61st Street (2022) s01e03 Episode Script

1 Previously on "61st Street" That's it.
That's the one.
The prostate is enlarged.
- You okay? - Yeah.
We could use your help with this.
13,000 cops and they're not gonna be looking to take you in alive.
Defund the police! Bag and tag his clothes.
Can you give me some privacy? - How we lookin'? - The house is all set.
Cops don't know where he is.
He needs to have his mother tell him what to do.
No! No! - Moses! - Hey, don't shoot, don't shoot.
Run.
Stop! I'm this man's lawyer.
Wait, where are you taking him? Aye, man, let me talk to my mom! - Don't hurt him! - Mama! Hey, let me talk to my mom, man, please! Where are you taking him?! Please! Let me talk to my mom.
Mo! - Aye, let me talk to her! - Mo! Aye, Josh.
I ain't do anything, man! Why y'all gotta chain him like that for, man?! - Okay, man, come on.
- Hold, hold up.
Hold, hold up, hold up.
Don't you speak.
Not a word 'til I get there.
I'm right behind you.
Do you hear me? Don't say a word! Not a word! Mo! - Mama! - It's okay, Mo! Thank you, Joshua.
I got her.
I got her.
I got her.
I didn't even do nothing, man! Aaargh! Alright, man, you got this, aight, man? You gonna get out, aight? Aye, aye, Joshua! You gonna get out! Man, y'all can't keep doing this! Y'all can't keep doing this shit, man! They can't keep fucking doing this shit! You said you're his lawyer.
- Yes.
- You be that.
You be his lawyer.
Mr.
Franklin, please.
Who made sergeant? Don't get bitter, Rossi.
You won't get it next time 'round, either, if you turn into a bitter cop.
You know, my man in The Nation, he says all his people are wondering why all the heat's on them, while The Faction get the freedom of the South Side.
That's just what he tells me.
And? Look I don't care who we take down.
These people are all the same to me.
But they have got to be paying for that pass The Faction.
Paying who? It's just where the heat is now.
He got a name, your man in The Nation? Yeah.
Tutu.
But they have got to be paying for that pass The Faction.
Paying who? There's so much to love about this town.
Great food.
Great teams.
Great people.
But you know what I love the most? This damn lake.
Always there and always different.
Breaks my heart, Michael Rossi will never see it again.
You know how many kids he had? Five.
That has to be guilt.
You were on the run, but you had to know.
Am I right? The thing about guilt It comes from the gut.
Like when you ran from us on the corner.
You weren't thinking.
Your gut took over.
When that happens, you just do what your gut tells you to do.
My lawyer told me not to talk to you.
This ain't about lawyers.
Judges, lawyers, they don't buy the gut thing.
They want reasons why.
The gut's not in play with those guys 'cause they don't live like we live.
You and me, it's simple.
You wanted to get away from the cops, you ran.
You wanted not to get caught by a cop, you fought.
That's all.
The rest is just words.
Right? Right.
Okay.
- Let's go! - Aye.
Unh! Shoelaces, belt.
Come on, let's go.
Give me 20 minutes alone with him.
Make sure it's not less.
You got it.
Your call has been forwarded.
Get down here, now.
I want to apologize.
It got a little aggressive back there.
We lost one of our guys.
Emotions run high.
Please.
I just got off the phone with your coach, Angelo.
Before that, I spoke to your history teacher.
Both full respect, for you and who you are.
I I-I I didn't do anything.
I didn't I didn't I didn't do anything.
I've looked in the eyes of some very bad people.
And I feel like I can see a man's soul in his eyes.
I look at you, I see a good kid who's been shaken up and needs a little help settling down again.
Moses, do you know what a memorandum of cooperation is? It's an agreed version of the truth.
We agree on the truth.
We cooperate with each other.
You get to go home where you belong.
So I wrote up what we said in the car.
"I knew they were police and my gut said run, so I ran.
" That fair? "The cop chasing me had me down a dead-end street.
" Blackstone or South Blackstone? Blackstone.
Thank you.
Um "I had to get away.
" "I made a move toward the cop"? "I ran toward the cop"? - I didn't that.
I didn't do that.
I didn't intend for that.
Maybe, maybe we do a little lawyer language here.
Sometimes easier.
So that would be "Pursuant to my attempt to escape, there was physical contact between myself and the police officer, as a consequence of which "he hit his head.
" That didn't happen.
It didn't I didn't intend for that to happen because he was running and I was trying to run at the side - and I was trying - This is just you, me, and the facts.
So, so, so, so what if I don't want to do this memorandum? What if I don't cooperate? Then, it'll be other cops.
With all their anger about what happened to one of their guys.
If I can't show my people proof of your cooperation, they pull me out and they pull in your mom and Joshua and your buddy Marquise, on account of the pressure they're under.
But none of that happens if I show them our memorandum.
You sign this and everybody stands down.
I'll give you a minute to think about it.
Think about your responsibilities.
Aah! Sir, if you don't fill out the form You know who I am and you know who I'm here to see.
I'm not filling out any form.
You don't fill out the form, you don't see your client.
You're stalling me.
Please stop stalling me.
Let me see my client, please.
Mr.
Johnson is ready - to see his lawyer.
- Thank you.
We got him.
What's he saying? We got that, too.
What was the very last thing I said? We just talked about what happened in the car.
- Moses, Moses! - He sounded like he - was trying to help me.
- Help you?! - Yeah, that's what it felt like! - And now? How does it feel now? I don't feel guilty.
I don't feel like I'm a murderer or nothing.
That piece of paper you signed, in the eyes of the law, it says you're both.
Law ain't right, Mr.
Franklin.
The law ain't right.
What'd you do to him?! Excuse me? You heard me.
Officer Young.
Can you help my lawyer friend out here? Anything happen in the car on the way to the station? Anything you didn't like? Nope.
So maybe it's you.
- What? - Playing the race card.
It's up the sleeve of every liberal lawyer in America right now.
I see you, Brannigan.
I know what you are.
I've been seeing you for the last 30 years, doing what I do.
And I see you.
You're at the end of your career and looking to go out with a bang.
You know your problem? Square peg, round hole.
I'm just not what you want me to be.
I got to admit I was surprised.
Never had you down as an ambulance chaser.
Oh, yeah? Well, if it's not that, then how did you know where the most wanted murder suspect in the history of this city was hiding out, and we didn't, hmm? What were you going to do, Franklin, put him in the trunk and head down to Mexico? You don't scare me, Brannigan.
Then you can leave.
Or you can stay.
But, if you stay, it's going to be on a charge of obstructing justice and aiding and abetting a fugitive.
Hey, baby.
The doctor called me.
What-What's going on, - Franklin? - It-It's It's nothing.
Why does Dr.
Algren need to speak to you so badly, - he calls me three times? - I missed an appointment.
They hate it when that happens.
Is it your knee again? Oh, you got to be kidding me.
- Franklin.
- You got to be kidding.
- What is it? - I-I-I got to go.
- I-I'll see you tonight.
I love you.
- Franklin.
- Jack.
- Are you kidding me? - Jack.
- A big murder five minutes before you retire? - I don't think so.
- Who gets it, Jack? - Not you.
- Yes, but who? - Danny Pascoe.
- Danny Pascoe Conveyor belt lawyer.
I want this, Jack.
You can't have it.
Then it's over.
What? If you won't let me represent Moses Johnson as a public defender, you give me no choice.
What are you talking about? I'm resigning, Jack, and I'm going to represent him privately.
This is crazy.
Sometimes community is the same as family, and that's where I am with Moses.
And, when it's family, you don't say no.
You step in.
And nobody, not even the man I trust most in this whole building, is going to get in my way.
Well, at least they're paying attention.
Maybe tone it down a little? Oh, is that the reporter? Mm-hmm.
Bet.
Good afternoon! Good afternoon.
Thank y'all for coming.
So, there's a reporter here, third row.
We have Mr.
Sessions, right? Peter Sessions.
Yeah.
Mr.
Sessions is saying that I am "barefoot and dangerous.
" - Ha! - Dead right.
No, it's alright.
He's right.
I am dangerous.
Women have always been judged in this way.
Jeannette Rankin ran for Congress in 1916 and they said that her gowns were too "severe.
" Hillary Clinton They said that she was "confused about her gender" because her pantsuits were too baggy.
After all of this time, they are still more comfortable with women carrying babies than ballots.
- Come on, now.
- And here I come, shoeless, barefoot me, and he is more concerned about what is not on my feet than what is coming out of my mouth.
Say that.
So we have to ask ourselves, what is is hiding underneath the cheap headline? I know.
- Every woman in this room knows.
- Right.
- Right.
- It's fear.
It's fear because I am demanding accountability from the Chicago Police Department.
- Say that! - Right! Fear that I want to end policing that's just personal security for rich white folks.
- Tell 'em, tell 'em.
- Fear that I am demanding an end to the executions of Black and brown children.
Fear I want to build a movement.
I want to build a future where Black and brown children can be children and where they are safe and where they can thrive.
And Mr.
Sessions here is afraid because, in that future, he has to lose his first place in line.
It ain't about my shoes! It ain't about my shoes.
Don't get distracted! It's about my ideas.
- Alright now.
Alright now.
- Tell 'em.
- Tell it.
Tell it.
- Tell it.
That's what I'm talking about.
Wonderful, baby.
That was brilliant.
Franklin, why aren't you at work? It's It's complicated.
Now Now, you know you're scaring me.
I-I resigned.
- It's It's not about me.
- Franklin, why don't you just - Just tell me what's going on.
- It's not about me.
- Okay, well, who is it about? - It's about Moses.
- Moses Johnson.
I'm - What?! I'm his lawyer, only they don't want me to be.
- So, so you resigned, right? - I wanted I wanted to talk to you about it.
- No.
- No, no, baby.
- I-I wanted - No, no, no.
We agreed.
No, no, no.
We agreed.
I want Moses Johnson to have the best representation possible.
I want that.
But you, you You promised me.
You looked me in my eyes and you said, "After 17 years at home, after 17 years at home, now, now, it's your chance," right? You said that to me.
We know Moses! He's a bright light now.
I'm sorry, you're representing the cop killer? His name is Moses Johnson.
That's F-r-a-n-k-l-i-n.
Franklin, like Roosevelt? Franklin, as in Aretha.
So you got the cop killer's back.
You're calling for defunding the police.
You two are quite the pair.
To Michael.
To Michael.
- To Michael.
- To Mike.
Salute.
Sláinte.
The last thing we talked about, I invited him here.
Said he wanted to get home to Jessica and the kids.
Last time I saw him, he was, uh, really gunning for that sergeant position, you know, making me pop-quiz him.
I'd like to think that he would've got it.
Where was he on the list? Third.
Wrote a great exam.
So, he would've got it.
Absolutely.
Uh, Leo-Leonard makes the - Makes the call? - Deputy superintendent, yeah.
He's a good guy.
He would've wanted Michael for sergeant.
Hm.
When was the last time you spoke to him? Before the bust.
He came to see me.
Do you remember what you talked about? Sure.
I asked to see him.
I knew he was trying to plan a vacation and five kids makes it hard, so I just wanted to offer him my cabin, you know, free of charge.
Well, shit, now that he's dead, hell, I'll take you up on that.
Come on.
No, kids, but I got a wife and three girlfriends.
- Ah! - Where's the cabin at, in the lake somewhere? 82nd Street.
Aw.
Sit out on the rocker on the porch.
Sweet sound of gunshots.
Smell the vinegar.
Vinegar? You never noticed? Blood smells like vinegar.
How about you? Last conversation.
Tsk.
Pbbt.
Baseball.
He had money on the Sox.
Michael was like a brother to Johnny, which made him a son to me.
I want you children to look around you now, into all the faces here, and know, as you look at each of them, that you may have lost a father, but you have gained a new family for life.
We stand together.
Hey, Johnny.
Be alright, Johnny.
But he turned the car over.
Hey.
Dad, can I talk to you just for a minute? Yeah.
It was a different time back then.
So? I think that I think Michael might've been doing something.
"Doing something"? He had a wire.
And he didn't tell me.
I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know your partner is lying six feet on the other side of the dirt.
His reputation and loyalty to the job is supporting an entire family on the other side of that yard.
You understand what that means? Yeah, I It means $50,000 off the top.
Another 100 grand.
College tuition for all five kids, paid! Now, you heard enough, or you want me to go on? Look, Michael Rossi just died a hero.
You want to turn that upside-down? - Alright, I got it.
- Good! Because every man has secrets and, if he's lucky enough to take them to the grave, then that's where they should stay.
Ah.
Thought I heard a ghost.
Should've figured it was you.
Yeah, well, Michael always had a bottle for a special occasion and, uh, this is as special as any.
Here, he'd want you to have this.
We fought for this thing.
The arc of the ball, we we knew it was It was coming right for us and And we fought like Like crazy, and And he won.
And we carried on.
Like what we had was It was too strong.
It was It was too It was too honest to ever get derailed.
Do you know what I'm saying? It was It would've been the same if I caught the ball.
He was wearing a wire the day he died, Jessica.
He didn't tell me.
I thought that it Well, who was he - Hey, Mom.
- Hi.
Hi, sweetie.
You okay? What's a wire? Um, a wire is something a A police officer wears when when he wants to record someone saying something without without anyone hearing.
You know, I think your dad, he would've wanted you to have this.
Ma.
Hey.
You okay? Yeah.
What's good witchu, bro? Man, this shit crazy.
Stay away from them.
Come on.
Hey, Steve.
Come on, Logan, don't tell me they got you working today.
No.
So? Just, uh, want to get a look, you know? Take care of you ♪ I tried so many things ♪ But nothing but God will ♪ - Yeah - God will ♪ God will ♪ Take care ♪ - Take care of you ♪ - Yeah-eah-eah, yeah-eah-eah ♪ God will ♪ Take ♪ Care ♪ Of ♪ You ♪ - Praise the Lord.
- Hallelujah.
Thank you, Jesus.
Yes.
Thank you.
Praise Him.
- Praise Him.
- Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Amen.
O loving and gracious God, please, bless this house on this day of mourning.
- Yes! - Yes.
- Jesus! - Yes, Lord.
Though anger lives in the hearts of all mankind - Yes.
- Yes, God, yeah.
let us not act on this anger with vindictiveness, Father - but with compassion.
- Yes.
Yes, sir.
Let us not lean unto our own understanding, but accept thy will - as infinite wisdom.
- No disrespect.
I'mma need you to get out of here.
Open and free to the public, my man.
Maybe.
Maybe so.
I ain't gonna ask again.
No, he ain't.
This the world we live in.
right here.
Good.
I'm glad we had this talk.
I don't want to get louder in front of God and my man's mama, but you got a lot of nerve, showing up in here.
I know you.
You with the pig that pulled the trigger, sent Tutu to an early grave.
- Tutu? - Only reason we don't smack you up here is out of respect for Miss Janet.
- But outside - Outside? Okay, okay, let's keep the peace.
- Okay.
- Mm! Praise the Lord.
- Pastor.
- Tough now, boy.
These people are all the same to me.
But they have got to be paying for that pass The Faction.
Paying who? It's just where the heat is now.
He got a name, your man in The Nation? Yeah.
Tutu.
Jesus.
Tutu.
Tutu is Rufus.
Come in, Franklin.
Thank you.
You want to dance a little, or should I spell it out? I don't dance.
It's cancer.
I need to see if it spread, so the next step is a body scan.
So what? The Gleason score is high.
What does that mean? It means it's an aggressive cancer.
What does that mean? We have a fight on our hands.
So have you ever been in the paper before, - like in your school paper? - Hey! What are you doing? My job.
My son? - My son, now? - You know, David was telling me - that this is not the fir - Oh, no, no, no.
You don't know him.
Don't call him by his name.
So, freedom of the press matters, unless the story's - about you? - You get away from my house.
You get away from my son, now.
Or what, you gonna call the police? - Mom, are you okay? - Get up.
- Huh? - Is this - okay? - Yes, it's fine, baby.
- Go in the house.
- Hey, David? David, man, can I ask you one more question? - Get! - Ooh! Got it? Come on.
Stay with me.
Stay with me.
Okay.
Okay, go ahead, go ahead.
Watch your fingers.
Mr.
Franklin.
It's going to be alright.
Moses Johnson! From over there? You're here.
Did you think I wouldn't be? No.
So, what do I do? I'm going to ask for more time.
What about bail? Counselor, have you had a chance to meet with the state's attorney? I'm I'm sorry, Your Honor, I did not.
Okay Back in a week, at which time, we will enter a plea.
Until then, given the circumstances and gravity of the offense, bail is set at $1 million.
Your Your Honor, you Your Honor, you know there's no way this family can raise that kind of bail money.
Well, the murder of a police officer, Counselor.
I mean, don't tell me he's not a flight risk.
None of us were born yesterday.
- Next.
- Your Your Honor, - please.
- Next! $1 million? Don't worry.
Don't worry.
- I got you.
- It's okay, sweetie.
I love you.
$1 million means we have to post $100,000, which is obviously out of the question, - so we - 100 grand, he can come home? Well, yes, but you still got - to raise that.
- Then that's what we'll do.
This is my son we're talking about.
It's his life.
If it's money that we need, it's money we'll get.
- But how are you going to - Aye.
You let me worry about that.
I'll do what I have to do, and you will, too.
You made a promise.
I trust you, you trust me, we prevail.
Right.
Hi, Dr.
Algren.
Martha Roberts.
Hello, Martha.
I'm so sorry about Franklin.
It's tough, for all of you.
Cancer is a hard word to handle, which makes your role critical.
Martha.
- We got a couple keys.
- How much Look, look.
Mo's mom.
You drove Joshua there.
That'd be the kindness of your heart, right, community work? Miss Norma, it ain't even like that.
- We just over there - What you not gonna do is call yourself a friend of my son.
Not even associates.
You don't talk to him.
And, if I even catch you looking at him sideways, I'll put a bullet in your ass myself.
- Yo, ma dukes ain't - Shut up.
- Back around.
- Aight, man.
Okay.
Come on, man.
Logan.
- What was that? - Huh? What do you mean, "huh"? Gangbanger funeral that damn near turned into your funeral.
I-I was mad and You know, I listened to my dad talk about Michael and And it just And and then, it made me just want to go and take out every asshole who had anything to do with Michael's death, I want dead.
I know I'm not supposed to.
You know, the wrong people stay alive and and the wrong people die.
So, a bottle of Scotch on your own? Maybe once.
But what you really need? Stay close to the people who know what you're going through.
Yeah.
And, if you won't do that, we'll stay close to you.
Poker night is Wednesday.
You the police? I'm I'm a lawyer.
What kind of lawyer? Moses Johnson's lawyer.
I saw what happened.
You want to You want to talk to me about that? Not right here.
O-Okay, okay.
My way of thinking is cops see Blackness as a weapon.
Being Black is like, I don't know, I might as well have a gun, you feel me? So running and fighting, like Moses did? That's self-defense.
But they don't see it like that.
Or they're blind to it.
But the thing to be is to make the blind see.
You okay? You sick or something? Get in here.
Get in here, boy.
"Pursuant to my attempt to escape, there was physical contact between myself and the police officer, as a consequence of which he hit his head.
" They think that's your confession.
It's not.
It's your defense.
Hey, hey, hey.
Here we go! What's up? Hey, what you doing? I know.
I spoke to Dr.
Algren.
I know.
On the next episode of 61st Street I have an idea, and it means you and me fighting this and fighting them.
They're gonna come after us with everything they got.
They comin' for yo ass.
You comin' with us, you stay alive.
Against the wall.
The question you most want an answer to is, "Who killed my son?" it was me.
Is the law and justice the same thing? Shouldn't it be?