Fairly Legal s01e08 Episode Script
Ultravinyl
coming across can you hear me? I'm coming across can you hear me? can you hea whoa! Jeez! don't sneak up on people.
Oh, please, don't let me interrupt, uh, whatever it is you're doing.
Well, if you don't clean a boat regularly, then salt water just rots it.
That's a vaguely familiar song, yet still unappealing.
It's yeah yeah by Ultravinyl.
Ah, doesn't ring a bell.
Well, they broke up about, uh, 15 years ago, and I'm mediating or I'm trying to mediate an agreement to license the song for a car commercial, but two of the band members they won't sign off on a deal.
Listen, Kate, I said a lot of things the other night.
- We both said a lot of things.
- I know.
I just don't know how we're gonna move on from here good on you for washing her down.
Too many sand crabs have boats, but aren't willing to put in the time.
- Good to see you.
- Hey.
You two know each other? - We've met.
- We've met.
Kate Reed, you've been served.
We're being sued by the people who bought our condo.
What for? Remember that guy we hired to put copper plumbing in our bathrooms? Turns out, he didn't put in copper plumbing.
Okay, well, why don't we call him and have him pay for this? Oh, I tried.
His phone is disconnected.
I went down to see him at his store, it's a yogurt shop now.
So we're on the hook.
$2,000, yeah.
Ugh.
You want to stay and help clean? Not today.
All right, well, if you change your mind, I'll be here next week, same time, same place.
yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, oh, yeah yeah oh, oh - Good morning, Leo.
- Good morning to you, Kate.
Ohh! Yes, nothing says Monday like a fresh bottle of Tequila.
Leo You are gonna make a very popular boss.
Wasn't me, actually.
"Kate, because you are a connoisseur, "David Smith.
" I shared my knowledge.
I thought you went to talk to him about whether your father lost evidence in his trial.
I did, and we had some drinks to break the ice.
- How'd it go? - We broke it heavily.
- And he told me nothing.
- Mm.
I've got to go to that bar.
He's hiding something.
I just need to figure out what it is.
Who? Nobody.
Good morning, Lauren.
What can I do for you? Well, you've been stalling me with this music-publishing mediation, Kate.
I have not been stalling you.
Perhaps I just overstated a touch when, uh, I said that I was rounding third base.
How much did you overstate? The "rounding third base" part.
It's more of like a, mm, first base kind of situation.
Clients like B.
M.
E.
keep the lights on.
No lights equals no office.
No office equals no job.
Does that cold tone of voice of yours does that come naturally, or is that something that you practice? I practice, every time I talk to you.
You've got 48 hours to get this done, - or I'm gonna have to step in.
- I'll take care of it.
God, how am I gonna take care of it? Those band members they won't even talk to me.
Maybe they can only communicate through the power of song.
oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah please stop doing that.
Go to the conference room.
So if they won't talk to us, what do we do? Paul, there's not much that we can do.
I mean, we've been pressing their lawyer, and he has said repeatedly that Mac and Sherry are not interested in a licensing agreement, period.
I guess that'll probably be a no on the reunion tour too.
Yeah, what's their deal anyway? Are they allergic to money? Well, maybe they just don't like me.
Really? You seem like a decent enough kind of guy.
Well, they remember the rock star prick I used to be.
Let's just say a few, uh, TVs lost their lives in a flight off hotel balconies.
Mm.
Well, look, no one is the same person that they were 15 years ago, but TV-catapulting aside, I mean, I just don't understand why they won't engage in an arm's-length business deal with you.
Well Paul Come on.
This is confidential.
And I can't help you if you don't lay your cards out on the table.
I'm dying.
Blood cancer I've got three months to live.
Chased all the wrong things in my life, Kate, but I did have one hit song.
Hey I'm not worried about dying.
I'm worried about dying with regret.
I want to get the song out there again.
B.
M.
E.
's only giving us If you can just try one more time.
Okay, um I'll go around their lawyer.
I will talk to Mac and Sherry in person.
- Mm-hmm.
- And, uh Once I tell them that you're sick, I mean - No No.
- But they'll understand.
No, I don't want them to know.
You're gonna tell them anyway, right? No.
No, I can't.
I-I mean, unless they agree to participate in the mediation process, or you allow me to tell them.
Uh-huh.
I don't want them to think that I'm using my illness to force them into something, you know? Okay, then that's that.
But I am gonna see them.
Well, that's great.
Thank you.
I'll be back by 4:00.
Um, the gamers' mediation's at 3:00.
That's what I said 3:00.
Uh, Kate, this could be a tricky one.
Online role-playing games are a multibillion-dollar industry.
Have you read the emails that I sent? All 800 of them? Nope.
Don't underestimate the complexity of the online-gaming world.
Oh, Leo, I read the file.
- Read or skimmed? - Um, somewhere in between.
Okay, let's review.
The two pasty-faced people coming to our boardroom this afternoon lead the armies of 10,000 gamers that pay $20 a month to our client to fight virtual battles on virtual battlefields.
Which is 200 grand a month, not including the cost of original software.
Are you really quizzing me? I just want to make sure you're taking this seriously.
Yes, I will mediate their dispute, "The Battle of Xerxerus", two "x"s will go on as planned, and our client will not lose So you're saying you read the file.
I told you, I "skread" it.
Mm, "skimmed" plus "read" cute.
I'm not gonna embarrass you in front of the geek squad.
promise - Hi.
- Hi.
I'm Kate Reed.
I'm the mediator from your publishing firm, B.
M.
E.
I'm sorry.
We've been very clear.
We want nothing to do with the song licensing.
Okay, um, you have been clear, super clear.
Now let me be super clear.
Hi.
I'm Kate Reed, and all I want is five minutes of your time, but if you'd rather not talk to me, I'm sure that Paul Shelton will be more than happy to come down and talk to you himself.
- Okay, come on in.
- Thank you.
You sign your name.
The advertising agency hands you a large check.
Maybe it's, like, one of those comically large ones that you get when you win the lottery.
Money's not everything.
No, but this is a lot of money.
Well, whatever it is, it's not enough for us to want to deal with Paul Shelton.
What did this guy do to you? Just tell me, and I promise you, if I can't convince you that whatever it is doesn't matter anymore, I'm gonna walk out that door.
It's hard to explain how addictive it is to be in a rock band, even at the level that we were at just the one hit song.
Mac and I, we handled it badly.
Paul handled it worse.
It came to a head in '96 at the Vogue Theater.
Yeah yeah had reached number nine on the Billboard charts.
Paul was out of control Get off the phone, man! Come on! Trashing hotel rooms, tearing apart dressing rooms.
Hey.
When he attacked that roadie during sound check, that was the last straw.
Paul! Who knows why he went after the guy, but by the time I got to him and pulled him off, he started swinging at me.
He left the theater, missed that night's show.
We never saw him again.
And you two were able to just walk away? We're public-school teachers now.
That life is far, far in the past.
Hey, Brandon, can you turn it down a little? Wow.
Sounds like a chip off the old block.
He's a lot better than I ever was.
When I found out I was pregnant, Mac and I knew life on the road wasn't for us.
And no one's asking you to go back on the road, Sherry.
No, but if the song gets some exposure, people will pay attention again.
Somebody will do a "where are they now" piece on the band, and Paul will feed off of that stuff.
But our son deserves the nice, quiet life we've carved out for him.
Yes, and that's something that you can control.
If you want to be brutally honest, we just don't want Paul back in our lives.
Okay, I understand why you wouldn't want that Paul back in your lives, but I'm telling you, the guy that I met, he's not that guy.
Now, are you really willing to walk away from a big payday just because of some bad memories? Excuse me.
Hey, uh, I'm Mac and Sherry's son, Brandon.
- Right, the guitar.
- Yeah.
Oh, I'm Kate.
You sounded really good.
Thanks.
Was there something that you wanted to tell me? Just tell Paul Shelton to stay away from me and my parents.
- You heard us talking? - Yeah.
That guy's a major prick.
Yeah, and then some.
He told me everything.
- He needs to stay away.
- Yeah, I got that.
He ruined their lives, okay? And he's gonna do it again.
Brandon, what's going on? Are you afraid that Paul's trying to get the band together? Because your dad has just keep him away from us, okay? Today's feeling like a ham and swiss day, Benny.
Oh, sorry.
I'm out of ham and swiss.
Oh.
- Hey, Kim.
- Hey.
You're not Benny.
Where's Benny? Did the jets have something to do with it? Uh, Benny's on vacation, so I'm I'm picking up his shifts.
I'll be here every day this week.
Oh, my God.
That's so rough on me.
Did you want some turkey and cheddar? I could never do that to ham and swiss.
- They'd hate me forever.
- I'll bring one tomorrow.
Uh, tomorrow's my peanut butter day.
So it's like I make it at home.
I'm home alone, which I usually am, so don't worry about tomorrow.
Right.
Okay.
I got to go.
Um, I'll walk with you.
Ah! You know, because, uh, uh, cramps are an occupational hazard.
So you can be honest.
I mean, uh Uh, coming for more shifts, is it really an excuse to I needed to make some extra money.
That is what I mean money.
Money's a very good thing to have, if you're not a hermit.
Seeing you is a bonus.
Sorry.
I got a leg cramp right there.
I had to, uh, speed-walk it out.
Right.
Well, I should probably Move those sandwiches yes, yes.
Don't let me, uh, keep you from that.
Sorry I didn't have what you wanted.
Don't apologize to me.
Apologize to, uh, ham and swiss.
Oh, so sensitive.
You'd think they'd be neutral, because of the whole swiss thing, but, no.
Okay.
Ah, Leonardo.
Yeah, that was about as smooth as an alligator's butt.
Nothing's changed.
Looks exactly the same.
Should I try my key? You still have your key? Yeah.
You still have yours? Well, I forgot to throw it out.
You think they changed the locks? I don't know.
Oh, my God.
What did they do to our condo? It's not our condo anymore.
I'm gonna check the pipes.
What were they going for here, like, brothel chic? Yep! Galvanized steel.
- What a jerk! - What, me jerk? No plumber jerk.
No, really, Justin You can take on a drug cartel but then a guy in a tool belt he can get the best of you? - Are you kidding me? - Why is it suddenly my responsibility to do an extensive background check on a plumber? - He said he was gonna put in - Hello! - Hello.
- Hi.
- You must be Justin Patrick - Kate Reid I kept my name.
- Oh, good for you.
- Yes.
Uh, and you are? Margo Reston.
I represent the sellers.
Should we, uh, have a look at the pipes? We already did.
It's steel.
Our plumber screwed us.
Look, we closed escrow, like, a year ago.
How come it took them so long to call us? They just noticed.
You know, the neighborhood's had a big uptick, so they decided to take their profits and move to the Peninsula.
So, uh, they make a profit, and then they sue us for the pipes excellent.
You know, I told you we shouldn't have sold to lawyers.
Oh, my God.
Enough with the lawyer digs.
New copper pipes are $2,000.
Someone is going to need to write a check.
You can mail it to me.
- She seemed like - Don't.
There's nothing to be nervous about.
Just show them that you're a new man.
Hey, Mac.
Long time.
Mac, thank you for coming.
Is Sherry joining us? Uh, Brandon had a soccer game.
Oh.
All right, well, why don't you just have a seat and Oh, I'm good standing.
Great.
I'm I'm good, good to stand.
Paul, uh, why don't you start? I really appreciate that you came, Mac.
I, uh I know there's been a lot of rough water between us and, uh, maybe we could just, you know, leave it behind us, move forward.
That's him as a changed man? - What do you want me to say? - How about "I'm sorry"? Of course I'm sorry.
There you go, an apology that's a good first step.
I screwed up.
I drove you and and Sherry and Brandon, I drove you all from my life.
I knew it.
That's what this is about.
What do you mean? Tell her.
Yeah, tell me.
It's about, uh It's about the fans.
It's about us.
It's about everything.
You haven't got the guts to admit you made a huge mistake.
You want him back in your life.
Well, you know what? It's too late.
Okay, somebody please tell me what's going on here.
Stay the hell away from us.
What is he talking about? Brandon He's my son.
He's right, isn't he? This isn't about the song.
You're just trying to get the money to get close to Brandon.
I'm using the only leverage I have.
Paul, B.
M.
E.
retained this Firm to mediate a half-million-dollar case involving three songwriters and whether or not they use your song, that's just completely irrelevant to you.
All I have is Mac and Sherry and Brandon.
You should have told me the truth, Paul.
I told you I was a prick.
Okay, just hold on a second.
How did we get here? Well, we'd been a band since we were 16.
Mac and Sherry were together right from the start.
And then in, uh, '96, they broke up.
Now, I'd always had a thing for Sherry.
She was the most amazing woman I'd ever met.
So I just went for it.
And for a few weeks, it was beautiful.
But when I saw them that day, kissing at the vogue, I knew it was over.
She picked him.
I had to lash out at somebody.
I was probably high.
I don't really remember.
Mac pulled me off, told me to get lost.
And Brandon? I found out later that Sherry was pregnant and that the baby was mine.
But by that time, I was long gone.
Excuse me.
Kate, I need just a minute.
- I'm almost done here.
- Yeah.
Paul, I'm sorry that you're sick, but I can't work with clients who don't tell me the truth.
I understand.
I do.
From now on, we're gonna play by my rules, and that means that we tell everybody the truth.
So we're gonna tell Mac and Sherry that you're dying and that you want to see your son.
Okay.
What? I'm rounding second.
Last week you were rounding third.
Do you know how baseball works? You didn't call me in here to correct my metaphors.
B.
M.
E.
Says the ad agency is sensing an impasse.
This may be over by the end of the day.
But you gave me Apparently, they weren't mine to give.
The gamers are here.
Coming.
Hey, did you know that in the 1870s, David Smith's bar was a surveyor's weigh station? What? Prospectors would bring their findings, get them weighed, and then get paid.
How is this helpful to my mediation? It's not.
I just thought it was cool.
You're a very special man, Leonardo.
Where are the gamers? May I introduce phoenixxx16.
I am the greatest warrior of them all.
Kneel before me.
And in this corner Darkenova45.
I will eviscerate all who walk in my path.
Good luck with that.
Ah, who's this? This is you.
Hi, I'm Kate.
Hi, I'm Kate.
- I'm an elf? - Actually, you're a druid.
A druid's sort of a half-elf.
And they're very powerful large spell books.
Leonardo, I work with real people.
I don't mediate cartoons.
Avatars.
Get me live human Leonardo, I work with real people.
I don't mediate cartoons.
Are you finished? Get me live human beings in this conference room.
You're just mad because I made you a druid, okay? The boils are a sign of beauty.
People I work with people.
You can't even command a druid.
Me? The druid scoffed at you.
- Uh - the only scoffing was at your idiocy.
- Hey! - Pig! - Moron! - Guys? Mac, what are you doing here? I took a walk to blow off some steam.
Come into my office, will you, please? We've decided to give Paul the rights to the song, free and clear.
That's not what he wants.
Isn't that the case you were hired for? Does Brandon know that Paul's his father? Of course.
After Brandon was born, we tried to bring Paul into his life, but he was too busy always on the road.
We raised our son.
We just want to be left alone to finish our job as parents.
Paul can have the song.
What's the catch? He signs over all parental rights and a legal guarantee that he never tries to contact Brandon again.
Mac, people make mistakes.
That doesn't mean that they should have to live with them forever.
Ms.
Reed, I've known Paul a long time.
All he's ever wanted is to be famous.
He'll take this deal, and it won't take him too long to figure it out.
it's your hometown it's your hometown it's your hometown your hometown ooh whoa whoa - Thank you.
- Whoo, whoo, whoo! I'm gonna take a short break.
Oh.
You still got it.
Well, playing for 12 people isn't like playing for 20,000, but, uh, there aren't a lot of jobs where people applaud when you're finished.
Was that an Ultravinyl song? No, I don't play those, uh, anymore.
Doesn't seem right.
Mm.
Well, I like your new sound.
Thanks.
Been writing again.
I hadn't written a song in ten years.
Now I got them pouring out of me.
Hey, Paul Uh-oh.
I talked to Mac and Sherry.
They've agreed to give you the copyright to yeah yeah, but in exchange, they want you to sign a legal statement saying that you are never going to contact them or try to see Brandon ever again.
It's not your fault.
Um, you did the best you could, considering I lied to you about about what I really wanted.
So that's it? You've been absent from Brandon's life for 15 years, and now you're gonna just roll over? Paul, I mean, how are we gonna show them that you've changed, that you still care? Um Well, then I reject their offer.
Good.
I want to give my rights to the song to Brandon.
- Okay.
- Uh Mac and Sherry can use the money for for his college tuition.
That's great.
And then what about seeing Brandon? He's got good parents.
They're doing what they think is best for him.
Draw up the contract, so I can do what's best for him too.
Sure.
Brandon? Hi.
My parents told me he was playing here.
Yeah.
Are you gonna go inside? I was thinking about it.
Okay.
Yeah, you know, uh, your dad told me about Paul and who he is to you, Brandon what kind of person forgets his own son, forgets he even exists? - I don't know.
- Yeah.
Me neither.
But maybe you should go inside and ask.
What's he gonna say? "Sorry I missed the first Brandon, it took him a long time to realize what's important.
But I think he knows it now.
Why now? Oh, just let your parents fill in the blanks.
Yeah, that's what Paul is to me a blank.
Maybe it's better that way.
No, nothing's better that way.
Brandon.
- I've got the short-form agreement for the Ultravinyl mediation.
Um, okay, great.
So then I'll just call you after my meeting.
What meeting? There's nothing on your calendar.
Sometimes there are things that you just you don't know about, Leo.
Uh, no, there's not, ever.
If it's in your calendar, I put it there.
Well, you forgot about this one.
Well, I'm I'm sorry.
I, uh Don't worry about it.
People make mistakes.
Dave, tell him the one about the lawnmower.
What, and ruin his image of me as a man who's good with his hands? Hey, David.
Hi, Kate.
Can I talk to you? Well, I'm a little busy right now.
It'll only take a second.
Kate, I've got a bar full of customers.
Maybe some other time, okay? If you don't come in and get that ointment That herpes will never clear up.
Have a good day.
Gentlemen.
I don't have it.
Ham and swiss.
Hey, you're back.
I didn't want ham and swiss to get the wrong impression of me.
It's a little late for lunch.
Midnight snack? It's on me.
Thanks.
Yeah, I'll I'll probably be here late, because I'm about to rip into an epic game of, uh, World of Warcraft.
I just had a marathon session last night.
Really? I took down a 50th-level warlock.
- You know, I-I'm actually working on a big online-gaming mediation right now I mean, uh, Kate and I are.
Right.
So I should probably get going.
See you tomorrow.
I'm happy Benny's on vacation.
Me too.
I wish Benny could be on vacation forever.
That wouldn't be a vacation - Technically.
- That's true.
And I would have to leave, since it's his business.
Another detail that I overlooked.
So Good-bye, Leonardo.
Bye, Kim.
Don't get lonely in the elevator.
I won't.
Can you hold that, please? If she goes to the lobby, meets someone and falls in love instantly, flies to Las Vegas and gets married, I gonna be so upset.
It's happened to me before.
I brought you a veggie patty with an extra side of veggie.
Thanks.
Look, Kate, about the plumber Oh, yes, you know what? I brought my checkbook.
No, no, no, no, I'm gonna pay for this.
I'm not mad at you anymore.
Mad? Why would you be mad? You're the one who hired the plumber what, without references? Is that what you were gonna say? No, no.
It doesn't matter.
Okay, if you recall, during that remodel, I was in court with the tax evasion case.
Yes, and I was away on the Sumter case.
It was always something, wasn't it? Always? Let's just stick to the pipes, okay? Yep.
That's a great idea.
It's the only way she'll meet with you.
She wants to meet in person.
- No way.
- That's crazy.
I know, I know, I know.
But trust me, she's the best there is.
If anyone can get this feud resolved, it's her.
I spent 18 hours designing this avatar the armor, the weaponry.
- How will I defend myself? - Against what? It's not like the real Darkenova is gonna be riding up in here on a metal horse with a javelin.
I could bring a real javelin.
- No, you can't.
- Crossbow? - No.
- Catapult? You have those things in real life? I'm bringing my scimitar.
No.
No.
No weapons, just yourselves.
And wear some decent clothes.
Bathrobes do not count common mistake among gamers.
There's been a slight change of plans.
Didn't I say something like this would happen? We gave him the rights to the song.
Yes, and instead of you giving Paul your share of the rights, he would like to give Brandon his share.
- W-what's in it for Paul? Well, he wanted to reconnect with you, but you've said that that's not possible, and he wants Brandon to have money for college or whatever else you think is best.
And I have the contract right here.
Don't sign it.
There are other things going on.
Meaning Brandon.
No.
Then what? I can't tell you.
Paul's my client, and, unfortunately, I can't talk about it.
Just give me the contract so I can sign something and get him out of our lives.
Mediations are confidential.
Did you know that? But because you refused to enter into mediation with Paul, you are outside of that circle of confidentiality.
So how about you come inside the circle just for a little bit? So enter a mediation to end a mediation? Exactly, yes.
And I have the engagement letter for the mediation right here.
Please sign it.
Okay.
He's dying.
What? He has less than three months to live.
You said the artist agreements were signed.
All signed - So I called B.
M.
E.
- Oh, awesome.
So what what is the problem? There's a paternity issue embedded in Paul's side of the deal that I would like to extricate.
- No.
- Oh, come on, Lauren.
Momentum's on my side right now.
I just really want to make everybody happy.
It's irrelevant to our transaction.
Paul's dying.
He's never spent any time with his son.
It's relevant to him.
Well, t-that's tragic.
The only reason he got this ball rolling to begin with was to fix all this before he dies.
So, technically, if he did not want to see his son, there would be no fee from the successfully mediated licensing deal big fee, big big.
Just stall B.
M.
E.
Just for a little while.
- How long? - The rest of the day? That's not gonna happen.
Give me an hour.
Ah.
And just what exactly do I tell the men from B.
M.
E.
? I believe in the force of your charming personality.
An hour.
Hi.
They're here.
Hey, Sher.
Hey, Paul.
Why don't we all have a seat, make ourselves comfortable? Okay, it's now or never.
There's one huge advantage to having three months to live.
It gives you instant clarity.
I screwed up my life.
I don't want to screw up the next three months.
The three of us we really had something.
And I'm not talking about the music.
I'm talking about us.
You two were the only people who really knew me and cared about me.
And when I broke up the band, I had I had no idea of the damage it would cause.
I was already leaving for my own sake, for the sake of our son.
I'm really, really sorry about you getting sick.
We don't always get an encore.
You know, Paul, for a few years, because of you, we had a lot of fun.
- It was a blast, wasn't it? - Yeah.
That's true.
Oh, excuse me.
Done.
Or, uh, undone, I guess.
So we're good.
Yeah.
The revised contracts are on the table, and they're ready to go.
Congratulations.
Yeah.
You too.
You're not gonna hug me, are you? - Never even dawned on me.
- Okay, good.
Yeah.
This is something I thought I'd never see.
I told you he's changed.
You just had to see it to believe it.
You know, his sound has changed too he's amazing.
He's playing later at Buzz Coffee, and you should check it out.
You never give up, do you? I wish I knew how.
Brandon! Is he in there? Brandon, why don't you just go in and meet him? No.
Then go in and punch him.
No.
- Kick him.
- No.
- Scream at him! Do something! - No! No! Come on, punch me! Do something! Do something! No! Do something.
You keep showing up, but you're not doing anything, Brandon.
You're you're you're angry.
You're sad.
You're both.
You need to express these feelings.
He's dying.
I can't make you go in there.
I just I can't.
Okay, um, remember the coffee shop where you came to visit? This is his last performance.
Why don't you just come through the back And just watch? Okay? They're here.
For real this time.
You're nervous.
Just a little bit.
They're just people.
They command large armies.
Virtual armies.
Paying real money.
Point taken.
Thank you both for stepping out from behind your avatars.
In a mediation, it's, uh it's very important for both sides to not only be physically present, uh Nobody likes to be called that.
Okay, so then let's start.
Billy, why don't you go first? Oh, it's okay.
You don't need to - What? - Go right ahead.
You buy weapons from other people who have earned them.
That's not fair.
That's it? Okay.
B-be seated.
Donna? You don't you don't need to it's not fair at you organize outlawed individuals into groups.
Excuse me.
Leonardo? - It's going great.
- Really? Yeah, you're really getting through to them.
But that doesn't mean anything if they're not communicating.
They're comfortable in an environment where you wouldn't be a place where millions of people use a de facto form of communication that crosses borders and transcends cultural differences.
I-I-I'm serious.
- It's a multibillion-dollar - yeah, yeah, yeah.
I got it.
Let me try again.
Phoenixxx16, Darkenova45, please rise.
I'm disappointed in you two.
You should be leading thousands of your minions to victory, but instead, you're both sitting here like lily-livered miscreants.
Where's your dignity, Phoenixxx16? I have dignity.
I have volumes of dignity.
Then show some.
Fight.
And you, Darkenova45, have some pride.
I am proud.
Okay, then it's decided.
Let's hear a call to arms.
Tonight, we will dine together in hell.
Tell your legions that the Battle of Xerxerus will begin at 20:10 sharp! Into the fire! Into the fire! Sometimes you scare me.
No.
No, no.
This is a nice surprise.
I never got to hear the rest of the song.
How did you get her to show up? I gave her a flyer.
Mac's parking the car.
I'm so glad you came.
Good evening, everyone.
It's a big night for me.
And, um, I'm gonna play a I'm gonna play a song that That I haven't played in a long time.
Well, I'm callin' across can you hear me? yeah, I'm callin' across can you hear me? whoa, oh yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, ahh oh, yeah, oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, ahh if you want me just come and get me and don't be shy some are pleasure some are treasure 'cause I'm calling across can you hear me? yeah, calling across can you hear me? Wow.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I sent the money to the real-estate agent, and I ripped up your check.
I never should have hired that crackpot plumber in the first place.
I should've taken responsibility for stuff around the condo.
Yeah Maybe.
I didn't Always choose work over home.
Well, sometimes it felt like it.
You know, sometimes when we fight, it turns me on.
Always? Yeah, always.
Now's not a good time.
Oh, why not? I'm getting ready for the lunch crowd.
If you don't talk to me, I'm gonna come in here every day and say embarrassing things in front of your friends.
Um, Tequila? Nope, not again.
How about a scotch? Yeah.
One scotch.
- How do you take it? - Neat.
Atta girl.
She knows her scotch.
Nice.
My dad taught me about scotch.
I'll tell you a secret.
I taught your dad about scotch.
I don't really like secrets.
They always seem to hurt the person that they're trying to protect.
You don't think there are some things that people just shouldn't know? No.
No.
It's like magic, and I hate magic.
I mean, why would I want to be tricked into believing something that isn't true? I hate magic too.
So, um You taught my dad about scotch.
What else did you teach him? How to lose the evidence? Before I give you this, I want you to know Teddy was a good man.
Are you saying he didn't lose the evidence? Your father had to have a good reason for what he did.
But I can't ask him about that, can I? Maybe that's the way he wanted it.
The Teddy I knew back in the day, the scrappy guy that would do what it took to get out of the neighborhood, what does it matter who that guy was? It matters to me.
If I don know who my dad is, then how the hell do I know who I am, David? There are some things about people's pasts that aren't worth knowing.
I'm kind of the opposite.
I like to know everything.
I got to start prepping for lunch.
Thank you for the drink.
Oh, please, don't let me interrupt, uh, whatever it is you're doing.
Well, if you don't clean a boat regularly, then salt water just rots it.
That's a vaguely familiar song, yet still unappealing.
It's yeah yeah by Ultravinyl.
Ah, doesn't ring a bell.
Well, they broke up about, uh, 15 years ago, and I'm mediating or I'm trying to mediate an agreement to license the song for a car commercial, but two of the band members they won't sign off on a deal.
Listen, Kate, I said a lot of things the other night.
- We both said a lot of things.
- I know.
I just don't know how we're gonna move on from here good on you for washing her down.
Too many sand crabs have boats, but aren't willing to put in the time.
- Good to see you.
- Hey.
You two know each other? - We've met.
- We've met.
Kate Reed, you've been served.
We're being sued by the people who bought our condo.
What for? Remember that guy we hired to put copper plumbing in our bathrooms? Turns out, he didn't put in copper plumbing.
Okay, well, why don't we call him and have him pay for this? Oh, I tried.
His phone is disconnected.
I went down to see him at his store, it's a yogurt shop now.
So we're on the hook.
$2,000, yeah.
Ugh.
You want to stay and help clean? Not today.
All right, well, if you change your mind, I'll be here next week, same time, same place.
yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, oh, yeah yeah oh, oh - Good morning, Leo.
- Good morning to you, Kate.
Ohh! Yes, nothing says Monday like a fresh bottle of Tequila.
Leo You are gonna make a very popular boss.
Wasn't me, actually.
"Kate, because you are a connoisseur, "David Smith.
" I shared my knowledge.
I thought you went to talk to him about whether your father lost evidence in his trial.
I did, and we had some drinks to break the ice.
- How'd it go? - We broke it heavily.
- And he told me nothing.
- Mm.
I've got to go to that bar.
He's hiding something.
I just need to figure out what it is.
Who? Nobody.
Good morning, Lauren.
What can I do for you? Well, you've been stalling me with this music-publishing mediation, Kate.
I have not been stalling you.
Perhaps I just overstated a touch when, uh, I said that I was rounding third base.
How much did you overstate? The "rounding third base" part.
It's more of like a, mm, first base kind of situation.
Clients like B.
M.
E.
keep the lights on.
No lights equals no office.
No office equals no job.
Does that cold tone of voice of yours does that come naturally, or is that something that you practice? I practice, every time I talk to you.
You've got 48 hours to get this done, - or I'm gonna have to step in.
- I'll take care of it.
God, how am I gonna take care of it? Those band members they won't even talk to me.
Maybe they can only communicate through the power of song.
oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah please stop doing that.
Go to the conference room.
So if they won't talk to us, what do we do? Paul, there's not much that we can do.
I mean, we've been pressing their lawyer, and he has said repeatedly that Mac and Sherry are not interested in a licensing agreement, period.
I guess that'll probably be a no on the reunion tour too.
Yeah, what's their deal anyway? Are they allergic to money? Well, maybe they just don't like me.
Really? You seem like a decent enough kind of guy.
Well, they remember the rock star prick I used to be.
Let's just say a few, uh, TVs lost their lives in a flight off hotel balconies.
Mm.
Well, look, no one is the same person that they were 15 years ago, but TV-catapulting aside, I mean, I just don't understand why they won't engage in an arm's-length business deal with you.
Well Paul Come on.
This is confidential.
And I can't help you if you don't lay your cards out on the table.
I'm dying.
Blood cancer I've got three months to live.
Chased all the wrong things in my life, Kate, but I did have one hit song.
Hey I'm not worried about dying.
I'm worried about dying with regret.
I want to get the song out there again.
B.
M.
E.
's only giving us If you can just try one more time.
Okay, um I'll go around their lawyer.
I will talk to Mac and Sherry in person.
- Mm-hmm.
- And, uh Once I tell them that you're sick, I mean - No No.
- But they'll understand.
No, I don't want them to know.
You're gonna tell them anyway, right? No.
No, I can't.
I-I mean, unless they agree to participate in the mediation process, or you allow me to tell them.
Uh-huh.
I don't want them to think that I'm using my illness to force them into something, you know? Okay, then that's that.
But I am gonna see them.
Well, that's great.
Thank you.
I'll be back by 4:00.
Um, the gamers' mediation's at 3:00.
That's what I said 3:00.
Uh, Kate, this could be a tricky one.
Online role-playing games are a multibillion-dollar industry.
Have you read the emails that I sent? All 800 of them? Nope.
Don't underestimate the complexity of the online-gaming world.
Oh, Leo, I read the file.
- Read or skimmed? - Um, somewhere in between.
Okay, let's review.
The two pasty-faced people coming to our boardroom this afternoon lead the armies of 10,000 gamers that pay $20 a month to our client to fight virtual battles on virtual battlefields.
Which is 200 grand a month, not including the cost of original software.
Are you really quizzing me? I just want to make sure you're taking this seriously.
Yes, I will mediate their dispute, "The Battle of Xerxerus", two "x"s will go on as planned, and our client will not lose So you're saying you read the file.
I told you, I "skread" it.
Mm, "skimmed" plus "read" cute.
I'm not gonna embarrass you in front of the geek squad.
promise - Hi.
- Hi.
I'm Kate Reed.
I'm the mediator from your publishing firm, B.
M.
E.
I'm sorry.
We've been very clear.
We want nothing to do with the song licensing.
Okay, um, you have been clear, super clear.
Now let me be super clear.
Hi.
I'm Kate Reed, and all I want is five minutes of your time, but if you'd rather not talk to me, I'm sure that Paul Shelton will be more than happy to come down and talk to you himself.
- Okay, come on in.
- Thank you.
You sign your name.
The advertising agency hands you a large check.
Maybe it's, like, one of those comically large ones that you get when you win the lottery.
Money's not everything.
No, but this is a lot of money.
Well, whatever it is, it's not enough for us to want to deal with Paul Shelton.
What did this guy do to you? Just tell me, and I promise you, if I can't convince you that whatever it is doesn't matter anymore, I'm gonna walk out that door.
It's hard to explain how addictive it is to be in a rock band, even at the level that we were at just the one hit song.
Mac and I, we handled it badly.
Paul handled it worse.
It came to a head in '96 at the Vogue Theater.
Yeah yeah had reached number nine on the Billboard charts.
Paul was out of control Get off the phone, man! Come on! Trashing hotel rooms, tearing apart dressing rooms.
Hey.
When he attacked that roadie during sound check, that was the last straw.
Paul! Who knows why he went after the guy, but by the time I got to him and pulled him off, he started swinging at me.
He left the theater, missed that night's show.
We never saw him again.
And you two were able to just walk away? We're public-school teachers now.
That life is far, far in the past.
Hey, Brandon, can you turn it down a little? Wow.
Sounds like a chip off the old block.
He's a lot better than I ever was.
When I found out I was pregnant, Mac and I knew life on the road wasn't for us.
And no one's asking you to go back on the road, Sherry.
No, but if the song gets some exposure, people will pay attention again.
Somebody will do a "where are they now" piece on the band, and Paul will feed off of that stuff.
But our son deserves the nice, quiet life we've carved out for him.
Yes, and that's something that you can control.
If you want to be brutally honest, we just don't want Paul back in our lives.
Okay, I understand why you wouldn't want that Paul back in your lives, but I'm telling you, the guy that I met, he's not that guy.
Now, are you really willing to walk away from a big payday just because of some bad memories? Excuse me.
Hey, uh, I'm Mac and Sherry's son, Brandon.
- Right, the guitar.
- Yeah.
Oh, I'm Kate.
You sounded really good.
Thanks.
Was there something that you wanted to tell me? Just tell Paul Shelton to stay away from me and my parents.
- You heard us talking? - Yeah.
That guy's a major prick.
Yeah, and then some.
He told me everything.
- He needs to stay away.
- Yeah, I got that.
He ruined their lives, okay? And he's gonna do it again.
Brandon, what's going on? Are you afraid that Paul's trying to get the band together? Because your dad has just keep him away from us, okay? Today's feeling like a ham and swiss day, Benny.
Oh, sorry.
I'm out of ham and swiss.
Oh.
- Hey, Kim.
- Hey.
You're not Benny.
Where's Benny? Did the jets have something to do with it? Uh, Benny's on vacation, so I'm I'm picking up his shifts.
I'll be here every day this week.
Oh, my God.
That's so rough on me.
Did you want some turkey and cheddar? I could never do that to ham and swiss.
- They'd hate me forever.
- I'll bring one tomorrow.
Uh, tomorrow's my peanut butter day.
So it's like I make it at home.
I'm home alone, which I usually am, so don't worry about tomorrow.
Right.
Okay.
I got to go.
Um, I'll walk with you.
Ah! You know, because, uh, uh, cramps are an occupational hazard.
So you can be honest.
I mean, uh Uh, coming for more shifts, is it really an excuse to I needed to make some extra money.
That is what I mean money.
Money's a very good thing to have, if you're not a hermit.
Seeing you is a bonus.
Sorry.
I got a leg cramp right there.
I had to, uh, speed-walk it out.
Right.
Well, I should probably Move those sandwiches yes, yes.
Don't let me, uh, keep you from that.
Sorry I didn't have what you wanted.
Don't apologize to me.
Apologize to, uh, ham and swiss.
Oh, so sensitive.
You'd think they'd be neutral, because of the whole swiss thing, but, no.
Okay.
Ah, Leonardo.
Yeah, that was about as smooth as an alligator's butt.
Nothing's changed.
Looks exactly the same.
Should I try my key? You still have your key? Yeah.
You still have yours? Well, I forgot to throw it out.
You think they changed the locks? I don't know.
Oh, my God.
What did they do to our condo? It's not our condo anymore.
I'm gonna check the pipes.
What were they going for here, like, brothel chic? Yep! Galvanized steel.
- What a jerk! - What, me jerk? No plumber jerk.
No, really, Justin You can take on a drug cartel but then a guy in a tool belt he can get the best of you? - Are you kidding me? - Why is it suddenly my responsibility to do an extensive background check on a plumber? - He said he was gonna put in - Hello! - Hello.
- Hi.
- You must be Justin Patrick - Kate Reid I kept my name.
- Oh, good for you.
- Yes.
Uh, and you are? Margo Reston.
I represent the sellers.
Should we, uh, have a look at the pipes? We already did.
It's steel.
Our plumber screwed us.
Look, we closed escrow, like, a year ago.
How come it took them so long to call us? They just noticed.
You know, the neighborhood's had a big uptick, so they decided to take their profits and move to the Peninsula.
So, uh, they make a profit, and then they sue us for the pipes excellent.
You know, I told you we shouldn't have sold to lawyers.
Oh, my God.
Enough with the lawyer digs.
New copper pipes are $2,000.
Someone is going to need to write a check.
You can mail it to me.
- She seemed like - Don't.
There's nothing to be nervous about.
Just show them that you're a new man.
Hey, Mac.
Long time.
Mac, thank you for coming.
Is Sherry joining us? Uh, Brandon had a soccer game.
Oh.
All right, well, why don't you just have a seat and Oh, I'm good standing.
Great.
I'm I'm good, good to stand.
Paul, uh, why don't you start? I really appreciate that you came, Mac.
I, uh I know there's been a lot of rough water between us and, uh, maybe we could just, you know, leave it behind us, move forward.
That's him as a changed man? - What do you want me to say? - How about "I'm sorry"? Of course I'm sorry.
There you go, an apology that's a good first step.
I screwed up.
I drove you and and Sherry and Brandon, I drove you all from my life.
I knew it.
That's what this is about.
What do you mean? Tell her.
Yeah, tell me.
It's about, uh It's about the fans.
It's about us.
It's about everything.
You haven't got the guts to admit you made a huge mistake.
You want him back in your life.
Well, you know what? It's too late.
Okay, somebody please tell me what's going on here.
Stay the hell away from us.
What is he talking about? Brandon He's my son.
He's right, isn't he? This isn't about the song.
You're just trying to get the money to get close to Brandon.
I'm using the only leverage I have.
Paul, B.
M.
E.
retained this Firm to mediate a half-million-dollar case involving three songwriters and whether or not they use your song, that's just completely irrelevant to you.
All I have is Mac and Sherry and Brandon.
You should have told me the truth, Paul.
I told you I was a prick.
Okay, just hold on a second.
How did we get here? Well, we'd been a band since we were 16.
Mac and Sherry were together right from the start.
And then in, uh, '96, they broke up.
Now, I'd always had a thing for Sherry.
She was the most amazing woman I'd ever met.
So I just went for it.
And for a few weeks, it was beautiful.
But when I saw them that day, kissing at the vogue, I knew it was over.
She picked him.
I had to lash out at somebody.
I was probably high.
I don't really remember.
Mac pulled me off, told me to get lost.
And Brandon? I found out later that Sherry was pregnant and that the baby was mine.
But by that time, I was long gone.
Excuse me.
Kate, I need just a minute.
- I'm almost done here.
- Yeah.
Paul, I'm sorry that you're sick, but I can't work with clients who don't tell me the truth.
I understand.
I do.
From now on, we're gonna play by my rules, and that means that we tell everybody the truth.
So we're gonna tell Mac and Sherry that you're dying and that you want to see your son.
Okay.
What? I'm rounding second.
Last week you were rounding third.
Do you know how baseball works? You didn't call me in here to correct my metaphors.
B.
M.
E.
Says the ad agency is sensing an impasse.
This may be over by the end of the day.
But you gave me Apparently, they weren't mine to give.
The gamers are here.
Coming.
Hey, did you know that in the 1870s, David Smith's bar was a surveyor's weigh station? What? Prospectors would bring their findings, get them weighed, and then get paid.
How is this helpful to my mediation? It's not.
I just thought it was cool.
You're a very special man, Leonardo.
Where are the gamers? May I introduce phoenixxx16.
I am the greatest warrior of them all.
Kneel before me.
And in this corner Darkenova45.
I will eviscerate all who walk in my path.
Good luck with that.
Ah, who's this? This is you.
Hi, I'm Kate.
Hi, I'm Kate.
- I'm an elf? - Actually, you're a druid.
A druid's sort of a half-elf.
And they're very powerful large spell books.
Leonardo, I work with real people.
I don't mediate cartoons.
Avatars.
Get me live human Leonardo, I work with real people.
I don't mediate cartoons.
Are you finished? Get me live human beings in this conference room.
You're just mad because I made you a druid, okay? The boils are a sign of beauty.
People I work with people.
You can't even command a druid.
Me? The druid scoffed at you.
- Uh - the only scoffing was at your idiocy.
- Hey! - Pig! - Moron! - Guys? Mac, what are you doing here? I took a walk to blow off some steam.
Come into my office, will you, please? We've decided to give Paul the rights to the song, free and clear.
That's not what he wants.
Isn't that the case you were hired for? Does Brandon know that Paul's his father? Of course.
After Brandon was born, we tried to bring Paul into his life, but he was too busy always on the road.
We raised our son.
We just want to be left alone to finish our job as parents.
Paul can have the song.
What's the catch? He signs over all parental rights and a legal guarantee that he never tries to contact Brandon again.
Mac, people make mistakes.
That doesn't mean that they should have to live with them forever.
Ms.
Reed, I've known Paul a long time.
All he's ever wanted is to be famous.
He'll take this deal, and it won't take him too long to figure it out.
it's your hometown it's your hometown it's your hometown your hometown ooh whoa whoa - Thank you.
- Whoo, whoo, whoo! I'm gonna take a short break.
Oh.
You still got it.
Well, playing for 12 people isn't like playing for 20,000, but, uh, there aren't a lot of jobs where people applaud when you're finished.
Was that an Ultravinyl song? No, I don't play those, uh, anymore.
Doesn't seem right.
Mm.
Well, I like your new sound.
Thanks.
Been writing again.
I hadn't written a song in ten years.
Now I got them pouring out of me.
Hey, Paul Uh-oh.
I talked to Mac and Sherry.
They've agreed to give you the copyright to yeah yeah, but in exchange, they want you to sign a legal statement saying that you are never going to contact them or try to see Brandon ever again.
It's not your fault.
Um, you did the best you could, considering I lied to you about about what I really wanted.
So that's it? You've been absent from Brandon's life for 15 years, and now you're gonna just roll over? Paul, I mean, how are we gonna show them that you've changed, that you still care? Um Well, then I reject their offer.
Good.
I want to give my rights to the song to Brandon.
- Okay.
- Uh Mac and Sherry can use the money for for his college tuition.
That's great.
And then what about seeing Brandon? He's got good parents.
They're doing what they think is best for him.
Draw up the contract, so I can do what's best for him too.
Sure.
Brandon? Hi.
My parents told me he was playing here.
Yeah.
Are you gonna go inside? I was thinking about it.
Okay.
Yeah, you know, uh, your dad told me about Paul and who he is to you, Brandon what kind of person forgets his own son, forgets he even exists? - I don't know.
- Yeah.
Me neither.
But maybe you should go inside and ask.
What's he gonna say? "Sorry I missed the first Brandon, it took him a long time to realize what's important.
But I think he knows it now.
Why now? Oh, just let your parents fill in the blanks.
Yeah, that's what Paul is to me a blank.
Maybe it's better that way.
No, nothing's better that way.
Brandon.
- I've got the short-form agreement for the Ultravinyl mediation.
Um, okay, great.
So then I'll just call you after my meeting.
What meeting? There's nothing on your calendar.
Sometimes there are things that you just you don't know about, Leo.
Uh, no, there's not, ever.
If it's in your calendar, I put it there.
Well, you forgot about this one.
Well, I'm I'm sorry.
I, uh Don't worry about it.
People make mistakes.
Dave, tell him the one about the lawnmower.
What, and ruin his image of me as a man who's good with his hands? Hey, David.
Hi, Kate.
Can I talk to you? Well, I'm a little busy right now.
It'll only take a second.
Kate, I've got a bar full of customers.
Maybe some other time, okay? If you don't come in and get that ointment That herpes will never clear up.
Have a good day.
Gentlemen.
I don't have it.
Ham and swiss.
Hey, you're back.
I didn't want ham and swiss to get the wrong impression of me.
It's a little late for lunch.
Midnight snack? It's on me.
Thanks.
Yeah, I'll I'll probably be here late, because I'm about to rip into an epic game of, uh, World of Warcraft.
I just had a marathon session last night.
Really? I took down a 50th-level warlock.
- You know, I-I'm actually working on a big online-gaming mediation right now I mean, uh, Kate and I are.
Right.
So I should probably get going.
See you tomorrow.
I'm happy Benny's on vacation.
Me too.
I wish Benny could be on vacation forever.
That wouldn't be a vacation - Technically.
- That's true.
And I would have to leave, since it's his business.
Another detail that I overlooked.
So Good-bye, Leonardo.
Bye, Kim.
Don't get lonely in the elevator.
I won't.
Can you hold that, please? If she goes to the lobby, meets someone and falls in love instantly, flies to Las Vegas and gets married, I gonna be so upset.
It's happened to me before.
I brought you a veggie patty with an extra side of veggie.
Thanks.
Look, Kate, about the plumber Oh, yes, you know what? I brought my checkbook.
No, no, no, no, I'm gonna pay for this.
I'm not mad at you anymore.
Mad? Why would you be mad? You're the one who hired the plumber what, without references? Is that what you were gonna say? No, no.
It doesn't matter.
Okay, if you recall, during that remodel, I was in court with the tax evasion case.
Yes, and I was away on the Sumter case.
It was always something, wasn't it? Always? Let's just stick to the pipes, okay? Yep.
That's a great idea.
It's the only way she'll meet with you.
She wants to meet in person.
- No way.
- That's crazy.
I know, I know, I know.
But trust me, she's the best there is.
If anyone can get this feud resolved, it's her.
I spent 18 hours designing this avatar the armor, the weaponry.
- How will I defend myself? - Against what? It's not like the real Darkenova is gonna be riding up in here on a metal horse with a javelin.
I could bring a real javelin.
- No, you can't.
- Crossbow? - No.
- Catapult? You have those things in real life? I'm bringing my scimitar.
No.
No.
No weapons, just yourselves.
And wear some decent clothes.
Bathrobes do not count common mistake among gamers.
There's been a slight change of plans.
Didn't I say something like this would happen? We gave him the rights to the song.
Yes, and instead of you giving Paul your share of the rights, he would like to give Brandon his share.
- W-what's in it for Paul? Well, he wanted to reconnect with you, but you've said that that's not possible, and he wants Brandon to have money for college or whatever else you think is best.
And I have the contract right here.
Don't sign it.
There are other things going on.
Meaning Brandon.
No.
Then what? I can't tell you.
Paul's my client, and, unfortunately, I can't talk about it.
Just give me the contract so I can sign something and get him out of our lives.
Mediations are confidential.
Did you know that? But because you refused to enter into mediation with Paul, you are outside of that circle of confidentiality.
So how about you come inside the circle just for a little bit? So enter a mediation to end a mediation? Exactly, yes.
And I have the engagement letter for the mediation right here.
Please sign it.
Okay.
He's dying.
What? He has less than three months to live.
You said the artist agreements were signed.
All signed - So I called B.
M.
E.
- Oh, awesome.
So what what is the problem? There's a paternity issue embedded in Paul's side of the deal that I would like to extricate.
- No.
- Oh, come on, Lauren.
Momentum's on my side right now.
I just really want to make everybody happy.
It's irrelevant to our transaction.
Paul's dying.
He's never spent any time with his son.
It's relevant to him.
Well, t-that's tragic.
The only reason he got this ball rolling to begin with was to fix all this before he dies.
So, technically, if he did not want to see his son, there would be no fee from the successfully mediated licensing deal big fee, big big.
Just stall B.
M.
E.
Just for a little while.
- How long? - The rest of the day? That's not gonna happen.
Give me an hour.
Ah.
And just what exactly do I tell the men from B.
M.
E.
? I believe in the force of your charming personality.
An hour.
Hi.
They're here.
Hey, Sher.
Hey, Paul.
Why don't we all have a seat, make ourselves comfortable? Okay, it's now or never.
There's one huge advantage to having three months to live.
It gives you instant clarity.
I screwed up my life.
I don't want to screw up the next three months.
The three of us we really had something.
And I'm not talking about the music.
I'm talking about us.
You two were the only people who really knew me and cared about me.
And when I broke up the band, I had I had no idea of the damage it would cause.
I was already leaving for my own sake, for the sake of our son.
I'm really, really sorry about you getting sick.
We don't always get an encore.
You know, Paul, for a few years, because of you, we had a lot of fun.
- It was a blast, wasn't it? - Yeah.
That's true.
Oh, excuse me.
Done.
Or, uh, undone, I guess.
So we're good.
Yeah.
The revised contracts are on the table, and they're ready to go.
Congratulations.
Yeah.
You too.
You're not gonna hug me, are you? - Never even dawned on me.
- Okay, good.
Yeah.
This is something I thought I'd never see.
I told you he's changed.
You just had to see it to believe it.
You know, his sound has changed too he's amazing.
He's playing later at Buzz Coffee, and you should check it out.
You never give up, do you? I wish I knew how.
Brandon! Is he in there? Brandon, why don't you just go in and meet him? No.
Then go in and punch him.
No.
- Kick him.
- No.
- Scream at him! Do something! - No! No! Come on, punch me! Do something! Do something! No! Do something.
You keep showing up, but you're not doing anything, Brandon.
You're you're you're angry.
You're sad.
You're both.
You need to express these feelings.
He's dying.
I can't make you go in there.
I just I can't.
Okay, um, remember the coffee shop where you came to visit? This is his last performance.
Why don't you just come through the back And just watch? Okay? They're here.
For real this time.
You're nervous.
Just a little bit.
They're just people.
They command large armies.
Virtual armies.
Paying real money.
Point taken.
Thank you both for stepping out from behind your avatars.
In a mediation, it's, uh it's very important for both sides to not only be physically present, uh Nobody likes to be called that.
Okay, so then let's start.
Billy, why don't you go first? Oh, it's okay.
You don't need to - What? - Go right ahead.
You buy weapons from other people who have earned them.
That's not fair.
That's it? Okay.
B-be seated.
Donna? You don't you don't need to it's not fair at you organize outlawed individuals into groups.
Excuse me.
Leonardo? - It's going great.
- Really? Yeah, you're really getting through to them.
But that doesn't mean anything if they're not communicating.
They're comfortable in an environment where you wouldn't be a place where millions of people use a de facto form of communication that crosses borders and transcends cultural differences.
I-I-I'm serious.
- It's a multibillion-dollar - yeah, yeah, yeah.
I got it.
Let me try again.
Phoenixxx16, Darkenova45, please rise.
I'm disappointed in you two.
You should be leading thousands of your minions to victory, but instead, you're both sitting here like lily-livered miscreants.
Where's your dignity, Phoenixxx16? I have dignity.
I have volumes of dignity.
Then show some.
Fight.
And you, Darkenova45, have some pride.
I am proud.
Okay, then it's decided.
Let's hear a call to arms.
Tonight, we will dine together in hell.
Tell your legions that the Battle of Xerxerus will begin at 20:10 sharp! Into the fire! Into the fire! Sometimes you scare me.
No.
No, no.
This is a nice surprise.
I never got to hear the rest of the song.
How did you get her to show up? I gave her a flyer.
Mac's parking the car.
I'm so glad you came.
Good evening, everyone.
It's a big night for me.
And, um, I'm gonna play a I'm gonna play a song that That I haven't played in a long time.
Well, I'm callin' across can you hear me? yeah, I'm callin' across can you hear me? whoa, oh yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, ahh oh, yeah, oh, yeah yeah oh, yeah yeah oh, ahh if you want me just come and get me and don't be shy some are pleasure some are treasure 'cause I'm calling across can you hear me? yeah, calling across can you hear me? Wow.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I sent the money to the real-estate agent, and I ripped up your check.
I never should have hired that crackpot plumber in the first place.
I should've taken responsibility for stuff around the condo.
Yeah Maybe.
I didn't Always choose work over home.
Well, sometimes it felt like it.
You know, sometimes when we fight, it turns me on.
Always? Yeah, always.
Now's not a good time.
Oh, why not? I'm getting ready for the lunch crowd.
If you don't talk to me, I'm gonna come in here every day and say embarrassing things in front of your friends.
Um, Tequila? Nope, not again.
How about a scotch? Yeah.
One scotch.
- How do you take it? - Neat.
Atta girl.
She knows her scotch.
Nice.
My dad taught me about scotch.
I'll tell you a secret.
I taught your dad about scotch.
I don't really like secrets.
They always seem to hurt the person that they're trying to protect.
You don't think there are some things that people just shouldn't know? No.
No.
It's like magic, and I hate magic.
I mean, why would I want to be tricked into believing something that isn't true? I hate magic too.
So, um You taught my dad about scotch.
What else did you teach him? How to lose the evidence? Before I give you this, I want you to know Teddy was a good man.
Are you saying he didn't lose the evidence? Your father had to have a good reason for what he did.
But I can't ask him about that, can I? Maybe that's the way he wanted it.
The Teddy I knew back in the day, the scrappy guy that would do what it took to get out of the neighborhood, what does it matter who that guy was? It matters to me.
If I don know who my dad is, then how the hell do I know who I am, David? There are some things about people's pasts that aren't worth knowing.
I'm kind of the opposite.
I like to know everything.
I got to start prepping for lunch.
Thank you for the drink.