thanks.
You didn't go home last night, did you? I can't let them win.
I mean, what they pulled in court and how they got to our witness.
Oh, it's unfair to Annie.
Good morning, Teri.
Actually it is a terrible morning.
In addition to Tom Witten, there were five other engineers on that rig with Alan, and they all refuse to speak to me.
Marc Valera and Chris Fife are on vacation.
Dan Pinar is sick.
Adam Press referred me to Ivar Oil's legal affairs, and Larry Grimaldi is on another oil rig in Mumbai, with no cell service.
So Ivar got to them, or they're incommunicado.
Ooh, looks like someone got another gift from their fiance? I need more coffee.
Ooh, a card.
Maybe it's an erotic poem.
"Our love is like an orchid" What rhymes with orchid? It just says "starboard landing.
" Well, that's not very romantic.
I know, right? I don't think this is from Owen.
Who else would send you flowers? I don't know.
I do have a hunch, actually.
Um Teri, what is going on with those two? Oh, I don't know, but I can put a spycam in his office and find out.
No.
It's fine.
Listen, I'm gonna go change and run an errand.
Oh, and if Owen calls -- I will patch him through.
Mr.
Marks? Mr.
Marks? Mr.
Marks? You can't be here.
You sent me the orchid, didn't you? I don't know what you're talking about.
The card said "starboard landing.
" Now, I went through Ivar's annual report.
Starboard landing is a rig built by Ivar and launched the same day as the inner passage.
That's a matter of public record.
And it's operating off the coast of Sri Lanka.
- For now.
- Excuse me? I didn't say anything.
Okay.
Okay, please tell me, why does the starboard landing rig matter to my case? We can't be talking, Ms.
Bingum, and there's no record of me sending anything to you.
You're trying to tell me something.
I-I just don't know what or why.
Please go.
Thank you.
I can't believe you're dragging me to court.
You didn't leave me a choice.
Your choice was not to force paternity and sue my client.
Your client? Yes, Kelly is my lawyer.
Whatever money I saved is now going to her.
So thanks a lot.
Look, I'm not doing this to hurt you.
And yet if you cared about your son, you would drop this right now.
Oh, so, you're a lawyer and an expert on my son's well-being? You know what your problem is, Jay? Is that you're a bully who's convinced himself that he's the good guy.
Let's go.
You could be disbarred for talking to Marks without their attorney present.
I won't tell if you won't.
I'm serious, Jane.
I'm serious, too.
Now, listen to me.
The starboard landing rig is operating "for now.
" That's what he said -- "for now.
" The only reason to send the orchid and tip me off is if he's worried about another accident.
What, you're talking about another broken ballast-control system? Well, that's what I thought, but I pulled the blueprints for both rigs, and look.
See? The BCS on both exceeds federal requirements.
None of this makes any sense.
Hey, uh, uh, excuse me.
Sure.
Annie, hi.
How you holding up? I want to accept their settlement offer.
What? Did -- did they get to you? Did they threaten you? No, Jane, nothing like that.
Uh I'm pregnant.
- Oh! - I just found out.
Finally, after trying for so long.
Congratulations.
Alan would be so happy.
Look, I'm gonna need the money, and I'm scared of the trial, of the stress.
You've seen what they've already done.
I know.
AnnieI -- I might have stumbled onto something.
Now, it's a long shot.
Your child needs to know that Alan was a hero.
Please, just -- just let me try and give you that.
So the structural plans for the Inner Passage and the Starboard Landing are identical.
Yeah, economies of scale.
Makes sense to use the same design, amortize the costs.
That way, you can just -- And that's about the 10th time you've checked your phone.
I'm sorry.
Sorry.
I -- I just -- I haven't heard from Owen.
And, you knowhis college roommate got into an accident.
Oh, my God.
There's no cell service in the hospital.
Right? I don't know.
Or maybe his battery died, and he forgot his charger, but Maybe.
You don't like Owen very much, do you? I mean, you've barely said two words to me since I got engaged.
I congratulated you the other night.
Yeah, that was it.
And we've worked together almost nonstop for two days, and -- Do you really want to talk caterers and bridesmaids dresses with me? You know what, Grayson? Never mind.
It doesn't -- it doesn't matter.
I'm sorry.
I think I'm just worried about Owen.
Oh, my God.
Listen, I said I'm sorry.
But No, Jane, I think I found something.
Okay, Larry Grimaldi is the assembly-review engineer who did the final safety inspections on both rigs.
Yes.
Teri tried to reach him.
He's in Mumbai, on a rig.
Right, look at the name of the assembly-review engineer who did the preliminary plans for both rigs.
Mitch Fredericks.
- Right.
Fredericks signed every safety report⦠- Mm-hmm? Except the final one, when he was replaced with Grimaldi.
Why was Fredericks replaced? I don't know, but I'd like to ask him.
Eric, do you know why you're here today? Sure.
Because my mom wants to move to Canada, and my dad wants me to stay in Los Angeles.
That's right.
I understand you've recently gotten to know your father.
Yeah.
It's so cool having a dad.
So, you like spending time with him? Yeah.
It's fun, even when he messes up.
When he messes up? He made my lunch for school, and he accidentally threw my lunch in the garbage.
And then he put garbage in my lunch.
Your honor, it's not like he ate garbage.
Eric, if you had a tummy ache, who would you want to take care of you? There are no wrong answers.
I think mom but dad would be okay, too.
If you had a problem at school, who would you rather talk to? My mom.
How do you feel about moving to Canada with your mom? I wish my dad can come with us.
And if he stays in Los Angeles? I think he'll really miss me.
Will you miss him? Yeah.
A lot.
Thank you, Eric.
You did a great job.
Counselors, we'll continue in the courtroom.
Hey, can we talk? I don't think that's a good idea.
Eric needs his father in his life.
We did just fine without you.
Excuse me.
Mr.
Fredericks, thank you for speaking with us.
No problem.
So, you want to know why I was replaced by Ivar Oil? That's right.
'Cause I kicked up a fuss about the design plans.
That is when they yanked me off the job faster than poop from a duck's ass.
Oh, dear.
So, there was something wrong with the rig's plans.
I never saw the final plans, but there was definitely something wrong with the timetable.
They were trying to complete a 3-year project in just 12 months.
Why the rush? Their federal leases were expiring.
Oh! Under the federal oil and gas lease act, the Secretary of the Interior can revoke oil leases if the drilling has not commenced by the expiration date.
Oh! That's right.
Also known as "use it or lose it.
" But there are certain things in life that cannot be rushed -- a good meal, a Thai massage, and the construction of a massive oil rig.
And if you ask me, that is why the inner passage sank, although, unless I saw the plans, I couldn't tell you exactly what happened.
Well, what if I told you that we have the final plans? Would that help? Does a Canadian grizzly crap in the woods? Yes.
During my time with him, I took Eric to school every day, met with his teachers, and helped him with a social studies presentation.
That's when the California Gold Rush began.
One of many things I learned from Eric.
And can you describe his home environment when he stays with you? He has his own room.
We have breakfast and dinner together.
And on the weekends, we do fun but educational activities.
Thank you.
Mr.
Parker, isn't it true that you once told Ms.
Shayne that you don't want any children? Maybe, a long time ago.
And isn't it true that you effectively broke up with Ms.
Shayne by sleeping with her roommate? Objection! Counsel's slinging mud.
Goes to character, but I will move on.
Did you recently offer Ms.
Shayne money to get out of your life? I gave her that check because I wrongly assumed -- Yes or no, Mr.
Parker.
This is a custody hearing.
"Yes or no" is -- is not fair to me or to Eric.
I'll take that as a yes.
Hold on.
Why don't you ask me how Ms.
Shayne came to me for legal help while keeping the existence of my son a secret? - I request a recess, your Honor.
- Judge Holder: Mr.
Parker -- Or how I offered her a job when she had no other option, only to have her take Eric away from me when I found out I was his father? I was doing the best that I could.
- Your honor.
- Kim: I request a recess, your Honor.
I mean, they should hear everything, right? Tell the court how you lost your nursing license - because you illegally prescribed drugs.
- Kim: Parker! My father was sick.
Or how our son took a bus by himself - to Los Angeles to find me! - Judge Holder: Order! - What kind of mother lets a Eric? You're not supposed to be in here.
- Kim: Your Honor.
- Elisa: Sweetheart, come here.
- Judge Holder: Bailiff.
- Elisa: It's okay.
- Eric: I'm sorry.
Move to recess, your Honor.
The designs for the rigs are flawless.
Wait, are you sure? Absolutely.
The designs are flawless.
But the rigs most definitely are not.
I don't follow.
Are you saying the actual rig doesn't reflect the final design? You bet I am.
Look, one of the reasons it takes so long to build a rig is because there are hundreds of thousands of construction welds.
Now, for safety reasons, the feds require each weld to have its own serial number.
Ms.
Bingum, you ever been in two places at one time? Umno? No, of course not, because that's impossible.
Right.
So how can a weld be in two places at once? Read this weld number from the inner passage.
"DS-656-202.
" Right.
And now this one from Starboard Landing.
"DS-656-202.
" It's the same number.
It's the same weld.
And that's impossible.
I'm sorry.
What exactly am I looking at here, counselors? The Inner Passage and Starboard Landing rigs are identical.
In order to meet the leasing expiration dates, construction was rushed -- only half of the welds on both of these rigs were actually secured.
Ivar Oil doubled up on the serial numbers in order to slip shoddy work past federal regulators.
It's known as "pencil whipping.
" And Ivar's former safety engineer is willing to testify to that.
I'm confused.
What does that allegation have to do with a faulty ballast-control system? It doesn't.
The BCS was working fine.
Exactly.
That's what we've been saying, your Honor.
But the BCS alarm was being activated because of the sparsity of the welds.
It was rendering the entire rig unstable.
Now, of course, Alan Maslin would have no way of knowing this.
In light of this new evidence, we are amending our complaint and adding their former safety engineer, Mitch Fredericks, to our witness list.
I'm inclined to allow it.
If I may, your Honor, I have a motion in limine to preclude the testimony of Mitch Fredericks and exclude all evidence tied to him.
Okay, well, I have a motion in limine to make every day my birthday.
What are the grounds for your motion? As you may be aware, my client, before hiring my firm, met with a Ms.
Kim Kaswell of Harrison & Parker.
That doesn't disqualify our witness.
This memo does.
Obtained from your firm during discovery.
In it, Ms.
Kaswell details confidential discussions of Mr.
Fredericks and his outlandish theories.
Your honor Save your breath, Ms.
Bingum.
You should know better.
The witness is excluded.
I didn't write this memo.
It's on the firm's stationary, Kim.
Do you realize you cost us the case? I said, I didn't write it.
If I did, there would be a copy of it in the case file, right? Oh.
- Oh, my God.
- And there it is.
- This doesn't make any sense.
- Right.
Jane, I wanted to represent Ivar Oil, but I would never do anything to sabotage your case.
I'm a partner.
Okay, then who wrote it? All right, someone who's susceptible to a bribe, right? Maybe someone new to the firm.
I'm gonna kill her.
Uh I have a better idea.
This is B.
S.
, and you know it.
I had nothing to do with that memo.
You were upset about your vacation time, and so you acted out.
I was upset, but I would never do anything to hurt the firm.
Enough! Teri, I'm done with your nonsense.
Get out! I know you two are friends, so if you need to leave, then go.
I'm fine.
- Jane, hey, we caught a break.
- We did? Remember the assembly-review engineer - who signed the final plans? - Uh, Larry Grimaldi? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
Well, Teri said that he was on the rig in Mumbai, right? - Totally unreachable? - Uh-huh.
I reached him during his onshore break, and he confirmed the pencil whipping.
Here's the affidavit, faxed from Chhatrapati international airport in Mumbai.
Right now, he's on I.
A.
Flight 81, nonstop to Los Angeles.
Oh, my God! Grayson, you just saved the case! Uh, Liz, I need you to make a copy of this for Kim right away.
We need to be ready to go as soon as that plane lands.
You got it.
What now? We wait.
Hey.
I, uh, spoke with judge Holder's bailiff.
He apologized again for letting Eric into the courtroom.
Did you hear me? You lost control of the case.
I lost control? I-I did everything short of pulling a fire alarm.
You were my lawyer, and you let me down.
Did you hear from the clerk? Yeah.
Judge Holder granted Elisa full custody.
You'll have limited visitation rights, with supervision.
You can re-apply for a modification in six months.
And when you do, find another lawyer to represent you.
Kim, wait.
Dad! Eric.
Hi.
Eric wanted to say goodbye.
I'll wait in the lobby.
Wait.
Uh, listen, pal, there's a plate of cookies in the kitchen If it's okay with your mom.
Just one.
I am so sorry.
I told Eric that sometimes adults yell at each other.
It's not the right thing to do, but you were upset about not getting to be with him as much as you'd like.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I'm not gonna stop you from seeing Eric, but I don't want anything else to do with you.
I'll let you guys talk.
Come here.
Give me a hug.
So, I guess Saturday is not our day.
Huh? No.
I guess not.
I'm sorry.
I know you tried, dad.
I love you.
I love you, too.
Go on.
So, the whole office thinks you really fired Teri.
Well, I'm a good actress.
The Mumbai flight lands in three hours.
Still no word from Ivar.
I know.
Nice photo.
Well, thank you.
It's my engagement announcement.
Sure hope I get to use them.
Still no word from Owen? You know, maybe I just jinxed everything by ordering these so quickly.
Excuse me.
The oil guys are in the lobby.
Oh.
Great.
Well, send them up.
It's come to our attention that our safety engineer may be on his way back from Mumbai.
Oh, we heard something similar.
Yeah, it's probably just a rumor.
But if it's true, and he testifies, you got to wonder what he's gonna say.
What are you looking for? $5 million, and you agree to fix the welds on the Starboard Landing rig.
You know, maybe this will speed things along.
Flight 81 lands at LAX.
in 2 hours and 46 minutes.
As soon as that plane begins its descent, our number goes up to $10 million.
And once the passengers disembark, we let a jury decide how many more zeros to add.
Draft the papers.
Already done.
Is Grimaldi really on that plane? Thank you again for the orchid.
Oh, Teri, I'm so glad you're back! - I'm so sorry.
- That you screwed me over? They made it sound so easy.
They said I'd never -- Get caught? Oh! And that is my stapler.
Take her away.
Jane.
Welcome back.
Operation "Pretend to Fire Teri" was a huge success.
We have to talk.
Are you okay? When I was out of the office, I tried to track Owen down.
I thought I was helping, so I called his friend Eddie.
In the hospital? That's the thing.
He's not in the hospital.
W-what? There was no motorcycle accident.
Eddie hasn't spoken to Owen in weeks.
So Owen lied to me? Owen left me.
Jane, I'mso sorry.
I better get out of here.
- Oh, Jane, you don't want to go out there.
- I need some air.
No, Jane, stop.
Listen to me.
Stop, Jane.
Stop.
Come back.
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! What's going on? It's an office engagement party.
Luke and I have been working on it all week.
Congratulations, sweetie! You want to talk about it?
I thought I'd go straight to heaven, but there was a bit of a mix-up and I woke up in someone else's body.
So now I'm Jane, a super-busy lawyer with my very own assistant.
I got a new life, a new wardrobe, and the only people who really know what's going on with me are my girlfriend Stacy and my guardian angel, Luke.
I used to think everything happened for a reason and, well, I sure hope I was right.
Hey, sweetie.
Have you seen my -- Engagement ring? Yes, like 101 times, and it's gorgeous.
It is gorgeous.
But I was gonna ask, "Have you seen my fiance?" Owen left about an hour ago.
He had an early meeting.
So, now that you're awake, I've downloaded a to-do list from IamEngaged.
com.
Are you ready? Oh, I'm ready.
Number one, have you created your wedding blog? Of course.
It is personal, interactive, and linked to a guestbook.
Check.
Okay, engagement announcements? I have a photo of me and Owen at the Ponte Vecchio on 100-pound matte cardstock.
Check.
Big question.
Drumroll, please.
Who's baking your wedding cake? You are, of course! Okay, so shall we start talking cake concepts? As much as I want to do this right now, I have an important meeting with a potential client.
Say no more.
I will brainstorm while you go to work.
Okay.
Good luck, future Mrs.
Owen French.
Check it out.
Pretty awesome, huh? What is it? Are you kidding me? It looks like someone took a bite out of a frisbee.
That's exactly what I was going for.
No.
All right.
What's going on, Eric? Aren't you excited to see your mom today? I know she's excited to see you.
In fact, she's coming to my office so she can take you to school.
And then what? I'll never see you again.
No way, Jose.
I'm gonna talk to your mom, and we're gonna figure this out.
I'm thinking Saturday will be our day.
And if you're not gonna eat this frisbee pancake, let's at least see how it flies.
Go long.
Here it comes.
Teri, I can't thank you enough for this opportunity.
Working for Kim is not an opportunity.
It is an execution.
I just need a job.
Okay, well, to be her assistant, you have to figure out what she needs before she needs it, whether it's a file or an e-mail password or her gynecologist's emergency phone number or -- Car keys! Teri, I can't find my -- Keys.
Briefcase.
Your cellphone is charged.
Breath strips are in the outer flap, anddriving directions in case your GPS goes wonky.
Thank you, uh Liz.
She's your new assistant.
Parker authorized the hire.
She's an old friend, and she's gonna kick ass for you.
Okay.
Well, I'm off To a very important meeting to land a Fortune 500 client.
- How do you know that? - I heard you praying in the bathroom.
I wasn't praying.
I was rehearsing.
And before I go, can I just get -- Half-caf, two Splendas, soy milk.
Thank you.
How'd I do? A little brown-nosey, but you're off to a great start.
It sounds cliche but Alan was my whole world, from the moment I met him.
We couldn't wait to have kids, to start a family.
We just bought a new home with a tree house in the backyard.
I-I know what it's like to be in love.
I just can't imagine.
Ms.
Bingum, oil rigs are supposed to be safe.
Ivar Oil told us that he would be safe And then this How could this happen? We don't know how this happened.
I understand there was a fatality? Alan Maslin.
The ballast-control operator.
Look, Ivar rigs are the most stable in the industry.
And the inner passage met every safety requirement.
And if this goes to trial, we can make those arguments.
But right now, you have a dead employee, and the only thing to blame is the rig.
Did Alan ever mention any safety concerns before the collapse? Yeah.
He thought there might be something wrong with the ballast-control system.
Our ballast-control system was state-of-the-art.
We passed every single federal inspection.
We've done nothing wrong here.
Accidents happen.
Has there been any contact with the victim's family? No one's contacted me.
I mean, other than to tell me he was dead.
I'm not surprised.
Anything they say could be used against them.
I just want them to take responsibility.
The press is calling Alan Maslin a hero.
They're saying that his co-workers owe him their lives and that he prevented a massive oil spill.
I've seen the coverage.
We anticipate a significant claim.
Should you hire my firm, our strategy is simple -- inundate the other side with motions and discovery.
You do not want a widow's claim to make it to a jury.
We want to get this to a jury as soon as possible.
If you hire my firm, our strategy will be to fast-track your claim in federal court.
Ms.
Bingum, there's something I want you to hear.
Okay.
As the rig was going down, my husband left me a voicemail.
Baby, it's me.
We got a problem out here.
I'm doing everything I can, but it's not looking good.
I got to stay back until the others can get clear of this mess.
ButI love you, and I hope I'm so sorry.
And then dad took me to the place where you see the stars.
Griffith Observatory.
Nice.
Mom, why couldn't the astronaut book a room on the moon? (Jay and Eric together) Because the moon was full.
Oh, that's a good one.
Baby, why don't you go wait in the lobby for a second, okay? I need to talk to dad.
- All right.
- Okay? I got a nursing job.
Congratulations.
You got your nursing license back? Well, not in the U.
S.
That's still pending.
So, where's the job? - In Toronto.
- Toronto.
Canada? As in, clear across the continent? Jay, the way you feel about being a lawyer is the way I feel about being a nurse.
And since I can't practice in the U.
S.
-- But Eric wants me close.
I want to be close.
And I appreciate that, but the move is what's best for me and Eric.
We leave in two days.
I'm sorry.
- Is that all for me? - Mm-hmm.
- Getting engaged is like Christmas morning.
- Ho-ho-ho! - Now, that is a vase from Judge Summers.
- Mm.
And the champagne is from your mother.
She signed the card "Finally.
" And the orchid is from your fiance.
The note says that he's sorry.
He has to go out of town for a few days.
- Oh.
- He's gonna visit his friend Eddie Channing? His college roommate.
Lives in Seattle.
Know how I know that? Um, because now that you're engaged to Owen, your hearts beat as one? You better believe it.
Well, Eddie was in a motorcycle accident.
- Oh, no.
- Yeah, just a couple of broken bones.
Not a big deal.
I think he'll be okay.
It's all in the card.
- Jane, Parker wants to see us in his office.
- Why? I don't know.
Is it your birthday or something? She got engaged, Kim.
Oh, good for you.
Let's go.
Alan Maslin and the Ivar Oil rig collapse.
That's my case.
That's my case.
What? What? And therein lies the problem.
You each met with opposing parties, and the firm can't represent both sides.
Well, uh, I'm a partner now, so -- Partner or not, Annie Maslin is counting on me.
And the firm is counting on billable hours from Ivar Oil.
What am I gonna say, "Yes, I'll help you," and then be like, "No, I'm not gonna help you"? What are you even saying right now? Okay, the oil company represents long-term upside.
But jury verdict for a grieving widow -- instant payday.
So whoever gets the retainer agreement first gets the client.
Oh, well, I just faxed one to them.
I should have a signature in a few minutes.
Sorry, Jane.
Apology rejected.
Retainer agreement signed by Annie Maslin.
Bam.
And we have a winner.
I'm sorry.
I'm Jack Starnum, C.
E.
O.
of Ivar Oil.
This is Gordon Marks, my V.
P.
of project services.
This is Gordon Marks, my V.
P.
of project services.
We appreciate you coming in so quickly.
Can we get started? - Actually, we're still waiting on our attorney.
- Ahh.
As you know, we almost went with your firm.
Oh, yeah, I've heard something about that.
That's a magnificent ancistrochilus, Ms.
Bingum.
Excuse me? Your orchid.
Oh, well, thank you.
It's from my -- my fiance? I'm an amateur botanist.
So sorry I'm late.
Walter Burr, Duddly & Burr.
Hello.
I am Jane Bingum, and this is -- Look, we're prepared to offer Ms.
Maslin $20,000 plus funeral expenses.
We'd like to keep your client from suffering the heartache and the expense of protracted litigation.
Well, Mr.
Burr, that was rude, and my client is maxed out on heartache, so Please come back when you have a serious offer.
And in the meantime, you should be aware that we have filed in federal court.
And you should be aware our salvage team found the inner passage black box this morning.
And it indicates that Alan Maslin disengaged the ballast-control system during the storm and botched the manual adjustments.
Your husbandpanicked and is responsible for the accident.
No.
No, Alan was a hero.
There was something wrong with the BCS, and he told you so.
What's wrong with you people? Excuse me.
Annie.
Annie? I hate them.
I know you do.
But let's hate them productively, okay? Now, you just said that Alan told Ivar the BCS was malfunctioning, right? So if we can prove that they had notice, then their failure to correct the problem proves negligence.
Alan told me he sent them some sort of report.
Great, great.
Uh, can you find me a copy? Maybe in his files or his computer.
I'll look.
Okay.
Annie, listen to me.
You get me that report, and I'll make them pay.
Okay.
Flights to Canada.
What, are you trying to duck the draft? Elisa's moving to Toronto the day after tomorrow.
She's taking Eric.
What? I thought everything was -- was great.
You know, I want to be a good dad, but, realistically, I mean, how often am I gonna get to see him now? Well, you could file a petition with family court for a declaration of paternity.
It's a slam dunk for a restraining order keeping Elisa in L.
A.
I want to keep things civil.
Look, you have to pursue this now, or it's just gonna get harder down the line.
A court will wonder why you waited.
And if I force Elisa into court, I might wreck any chance I have of a good relationship with my son.
You've reached Owen French.
Please leave a message.
Hey, fiance? I'm just checking in, seeing how you're doing.
And Eddie, too, of course.
Uh, miss you.
Call me.
Or text or e-mail.
Okay, love you.
Bye.
Hey, sweetie.
What a surprise.
Are we doing lunch? Ah, sorry.
No time.
Previous engagement.
There she is, my favorite tenant.
Oh, did I say "favorite"? I meant one of my favorite tenants.
It's a tie.
Okay, rain check.
Jane, you just got a call.
From Owen? Oh, good.
I hope you told him I planned the whole wedding without him.
No, you didn't tell him that, did you? Don't tell him that.
How's Eddie? It wasn't Owen.
It was Annie Maslin, your client.
Oh.
She found a copy of the report her husband sent to Ivar Oil.
Fantastic.
You and Grayson are meeting her downstairs for coffee.
Oh, great.
Thanks.
Oh, and if Owen calls -- - Interrupt you, no matter what.
- Yeah.
The report's a little technical, so I asked Tom to join us.
He's an engineer.
Alan and I worked on half a dozen rigs together, so anything you need.
Well, actually Uh, "A 1.
5-degree leeward decline in moderate 18-meter seas caused a sequence of BCS R.
O.
A.
s.
" The R.
O.
A.
is a run-off alarm.
It's like a false alarm for the BCS -- it's the ballast-control system -- what keeps the rig steady.
What if we still don't follow? Okay, let's imagine this half-and-half as a semi-submersible floating oil rig.
Okay? Jane: Okay.
Now, the tide rises, and the rig platform rises with it.
Now, the BCS keeps it on an even keel Or over it goes.
Alan's report stated that the ballast-control system was no good, that the false alarms were off the charts.
- He was right.
- How would you know that? Because I was on the inner passage with Alan.
He asked me to proofread his report before he sent it off.
All the engineers were aware of the problem.
So if the BCS was working right, Alan would not have disengaged it.
But during the storm, he couldn't risk it, - which is why he went manual.
- Exactly.
Do you know if Alan got a reply to his report? Um, I don't.
I'm sorry.
Doesn't matter.
Ivar will have a copy of the report in their files, and that will prove that they were on notice.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Got your message.
Is everything okay? Everything is great.
I had to pull a few strings, but I got you a job.
What? Yeah, it's at St.
Catherine's in the admin department.
Twice your previous salary.
You'll be working with nurses, coordinating human relations -- Jay, I already have a job.
Yeah.
In Canada.
This job is right around the corner.
Look, I'm not trying to take Eric away from you.
Then don't.
But I'm an O.
R.
nurse.
I'm not an administrative coordinator.
You kept Eric a secret from me for seven years, and now -- - And now what? - You owe this to me.
Wait.
Elisa, wait.
Jay I'm going to Canada because it's what's best for Eric.
My child, my decision.
I can have a move-away custody suit filed within the hour.
Do it.
Ivar Oil's response to Alan's memo wasn't indexed with their discovery.
Did you look through all the boxes? Yes, Liz and I searched every file.
What about Alan's report? I mean, Ivar should have included a copy.
It's like it never existed.
They're playing games.
That's why I called the magistrate's office.
He's seeing you in an hour.
All right.
Mr.
Burr, tell me why I shouldn't immediately impose sanctions for your client's discovery violation? Because there was no such report.
We're not hiding anything.
Wow.
Lying.
We have Alan Maslin's report right here.
Whatever she's holding has no verifiable provenance, the purported author being deceased.
Ms.
Bingum, how would you suggest the court authenticate that report? We have a witness who will vouch for its integrity.
Mr.
Tom Witten.
You may proceed, Ms.
Bingum.
Mr.
Witten, I direct your attention to plaintiff's exhibit one and ask if you recognize it as the report Alan Maslin sent to Ivar Oil.
- I do not.
- And that report -- I'm sorry, what did you say? I've never seen this report.
- Excuse me? - Tom? Didn't Alan Maslin ask you to proof the document you're holding in your hand? No.
Why are you doing this? Ms.
Maslin, please.
Mr.
Witten, when we met, what did you tell me about that report? Objection.
Assumes facts not in evidence.
The witness is lying.
He's your witness.
Your honor, this case is a sham.
I demand it be dismissed.
And I demand that Mr.
Burr learn some manners.
Enough.
Defense motion is taken under advisement.
Assuming I let this case go forward, Ms.
Bingum, I advise you, get to know your witnesses better.
For the centerpieces, just no hydrangeas.
And for the bridesmaids' dresses Uh, no matchy-matchy, okay? Now, for the guest list, do I have to invite my mom's bowling team? Jane, darling, I am not your wedding planner.
I am your psychiatrist.
Well, I guess that explains why I'm lying down.
Well, thank you, but I don't need a psychiatrist.
You're just like Madonna when she talks about her 23-year-old boyfriends.
You're in denial, darling.
Denial? No.
Let's talk about that fantastic necklace.
Now you've moved on to avoidance.
Seriously, why would I be seeing a shrink about my wedding? You tell me.
Is this pre-wedding jitters? Honeymoon anxiety? Does this have something to dowith Owen? Bingo! Perhaps it could be the fact that he hasn't called, he hasn't e-mailed.
And how do you feel about that? Do you feel angry, deserted, pissed as holy hell? Okay.
You are supposed to be making me feel better, not worse.
You are confusing me with Prozac, which is silly.
Most people confuse me with Betty white.
Oh, look, Jane.
Everything, darling, is going to be okay.
There is one thing I absolutely must say to you.
What is it? Wake up.
You know, the blue-backed in limine motions make a much better pillow.
Thanks.
You didn't go home last night, did you? I can't let them win.
I mean, what they pulled in court and how they got to our witness.
Oh, it's unfair to Annie.
Good morning, Teri.
Actually it is a terrible morning.
In addition to Tom Witten, there were five other engineers on that rig with Alan, and they all refuse to speak to me.
Marc Valera and Chris Fife are on vacation.
Dan Pinar is sick.
Adam Press referred me to Ivar Oil's legal affairs, and Larry Grimaldi is on another oil rig in Mumbai, with no cell service.
So Ivar got to them, or they're incommunicado.
Ooh, looks like someone got another gift from their fiance? I need more coffee.
Ooh, a card.
Maybe it's an erotic poem.
"Our love is like an orchid" What rhymes with orchid? It just says "starboard landing.
" Well, that's not very romantic.
I know, right? I don't think this is from Owen.
Who else would send you flowers? I don't know.
I do have a hunch, actually.
Um Teri, what is going on with those two? Oh, I don't know, but I can put a spycam in his office and find out.
No.
It's fine.
Listen, I'm gonna go change and run an errand.
Oh, and if Owen calls -- I will patch him through.
Mr.
Marks? Mr.
Marks? Mr.
Marks? You can't be here.
You sent me the orchid, didn't you? I don't know what you're talking about.
The card said "starboard landing.
" Now, I went through Ivar's annual report.
Starboard landing is a rig built by Ivar and launched the same day as the inner passage.
That's a matter of public record.
And it's operating off the coast of Sri Lanka.
- For now.
- Excuse me? I didn't say anything.
Okay.
Okay, please tell me, why does the starboard landing rig matter to my case? We can't be talking, Ms.
Bingum, and there's no record of me sending anything to you.
You're trying to tell me something.
I-I just don't know what or why.
Please go.
Thank you.
I can't believe you're dragging me to court.
You didn't leave me a choice.
Your choice was not to force paternity and sue my client.
Your client? Yes, Kelly is my lawyer.
Whatever money I saved is now going to her.
So thanks a lot.
Look, I'm not doing this to hurt you.
And yet if you cared about your son, you would drop this right now.
Oh, so, you're a lawyer and an expert on my son's well-being? You know what your problem is, Jay? Is that you're a bully who's convinced himself that he's the good guy.
Let's go.
You could be disbarred for talking to Marks without their attorney present.
I won't tell if you won't.
I'm serious, Jane.
I'm serious, too.
Now, listen to me.
The starboard landing rig is operating "for now.
" That's what he said -- "for now.
" The only reason to send the orchid and tip me off is if he's worried about another accident.
What, you're talking about another broken ballast-control system? Well, that's what I thought, but I pulled the blueprints for both rigs, and look.
See? The BCS on both exceeds federal requirements.
None of this makes any sense.
Hey, uh, uh, excuse me.
Sure.
Annie, hi.
How you holding up? I want to accept their settlement offer.
What? Did -- did they get to you? Did they threaten you? No, Jane, nothing like that.
Uh I'm pregnant.
- Oh! - I just found out.
Finally, after trying for so long.
Congratulations.
Alan would be so happy.
Look, I'm gonna need the money, and I'm scared of the trial, of the stress.
You've seen what they've already done.
I know.
AnnieI -- I might have stumbled onto something.
Now, it's a long shot.
Your child needs to know that Alan was a hero.
Please, just -- just let me try and give you that.
So the structural plans for the Inner Passage and the Starboard Landing are identical.
Yeah, economies of scale.
Makes sense to use the same design, amortize the costs.
That way, you can just -- And that's about the 10th time you've checked your phone.
I'm sorry.
Sorry.
I -- I just -- I haven't heard from Owen.
And, you knowhis college roommate got into an accident.
Oh, my God.
There's no cell service in the hospital.
Right? I don't know.
Or maybe his battery died, and he forgot his charger, but Maybe.
You don't like Owen very much, do you? I mean, you've barely said two words to me since I got engaged.
I congratulated you the other night.
Yeah, that was it.
And we've worked together almost nonstop for two days, and -- Do you really want to talk caterers and bridesmaids dresses with me? You know what, Grayson? Never mind.
It doesn't -- it doesn't matter.
I'm sorry.
I think I'm just worried about Owen.
Oh, my God.
Listen, I said I'm sorry.
But No, Jane, I think I found something.
Okay, Larry Grimaldi is the assembly-review engineer who did the final safety inspections on both rigs.
Yes.
Teri tried to reach him.
He's in Mumbai, on a rig.
Right, look at the name of the assembly-review engineer who did the preliminary plans for both rigs.
Mitch Fredericks.
- Right.
Fredericks signed every safety report⦠- Mm-hmm? Except the final one, when he was replaced with Grimaldi.
Why was Fredericks replaced? I don't know, but I'd like to ask him.
Eric, do you know why you're here today? Sure.
Because my mom wants to move to Canada, and my dad wants me to stay in Los Angeles.
That's right.
I understand you've recently gotten to know your father.
Yeah.
It's so cool having a dad.
So, you like spending time with him? Yeah.
It's fun, even when he messes up.
When he messes up? He made my lunch for school, and he accidentally threw my lunch in the garbage.
And then he put garbage in my lunch.
Your honor, it's not like he ate garbage.
Eric, if you had a tummy ache, who would you want to take care of you? There are no wrong answers.
I think mom but dad would be okay, too.
If you had a problem at school, who would you rather talk to? My mom.
How do you feel about moving to Canada with your mom? I wish my dad can come with us.
And if he stays in Los Angeles? I think he'll really miss me.
Will you miss him? Yeah.
A lot.
Thank you, Eric.
You did a great job.
Counselors, we'll continue in the courtroom.
Hey, can we talk? I don't think that's a good idea.
Eric needs his father in his life.
We did just fine without you.
Excuse me.
Mr.
Fredericks, thank you for speaking with us.
No problem.
So, you want to know why I was replaced by Ivar Oil? That's right.
'Cause I kicked up a fuss about the design plans.
That is when they yanked me off the job faster than poop from a duck's ass.
Oh, dear.
So, there was something wrong with the rig's plans.
I never saw the final plans, but there was definitely something wrong with the timetable.
They were trying to complete a 3-year project in just 12 months.
Why the rush? Their federal leases were expiring.
Oh! Under the federal oil and gas lease act, the Secretary of the Interior can revoke oil leases if the drilling has not commenced by the expiration date.
Oh! That's right.
Also known as "use it or lose it.
" But there are certain things in life that cannot be rushed -- a good meal, a Thai massage, and the construction of a massive oil rig.
And if you ask me, that is why the inner passage sank, although, unless I saw the plans, I couldn't tell you exactly what happened.
Well, what if I told you that we have the final plans? Would that help? Does a Canadian grizzly crap in the woods? Yes.
During my time with him, I took Eric to school every day, met with his teachers, and helped him with a social studies presentation.
That's when the California Gold Rush began.
One of many things I learned from Eric.
And can you describe his home environment when he stays with you? He has his own room.
We have breakfast and dinner together.
And on the weekends, we do fun but educational activities.
Thank you.
Mr.
Parker, isn't it true that you once told Ms.
Shayne that you don't want any children? Maybe, a long time ago.
And isn't it true that you effectively broke up with Ms.
Shayne by sleeping with her roommate? Objection! Counsel's slinging mud.
Goes to character, but I will move on.
Did you recently offer Ms.
Shayne money to get out of your life? I gave her that check because I wrongly assumed -- Yes or no, Mr.
Parker.
This is a custody hearing.
"Yes or no" is -- is not fair to me or to Eric.
I'll take that as a yes.
Hold on.
Why don't you ask me how Ms.
Shayne came to me for legal help while keeping the existence of my son a secret? - I request a recess, your Honor.
- Judge Holder: Mr.
Parker -- Or how I offered her a job when she had no other option, only to have her take Eric away from me when I found out I was his father? I was doing the best that I could.
- Your honor.
- Kim: I request a recess, your Honor.
I mean, they should hear everything, right? Tell the court how you lost your nursing license - because you illegally prescribed drugs.
- Kim: Parker! My father was sick.
Or how our son took a bus by himself - to Los Angeles to find me! - Judge Holder: Order! - What kind of mother lets a Eric? You're not supposed to be in here.
- Kim: Your Honor.
- Elisa: Sweetheart, come here.
- Judge Holder: Bailiff.
- Elisa: It's okay.
- Eric: I'm sorry.
Move to recess, your Honor.
The designs for the rigs are flawless.
Wait, are you sure? Absolutely.
The designs are flawless.
But the rigs most definitely are not.
I don't follow.
Are you saying the actual rig doesn't reflect the final design? You bet I am.
Look, one of the reasons it takes so long to build a rig is because there are hundreds of thousands of construction welds.
Now, for safety reasons, the feds require each weld to have its own serial number.
Ms.
Bingum, you ever been in two places at one time? Umno? No, of course not, because that's impossible.
Right.
So how can a weld be in two places at once? Read this weld number from the inner passage.
"DS-656-202.
" Right.
And now this one from Starboard Landing.
"DS-656-202.
" It's the same number.
It's the same weld.
And that's impossible.
I'm sorry.
What exactly am I looking at here, counselors? The Inner Passage and Starboard Landing rigs are identical.
In order to meet the leasing expiration dates, construction was rushed -- only half of the welds on both of these rigs were actually secured.
Ivar Oil doubled up on the serial numbers in order to slip shoddy work past federal regulators.
It's known as "pencil whipping.
" And Ivar's former safety engineer is willing to testify to that.
I'm confused.
What does that allegation have to do with a faulty ballast-control system? It doesn't.
The BCS was working fine.
Exactly.
That's what we've been saying, your Honor.
But the BCS alarm was being activated because of the sparsity of the welds.
It was rendering the entire rig unstable.
Now, of course, Alan Maslin would have no way of knowing this.
In light of this new evidence, we are amending our complaint and adding their former safety engineer, Mitch Fredericks, to our witness list.
I'm inclined to allow it.
If I may, your Honor, I have a motion in limine to preclude the testimony of Mitch Fredericks and exclude all evidence tied to him.
Okay, well, I have a motion in limine to make every day my birthday.
What are the grounds for your motion? As you may be aware, my client, before hiring my firm, met with a Ms.
Kim Kaswell of Harrison & Parker.
That doesn't disqualify our witness.
This memo does.
Obtained from your firm during discovery.
In it, Ms.
Kaswell details confidential discussions of Mr.
Fredericks and his outlandish theories.
Your honor Save your breath, Ms.
Bingum.
You should know better.
The witness is excluded.
I didn't write this memo.
It's on the firm's stationary, Kim.
Do you realize you cost us the case? I said, I didn't write it.
If I did, there would be a copy of it in the case file, right? Oh.
- Oh, my God.
- And there it is.
- This doesn't make any sense.
- Right.
Jane, I wanted to represent Ivar Oil, but I would never do anything to sabotage your case.
I'm a partner.
Okay, then who wrote it? All right, someone who's susceptible to a bribe, right? Maybe someone new to the firm.
I'm gonna kill her.
Uh I have a better idea.
This is B.
S.
, and you know it.
I had nothing to do with that memo.
You were upset about your vacation time, and so you acted out.
I was upset, but I would never do anything to hurt the firm.
Enough! Teri, I'm done with your nonsense.
Get out! I know you two are friends, so if you need to leave, then go.
I'm fine.
- Jane, hey, we caught a break.
- We did? Remember the assembly-review engineer - who signed the final plans? - Uh, Larry Grimaldi? - Yeah.
- Yeah.
Well, Teri said that he was on the rig in Mumbai, right? - Totally unreachable? - Uh-huh.
I reached him during his onshore break, and he confirmed the pencil whipping.
Here's the affidavit, faxed from Chhatrapati international airport in Mumbai.
Right now, he's on I.
A.
Flight 81, nonstop to Los Angeles.
Oh, my God! Grayson, you just saved the case! Uh, Liz, I need you to make a copy of this for Kim right away.
We need to be ready to go as soon as that plane lands.
You got it.
What now? We wait.
Hey.
I, uh, spoke with judge Holder's bailiff.
He apologized again for letting Eric into the courtroom.
Did you hear me? You lost control of the case.
I lost control? I-I did everything short of pulling a fire alarm.
You were my lawyer, and you let me down.
Did you hear from the clerk? Yeah.
Judge Holder granted Elisa full custody.
You'll have limited visitation rights, with supervision.
You can re-apply for a modification in six months.
And when you do, find another lawyer to represent you.
Kim, wait.
Dad! Eric.
Hi.
Eric wanted to say goodbye.
I'll wait in the lobby.
Wait.
Uh, listen, pal, there's a plate of cookies in the kitchen If it's okay with your mom.
Just one.
I am so sorry.
I told Eric that sometimes adults yell at each other.
It's not the right thing to do, but you were upset about not getting to be with him as much as you'd like.
Thank you.
Yeah.
I'm not gonna stop you from seeing Eric, but I don't want anything else to do with you.
I'll let you guys talk.
Come here.
Give me a hug.
So, I guess Saturday is not our day.
Huh? No.
I guess not.
I'm sorry.
I know you tried, dad.
I love you.
I love you, too.
Go on.
So, the whole office thinks you really fired Teri.
Well, I'm a good actress.
The Mumbai flight lands in three hours.
Still no word from Ivar.
I know.
Nice photo.
Well, thank you.
It's my engagement announcement.
Sure hope I get to use them.
Still no word from Owen? You know, maybe I just jinxed everything by ordering these so quickly.
Excuse me.
The oil guys are in the lobby.
Oh.
Great.
Well, send them up.
It's come to our attention that our safety engineer may be on his way back from Mumbai.
Oh, we heard something similar.
Yeah, it's probably just a rumor.
But if it's true, and he testifies, you got to wonder what he's gonna say.
What are you looking for? $5 million, and you agree to fix the welds on the Starboard Landing rig.
You know, maybe this will speed things along.
Flight 81 lands at LAX.
in 2 hours and 46 minutes.
As soon as that plane begins its descent, our number goes up to $10 million.
And once the passengers disembark, we let a jury decide how many more zeros to add.
Draft the papers.
Already done.
Is Grimaldi really on that plane? Thank you again for the orchid.
Oh, Teri, I'm so glad you're back! - I'm so sorry.
- That you screwed me over? They made it sound so easy.
They said I'd never -- Get caught? Oh! And that is my stapler.
Take her away.
Jane.
Welcome back.
Operation "Pretend to Fire Teri" was a huge success.
We have to talk.
Are you okay? When I was out of the office, I tried to track Owen down.
I thought I was helping, so I called his friend Eddie.
In the hospital? That's the thing.
He's not in the hospital.
W-what? There was no motorcycle accident.
Eddie hasn't spoken to Owen in weeks.
So Owen lied to me? Owen left me.
Jane, I'mso sorry.
I better get out of here.
- Oh, Jane, you don't want to go out there.
- I need some air.
No, Jane, stop.
Listen to me.
Stop, Jane.
Stop.
Come back.
Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! What's going on? It's an office engagement party.
Luke and I have been working on it all week.
Congratulations, sweetie! You want to talk about it?