All language subtitles for Matlock.2024.S01E07.1080p.WEBRip.AAC5.1.x265-RxB

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]

[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]

Captioning sponsored by
CBS

Captioned by
Media Access Group at WGBH
access.wgbh.org