Original subtitles

It's not about the legal process.

No, it's not, it's about what's right. My client is innocent,

now the DNA proves it.

Thank you.

Sorry.

Forgive me if I don't believe

- your empty promises anymore. - Thank you.

So, she ever stop working or…

- No. - We didn't tell you.

No, no. She… She split herself into two different people.

- Come on, wise guy. - Yeah, it's a 14-hour procedure.

- Uh-huh. - But if you survive it,

you get a lot done.

Patient?

Why don't you try being patient, when you've been living in a six by eight cell

that smells like a human pet store for 14 years?

Fuck patient.

Okay, well, we can talk to the press every day from now until November

or the governor can give my client a full pardon today.

Yeah, and be a hero.

Yeah, well, happy fucking 4th.

Nice, Mom. Tell those fuckers.

Natalie.

What? You said it first.

Well, there aren't the same rules for everybody.

She's right.

Happy fucking 4th to us all.

All right, let's eat.

We got… We got crawfish,

we got burgers, we got oysters, we got peaches.

Name a thing, I can grill it.

That's not good.

I'll be back. I left my car windows open.

Babe, keys are in here.

- I'll be back. - Come back.

- Okay. - Okay.

Thanks. Thanks, Mom.

Burger.

Make sure you get some vegetables.

Yeah, I'm eating corn. Corn is a vegetable.

- Debatable. - Corn is a starch.

Lettuce then, I'm eating lettuce.

Lettuce is roughage. Rabbit food.

Roughage? That's not a word.

It's a word. It's not a food group.

- But it is… - That's right.

Are you nutritionists now?

I can feel the rain. I think we should go inside.

- It's gonna blow over. It's fine. - No, it's not.

Well, we'll just set up on the sun porch, okay?

All right, let's go. We're going inside.

You don't need to help with anything.

Just enjoy your burger.

Natalie.

Excuse me.

Yeah?

Have you seen my son anywhere?

He's smart, handsome, funny, smiles in pictures.

And if you see him, tell him to help his sister.

All right. Now?

Now. Come on. Take these.

Okay.

Thank you.

Do you need help?

- He's doing better today. - Yeah.

I need to call a tree guy.

One bad storm, a couple of these are blowing over.

You ever look around and wonder, "Do we deserve all this?"

No.

I did it.

What do you mean you did it?

It hurts.

What do I do?

I trust you.

That's my girl.

Just do it.

Just do it.

And keep smiling.

So gorgeous.

Stunning.

What, are you a model on the side and didn't tell anyone?

Anna, can we see a little smile from you?

Look at you two. Power couple.

This is perfect.

Okay, Tom, let's have you behind Anna now.

- Yep. - Beautiful.

Just a few more from here.

You know, why don't we just move on to the interview?

- Yeah. - I think we've got it.

And on that note, I make my escape.

Hold up. I'd love to talk to you too.

Two lawyers, one marriage.

Must be some fun arguments.

You talk to her.

I'm just a good lawyer.

She's a good person.

That's why I married her.

It's not for quotation.

So is there a den or a cozy place for us to sit?

Well, we are between contractors,

so that's the part of the house that we don't share with the outside world.

Can we move this table?

Mike?

- Yep. - Sure.

- I'm gonna… - Okay.

So, in all your time at the SJLP, what are you most proud of?

Well, tomorrow night at the fundraiser at the museum,

you're gonna meet Byron French who, full pardon, just got out of prison.

And that's what I'm proud of.

That's what feels good, is getting innocent clients out of prison.

I mean, nobody deserves to be locked up for something they didn't do, right?

Speaking of locked up.

Sorry, I have to ask.

We all remember the Max Cady trial.

You were his lawyer,

and I know you didn't take part in any of the documentaries, but I'm wondering…

I'm so sorry. Can we just stick to the SJLP?

Thank you so much.

It was agreed upon before, but you probably weren't told, so…

- Of course. - Okay.

- Loud and clear. - Thank you. Great, thank you.

Can I just ask one thing off the record or on background if you want?

Okay, what?

What can you tell me about this story about him that's going around?

What story?

So you don't know.

What are you talking about?

I just heard there's this whole other shoe that's gonna drop soon.

I'm sorry, are we off the record?

You weren't clear about that. Are we off the record?

- Sure. Yep. - Okay, great. Thank you.

- Just curious… - Sorry, real quick,

should I change angle? I'm not sure what she's doing.

Can we pause for just a moment?

I'm gonna be right back.

Natalie, what's going on?

It's a family.

How did they all fall in?

I should probably wrap this up before she tries to make something out of it.

Are those skunks?

Too late.

Yeah.

You'd be surprised all the wildlife stories we do.

Gators on the golf course.

A panther ate a puppy last month.

A panther this far north?

Excuse me. Speaking of SJLP.

Okay.

Noa.

Hi. You talk to Byron yet?

Well, not yet. I'm picking him up later.

I'm still talking to The Times to increase online fundraising, remember?

We need Byron there tomorrow.

When these rich white folks get their pictures taken with a real live exoneree,

they write bigger checks.

And tomorrow's gala is the lion's share of our fundraising.

Well, I will put him at ease this afternoon

and make sure he's locked-in for tomorrow.

Good, thank you.

Hey, wait, there's something else.

I need you to make a call or two.

What for?

Personal curiosity.

Looks like someone's been practicing.

Not so filthy casual after all, huh?

You're so good at this.

You might even be better at fucking me.

Shit. Sorry, I… I gotta go, sorry.

Yeah.

Can I come in?

Yeah.

So how you doing?

You… You wanna take that?

It's probably work, right?

I'm good.

So… I was thinking,

how about next weekend we go up to Carolina Beach?

Be nice, right?

Sure.

Come on.

You love it there, right?

You remember last summer, that girl you hung out with, what was her name?

This is what you came to talk to me about?

Right.

Right, okay.

Your mom and I have been talking to Dr. Carlisle.

And we know it's been tough on you, what happened at school last year.

So we think you might need a fresh start.

What? A new school, you mean?

Spoke to the dean at Glenhurst and maybe next week we could…

Dad.

Glenhurst.

Don't do that. Don't hurt yourself.

I'm sorry I'm not more like you, Dad.

You're so impressive.

You used to put poor people in jail

and now you just help rich people stay out.

Let's talk more later.

You know we love you, bud.

Anna, can we see a little smile from you?

Look at that beautiful smile she has.

Tom, hey, call me back.

At the risk of being weird,

I think you do want to talk about, you know, and yes…

Tom?

Can I hide in there with you?

Did you talk to Zack?

Yeah.

How'd it go?

I think he's processing.

- Okay. - You ready for tonight?

Hi, Bunny.

You and Byron about ready?

Good news, I found a dentist that'll fix his teeth for free.

I want to talk to you. I need to talk to you.

Is everything okay? How's he adjusting?

Well, there's been some issues.

What does that mean?

- It means that… - Mama! Mom.

- Hey, hey. - Hi, hi.

This is my… my daddy's suit. It fit good, right?

Yeah, you look great.

You look great. I can tell your mama's been taking good care of you. You ready?

I get edgy in big groups.

This is very low-key tonight.

Just a get-together with some of the team.

- Okay. - Okay?

How about tomorrow night though?

A little less low-key.

Look, it's so important for our donors to meet you.

You're very important to us.

- Okay. - Okay.

- All right. - Yeah. Okay.

- Right. Let's go. - There gonna be stuff to drink there?

If you're good.

Okay.

People are looking at me.

Maybe it's 'cause the suit don't fit.

Don't be negative, Mama.

All right, come on up.

Just right over here.

There we go.

Everybody, finally in person, Mr. Byron French.

- Welcome, Byron. - Man of the hour.

- I think it's a little too early to… - This is Paloma.

- Have a drink. - Hi, y'all. Hi, y'all.

And these are our interns, Hope and Kyle.

- Hi. Your lived experience would… - I'm so sorry for the system…

- Go ahead. - Hi!

And of course you've heard of our friend,

Ray Rawlins, who does what the cops don't, won't or can't.

You done time?

In a past life.

Yeah, you got that glow.

- You can have a drink. - No, two. Hey.

Hey, where's Noa?

Been on the phone.

That's the good stuff.

In the joint we had hunch punch, that stuff sneak right up on you.

You feel something cold on your shoulder and you look up and there's the floor.

Is he gonna be okay tomorrow?

Anna, can I grab you a second?

Tom, you too, actually.

Yeah, right this way. Yeah.

Shut the door.

I called around like you asked.

Tom, you wanna drink?

No.

You might in a minute.

What's going on?

When Max Cady's mistress killed herself two weeks ago, she left a note.

Not just a note, a confession.

Saying she killed his wife, not him.

Jesus Christ.

She's just still trying to protect him. It's so fucking sad.

It ain't bullshit.

She also left the knife.

The murder weapon they never found.

Blood still on it.

Well, maybe he gave her the knife.

And got her to shoot herself? Twice?

That's dedication.

No, every detail in her note lines up.

Stuff only the killer would know.

Max Cady's been locked up for 17 years for a murder he didn't do.

No.

No, what?

We're not taking his case.

We don't need to. He's already out.

Provisional release.

What?

When?

About two days ago.

Kept it out of the press so far, but it's gonna hit the news tomorrow.

Where is Max Cady now?

I don't know.

Here's the thing.

We could use this.

When reporters call, which they will,

we make Max Cady the symbol of the whole fucked up system we're fighting against.

The hell, you… you might even do an event with him, a panel.

You know, I'm gonna get back to Byron.

Fuck.

Yeah.

Hey.

Hi, Peanut Butter.

Hi, baby.

Peanut Butter, I missed you.

Zack?

You feeding a secret family?

I'm online gaming with Danny.

Mom and Dad are being weird.

I think something's happening.

Okay.

Armed. Stay.

Hey, guys.

We need to talk to you about something.

I'm in a game, so, I'm like…

What's going on?

Max Cady was released from prison.

What does that have to do with us?

Hopefully nothing.

Just wanted you to be aware

and it's gonna bring the case back into some focus,

so I just…

Just don't talk to anybody you don't know.

Kinda weird you didn't get him out though, right?

Well, he wasn't one of our cases.

Yeah, but I mean, you were his lawyer,

and now you get other innocent people

- out of jail, you know. - Yeah.

Front door. Front door.

- Front door. - Oh, my God.

Front door.

Front door.

Disarmed.

Damn it, it's doing that thing again.

Did you call them?

I did.

You see anything?

No.

All good.

You okay? What's wrong?

There was a family of skunks dead in the pool today.

There were four of 'em.

It was a dad and a mom and two babies.

Skunks are dumb.

Let's go to bed.

My name is Adam Cady, and I never got to be born.

This is how I might look today

if my dad didn't butcher my mom when she was pregnant with me.

He stabbed her so many times that there were stab marks on her actual bones.

Then he dumped her in Angola Swamp where gators ate most of her body.

His name is Max Cady.

And now he's in prison for the rest of his life.

You're not gonna run into him buying cornflakes at Kroger.

Media stuff's gonna be a shitstorm.

Yeah.

But summer in Savannah, right?

Sit down for lunch. The sun's out.

Boom, thunder, lightning.

By the time you're done, sun's back.

Because storms pass.

News broke.

Here comes the rain.

Like Scott Peterson and Casey Anthony,

Max Cady was public enemy number one.

A cheating husband who brutally murdered his pregnant wife.

The man pled guilty.

It isn't the media's fault he went to prison.

That is on his lawyer.

Little miss pregnant lawyer, Anna Deveraux.

Too young, too green,

gets all the way to closing, then cuts a deal with the prosecution.

Cut to a couple months later,

Miss Lawyer has ditched her baby daddy, and who's she with?

The damn prosecutor.

Yeah, Max Cady's lawyer married the prosecutor who put him away.

How is that for a meet-cute?

- Love at first plea bargain. - I don't know about you,

but I would like my lawyer to actually believe I was innocent,

especially if I was actually innocent.

Max Cady's mistress in 2000…

I'm gonna go get gussied up. Is Zack ready?

He's still in his room. I'll go get him.

Zachary, let's go!

Fucking headphones.

I'm coming in.

He's been gone since 5:05 this morning.

It just keeps going to voicemail.

I think he's pissed about the school thing.

I thought you said that it went okay?

He hit himself.

I didn't want to upset you.

Well, I am upset.

He wants you to be upset.

Last time he went to Danny's and played video games.

I didn't hear the alarm get turned off when he left, did you?

No.

I'll go over to Danny's and see if he's there.

Okay.

Sure.

I know, I know, I know.

I will go over to Byron's. I just…

We got a problem.

I sent one of the interns to make sure Byron's good to go,

and they ain't there.

He's gone too.

Okay.

You know, just let me get dressed and I will swing by.

Okay, bye.

I'll wait for Nat, then I'll meet you at the museum.

Okay.

It's gonna be okay.

Yeah.

Zack here?

No, we don't really hang out anymore.

He texts me every now and then, but…

What are you so dressed up for?

You weren't gaming last night?

No, he just, like, games with that girl now, I think.

What girl?

Hey, Natalie.

Hey, Louis Pilgrim, Murder-Happy Characters.

Hey, has your mom talked to Max yet?

I don't know you.

You don't know my podcast?

I had Casey Anthony's gym teacher on last week.

Hey, is it…

Is it weird seeing your mom pregnant with you in the trial?

Hey, how about the rumors? True or false?

What rumors?

That your mom and your stepdad were fucking during the trial.

Fuck you, fuck you, fuck off, you fucking parasite!

I don't want to listen to your stupid fucking podcast talking about fuck…

You're stalking a little girl!

Anna!

- Nothing? - Nothing.

Their car is here.

- You tried calling? - Yes.

Okay.

And did you knock?

- Yes. - Loudly?

- Yes. - Did you check around back?

Yes.

Bunny?

Byron?

Damn it.

You hear a phone buzzing in there?

I don't think so.

Here.

Shit.

- Hi. - What did you find out?

Yeah, we might not have Byron French tonight.

We might have something better.

What do you mean?

Max Cady tonight in the flesh.

What are you talking about?

He talked to Hope.

- What? - I don't have any details.

What the fuck, Noa?

I gotta go.

What the fuck? What the fuck is going on?

Hey!

What exactly did he say?

Max Cady, when he called the office.

I mean,

- I just answered the office phone… - Hope.

What did he say?

He wanted to talk to you, and I mentioned something

about you being at the museum tonight, and he said,

"Tonight? Maybe I'll see her myself." And then he hung up.

Does security have his photo?

I'm-I'm sorry. Should I not have said that?

God, I hope he drops by.

He's all over the news.

They've already bought the tables.

That covers catering.

Now we've got to get them to write six-figure checks.

- Hi. Welcome. - Hi.

I'm giving the speech. I will get them to write the checks.

Why are you chafing us on this?

He's the most famous exoneree in America.

And we didn't get him out.

His lawyer married the prosecutor.

How do you think he might feel about that?

Did you get ahold of Zack?

I've tried his phone, but I think it's still turned off.

No, I haven't. No.

Nat says he might be with a girl he met online.

- Girl? Who is she? - Yeah. No idea.

At least he's socializing.

He stabbed her so many times…

Adam Cady… My name is Adam Cady.

There were stab marks on her actual bones.

In the last 29 years, we've got two dozen innocent people

out of prisons in Georgia and the Carolinas.

Anybody think that's all of them?

It ain't, and they need our help.

- So please… - Relax.

- …scan those QR things and give. - Max Cady is not coming.

Now let me introduce our last speaker.

My partner in crime and innocence,

our senior attorney, Anna Bowden.

They're fucking falling asleep.

Hello.

Thank you all for being here tonight.

I believe in the justice system, but it's not perfect.

And when the system fails us, it's up to us to fix it.

This week a man named Byron French got out of prison.

Byron lost 14 years of his life until DNA set him free with our help.

And now we need your help.

Doing good is not just one good act.

It is a process by which we test our moral compass.

Do we live by our principles?

Can we do better?

And even if we make a mistake,

it's never too late to fix what we've broken.

False conviction isn't just an idea.

Tom. It's okay.

Hi.

Hi.

Can I have…

Wow.

Isn't this something?

Thank you, Ms. De…

I almost called you Ms. Deveraux, but it's Bowden now, right?

- Yes. - Okay.

Is Tom Bowden here?

Is he here?

Hey.

There you are, Mr. Prosecutor.

No hard feelings, my brother.

None.

Okay.

Well.

I don't have a speech.

Well, it feels pretty strange to be standing here actually,

because I know you hated me.

If I got royalties off being hated, I'd be as rich as sin.

But I didn't make money.

No. News media did.

Lawyers did.

- Let's get one… - And for what?

For saying I killed my wife and my unborn baby?

But you know, that's not the worst part.

The worst part…

Worst part is they got me to say I killed them.

Because they wanted to kill me.

And…

they did fucking kill me for sure.

6,222 times I died.

That's how many days I served, right?

And I was supposed to get 20 years.

That was the deal.

But Judge Jackson gave me life.

Life. Oh, God.

Life. Life sentence is just death by a thousand cuts.

You know death by a thousand cuts?

They cut off a finger one day, then a toe.

On and on.

Fingers and toes, fingers and toes.

Till all that you have is gone.

But I'm not a victim.

I'm good. I don't blame anyone.

I don't blame the judge. I don't blame…

I don't blame the prosecutor.

Mr. Bowden was just doing his job, very well, I must say.

Or I don't blame my lawyer for advising me to plead guilty

because she was trying to save my life, right?

I was a little surprised when you married each other.

I admit.

But, hey, love is in the air.

So, I don't blame anyone and I'm gonna tell you why.

Because we all are stuck

in this meat grinder I call the criminal injustice system, you know?

So, we all have to fix it together.

So please, take out your wallets

and-and-and donate to this great organization,

because they're doing good.

They're doing good for a lot of people that are still in there.

Yes, yes.

Let me see your wallets or whatever it is today,

those phone things.

Yeah. You know what?

Give yourselves a big round of applause.

You-You deserve it. You deserve it.

Here.

Zack's still not responding.

His phone's off.

Okay. Get your things together. We should go.

Anna.

Be right back.

Can we get a picture?

- You and Max. - Yes.

Yes.

- Sure. - Sure. Okay?

Okay.

Are you all right? Shit!

You're bleeding.

- I need a hand, Mrs. Deveraux. - Okay.

I need a hand.

Let's give Mr. Cady a minute.

I'll tell you about what's coming up this year.

You really should go to an urgent care.

For this?

- Yeah. - It's a cat scratch.

Mr. Prosecutor.

Hello again.

You wanna see a real injury?

Look at this.

You see this?

A souvenir from my fellow prisoners.

And I lost a lot of sight on my left side.

And a lot of hearing as well.

Yeah. Because I got this metal plate.

But it's not from Tiffany's.

Probably part of a prison toilet or something.

That's why my brain glitches.

Why are you here?

What?

What… What's funny? I'm…

- What? - No. I'm sorry.

It's just that I asked the same question every day for 17 years.

"Why am I here?"

- Yeah. Why are you here tonight? - Because I wanted to see you both.

I wanted to see you.

And you. Because I read about you, your good works.

And you.

I mean, you're a professional success.

Wow.

Yeah.

We should get going.

Yeah.

Hold on, one second…

Oh, yeah. It's okay.

Fuck.

You know that I really did die in there?

Six weeks in a coma

and you know what I saw in the darkness?

I saw my wife and my son.

They were there, and my wife was the same age.

But my son,

he was the age that he could be today if he'd been born.

And…

Well, you-you have a son, right?

So you know what I mean.

Whatever. I was not a good man.

I know. But…

I had a good heart,

and I was ready to be a good father.

He can see me now.

But that's not the best part.

Best part is I can see them too.

They are here with us in this room, now.

And I can't… I can't let them down.

I need my life to be worth something.

Your partner said that I could be of help to your organization?

Noa said that?

Yes. And it was very touching to hear that because…

I mean, I'm here to help you.

Okay.

Great.

Fuck you, fuck off, you fucking parasite!

You're a piece of shit.

- Fuck! - Anything from Zack?

No.

He had to plead.

Right?

It's not your fault.

Sometimes things don't work out.

What came out of that trial was the most important thing in my life.

When I started representing Max Cady, I had just gotten pregnant with you,

but I didn't even know it yet.

My engagement to Paul was falling apart

and the prosecutor was

a former law school classmate of mine, Tom Bowden.

Top of his class, dipped in handsome.

And the trial just dragged on for so long that on the day of Max's sentencing,

I went into labor right there in the court.

And Tom, my opposing counsel, he ran across the courtroom to help me.

And came with me to the hospital.

Which is when I fell in love with him.

Then I got sober,

and now I have a family, which is what matters most.

So yeah. Things did work out.

Armed. Stay.

Zack's going to voicemail.

Zack, comma, time to come home. Period. If we don't hear from you

in the next 10 minutes, I'm calling the police. Period.

He's just trying to get you guys…

- Front door. - Goddamn it.

Front door.

- Sit down. Don't worry, I got it. - Front door.

- Why does this keep happening? - Look, I don't know.

Disarmed.

Backyard motion sensor.

What the fuck is happening?

Must've been a skunk.

Holy shit.

He's probably been here before. You just didn't see him.

What the fuck are you doing here?

I'm sorry.

You left this.

Your address is in here.

I was going to leave it out front, but I heard voices.

You want it?

Hello.

Sorry to startle you.

Good night.

Max.

Yeah?

I am sorry for what you've been through.

Thank you.

That means a lot. I appreciate that.

Is your son okay?

How do you know about our son?

I just saw him out front and I assumed that was your son.

What?

Zack?

Hey, where have you been?

You okay?

I am talking to you.

Bud?

Zack?

Zack, are you okay?

Zack?

It's okay. It's okay.

- Just… - Yeah.

- You okay? - It's okay.

Go on.

Talk about having it all.

You two are having it all over the place.

You deserve a good life.

I had a good life.

So my son was what? Just out front? You just ran into him?

None of my business, but I think he might be on something.

You know?

Who were you with?

Where'd you… Where-Where-Where'd you go?

Easy, easy. Come on, man. Come on.

Zack, what did you take?

Zack, you got to talk to me.

What'd you take? I know you took something.

Zack, where did you go? What did you do?

- You gotta tell me something, man. - We'll handle it.

Hey.

Are you afraid of me?

Why would I be afraid of you?

I don't know. Earlier tonight you seemed on edge.

And I must be imagining stupid things because

if there's anyone who would feel

sympathy for a man who's been wrongly accused it's you.

- Right? - Yes.

Yes.

One other thing.

I never said a word about what happened.

Why would I start now?

Mom? Mom!

Go inside.

Fuck. Fuck.

What? Did he take something?

Zack.

Look at me.

Zack.

Something's really wrong with him. Like really wrong.

Is that blood?

Where did this come from?

Zack? Zack?

Zack? What did he do to you?

- Oh, shit. Zack? - Zack?

- You're gonna be fine. - Oh, Jesus.

- Zack? What is it? - Zack.

- Oh, no. Zack. - Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Zack? You're okay.

Zack, you're okay.

Where's your toe?

Call 911.

Fingers and toes.

Until all that you have is gone.

Call 911. Now.

Oh, my gosh.

We need an ambulance.