Original subtitles

- ( crickets chirping ) - ( train horn blaring )

Terry: My name is Terry Kucik

and I'm serving a sentence of life in prison

for a crime I did not commit.

On the day Emily Butler was killed,

I was with her, I admit that.

Her parents had this pool house at the back of their property.

We'd meet there whenever we could

because it was closer to this back road

on the other side of this stone wall.

I could get in and out

without anyone from the house seeing me.

( steam hisses )

I loved Emily.

But we couldn't let her parents find out,

so Emily didn't want to tell anybody.

But I was sick of not seeing her whenever I wanted.

That afternoon--

it's so weird, but that afternoon

I remember telling her we should go into the house

and tell her mom right then.

But Emily said no.

Her dad was working at home that day

and he'd probably beat the crap out of me.

I can see Emily right now

running into the kitchen door of her house that last time.

I see it over and over in my head.

( door slams )

She never screamed out my name

like they said she did at the trial.

I wish she had.

We made love that day.

It wasn't like they said.

I would never have hurt Emily.

- She-- - ( glass shatters )

( muffled groan )

( muffled groan )

( glass shatters )

( tires squealing )

( theme music playing )

( sirens wailing )

- What happened? - ( sirens continue )

Danny? What are you doing here?

I got the call over the radio.

What the hell happened?

Why didn't you call me?

I'm fine. I called the police.

I think we're covered. You didn't have to come.

- That was Marty. - Clark, Danny.

Danny, this is my boss Clark Rylance.

You're dating a cop?

Hi.

So do you know who did this?

Yeah, and it's not the people that broke the windows.

We've been getting phone threats since Jenny Butler's press conference.

What did Marty say?

Terry Kucik was attacked tonight.

Apparently they cut him pretty badly.

Hey, you done taking her statement?

No, I can't go. I have to stay and clean up.

No, we're gonna do it tomorrow.

I'll ask and see if people can come in a little earlier.

- Go home. - Great. Come on.

Danny, I'm fine.

Thanks.

You don't have to stay. I mean, if you have to get back to work...

Covered.

You do know you're supposed to sip that?

Do you want mine?

You know, if you were getting phone threats,

you should have contacted the police right away.

Nobody does anything until there's damage.

It's the law.

I hate the law.

I think you're in the wrong job, then, babe.

It wouldn't matter what I did.

This would happen if I were a nurse or a waitress.

I am Calamity Katie.

( laughs ) Who's that?

This character in these books my dad used to read me.

Calamity Katie always wanted to help.

Her mom complains their collie is dirty,

so she throws it into a washing machine

and it comes out bald.

Her best friend is afraid of storms,

so she makes her dance in the rain

and the best friend gets struck by lightning.

That was my favorite.

Used to crack me up.

Nothing bad ever happens to Katie,

just everybody around her.

Look, I...

I know that you don't like to talk about your dad--

I didn't say that. When did I say that?

When we first started seeing each other,

you said you didn't like to talk about him.

To guys who don't stick around.

I can't seem to get rid of you.

Well, look,

I know that you want to help him eventually,

but, Chris, you could have gotten really hurt tonight.

And for what? For Bankowski?

I mean, the guy's a monster.

I read the file. The guy is guilty.

( sighs )

I didn't want to tell you this, Danny, but...

I saw your sister in an alley the other night

on her knees doing this guy.

( sighs )

Yeah. And then she knifed him and took his money.

I was shocked, but I know it was her.

And I have proof.

The guy is a friend of mine. We can prove it.

Okay, I'll play. How?

I'm an eyewitness, he has a knife wound.

And I'll tell the police I saw it

and they'll make a report and whether it's true or not,

some facts will support it, some won't,

but people will decide for themselves because of what they're told

and what cops write in reports and she'll be arrested.

Okay, so you're saying that all guilty people are innocent?

Are you saying innocent people never get convicted?

No. Look, I know mistakes are made,

but most of the time the guilty are guilty

because the facts prove that they are.

Most of the time.

My father has one more appeal in about eight months.

And Bankowski, well, like it or not,

he's about the only execution I have handy right now.

If I can find just one tiny crack

in one death penalty verdict,

then maybe I'll find another one in another case,

and another.

Look, if you don't respect the effort, I get it.

No, I do. You enforce the law.

You have to see in black and white.

But it's not the same for me.

So when you say he's guilty

like you're so sure just because you read the case file,

it makes me think you're like all the people

who say my father is guilty and I'll hate you for that.

I'm just warning you.

I stand warned.

( dog barking )

- Hey. - Hi.

You sleep at all?

There's coffee.

What you working on?

Why'd you tell Jenny?

I don't understand why you'd put her through all of that

if you think this is gonna all blow over.

I felt she had a right to know.

You think I was wrong?

You already know what I think.

That's why you didn't tell me.

I don't know, honey.

There's something up.

The closer it gets to the execution date,

she's, like, nervous and distracted

and I finally had to tell her, you know what,

just don't even come to work until all this blows over.

Okay.

I'm going for my run.

- Can you wake up Trey? - Yup.

Hey, Adam.

Yeah, babe?

We're not becoming those people, are we?

What people?

You know, just all about the moves.

We're fine.

( monitor beeping )

How you doing, brother?

- ( growls ) - ( groans ) Oh, not--

I squeeze you a little hard there, princess?

Hey, man.

How'd you get in here?

One of the nurses is one of our boys.

They stitch you up good?

Yeah, I'm fine.

We don't know who did this yet,

but we're gonna find out

and we're gonna send them a message, believe me.

No one does this to one of ours and gets a free pass.

- I don't know. - What?

What?

I let my guard down.

It hadn't happened in so long,

I thought I was clear of it.

You know?

But all this stuff around the execution,

it's bringing it all back.

No one's gonna touch you again.

You got to come back into the fold a little bit, brother.

You've been a little, you know, distant-like.

You need to show them where you stand

when you stand out there in the yard.

Now, if you would have done that,

no one would have dared ambush you.

I'm just so tired, Raymond.

You know, I don't know how much more I can keep it going.

I just don't see the point.

We're like the Marines, you know?

( laughs )

Our bond is for life.

Only difference is our war never ends.

Okay, guys, we're gonna turn this around and use it.

We've got less than two days.

We need public support pumped on our side.

Here's what I want. I want every news outlet contacted.

I want the Internet buzzing.

I want Vanessa and Bryce and you

to help me follow up with the Board of Pardons

for a reconsideration based on new evidence, the photographs.

We need a unanimous vote by all five members of the panel.

I have the schedules and addresses of each judge. We'll get on that.

Great. Christine is leading drug litigation.

Pentobarbital is the norm.

But since European companies stopped exporting it,

prisons are using local pharmaceutical companies.

So we need to find out what drugs they're using

for the execution and where they're getting them.

Guys, if we can prove this execution drug compound

has not been sufficiently tested

or even if these drugs are expired,

anything, then we can get a motion for a stay.

And keep on the DNA labs. I want calls every hour.

Now go. Go!

"The Seed" playing

What's Midazolam?

Andy, Andy, come on. You're not gonna write that, are you?

The Initiative has not once,

nor will it ever disrespect Jenny Butler.

Are you kidding me with this right now?

What are you selling to the Pennsylvania death chamber?

I did.

Andy, use your tiny brain for one minute.

Who do you think told Jenny Butler about retesting the DNA?

Adam Page didn't contain reactionary violence. He fueled the fire.

I need you to tell me what the compound is.

Jesus, where did you study journalism? At Fox News?

So when they execute Jared Bankowski

and he screams out in pain and we autopsy the body

and find out the compound did not meet FDA requirements

and bring a lawsuit against Thompson Pharmaceuticals,

will you be able to tell the courts then what it is?

I'm telling you right now, the higher that you raise up Adam Page,

the lower you're gonna fall when he drops.

And the piss that you feel on your forehead

is gonna be mine.

Give my love to Ruth.

Christine.

You got to love this job, huh?

Clark: We've got calls in everywhere. Stein turned us down,

but we're waiting on Judge Logan.

He's the federal judge.

And, of course, the governor.

But in an election year, he's probably a long shot.

- Did you call my mother? - She said she'd be here.

I don't see her anywhere. You see her anywhere?

( door opens )

- You got another visitor. - ( door buzzes )

Guard: All right, let's go.

( door buzzes )

Oh, is that-- is that necessary?

Yes, ma'am.

( door closes )

You look good.

Thanks.

I already ordered my last meal.

You know what I ordered?

No.

I don't want to know that.

Hot dogs.

They got the same ones in here you used to buy.

Couldn't believe they still make 'em.

I don't think there's any real meat in those.

Remember I used to beg you to buy the fancy ones?

- Like on TV. - Yeah, I remember.

They were too expensive.

Well, it's all the same anyway. Just the packaging.

Ones you used to buy were, like, grey-colored.

Well, you could have gotten them now.

You should have ordered the fancy ones. ( laughs )

Well, I don't want to acquire a taste

for the finer things at this late date.

( sniffles )

I've been hearing all kinds of things on the news.

I don't understand about that DNA.

They're retesting it.

Check if they got the right guy.

Do you think there's a chance?

No, Ma.

It's not gonna change anything.

For me.

Oh.

( laughs )

Oh, yeah.

So you're still blaming me for all this, huh?

I made all this happen.

No, Ma, I don't blame nobody.

I made you a criminal.

I made you steal and scam

and try to make money without ever working

and trying to be the big shot with that scum you hung out with.

I did all that, didn't I?

You broke my heart for a long time.

Well, it took that long to find it.

You did this to yourself.

I sit at home and I wonder...

how did things come to this?

Why did I deserve this?

There's no reason, Ma.

You think when you're looking at the end,

you're gonna get the reason why everything was the way it was.

But you don't.

Don't waste any time thinking about it.

We are who we are, Ma.

Truth is, I gave you a better life in here

than I ever did when I was out there.

Was it worth it?

( door buzzes )

- Mom. - ( door opens, closes )

- Guard: Open six. - ( door buzzes )

Mom!

( dog barking )

Shh. Molly, stop.

Woman: No!

- ( dog barking ) - Man: Where are you going, huh?

( man grunts )

( breathing heavily )

Quiet!

- Man: Get back! - Woman: Please, please!

- Man: Where are you going? - ( slashing )

( woman screams )

( dog barking )

- ( slashing ) - ( woman screaming )

Man: Shut up! Quiet!

( woman screams )

Time is our enemy.

Monica, you're gonna follow up on the habeas corpus petition.

Jake, you work the governor. Call his chief of staff,

his legal advisor, whoever.

Play up his need for the working-class white vote this year.

- I know the governor's rabbi. - Great, see if he'll weigh in.

Andrew, you're gonna handle the Supreme Court justices.

And, Christine, you'll stay on top of the DNA lab.

Alan and I are gonna be at the prison.

We've got nine hours. Let's go.

( knocking )

( locks click )

Hey. What are you doing here?

You asked me to take you to the prison, Jenny.

Right.

I'm kind of tired. I had to--

- Hey, whoa, whoa. - I had to take something to go to sleep, but...

Hey, wait. Wait, whoa. No, no, no.

Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, Jenny.

Come on. Come on. I'll make you some coffee.

Where's your shower? Where's your shower?

- It's over here. - Okay, come on.

Woman: Look, we've done everything we could.

The results just aren't complete yet.

We need more time.

We don't have it.

( train horn blaring )

( sighs )

( door buzzes )

The governor refused the stay.

He's running against the AG

and he's not gonna look soft on crime.

( door buzzes )

I'm sorry, Jared.

It's time for visitors to leave.

I'm sorry.

Jared, is there anything else that

we can do for you?

There's one other thing I don't want to carry with me to the other side.

Terry Kucik is innocent.

He was never there.

What the hell was that?

I mean, do we believe him?

- Do you? - Yes.

What reason would he have to lie now?

There's always a reason to lie.

I believe him.

Well, look, he's guilty, all right?

So we wasted a lot of time and effort for a guilty man.

Wait. Just-- no. We just wait for the DNA.

He just said that he was there, Christine.

The reason he knew that Terry wasn't there is because he was.

Unless he's lying.

Unless he's lying, yeah.

But if he's not lying, Terry Kucik's letters are the truth.

All these years, he's been telling the truth.

And Jared Bankowski's DNA should come back

as a positive match for the crime scene.

( kicks wall )

What?

Something's not right.

You don't have to go if you don't want, Jenny.

I can turn around.

I need to see him die.

"A Quiet Darkness" playing

♪ Well, heaven rode my back ♪

♪ And the angels dragged my throne ♪

♪ Only yesterday ♪

♪ Only yesterday ♪

♪ I carved out your name ♪

- ♪ And only yesterday... ♪ - Woman: No!

♪ I built you a shrine ♪

♪ On the side of the road ♪

♪ And I shut my eyes ♪

♪ And laid my hands to rest... ♪

( TV playing )

♪ In dreams ♪

♪ There's a way ♪

♪ To die... ♪

No!

♪ In dreams ♪

♪ There's a way ♪

♪ To die ♪

♪ Well, I towed you from the wreck ♪

♪ Of dimming shadows in my head ♪

♪ Only yesterday ♪

♪ And only yesterday ♪

♪ I laid you to rest ♪

♪ And only yesterday ♪

♪ I wept for your shape ♪

♪ In its endless decay... ♪

( TV playing )

Why are we closed?

I didn't feel like working today.

Have you eaten? I've got more.

I'll just pick.

I visited your father today.

How--

how was he?

Like nothing had happened.

Like it was any other day.

I got the full Rosa treatment.

Move on with your life, Maxine.

Find yourself a decent man.

Who the hell wants a decent man?

Decent. God, I hate it when he talks like that.

He never thought he deserved better in life,

even when he had it.

And when your mother left him, that proved it.

I only had a couple of good years

before everything changed.

Not much time at all when you consider...

I mean, I'm not saying that I've been a nun all these years,

but I just can't seem to get close to any other man

the way I am to him.

( laughs )

It's funny how that happens, huh?

( knocks )

Hey, slow down, all right?

- No. - Hey.

- Hey, come on, Chris. - Stop talking.

- Just stop talking. - Come on, hey. Hey.

- What?! - Cut the shit.

Okay? What the hell is going on with you?

( breathing heavily )

Why can't you tell me stuff?

You had a bad day, I get it.

Talk to me.

Chris, come on.

What is it?

( crying ) I should have been with my dad today.

I should have been with my dad.

Look, I don't want you to be mad.

I had a look at your father's case file.

And?

This guy that they say that he killed,

did you know him? Did you know him well?

He was my mother's fiancé.

I didn't really like being around him.

He was always trying too hard.

Why?

Well, maybe next time you go see your dad,

I can come with you.

So who is this guy?

He's a friend.

He's a cop and a friend.

You trust him?

He can't make things worse.

How long have you been together?

We're not together together.

- But you like him. - Dad, just--

Okay. All right.

You like him. I can tell.

Yeah. I'm glad.

I'm...

I'm sorry I wasn't here with you the other day.

Why?

A man got executed.

Wasn't my birthday.

Maxine came.

She sat there

trying to make conversation.

I said to her, "What?

Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

You can't hide what's in your eyes.

She made me feel like shit.

You didn't get mad at her, did you?

We had a fight.

I told her not to come anymore.

She didn't tell me that.

She's a beautiful woman

with a lot of good years left.

I can't look at her anymore.

So, this cop guy.

Does he have a name?

No.

He's nameless.

He's the cop with no name.

Brat.

Asshole.

( laughs )

( papers thump )

Trey: It's not mine.

Do you know how many times I've heard that?

- Yeah, but it's not. - It's not yours?

Well, do you smoke it? 'Cause that's really all that matters.

- I've tried it. - You've tried it.

Everybody's tried it. Haven't you ever tried it?

Have I tried it? The point is is I want you to stop trying it.

You are too young, Trey.

It will mess you up in the end, trust me.

- All right. - I don't want this problem in my house.

If it happens again, I'm gonna talk to your father.

- No. - Yes.

- ( doorbell rings ) - Get upstairs and get your stuff.

I don't want to be late for work.

- Good morning. - Hi.

- How are you? - Okay.

We're just waiting on Trey.

Are you sure it's okay that I'm coming back to work?

Oh, sweetie, absolutely.

Are you sure you're ready to come back?

It's time.

Research is quiet. I like it down there.

It's over. I'm good.

Okay.

Trey!

I'm coming. I'm coming.

Hey, Trey.

Hey, Jenny.

Look at you, you little stud.

Uh, okay, that'll be enough, you two.

Let's go. Come on.

( TVs playing )

- Hey. - Hi.

Want a drink?

Yeah, give me a bullet, neat.

I'm sorry I haven't been around for a couple days.

It's okay.

Besides, you're working

even when you're not working.

What does that mean?

That's the DNA report on Jared Bankowski.

You were right.

The test came back negative. It wasn't his DNA.

So--

so, he was innocent?

- ( siren wailing ) - ( bell tolling )

Woman: He didn't have an appointment,

but Clark Rylance is in your office.

He said it was urgent.

Hey.

You want a coffee?

Bankowski's DNA came back negative.

That doesn't mean he wasn't guilty.

He may have been guilty of something, but he didn't kill that family.

- The wrong guy was executed. - You don't know that.

Come on, man, we've been friends for a long time.

What I know is that we still have an eyewitness.

What I know is that even if Jared Bankowski's DNA

wasn't under Frances Butler's fingernails,

it doesn't mean he didn't hold the knife that killed her.

Oh, you better hope you're right,

because we're gonna be looking in every corner of this case.

And if you're wrong, it'll be the first time

in American history that a state is proven

to have executed an innocent man.

See how that sits on your resume.

You talking about my resume or yours, Clark?

What, you want to come after me?

It's not about us. It's about what's right.

I don't need a lecture from you on what's right.

We have worked this case for 11 years.

Jared Bankowski murdered that family.

And yet you got the DNA wrong.

We're also reviewing the Terry Kucik conviction.

We're gonna be asking for a new trial.

How did this happen, Adam?

( knocks )

Let me call you back. Thank you.

Close the door, Pop.

- What's this? - Clark got the lab results.

His lab says it wasn't Bankowski's DNA at the trial.

You have to get your own independent test.

I am. I called Larry at the Jersey labs.

Keep it off the radar.

Is it possible the original DNA was wrong?

No, this isn't about the Butler case, Pop.

Somebody's trying to bring me down

and it's somebody with all the pull and all the money

and somebody so deep in the background, his hands stay clean.

- Zale. - I must be getting closer than I thought.

What do you have on him?

We haven't finished the investigation,

but his pockets are full of dark money

and he's pushing it through phony nonprofit organizations

all over the state, changing zoning laws,

getting black folks moved out of voting districts,

getting his buddies on the school boards, you name it.

Son of a bitch.

And your boy Clark is working with him?

No, I know Clark

and I don't believe he has any idea he's being used.

But I got to do my homework.

I ordered all the trial evidence out of storage from the courthouse.

But I keep going over this in my head, Pops.

When the forensics came in, we went through everything.

We sent it to the labs. It was perfect.

What's his name was running it back then.

Patel?

No, no, no, no. We didn't use Patel.

He was overloaded. We used Rhubari.

That's right. Rhubari.

I haven't heard about him in a while.

- Is he even still working? - No, I think he's retired.

And you trust this guy up in Jersey, huh?

100%.

Once I clean up this mess,

you're gonna help me get Zale.

We've got the photos. We have a statement from Jared

claiming Terry Kucik was not at the scene of the crime.

And we have the DNA.

What are you gonna do with all this?

Well, after that press conference,

you got people ready to rip us apart whether we're right or wrong.

Public opinion is on your side,

especially since the state won't ever admit to a wrongful execution.

So we'll keep it all out of the papers for now.

The DNA, Bankowski's statement.

- All of it. - For what?

We want Terry Kucik released pending a new trial.

Are you out of your mind?

Based on what? The confessions of an executed criminal

whose statement proves he was at the scene of the crime?

We know all that. Listen, Adam,

forget you're the district attorney

and future governor of the great state of Pennsylvania

for just a minute.

Be my law school buddy again, all right?

Remember when we studied this shit because we actually believed in it?

So be that guy again for just a minute.

- Look at the facts right in front of us. - What facts?

The current evidence at hand.

We've got Terry Kucik's DNA at the scene of the crime,

but Terry Kucik wasn't there.

We don't have Jared Bankowski's DNA

at the scene of the crime, but Jared Bankowski was there.

You have to ask yourself, Adam,

whose DNA is under Frances Butler's fingernails?

Who was in that house with Bankowski?

I mean, you have to at least consider the possibility

that the man who killed the Butlers

was never brought to trial.

So, you ready to listen?

Let's start at the beginning.