Matlock (2024) s01e07 Episode Script

1
- Previously on Matlock
- Big Pharma, big money.
That's where I want to be.
The law firm Jacobson
Moore hid documents
that could have taken opioids
off the market ten years earlier.
Think of how many lives
that could have saved,
including our daughter's.
I shouldn't have left you before,
and I'm not leaving now.
It's gonna be hard
to keep this a secret.
Undercover operations are sexy, baby.
So, uh, what dating apps are you on?
We're friends. Why do you think
I was upset that you didn't know
my girlfriend who I've
been dating for eight years?
SARAH: Eight years?
MATTY: My daughter died after
a long battle with drugs.
I think I'm having a heart attack.
Are you sure it was just
a panic attack? Positive.
Go to your doctor to get a beta-blocker
in case it happens again.
You need to take your
health more seriously.
- We're so close.
- We're not.
If you were on Wellbrexa,
maybe it would be different.
You're going to pharma.
JULIAN: I've got a new
case with Wellbrexa,
and I am bringing you on.
I'm right where the
universe wants me to be.
("THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE
YEAR" BY MARK TREMONTI PLAYING)
It's the most wonderful
time of the year ♪
(BUZZES)
Darling, how's Florida?
I can't believe you guys
are there without me.
The house is so empty.
Edwin, I'm fine. No more panic attacks.
I'm feeling good.
Better than good.
I'm back, baby.
Those pharma boys are
about to meet Pharma Granny,
and they're not gonna know what hit 'em.
Of the year ♪
Senior won't be there today,
so I won't be able to
access his computer.
Nope, he only comes in
for the head honchos.
Well, I'm gonna focus on impressing
the Wellbrexa in-house legal team.
Because if they like me
and they want me to stay on,
I'll be able to have
access to everything.
All their files, all their secrets.
(LAUGHS) "Belly of the
beast" is about right.
I couldn't be more ready.
It's the most wonderful time ♪
Of the year. ♪
BELVIN: Matty.
Good timing and good morning.
Settle our dispute.
Do you like these really fun sweaters
that have worked beautifully
for our a cappella group over the years?
I think I most certainly do.
Stay out of this, Matlock.
On my way out of this, Stuart.
No. Don't move.
I need a witness to Stuart's
holiday party tyranny.
These sweaters do not
align with our vision,
- so they're not happening.
- Is this coming from you or Senior?
Senior.
In that he's empowered me
to make all sartorial decisions.
That's a lie cloaked in
convenient corporate language.
Ha! Caught by the human lie detector.
We're wearing these sweaters
because they are fun,
and a cappella is all about fun.
Well, I, for one,
can't wait for the
eggnog and the good cheer,
and I'll see y'all there.
Actually, I need your help, Matty.
A little truth session, if you will.
Oh, sorry, Shae, but I'm
just in a bit of a hurry.
Truth sessions can happen on the move.
So, I can tell by your body language
you haven't been sleeping well.
Neither have I. Because of a lie.
What lie?
Sarah has conveniently come
down with a "head cold,"
which means she can't sing,
which means there will be no alto
to round out my soprano.
So we're back to a cappella?
That girl isn't sick.
And I don't want Billy getting involved
because, well, voices might be raised
and he needs to preserve his.
So I need you to convince her
- to perform tomorrow night.
- I'll do my very best.
But I really got to go now.
I appreciate it. Thank you, Matty.
(SOFTLY): Okay.
KIRA: Madame Matlock,
what is up? All right,
I will catch you at the party, Sarah.
You definitely will catch me
'cause I will be there, waiting.
For you.
Oh, so this is why you're not
performing with the a cappella
Shh!
Yes, because we've only had one coffee,
and I don't want Kira knowing
about any extracurricular
that isn't objectively hot.
Don't bother, Matty, I've already
tried telling her that a ca
- Shh!
- She's out of earshot, friend.
Uh, to be fair, we don't know.
I mean, Kira could
have the auditory range
- of a Siberian husky.
- Exactly.
(LAUGHS SOFTLY) That was a joke.
Aren't you supposed
to be on pharma today?
She sure is. Come on, Matty,
I'll walk you to Julian.
Sarah, Billy, I will be leaning
on you two with Matty gone.
Well, I've been leaning on
'em ever since I got here.
I'm gonna miss both of you.
Same.
Well, I'm not gonna lie, but
I wish you well.
(EXHALES)
Are we ready to be leaned on?
Olympia's used to Matty now.
She's got experience, people skills.
Yes, and we have benefited
from that experience.
And, look, my interpersonal skills
- have improved light-years.
- Mm.
Plus this day was always coming, right?
If Matty didn't leave us for pharma,
she eventually would
have left us anyway.
(TONGUE CLICKS)
(SIGHS) What were you saying
about your interpersonal skills?
And remember, Wellbrexa's
in-house counsel can be brutal,
so don't take things personally.
Oh, I can give as good as I get.
Okay. And, look, I'm gonna miss you.
Really?
No. That's a trap.
Something to avoid in
a room full of big egos.
Well, who's the main ego in the room?
- Trent.
- Trent. Morning, Matty.
He's great at his job,
horrible with people,
so don't take anything personal.
Y'all are like a couple
of nervous parents
dropping their kid off on
the first day of school.
Relax. I got my juice box and my snacks
and a pretty good idea of where
we want this settlement to land.
The plaintiff was 21 when she
signed up for the drug trial
and 23 when she discovered
her kidney problems.
Considering she filed suit
after the Supreme Court
blocked student debt relief,
I'm guessing that she's
got some bills due.
The number?
$50,000 should be enough
to keep her social media
followers off our ass.
Told you she was good.
Yeah, it's not all about being good.
It's about reading
the room and knowing
Y'all are back together?
You told me she was good.
And we're keeping it quiet.
Well, so am I.
And I won't be part of your throuple.
I tried that in '95. It's
too much multitasking.
- (LAUGHS)
- And I'm walking away.
(LAUGHS)
Why is my father here?
He's supposed to be away.
Don's in town, he wanted to grab lunch.
Stuart, need the file.
Stuart, now.
If you were serious about
handing over Wellbrexa,
seems you'd tell me when the CEO
is in New York instead
of changing your flight.
Calves ripped from the teat
show signs of distress, son.
Got to wean 'em.
What's Matlock doing here?
Oh, she's going to help with
the good cop, bad cop dance.
She's done great work for Olympia.
Oh, so, part of the play
to get your wife back?
We share a broker, son.
He told me you pulled the
brownstone off the market.
A simple "congratulations"
would have sufficed.
Well, congratulations.
Just make sure you clear all the rot
from the foundation,
or whatever went wrong
will go wrong again.
Learned that the hard way.
Stuart, fix my computer and bring me
my laptop.
Okay
JULIAN: Here's the basic plan.
I'll be blunt, maybe even
a little condescending
since Jessie's lawyer is
basically 12 years old.
And then you come in and
ease them into the deal.
- TRENT: Hey, there he is.
- BEN: What's up?
Plaintiff inside?
Yup. Pretty sure she found
her lawyer off TikTok.
Aw. I didn't know it was
Bring Your Grandma to Work Day.
It sure is.
And we didn't tell your grandma
'cause I don't like that bitch.
Granny's got a mouth on her. (LAUGHTER)
You must be Trent.
(CLICKS TONGUE) Let's crush this.
(JULIAN CLEARS THROAT)
You have to understand,
I was completely healthy
before I signed up for this drug trial.
I was in college,
I literally just wanted
to graduate without debt.
Next thing you know,
I need a new kidney.
My whole life was derailed.
Allegedly. Please stick to the facts.
PAIGE: Okay, the facts.
One month into the trial,
my client began experiencing
stomachaches and mental fog.
She reported her symptoms
multiple times and was gaslit
Let's keep the buzzwords out of this.
My client was led to believe
that her symptoms were unrelated.
Her condition then worsened and she had
to drop out of music school.
So whatever this settlement offer is,
it needs to account not
just for medical costs
but for a career path
that has been destroyed.
JULIAN: Right. Uh, little
bit about that career path.
There are what?
Maybe 20 known concert
cellists in the world
And I was good enough to be one.
Oh, is that a fact?
Of course not. But I
that's what you have to
believe if you have a dream.
And that's what it was,
it-it was my dream since
I was seven years old.
And all because I have this gene
that said I might get
rheumatoid arthritis,
I agreed to do this trial,
and now I have no kidney,
I have a shaky hand
And no one knows if that
was caused by this drug.
The FDA approval process is rigorous.
Every symptom is
documented and reported,
and no report exists.
Someone on your side is lying.
Ms. Carver, please advise your client
to refrain from making
baseless accusations.
I'm actually not here to dim her light.
(SCOFFS)
Yeah, I-I even remember
the color of the folder
Dr. Blackwell used to file my report.
It was blue.
Cerulean, specifically.
Yeah, like in The Devil Wears Prada.
- Classic cinema.
- Dr. Blackwell has always maintained
that you never reported any symptoms.
And he's a world-renowned
scientist and doctor
who swore an oath to do no harm.
You mentioned mental fog.
That's a common effect
of substance abuse.
And we all know what college is like.
You ever drink, do drugs?
Stop it! Enough.
Let's authorize a sum.
I don't care if they can prove it,
this feels like David and Goliath,
and I, for one, don't like it.
JULIAN: Fine.
$10,000.
$50,000.
And I've just said it out loud,
so there's no going back.
What do you say?
Pay off your bills,
give yourself some breathing room
until you find a new dream.
There's no David and Goliath.
Not with you guys behind me.
- You all heard the offer?
- Camera.
What do you guys think
of these pharma bros
mansplaining the price of my suffering
while playing good cop, bad cop
with Grandma Death over here?
Put that down right now.
CODY: Good thinking with that
folder. Wish I hid my face.
Her followers are tearing
me a new one online.
Yeah, these reposts are brutal.
You know what any of
these words mean, Nana?
Yeah. Means the plaintiff
is putting up a fight,
and you'd better start
taking her seriously.
Matty's right.
And now we're gonna have
to win this thing in court
and in the court of public opinion.
Quickly, so it doesn't get any bigger.
Dr. Blackwell, hi.
Jessie's still claiming
she reported her symptoms
in March of 2019 and twice
more in July, that same year.
That's just not true.
She was monitored like
everyone else in the study.
If she had voiced anything
remotely significant,
we would have filed a
case report with the FDA.
Don't know how many
more ways I can say it.
Trust me, we don't want to keep asking.
Look, there are plenty of subjectives
when it comes to patient monitoring,
but a clear and objective fact is:
this young woman never
reported her symptoms.
JULIAN: That's what I wanted to hear.
We'll keep you posted.
(VIDEO MONITOR BEEPS)
Okay, great. Where's your team at?
Wellbrexa's willing to
tack on an extra $100,000,
make sure this all goes away.
$150,000 is a good number.
But we'll need to do it on their turf
to keep the temperature down,
which means you get a second turn at bat
with Jessie. (CHUCKLES)
It's gonna be great. See you then.
I appreciate the confidence,
but I don't think she's a fan of mine.
She's not, but she hates me more.
And you can win people over.
You did it with Olympia, which was
the Super Bowl of sorcery.
Right, but this
is a little different.
I-I have to admit, I'm a little
concerned about being on camera.
My grandson just explained to
me what getting doxed means.
And at first I thought he was talking
about fostering a wiener dog, which
You wanted on pharma, right?
If it's too much
It's not.
Great, so talk to Jessie,
get her to take this settlement,
and make sure she stops posting online.
SARAH: This is bad.
Our first witness interview without
Matty, and Olympia tore it apart.
Just look at the
transcript. You can tell
that she ran out of ink
and had to switch pens.
Hmm.
My ego got in the way
earlier, which rarely happens,
but I think we need Matty.
She's better.
With people. It says it here in red.
Then we have to improve.
Come on, you were right before.
They're gonna love Matty at Wellbrexa,
she's gonna move over there,
so we got to figure this out.
- Okay?
- MATTY: Figure what out?
BILLY: Oh, um
I'm trying
to figure out
how to propose to Claudia.
- Oh!
- What?
What i-is the problem?
My sisters say she has to be
hair and makeup and
nails photo-ready and
but still needs to be surprised.
So I'm open to any ideas.
My husband proposed to me on
a fishing boat on Lake Lanier
over a 12-pack of Coors,
right after telling
me about three bodies
that had been found there.
So, if you don't do that,
you're gonna be just fine.
Are you, though?
Oh, fit as a fiddle.
Can I borrow your phone battery thingy?
Um, I like to give consent
for adhesives on personal belongings.
Next time.
Oh, I wish we'd had
these nifty laser printers
back when I was doing my crafting.
(LAUGHS) Catch you later.
(SIGHS)
Okay, was that a cover, a seizure,
or are you really proposing soon?
Well (SIGHS)
I've been keeping it
here so she won't
Billy.
Not the reaction I expected.
Why are you listening to your sisters?
- It's your engagement.
- It's complicated.
It's not, 'cause you're marrying them,
just someone who looks like them.
And you can't live your life to
please everyone in your family.
And, wow,
my interpersonal skills are crackling.
Why don't we hang tight on
the advice-giving until you go
on a real date with Kira, and, no,
the office holiday party doesn't count.
There's gonna be alcohol,
and it will be night.
We can debate what romance
does or doesn't look like
- after we reinterview this witness.
- (SIGHS) Fine.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
Uh
Hey there, could you put that down?
You see, I have a pacemaker in.
And this little device protects me
from electromagnetic interference.
One EMF surge from your phone,
I start barking like
a dog and I wet myself.
Paige, they sent the good cop.
- What? We're roommates.
- After you.
Either of you girls
feeling fluish? (CHUCKLES)
I can't be too careful at my age.
It's kombucha, homemade.
Never had one. Looking forward.
Try it.
Whew.
That's lovely. (CHUCKLES)
We have another appointment soon.
Well, then I'll keep this real quick.
Jessie, I'm sorry the
meeting went badly.
And I know you probably
won't believe this,
but I really want you
to get a fair settlement.
Nothing about this is fair.
That's why I was filming it.
Well, that was smart.
Got you more leverage, more followers.
This is not about the followers.
- It's about community.
- That part.
Playing music was my gift.
My reason.
And before I got sick,
I spent ten hours a day
in rehearsals and classes,
and after everything happened, I
I had nothing.
I felt totally alone.
Until I found this huge group of people
who know what it's like to
live with a chronic illness.
And I know,
to the soulless corporations,
I'm nobody,
nothing, but
I'm here.
They can't just sweep us away.
I can't tell you how deeply
I understand that, Jessie.
And I don't want to sweep you away.
Then why do you work for them?
Well
my daughter died, and
I'm raising her son.
And I needed the money.
That said,
I have a moral line,
and my client is also responsible
for the pacemaker keeping me alive.
So things aren't always as
black and white as they seem.
They wouldn't have sent you
here without a new number.
What was it?
Well, they told me $150,000.
But just like they lowballed you,
I bet they lowballed me, so
Let's say 250.
We'll talk about it.
Thanks for stopping by.
Sorry I missed your calls.
My last deposition ran over.
- How'd you do?
- What's the real ceiling?
- 250.
- That's what I thought.
Jessie's gonna take it.
- (RELIEVED SIGH)
- What the hell happened?
What did Matlock do?
JULIAN: What are you talking about?
Look.
So, Grandma Death came
over to try to convince me
that my suffering could be
neatly summarized by a number.
And it was a good reminder
that this isn't about the money.
- No, ma'am.
- It's about justice.
PAIGE: Yes, sir. Which is why
we are no longer suing for damages.
We've amended our
complaint to be submitted
on behalf of all participants
in the Wellbrexa trial.
PAIGE: Mm-hmm. Under the legal
theory of third-party representation.
Shout-out to my Auntie Gale,
who's a lawyer and an absolute queen.
We are stopping this
drug trial immediately,
before anyone else
is irreparably harmed.
(SIGHS) This is bad.
This doesn't make sense.
- Something must've changed.
- What changed is,
they got an emergency
preliminary injunction
to shut the drug trial down.
And that's gonna cost us
about a million dollars a day.
I don't understand. I had 'em.
Nope, you got played, Grandma.
I don't care how woke she
is. Everyone has a number.
We need to go higher.
She'll go public, we'll look desperate.
We are desperate.
Each day that preliminary injunction
keeps the trial shut down,
Wellbrexa loses another million dollars.
I'm telling you, she
So we raise our offer to half a mil.
JULIAN: We're not
throwing more money at her
without a bigger strategy.
That's what got us here.
Oh, sure, that's what got us here.
JULIAN: We need a gag order
before we start negotiating again
that'll at least put a cap
on her online presence
Heard what happened.
Here's the plan.
First we're gonna get that gag
order to shut these girls up.
After that, we go back to the table.
This case cannot go to trial.
JULIAN: He said it like
it was something new,
when it's exactly what
he and I talked about
right before that meeting.
But he had to come in
there and undercut me.
You can't let him get to you.
Plus he probably wanted
to reassure the team.
I'm sure Wellbrexa is anxious.
They went public. He's showing
them that he's paying attention.
What?
I-I get why it helped, I just don't
need you defending my father right now.
Julian
That's fine. We'll talk later.
I have to prepare for the hearing.
Put that down right now.
I know it sounds real, Edwin,
but it's not. I was there.
Julian didn't say those words.
Don't you think I'd lead with that,
if I got into Senior's computer?
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm just tired.
It's been impossible
to get anywhere near him
when I'm doing so poorly on this case.
Plus his assistant is always
hovering over his shoulder
like a damn parrot.
I know something changed,
I can't figure it out, and I,
I don't want to blow my shot
with Wellbrexa, I
Can you put Alfie on
the phone real quick?
Hi, darling, I need to find
out where these girls went
after I met with them.
I just sent you their TikTok video.
Yeah, I need to know where it was taken.
Can you do that street view thing?
Yes, you can stay up past your bedtime.
Tell Grandpa it's your vacation.
Because I have another
task for you, too.
But first, what does that
sign say in her glasses?
Okay, good news, I got the gag order,
which means they can't make
any more TikToks about the case
or, hopefully, me.
Then, after Blackwell's deposition,
we'll get them back to
the negotiating table.
I think we should
postpone the deposition.
What? Why?
I found out where Jessie and Paige
went yesterday after our meeting.
It's a building out in Hoboken.
And get this,
there's a lab inside,
and it's run by Dr. Catherine Roark,
Dr. Blackwell's ex-girlfriend.
They ran labs at Brown University.
They lived there together.
I know the name, but
why would they go see her
if she was never involved in the study?
Exactly. The girls must
have found something.
- Something like ?
- I don't know.
But after they left,
they changed their mind
about the settlement.
I'm telling you, I had 'em.
I need just a little more time
to figure out what happened.
Can you postpone Blackwell's deposition?
Our client is losing tens
of thousands by the hour,
and you want me to stall
because you have a hunch?
It's not just a hunch.
So you're 100% sure you had them?
- I'm 98% sure.
- Not good enough.
PAIGE: Dr. Blackwell, you
changed your statistical model
on March 21, 2019.
Why is that?
We consulted with a biostatistician.
And for the record, a
biostatistician does what now?
They help us to make
data-driven decisions
through mathematical analysis.
We needed to ensure that we were using
the right model for our trial.
And who was your biostatistician?
Uh, Dr. Adam Riser.
So, what is the nature
of your relationship
with Dr. Catherine Roark?
Uh, she and I were romantically
- involved for some time.
- PAIGE: I'm not interested
in your dating history, my guy.
I'm asking about y'all's
professional relationship.
We have none.
We only worked together
as grad students,
never professionally.
And Catherine's area
of expertise is ?
She's a biostatistician.
PAIGE: Hmm. So she would understand
the model you were using and
how many reported symptoms
would cause your test
to fail or succeed.
So, for instance, if someone
reported a stomachache,
and you had a few other
reported stomachaches,
a biostatistician would know how many
would result in a failed drug trial?
Theoretically.
Right. Let's go with facts.
I'd like to submit into
evidence a text exchange
between Dr. Blackwell
and Catherine Roark
from March 18, 2019,
the same day my client first
reported her first symptoms.
Dr. Blackwell texts,
"Had a stomachache today." Hmm.
Catherine's response, "Uh-oh."
These texts could be
about his own stomachache.
(CHUCKLES) Then, hours later,
Dr. Blackwell texted, "How
many can I afford to lose?"
Odd.
Then, Catherine hits back with,
"None."
I-I wasn't
- We were talking about
- Oh, we know exactly
what you were talking about.
These texts prove that my client
told you about her stomachache,
and you didn't report
it because, if you did,
your trial would have failed.
Let the record show, Dr. Blackwell
looks like he just got got.
- We're done here.
- Agreed.
Evidence will be submitted to the judge.
We'll see you on Monday.
We're going to trial.
- So?
- (SIGHS)
Catherine Roark wasn't
just Blackwell's girlfriend.
There are smoking gun texts.
She advised him on the study
not to report the stomachache.
I knew it.
No. You weren't sure.
In what world is 98% not sure?
In this one.
You can't expect blind trust.
You want to be heard? You want respect?
At this level you have to fight for it.
Oh, like you do with your dad?
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have
Look, some people aren't
supposed to work together.
We tried, it didn't work out,
and that's okay.
Senior would like to see you both.
He's got Don Halverston with him.
Chop-chop.
What the hell happened?
This case was supposed
to be an easy layup.
You were up against a college dropout
and a baby lawyer.
What a joke.
I don't know what they were thinking
when they hired you, but
(AUDIO DISTORTING)
What a colossal screwup.
Why should I stay at this firm?
Because these two
are off the Wellbrexa team.
For good.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, la, la ♪
Ooh, Christmastime ♪
Ooh, la, la ♪
Look how beautiful this
is, but wait a minute,
what is up there?
Ooh, la, la, la ♪
SHAE: So, what's going on
with your flaky colleague Sarah?
Not now, Shae. Leave me alone.
(MUSIC CONTINUES FAINTLY)
(CLEARING THROAT)
You look healthy.
Will you get me a drink?
Love to.
I wanted to show up and celebrate,
but I-I still think I'm a
little under the weather.
- (COUGHS)
- You think you can lie to a human lie detector?
Fine, I don't have a head cold.
I know. Keep up.
So why aren't you
performing with us, hmm?
- We need you. The Acaquittals
- Shh!
SHAE: I see. You're smitten.
And it's turned you into a coward.
- Great, so now you understand.
- No.
Now I have leverage. See,
if you don't sing with us,
I'm going to tell that aloof yet oddly
confident girl that you
were supposed to perform
but dropped out because you suffer
from severe identity issues,
and she should stay far away.
You wouldn't.
Try me.
You're ruthless.
I'm just a soprano
standing in front of her alto
Fine. I will sing.
Thank you.
Are you all right?
Got fired from Wellbrexa.
Yeah. Happy holidays.
- I'll talk to Julian. I'm sure he's just under pressure
- He got fired, too.
What?
Senior did it himself.
I'm sorry, Matty. I
want to be here for you,
- but my husband Okay.
- Go. We'll talk later.
SARAH: Excuse me. Hey.
You looked upset, so I got Billy.
I'm off Wellbrexa. I screwed up.
Oh, Matty, I'm really sorry.
Look, there is still
three desks inconveniently
crammed into our office, and even though
we managed our witness
interview (SIGHS)
it took us two tries and four
and half a hours, so if you
That's Sarah speak for "we
missed you," which we did.
SARAH: For real.
And on a work level, too,
because you are good at this.
Sarah,
that means a lot to me coming from you.
And boy, oh, boy,
I could've used your Internet
sleuthing skills on this one.
And you,
you play good cop a lot
better than me, hands down.
(LAUGHS) So,
what's happening with this proposal?
Uh, still waiting for the,
uh, perfect moment, so
And that's Billy speak
for, "I am paralyzed
by my own people-pleasing
tendencies because, even though,
- Claudia and I are practically married, I "
- Please stop.
Seriously, you guys might
as well be married already.
- What?
- Yeah, what?
I'm just saying,
because you guys have
been together for so long,
you might as well be married.
That's the face.
- The "I have an idea" face.
- BILLY: Hmm.
I have to go do some research.
Sarah, don't you dare wuss
out on that performance,
and, Billy, stop being
such a damn people-pleaser.
You do what you want.
- Mm-hmm.
- What is everyone's
I just want the moment to be perfect.
You don't need the moment to be perfect.
Just pick the moment,
and it will be perfect.
And, look, I get it,
she needs to have her makeup, her hair,
- her nails, and all
- She does.
Right now.
♪
Meet me on the patio.
I want you to grab all the
holiday decorations you can steal.
Done. I love stealing.
Don't think about it too much. Go.
(LAUGHTER)
You fired Julian from Wellbrexa?
The client wanted a head to roll.
I needed to keep them on board.
He's your son. Figure out another way.
That's what a good lawyer would do.
- A good lawyer?
- Yeah.
And a good father.
If I were you,
I would choose my next
words very carefully.
Oh, I always choose my
words very carefully,
and I will not waste any more on you.
(SIGHS)
What was all that about?
Me not minimizing that
man's behavior anymore.
Well, I-I appreciate that,
but I just wanted to vent.
Don't talk about it, be
about it, baby. Right?
Right.
So this coming Christmas ♪
Let's all make an effort ♪
(LAUGHS)
Get a present for Santa, too ♪
Let's trade in the old
sleigh and the reindeer. ♪
AUTOMATED VOICE:
Your caller is unavailable.
Leave a message after the tone. (BEEPS)
Hi, Edwin. I'm sure you're out
having fun on whatever roller coaster
Alfie's convinced you
to ride, and I just
needed to talk because
I found something that I know
will win us this case and
(SIGHS)
get me in with Senior
and Wellbrexa, and
It's gonna destroy a young woman's life.
I just don't know what to
do, and I-I thought that if
I could hear your voice,
I would (BEEPS)
AUTOMATED VOICE: You have
exceeded your time limit.
(LINE BEEPS)
ELLIE: Hey, Mom. I was
hoping to catch you,
but I'm sure you're working
late again. (SIGHS) Um
Gosh, this is
(LAUGHS) so weird to say.
I'm pregnant.
Surprise! (LAUGHS)
And I'm clean, Mom.
I promise. So, call me.
I'm really happy.
I hope you are, too.
One, two, three, and
I was following the,
I was following the ♪
I was following the ♪
- I was following the, I was following the pack ♪
- (VOCALIZING)
All swaddled in their coats ♪
With scarves of red ♪
Tied round their throats ♪
To keep their little heads ♪
From falling in the snow ♪
And I turned round ♪
And there you go ♪
And, Michael, you would fall ♪
And turn the white snow red ♪
As strawberries in the summertime ♪
(VOCALIZING)
(VOCALIZING CONTINUES)
Julian, I need you to listen.
It's about Wellbrexa.
We can shut this baby down.
We're off the case,
and I'm having a drink.
Well, then pop a breath mint,
because I know we can win this.
And before you ask,
I am 100%,
"slap you across that cute
little face of yours" certain.
Best to listen to her in these moments.
Exactly. So, let's get a move on.
- Come on.
- Okay.
In the summertime, ooh, ooh ♪
(VOCALIZING)
(VOCALIZING CONTINUES)
I was hoping for some
neighborhood carolers.
JULIAN: Thank you for
agreeing to see us, Judge,
and what could be a better
gift than finding a way
to clear your docket? (CHUCKLES)
(DOOR CREAKS CLOSED)
Apologies, Your Honor. We just came
from our own holiday party.
(JULIAN CLEARS THROAT)
Your Honor.
Paul Blackwell and Catherine
Roark, uh, didn't just date.
Before moving to New York together,
they lived as a couple,
sharing housing, finances,
even house plants, all while doing
their postdoc work at Brown
in the fine state of Rhode Island, where
common-law marriage is still recognized.
That's ridiculous.
Catherine wants nothing
to do with this lawsuit.
In fact, she's clearly asserted
her spousal privilege and insists
those texts were private communication
between husband and wife.
Which means any
communication between her
and Dr. Blackwell cannot
be admitted into evidence.
And that includes
the text chain between
these two common-law spouses
on March 18, 2019
Your Honor, this is clearly just
another way of silencing my client.
It's pathetic, and
frankly, giving desperate.
Actually, it's giving
an incontrovertible invocation
of the spousal communications privilege.
Your Honor
The text chain is barred
from being submitted into evidence.
But, Your Honor, without that,
we can't prove causation.
Nothing I can do.
I'm very sorry.
But this is wrong. They
know what they did, and now,
they're twisting the law to cover it up.
Ms. Carver, unless you
have anything new to submit?
- No, Your Honor.
- We're adjourned. Go home.
Fine. Then we'll release
the texts ourselves.
We'll expose them.
Jessie,
the gag order is still in place.
If you go online and talk about
anything related to this suit,
you're looking at a countersuit,
which will be very bad for you.
(WHISPERING): We should go, Matty.
(WHISPERING): You did good.
Ah, ah ♪
(SNIFFLES)
Ah ♪
Hey, Mr. Christmas,
I've been waiting ♪
I had no idea you were
part of this group.
Oh, I mean, it was just
sort of a last-minute thing.
It was cool. You sounded great.
- Really?
- Actually, I couldn't really hear you.
- Oh.
- Come here.
Wait.
I want to hear you sing.
No way.
Please?
To keep their little heads
from fallin' in the snow ♪
And I turn round and there you ♪
Deck the halls ♪
- With boughs of holly ♪
- (BOTH LAUGH)
Fa-la-la-la-la, it's Christmas time ♪
'Tis the season ♪
Just got a call from
the judge. Great work.
Matty came up with that
common-law loophole.
Well, won't even take the
credit when you get the chance.
What a gentleman.
(LAUGHS) Don's happy.
Used that to get you back on Wellbrexa.
And don't worry about
that thing he said.
You know, that you're nothing like me.
Oh, no, he's-he's right.
We're nothing alike.
(LAUGHS)
Well, we both know that isn't true.
- Take it easy on the Scotch, Dad.
- Mm.
- OLYMPIA: Hey!
- ELIJAH: Hey.
When'd you get back from Dallas?
Last week. Then I went
to hang with my parents.
- How are things here?
- JULIAN: Elijah.
Hey, welcome back.
- Julian. How you been?
- Not too bad.
Um, let's catch up
later. We have a sitter.
You ready to head home?
We'll talk soon.
JULIAN: Happy holidays.
- You guys, too. Yeah.
- JULIAN: All right.
Well, I think I owe you an apology.
Why? Heard you came up with the big win.
Well, after I crapped out,
and that is not like me.
Hmm. You saying you don't lose?
Not typically, no. (LAUGHS)
- Yeah, for some reason, I believe you, kid.
- Kid?
Boy, you know the way
to a woman's heart.
(BOTH LAUGH)
The girls are calling already,
begging for that 50K we first offered.
Well, what do you say we give it to 'em?
Huh? Give 'em a little holiday cheer.
Or maybe we counter
with a Sephora gift card?
(LAUGHTER)
Yeah. That's better.
Give 'em what they deserve.
(LAUGHTER ECHOING)
(LAUGHTER ECHOING)
(BEADS CRUNCHING)
Grandma, what do you say
to a celebratory round?
Oh, I wish I could,
but Grandma's got to
get home to Grandson.
Hold on.
Good job. I'll be sure
to keep you in mind
next time I need
someone who doesn't lose.
- (LAUGHING): Okay. Good.
- (CHUCKLES)
MATTY: I found something that
I know will win us this case.
It's gonna destroy a young woman's life.
I just don't know what to do.
JULIAN: You wanted on pharma, right?
JESSIE: They know what
they did, and now,
they're twisting the law to cover it up.
SENIOR: I'll be sure to keep you in mind
next time I need someone
who doesn't lose.
(YELLS)
(PANTING)
(SIGHING AND SNIFFLING)
You know, when we first met,
I remember going home
to my mom and telling her
about the girl who was selling
bootleg Missy Elliott CDs
to the other third graders.
I thought you were a criminal,
because you were, which I told you,
and you didn't speak to
me again until 11th grade,
in chemistry class.
And once you did, I remember thinking,
"Never let this end."
And luckily, it didn't.
Claudia, you are everything to me.
And I'd sit through chemistry class
all over again for the rest of my life
if I could sit there with you.
So I just wanted to
thank Mr. Myers for sitting us together.
And also, maybe more importantly
Claudia Isabella Ortega
will you marry me?
(SNIFFLES)
I've been trying to find
a good time to tell you,
but between your sisters' birthdays
and your mom's paint-and-sip
What?
(CRYING SOFTLY)
I love you so much, but
I just don't think
that we belong together,
and I think that, um,
we just got used to
one another, and, um
(SNIFFLING) I'm so sorry, Billy.
I'm so sorry.
(FOOTSTEPS RETREATING)
Best night ever.
When are you gonna do
it? Where's Claudia?
Oh.
I'm so sorry.
Oh.
I'm sorry, Billy.
(CRIES QUIETLY)
To a fresh start.
With boughs of holly ♪
Mmm.
(INHALES SHARPLY)
- Sorry. My my dad said something, and
- No.
- Can we not talk about your father right now?
- Yeah.
I just
I-I need to lay something
out on the table,
because we need to start fresh.
What?
(CLEARS THROAT) Before we separated,
when things were really bad
I had an affair.
Fast away ♪
The old year passes ♪
Olympia.
Hail the new year, lads and lasses ♪
Sing we joyous ♪
All together ♪
(PHONE BUZZING)
Oh.
(CLEARS THROAT)
Hello, sir.
SENIOR: Stuart! I need your help.
I forgot my email password.
Stuart, need the file!
Stuart, fix my computer.
What do you need to make one
of those AI voices, Alfie?
Well, I think I owe you an apology.
With a forward slash and an
exclamation point at the end.
SENIOR'S VOICE: Great. Bye.
("DECK THE HALLS" PLAYS)