Joe Pickett (2021) s01e06 Episode Script

1
- Hi.
- Hey.
- Oh, hon,
your eye got worse overnight.
You should put some ice
on that, okay?
- Yeah.
You're up early.
- I wanted
to get some work done
before the clown show wakes up.
They sent eight more
of these boxes
I got to get through before
Nate's arraignment tomorrow.
Here.
- Oh, it's okay.
I'll go downstairs.
I don't want to interrupt
the home office.
- And, Joe,
I was thinking about what
you said last night
about not being smart enough.
That's not it.
It's just, maybe sometimes
you come on a little strong
for the new guy in a new town.
- Oh, well, Vern Dunnegan
already gave me
the "ticket the tourists"
speech.
- That is not what I mean.
No, look, it's like
it's like if you'd only known
bison your whole life,
and you get used to them,
you learn how to be
around them safely.
And then one day,
you meet a bear,
and you use the same strategy.
How do you think
that would go for you?
- Not good.
- Right, not good.
I mean, maybe we've lived
in bison towns our whole lives.
But this town's a bear,
and we need
to treat it differently.
- So you think I should learn
to play dead?
- No, Joe.
I think you're gonna wind up
being dead if you don't learn
to avert your eyes
and back away sometimes.
It's impossible to tell who's
up to what in this damn town.
Maybe it's time we start
playing our cards
a little closer to the vest.
We gotta start thinking like
insiders, acting like insiders.
- Try and act like an insider?
Okay, I'll try.
- My God, they're practically
giving houses away
in this place.
"Cozy."
That's code for shithole.
- Okay, Mom.
How about we cool it
with the real estate lessons?
- I thought you said
our house was cozy.
- I was being generous.
- It's Sheridan, right?
If you do tell your dad,
I'll kill him.
- Good morning.
- Do you like this one?
- Morning.
- Good morning.
- Missy.
- Hm.
- You feeling all right, hon?
- I'm fine.
- Hey, Sher, can you
please eat something?
The bus is gonna be here
any second.
- I already told you,
I'm not hungry!
- Hon.
Okay, you see it now?
- Yeah, I'll go talk to her.
- Thanks.
- Hey.
What's going on with you, hm?
Sheridan, talk to me.
- Why did we even come here?
You promised it'd be different.
And it's worse.
I hate this town.
I hate this house.
And I hate your stupid job.
- Hey.
- What if you die?
What are we supposed
to do then?
- Hey, Sheridan.
- I'm the lyrical gangster ♪
Here comes the hotstepper,
murderer ♪
I'm the lyrical gangster,
murderer ♪
Big up the crew
in-a the area, murderer ♪
Still love you
like that, murderer ♪
No, no, we don't die,
yes, we multiply ♪
Anyone test will hear
the fat lady sing ♪
- Touch them up and go,
uh-oh ♪
Cha-ch-cha-cha-ching,
whoo-hoo ♪
- Hotstepper, hotstepper ♪
- I'm the lyrical murderer ♪
- Uh-uh ♪
- Uh, what-- ♪
- Wait.
- What is it?
- Wait.
- What is it?
- Do you hear that?
- I don't hear anything.
What is it?
- That's what I mean.
- What is it, Violet?
What's going on?
- Oh, oh, my
- Oh, my
What's hap--oh, my God!
- Oh, oh!
- Oh, my
- Oh!
Oh, no, no!
- Vivian, Vivian, Vivian,
don't look!
- Oh!
- Vivian, don't look!
- Oh, my
- Oh!
-
- Oh, buddy, come on in.
- Jeannie?
- Jeannie, it's Marybeth.
I can hear you in there.
Can I come in?
- April.
- Hi.
- Hi, are you okay?
Is your mom home?
Could I come in?
- Yeah.
- Thank you.
Jeannie, Jeannie.
Hey, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to scare you.
Hi.
- What are you doing here?
- I'm filing an injunction
for your case,
but Wyoming tenant rights
aren't very strong.
I just want you to know that
it might buy a couple months,
but the odds just aren't
in your favor on this one.
- Great.
Just in time for me
to welcome my new bundle
of joy into the world.
These babies are gonna curse us
one day for bringing 'em
into this mean old world, huh?
- World's in a bad place.
That's true.
That's why
we gotta fight for it.
People like us, mothers.
That's why we gotta fight.
- I don't think I got
much fight left in me.
- That's okay.
That's okay 'cause
I got enough fight
for both of us if you need it.
- It's okay.
It's okay.
I know.
- Thanks for coming, Joe.
It's horrible, a real tragedy.
- I came as soon as I heard.
- Just awful.
- What I don't understand
is why would
a wolf kill all of them?
- All of them?
- Every single one.
Why would it do that?
- I don't know.
Did you see them?
The wolves, I mean.
- We were out visiting
our cousins last night.
We didn't see anything.
- What are you thinking?
- Honestly, I don't know
what to think.
That's a lot of damage
for a wolf.
I mean, a pack would
pick up a few,
wouldn't massacre a whole mob.
And despite this killing,
it doesn't look like the emus
were actually eaten.
Has someone recently tried
to buy your ranch?
- Uh
- Oh, yeah.
- Oh, yes, some lawyer.
- Spencer Stone, that lawyer?
- Yes, that's him.
- That's him.
- What was that all about?
I hate lawyers too, Joe,
but I can't recall ever
seeing one rip an emu apart
with their teeth.
- I was just curious.
- You got it from here?
- Thanks, Vern.
- "With Mercury out
of retrograde,
"this is the week to finally
take a chance on romance.
"Be bold and ask your crush
out.
A small spark could turn
into a raging fire."
Okay, let's do you.
When's your birthday?
- I don't have one.
- Everyone's got a birthday,
even the mysterious
Nate Romanowski.
- Nope.
- Definitely a Scorpio, yep!
"You might be feeling trapped
in your current situation.
"But be sure
you've thought through
where any possible exits
may be."
- Hold on, let me see that.
- What?
- The paper, give it here.
Any chance this is
in print only?
- No, I think
"Saddlestring Roundup's"
been digital since 2014.
- They'll be coming for me now.
- I hope you find who did this.
And I hope you kill 'em mean.
- Dad!
- Get back in the house!
Come on!
It's funny, man.
- Where are you planning
on putting this thing?
- Oh, I have it all worked out.
I'm gonna put our clothes
under the bed
and then clear out the closet
and turn it into a baby nook.
It's gonna be great.
- That's smart.
You're gonna give that baby
good therapy material
right from the get-go.
- Hi!
- Missy, wanna watch
"Ghost Files"?
- Oh, that's the highlight
of my day, sugar.
I'll make the popcorn.
- Hi, hon.
- That thing better not be
going in my room.
- Oh, I see you're really
warming up
to being a big sister.
Hey, hon.
How was your day?
- It was fine.
- Hi!
- Hey, April.
- You said I could visit.
- Sure did.
I'm so happy to see you.
Aw, he missed you, huh?
- Uh
can I see where my dad died?
- Yeah, hon.
Of course you can.
Come on.
You know, my dad died
when I was about your age.
- What happened to him?
- Helicopter crash,
a training exercise.
He was a Marine.
This is right
where we found him.
- Sometimes, when I wake up,
I forget.
I think he's out
on a hunting trip or something.
But then I remember.
That ever happen to you?
- Still does sometimes.
Less than it used to, but yeah.
I'll be having a dream
where I'm talking to him,
and then I'll wake up,
and I'll remember.
When I was your age,
I wish someone had told me
that this will always hurt.
And that's okay.
But in time, it won't hurt
as bad as it does today.
And that's okay, too.
Hey.
You want to go for a ride?
Hey, Sheridan.
We're going on a ride.
- Right now?
Do we have to?
- Fresh air will do you good.
Not taking no for an answer.
You know, I'm not gonna be able
to ride much longer.
- You know, I was just
a little bit older
than you girls
when I first moved to Wyoming.
I hated it.
I was a city kid before that.
And I found
the quiet deafening.
All the kids at school
thought I was a weirdo.
I couldn't walk to the mall,
to a movie theater.
I was miserable.
- What changed your mind?
- I met my first horse, Layla.
She had the most beautiful jet
black coat, a lot like Elway.
It was love at first sight.
My mom married a rancher.
He was my second least
favorite stepdad.
But he taught me how to ride.
If I wasn't at school,
I was out on Layla.
- Layla's a nice name, Mom.
We should add that
to the baby name list.
- That's a great idea, hon.
- Pickett!
Pickett!
The hell you doing here?
Hey!
What the hell is that?
- I think you know.
If you don't, your dogs do.
That's why I'm taking 'em.
- What do you mean?
- We're confiscating your dogs.
- Hey!
You can't do that.
- Yeah, I can!
And I am.
You're negligent at best.
- This is a dumb mistake,
Pickett.
You don't mess
with a man's animals.
- Why don't you tell that
to the Bouviers?
Now I know you think you're
above the law.
That's changed.
- Come on.
Come on!
- How could you?
- Jesus, Vern.
What are you having,
one of everything?
- You didn't have to kill them.
Those emus are all they have.
- You keep your goddamn voice
down, Vern!
Arlen and Momma have
lost faith in you.
Too many loose ends,
too many unforeseen problems.
You're sloppy, Vern.
Or you're stupid.
Either way, we're out
too much money on this
to take your word
on things any longer.
- I don't want to be
a part of this anymore.
- Vern, you got us into this.
We bet our ranch on it.
And what we have here is
a binary situation.
Either it succeeds or you die.
Shit!
And speaking of loose ends,
your boy,
Joe Pickett, hasn't seemed
to lose interest in all this.
Seems like you might have
misjudged him, Vern.
And Momma and Arlen,
they think he's too close.
- It's too soon for that.
Let me talk to him.
You see the way
he hit that guy?
No, you break your wrist
punching a guy like that.
Here, come on, get up.
- Let's keep
watching the movie.
- Oh, come on,
these kids are soft.
We gotta toughen them up
a little bit.
It's a cruel world out there.
You gotta know
how to defend yourself.
Put your hands put up.
Come on, put your hands up.
- I just think there's
better ways to handle things.
- Yeah?
Well, of course there's
better ways to handle things
until there ain't.
- Vic, come here.
- George.
- Right here.
Hit him, Vic.
Come on, come on.
Put your hands up.
Now hit him.
Like this.
Put your hands up.
Hit him, Vic.
Vic!
Oh, my--on the chin, Vic.
Hit him on the chin.
Hit him on the chin.
Come on, let's see how you
defend yourself
with your "better ways
to handle things."
Hit him, Vic!
Hit him!
Again.
Again!
Are you crying?
Jesus Christ, hit him.
- You don't have to, Victor.
- Hit him, again!
Hit him!
-
- Yes!
- I know you like to think
of yourself as better than me.
I used to think
the same thing about my dad.
But when you grow up,
you'll learn,
the apple don't fall too far.
- I never did apologize
for that, did I?
- There's a lot
we never talked about.
- Joe, Joe, I found it.
I found it.
I know how to get Nate
out of prison.
- What time is it?
- They buried it
in the autopsy report.
It wasn't the arrow
that killed him.
Come here.
-
Okay, all right, I'm up.
- Okay, okay.
Ote died
of a cerebral hemorrhage,
not from blood loss,
which means
the poison was the murder
weapon, not the arrow.
And they have nothing
tying Nate to the poison.
It's right here.
- How do you even read that?
- I know.
- Tetra-methy-lene-
disulfo-tetra-mine.
That's the poison?
- Yeah.
- I've seen that before.
Hold on.
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
These are the tox reports
from the vulture
that Nate dropped here
and from the elk sample
that I took when I headed up
to Crazy Woman Creek.
Both of them were poisoned.
- Oh, my God.
- It's the same poison.
- The poison that killed these
animals is the same poison
that killed Ote.
Holy shit.
- This is it.
This is how we nail 'em.
So if we could somehow tie
this poison to the Scarletts,
then Barnum would be forced
to investigate them finally.
We can bring
the whole thing down.
- Follow the poison.
- Follow the poison.
- I've got all day,
Ernie, really.
- Taylor.
- Oh, hey.
- Ernie.
- Yeah.
- How's his recovery going?
- Well, he'll never fly again.
You know,
a broken wing will do that.
But that doesn't mean
he can't have a nice life
on the ground
like the rest of us.
Oh, before you ask
about your scat sample,
the International Database
called to say that they're
running the sample again.
You know, I guess they had
some kind of problem
the first time, you know,
said it was inconclusive.
- Hmm.
- Yeah.
- Thanks for staying on that.
That's not actually
why I'm here.
- Oh.
- Sorry.
- Oh, dear, oh.
- Have you heard of, uh
tetra-methy-lene-
disulfo-tetra-mine?
-
TETS?
Yeah, yeah, nasty stuff.
- Yeah.
- A hundred times more toxic
than cyanide.
I mean,
you be careful with that
if you come across it, okay?
- Would someone hunt with it?
- No, not if you plan
to eat the meat.
I mean, TETS gets
into an animal's fat,
so anything
that ate meat killed
with it would get
secondary poisoning.
- Like a vulture?
- Oh, yeah, sure.
I mean, if a vulture
ate an animal killed with TETS,
it would be sayonara.
- Oh, where can you get it?
- Hmm, it's has been banned
in the U.S. since,
I mean, probably the '80s.
So it'd be pretty hard
to get your hands on it.
- You think it'd be possible
to make it yourself?
- Let me see.
Okay.
Hmm.
You just need a couple
of common household items.
Soap, vinegar, drain cleaner.
Yeah, you know, add a bunch of
acetone and bing, bang, boom.
TETS.
Obviously, it's a little
more complicated than that.
But that's the gist.
- Wow, thanks, Taylor.
This is a big help.
- You got it.
- I'll see you.
- Take care.
- Look, it's right here
in his autopsy report.
The arrow wound wasn't fatal.
They can't tie you
to the murder weapon,
which means they have nothing.
This is good news.
You should be happy.
The prosecution's case
just fell apart.
- No, I am.
How quickly do you think
you can get me out of here?
- I'm gonna push to have it
thrown out this afternoon.
- I hope that's quick enough.
- Jesus, Joe, I've been trying
to reach you all day.
- Ah, a little busy.
- Too busy to take my call?
- Can I do something
for you, Vern?
- I need an answer
on the job offer.
- Right now?
On the side of the road?
- You'd be wise to accept it
before the opportunity passes.
- Well, not sure
I can just run away
from being the game warden.
- What, you gonna miss
the great outdoors?
Buy a boat, take the girls
camping on the weekend.
- I know it's the Scarletts,
Vern.
And I want you to know,
as a friend,
if you're mixed up in this,
you should get
yourself out now
before it's too late.
- Me?
You're saying
I should get myself out?
Shit, your first year
as a game warden,
and now you're trying to start
some kind of range war?
Are you insane, Joe?
That's a real question.
Well, sure.
Would I bet my life
that the Scarletts
never bent the law?
Well, of course not.
They're business people.
But whatever they do,
it's outside my hula hoop, Joe.
And it's outside yours, too.
Stop picking fights
you can't win.
Take the job,
join me at InterWest, or--
- What, I'll regret it?
- I'm just looking out
for you, Joe.
- Vern.
You heard anything about rare
or endangered species
in Twelve Sleep?
- No, but I'll tell you what,
that'd be the worst thing
that ever happened to you
if something like
that were found.
- Well, it certainly
wouldn't be good
for InterWest Resources.
- InterWest?
What about all the people
that work at the lumber mill?
All the outfitters, cowboys,
the fishing guides,
they'd all be unemployed
while the feds come
and shut this whole area down.
Saddlestring is the real
endangered animal.
And it wouldn't survive for
long if it lost that pipeline.
So if you ask me,
there's only one thing
an honest man should do
if he comes across one
of those endangered animals,
shoot, shovel, and shut up.
-
- Oh.
- Oh, my God.
Deputy McLanahan,
he--look, he brought
the crib up here for you.
- Beautiful crib.
- The kids will be home
from school in 20 minutes.
- 20 minutes,
that's more than enough time.
- Out, get out.
- No, no, yeah, of course.
I mean, it's good.
I will--just gonna grab
a couple of my things.
Yeah, I know
I left the sock over here.
- Oh, my God!
- No, it's okay.
I have this two for one coupon
at this waxing place--
- Please leave.
- No, yeah, I'm gonna go.
- Oh, wow.
- Yeah, bagged this old guy
last season.
Been waiting
for the mount ever since.
Lopez does good work.
But, man,
that guy takes forever.
- Are you Barrett?
This your place?
- It is, third generation.
- Wow, nice.
You know, my wife and I,
we're trying to learn to live
more like insiders in this
town, even though we're new.
I'm guessing that being
an insider is second nature
for a third-generation
Saddlestringer like yourself.
- How may I help you?
- You sell acetone?
- I'm not really
a chemical company.
Oh, shit, crooked.
- Well, is acetone
the active ingredient
in anything you do sell?
- Guess I wouldn't know.
- Nail polish remover,
that's made of acetone.
- Nail polish remover, huh.
Anyone come in and buy a bunch
of that recently?
- Ah, still crooked, dammit.
I gotta go get the level.
You want some advice on how
to act like an insider
here in Saddlestring?
Keep your nose
out of other folks' business.
- Don't mind Dwayne.
He's been a real dickhead
ever since his wife left him.
Over the summer,
Ote Keeley came in here
and cleaned us
out of nail polish remover.
Three cases.
Strange, right?
- Ote bought that?
- You didn't hear it from me.
- Thank you.
- Damn it.
Hi, hey.
- You okay?
- Yeah, I mean, I don't know.
I don't--my shirt doesn't fit.
I'm a mess.
- Aw, you're gonna do fine.
- Joe, I haven't stepped foot
in a courtroom in five years,
and I'm about to represent
a man accused of murder,
and I don't even have a shirt
that fits?
I mean, am I crazy?
- Are you gonna wear a blazer?
- Yeah, yeah.
- Well, all right,
then turn around.
- What are you doing?
- Just trust me.
- What are you doing?
- Trust me.
- Mom, Mom!
- Just be still!
- Your mom--are you okay?
- There we go.
So you throw a blazer
over that,
and no one will be the wiser.
- Not bad.
Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- Okay, Joe, I should go.
- Wait, before you go,
I might have found something.
I think Ote made the poison
that killed him.
- What?
That doesn't make any sense.
- He wasn't blackmailing
the Scarletts.
He was working for them.
- Well, then who
the hell killed Ote?
- I don't know.
Maybe it was the Scarletts.
Maybe they needed
to shut him up.
But I'm gonna head
round the Keeleys' now,
and I'm gonna see if I can
find out anything more.
- Okay, just let me know if
you find anything then, okay?
- I will.
Hey, good luck.
And, oh, break the legs
or whatever.
- Thank you.
Love you.
- You're not safe here.
You need to move.
- What do you want?
- Did Ote ever do any work
for the Scarletts?
- No, Ote didn't care for 'em.
Said they was a bunch
of mama's boys, why?
- Well, at first, I thought
maybe he found something
inconvenient for them.
Might have been
blackmailing them.
But now I'm starting to think
that maybe he was helping
them deal with a problem.
- Helping them how?
- You remember Ote
making poison?
- Poison?
- With household objects,
nail polish remover, you know,
stuff like that.
- The science experiment
he did with April?
Yeah, he did that.
- Would you mind
if I had a look?
- Can I help you?
- U.S. Marshal Jerry Kelmeckis.
- U.S. Marshal?
Well, what brings you
to Twelve Sleep?
- Tell me, who here
brought in Nate Romanowski?
- Well, I was part
of that team.
- Well, sir,
I'd like to shake your hand.
Let me tell you,
you're lucky to be alive.
That man is
extremely dangerous.
- Yeah, no, I got
some sense of that, yeah.
- Unfortunately,
this isn't a social call.
I'm here to take custody
of that prisoner.
- Why?
- Well, he must have done
something pretty bad
to warrant all this, huh?
- Killed two federal agents.
- Yeah, yeah, that'll do it.
Well, listen,
you're welcome to hang out here
and wait for him to return.
- He's not here?
- No, no, no,
they took him over
to the courthouse
for his arraignment.
But they should be back
in about an hour or so.
- He's at the courthouse now?
- Yeah, yeah.
It's just around the corner
down over
I can take you if you want.
I know where it is.
- Your Honor,
our motion asks the court
to dismiss the case
against Mr. Romanowski.
- Your Honor,
you have to be kidding me.
- Your Honor,
the prosecution's entire case
against my client rests
on tying him
to an alleged murder weapon
that didn't kill Mr. Keeley.
May I approach the bench?
- You may.
- If I may direct
the court's attention
to the middle of page four,
the autopsy report
clearly states
Mr. Keeley died of poisoning.
- We've all read
the autopsy reports.
- Yes, we have read
the autopsy reports.
But what we might have missed
is what the prosecution
intended to bury in fine print.
- U.S. Marshal's Office.
I need to speak
to the judge immediately.
- Your Honor.
- Your honor, I'm sorry
for the interruption.
I'm U.S. Marshal
Jerry Kelmeckis.
I've got a prisoner transfer
order here for Nate Romanowski,
which I need
to execute immediately.
- This is strange.
I'm not sure what's happening.
- You're not kidding?
- No, sir.
- Court will take
a 30-minute recess.
- What in the hell
am I supposed
to do with all this crap?
- If I find anything else out,
I'll give you a call.
- Thanks for givin' a shit.
- Jeannie?
That Falcon in there,
that's one of Nate Romanowski's
birds, isn't it?
- I told you they had a beef.
- Oh, man.
- Ote was never scared of Nate.
I always thought he should be,
but Ote would say,
"Don't you worry.
I got something on him."
- You mind if I borrow it?
- Thank you.
- How long will this take?
Do you know what it's about?
- The judge will be
with you shortly.
- Hi, it's Marybeth.
Please leave a message.
- Marybeth, Nate isn't
who we think he is.
I might have been
wrong all along.
Ote wasn't
blackmailing the Scarletts.
He was blackmailing Nate.
Get away from him and call me
as soon as you get this, okay?
- Ah!
Ooh.
It's okay.
The baby kicked.
Getting strong.
- Baby, huh?
- Yeah, here.
Come here.
Here, right
you feel that?
- Yeah.
- Mm!
- All units, please be advised
of an active hostage
situation.
A suspect believed
to be Nate Romanowski
is holding
at least one hostage
at the Twelve Sleep
courthouse.
Backup has been requested.
- On my way.
- Who's the hostage?
- What's your status?
- Who's the hostage?
Hello?
Who is the hostage?
- Birds will gather
at my side ♪
Tears will gather
in my eyes ♪
Throw my head and cry ♪
As vultures circle
in the sky ♪
And you're going to do ♪
What you came here to do ♪
So why not do it now ♪
Oh, and cut me down ♪
Looking for the dead ♪
The dead that I left ♪