The Blacklist s10e16 Episode Script
Blair Foster (No. 39)
1
♪
[CELLPHONE RINGING]
I told you to stop calling me.
I know what you're about to do.
You're headed
to the D.A.'s office, right?
Turn around. You're making a mistake.
No, I'm doing what's right.
I'll be fine.
I've secured another position.
The one at DuPont?
Two short phone calls, three max
I can make that offer go away.
Do what you want.
Nothing will change my mind.
Let's play this out.
You take whatever it is
you think you have to the D.A.
And then I call Ron,
who's a personal friend,
and tell him this case
is not worth his time.
Who do you think he listens to
in this scenario?
Me. Because I did him a favor
a while back.
A favor that saved his marriage.
You wouldn't be on the phone
right now if it were that easy.
How is your dear little Maggie,
by the way?
Peanut allergy, right?
Gosh, those things are so tough.
Mistakes must happen all the time.
I heard she went
into anaphylaxis in 2019.
That must have been terrifying.
I guess you just have to hope
her little body
would survive something like that again.
You're a sick, sick woman.
Put your family first.
This crusade is not
your passion they are.
You stay away from my family.
♪
[HORN HONKING]
[CELLPHONE RINGS]
Looks like he's leaving.
I've done everything I can.
You need to get those documents.
What exactly are you asking me to do?
Whatever needs to be done.
♪
He spotted me. He's trying to lose me.
Well, go after him.
[TIRES SCREECH, CAR CRASHES]
♪
- What's going on?
- The dude crashed.
I don't care. We need those papers.
- [SIREN WAILING]
- Figure it out.
Negative. Cops are on site.
I'm not taking that kind of heat.
This is what you're hired for.
- We need those papers.
- I'm sorry. I'm out of here.
♪
[BEEPING]
Senator Panabaker, Director Cooper,
this is Representative Hudson.
How do you do?
I appreciate you both
being able to meet on such short notice.
Look, Clayton, I have time
for formalities
like I have time
for long walks on the beach.
You got us here. What's this about?
Well, Arthur and I have some questions
about your FBI task force,
and no one seems to be able to answer.
I mean, we had a heck of a time
even getting your name,
- Director Cooper.
- That's intentional.
The nature of our work
is highly classified.
Oh, I understand that, really.
And from what little information
I've been able to glean,
it seems that you've helped close
some of Main Justice's biggest cases.
That's impressive.
However, it doesn't explain
your exorbitant budget.
$282.7 million last year alone,
to be exact.
That's still less than 3%
of the FBI's overall budget.
[CHUCKLES]
It's an awful lot
for a single task force.
How is your budget being allocated,
and what is it exactly that you do?
We work with gathered
intelligence to detain
and apprehend criminal suspects
around the world
criminals that wouldn't
otherwise be on the FBI's radar.
We've thwarted terrorist attacks,
stopped assassinations,
disbanded global conspiracies,
exposed human-trafficking rings
domestically and overseas.
Specifics. We want specifics.
You must have internal case
files that break it all down.
Of course.
I'm just not at liberty
to divulge those.
Says who?
Alright, Congress
and the American people
deserve to know where
their tax dollars are going.
Give me a break, Clayton.
It's a nice sales pitch,
but we both know
too much government oversight
can be harmful to the FBI's
ability to work covertly.
You don't just get to operate
in the blind, Cynthia.
Harold's task force
does incredibly important work.
The funding is being well spent.
You have my word.
Well, we'll see how your word
holds up in front of a judge.
Now, unless one of you
is willing to elaborate,
I think we're done here.
♪
I appreciate you defending us in there.
It means a lot,
which makes this harder to say.
Our case files have been compromised.
What the hell does that mean?
When Reddington was alone
in the post office
during the Wujing incident,
he gained access to our computer network
and removed any mention of himself
from our permanent records.
He wh What?
How could you keep this from me?
Cynthia, I apologize.
But at the time,
omitting this information
and carrying on with our casework
- seemed like the right thing
- I defended you.
I always defend you.
If a judge allows them
to subpoena those files
and they've clearly been tampered with,
both of our careers will be on the line.
Not to mention the fact
that you've barely
had any convictions this year,
just a bunch of prison breaks
and dead bodies
splayed out on the floor.
That's a bit of an exaggeration.
Is it? You fix this.
I don't know how, but you fix it.
Harold, why so glum?
Oh, I don't know.
Maybe because I've got a senator
and congressmen breathing down my neck
trying to get access to our files.
Files that have been significantly
compromised because of you.
Well, we've found ourselves
under siege before.
Perhaps it's time yet again
to hunker down,
take a moment, and let it blow over.
Actually, it's not going to blow over.
They've secured a hearing
before a judge for today.
Then we let the wheels of justice
grind at their characteristic
snail's pace
and be fine about it.
Are you hearing anything I'm saying?
The future of this task force
is on the line.
I need you to start giving us
substantial cases again.
Cases that can demonstrate to the
Justice Department and Congress
that we get results and can justify
our significant expenditures.
We've always had
a "we scratch your back,
you scratch ours" arrangement.
But now I'm not so sure.
Well, perk up.
I have a few new ideas to discuss
that will scratch everyone's back.
First, I need you to look
into this container ship.
It's scheduled to arrive
at the port of Baltimore.
This is the hull number.
In the meantime,
I have another case
of the utmost priority.
Blair Foster, Washington, D.C.'s
most infamous fixer.
If corruption is what Dorf
and Hudson are looking for,
then let's shine a light
under every rock in town
and show them what
real corruption looks like.
Ms. Foster has
a legitimate law practice,
but her real stock-in-trade
is her off-the-books private services.
She's stealthy, discreet,
has a way of burying scandals
before the corpses are even cold.
I know of Ms. Foster.
Her reputation certainly proceeds her.
Bureau's been trying to build
a case against her
for years to no avail.
Well, one of her biggest clients
is corporate giant Moder & Sons.
There have been whispers in recent years
of carcinogenic materials
in some of their consumer products.
And I believe the only reason
no lawsuit has ever come
to fruition is Foster.
She runs a legitimate boutique
law firm employing lawyers,
legal aides, clerks, and investigators,
but they rarely file cases
strange given the power
and influence they wield.
And when they do, the cases
almost always settle or go away.
She employs a disproportionate
number of investigators
for a firm this size.
So it's her work as a fixer
that keeps the lights on?
It appears so.
Most recently, Reddington
believes that Foster
is responsible for the car accident
of a mid-level employee
at the Moder & Sons corporation.
Why would she care
about mid-level employees?
Reddington suspects it was
her effort to silence him
on some internal matter at Moder & Sons.
Luckily, the man, Lawrence Whitaker,
survived the accident.
SIYA: This may be just what we need.
If the scandals Foster buried
are as explosive
as Reddington claims
and we unearth them,
then Hudson and Dorf
and all the rest of D.C.
will have bigger fish to fry than us.
Ressler, Malik
visit Whitaker at the hospital.
See what you find.
♪
SIYA: We're so sorry
you're going through this,
Mrs. Whitaker.
The impact from the crash
caused a subdural hematoma,
but he should be off
the ventilator soon.
I still can't believe this happened.
He's usually such a cautious driver.
He's just been under
so much stress at work.
We have reason to believe
that your husband
may have been in possession
of some damaging material
about Moder & Sons.
Is that true?
He found out something
he wasn't supposed to.
He said that he couldn't talk
about it yet
and that he might not be
working there much longer.
Were they threatening to fire him?
I think they were trying
to push him out.
He started to get paranoid
leading up to the accident.
He said that people were following him
outside the house and work.
I never saw anyone.
But he swears he did.
I wish I knew more.
We'll look into it.
See if we can find out
if he was being followed.
In the meantime, we'll station
an officer outside the door.
Just call us when he wakes up.
♪
Hi, it's Emily Larson.
The FBI is here questioning
Mr. Whitaker's wife.
[SIGHS] Of course they are.
What about Whitaker's personal effects?
Did you find the documents
I'd asked you about?
They'd be in a messenger bag.
I went through everything. I'm sorry.
There's nothing here.
Where the hell is it?
SIYA: Larry Whitaker's wife told us
he believed he was being
followed leading up
to the day of the accident.
I pulled the security footage
from buildings nearby Moder & Sons.
Over the past week,
including the day of the crash,
the same vehicle with the same driver
was stationed outside.
Were you able to run the plates?
The District of Columbia
doesn't have registration
for the vehicle.
We've had no luck
with facial recognition.
I've run it through all our databases,
and it's like he's a ghost.
If he's done the fixer's dirty work,
someone in criminal world
should be able to I.D. him.
I think we should get this
over to Raymond.
I agree. He's still in town.
Take it to him over at the warehouse.
See if he can help.
I couldn't place it.
But I swear I recognize him
from somewhere.
Maybe Panama when we were
doing contracting for Hector?
Could be.
Certainly looks familiar.
You don't have a name?
Not even an alias?
No.
But after viewing the footage,
I'm convinced he's military.
His protocols and procedures,
the way he surveils
[LAUGHS]
Don't laugh.
Wait till you're my age.
First the knees, then the eyes.
Tell that to my right shoulder.
Did you see the tattoo on his finger?
Those numbers can mean anything.
Or something.
The Black Wasps are identified as 4895.
He could be Cuban special forces.
You should reach out to Manny. Manny.
Ah, Dembe, we should hang out more.
I miss us.
Remember that night in Saint-Tropez
with Thomas and Yvette?
What a gas.
Oh, my gosh, Yvette.
[CELLPHONE BUZZES]
I tried to forget.
Excuse me. You're on speaker.
RESSLER: Whitaker just woke up.
We're heading out.
- Any luck on the I.D.?
- We're working on it.
I'll report back soon.
I better get going.
I guess I better get going, too.
Get going where?
Havana.
Raymond, just call Manny.
These things are always
better handled in person.
I had requested some research
files from a few years back
of some of our products.
I'm in quality control,
and I stumbled quite
accidentally upon a study
that stated that Spring 'N Shine
unequivocally contained
carcinogenic compounds.
What's "Spring 'N Shine"?
It's the number-one
multi-purpose cleaner
on the market for 11 years running.
Which is why I was surprised
to find the study.
But Moder & Sons buried the report.
They didn't even try to recall
the toxic product.
Bottles of it had been
in circulation for years
after the study was completed.
People died
children.
I couldn't in good conscience
remain silent.
So what did you do?
I told a co-worker who I thought
I could trust,
that I was thinking of going
public with what I found.
And the very next day,
Blair Foster was standing in my office.
Did she try to intimidate you?
Not at first.
She was friendly.
We spoke about family.
When she heard that my daughter
was wait-listed at Sidwell,
she said that she could get her in
with a healthy financial-aid package.
So she was trying to bribe you.
Do you have any proof?
She never put anything in writing.
It was all very casual.
And when I didn't take the bait,
she started to threaten me
subtly
then not so subtle.
And she thought that the evidence
of the study was destroyed.
But I downloaded and printed out a copy
before they wiped the server.
Do you have a copy
of that report on you?
No, it's in my car.
Oh, man.
Little help, please.
One minute.
♪
That was work-related.
How can I help you?
I got in an accident yesterday.
I was told my car got towed here.
Alright, I just need your license.
I lost it in the accident.
I have my registration.
It's my corporate car.
I'm very sorry, sir,
but I do need
a valid license with a photo.
Listen, it's been
a really rough 24 hours.
My laptop and work stuff are in there.
My car's totaled.
Can't you just help a guy out?
- [CELLPHONE DINGS]
- It's from Herbie.
He spoke to local PD.
Mr. Whitaker's car
is at "M" Street Towing in Southwest.
He sent me the address.
♪
RESSLER: FBI.
Hi. Can I help you?
Agents Ressler and Malik.
We need to locate a vehicle.
It's a black Mercedes
registered to a Larry Whitaker.
Is he in some kind of trouble?
He just came by to grab his things.
He's probably still here.
♪
Huh. The guy was just here.
So was his bag. Now it's gone.
♪
Senator Dorf, I've received your motion
to compel the Bureau
to comply with your subpoena
seeking documents related to the budget
and casework of Task Force 836.
I see that both parties have
submitted extensive documents.
Anything I need to know
before we dive in?
To reiterate, Judge Hurban,
our refusal to turn
over records to Senator Dorf
isn't an attempt to obfuscate
what our team does
or how we allocate our funds.
It's an attempt to protect my agents
and our sources, plain and simple.
All of their lives could be in danger
if the nature of our work
was made public.
PANABAKER: And as a sitting
member of Congress
who's privy to more details
than most regarding
FBI Task Force number 836,
I wholeheartedly endorse
Assistant Director Cooper's position.
Senator Dorf, Representative Hudson.
Any final remarks?
Oversight on law enforcement
is a necessary check and balance.
It's our responsibility,
especially in this current
political climate,
when we've seen what can happen
when law-enforcement agencies' authority
goes unchecked.
We're simply asking for transparency.
While I hear you, Senator,
my job is not to be concerned
with the "current political
climate" only facts.
I think I have everything I need.
I will try to be expeditious.
♪
Hola, Manny.
[CHUCKLES]
Red!
Como estas, my brother?
Well.
You seem very well.
I guess I've got some catching up to do.
So what brings you here?
I have something I
really want to show you.
♪
You flew all the way to Cuba
to show me some old boxing gloves?
Yeah, well they are old, in fact,
almost 50 years old.
They haven't been used
since the '76 Games.
Those aren't They can't be
I know they are, and they can.
Teofilo Stevenson's gloves
from one of his iconic
Olympic performances.
I remember years ago, you told me
how your father would pile
you and your brothers
in the back of his Chevy Bel Air
and take you over
to the Escuela de Boxeo
to watch Stevenson train.
You told me you'd sit there
for hours on end,
just totally mesmerized.
He was something to behold.
So skilled with his feet,
especially for a heavyweight.
A hero among men.
Man,
those are some of the best memories
of my whole life.
Well, they're all yours
if you can help me with this guy.
I need an I.D. and location.
I suspect he's a former Black Wasp.
I can't.
Too dangerous.
You mess with guys like that,
you end up with a bullet in your head.
Where's your sense of adventure?
And you can't at least put out
some feelers for me?
The last time I tried
to help you I.D. someone,
you shot two of my police
contacts in front of me.
I should have known you had an agenda.
It's probably why Weecha
left you for Adolfo.
Left me?! She didn't leave me.
It's considerably more
complicated than that.
Who told you, anyway?
Straight from the horse's mouth.
Weecha comes through here a lot.
Always comes in for a drink.
She gets mail here. She calls.
Well, if you change your mind,
I'll be in town overnight
in that little inn
a block over from Callejon de Hamel.
[INHALES SHARPLY]
As for the gloves,
once they leave Cuba with me
[ZIPPER CLOSES]
they don't come back.
♪
Oh, if you happen to talk
to Weecha, please,
tell her where she can find me.
♪
Richard, please come in.
We need to talk now.
Could you give Mr. Moder
and me a moment alone, please?
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
The FBI is at our offices
asking questions with a warrant.
I thought you were handling this.
I am.
Whitaker somehow got on their radar,
but we secured the report.
Without it, there's no case. We're safe.
What about Dr. Feinberg?
He wrote the report.
We have his NDA. We're covered.
Do you think he's gonna honor that NDA
now that there's
a federal investigation?
I don't want any loose ends.
He needs to be taken care of.
There are smarter ways
out of all of this.
What if I could get the investigation
to go away altogether?
How on earth would you do that?
You need to trust me.
I told you this is gonna be clean,
and it will be.
Just let me do my job.
PRITCHARD: I really appreciate
you showing up for me today.
Of course. You're doing great.
- Alright? See you next week?
- I'll be here.
And if I'm not, dear God, come find me.
♪
Agent Ressler.
I'm Blair Foster.
But you already know
who I am, don't you?
I know you don't drink,
so why don't I buy you a cup of coffee?
If you want to talk, we can do it here.
The coffee is free
I just wanted to take a private moment
to let you know that Moder & Sons
intends to fully cooperate
with your investigation.
We care deeply about
our employees and consumers.
Well, you don't seem to care too deeply
about Larry Whitaker.
Larry Whitaker is a troubled man.
He started spreading damaging
lies about the company
after he'd been passed over
for a promotion.
He was embittered by a system
where he was no longer advancing.
I tried to reason with him,
but I can't help someone
who doesn't want to help himself.
Rich Moder is one of the most ethical
and thoughtful C.E.O.s
I've ever come across.
And trust me, I've worked
with a lot of them.
If he's so ethical,
then why would he have
knowingly allowed carcinogenic materials
to stay on store shelves?
That's a fictitious narrative
being driven
by a man who is unhappy and unhinged.
This isn't gonna go anywhere.
This is a waste of your time.
You're meant for something
so much bigger than all this.
- I've done my homework on you.
- Clearly.
You found me at my NA meeting.
Son of a cop who was
killed in the line of duty.
The son goes on to become
a successful FBI agent.
You've had an impressive career.
Anyway, it got me to thinking
there's an empty congressional seat
in the 13th District in Michigan
that represents Detroit.
They want somebody tough on crime.
I think you would be perfect.
A hometown hero returns.
Me? A Congressman?
I know.
That's a wild idea, right?
But I'm rarely wrong once
I get a read on someone.
And I could help you
through the process.
First, you'd need to drop everything
and clear your schedule.
No, I'm not dropping anything.
Agent Ressler, in Congress,
you could reach so many more people.
You could make a real difference.
You know, Ms. Foster,
you are worth every penny
those corporate schmucks pay you.
I'll give you that.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I got to get back to my office.
♪
Thank you for calling me, Manny.
There he is Red.
I just had the most absolutely
mouthwatering boliche.
Boliche is a bit heavy
for the middle of the day, no?
I'm finding I prefer my dinner at lunch,
a light supper in the evening,
drinks at both.
I assume you've had
a change of mind, yes?
[SIGHS]
I want to see the gloves again.
[CHUCKLES]
Alright.
♪
There they are.
The name.
Julian Flores. And you were right.
He was Special Forces.
He's in Falls Church, Virginia,
living under an alias.
I'll text you the address.
You're not gonna hurt him, are you?
Why?
I kind of know his uncle.
I like the guy.
He'll be just fine.
♪
[SIGHS]
[SNIFFS]
You know, I was gonna give
those to you either way.
What can I say?
I'm a sucker for a sentimental story.
I appreciate that, Red.
Manny, did you happen to talk to Weecha
since I saw you yesterday?
I did not.
Well, next time you do, would you mind
giving her a message?
Do you have a pen?
Here you go.
♪
COOPER: Agent Ressler,
is everything okay?
You were gone a lot longer than usual.
That's because I was with Blair Foster.
- She ambushed my NA meeting.
- Wait, what?
Did she say Anything incriminating?
Uh, no. No, she steps right
up to the line without crossing it.
She's bold.
She's not afraid of anyone.
Well, while you were out
with our blacklister,
we think we may have I.D.'d
the researcher
who wrote the report
Dr. Samuel Feinberg.
He's a researcher at Redlands
Chemical Institute.
And according to their head of research,
Feinberg conducted several
studies for Moder & Sons
over a 7-year period.
But his relationship with them
ended abruptly in 2017,
which is the same year the report
Whitaker found was supposedly written.
So what, they stopped working with him
because he concluded that their
all-star product causes cancer?
That's what we're thinking.
It's not a sure bet, but it's
the best lead we've got.
Malik, Ressler
go talk to Dr. Feinberg.
Not only is he our last chance
to get some proof,
but he may be in danger if Moder & Sons
see him as a threat.
And we could use a win
because I'm just getting word
Judge Hurban has made her decision.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Excuse me. Are you Dr. Samuel Feinberg?
Yes.
Agents Ressler and Malik, FBI.
May we come in?
Of course. I was expecting you.
♪
This is my attorney, Blair Foster.
I'd like her to be present
for our conversation.
Agent Ressler, long time no see.
Mr. Feinberg, as you may already know,
we're conducting an investigation
into Moder & Sons.
We understand you did some
research for them at Redlands.
It feels like ages ago now.
But, yes.
To be more specific, we're
interested in a 2017 study
where you concluded that
there was carcinogenic material
in some of their products.
That's not correct.
Are you saying that you
didn't do a study in 2017
on Spring 'N Shine?
I did do a study,
but I never finished it.
The data was unsound.
We have a witness who's willing
to go on record
saying he saw a report of the study,
a complete and very damning one
for Moder & Sons.
RESSLER: And if this report
comes to light,
and it comes out that you lied
during a federal investigation,
well, that could end
very poorly for you.
You understand?
If you have any more questions,
you can direct them
to Ms. Foster's office.
I don't have anything more to say.
♪
He lied right to our faces
like it was nothing.
She promised him something.
Apparently, it was worth the threat
of a federal prison sentence.
[CELLPHONE RINGS]
RED: I tried to get ahold of Harold,
but I had to settle
for the second string.
I really hope there's a point
to this phone call
other than to insult me.
Donald, I can't think of a
better point than to insult you,
but I suppose this will have
to do for the moment.
I'm calling because I have a
gift for you at the warehouse.
Ms. Foster's operative,
Mr. Julian Flores of Havana.
He's waiting and he's ready to talk.
How'd you manage that?
Cost me seven favors
at Immigration Services.
It's not so simple to get stamps
on asylum papers these days.
Seven favors?
What'd you do, move his whole
family over from Cuba?
No. His mistress, her sister,
his mother, two cousins,
a dear friend from high school,
and a dog, which was its own headache.
I shouldn't have even asked.
Look, we're on our way over now.
Look, I don't want to belabor this.
You've all heard my thoughts.
And while there were compelling
arguments on both sides,
I'm ruling in favor of your task force,
Assistant Director Cooper.
It's clear to me that the safety
and security reasons for keeping
your records internal
far outweigh any benefit
Congress might receive
from making them public.
Thank you, Your Honor.
So if you will excuse me,
I am due in court.
I trust you'll see yourselves out.
[DOOR OPENS]
[SIGHS]
Well, there you have it, Clayton.
Can we finally put this to rest?
Mnh-mnh. Not today, Cynthia,
because now my interest is piqued.
Yeah, I thought Hudson
had found political gold
with this investigation.
But based on how badly you want
to keep this secret,
I think he might have
found a diamond mine.
[LAUGHING]
Now you just sound paranoid.
Well, as a courtesy,
I'm gonna give you a heads up.
I'm holding a press conference
later today.
I'm launching a formal investigation
into the task force.
And I I will be
naming names, Cynthia,
including yours.
I'm more convinced than ever
there's something here.
And we will get answers.
♪
Are these really necessary?
SIYA: We just wanted you to get
used to the feel of them.
You're gonna be
wearing them a lot real soon.
What could you possibly have on me?
Flores talked, Blair.
We have him on trespassing, stalking,
larceny, identity theft.
Well, he was happy to cut a deal.
Sang like a robin.
I'm supposed to be afraid?
No, you should be aware.
He's implicated you on
multiple federal counts.
You're looking at 10 years.
I have been in badly lit rooms
like this one
more times than I can count.
It's always the same song and dance.
So let's cut to the deal making,
because I'm certainly
not going to prison.
That's awfully arrogant of you.
It's awfully naive of you to
think it would go any other way.
Alright, let's say hypothetically,
we were willing to play ball.
Flores said that you keep meticulous
records on all your clients
records that only you have access to.
Now, you hand over those files to us,
including the one on Moder & Sons,
and we might be able to work out
a generous immunity agreement.
All of my files?
[LAUGHS]
That's not gonna happen, Don.
There's things in some of those files
that would get me killed twice over.
That was some fancy pitching,
but ball season's over.
I'll risk my day in court.
No files, no deal.
Look, the fact that the FBI
even got this far
tells me there's someone bigger
behind all of this.
So who's really in charge here?
And what is it they want from me?
I'm sure we can find common ground.
There's plenty I'm willing to share,
but I only deal in specifics.
[CELLPHONE RINGS]
Harold, what can I do for you?
I assume you received my gift.
We did, and he's the gift
that keeps on giving.
We were able to bring in Foster
based on Flores' testimony,
and she's willing to make a deal.
But she'll only give us
precise information.
Yes. Well, I suspected she'd be
a formidable opponent.
I want to do the maximum good here.
Dorf is about to have
a press conference,
and he's naming names
in the hope that enough
political pressure
will eventually force us
to show our hands.
We could be done here.
This could be our last case.
I wouldn't be so sure about that.
If Ms. Foster wants to be specific,
ask her about December 31, 2013.
See what she has to say.
That's all? Just that date.
Oh, it'll be enough.
♪
If you want to cut a deal,
you'll need to turn over
everything on Moder & Sons
and any information
regarding December 31, 2013.
There it is.
Now we're all playing on the same field.
Care to elaborate on that?
I'll tell you every sordid detail
as soon as I have my deal in writing.
"And I would like to tell you,
as many of you may know, the"
It's too late, Harold. No, I'm on in 15.
Nothing you can say will deter me.
I'm holding this press conference.
I understand, but I'm actually
here on other business.
You see, Blair Foster sent me.
♪
Thank you all for coming out today.
I apologize for the delay.
I'll keep it brief.
It's with a heavy heart
that I must report
that due to personal family matters,
I will be taking a leave of absence
from my position effective immediately.
REPORTER: Senator!
It's been my honor
to serve this country.
I would appreciate privacy at this time.
- Thank you.
- Senator Dorf!
[REPORTERS YELLING QUESTIONS]
♪
I'm sorry. The senator won't be
taking any questions.
[DOOR OPENS, BELL JINGLES]
[SPEAKS SPANISH]
Weecha.
Come in. Come in. Sit down.
♪
He was in again.
Asking about you.
Did you tell him
that we had been speaking?
No.
Oh, he is persistent, isn't he?
He told me to tell you
something if I saw you.
He wrote it down.
♪
I don't know what I'm going
to do with that man.
En serio.
You and me both.
♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Sure is quiet around here.
The rest of the team is out arresting
the C.E.O. of Moder & Sons.
Well, that's sure
to make the 11:00 news.
Speaking of, Senator Dorf
did a real 180.
It's everywhere.
That had to be your work.
How'd you get him to change his mind?
Blackmail.
Good Lord, Harold.
Do I even want to know?
Foster had a file on him.
New Year's Eve, 2013.
Dorf's teenage son Michael
was driving high
and drunk after a party.
He miscalculated a turn
and hit a teenage girl, Makayla Johnson.
She was waiting on a city bus.
He paralyzed her from the waist down.
Whoo. Wow. That's awful.
It's terrible.
When his son was taken to the hospital,
Dorf used Foster to ensure
the blood was never tested,
so it all went away
without criminal charges.
Wasn't his entire political platform
based on being tough on drugs?
Yes. So he was hell bent on burying it.
Apparently, his son was
incredibly remorseful.
He wanted to pay for what he'd done.
So Dorf used Foster
to silence his own son.
Michael Dorf has been in
and out of psychological care
since the accident.
Trust me, if anyone understands the need
to bury certain things
when it comes to family, it's me.
But are we really
just gonna let Dorf off
- for obstructing justice?
- Not exactly.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Senator Dorf and I
came to an arrangement.
♪
It's late. I'm just leaving.
Who got to you? What the hell happened?
- Blair Foster happened.
- Oh, the lawyer?
What does she have to do
with any of this?
It doesn't matter. She doesn't matter.
What matters is this is all over.
It's time to move on.
Are you kidding me?
This whatever this is
it just continues to prove my theory
that something bigger
is going on out here
Well, I'm moving on, alright?
I'm done with this. I'm done with us.
And I'm sure you won't listen,
but if I may offer some
parting advice, here goes
Leave this alone.
You're smart.
You have your whole career ahead of you.
No good will come of this.
I'm certain of that.
Go home, Mr. Hudson.
So Makayla Johnson's therapy
and medical expenses
will be paid for by the Dorfs?
For the rest of her life and more.
I guess that's a form
of restorative justice.
That was my hope.
And the task force
lives to see another day.
What about Foster?
She's a free woman. We had to
let her go to get what we needed.
I'm not convinced Hudson
will ever give this up.
What can we say? He's on a crusade.
It's a dog with a bone.
I kind of admire the guy.
Strangely, so do I.
That said, with Dorf out of the way,
I'm not sure there's anyone
who can help the defeated
Mr. Hudson continue his offensive.
[CELLPHONE RINGING]
♪
Hello?
Congressman Hudson.
It's Blair Foster.
I realize you're relatively new in town,
but I'm sure you've heard
my name by now.
I'd like to set a meeting with you.
Regarding what?
How did you even get this number?
I know today's little press conference
didn't go the way you'd hoped,
and that you were counting
on the support of Senator Dorf.
I have some information
I'd like to share with you.
I think it could be the start
of a mutually beneficial relationship.
I'm not sure.
I don't think we really play
the game the same way.
I get that.
I do.
In my experience, though
it never hurts to take the meeting.
So what's it gonna be?
♪
♪
[CELLPHONE RINGING]
I told you to stop calling me.
I know what you're about to do.
You're headed
to the D.A.'s office, right?
Turn around. You're making a mistake.
No, I'm doing what's right.
I'll be fine.
I've secured another position.
The one at DuPont?
Two short phone calls, three max
I can make that offer go away.
Do what you want.
Nothing will change my mind.
Let's play this out.
You take whatever it is
you think you have to the D.A.
And then I call Ron,
who's a personal friend,
and tell him this case
is not worth his time.
Who do you think he listens to
in this scenario?
Me. Because I did him a favor
a while back.
A favor that saved his marriage.
You wouldn't be on the phone
right now if it were that easy.
How is your dear little Maggie,
by the way?
Peanut allergy, right?
Gosh, those things are so tough.
Mistakes must happen all the time.
I heard she went
into anaphylaxis in 2019.
That must have been terrifying.
I guess you just have to hope
her little body
would survive something like that again.
You're a sick, sick woman.
Put your family first.
This crusade is not
your passion they are.
You stay away from my family.
♪
[HORN HONKING]
[CELLPHONE RINGS]
Looks like he's leaving.
I've done everything I can.
You need to get those documents.
What exactly are you asking me to do?
Whatever needs to be done.
♪
He spotted me. He's trying to lose me.
Well, go after him.
[TIRES SCREECH, CAR CRASHES]
♪
- What's going on?
- The dude crashed.
I don't care. We need those papers.
- [SIREN WAILING]
- Figure it out.
Negative. Cops are on site.
I'm not taking that kind of heat.
This is what you're hired for.
- We need those papers.
- I'm sorry. I'm out of here.
♪
[BEEPING]
Senator Panabaker, Director Cooper,
this is Representative Hudson.
How do you do?
I appreciate you both
being able to meet on such short notice.
Look, Clayton, I have time
for formalities
like I have time
for long walks on the beach.
You got us here. What's this about?
Well, Arthur and I have some questions
about your FBI task force,
and no one seems to be able to answer.
I mean, we had a heck of a time
even getting your name,
- Director Cooper.
- That's intentional.
The nature of our work
is highly classified.
Oh, I understand that, really.
And from what little information
I've been able to glean,
it seems that you've helped close
some of Main Justice's biggest cases.
That's impressive.
However, it doesn't explain
your exorbitant budget.
$282.7 million last year alone,
to be exact.
That's still less than 3%
of the FBI's overall budget.
[CHUCKLES]
It's an awful lot
for a single task force.
How is your budget being allocated,
and what is it exactly that you do?
We work with gathered
intelligence to detain
and apprehend criminal suspects
around the world
criminals that wouldn't
otherwise be on the FBI's radar.
We've thwarted terrorist attacks,
stopped assassinations,
disbanded global conspiracies,
exposed human-trafficking rings
domestically and overseas.
Specifics. We want specifics.
You must have internal case
files that break it all down.
Of course.
I'm just not at liberty
to divulge those.
Says who?
Alright, Congress
and the American people
deserve to know where
their tax dollars are going.
Give me a break, Clayton.
It's a nice sales pitch,
but we both know
too much government oversight
can be harmful to the FBI's
ability to work covertly.
You don't just get to operate
in the blind, Cynthia.
Harold's task force
does incredibly important work.
The funding is being well spent.
You have my word.
Well, we'll see how your word
holds up in front of a judge.
Now, unless one of you
is willing to elaborate,
I think we're done here.
♪
I appreciate you defending us in there.
It means a lot,
which makes this harder to say.
Our case files have been compromised.
What the hell does that mean?
When Reddington was alone
in the post office
during the Wujing incident,
he gained access to our computer network
and removed any mention of himself
from our permanent records.
He wh What?
How could you keep this from me?
Cynthia, I apologize.
But at the time,
omitting this information
and carrying on with our casework
- seemed like the right thing
- I defended you.
I always defend you.
If a judge allows them
to subpoena those files
and they've clearly been tampered with,
both of our careers will be on the line.
Not to mention the fact
that you've barely
had any convictions this year,
just a bunch of prison breaks
and dead bodies
splayed out on the floor.
That's a bit of an exaggeration.
Is it? You fix this.
I don't know how, but you fix it.
Harold, why so glum?
Oh, I don't know.
Maybe because I've got a senator
and congressmen breathing down my neck
trying to get access to our files.
Files that have been significantly
compromised because of you.
Well, we've found ourselves
under siege before.
Perhaps it's time yet again
to hunker down,
take a moment, and let it blow over.
Actually, it's not going to blow over.
They've secured a hearing
before a judge for today.
Then we let the wheels of justice
grind at their characteristic
snail's pace
and be fine about it.
Are you hearing anything I'm saying?
The future of this task force
is on the line.
I need you to start giving us
substantial cases again.
Cases that can demonstrate to the
Justice Department and Congress
that we get results and can justify
our significant expenditures.
We've always had
a "we scratch your back,
you scratch ours" arrangement.
But now I'm not so sure.
Well, perk up.
I have a few new ideas to discuss
that will scratch everyone's back.
First, I need you to look
into this container ship.
It's scheduled to arrive
at the port of Baltimore.
This is the hull number.
In the meantime,
I have another case
of the utmost priority.
Blair Foster, Washington, D.C.'s
most infamous fixer.
If corruption is what Dorf
and Hudson are looking for,
then let's shine a light
under every rock in town
and show them what
real corruption looks like.
Ms. Foster has
a legitimate law practice,
but her real stock-in-trade
is her off-the-books private services.
She's stealthy, discreet,
has a way of burying scandals
before the corpses are even cold.
I know of Ms. Foster.
Her reputation certainly proceeds her.
Bureau's been trying to build
a case against her
for years to no avail.
Well, one of her biggest clients
is corporate giant Moder & Sons.
There have been whispers in recent years
of carcinogenic materials
in some of their consumer products.
And I believe the only reason
no lawsuit has ever come
to fruition is Foster.
She runs a legitimate boutique
law firm employing lawyers,
legal aides, clerks, and investigators,
but they rarely file cases
strange given the power
and influence they wield.
And when they do, the cases
almost always settle or go away.
She employs a disproportionate
number of investigators
for a firm this size.
So it's her work as a fixer
that keeps the lights on?
It appears so.
Most recently, Reddington
believes that Foster
is responsible for the car accident
of a mid-level employee
at the Moder & Sons corporation.
Why would she care
about mid-level employees?
Reddington suspects it was
her effort to silence him
on some internal matter at Moder & Sons.
Luckily, the man, Lawrence Whitaker,
survived the accident.
SIYA: This may be just what we need.
If the scandals Foster buried
are as explosive
as Reddington claims
and we unearth them,
then Hudson and Dorf
and all the rest of D.C.
will have bigger fish to fry than us.
Ressler, Malik
visit Whitaker at the hospital.
See what you find.
♪
SIYA: We're so sorry
you're going through this,
Mrs. Whitaker.
The impact from the crash
caused a subdural hematoma,
but he should be off
the ventilator soon.
I still can't believe this happened.
He's usually such a cautious driver.
He's just been under
so much stress at work.
We have reason to believe
that your husband
may have been in possession
of some damaging material
about Moder & Sons.
Is that true?
He found out something
he wasn't supposed to.
He said that he couldn't talk
about it yet
and that he might not be
working there much longer.
Were they threatening to fire him?
I think they were trying
to push him out.
He started to get paranoid
leading up to the accident.
He said that people were following him
outside the house and work.
I never saw anyone.
But he swears he did.
I wish I knew more.
We'll look into it.
See if we can find out
if he was being followed.
In the meantime, we'll station
an officer outside the door.
Just call us when he wakes up.
♪
Hi, it's Emily Larson.
The FBI is here questioning
Mr. Whitaker's wife.
[SIGHS] Of course they are.
What about Whitaker's personal effects?
Did you find the documents
I'd asked you about?
They'd be in a messenger bag.
I went through everything. I'm sorry.
There's nothing here.
Where the hell is it?
SIYA: Larry Whitaker's wife told us
he believed he was being
followed leading up
to the day of the accident.
I pulled the security footage
from buildings nearby Moder & Sons.
Over the past week,
including the day of the crash,
the same vehicle with the same driver
was stationed outside.
Were you able to run the plates?
The District of Columbia
doesn't have registration
for the vehicle.
We've had no luck
with facial recognition.
I've run it through all our databases,
and it's like he's a ghost.
If he's done the fixer's dirty work,
someone in criminal world
should be able to I.D. him.
I think we should get this
over to Raymond.
I agree. He's still in town.
Take it to him over at the warehouse.
See if he can help.
I couldn't place it.
But I swear I recognize him
from somewhere.
Maybe Panama when we were
doing contracting for Hector?
Could be.
Certainly looks familiar.
You don't have a name?
Not even an alias?
No.
But after viewing the footage,
I'm convinced he's military.
His protocols and procedures,
the way he surveils
[LAUGHS]
Don't laugh.
Wait till you're my age.
First the knees, then the eyes.
Tell that to my right shoulder.
Did you see the tattoo on his finger?
Those numbers can mean anything.
Or something.
The Black Wasps are identified as 4895.
He could be Cuban special forces.
You should reach out to Manny. Manny.
Ah, Dembe, we should hang out more.
I miss us.
Remember that night in Saint-Tropez
with Thomas and Yvette?
What a gas.
Oh, my gosh, Yvette.
[CELLPHONE BUZZES]
I tried to forget.
Excuse me. You're on speaker.
RESSLER: Whitaker just woke up.
We're heading out.
- Any luck on the I.D.?
- We're working on it.
I'll report back soon.
I better get going.
I guess I better get going, too.
Get going where?
Havana.
Raymond, just call Manny.
These things are always
better handled in person.
I had requested some research
files from a few years back
of some of our products.
I'm in quality control,
and I stumbled quite
accidentally upon a study
that stated that Spring 'N Shine
unequivocally contained
carcinogenic compounds.
What's "Spring 'N Shine"?
It's the number-one
multi-purpose cleaner
on the market for 11 years running.
Which is why I was surprised
to find the study.
But Moder & Sons buried the report.
They didn't even try to recall
the toxic product.
Bottles of it had been
in circulation for years
after the study was completed.
People died
children.
I couldn't in good conscience
remain silent.
So what did you do?
I told a co-worker who I thought
I could trust,
that I was thinking of going
public with what I found.
And the very next day,
Blair Foster was standing in my office.
Did she try to intimidate you?
Not at first.
She was friendly.
We spoke about family.
When she heard that my daughter
was wait-listed at Sidwell,
she said that she could get her in
with a healthy financial-aid package.
So she was trying to bribe you.
Do you have any proof?
She never put anything in writing.
It was all very casual.
And when I didn't take the bait,
she started to threaten me
subtly
then not so subtle.
And she thought that the evidence
of the study was destroyed.
But I downloaded and printed out a copy
before they wiped the server.
Do you have a copy
of that report on you?
No, it's in my car.
Oh, man.
Little help, please.
One minute.
♪
That was work-related.
How can I help you?
I got in an accident yesterday.
I was told my car got towed here.
Alright, I just need your license.
I lost it in the accident.
I have my registration.
It's my corporate car.
I'm very sorry, sir,
but I do need
a valid license with a photo.
Listen, it's been
a really rough 24 hours.
My laptop and work stuff are in there.
My car's totaled.
Can't you just help a guy out?
- [CELLPHONE DINGS]
- It's from Herbie.
He spoke to local PD.
Mr. Whitaker's car
is at "M" Street Towing in Southwest.
He sent me the address.
♪
RESSLER: FBI.
Hi. Can I help you?
Agents Ressler and Malik.
We need to locate a vehicle.
It's a black Mercedes
registered to a Larry Whitaker.
Is he in some kind of trouble?
He just came by to grab his things.
He's probably still here.
♪
Huh. The guy was just here.
So was his bag. Now it's gone.
♪
Senator Dorf, I've received your motion
to compel the Bureau
to comply with your subpoena
seeking documents related to the budget
and casework of Task Force 836.
I see that both parties have
submitted extensive documents.
Anything I need to know
before we dive in?
To reiterate, Judge Hurban,
our refusal to turn
over records to Senator Dorf
isn't an attempt to obfuscate
what our team does
or how we allocate our funds.
It's an attempt to protect my agents
and our sources, plain and simple.
All of their lives could be in danger
if the nature of our work
was made public.
PANABAKER: And as a sitting
member of Congress
who's privy to more details
than most regarding
FBI Task Force number 836,
I wholeheartedly endorse
Assistant Director Cooper's position.
Senator Dorf, Representative Hudson.
Any final remarks?
Oversight on law enforcement
is a necessary check and balance.
It's our responsibility,
especially in this current
political climate,
when we've seen what can happen
when law-enforcement agencies' authority
goes unchecked.
We're simply asking for transparency.
While I hear you, Senator,
my job is not to be concerned
with the "current political
climate" only facts.
I think I have everything I need.
I will try to be expeditious.
♪
Hola, Manny.
[CHUCKLES]
Red!
Como estas, my brother?
Well.
You seem very well.
I guess I've got some catching up to do.
So what brings you here?
I have something I
really want to show you.
♪
You flew all the way to Cuba
to show me some old boxing gloves?
Yeah, well they are old, in fact,
almost 50 years old.
They haven't been used
since the '76 Games.
Those aren't They can't be
I know they are, and they can.
Teofilo Stevenson's gloves
from one of his iconic
Olympic performances.
I remember years ago, you told me
how your father would pile
you and your brothers
in the back of his Chevy Bel Air
and take you over
to the Escuela de Boxeo
to watch Stevenson train.
You told me you'd sit there
for hours on end,
just totally mesmerized.
He was something to behold.
So skilled with his feet,
especially for a heavyweight.
A hero among men.
Man,
those are some of the best memories
of my whole life.
Well, they're all yours
if you can help me with this guy.
I need an I.D. and location.
I suspect he's a former Black Wasp.
I can't.
Too dangerous.
You mess with guys like that,
you end up with a bullet in your head.
Where's your sense of adventure?
And you can't at least put out
some feelers for me?
The last time I tried
to help you I.D. someone,
you shot two of my police
contacts in front of me.
I should have known you had an agenda.
It's probably why Weecha
left you for Adolfo.
Left me?! She didn't leave me.
It's considerably more
complicated than that.
Who told you, anyway?
Straight from the horse's mouth.
Weecha comes through here a lot.
Always comes in for a drink.
She gets mail here. She calls.
Well, if you change your mind,
I'll be in town overnight
in that little inn
a block over from Callejon de Hamel.
[INHALES SHARPLY]
As for the gloves,
once they leave Cuba with me
[ZIPPER CLOSES]
they don't come back.
♪
Oh, if you happen to talk
to Weecha, please,
tell her where she can find me.
♪
Richard, please come in.
We need to talk now.
Could you give Mr. Moder
and me a moment alone, please?
[DOOR OPENS, CLOSES]
The FBI is at our offices
asking questions with a warrant.
I thought you were handling this.
I am.
Whitaker somehow got on their radar,
but we secured the report.
Without it, there's no case. We're safe.
What about Dr. Feinberg?
He wrote the report.
We have his NDA. We're covered.
Do you think he's gonna honor that NDA
now that there's
a federal investigation?
I don't want any loose ends.
He needs to be taken care of.
There are smarter ways
out of all of this.
What if I could get the investigation
to go away altogether?
How on earth would you do that?
You need to trust me.
I told you this is gonna be clean,
and it will be.
Just let me do my job.
PRITCHARD: I really appreciate
you showing up for me today.
Of course. You're doing great.
- Alright? See you next week?
- I'll be here.
And if I'm not, dear God, come find me.
♪
Agent Ressler.
I'm Blair Foster.
But you already know
who I am, don't you?
I know you don't drink,
so why don't I buy you a cup of coffee?
If you want to talk, we can do it here.
The coffee is free
I just wanted to take a private moment
to let you know that Moder & Sons
intends to fully cooperate
with your investigation.
We care deeply about
our employees and consumers.
Well, you don't seem to care too deeply
about Larry Whitaker.
Larry Whitaker is a troubled man.
He started spreading damaging
lies about the company
after he'd been passed over
for a promotion.
He was embittered by a system
where he was no longer advancing.
I tried to reason with him,
but I can't help someone
who doesn't want to help himself.
Rich Moder is one of the most ethical
and thoughtful C.E.O.s
I've ever come across.
And trust me, I've worked
with a lot of them.
If he's so ethical,
then why would he have
knowingly allowed carcinogenic materials
to stay on store shelves?
That's a fictitious narrative
being driven
by a man who is unhappy and unhinged.
This isn't gonna go anywhere.
This is a waste of your time.
You're meant for something
so much bigger than all this.
- I've done my homework on you.
- Clearly.
You found me at my NA meeting.
Son of a cop who was
killed in the line of duty.
The son goes on to become
a successful FBI agent.
You've had an impressive career.
Anyway, it got me to thinking
there's an empty congressional seat
in the 13th District in Michigan
that represents Detroit.
They want somebody tough on crime.
I think you would be perfect.
A hometown hero returns.
Me? A Congressman?
I know.
That's a wild idea, right?
But I'm rarely wrong once
I get a read on someone.
And I could help you
through the process.
First, you'd need to drop everything
and clear your schedule.
No, I'm not dropping anything.
Agent Ressler, in Congress,
you could reach so many more people.
You could make a real difference.
You know, Ms. Foster,
you are worth every penny
those corporate schmucks pay you.
I'll give you that.
Now, if you'll excuse me,
I got to get back to my office.
♪
Thank you for calling me, Manny.
There he is Red.
I just had the most absolutely
mouthwatering boliche.
Boliche is a bit heavy
for the middle of the day, no?
I'm finding I prefer my dinner at lunch,
a light supper in the evening,
drinks at both.
I assume you've had
a change of mind, yes?
[SIGHS]
I want to see the gloves again.
[CHUCKLES]
Alright.
♪
There they are.
The name.
Julian Flores. And you were right.
He was Special Forces.
He's in Falls Church, Virginia,
living under an alias.
I'll text you the address.
You're not gonna hurt him, are you?
Why?
I kind of know his uncle.
I like the guy.
He'll be just fine.
♪
[SIGHS]
[SNIFFS]
You know, I was gonna give
those to you either way.
What can I say?
I'm a sucker for a sentimental story.
I appreciate that, Red.
Manny, did you happen to talk to Weecha
since I saw you yesterday?
I did not.
Well, next time you do, would you mind
giving her a message?
Do you have a pen?
Here you go.
♪
COOPER: Agent Ressler,
is everything okay?
You were gone a lot longer than usual.
That's because I was with Blair Foster.
- She ambushed my NA meeting.
- Wait, what?
Did she say Anything incriminating?
Uh, no. No, she steps right
up to the line without crossing it.
She's bold.
She's not afraid of anyone.
Well, while you were out
with our blacklister,
we think we may have I.D.'d
the researcher
who wrote the report
Dr. Samuel Feinberg.
He's a researcher at Redlands
Chemical Institute.
And according to their head of research,
Feinberg conducted several
studies for Moder & Sons
over a 7-year period.
But his relationship with them
ended abruptly in 2017,
which is the same year the report
Whitaker found was supposedly written.
So what, they stopped working with him
because he concluded that their
all-star product causes cancer?
That's what we're thinking.
It's not a sure bet, but it's
the best lead we've got.
Malik, Ressler
go talk to Dr. Feinberg.
Not only is he our last chance
to get some proof,
but he may be in danger if Moder & Sons
see him as a threat.
And we could use a win
because I'm just getting word
Judge Hurban has made her decision.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Excuse me. Are you Dr. Samuel Feinberg?
Yes.
Agents Ressler and Malik, FBI.
May we come in?
Of course. I was expecting you.
♪
This is my attorney, Blair Foster.
I'd like her to be present
for our conversation.
Agent Ressler, long time no see.
Mr. Feinberg, as you may already know,
we're conducting an investigation
into Moder & Sons.
We understand you did some
research for them at Redlands.
It feels like ages ago now.
But, yes.
To be more specific, we're
interested in a 2017 study
where you concluded that
there was carcinogenic material
in some of their products.
That's not correct.
Are you saying that you
didn't do a study in 2017
on Spring 'N Shine?
I did do a study,
but I never finished it.
The data was unsound.
We have a witness who's willing
to go on record
saying he saw a report of the study,
a complete and very damning one
for Moder & Sons.
RESSLER: And if this report
comes to light,
and it comes out that you lied
during a federal investigation,
well, that could end
very poorly for you.
You understand?
If you have any more questions,
you can direct them
to Ms. Foster's office.
I don't have anything more to say.
♪
He lied right to our faces
like it was nothing.
She promised him something.
Apparently, it was worth the threat
of a federal prison sentence.
[CELLPHONE RINGS]
RED: I tried to get ahold of Harold,
but I had to settle
for the second string.
I really hope there's a point
to this phone call
other than to insult me.
Donald, I can't think of a
better point than to insult you,
but I suppose this will have
to do for the moment.
I'm calling because I have a
gift for you at the warehouse.
Ms. Foster's operative,
Mr. Julian Flores of Havana.
He's waiting and he's ready to talk.
How'd you manage that?
Cost me seven favors
at Immigration Services.
It's not so simple to get stamps
on asylum papers these days.
Seven favors?
What'd you do, move his whole
family over from Cuba?
No. His mistress, her sister,
his mother, two cousins,
a dear friend from high school,
and a dog, which was its own headache.
I shouldn't have even asked.
Look, we're on our way over now.
Look, I don't want to belabor this.
You've all heard my thoughts.
And while there were compelling
arguments on both sides,
I'm ruling in favor of your task force,
Assistant Director Cooper.
It's clear to me that the safety
and security reasons for keeping
your records internal
far outweigh any benefit
Congress might receive
from making them public.
Thank you, Your Honor.
So if you will excuse me,
I am due in court.
I trust you'll see yourselves out.
[DOOR OPENS]
[SIGHS]
Well, there you have it, Clayton.
Can we finally put this to rest?
Mnh-mnh. Not today, Cynthia,
because now my interest is piqued.
Yeah, I thought Hudson
had found political gold
with this investigation.
But based on how badly you want
to keep this secret,
I think he might have
found a diamond mine.
[LAUGHING]
Now you just sound paranoid.
Well, as a courtesy,
I'm gonna give you a heads up.
I'm holding a press conference
later today.
I'm launching a formal investigation
into the task force.
And I I will be
naming names, Cynthia,
including yours.
I'm more convinced than ever
there's something here.
And we will get answers.
♪
Are these really necessary?
SIYA: We just wanted you to get
used to the feel of them.
You're gonna be
wearing them a lot real soon.
What could you possibly have on me?
Flores talked, Blair.
We have him on trespassing, stalking,
larceny, identity theft.
Well, he was happy to cut a deal.
Sang like a robin.
I'm supposed to be afraid?
No, you should be aware.
He's implicated you on
multiple federal counts.
You're looking at 10 years.
I have been in badly lit rooms
like this one
more times than I can count.
It's always the same song and dance.
So let's cut to the deal making,
because I'm certainly
not going to prison.
That's awfully arrogant of you.
It's awfully naive of you to
think it would go any other way.
Alright, let's say hypothetically,
we were willing to play ball.
Flores said that you keep meticulous
records on all your clients
records that only you have access to.
Now, you hand over those files to us,
including the one on Moder & Sons,
and we might be able to work out
a generous immunity agreement.
All of my files?
[LAUGHS]
That's not gonna happen, Don.
There's things in some of those files
that would get me killed twice over.
That was some fancy pitching,
but ball season's over.
I'll risk my day in court.
No files, no deal.
Look, the fact that the FBI
even got this far
tells me there's someone bigger
behind all of this.
So who's really in charge here?
And what is it they want from me?
I'm sure we can find common ground.
There's plenty I'm willing to share,
but I only deal in specifics.
[CELLPHONE RINGS]
Harold, what can I do for you?
I assume you received my gift.
We did, and he's the gift
that keeps on giving.
We were able to bring in Foster
based on Flores' testimony,
and she's willing to make a deal.
But she'll only give us
precise information.
Yes. Well, I suspected she'd be
a formidable opponent.
I want to do the maximum good here.
Dorf is about to have
a press conference,
and he's naming names
in the hope that enough
political pressure
will eventually force us
to show our hands.
We could be done here.
This could be our last case.
I wouldn't be so sure about that.
If Ms. Foster wants to be specific,
ask her about December 31, 2013.
See what she has to say.
That's all? Just that date.
Oh, it'll be enough.
♪
If you want to cut a deal,
you'll need to turn over
everything on Moder & Sons
and any information
regarding December 31, 2013.
There it is.
Now we're all playing on the same field.
Care to elaborate on that?
I'll tell you every sordid detail
as soon as I have my deal in writing.
"And I would like to tell you,
as many of you may know, the"
It's too late, Harold. No, I'm on in 15.
Nothing you can say will deter me.
I'm holding this press conference.
I understand, but I'm actually
here on other business.
You see, Blair Foster sent me.
♪
Thank you all for coming out today.
I apologize for the delay.
I'll keep it brief.
It's with a heavy heart
that I must report
that due to personal family matters,
I will be taking a leave of absence
from my position effective immediately.
REPORTER: Senator!
It's been my honor
to serve this country.
I would appreciate privacy at this time.
- Thank you.
- Senator Dorf!
[REPORTERS YELLING QUESTIONS]
♪
I'm sorry. The senator won't be
taking any questions.
[DOOR OPENS, BELL JINGLES]
[SPEAKS SPANISH]
Weecha.
Come in. Come in. Sit down.
♪
He was in again.
Asking about you.
Did you tell him
that we had been speaking?
No.
Oh, he is persistent, isn't he?
He told me to tell you
something if I saw you.
He wrote it down.
♪
I don't know what I'm going
to do with that man.
En serio.
You and me both.
♪
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Sure is quiet around here.
The rest of the team is out arresting
the C.E.O. of Moder & Sons.
Well, that's sure
to make the 11:00 news.
Speaking of, Senator Dorf
did a real 180.
It's everywhere.
That had to be your work.
How'd you get him to change his mind?
Blackmail.
Good Lord, Harold.
Do I even want to know?
Foster had a file on him.
New Year's Eve, 2013.
Dorf's teenage son Michael
was driving high
and drunk after a party.
He miscalculated a turn
and hit a teenage girl, Makayla Johnson.
She was waiting on a city bus.
He paralyzed her from the waist down.
Whoo. Wow. That's awful.
It's terrible.
When his son was taken to the hospital,
Dorf used Foster to ensure
the blood was never tested,
so it all went away
without criminal charges.
Wasn't his entire political platform
based on being tough on drugs?
Yes. So he was hell bent on burying it.
Apparently, his son was
incredibly remorseful.
He wanted to pay for what he'd done.
So Dorf used Foster
to silence his own son.
Michael Dorf has been in
and out of psychological care
since the accident.
Trust me, if anyone understands the need
to bury certain things
when it comes to family, it's me.
But are we really
just gonna let Dorf off
- for obstructing justice?
- Not exactly.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Senator Dorf and I
came to an arrangement.
♪
It's late. I'm just leaving.
Who got to you? What the hell happened?
- Blair Foster happened.
- Oh, the lawyer?
What does she have to do
with any of this?
It doesn't matter. She doesn't matter.
What matters is this is all over.
It's time to move on.
Are you kidding me?
This whatever this is
it just continues to prove my theory
that something bigger
is going on out here
Well, I'm moving on, alright?
I'm done with this. I'm done with us.
And I'm sure you won't listen,
but if I may offer some
parting advice, here goes
Leave this alone.
You're smart.
You have your whole career ahead of you.
No good will come of this.
I'm certain of that.
Go home, Mr. Hudson.
So Makayla Johnson's therapy
and medical expenses
will be paid for by the Dorfs?
For the rest of her life and more.
I guess that's a form
of restorative justice.
That was my hope.
And the task force
lives to see another day.
What about Foster?
She's a free woman. We had to
let her go to get what we needed.
I'm not convinced Hudson
will ever give this up.
What can we say? He's on a crusade.
It's a dog with a bone.
I kind of admire the guy.
Strangely, so do I.
That said, with Dorf out of the way,
I'm not sure there's anyone
who can help the defeated
Mr. Hudson continue his offensive.
[CELLPHONE RINGING]
♪
Hello?
Congressman Hudson.
It's Blair Foster.
I realize you're relatively new in town,
but I'm sure you've heard
my name by now.
I'd like to set a meeting with you.
Regarding what?
How did you even get this number?
I know today's little press conference
didn't go the way you'd hoped,
and that you were counting
on the support of Senator Dorf.
I have some information
I'd like to share with you.
I think it could be the start
of a mutually beneficial relationship.
I'm not sure.
I don't think we really play
the game the same way.
I get that.
I do.
In my experience, though
it never hurts to take the meeting.
So what's it gonna be?
♪