Original subtitles

- Laurel. - Jerry!

Jerry.

- No, no. - Oh my God.

You need to come back home right now.

- What? What are you talking about? - No, right now.

What the fuck?

- How many square feet is the kitchen? - 380 square feet.

Uh-huh.

- Parking in the back? - Four spaces.

That's fucking great. I mean...

- Heart of Westwood, close to UCLA. - It's perfect, dude.

It's a fucking gold mine.

Hello.

Gus, what's happening, my man?

How's the restaurant?

Huh?

What?

Jerry!

- What in the fuck is going on here? - Jerry!

Dr. Oziel, as I explained to your wife,

we've been granted a lawful court order to search your home.

On what fucking grounds?

Well, we have come to believe there are relevant tape recordings

related to the murder of Jose and Kitty Menendez.

Who told you that?

He recorded their sessions.

He got their confessions all on tape.

We're talking hours and hours of them talking

about how they planned it, why they did it, if they felt any remorse.

Let's just say a credible source.

- It was her, Jer. - Not now, Laurel.

- You know it was that crazy bitch. - I said, not now.

Would you like to go get dressed?

For the record, I'd like to make it clear

that I in no way violated the confidentiality of my patients,

nor was I aware this search was going to take place,

as is evidenced by the state of undress of my wife, and the fact that I was...

We understand that, doctor.

Now, where are the tapes?

What...

Whoa.

- What is this? - Just fucking take it, okay.

If the cops are gonna arrest me, then I'm gonna need you to bail me out,

then call my attorney, Gerry Chaleff.

- Lyle, you're being paranoid. - I'm not being fucking paranoid, Glenn.

Those cops still think that Erik and I killed our parents.

I don't know who the fuck else they've been talking to.

They probably talked to my therapist, Oziel.

Of course, he can't tell them shit 'cause of patient confidentiality.

Fuck those cops. It's not your fault they can't find the killer.

Hayden, if the police are able to somehow get around the confidentiality thing,

and then they get their hands on those fucking tapes, I am fucked!

I am fucked!

I'm fucked!

Do you think your mother deserved to die?

I don't think we ever thought about it like that.

It was more like,

"Well, if we're gonna kill our dad, we should probably just kill our mom too."

Did one of you feel differently about killing your mom?

No, absolutely not.

There's no way that I was gonna make a decision to kill my mother

without Erik's consent.

I didn't even want to influence him on the issue.

I just let him sleep on it for a few nights.

Okay. Erik?

Yeah.

We had to kill her.

Okay, who's up for some lunch? Come on. Come on.

- Yeah. - Let's go. Ready? I'm fucking starving.

Sick ride, man. Did you get a good deal?

- Hey, Glenn? - Yeah?

Shut the fuck up.

Dude, when are you getting your Porsche out of the shop?

Tomorrow, but till then I've got to drive Erik's piece of shit Wrangler.

Whoa!

Douchebag, what the fuck are you doing? God...

Go, go, go! Let's move!

Hands up where I can see them or I'll blow your fucking head off.

- Get out! - Let me see your hands!

Get out of the car. Get out of the car! Come over here.

Get on your knees. On your knees. Down on your stomach.

Put your hands behind your back. Don't move!

Joseph Lyle Menendez, you have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have...

How can this be happening, Gerry?

You said they couldn't arrest us. You said they couldn't touch us.

You said that the police didn't have a case.

Well, it seems they do now, and apparently, the DA agrees.

Fuck!

Okay. Well then, what am I supposed to do, Gerry? Tell me.

Listen, I'm going to call my buddy,

Robert Shapiro, top criminal attorney.

He can help us handle this.

Okay? In the meantime,

drop out of your tennis tournament and get the hell out of Israel.

Last thing you want is to be arrested by Interpol,

thrown into some Middle Eastern jail

where your constitutional protections don't apply.

Come here. Let me take a look at you.

Hey, there's that Menendez boy.

Ooh, Menendez.

Holy crap, baby girl.

I heard you killed your parents.

El bandito!

Jesus Christ. I can't live in that.

Well, you's about to.

Now get in.

Welcome to Los Angeles.

Thank you for flying with us. Welcome.

- It's okay. You don't have to handcuff me. - Sorry.

It's regulation.

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

You have the right to an attorney.

If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you.

Erik?

Erik?

Lyle?

Hey!

Lyle? Is that you?

Yeah.

When did you get back to LA?

A... A couple of hours ago. The cops picked me up at LAX.

I was so worried, E. I thought that maybe you might

try to flee and... I don't know, I thought that I might never see you again.

Of course, I was coming back.

You're my brother.

What are we gonna do?

- Lyle, what are we gonna tell people? - Hey...

It's just us now, E.

We're on our own.

So that's Pert Plus, and that's shampoo and conditioner.

I sent you some hairspray. You said Aqua Net?

No, I said, not Aqua Net because they... confiscate that shit in here.

You can make it into a torch, evidently.

I need mousse anyway,

so please just tell Jamie. Jamie knows what to get.

- Insert 10 cents for five more minutes. - Fuck!

Okay. Make it fast because these phones, Robert,

it's impossible to get any dimes in here.

Lyle, focus. We just have to tell them a more compelling story

than the prosecution, okay?

"It was the Five Families." That's a very vague story.

Okay, well, then, uh... focus on one of the families.

Like, what's the one... The Bambinos, focus on them.

- Insert 10 cents for five more minutes. - Fuck!

Robert, what I need is fucking dimes, so can you... can you get on that?

Please.

Yo. Can I borrow a dime?

Yeah, if you suck my dick.

Candy-ass.

Erik, you gotta eat.

I can't.

Can I have your milk?

You can't just drink milk, though.

That dude over there won't stop staring at me.

Don't look.

I'm gonna get killed in here.

I gotta go.

♪ I've no excuse ♪

Come on, man! What the fuck? Fuck!

I feel like if we can get through this, we can get through anything.

Yeah. So listen, hey, the mousse, right?

And then the wig tape.

And seriously, fucking dimes.

Grandma sent like five dimes. We need rolls and rolls of them.

Hey, Erik, you wanna talk to Jamie?

♪ Dirty cash, I want you ♪

I need wig tape, okay? It's called Topstick.

The wig, it attaches to hooks.

But it's the tape that keeps the edges down.

That's how it stays on in the front.

♪ Money talks ♪

♪ Dirty cash, I want you Dirty cash I need you, oh ♪

E...

- Why is there milk in the toilet? - That's where I keep it cold.

Hey.

You can't just drink milk, okay?

The food makes me wanna puke, Lyle. What am I supposed to do?

- Moist towelettes? - Yeah.

As many of those as you can get because, uh, he's starting to stink.

Wait. He's gonna, like, clean his body with them?

I mean, hopefully?

I think he's scared of the showers.

♪ I wasn't right, now that's all behind ♪

♪ I want to get rich quick ♪

It just gets so fucking gummy with the tape.

Can't clean it right in here.

Lyle, is that my toothbrush?

Menendez.

♪ Money talks, umm-hmm Money talks ♪

♪ Dirty cash I want... ♪

Here's 50 dollars. This will get you all the dimes you need.

Fuck!

Grandma, you fucking moron! I don't need money. I need dimes!

Dimes, dimes, dimes! Motherfucking dimes!

We're fucking millionaires, and we can't get a roll of fucking dimes.

♪ Dirty cash I need you, oh ♪

Uncle Carlos, we had absolutely nothing to do with the murders.

Listen to me. I'm not giving you 100 fucking dollars for nine dimes.

Now this mousse is 9.99, and I will give it to you for two dimes. Two!

♪ I'm dirty cash The one that you asked for ♪

♪ I'm wanted by the rich and the poor ♪

♪ More and more You just can't reject it ♪

♪ You're the junkie and I inject it ♪

♪ nto your blood stream It's like a bad dream ♪

Fuck!

Showers here used to scare me, but they don't anymore.

I wait 20 minutes so everybody else is done, then I go in.

Get the showers all to myself.

See you around.

♪ People are lying, woman or man anyone Who'll give them a hand, cash money ♪

Hey.

Yeah, I'm not great.

Hey, Uncle Carlos.

We need fucking rolls and rolls.

♪ Money talks, money talks ♪

You've gotta find a way to sneak it in here 'cause these guys hate wigs.

♪ Dirty cash, I want you Dirty cash, I need you, oh ♪

- See you around. - Yeah, see ya.

With two pieces a day, I can kinda make it look okay,

but I really need more like four.

Uh, the brand is called Topstick.

Uh, and then I also need something... This one's really important.

Bain de Soleil.

Bain de Soleil. As much of that as you can get.

Bain de Soleil. What is that?

- It's self-tanner. - Mmm.

Look at him.

He looks like a fucking ghost. We both do.

It's the lights in here. They leech the vitamin D out of your bones.

Hey, where are we with Castro? Is there any movement on that?

Because everything with my father, it all fucking comes back to Cuba.

You... you were just saying this the other day, were you not?

- Yeah, I just think that... - Guys...

We got to get real here.

I... I don't think you get what's going on here.

We have to talk about your case, not about self-tanner and toupees.

This makes me think you don't understand what's going on here, Mr. Shapiro,

because this is 1990.

It's a new era, and this case is gonna be on television,

which means, the number one thing that I'm concerned about

is how we look on camera.

Because if we look the right way, right?

Smart, clean-cut, whole lives ahead of us,

then there isn't a fucking jury on this planet that's gonna believe we did this.

- Because we didn't. - Because we didn't.

Um. Okay.

Well, let me tell you the number one thing I'm concerned about.

Is that... Is that a sauna?

No, Erik.

It's a gas chamber.

It's built for two, which is convenient.

I... I hate to break it to you two,

but you're not sympathetic people.

You're rich and spoiled,

and that's the type of person folks love to hate.

I mean, your arraignment was a... a disaster.

I mean, you looked like psychopaths.

I told you to smile.

Be respectful.

- Yes, Your Honor. No, Your Honor. But no. - The lights were bugging out my eyes.

- The judge's voice was ridiculous... - I'd barely slept for days.

Guys!

We gotta get serious, okay?

Because this image thing that you're trying to portray,

that train has left the station.

Folks have a very strong opinion of you two.

We did not kill our parents.

Yes, yes, but John Q. Public thinks you did.

So if you want to avoid this. This!

Then I suggest we try a different strategy

other than fake tanner and blaming Fidel Castro.

I mean, we could always...

No, I just...

We haven't talked to you about what really happened.

- What the fuck are you talking about? - I'm not talking about that night.

We don't... we don't know what happened that night. We were at the movies.

I'm just talking about the stuff that went on before that.

I'm sorry, would you please give my brother and I

just a brief moment with one another?

Alone?

Thank you.

We aren't gonna talk about that.

I just think it could kind of help the jury understand.

It's... it's like you said, it does have to do with Mom and Dad.

That stuff just happens sometimes, Erik.

It's just being boys.

We're not gonna talk about it.

So, I'm fired. That's... that's what you're saying?

That is exactly what we're saying. You're not even defending them.

Because they are impossible to defend.

And you fire me. Fine!

Here's some free advice.

The reason they were arrested is because there are audio tapes.

And the police, now maybe they shouldn't have, but they have listened to them.

So you need to open your eyes to the fact

that Lyle and Erik's story is full of holes, and they might be guilty.

No, no, no, no!

Not this. Then why did we get a lawyer?

- Shut your mouth! - Look. look, look!

- Shh. - Come on.

Look, I'm the guy you hired to cut a deal. Okay?

That's... that's what I thought I was here to do.

So if you want to try to get them off, I'm not your guy.

Because I don't believe them, and the jury won't believe them.

So you need to find somebody else. And... you need to find a much better story.

Or those boys of yours, you're so convinced are innocent,

the State of California is going to put them to death.

Best of luck to you.

That shit was almost a misdemeanor.

Five years ago, it would have been.

But the new law, five rocks, that's a felony.

Then 'cause I got a gun on me, suddenly it's aggravated.

And I'm in here with, you know, murderers.

And here's you and me in here with 'em.

Yeah, it's... innocent people.

Guess that's just the way the system is.

I'm confused...

...about you.

- What do you mean? - Well, what you like?

You like dudes, right?

You gay, right?

What? No.

No.

- I don't even like that word. - Okay. Yeah, fine, me neither.

You ain't gay. But I'm saying, you like being with dudes, right?

I don't know 'cause, um...

What I went through at home.

But, uh...

I like being around you.

Yeah, okay.

I know who I am. I don't give a fuck.

And neither should you is all I'm saying.

It's okay to be who you are.

Yeah. Not in my family.

What did I do? I don't have anything.

What's this?

What? I... I don't know.

Erik, read this once, then throw it away.

These are things I've been thinking about.

I think Mark should drive the Porsche into the prison loading dock.

♪ I've got the power ♪

Then hop out, but leave the engine running.

♪ I've got the power ♪

We'll jump into the car and head to the 110.

See drawing below.

Next, our appearances.

♪ I've got the power ♪

I think we should get plastic surgery.

We need facelifts, chin implants maybe, and of course we change our hair.

We'll need passports,

visas...

Then we figure out where we're going.

I think we head to Mark H's granddad's camp in Canada,

just until the heat's off.

I think Toronto, London, Belgium, Lebanon,

and then we settle in Colombia.

They like chicken wings there.

- What? - Get up. Gotta search your cell.

What's this?

I... I don't know.

Lyle Menendez, please step out to the red line.

What's going on?

- Step out to the red line! - You need to tell me why.

What's going on?

- Step to the red line. - Tell me why.

- Hey, what the fuck?! - Hey! Lyle!

- Where are you taking me? - Lyle!

- Where are you taking him? - What is going on?

They moved your brother to a different cell block.

I don't understand. Why?

Lyle says that he wrote you some kind of a letter.

We pass each other letters all the time.

Right, but this letter, this one was an escape plan.

Erik.

Not good.

- When is he coming back? - They moved him there for good.

Is there anybody in there?

Maybe someone on your cell block that you...

that you think you could trust.

Yeah.

So, why exactly are you looking to adopt?

We've been talking about it for a while. Starting our own family, I mean.

My wife has a grown daughter from a previous marriage,

and we didn't end up getting married until we were both in...

Tim, this woman doesn't need our entire life story.

On second thought, maybe she does.

I guess that's how you guys determine who's fit to be good parents, right?

If I'm being honest, I think all couples should have to prove

they're fit to be good parents.

It is way too easy to have a kid.

Some couples, they have a baby,

neglect them, abuse them, treat them like scum,

and then 20 years later, I end up having to defend them.

By the looks of your profile, Miss Abramson,

you're a very successful attorney.

And as your husband mentioned, you already have a grown daughter.

So I certainly don't need to tell you how hard it is being a mother.

Is there a reason why, at this point in your life,

you're ready to do that all over again?

Okay, here's an embarrassing confession.

I don't actually remember being a mother.

I mean, yes, of course, I remember it. But it's all pretty hazy.

I had Laine right before I started law school.

I had just gotten divorced.

And it was all I could manage just to keep my head above water.

Not that I was a bad mother. I was not a bad mother.

Imperfect? Yes.

Workaholic? Guilty as charged.

But I feel that I'm at a point in my life now

where I could actually enjoy being a mother.

Where it wouldn't all feel like such a struggle.

And, because of my line of work,

I see what happens when kids don't get the nurturing they need.

So if I can raise a child and give them the love they need

so that they never have to come across a criminal defense attorney like me,

then sign me up.

Even if it means having to... change diapers for a couple of years.

Dominick, you are exaggerating.

Sharon, you should know me well enough by now to know

that I never exaggerate.

Okay. But evil?

You truly believe those Menendez boys are evil?

Yes.

When you've stared evil in the face, as I have,

it's something you never forget.

So you think they did it?

Of course they did it.

They're classic sociopaths.

Especially the older brother.

His eyes are even more vacant than Claus von Bülow's.

How can a child even think of doing something like that to a parent?

Nothing much shocks me anymore, Joyce.

What people are capable of.

The only thing that shocks me, disgusts me,

is that we have a justice system

that puts the rights of killers and rapists

over and above their victims.

The justice system is blatantly biased against defendants,

especially if those defendants are Black and brown

and lack access to adequate counsel.

Fair enough, but in several of your biggest cases,

doubt as to your client's guilt isn't in dispute.

So you're saying only innocent people deserve a proper defense?

No, I'm asking if everyone is entitled to a Leslie Abramson defense,

especially if they're being accused of capital murder.

Capital punishment is an absolute moral travesty.

Not only is it immoral, it is also barbaric.

It is unfathomable.

- Well, if it isn't the dragon lady. - Who?

Leslie Abramson.

Defense attorney to society's most reprehensible.

When you're trying a murder case, you can't just take it at face value.

You have to determine the state of mind the person was in

when they committed the crime.

That woman there,

she's the epitome of everything that's wrong with the legal system.

Were they mentally competent when they committed the crime?

Were they cognitively impaired?

Did they have reason to believe, rightly or wrongly,

that their lives were in danger?

Do you know she tried to help make a plea deal

for the man who murdered my daughter?

She has a pathological affection for guilty clients,

in particular, guilty young men.

And if there's one thing the prosecution doesn't like, it's nuance.

To them, every defendant is a nail

that deserves to be hammered by the system.

It's easy to talk about justice when you don't know all the facts.

So I guess you could say "outrage" is your middle name.

Actually, believe it or not,

it's Hope.

Dominick.

Oh. Hello, Leslie.

Odd seeing you here.

It's true, it's not my usual scene.

The ladies who lunch crowd, that's much more your thing.

I read your client Rick Sanders' appeal motion got denied again.

Looks like he's not getting off death row anytime soon.

I'm sure Dominick has been entertaining you ladies.

You know, apart from being a failed movie producer,

he's quite the raconteur.

Just don't believe everything he says. He's prone to exaggeration.

Well, don't let us keep you, Leslie.

I'm sure somewhere there's a murderer in need of your assistance.

This is Leslie.

Hey, Gerry.

Yeah, I just finished giving an interview.

Yes. To a reporter.

Oh, I don't hate all the press.

Come on, just the numbskulls.

Need I remind you, I'm married to a reporter.

Now, what's up?

Of course I've heard of the case. Who hasn't?

- They inquired about you. - Wait, what?

They called and checked your availability.

Are you fucking kidding me?

Miss Abramson, thank... thank you for making the time

to come and... and meet all of us.

Gerry Chaleff says you're the best female criminal defense attorney in all of LA.

I'm sure he didn't say that.

Gerry wouldn't have said, "The best female criminal defense attorney."

He simply would have said I'm the best.

Well, as you know, we just fired Robert Shapiro.

We didn't feel that he was good enough for... for our boys.

I know Bob.

He's a fine lawyer, but he's not who you want for a case like this.

For him, it's all about spinning the media narrative

and hopefully cutting the best deal for his clients.

I don't like cutting deals.

I prefer to fight.

Because if you don't fight, you don't win.

So you've worked on cases like this before?

Cases where the defendants are accused of killing

and you still manage to win?

I recently defended a young man by the name of Arnel Salvatierra,

who admitted to killing his father.

He was up for first-degree murder.

Arnel and his siblings suffered years

of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of their father.

He tortured them.

Now, the prosecution wanted you to believe that Arnel was a monster.

That he carefully planned his father's murder for weeks

and then shot him in his sleep in cold blood.

Well, that is not what I believe happened.

I believe Arnel shot his father out of self-defense.

Should Arnel have waited until his father,

in one of his rages, finally ended up murdering him?

Or his mother?

Or one of his siblings?

Like what happened to little Lisa Steinberg

when her abusive father finally ended up murdering her?

I wanted the jury to see

that Arnel was not the monster.

On the contrary, he was the victim.

If you convict Arnel of first-degree murder,

it will be as if his father's hand will rise up from the grave

and his final act of terrorism will be with you as his accomplices.

Arnel was acquitted of first-degree murder.

He was sentenced to three years probation.

And you could do that for Lyle and Erik?

To be clear, I'd only be defending Erik.

Lyle still needs to retain his own separate counsel,

but based on the documents I've read so far,

these boys do not deserve to spend the rest of their lives in prison,

let alone face the death penalty.

Now, I can't guarantee you an outcome,

but I promise you,

I will put up one hell of a fight.

When can you start?

Perhaps we should discuss my fee first.

I imagine these last few weeks have been hard for you.

All alone in jail, separated from your brother.

Yes, it's... it's been... a lot.

I'm sure you've heard what they've been saying about you and Lyle.

That you're a couple of spoiled rich kids

who murdered your parents for financial gain.

And it's true.

You boys sure did partake in quite a bit of conspicuous consumption

after the murders.

The cars, the designer clothes,

the Rolexes, the luxury condos,

a little excessive for retail therapy, wouldn't you say?

The spending spree,

that was you and your brother's first mistake.

Then, you had the poor judgment of trusting that scumbag, Dr. Oziel,

and confessed to him.

Then, you let him record your sessions.

- Then, you threatened to kill him. - We were never gonna kill Dr. Oziel.

Which is why it's now possible for those tapes to be entered into evidence

and used against you at trial.

We didn't know. We thought that they were gonna stay confidential.

Then, you and Lyle start telling people different versions of what happened.

What? Were you boys that confident you were never gonna be arrested?

Then, when you boys finally are arrested and you show up in court,

you look absolutely soulless and devoid of remorse.

Another big mistake.

Although, I guess your biggest mistake

was killing your parents in the first place.

We... We... We didn't...

I read the letter Lyle wrote you.

That crazy, insane escape plan.

But...

there was something else he wrote in there that caught my attention.

"We alone know the truth."

"We alone know the secrets of our family's past."

What does he mean by that?

I've hired Dr. William Vicary.

He's a forensic psychiatrist.

I want you to start meeting with him to talk about what happened and why.

- No, no, no. No more shrinks. - Erik...

I can't.

You said it yourself. It was a mistake talking to Dr. Oziel. I will not.

Well, that's because he's a prick who violated professional ethics

and manipulated your trust.

I assure you, Dr. Vicary is nothing like him.

Erik...

Now that I am your lawyer,

I am not gonna let you make any more mistakes.

But I need you to be totally honest with me

and to trust me.

It's the only way we are gonna win.

I just can't stand the food.

I've spent most of my life building my body up.

Trying to eat right, low-fat, carbo-loading, and now this stuff.

Erik, you're just wasting your money here. Okay?

My job is to help you get to the bottom of all this.

But trust me when I say

I cannot do that unless you start being honest with me.

Like, really honest.

Yeah.

It's just...

It's hard.

Try.

Okay.

Well...

We... did do it.

Lyle and I. We did.

But...

There was...

There was... a reason.

Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on.

Those are notes from my last two sessions with Erik.

You gotta be kidding me.

I talked to Dr. Vicary.

I hope that's okay.

I want to thank you for telling the truth.

And I'm just gonna say that truth out loud now.

You were sexually molested by your brother Lyle.

And this started when?

I... I was little.

I think I was, like, five or six.

And I thought that I kind of...

liked it.

Maybe. At first.

Then I didn't.

And when you didn't like it, or maybe even when you thought you did,

how did it make you feel, Erik?

Well, I... I never blamed him.

- No? - No.

Because...

Because what, Erik?

Because my dad did it to him.

Your father sexually molested your brother, Lyle?

Yes. He told him it was...

Like, this is what the Spartans did. It made you tough.

I don't know how long he did it with Lyle.

But I know that at some point, Lyle told him to stop, and he did.

And that time when it stopped, I remember when that happened.

I remember that time very vividly.

And why was that?

Because that's when my dad started doing it to me.

Oh, Erik.

Oh, sweetheart.

It's okay.

Thank you for telling me that.

Thank you.

How could you even survive that? Tell me.

You just... you just do it.

You just do what you have to.

You avoid him, and you, um...

You try to play along, just so that it'll go faster.

You get it over with.

You sprinkle cinnamon onto his coffee, or put it on his food, or...

Wait. Why... Why cinnamon?

It just made the, um...

It made the cum taste better.

It didn't really work because...

he started getting annoyed that there was cinnamon on everything.

And suddenly, he started putting lemon juice on all of my food,

just so that it would numb my taste buds...

Did that work?

Not... Not really.

But I had to keep trying.

Just to change the lives that we were living.

And... I knew at some point

that I was going to be willing to do anything,

just to make it all stop.