All language subtitles for Cold.Case.S07E09.ROKU.WEBRip.x264-ION10

♪ Somebody once told me ♪

♪ The world is gonna roll me ♪

♪ I ain't
the sharpest tool ♪

♪ In the shed ♪

♪ She was looking kind of dumb ♪

♪ With her finger
and her thumb ♪

♪ In the shape of an L ♪

♪ On her forehead ♪

♪ Well the years start coming ♪

♪ And they don't stop coming ♪

♪ Fed to the rules
and I hit the ground running ♪

[indistinct chatter]

♪ Your brain gets smart
but your head gets dumb ♪

♪ So much to do
so much to see ♪

♪ So what's wrong with
taking the back streets ♪

...and especially
our Browning evidence.

They have nothing to answer it.

Jefferson's trying to
skate by on nice ideas

without a lot of
facts to back them up.

Sorry guys,
but if you want to take

a trophy you got
to do the work.

Extend across
our unanswered DA harms

and we win this round cold.

♪ Get the show on ♪

(male #1)
'Wow.'

Alyssa, you sure talk fast.

You know what they say,
speed kills.

Speed and evidence, right?

How many pages do you
have in your tubs?

Uh, about 20,000. Why?

Did you research that yourself

or copy it at some
overpriced debate camp?

I researched it.

At Dartmouth's
top-rated debate camp.

(male #1)
'Great.'

You keep saying your Browning
evidence wins the round.

Can you explain it?

Sure.

His article says federal funding

for urban schools is
politically unfeasible.

In his first paragraph

which you take
totally out of context.

Did you actually
read the whole article?

And you're
the big expert, why?

'Cause I did.

His conclusion says

"Urban education bills
are risky for Congress

"but the massive benefits
outweigh the political risks."

Out of a thousand articles
I could have cited

you just happen to
have this one memorized?

Can't afford 20,000 photocopies.

Got to use this instead.

♪ Go go for the most ♪

♪ Hey now you're an all star ♪

♪ Get your game on go ♪

(Darren)
'Hey, Luke, Coach Darren Musk,
Maynard Green.'

Now that was a great debate.

You actually
memorized the Browning?

Don't have Dartmouth.
Just my brain.

I saw a bunch of
your rounds last year

and the way you retain info,
how the hell do you do that?

I always just kind
of remembered things.

I mean, you've been
mopping up the Philly circuit.

Did you ever wonder how you'd
do at national tournaments?

Harvard?
Berkeley?

Long bus ride to Berkeley.

Right, yeah, I mean, you can't
compete without resources.

You gotta have travel budget,
computers, photocopies--

Beat your team
without any of that.

Sure, but imagine what
you could do with it.

National tournaments,
college recruiters.

Would you ever consider
debating for Maynard Green?

[laughs]

What are you talking about?

I couldn't even
afford the jacket.

You wouldn't have to.

I'm offering you
a full scholarship.

Blazer included.

A debate scholarship.

That could be your
best shot at going to college.

What about Ronnie?

Sorry, but travel
budget's for one.

I made it to
college finals in '87.

There is no thrill like
competing at that level.

♪ And all that
glitters is gold ♪

If I say yes..

...I got to wear
the stupid jacket?

♪ Break the mold ♪♪

[instrumental music]

[siren blaring]

[instrumental music]

(Rush)
'Keith?'

I'm Detective Rush.

Uh, sorry, I don't..

It's flu season.

You can't be too careful, right?

- What can I do for you?
- I'm not really sure.

Uh, see, I'm on the debate
team at Maynard Green.

And they don't
teach eye contact?

Oh. Oh, sorry. Sorry.

Anyway, um, there
was this debater we had.

Ever heard of Luke Cronin?

Stopped following
high school debate a while back.

I mean, he's kind of a legend.

He won every tournament
except his last

and shot himself
the night he lost.

- Oh, when was this?
- 1999.

He was only at
Maynard three months.

Real Sallie Mae kid, apparently.

- Sallie Mae?
- Couldn't afford Maynard.

Only there 'cause of
a debate scholarship.

You wanna tell me
why you're here?

We keep files from way back.

So I've been going through
some of Luke's old tubs

trying to learn from him and..

This is the last case
that Luke ever used.

And I found
something on the back.

What am I looking at here?

It's debate shorthand.

Our speeches are timed,
so we talk fast

400 words a minute

and shorthand's
the only way to keep up.

And what does
this shorthand say?

I'm not sure
what the small symbols mean

but these..

"I'm going to stop you.

I'm going to kill you."

A threat letter.

Dated December 19, 1999.

It's the same night that Luke--

Supposedly shot himself.

Don't waste
your time or anything

but...suicide's a big
legacy to leave behind.

If there was something else..

Then we need to set
the record straight.

[theme music]

[music continues]

Back in '99, Luke was
under a lot of pressure

grades, SATs, debate team.

ME said self-inflicted
gunshot to the head.

Trajectory and gunpowder
residue indicated suicide.

No reason to think foul play
till a threat letter shows up.

Local coaches backed up
Keith's translation.

I took a closer
look at the wound.

There's a star pattern
at the point of entry.

Gun was pressed
right against his head.

Nine out of ten suicides

they pull the gun back
at the last second.

Either our debate geek
had some serious stones..

Or someone made
good on that threat.

Body was found in
the Maynard parking lot

driver's seat of his
father's car at 6:00 A.M.

Estimated time of
death's around midnight.

.38 Taurus found
in his right hand.

Oh, get one of those
on any street corner.

Well, it's not
registered in Pennsylvania.

It's before
the Patriot Act, dead end.

Assigned could
only track it so far.

Well, run it with
the ATF, see what comes up.

Luke have a record?

(Rush)
'A few problems
at Jefferson High.'

Suspended for stealing books.

But he cleaned up at Maynard.

You don't have to steal
when you have everything.

I used to play
baseball against 'em.

Had new equipment every year

still sucked.

That coach from '99,
he still around?

He still has the same job.
We're heading over later.

Luke was at the Pembrook
debate tournament day he died.

Threat might have been
slipped to him there.

Any family in the picture?

Might know if Luke
was having problems.

Father's still up in Oak Lane.
There's no other relatives.

Nick and Will are
talking to him now.

[instrumental music]

Spent ten years thinking
my son killed himself

and now you're telling me
it was someone else?

Said you were in
the VA Hospital night he died?

Polytrauma,
back injury from the Gulf.

Said you had no idea
where Luke got the pistol?

I learned in the war,
no good comes from a gun.

I taught Luke the same.

Luke having problems
with anyone at Maynard?

Whole another world there.

If he was,
he didn't tell me about it.

I hardly spoke to him
those three months

after he switched schools.

He having trouble adjusting?

Workload was tough

even for him.

We pro/con'd it.

Thought it'd give him
opportunities I never had.

- Pro/con'd?
- Pros and cons list.

I taught 'em to
Luke when he was five.

Smart kid.

Our brains worked the same way.

No off switch.

I thought Luke had found
a good outlet for it.

Spending time with
the debate team?

Debate was the only thing
that challenged him.

Took him away from me,
even before he died.

["Letting The Cables Sleep"
by Bush]

Said you'd be gone
a couple hours.

♪ You in the dark ♪

You missed the whole game.

♪ You in the pain ♪

I had to read 2,000
pages of evidence.

And the train was late.

Since when do you need
all this evidence to win?

I'm about to debate
the best teams in the country.

Got to keep up,
prove I deserve it.

Prove it, hell.

♪ Never seem to get in ♪

You're smart as any
of those Maynard la-di-da's.

No one wants me
on the team, dad.

Smart or not,
I'm still from Oak Lane.

You ain't gonna prove nothing,
working yourself to death.

You even eat?

Darren brought us...sushi.

Sushi?

Ain't really food.

You want me to
fry up some scrapple?

No, I got to
start my homework.

♪ Whatever you say ♪

Luke?

♪ It's alright ♪

Only one who can judge you..

...is you.

Well, I'm a pretty tough critic.

Guess I'm screwed.

♪ If heaven
is on the way ♪♪

That's the problem
with a genius son.

You never win an argument.

(Vera)
'Luke said they didn't
want him on the team.'

He talking about
anyone in particular?

Don't know.

That was our
longest conversation

in three months.

You ever meet this Coach Darren?

No. I tried to
stay out of Luke's way.

Just figured I'd embarrass him.

You think of anything else..

I'm thinking only one thing.

Find the son of a bitch
who did this.

[instrumental music]

Now, says here you have
only four drinks a week?

Is that true?

Give or take.

Ever have hepatitis?

What the hell are
you talking about?

No.

Nick, you have any idea
what liver failure looks like?

It isn't pretty.

I'll take your word for it.

You need to stop drinkin'.

You need to start
eating right too.

Exercising more.

Been hearing that for years.

Yeah, well,
it's catching up to you.

You ever hear
of good cholesterol?

- Yeah.
- You got none of that.

Bad cholesterol, you got lots.

Your long-term
outlook is not good.

Well, I can still bench 250
and chase down a bad guy.

You put that in there?

Nick, this isn't a joke.

You need to make
lifestyle changes..

...today.

Are you sending that
to the department?

Soon as you sign this release.

[indistinct chattering]

I don't know.

Um, any debater
could have written it.

Standard shorthand.

What about the smaller symbols?

I've never seen these.

I mean, some debaters
develop their own.

They're always searching
for a faster system.

The threat was in
Luke's evidence tub.

You know who had access?

Anyone who was at
the Pembrook tournament.

My whole squad was there

and lot of other
debate teams too.

You remember what you did
after the tournament?

Took the team to dinner.

And then everyone went home.

Luke come out with
the team that night?

No, he left
after his last round.

Oh, the neighborhood
Luke grew up in

he have a tough time
making friends around here?

Yeah, but not for
the reasons you're thinking.

His ability to memorize

and apply information,
figures, articles, I mean..

...I'd never
seen anything like it.

Rub his teammates the wrong way,
this "ability" of his?

He was our top
debater in two weeks.

I thought I was giving him
a chance to shine

but...maybe I put
a target on his back.

["Learn To Fly"
by Foo Fighters]

The counterplan just
got cut off at the knees.

They're trying to grab onto us
with their generic economy links

but there's nothing to refute
that we lower state deficits

allowing a payback on
all federal spending.

What they don't realize,
our plan is bulletproof.

It's Teflon and it improves
every school in America.

We have won, let's go home.

Nice speech.
Who's cross-examining?

Bring that on!

Anyone got a question
for "the" Oliver?

♪ Help me get
things right ♪

I have a question.

(Oliver)
'Alright, Sallie Mae.'

Show me what we get for
15,000 in scholarship funds.

Why would anybody
vote for your plan?

- When it's already happened?
- What are you talking about?

Lieberman sent an identical
bill to the Senate yesterday.

It's a good idea,
but it's already been done.

I didn't hear about that.

'Because you
weren't here working.'

Luke researched
until midnight last night.

- I had an interview with Brown.
- What wins debates, Oliver?

Evidence wins debates.

Luke cut a thousand pages
of evidence last week.

Now I made it to National Finals
in '87 because of hard work.

And you lost it because
your partner slacked off.

That's right.

Next week, Luke's A-Team
with you, Alyssa.

If he agrees to wear the blazer.

Alright.

It's a good thing
coach wants you here

because nobody else does.

♪ I'm done
nursing the patience ♪

♪ It can wait one night ♪♪

Hard decision,
but Luke and Alyssa..

...became the best team
I ever coached.

Now who's this kid
Luke knocked off the A-Team?

Oliver Calhoun.
Decent debater.

Did he get his spot back,
once Luke died?

Rode it straight to the FTA,
for all the good it did him.

Kid lost quick. He was
never gonna be Luke Cronin.

[instrumental music]

Last of Luke's tubs.

I carried 'em.
So guess what?

I ain't going through 'em.

Well, don't hurt yourself.

- 'Hey, Nick.'
- 'Yeah?'

Still need that
medical paperwork from you.

Doctor was sick,
can you believe it?

Got another
appointment for tomorrow.

- End of the week.
- 'Yeah.'

- Someone's afraid of needles.
- What do you got?

Well, partner Alyssa's
digging ditches in Paraguay.

Out of contact,
missed a return flight

nobody knows when she's back.

What about that,
uh, Oliver Calhoun?

Record's shiny,
so I checked criminal records.

Turns out he's got a stack of
arrest cards up in Providence.

- All expunged.
- 'Three DUIs.'

Cocaine possession.

Solicitation of a prostitute.
Twice.

And that's just
freshman year at Brown.

Senior year,
he had an unregistered .38

in his frat house.

Same caliber that killed Luke.

How'd he get
the record expunged?

Daddy's a partner at
Delfino and Calhoun

where Oliver's
a second year lawyer today.

Get away with enough, you start
to think there are no rules.

Like to see his daddy
try to expunge this.

[instrumental music]

[knock on door]

Oliver Calhoun?

That's what it says on the door.

Need to ask you some
questions, wiseass.

Ask away, Detective Grumpy.

Oh, let me guess.
Detective Bashful?

Not so bashful when I bash
your head against my car door.

Easy, chief. We're on the same
team here. Law and order.

Except we put dirtbags away,
you get 'em off.

Yourself included.

Six arrests
disappear off your record

like magic.

How'd you find out about that?

Mm, pretty handy with
an unregistered .38.

(Vera)
'How does a sweet kid
from Brown get one of those?'

My roommate was Greek.
Got all the good stuff.

We shot through a few
phone books. So what?

Same kinda gun shot
through Luke Cronin's head.

Luke Cronin?

That's why you're here?

Guy shot himself
like ten years ago.

Worked out pretty good for you.

Got your spot on the team back.

Hit up the Forensics
Tournament of America.

Fellas...we may have
had problems at first

but Luke..

...he turned into
the life of the party.

And I love to party.

["Praise You"
by Fatboy Slim]

I dedicate this trophy to
Dartmouth admissions

and partner Luke who's way
smarter than that last guy.

You know what?

You guys aren't half bad
after five of these.

- 'Oh!'
- Less talky, more drinky.

[crowd cheering]

What's wrong?
Too much drinky?

Only reason we won is beat 'em
to death with evidence.

I didn't say
one word of my own today.

When you graduate from Harvard

it won't seem
like such a bad thing.

Is that the only reason
you're doing this?

Someday I'm going to help
the world. Environmental law.

And going Ivy is
the best way to get heard.

You got the silver spoon
advantage.

You're going Ivy no matter what.

You just think that my life
is so easy, don't you?

Hey, Sallie.
Gotta show you somethin' funny.

♪ I have to
praise you like I should ♪

♪ I have to praise you ♪

That's...our old tub.

That's Ronnie's tub.
You stole it?

He left it in
the tourney lounge.

He must be going
crazy looking for it.

Can't wait to see his face.

(Ronnie)
'Hey, this the Maynard party?'

Any of you all seen my tubs?

(Luke)
'Ronnie!'

Ronnie, you're won't
believe what happened.

- 'Oh!'
- 'Whoa!'

Congrats on the win.

Think I'll go back
to the Motel Six now.

♪ I have to praise you ♪♪

We all have our own way
to blow off steam, right?

Those were some great parties.
Never forget 'em.

Sounds like Ronnie wasn't in
a forgetting mood, either.

You wanna make an omelet,
you gotta crack a few

Malcolm-X-quoting eggs.

Kid was one of those
revolutionary types.

- Always pissed off at somebody.
- What about you?

After December 1st, I couldn't
have cared less about debate.

- What happened December 1st?
- I got accepted at Brown.

Debate was the means,
that was the end.

Oh, you didn't
care about the FTA?

Check my judging
ballots, fellas.

I was hung over,
lost every round.

I mean seriously,
do I sound like a guy

who would kill to win?

[instrumental music]

August 23rd, night the Phils won
the game on that triple play

you see this woman
in the parking lot?

Your manager called
it an "incident."

I think that was her. Yeah.

What kinda incident
we talkin' about?

Saw her on the ground,
that's all.

What do you mean,
on the ground?

I came out,
saw her gettin' up.

Looked 'cross the lot, see
some guy running away from her.

What do you mean, some guy?
What, he knocked her down?

- What guy?
- I don't know.

I said what guy?

Was he white, black,
you seen him before?

- What?
- I didn't see his face.

His baseball hat was real low.

Show me where they were.

Exactly.

Now I asked if she
wanted help, swear to God.

Said she was fine, drove off.

Drove off in what?

Blue Cobalt with a Jesus fish.

She said she was fine,
she still have her purse?

I don't know. Guess so.

I don't really remember.

And you didn't think you should
report this to the police?

Man, told you,
she said she was fine.

[instrumental music]

So...am I done here?

Yeah. You're done.

(male #2)
'Whoo, check it out!'

'Coach is talking
to the white lady.'

'Hey, come on, coach.'

Might be debate team,
but you still gotta keep an eye.

I need to ask a few questions
about Luke Cronin.

Wow.

Haven't heard that
name in a long time.

You two close?

He was my best friend.

You ever seen these?

No.

Can't read 'em. Different
than standard shorthand.

But you saw Luke at
the Pembrook tournament?

Night he died. Yeah.

We were both
too busy to say hey.

You ever own a handgun, Ronnie?

[chuckles]

No.

But if it might've been murder,
let's start with the black man.

I didn't start here.

But now I'm wondering
why two best friends

were too busy to say hey.

We were going through
a rough patch the night he, uh..

Was murdered.

You always punch your way
through rough patches?

Look, I regret the hell out
of that, but I didn't hurt Luke.

Must've been jealous,
him getting the scholarship

instead of you.

Are you kiddin' me?

I wouldn't touch Maynard Green

with a hundred-foot pole.

So why do Maynard security logs

show you trespassing two days
before Luke was killed there?

I'm asking you a question.

- Answer it.
- Or what?

Kids see you cuffed. You answer
it downtown instead.

Maynard was like quicksand.

I was trying to pull Luke out.

(Ronnie)
Hey, Luke.

'Wait up!'

What the hell
you doing here, Ronnie?

You know, I got to drop
the apology bomb, man.

You're never home, so..

For what, that schoolgirl punch?

Yeah.

So...we cool?

We're cool.

- Look, I gotta get to class.
- Wait a second.

- You high?
- What?

No.

Dextroamphetamine?

No, you ain't high, Luke.

I only use 'em before
tournaments to stay awake.

Man, we used to bust on
those Maynard speed freaks.

Give 'em back.

Dr. Melanie Banks.

You got the main line
connection now, huh?

Anything to give
you an edge, right?

I said give 'em back.

I got debate every night,
got to travel every weekend.

Got to keep up my GPA
for the scholarship.

You making excuses now?

'Cause that doctor should be
shot for even giving you those.

Come on, Luke, it's me, man.

It's my problem.

Let me fix it, alright?

(male #3)
'Come with me, son.'

Oh, no, black man on campus.

Got to get the cuffs.

Son, I told you,
you cannot come on campus

'without an ID badge.'

I'd never seen Luke like that.

The drugs weren't
a long-term thing?

No way.

His dad was on whiskey
and painkillers for his back.

Before Maynard,
Luke wouldn't sip a beer.

Why didn't you come
forward after Luke died?

To say what?
Cops said it was suicide.

His dad was already a wreck.
I wasn't much better.

What about that doctor
prescribing the pills?

I don't know. That was
the last time I saw him.

Maybe he tried to fix
that problem after all.

Anything off
Luke's debate notes?

I've been pounding
my head against the wall.

- Still got nothing.
- That's a lot of nothing.

Everything Luke
wrote the day he died.

I called every coach in town

still can't
translate half of it.

Some of this shorthand,
nobody knows.

What about the symbols
from the threat letter?

I matched 'em but
I can't translate 'em.

Now Luke used a couple
of them here and here.

Oh, Luke knew that code.

Hmm.
Question is, Who else did?

(Jeffries)
'Found Melanie Banks.'

Psychiatrist
practicing in Colorado

but in '99 she was
married to Coach Darren.

Was she writing the
team prescriptions?

No, her husband was.
Stole her prescription pad.

'Gets better.'

She remembers Luke showing up

at their apartment
two days before he died.

Those drugs get out in the open

Darren loses his job
and he's looking at jail time.

Some people will do anything
to keep a secret.

[indistinct chattering]

Hey, coach..

...these night
shifts are killing me.

Got anything to help?

Think some dextroamphetamines
might do the trick?

Okay, okay, look,
you should know

that my ex-wife had
nothing to do with that.

I took a few slips
from her prescription pad

to help Luke out.

By giving him speed?

They hand Ritalin out
like vitamins.

He just needed
more hours in his day.

Kid ever come to your house?

- To my house? No.
- Wrong answer.

Ex-wife says he was there
Friday before he died.

He come to confront you?

Yes, but not about the pills.

That was just
the tip of the iceberg.

What are you doing here?

The tournament's
at 7:30 in the morning.

- I gotta give these back.
- Didn't they help?

Helped me realize
what's wrong with how we debate.

At Jefferson, I used to enjoy
doing this, discussing ideas.

Now it's just about
cranking on these pills

so I can crush
everybody with research.

I'm not who I was anymore.

You've won four
tournaments in a row.

I mean, that is better than
any Maynard team ever did.

But what's the point
if I don't care

about anything that I'm saying?

There are two education systems
in this country

one for the have's,
another for the not's.

Wait...you wrote a new case?

You've been reading Freire.

This is pretty complex stuff.

Most of these debate kids

have no idea
how the other half lives

why the poor stay poor

why my dad couldn't
even think about college.

And we're gonna teach them?

I'm debating the future
leaders of America, right?

If we can change the way
we talk about education--

Yes, but you and
Alyssa are winning

big tournaments
with the old case.

We could be national
champions with this one

because I believe in it.

You ever read any Foucault?

There's a piece of evidence here

that's gonna make
your case even stronger.

I've been pushing
debaters my whole career

and that was the only time
a debater pushed me.

So how'd Alyssa feel
about the new case?

She agreed to it.

They had some kind of
argument at the tournament.

About what?

I asked her,
she didn't wanna talk about it.

Look, the drug thing
was really stupid

but I could lose my job
if people find out.

You should have
thought about that

before you gave 'em to Luke.

[instrumental music]

My dad used to be a cop.

Back then, people
respected their service.

They didn't sweat
the small stuff.

I wish.

He used to bring home
cartons of cigarettes

fruit, toys for us.

All of it fell off a truck.

Sounds pretty sweet.

[chuckles]

Not like today, huh, where..

...everybody's up in your
business about everything?

Fit as a fiddle.

You got your hearing,
you got your vision

and you got your looks.

I can see why you're so
popular around the station.

Just promise me you'll eat an
apple once in a while, alright?

Scout's honor.

Hey, a package
showed up for you.

Something from
"Elkayam Jewelers"?

Yeah, yeah,
I've been waiting on that.

Hey, check this out.
This is Luke's last round.

'I got it from
the tournament archives.'

[Luke speed-reading]

You know what?
Forget it.

I don't need this evidence.

'Look, here's
what I'm trying to say.'

'The neighborhood I come from'

'no one gets
the opportunities you all do.'

I got out because I'm smart

or whatever,
but you shouldn't have to be

a genius to get
a decent education.

'People like
my father deserve better.'

If you're looking for evidence

put away your pen.

I am my own evidence.

'I know this might
sound strange, but..'

...I'd like to have
a real conversation now.

Look familiar?

Alyssa wrote that threat right
in the middle of their round.

Her flight made it into
the air a few hours ago.

Got a car waiting
at the airport.

Give her a nice,
warm Philly welcome.

I told the other police
this is a mistake.

I've been in Paraguay
for two weeks, building wells.

Ever shoot a gun, Alyssa?

I won't even touch one.

If you spend one day
in a refugee camp--

Saving the world
one life at a time?

Wanna explain this?

I don't remember
much about debate.

That was a lifetime ago.

But you wrote it, didn't you?

Why would I
want to kill someone?

You tell us. You gave it
to Luke the night he died.

Luke Cronin killed himself.

Yeah, after
he blew your last round.

Pembrook was a local tournament.

We went three and three
with a new case.

It was no big deal.

I thought you didn't
remember much.

Headspace you were in back then

losing must have seemed
like the end of the world.

If he had just told me
what he was going to do--

(Jeffries)
'But he didn't.'

Luke was so good
at moving forward

he never saw who he left behind.

Are you insane?

Do you know
who our judge was?

No, calm down.

That was Steve Tanner.

Mr. Dartmouth Debate,
my only way into that school.

What are you talking about?

You're graduating
from Maynard Green

your parents have
a gazillion dollars.

But I'm getting "C"s.

You understand?
I bet everything on debate.

You told me you had "A"s.

I can't keep up with
debate and classes.

- I'm not as smart as you, okay?
- It's not a competition.

And now you go
off script and you pull out

your sob story,
and yeah, it's obvious

that I could play backup
on "The Luke Cronin Show."

So you write me a death threat?

You blew my shot at Dartmouth!

You think going to Ivy is the
only way to make people listen?

They'll listen now if you
got something worth saying.

You hypocrite.

You're gonna fix the system
for guys like your dad, right?

That's why I wrote this case.

You care so much about him,
you never even see him.

- 'Cause I'm trying--
- To win, like everybody else!

Just using different words

but all that you care
about is that judge.

You're right.

Only one who can judge you...
is you.

After Luke's suicide..

...everything he said sunk in.

Thought it was my punishment
for treating him like that.

"Only one who can judge you,
is you."

After Maynard,
I did some volunteer work

and I got
my priorities straight.

What do these
other symbols mean

'the ones no one can translate?'

We used our own shorthand

so that the other
teams couldn't read it.

It says
"You don't belong here.

'"Go back to Oak Lane."'

I still can't believe
I wrote that.

Oh, don't worry.

We have a way
you can make up for it.

This part right here..

...can you tell me
what that says?

ATF report came back
on the .38 that killed Luke.

Tracked it to
a gun show in Delaware.

Purchased by
Stan Cronin, July '97.

I guess Luke's father didn't
hate guns as much as he said.

[siren wailing]

What was it you told Luke?

"Only one who can
judge you, is you?"

Best advice I ever give him.

You're just full of wisdom,
aren't you?

Back feeling better these days?

Yes...mostly.

It's kind of strange,
a psychiatrist fixing your back.

He moonlighting
as a chiropractor?

Don't know
what you're talking about.

I called the VA hospital.

The only doctor you've seen in
the past 15 years is a shrink.

PTSD specialist.

How do you judge yourself, Stan?

(Vera)
''Cause you weren't in
any hospital bed that night.'

I'm not gonna talk
about this to a pair of cops.

Alright.
You could talk to a jury.

Tell them how you shot
Luke clean through the head.

I would never hurt my son.

It was your gun that killed him.

I was sick.

I wanted to hurt someone,
but it wasn't Luke.

(Luke)
Fourth quarter start yet?

'Hey.'

Why isn't the TV on?

Dad?

You aren't supposed
to be home yet.

[instrumental music]

- What's in your hand?
- Nothin'.

'I want to watch the game.'

Dad.

Give me that. Please.

Tryin' to do
what's best for you, son.

Please, dad,
you're scaring me.

Nothing to be scared of.

You're an amazing kid.

- You're going places.
- No.

I judged myself today,
like you said.

I didn't like what I saw.

Why are you saying that?

Big decision I have to make.

I pro/con'd it on
the train ride over here.

See?

But you gotta
give me the gun, dad.

Now.

Put the gun that killed
my son right in his own hand.

I can't be awake..

...without wishing
I could take that moment back.

What decision
was Luke talking about?

I don't know.

I was too caught up
in my own crap.

Still got the list?

[sniffles]

It's the last thing
my son gave me.

Might as well be in Chinese.

- What happened after that?
- Drove me to the VA.

I was in a hospital
bed that night..

...just not in
the polytrauma unit.

- Mental health?
- In suicide watch.

I was still there
when I heard about Luke.

I couldn't bring myself
to tell you earlier.

[sniffles]

I always thought
I drove him to it.

I matched up
the symbols Alyssa gave me

from their secret shorthand

and Luke was making
a decision the night he died.

The cons outweigh the pros.

Luke was about to
quit Maynard debate.

And Coach Darren
was about to lose his MVP.

I've-I've been waiting
for over an hour.

I-I think I've been
pretty cooperative.

(Valens)
'Well, sorry, coach.'

Just...one detail

still got us confused.

Now you said Luke
was gonna be your ticket

to winning the Forensics
Tournament of America?

Yeah, that's right.

But it turns out
he was pretty fed up

with Maynard debate.

Even listed the cons.

Elitist, shallow,
obsessed with winning.

[sighs]

Luke wasn't serious
about quitting.

Never said anything
about quitting, Darren.

Only one knew Luke was gonna
quit that night was Luke.

(Rush)
'Now isn't that
how you lose a debate?'

You say one wrong thing
and you blow it?

You lose a debate by not
having the right evidence.

See, the problem with
close-range killings

you get blood on yourself.

Then, you got to drive home.

Yeah, see, the reason
you've been waiting so long

is, uh, CSU went through
every inch of your Civic.

I don't own a Civic.

You did in '99,
it was brand-new.

So why'd you sell it
the week after Luke died?

I needed a bigger car.

Smart guy like you can't figure
that out before you buy?

There's a name for
this kind of evidence.

It's called circumstantial.

It's better than an eyewitness
'cause it doesn't lie.

Found Luke's blood in the car.
That circumstantial too?

You must get a lot
of idiots in here, alright?

You can't check DNA in an hour.

Blood type, it's Luke's.

Found it next to
the tire hump where you stashed

that bloody coat.

Do you not think
that I can see a bluff?

I made it to
Debate National Finals.

1987.

Yeah, we looked that up.

Well, turns out it was you

who lost it, not your partner.

Debate is an extremely
nuanced activity.

"I lost for

"insulting the other team

'"a profound
sense of arrogance."'

I miss a nuance here somewhere?

- Yes. It was only one round.
- 'Not for you.'

You disappeared off the face
of the earth after that loss.

Because I had to get away
and just decompress.

(Rush)
'So you skipped out
on law school'

became a high school
debate coach instead.

'What do you...what
do you call that?'

'What's that phrase?'

Uh, those who can't do--

- Teach.
- 'That's right.'

They teach.

If I hadn't lost in '87..

...everything would
have been different.

[intense music]

[panting]

It's freezing out.

What's so important
you call me at 11:30?

Coach...I'm sorry.

I got to quit debate.

[sighs]

Look..

...I don't care that you lost.

Alright? You're passionate
about the case.

We'll just work it hard
next week.

It's not the case.

It's me.

Okay, Luke, you're not quitting.

I put a lot of trust in you.

I...I stuck my neck out
to get you this scholarship.

My dad..

...tried to kill himself
tonight, okay?

I pulled a gun from his hands.

You brought a gun onto campus?

Can't take it home.

I don't know what to do with it.

I've been driving in circles.

Okay, look, I'm sorry.
Alright, I'm sorry.

If there's anything
I can do to help..

You can let me off the hook.
My dad needs me.

What do you mean,
let you off the hook?

If you quit the team,
you lose that scholarship.

So I lose it. I'll go back
to Jefferson and debate.

At what tournaments?

Allentown? Scranton?

I used to have fun doing this.

Then what are you gonna do?
End up like your dad?

Lose your brain to the army
and you start working

in some car shop
your whole life?

My dad...is twice
the man you are.

He tried to kill himself!

- Get out of the car.
- You can't do this to the team.

You don't care about the team.
You just want trophies.

I'm not letting you go, Luke.
Not after everything I've done.

I'm not asking permission.
I quit.

This is the year, Luke!

You blow this chance
and you will regret it

for the rest of your life!

I won't.

Because I'm not you.

Me?
I went to National Finals.

- And lost.
- Because of my partner.

- Because of you!
- Watch your mouth.

- That's not what happened.
- We all know what happened.

- You're a liar.
- That is not true!

Hanging on to a victory
that doesn't exist.

- Shut up! Shut up!
- Because you never won.

Shut up! Shut up!

[gunshot]

[instrumental music]

["Karma Police"
by Radiohead]

♪ Karma police ♪

♪ Arrest this man ♪

♪ He talks in maths ♪

♪ He buzzes like a fridge ♪

♪ He's like ♪

♪ A detuned radio ♪

♪ Karma police ♪

♪ Arrest this girl ♪

♪ Her Hitler hairdo ♪

♪ Is making me feel ill ♪

♪ And we have ♪

♪ Crashed her party ♪

♪ This is what you get ♪

♪ This is what you get ♪

♪ This is what you get ♪

♪ When you mess with us ♪

♪ For a minute there ♪

♪ I lost myself ♪

♪ I lost myself ♪♪

(Rush)
Stay tunes for scenes
from our next episode.

[theme music]