All language subtitles for Law & Order s20e04 Reality Bites.eng

NARRATOR:
In the criminal justice system

the people are represented
by two separate yet equally important groups,

the police
who investigate crime

and the district attorneys
who prosecute the offenders.

These are their stories.

So, how was
school today?

ALL: Good!

Only good?

ALL: No! It was great!

And tomorrow will be?

ALL: Even better!

Hang on, guys.
I'll go get Mommy.

Joy?

Joy?

Joy Johnson.
Blunt force to the head.

Based on lividity
and body temp,

I put time of death
between 12:00 and 2:00.

Looks like a palm print
in the blood over there.

BERNARD:
The trophy's the murder weapon?

Looks like.

Special Athletics.

I left work at 3:00
to pick up the kids.

On Thursdays we put
the young ones in day care

so my wife can
have a few hours off.

Was anything missing
from the house?

I kept some money, maybe
$8,000, in the desk for emergencies.

A neighbor told
the responding officers

that he saw
a bouncy Hispanic woman leaving the house around noon.

Bouncy?
What does that even mean?

Excuse me.
I'm sorry.

Larry, I can't find
Olivia's ladybug pillow.

She's throwing a fit.

LARRY: Look in the van.

Or sometimes
Henry takes it.

She's our babysitter.

She's got the kids
stashed at a neighbor's.

Did your kids see any of
what's inside, your wife?

No, thank God.

I went in ahead.

They waited in the van.

Your kids,
they're all special needs?

Yeah. When we realized
we couldn't get pregnant,

we adopted
a beautiful little girl with Down Syndrome.

We just kept going.

Nine times?

Ten.
Our oldest, Tim, is in high school.

He's autistic,
high-performing.

He should be home by now.

Looks like
he's been home already.

There's a yellow book bag
in there with his name on it.

TIM: Dad?

Mom's dead.

I left school after
fourth period and walked home.

It's eight blocks,
two long ones and six short ones,

so it took
14 minutes.

I saw my mom
on the floor.

I tried
to wake her up, but she was dead.

Is that how you got
blood on your hands?

Yeah, because
I tried to wake her up.

Why didn't you
call the police?

Because the police always
suspect the person who's close to the body,

or sometimes
the boyfriend.

Or sometimes the person
who didn't call the police.

I didn't see that one.

He loves cop shows on TV.
He wants to be a detective.

If this wasn't what it is,

coming here would be
the greatest day of his life.

Has he ever
been violent

towards anyone
in the family?

No. No. Never.
He's a good kid.

LUPO: The thing is, Tim,

we were wondering why
you left school early.

Other kids pick on me.

They move my things around,
and I have to put them back.

Or they take
my things even.

Is that
why you were throwing pencils?

We talked to
your school, Tim.

We know they sent you home
because you were throwing pencils at other boys.

Why were you doing that?

Maybe when you got home,

you told your mother
what happened and she got mad.

I didn't talk to her.
She was dead.

LUPO: How did you get
in the house?

Do you have a key?

My father gave me one
because I was trustworthy.

Look, Tim, this
could've been an accident.

Now, if something bad
happened,

this would be
a good time to tell us.

I don't have anything
to tell you.

You could tell us why
you were mad at school.

Okay.
I did it. I killed her.

No, he wouldn't...

Okay, we just need you
to tell us exactly what you did.

I told my mom
what happened and she got mad.

Tim, why don't you want
to tell us why you were throwing pencils?

We're police detectives.
We need your help.

You do want to
help us, don't you?

Yes.

VAN BUREN:
Then answer my question.

Yesterday,
after second period,

D.J. Asked if he could
look at my fanny pack.

It was a trick.
He wouldn't give it back.

Why didn't you
want to tell us?

My key was in
the left compartment.

Dad said I was trustworthy.
But I wasn't.

I let it get taken.

D.J. Lovell?

You know him?

His parents are
friends of ours.

He's always been kind
to Tim, to all our kids.

So he's been
in your house?

Sure.

I can't believe
my friend's son would kill my wife.

LUPO: Sup.

D.J. Lovell,
he's got a record. Petty theft and assault.

I didn't steal Tim Johnson's
gay-ass fanny pack.

D. J!

So if we look around,
we're not going to find it?

Why do you care
about a fanny pack?

Joy was murdered.

Tim Johnson
had a key in there.

Whoever killed Mrs. Johnson
might have used a key to get in the house.

You think... D. J...

I didn't even know
there was a key in there.

Yes, I took
the fanny pack.

But it was just a joke
that got out of hand.

Where is it?

I threw the pack
in the dumpster.

Then you don't mind
if we look around for it,

or for the $8,000 that was
taken from the Johnson home?

Go ahead.
Let them look.

Wait. I was
over there Tuesday.

Joy got into a fight
with someone on the phone.

Who?
I don't know.

But when Joy hung up,
she said the woman was a psycho.

She seemed afraid.

Nothing's there.
No fanny pack, no cash.

We're checking dumpsters.

Well, he could have
hidden it someplace else.

BERNARD: The Johnson
home phone records.

There were
three incoming calls

around the time
Mrs. Lovell was there on Tuesday.

One from
the younger kids' school,

one from the Fraternal
Order of Police,

probably asking for money.

Those people never
take no for an answer.

And the third
from a Belinda Alvarez, Sunnyside, Queens.

Alvarez.

The woman seen leaving
the Johnson home was Hispanic.

Right. And bouncy.

(LOCK CLICKING)

Belinda Alvarez?

Yes.

Do you know Joy Johnson?

Oh, my God, yes.

Poor woman,
I can't believe it.

Do you want to come in?

Sure.

You'll have to
forgive the mess.

It's been
one of those days.

They want to
play with every toy for about one second,

usually just to hit
each other on the head.

Good thing they got
thick skulls, right?

Is this a day care?

(LAUGHS) I wish I could
send them home at night.

Nope, they're all mine.

Three singles and
a set of septuplets.

I was hoping
for octuplets,

but God decided to bestow
that blessing on Nadya Suleman.

Mom, say hi
to the police.

(CHILDREN CHATTERING)

Wow!

Ten kids,
just like the Johnsons.

Only mine
are biological,

which is why I thought
I should get the show.

Plus I'm a single mother,
so it's more dramatic.

The show?

A new reality show.
Like Jon and Kate, you know,

only less depressing.

You and the Johnsons were
involved in a reality show?

One of us
was going to be.

And I needed it
way more than they did.

I'm by myself, barely
surviving, on assistance.

They're rich.

So you called Mrs. Johnson
the other day.

Just to lay out the facts.

I explained to her
that I'm much younger and prettier than she was,

and that my personality
will come across on TV, don't you think?

And you went to
see her yesterday.

Yes. I must have
just missed the murderer.

It's frightening.

How did Mrs. Johnson
react to your arguments,

about you being younger
and prettier and all?

We didn't argue.

We heard you argued
on the phone.

On the phone, yes.

And I was
ready to argue again when I went to see her.

But she said they weren't
going to do the show.

As far as
she was concerned, the show was mine.

So you're saying
when you left her, she was alive?

Of course!
And I was ecstatic.

(SQUEALS)
My own show!

Hence the bouncy.

I don't think anything
that woman is involved with could be called reality.

Septuplets?

When this is all over,
I say we find her fertility doctor

and arrest him on
general principles.

Let's see if Johnson
backs up her story.

Hey, is Mr. Johnson around?

Downstairs.

Shh. If you're
going down there,

I'm going
to need you to sign a release.

What for?

So that we can use
your image on the air

for merchandising,
rebroadcast.

We'll think about it.

All right, let's see,
does everybody have milk?

I want Or-Juice!

Or-Juice it is!
Anybody else?

(CHILDREN SHOUTING)

Okay, I'll have to get
more out of the fridge.

Looks like Belinda Alvarez
was lying about the Johnsons dropping out of the show.

Or his wife wanted to
drop out, but he didn't.

The trick is, you've got to
shake it up or it will just turn into one big orange.

I've had that
happen to me before.

I love these kids,
but they sure make a mess.

My wife
was so patient.

Can we
maybe talk to you without the cameras?

I'm supposed to
let them film everything.

I signed a contract.

So, no time off
for mourning?

Look, I know
this seems odd, with Joy just dead,

but without her
I'm gonna have to stay home with the kids.

And I don't have any way to
pay for that without the show.

Maybe we could
talk to you out there.

Um, yeah,
sure, I guess.

Okay. So, what's
going on?

We talked to a woman
named Belinda Alvarez. Do you know her?

She was a candidate
for the reality show.

The producer said
she was kind of nuts.

Turns out she was over here
around the time your wife was killed.

She killed Joy?

She says she didn't.

She says she didn't have
a reason to

because your wife told her
that you weren't going to do the show.

Joy wouldn't say that.

Joy wanted this show.

She wanted
the world to see our beautiful children.

When do I get to see
my detectives on TV?

Lupo didn't
want to be on camera.

I was having
a bad beard day.

I wasn't going
to say anything.

(ALL CHUCKLE)

Paying bills, Loo?

No, checking our
insurance plan. The lifetime cap.

Is it enough?

Well, if I'm cured in
the next three months, it's fine.

Otherwise, I know where
you can get a good deal on a used Toyota.

All right,
so someone's lying.

Is it the husband or
the Septomom?

I'm liking the husband.
His wife didn't want to do the show,

he was trying
to convince her.

With a Special Athletics
trophy?

Mmm. I don't know.

The Septomom's brought
so many extra people into this world,

she might
feel entitled to take one out,

especially one
standing between her and her own TV show.

Yeah, right,
but it didn't work.

I mean, Mr. Johnson
got the show anyway.

So she wasn't thinking
like a television producer.

She didn't
see the appeal of the single dad angle.

What's next?

We're going to go see
the actual producer.

Ask him if
Mrs. Johnson was in or out.

All right.

Having cameras
follow you around 24/7,

some people
aren't comfortable.

Yeah, how about Mrs. Johnson?
How comfortable was she?

She had questions,
concerns.

But Larry assured me
she was totally on board.

Larry did?

I mostly dealt with him.

After we picked his
family for the show,

I faxed the contracts
to his office.

The contract needed
to be signed by both of them, right?

Husband and wife?

Originally, sure.

But after she died,
it only needed his.

Did Mrs. Johnson
ever sign it?

No, just Larry.

I didn't get it back
until after she was killed.

It kind of
went down to the wire.

So she was
dragging her feet?

Or he was.

He wanted
a higher cooperation fee, plus more of it upfront.

He has 10 kids
to take care of,

plus he's a real estate
developer.

We all know how
that's going nowadays.

Things are slow.
That's not exactly a secret.

BERNARD: How slow?

Well, there used to
be people at some of those desks.

You're still here.

Visiting.
I'm Mr. Johnson's accountant.

And why are you...

(WHISPERS)
There was a rat.

Where?

Over there, and
then it ran over there.

Can you hand me
that file?

I've been here all week,
going through Mr. Johnson's books.

He's shutting down
a couple of projects

that looked great on paper,
two years ago.

Now, he's just trying
to salvage some equity.

You were here all week?

Including the afternoon
Mrs. Johnson was killed?

Mmm-hmm.

LUPO: Was Mr. Johnson
here all day?

He said he had to be
with his kids.

He was gone when
I got back from lunch.

We were
at your office this afternoon.

We picked up
this picture of you leaving the building

the day your wife
was murdered.

12:15.
You told us you left work at 3:00.

Larry, are you coming?
It's your turn.

Just a minute.

My sister flew in
from Chicago to help out.

We're playing Twister.

Look, I can explain this.

I should have
just told you before.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

Not now.

I lied to you about
what I did that day.

That's right.
You came home,

you tried to
convince your wife to sign the contract.

No.

I went to see
my girlfriend.

What's her name?

I started working for them
three years ago.

I baby-sit,
sometimes I cook.

I help Joy out
if Larry has to work late.

Except the times
he's working late, when he's actually here.

It just
kind of happened.

Joy went to bed early.

It was raining,
Larry offered to drive you home.

His wife
was too busy with the kids

to pay much
attention to him.

Was he here
on Thursday?

He came over about 1:00.

He left at 3:00
to get the kids.

But his office is what,
like, five minutes from here?

I guess.

Did he happen to mention
if he stopped by home on the way over?

No, he loved Joy.

He did. He just...

He loved me, too.

Okay, so,
Joy and you,

two women, one man.

As hard as it might be
to understand, I loved Joy, too.

And I would never
take her away from those kids.

The way that
they felt about her.

When Larry
brought them home,

they'd jump out of the car
practically before he'd stopped

and run in to see her.

Is that
a laundry hamper?

Yeah.

Man's shirt.
Larry's?

He keeps
some stuff here.

He always changed shirts
after he visited me.

His wife
wouldn't notice

if he left the house
in one shirt and came back in another?

He always wears blue.

You left your office at 12:15,
you got to your girlfriend's at 1:00.

It's plenty of time to
stop by home on the way.

I stopped for a coffee.

I had a lot
to think about.

The shirt you wore to
your girlfriend's house

had specks of your
wife's blood on it.

You get that from
the coffee shop, too?

No. I don't know how.

Oh!

My daughter, Olivia,
has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.

She has trouble
speaking and seeing.

She gets
easily frustrated, she has seizures.

Thursday morning,
she lashed out at breakfast

and cut my wife
with a grapefruit knife.

I must have gotten
blood on my shirt.

This guy has answers
for everything.

What do we
have on him?

Well, he cheats on his
wife with the babysitter,

and then signs up
to be a TV star

the day
after the wife is bludgeoned to death.

Okay,
I'd convict him,

but what evidence do we
have that he's the killer?

The blood on the shirt.

Which he just explained with
a heart-rending story about his daughter.

He lied
about his alibi.

He still doesn't
have one.

He needed the money
he'd get for going on the show,

but his wife
wouldn't sign on.

Yeah, but that's
according to the Septomom?

I mean,
not the world's greatest witness.

You guys have
anything else?

What about this?

His babysitter-mistress
told us the kids always run in the house

the second
they get home.

The day of the murder,
Larry made them wait while he went in first.

What if he held them back
because he knew his wife was dead

and he didn't want them
to see it?

That would
be the nicest thing I've heard about this guy yet.

Enough to arrest him
for murder?

If you can confirm it, yeah.

The kids are at home
with the sister right now.

Well, take a ride and I'll
keep Mr. Johnson company for a while.

Are you sure
this is okay?

My brother
will be home any minute.

We're trying to solve
their mother's murder.

Anything they know.

When your dad
takes you home from school,

what usually happens
when you get to the house?

My dad is going to
bring us pizza.

Okay.

Uh...

How about you?

Do you know what
happens usually when you get to the house?

Darnell helps Amy
with her seatbelt.

Then Freddy opens the door
and Amy gets out, then lifts Jane out.

And they all go inside
the house and hug Mom,

except Angie,
who always waits for Dad.

So your dad comes in
the house after you guys?

I don't know.

Yes, you do, squirt.
You just said.

Hey, hey, Tim,
maybe you should...

Maybe you should
help us out here.

Help you detectives?

That's right.
Do you think you can?

Sure!

Squirt, you said
Darnell helps Amy with her seatbelt.

Then Freddy opens the door
and Amy gets out and lifts Jane out.

And you all run inside
the house and hug Mom,

except Angie,
who always waits for Dad, right?

Okay, so on the day that
your mother got hurt, what happened?

I don't know.

You do, squirt.
You're smart.

I am smart.

So tell the
two detectives.

Darnell started to
unbuckle Amy and Dad said, "Stop."

So, what you usually do,
your Dad said don't do it?

Yes. He said, "Stop."

He made us wait.
He went in first.

That's confirmation.

Yeah, what the lady
asked for.

LARRY: Anybody home?
Hey, the pizza man is here!

I got a pizza
for everyone!

(CHILDREN EXCLAIMING)

Now who wants a pizza?

Amy, remember,
no pepperoni for you.

Hey, what are you guys
doing here?

I got some pizzas.

Larry Johnson, you're
under arrest for murder.

That's a wrap.

"Case number 1-6-7-2-4-9.
People v. Larry Johnson.

"Murder in
the Second Degree."

The plea is Not Guilty,
Your Honor.

And we're
requesting ROR for humanitarian reasons.

Humanitarian?

Your client's
charged with murder, not healing lepers.

He has 10 special needs
children at home

who need his care
since his wife is deceased.

Since he smashed in her head
with a Special Athletics trophy.

The People
request remand.

He has ties
to the community,

both personal
and professional,

and he cannot
afford high bail.

If he's jailed pending trial,
then he's not the one who'll suffer,

it's his children.

All right,
we'll hold him for now on $500,000,

but I'll review
pending a report from Children's Services.

Thank you.

Hey, the pizza man
is here!

I got a pizza
for everyone.

LARRY: We were just trying
to have fun.

Just trying to survive
after my wife's tragic death.

I had no idea
what was about to happen.

Hey, what are you
guys doing here?

I got some pizzas.

Larry Johnson, you're
under arrest for murder.

That's a wrap.

I don't know what's
going to happen now.

The kids cry
all the time.

They're acting out.

They need
their father back.

We miss you, Daddy.

Very entertaining.

Whatever happened
to the Cosbys?

They didn't have
enough kids.

Children's Services
just weighed in.

If Mr. Johnson makes bail,
the family stays together pending a verdict.

And if he doesn't,
the kids get split up and sent to foster homes.

It'll be ugly.

And our fault.
"Heartless Prosecutors Break Up Happy Family."

It'll poison
the jury pool.

Lower the bail to $100,000.

But make one condition
that he stop appearing on that damn show.

KRAMER:
Ms. Rubirosa?

Connie, right?

Swarthmore.

You lived with Susie Nevins,
senior year.

I dated Karen Lazar,
drove a yellow Geo Metro.

And sold rides
to New York. Artie...

Kramer.

The reality show producer.

Guilty.

Hey, I can guess what
you probably think about a show like Larry Plus Ten,

but do you know how many
special needs children all around the country

are being adopted
after one episode?

Well, hopefully by better
parents than Mr. Johnson.

The show's dead,
Connie, because of your bail condition.

We need Larry on camera.

It's not
going to happen.

Okay.

Well, what about you?

What about me?

Well, the sister's a stiff,
but we've still got the kids.

We can keep it alive
by focusing on the trial

and contrasting that
with her struggles inside the house.

Cameras aren't allowed
in the courtroom.

So outside the court.

D.A. Doing prep,
D.A. Briefing us on developments.

The D.A. Telling you
you're out of your mind.

It's an opportunity
to take your case to the public.

Plus, I have tapes
of Larry Johnson and his wife

when they were being
considered for the show,

talking about
whether or not to do it and not always agreeing.

I can subpoena those tapes.

We'll fight it.
First Amendment.

Or, you could get them
hand-delivered.

The tapes could help.

So we'll fight in court
to get them.

But how do we
make a showing they're relevant

if we haven't
seen them?

Without our point of view
on the show,

it's all propaganda
for acquittal.

We'll pick jurors
who haven't seen it.

Or we can embrace it.
Argue our case and get the tapes.

What's the downside?

Fine. Why don't you be
on the show?

He didn't ask me.

Hold it. Sorry.
I've got a white balance glitch.

Listen, can you
arrive again?

Arrive again?

Just drive
around the block.

Look, I'm a little late.
Why don't I just get in and get out again?

Okay.
We can cheat it.

Thank you.

Okay, stop there.

Now, can you tell
what you're going to be doing in there today?

Tell who?

The camera, like it's as
if you're talking to a friend.

(CELL PHONE RINGING)

What?

You having fun?

I am going to kill you
and then I'm going to kill McCoy.

On camera?

I don't care.
I'd be better off in prison.

Where are you?

I'm in the courthouse.

Are you almost here?

Yes. Uh-huh,
except, first, I have to tell my friend, the camera,

what's going on.

What are you
going to say?

(SIGHS)
Don't worry, just the party line.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Today we're going to
begin to prove our case.

Larry Johnson
may look admirable

because he's
surrounded himself with needy children.

But the evidence
will show...

...that Larry Johnson,
his business failing,

desperately
wanted to appear on a reality show.

He needed the money,

and cared nothing
about exposing his children

to public scrutiny
and humiliation.

When his wife
refused to go along,

he argued with her
and then he killed her.

The only person
in that family

that Larry Johnson
really cared about

was Larry Johnson.

No one saw Mr. Johnson
kill his wife.

No one even
saw them argue.

What people did see,
as the evidence will show,

was another woman who
desperately wanted to be on that show,

leaving the Johnson house
at the time of the murder.

And that a young man
with a criminal record

stole a key
to the Johnson house.

And that one of
the Johnson's adopted children,

a troubled young man of 16,

actually confessed
to killing his mother.

Who killed Joy Johnson?

I don't know.

And you know what?

Neither do the authorities.

There's no real evidence
against those others.

The Defense is just
throwing spaghetti against the ceiling,

hoping something sticks.

Exactly what
I would be doing.

And some of it
sounds pretty sticky.

The jury's not
going to like Johnson.

Less than a day after
his wife is murdered,

he goes on a reality show to
exploit his disabled children.

This is the video we got
in exchange for peddling my ass on TV.

LARRY: (ON VIDEO)
We're very excited about this.

We can't wait
to share our family

with as many people
as we can.

We still
just need to discuss it a little more among ourselves.

KRAMER: Do you have any
questions I can answer for you?

My husband and I
should probably talk privately.

LARRY: Honey, you may
as well get used to it.

The camera's going to
be on all the time.

That's what I want
to talk about, Larry.

You know the kids
get teased enough already.

Some of them
don't have the judgment to control what they say.

We really need to
talk about this.

Does that
have to be on?

The seed of the argument
that led to the murder.

I don't hear her saying
she won't do the show.

We have a witness
who she said it to.

BELINDA:
Mrs. Johnson was very gracious.

She offered
to make me tea, but I couldn't stay.

I had 10 kids waiting
with my mom at a McDonald's.

Before she offered
to make you tea,

what did she say
about the reality show?

That I could have it.

She thought
it was deleterious.

Deleterious?

I had to look it up, too.

Like it would
damage the kids.

She didn't like it.
They weren't going to do it.

Thank you.

Isn't it possible
that Mrs. Johnson told you that

just to get you
out of her house?

Why would she do that?

Because you'd argued
with her on the phone, made threats.

I never made threats.

You thought you deserved
to be on that show, didn't you?

I did.
The Johnsons didn't even have those kids themselves.

I had mine
the old-fashioned way.

With fertility drugs
and a stranger's sperm.

How badly
did you want to be on that show?

A lot.
But I'm not a violent person.

Didn't you tell
the show's producer that you would kill someone

to be on that show?

No. Me? Never.

Your Honor, I'd like to
play an audition tape Ms. Alvarez made

when she applied
for the show.

Objection.
We have no idea what that DVD is,

or who made it,
or where it came from.

Ms. Alvarez can
authenticate it for us.

She was there.

Very well,
subject to authentication.

BELINDA: (ON VIDEO)
I know, maybe you're thinking about other people,

but there's nobody
as good as me for this.

My septuplets
are very hilarious,

and I'm already getting them
used to being on camera.

Is that you,
Ms. Alvarez?

Yes. It's me.

Mmm.

KRAMER:
It's really about the parent, Belinda.

We need someone
who's passionate.

Passionate?
You think I'm maybe one of those wise Latina women?

Not me.

You're not wise?

Not boring.
I've got the fire.

You have no idea.
I swear, to get on this show I would kill.

JUDGE DEVON:
Thank you, Ms. Alvarez, you may step down.

I guess your friend Kramer
made a deal with them, too.

We'll take
a 15 minute recess.

(GAVEL POUNDS)

When Ms. Alvarez told you
that she would kill to be on your show,

did you take her literally?

Of course not. No,
I think she was just trying to impress me.

Because that's
the kind of thing you look for, isn't it?

Exaggerated
fake emotions?

Well, they're called
reality shows.

That's what they're called.
But they're scripted, aren't they?

Based around manufactured
emotional situations?

We take what's there
and we amplify it.

Amplify.

For example,
a simple desire to be on the show

into a bogus
willingness to kill?

That's the kind of thing
you want.

Ms. Alvarez was showing you
that she knew how to play the game.

Something like that.

Now, did Mrs. Johnson
ever express

that kind of eagerness
to be on the show?

No.

Did she ever even tell you
she wanted to be on the show?

Not directly.

I only heard
through her husband.

CUTTER: Her husband.

How long
before her death

did you send him
the contract that needed to be signed?

About a month.

And when did you tell him
you needed it back?

Right away.
He kept saying, "No problem."

It kept not coming.

CUTTER:
And what did you tell him

the last time you spoke to him
before Mrs. Johnson was murdered?

I said
I need it back, signed, in 24 hours,

or I'm going to have
to do the show with somebody else.

Thank you, Mr. Kramer.

So, no one ever got killed
over a reality show?

I don't know about ever.

Would you be surprised
to hear that

there have been reports
of a dozen suicides,

or suicide attempts made
by reality show contestants?

Well, people can
get highly wrought,

and so we try to weed out
the ones that we think are unstable.

Is that why you didn't
go with Belinda Alvarez?

In part.

Because she's
a high-strung erratic woman,

who, as far as you know,
got herself pregnant

with septuplets
she couldn't support

just to get herself
on a show like yours?

Objection. There's
no basis for any of that.

We've seen the woman.

Sustained.
Move on, Ms. Nuvell.

As for the
delay in getting the contract back,

did you know it was because
Mrs. Johnson was reluctant to sign it?

No.

Isn't it
just as likely it was because

Mr. Johnson
was negotiating for a higher payment?

I don't know. I told him
I couldn't go any higher.

But he was trying,
wasn't he?

He asked.

He even had
his accountant call me.

He said
he was doing some tax planning

and wanted to know

how much money Mr. Johnson
could expect to earn from the show.

Thank you.

Hey.

The police talked to
Johnson's accountant. She's a woman.

Then who called Kramer?

I never expected it,
but I've been drawn into this bizarre murder trial

involving two of our
very special families.

Ms. Rubirosa,
how did I do?

You were fantastic.

Can I have a word
with the cameras off?

Only if you
promise to give us your full impressions afterwards.

We're airing a very
special edition Sunday night.

Artie, I think the lines
are getting a little bit blurred here.

Can I talk to you, please?

Kramer had a callback number
for Johnson's so-called accountant.

It's a finance company
that's a front for Sammy Shiner.

The loan shark?

If Sammy Shiner wanted
to know how much money Johnson had coming,

it was because
Johnson owed him.

And Shiner is not someone
you want to keep waiting.

OCID has him
listed as a suspect in at least four murders.

Johnson's business
is failing.

He borrows from Shiner.
He can't pay it back.

He really, really needs
that reality show gig.

That amps
his motive 20 fold,

if we can get
Shiner to testify.

We get a material
witness warrant,

give him
transactional immunity.

It's doable.

I'll start the application.

No, no. Not yet.
It'll tip them off.

Johnson's taking the
stand on Monday, right?

He's going to
have the jury in tears.

His grief for his wife,
his beautiful children...

Let him. All I have to do is
get him to say something, anything,

about not
needing money.

Then we bring
Shiner in for rebuttal,

the jury will see Johnson's
a liar who's played them for fools.

My wife was concerned
about our children's well-being, of course.

We both were.

So we got assurances
from the producers

that we could
review the tapes,

that we could protect them.

I was satisfied and
so was she.

Then why did she tell
Ms. Alvarez otherwise?

I don't believe she did.

NUVELL:
We've heard testimony that on the day of the murder,

when you returned home
with your children,

you altered
your usual routine.

My wife had been
tired that morning.

I thought
she might be napping, so I held the kids back.

It wasn't
that unusual.

So you didn't kill your wife,
Mr. Johnson?

Of course not!

I thanked God every day
that he had brought her into my life,

and into our children's.

She literally
saved their lives.

They loved her for that.

So did I.

Thank you.

If you loved your wife,
what emotion exactly

did you feel for
your babysitter?

I'm not perfect.

I never said I was.

I may have strayed,

but that doesn't
make me a murderer.

CUTTER: On the day
your wife was killed,

you left your office
at 12:15,

but you didn't arrive at your
girlfriend's apartment until 1:00.

I stopped for coffee.

I was thinking about
what I was doing.

You were thinking
that you shouldn't go to see your girlfriend

and then you went
to see your girlfriend?

Yeah.

You didn't stop in first
to see your wife?

No.

To try to convince her
one more time to sign that contract?

No.

Because business
was terrible and you needed money.

I didn't need money
that badly.

To do something that
would hurt my children?

To kill my wife?

It was a desperate
situation.

Your projects were failing.
You were deep in debt.

I could do other projects,
I could do something else.

I might have owed
a little money,

but it's not like it was
a matter of life or death.

Thank you.

Get that
material witness warrant.

It's not what
I ever expected,

but I've been drawn into
this bizarre murder trial

involving two of our
very special families.

Ms. Rubirosa,
how did I do?

You were fantastic.

Can I have a word
with the cameras off?

Well, only if you
promise to give us your full impressions afterwards.

We're airing a special
edition Sunday night.

Artie, I think the lines
are getting a little bit blurred here.

Can I talk to you,
please?

How much longer
must this go on?

Not much.

Johnson stepped right into it
on the witness stand.

The loan shark, Shiner,
will demolish him.

He'll testify?
He's gone.

The cops just called.
Shiner seems to be out of the country.

Somewhere in
the Caribbean.

His associates don't know
where he is or when he'll be back.

When did he leave?
This morning.

They knew.

The Defense somehow knew
you knew about Shiner

and tipped him off
to get the hell out of town.

How? How did they know?

Oh, God.

What?

This aired last night.

That's my pad. I carried it
out of the courtroom.

I was taking notes
while Kramer testified.

The Defense did
what you just did.

Now that's
reality television.

Yeah.

As our planned
rebuttal witness is unavailable,

I have a few more
questions.

Mr. Johnson, when did you
first become acquainted with Sammy Shiner?

I'm sorry, who?

He's a principal
at Uptown Finance,

a company you owed
$400,000.

I don't think I met
anyone there named Shiner.

But you are aware that
the phone call to Mr. Kramer

that was supposedly
from your accountant asking about your earnings,

was actually
made by someone at Uptown Finance.

I don't know anything
about that.

You didn't know
you borrowed money

from a notorious
loan shark,

who was now taking a close,
personal interest in your finances?

No.

Uptown Finance came
highly recommended.

It was a normal
business transaction.

A normal
business transaction

with a man whose
nonpaying customers

have a habit
of winding up dead.

You had
to get your wife to sign that contract

or you risked
being murdered.

Objection! Your Honor,
if the Prosecution wants to

put someone
named Sammy Shiner on trial for loan sharking,

I suggest they launch
the appropriate prosecution,

or at least
bring him in to testify.

I agree.
Mr. Cutter, that's enough.

Do you have
anything else?

No, Your Honor.

JUDGE DEVON: Has the jury
reached a verdict?

Still no progress,
Your Honor.

I'll send you back
one more time

if you think
there's any chance of reaching a unanimous verdict.

I don't think so.

People aren't budging.
We're deadlocked.

Very well.
I have no choice then, but to declare a mistrial.

I thank the jurors
for their service.

The terms
of Mr. Johnson's bail are continued

while the state decides
whether or not to retry this case.

We're adjourned.

(GAVEL POUNDS)

We're searching
the Caribbean to rebut Johnson's perjury.

Last we heard,
Shiner was either in Anguilla or Antigua.

Meanwhile, the producers
have made some changes to Larry Plus Ten.

They're moving his family
with the Septomom's

into the same mansion
on Long Island.

Along with
a human lie detector.

You know, one of those guys
who can tell if you're lying by the way you blink.

CUTTER:
The idea is to have both families compete for prizes,

and to figure out which
head of household murdered Joy Johnson.

The television audience
gets to vote.

And they've asked
Arthur Branch to be the judge.

You're kidding, right?

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