(indistinct conversations)
(cell phone ringtone playing)
That's ten grand to you, Pop.
(laughing)
Too rich for my blood.
5,000 to you, Francis.
I call.
Read 'em and weep.
Three queens.
Ooh.
Pair of deuces.
Knew you were bluffing when your eye started to twitch.
And three kings... to fill the house.
(Henry chuckling)
You dog.
All right, well, I'm busted.
What's my credit line?
Uh, you owe me $243,000.
(Henry chuckling)
I liked it better when you used to let me win.
Your deal. Okay.
The game is Chicago Night Baseball.
(door opens and closes)
No peeky, threes and nines wild, buy a card for 1,000.
ERIN: Sorry, guys.
Hey, want to sit in?
No, we have to get home.
Oh, but I can just feel the cards turning Nicky's way.
It's an early one for both of us.
Nicky is going to spend the day at work with me tomorrow. FRANK: Wow.
It's Take Your Daughter to Work Day.
I'll bet none of your friends' parents have as exciting a job as your mom.
Actually, I wanted to go on a ride-along with Uncle Danny or Uncle Jamie, but I knew that'd never fly.
Well, maybe you should stop assuming things about me all the time.
Okay. Can I go on a ride-along with Uncle Danny or Uncle Jamie?
Absolutely not.
The hardest day at work is easier than any day raising a teenager.
Amen to that.
Good luck.
Hmm...
Cut for deal.
Okay.
Hey! Hey, hey!
Hey, wh... what are you doing?!
Hey, hey!
(whimpers)
Shh.
Oh, my...!
Any of you nachos move, I'll execute every one of you.
Check it, man.
Hey.
Look what we got here.
(laughing)
That's it?
I know you people don't use banks, so where's the rest of it, huh?
Where is it?
Where's the rest of your money, chica, eh?
No! No! No! No! No!
(shouting)
I'm going to count to three, okay?
One.
In-in the box over there, on the shelf!
Hurry up.
We're out of here.
Adios, amigos.
Come on!
(crying)
Finally, a slow night in the city.
We get to enjoy a civilized meal for once.
This is civilized?
We should be glad we're not downtown, though.
That student protest turned into a riot.
Ah, is there ever a night in this city when somebody's not protesting something?
What are they protesting now anyway?
Tuition hikes. Tuition hikes?
My old man paid a fortune on my kid brother's tuition.
Look what good it did him.
Somebody should protest the Mets calling themselves a professional sports team.
Back up. Hold on.
DISPATCHER: Confines of the two-seven precinct, report of sh*ts fired at 176 and Cabrini.
That's not far from here.
Yeah.
Show Manhattan detectives responding to sh*ts fired.
So much for a quiet night.
Yeah.
(siren whooping)
Call for a bus, Jack.
Yeah.
Forthwith!
Come on...
Jack, hurry it up!
♪ Blue Bloods 2x14 ♪
Parenthood
Original Air Date on February 17, 2012
♪
Two reported r*pes, the three-one and the 15th, and a homicide in the two-seven.
I want CompStat reports for all precincts and updates on the homicide.
The mayor asked to move your weekly briefing up an hour.
Can do. Already done.
If you're going to eat that here, you better have brought two.
Over easy?
The only thing in this office that is.
Three students were arrested for as*ault last night during a demonstration at Hudson University.
In custody and awaiting arraignment.
Our job is done there. You wish.
People get m*rder*d every day, Frank, but three middle-class kids get arrested outside their college for protesting tuition hikes--
that's news. Says who?
Says a full voice mail box and 100 e-mails.
That's what you think we should be paying attention to?
Not what we should be; what we will be.
He was hit with two b*ll*ts.
One of them lacerated his liver, and the other one gave him a slow aortic leak.
There was nothing we could do.
You guys find any I.D. on him?
Sorry.
(sighs)
Decedent's property.
Check this out.
Oh.
Dead guy with a bag of cash and no I.D.
Exactly. Maybe it was a drug deal gone bad?
Something definitely went bad. You get a count on this?
Yeah, it's $325.
325 bucks?
Mm-hmm. Never ceases to amaze me what some people will k*ll each other for.
So what prepared you most for this career?
Having three brothers.
If I wasn't negotiating a truce between two of them, then I was trying to prove that I was one of them.
Thing you love the most?
You.
About your job.
Speaking for people who can't speak for themselves, trying to make sure that justice is done for them.
How is it working with defense attorneys?
Well, we're on opposing sides, but I can always appreciate a good attorney.
Did you ever go up against Dad?
In court?
Of course, in court.
Only in mock trials in law school.
Was he any good?
I would recommend him as an attorney.
Is there anything you want to talk about?
Like what?
Nothing.
I just want to make sure everything's okay.
Everything's fine.
How would you describe your typical day at work?
We have a suspect in custody on the r*pe in the 15th, and the homicide investigation is ongoing.
It's going to be a tough one.
We don't have much.
Frank, what about those student protesters?
What about them?
You know, my first year at Yale, a bunch of us camped out on the quad to protest apartheid.
I don't think any college education is complete without a little righteous indignation.
It wasn't righteous indignation that got them arrested.
It was assaulting police officers.
That's a felony.
Had the New Haven Police arrested me, a record would have prevented me from going into public office.
But you knew where to draw the line.
Or I just got lucky.
(sighs)
Local cops versus college students is a classic town and gown, Frank.
There's always room for mistakes on both sides.
The arrests were legitimate, Mr. Mayor.
If you have an issue...
No, Frank.
No issue at all.
Just airing it out.
Next item: your appearance at the Knicks game on Saturday.
We need to talk about security.
Absolutely.
Looks like the blood starts right around here, Jack.
Yeah, well, the 911 caller is an old lady from that building.
Said she heard three sh*ts, looked out the window and saw two guys running up the block.
Two guys? Yep, no description.
No one saw anything, so we have no witnesses.
Of course not. This neighborhood, we got a better chance of bumping into Santa Claus.
Oh, well, if you see him, tell him I'm still waiting on my Barbie Dream House.
Oh, the SPRINT system said there were a couple of calls about a domestic right before the sh*ts rang out coming from the basement apartment over there.
We should take a look at it. All right.
By the way, it had a, uh, working doorbell and a hot tub, you know?
What did? The Barbie Dream House.
Erin had one.
She used to let me use it as a bachelor pad for my G.I. Joes. Ah, that makes sense.
Docket number 45972, People v. Ariel Winston on the charge of as*ault in the second degree against a police officer and disorderly conduct occurring on the campus of Hudson University.
How do you plead?
Not guilty, Your Honor.
Bail?
State requests
$2,000 bail.
Because this 18-year-old honor student is a big flight risk?
No, because Ms. Winston threw objects at police officers.
Allegedly. We request Ms. Winston be released on her own recognizance.
ERIN: Your Honor, my office has corroborating evidence, including eyewitness testimony and numerous cell phone videos.
Ms. Winston jumped on an officer.
Trying to help her friend.
Come on. These are college students.
To whom the law applies.
Protesting social injustice is a rite of passage.
Your Honor, I'd like to remind counsel that this is an arraignment, not a trial.
Exactly, Mr. Skolnik.
A right of passage that is protected under the Constitution.
ERIN: But carried out without permits, and in a manner that endangered pedestrians and motorists.
Bail is set at $1,000.
The only thr*at I see is from overzealous cops, and overzealous ADAs.
You haven't seen anything yet, Counselor.
Beautiful, but overzealous.
And immune to your charms.
You guys were really going at it.
That was great.
He was awesome.
Excuse me, Ms. Boyle?
Is there somewhere that we could talk?
WOMAN: I wasn't arguing with my husband last night.
Well, the neighbors said they heard, uh, shouting coming from the apartment.
MAN: They must have made a mistake.
It wasn't coming from here.
How'd you get those bruises, ma'am?
She fell.
Did she fall on somebody's fist?
Did you hear the sh*ts last night?
No, we didn't.
How about you let your mom answer the questions, all right?
I didn't hear anything.
I'm sorry.
Where's your husband?
Why?
Maybe he heard or saw something.
He-he didn't hear anything.
Okay. Here's what we're gonna do.
We'll speak to your dad directly.
Is that okay with you?
Or maybe you got something to hide.
He... he works at a bodega on 175th and Amsterdam.
Great. We'll speak to him there.
My father didn't do anything wrong.
Well, if he did do something wrong, you better hope he's a better liar than you.
So what's the wrinkle?
If you're saying somebody has evidence that they were arrested without probable cause, that's simply not the case.
It's not that kind of wrinkle. Then what?
Well...
It's coming in right now.
Dad, this is Sabine Winston. Her daughter Ariel is...
One of the protestors we arrested.
Uh... may I sit down?
Please.
Thank you.
I know you're a busy man, Commissioner.
So I'll get right to the point.
Ariel made a huge mistake.
But she's only 18.
I'd hate her to have a felony charge follow her around for the rest of her life.
Mrs. Winston, as I'm sure my daughter has told you, reducing the charges is not up to me, it's up to the DA's office.
And the DA's office-- no offense--
is a political machine, Commissioner.
And you're one of the few people allowed to put quarters in, and get what you want in return.
I can't have this conversation.
Ariel is Mayor Poole's daughter.
Ms. Winston came to me in confidence after the arraignment.
Carter and I... were both very young when I got pregnant with Ariel.
And Carter wanted to marry me.
I'm the one who said no.
I got married when Ariel was a toddler, and she was raised with my husband as her father.
Ariel has no idea.
And the mayor?
He agreed to abide by my wishes.
Look, Carter has always taken responsibility.
Even paid Ariel's tuition.
He has sacrificed a lot for her, in the sense that this is a relationship he's had to live without.
Did he ask you to talk to me?
No, he... he wouldn't want me here.
A felony conviction will ruin her chance to become a lawyer.
Commissioner, I am asking for mercy.
Clearly, I haven't always made the best choices.
I wish that I had done things differently.
But Ariel is all I have.
Ms. Winston...
I can't undo what's done.
You ever know him to get involved with dr*gs or gangs, or anything?
What, Fernando Ortiz?
No, you got to be kidding me. No. No way.
Was he working yesterday?
Why don't you ask him? He should be back soon.
Hey, we will ask him, all right?
But right now, we're asking you questions.
Unless you want to come down and answer them at the station...
No.
Uh...
Okay, he worked here last night.
Uh, I paid him.
He locked up at around 9:00, and then he went home.
You pay him in cash?
Do I need a lawyer?
Mr. Duran, listen.
We're not here to jam you or Fernando up, okay?
We're not the I.N.S.
We're not worried about illegal workers, or whether you're paying people in cash, okay?
We're investigating a homicide.
Whatever you tell us about Fernando could clear him of any wrongdoing.
I paid him in cash. Okay.
How much did you pay him in cash?
$325.
Mr. Ortiz.
Is... is there something wrong?
We need you to come with us, sir. Okay?
Let's go.
Come on.
We don't have enough to arrest him, you know.
Yeah. But he doesn't know that.
In the meantime, we got enough for a search warrant for his apartment, so... What do you got?
Well, ID came back on our victim.
It's a Phil Daelman.
He's got priors for as*ault, robbery and g*n possession.
All right.
So maybe this Phil Daelman was up to his old tricks, but he picked on the wrong guy this time.
Let's see if this Mr. Ortiz can enlighten us.
Let's hope he doesn't ask for a lawyer.
He asked not to be disturbed.
Too late.
Garrett. Forgotten, but not gone.
I'm gonna ask until I get an answer.
What are we doing about the protest arrests?
"We"?
The Times is accusing the police department of overreacting.
And the Post is commending them for showing restraint.
Let them duke it out.
Okay, this demonstration could've been a full-blown riot.
But the arrests and the quick police response actually prevented that.
In front of the press, in and out. Five minutes, tops.
Well... there's a little more to it.
There is? Yep.
What?
Can you keep a secret? Yes.
Good. So can I.
Come on.
(sighs)
One of the students who was arrested is Mayor Poole's daughter.
And nobody knows that.
That changes everything.
Except the facts.
What does he want you to do?
He didn't ask for anything.
And he doesn't know that I know.
So we're going to do nothing?
Now you're catching on.
Your wife looked pretty b*at up.
What happened to her?
Okay, well, did you know that somebody got sh*t on your block last night?
No. I, uh, I didn't.
You didn't hear any sh*ts, nothing?
No.
Do you recognize this guy?
Sorry.
Did you have any money on you when you left work yesterday?
No.
No?
What about the $325 in cash your boss gave you?
It...
It must've fell out of my pocket.
Really? It must have fallen out of your pocket?
DANNY: All right.
Let's go over it again.
You say your wife fell down and hit her face.
Your take-home pay ends up in the hands of a dead man, who happened to be sh*t right outside of your place, only moments after neighbors heard screaming coming from inside.
You really want us to believe you know nothing about any of this?
Look... all I know is, I work my ass off.
I follow the law, and-and-and I don't hurt no one.
Okay. Did someone hurt you?
(sighs)
How... h-how long are you married?
12 years. Why?
I'm married 20.
Marisol and I, we've been together since we were 16 years old.
Look, if someone broke into your home, and started to b*at your wife right in front of you--
right in front of your son-- what would you do?
Is that what happened to you?
Don't I have the right to defend myself against people like him?
They took everything we own.
Everything we worked for.
I ran after them.
I just... I just wanted to get it back.
That's all.
Just wanted to get it back.
Well, you got a confession. That's great.
Yeah. Only I thought I'd feel better about it.
(indistinct shouting)
REPORTER 1: Commissioner! Commissioner.
What about the fact that the protestors were unarmed?
FRANK: Not unarmed, they just didn't have conventional weapons.
REPORTER 2: Commissioner!
Commissioner, the students contend that they had a right to exercise their First Amendment rights, and that those rights were violated. How do you respond?
The First Amendment does guarantee the right to assemble... peacefully.
Law enforcement's responsibility is to ensure public safety.
My men did their job.
REPORTER 1: Commissioner, some might say that these were just college students who were out to protest tuition hikes.
They weren't hurting anyone.
Well, the officers who were assaulted, and the pedestrians and shopkeepers who were forced to circumvent the crowd, might tell a different story.
Have you talked to them?
(reporters clamoring)
That's all we have for today.
We'll keep you updated as things progress.
My office is available for any questions pertaining to...
(sighs)
The perps had fled, the danger was gone.
No, that is a gray area.
No, it's pretty black and white, Danny.
He followed them outside.
Yeah, after they invaded his home and b*at up his wife.
But he didn't sh**t Daelman in his home.
He sh*t him when he was running away.
Oh. Too bad he didn't drag Daelman's body back into the apartment, 'cause then he wouldn't be facing any charges, would he?
No, he'd be on the front page of the Post under the word "hero."
The law is very clear, Danny. You can't sh**t someone, unless you feel they're about to use deadly physical force.
They had a g*n. They invaded his home, they b*at up his wife.
How much more deadly can the force get?
Was anyone pointing a g*n at him at the time? No.
(whispering): Look, what else was the guy supposed to do?
Pick up the phone and call 911, not run after him and sh**t him.
What if he had missed?
What if he sh*t an innocent bystander?
He didn't miss, okay? He hit the perp.
Look, all I'm asking you to do is cut the guy a break on the charges.
Why, because you think it's justified?
No, because I think he was a good man in a bad spot who was just trying to protect his family.
But that is for a jury to decide, not you.
The charge is manslaughter.
(Danny sighs)
Hi. I made brown bread from scratch.
Mom's recipe.
She never wrote down her recipes.
I made it from memory.
You want a slice?
You set me up.
You would never have come down if you knew.
And you needed to hear what she had to say.
Did I?
Yes, you did, because you're a man who needs the facts before he makes a decision.
I had all the facts I needed, and the decision is not mine to make as you well know.
Are you gonna sit there and tell me you'd rather be in the dark about this?
I'm not advocating special treatment because of the mayor.
Then what?
I just thought that you should hear her side of things because...
Because you sympathize with her?
Because I'm struggling with the letter of the law versus the spirit of the law.
One impulsive, dumb move and this girl has an asterisk by her name for the rest of her life.
It's the law, it's my job...
Is it just?
Not for me to say.
How was your day with Nicky?
She thinks defense attorneys are the good guys.
As in her dad?
Well, implied.
Imagine if she knew that he didn't want joint custody.
But you're not gonna tell her.
No.
That would only hurt her.
(sighs)
That's the hardest part, the things you do for them that you can't tell 'em about.
Something's missing.
What?
The thing that made this taste good.
Sit down. I want you to take a look through these guys.
You recognize anyone, you give me a shout.
I'll be at my desk, all right?
Why?
Why what?
What difference is this gonna make?
Well, you want to find the guys who did this to your family, don't you?
Is it gonna save my dad from going to jail?
Probably not.
I didn't think so.
Look, kid, I'm sorry about your dad.
Isn't there something anyone can do?
He's got to get a good lawyer.
With what? They took everything we have.
Okay, well, maybe your dad will get lucky and he'll get a jury that'll sympathize with him.
Oh, yeah? How many people do you know sympathize with illegal immigrants?
Hey...
Just take a look at the pictures, all right?
They found the g*n in the Ortiz apartment.
Okay. Sending it to the lab now.
This is him. Who?
This guy?
Yeah. Timothy Abbey.
That's one of the guys we don't have an address on.
I'm gonna find it.
You're sure this is the guy?
He slapped my mom around.
I'll never forget that face.
You can't go around sh**ting people in the middle of the street.
Yeah, well, if somebody comes into your home and att*cks your family, you should be able to. To what, get revenge?
To defend yourself against intruders.
That.
Yeah, but he didn't k*ll anybody. He robbed someone.
And he doesn't deserve to die for that.
Says who? Once they left, the danger was over.
Oh, you're gonna join the conversation now, Harvard, is that it?
Wait, wait. Jamie, let me ask you this.
If someone came in here right now with g*ns and started hitting the kids and taking our valuables, you would feel the same.
If they're already gone, it's revenge.
Dad, do you think a bad guy's gonna come in here?
Are you kidding? He'd take one look at this table and run the other way.
This place is, like, Cop City.
Plus a prosecutor.
Boy, did they choose the wrong house.
It's revenge, plain and simple.
But it's not plain and simple.
Well, the punishment has to fit the crime and the circumstances, not just in the penal code.
So what do you charge him with?
It's not like he planned it; it was a spur-of- the-moment thing.
And the law accounts for that; a reaction in the heat of the moment.
Yeah, but it wasn't in the moment.
He had to go to a drawer, get a g*n and then chase after them.
Oh, come on. We're not talking about a criminal here.
We're talking about a... a hardworking man whose family was att*cked, and he-he stood up for them.
We should all be able to do that.
No, we shouldn't.
What Ortiz lost was replaceable.
What Daelman lost is not.
Well, given the circumstances, I'd make the same choice Ortiz did.
Run after them and sh**t? No. Mm-mmm.
Neither would I.
Well, I would.
I think Uncle Danny's right.
Well, of course you do.
What's that supposed to mean?
It means there's nothing I could possibly say or do that you would agree with.
Maybe if you weren't prosecuting students and people who get robbed.
I'm prosecuting people who've broken the law, and since when do you not relate to that?
You're just mad I agreed with that defense attorney.
Why would I be mad about that?
Because you hate them, because my father's one.
Next time, go to work with Dad.
Who wants another pork chop?
Hey. Hey. I didn't want to cut your Sunday night dinner short, but one of Abbey's cohorts says he works in here on the weekends.
Oh, believe me, if Sunday dinner went on any longer, it would have turned into a crime scene.
You guys get together every week to eat and fight.
You sure you're not Italian?
No, Irish. We just drink a little more.
There he is.
Timothy Abbey!
(bystanders screaming)
Hey!
Hey! What are you doing?!
Hold it!
Hey!
Hold it!
(Abbey gasping)
Come here! Ow!
You know this man, tough guy?
No.
Don't lie to me. You robbed his family.
It wasn't me.
Who was it, then? It was this guy?
Yeah.
Yeah? How do you know that if you weren't with him?
I might've been with him, but I didn't do nothing.
Really? We got witnesses that say otherwise.
Who's your witness?
Some guy who's not even a citizen?
I was born in this country. I have rights.
Is that why you targeted Mr. Ortiz, huh?
Because he's illegal?
Is that it?
It was all Phil.
He called it "papi hunting."
What the hell is papi hunting?
Phil said if we could find some w*tbacks walking around with cash...
Those people don't go to banks.
And they don't go to police, either. That's what he said.
Really? Yeah, a win-win.
Is that what it is?
Yeah. Imagine that.
You think that's funny, huh?
That what you call it? A win-win?
What's the matter? Danny!
What's the matter with you, okay?! They sh*t my friend!
They were the ones who sh*t my friend, okay?!
I am the... I'm the victim here!
You're the victim? Yes!
Well, I don't know too many victims who carry g*ns and break into innocent people's houses, do you?
I don't know. Why don't you just ask the kid who k*lled my friend?
What do you mean, the kid?
What do you mean, the kid who k*lled your friend?
That guy's son.
He's the one who ran after us and sh*t Phil, okay?
Will you release my dad if I tell you everything?
Hey, hey, you're not in any position to make demands here, kid, all right? I've done nothing but try to help your dad.
You want to help your dad?
I suggest you stop giving me the runaround and start talking.
They came into my house with a g*n.
We were scared to death.
(voice breaks): I really thought they were gonna sh**t us.
That's why when they left, I ran after them with my father's g*n.
I was the one who sh*t at them, not my dad.
Why did your dad confess to it?
He was just trying to protect me.
He didn't want me to go to jail.
I didn't mean to k*ll him.
I was just mad...
And I was afraid.
I was afraid they'd come back.
I'm sorry.
All right... all right.
This is what I want you to do.
I want you to write down everything you just told me, okay?
Just write it.
Make sure you write down the part about you thinking they were gonna come back.
Go on. Write it down.
Write it, write it down.
You were afraid they were gonna come back.
You were afraid for your life, okay?
Make sure you write that, too.
(sighs)
I can't be late for school.
We're okay.
It's just... I have a thing about being late.
You got that from me.
Look, if we have to put on the lights and sirens, we'll do it, okay?
Have some toast.
How'd your report go?
I got an A.
Good.
Must have been nice to spend the day with your mom.
See how she works.
See how bossy she can be.
Moms are supposed to be bossy.
What are dads supposed to be?
I don't know.
Show up once in a while might be nice.
Pretend, at least, to be interested.
I called him, you know.
I asked him if he would take me to work with him.
What did he say?
He said he was too busy, and he would call when things quieted down, and we could go to lunch then.
I see.
But we're not gonna have lunch, Grandpa.
Because things never quiet down enough for him to have time for me.
That's got to sting.
I'm used to it.
But that's just between us, that I called him, okay?
Okay.
Mom would probably try and fix that, too.
Well, that's another job requirement for mothers, be bossy and fix things.
Yeah, well, some things can't be fixed.
Nicky, if I'm hearing you correctly, it seems like you're saying your mom pretty much has to do everything.
She doesn't have to do everything.
No? Who's her backup?
And she doesn't have to do everything for you, she wants to do everything.
You want me to cut her some slack?
Your mom's not the only one who likes to fix things.
It's horrible, isn't it?
Your mom made it.
Here you go.
The kid's statement.
And were you able to corroborate his version of events, since there seems to be no end to the number of people confessing to this m*rder?
Ballistics and fingerprints analysis are consistent with his statement, so I'll start to process him.
There you go. "I was in fear for my life."
Yeah, that's what he said.
"He turned to confront me."
You coached him.
I did not coach him; those are his words.
Look, I might have helped him with his English a little bit, that's about it.
And he asked for a lawyer?
Yeah, he asked for a lawyer right after I took the statement.
You know what's interesting, though, is that, somehow, his family was able to retain the services of the white-shoe law firm of Pierce, Freeman & Hamill.
Hm.
Imagine that.
This immigrant family, no money, father works at a corner bodega.
Wonder how they pulled that off.
Well, they do handle pro bono.
Oh.
You know, I seem to remember you telling me that you had a very close friend who worked for the law firm of Pierce, Freeman & Hamill.
Well, I do like a formidable opponent in court.
Come on in, Frank.
Can I get you something?
No, thanks, I'm fine. Listen, did you see this op-ed piece in the Times about the Hudson University protest?
No, I haven't, but I was just talking to the District Attorney about that.
Is that right? What did he have to say?
Well, he feels it's important the DA's office be seen as standing alongside my department on lawful arrests.
And, of course, it's important for me to stand up for my people.
Well, of course. But he did make a case for being sensitive to the future of these young people.
My daughter, Erin, told me, for instance, that, uh, one of the arrested, Ariel Winston, wants to be a lawyer.
Anyway...
He feels he has some latitude, so he's recommending that the charges be reduced to a misdemeanor.
And where do you stand?
Well, you know me, I'm pretty much a law and order guy.
Hmm.
But in this case, I think it serves the spirit of the law.
Right.
But the decision reflects on you as well, sir.
What do you think?
Well, Frank, I like to think that everyone deserves a break every now and then.
Okay, then.
But they are not getting off scot-free.
They're gonna do a year's community service at the Dutton Center downtown.
Dutton, huh?
I practically grew up there.
My mom worked full-time, my dad was out of the picture.
I went by there every day after school.
Did you ever get back in touch with him?
Nah, I never knew him.
Not much to get back in touch about.
Anyway...
I just wanted to stop by and give you the news.
I appreciate that, Frank.
Especially when all you had to do was call.
Good day, Mr. Mayor.
Always a pleasure, Frank.
POOLE: Guys, give me a second, okay?
Just about a minute.
Hello.
Do you know who I am?
Yes, you're the mayor of New York City.
That's right.
I'm Ariel Winston.
Very nice to meet you, Ariel.
And I'm here to clean up your fair city.
(laughs)
Yes, and I can use all the help I can get.
Thank you.
I'm glad to hear you were able to make a deal with the DA's office.
Maybe this will remind you to think, take a breath, next time you make a decision that might affect the rest of your life.
I will.
Good.
This paint just will not come off.
Tried everything.
That's because you got to put a little more elbow into it.
Let me, um, see that.
Yeah, that's good.
Spray right here.
(grunts)
FRANK: I know what you're thinking.
Oh, you do?
Yeah.
I'm your father.
Okay, what am I thinking?
You're wondering if you'll ever do anything right in Nicky's eyes.
You're good.
Well, teenagers consider it their job to t*rture their parents.
I didn't t*rture you, did I?
Well, more so your mom.
But I'm glad I wasn't a single parent back then.
I don't think I could have handled it without your mother.
I only remember the good times.
Movie night, or the road trips you guys used to take us on in the summer.
You loved Cape Cod.
Yeah, but I didn't love being sandwiched between Joe and Danny.
Well, it was character building.
You and mom made it look so easy.
It was easier for us.
I didn't have to explain why your mother wasn't around.
Yeah, I guess I was lucky.
She called her dad first.
And he blew her off.
That's why she's been upset.
And you didn't hear that from me.
What am I supposed to do about that?
You know, some things can't be fixed.
And the hardest thing for a parent to do sometimes is nothing.
"Sometimes I think I may want to be a lawyer
"because I realize that I love justice
"and if that's the career that I decide to build, "I want to be the kind of lawyer
"my mother is.
"Tough but fair
"and just
"and able to stand up to pressures
"on both sides of the bench.
"Spending a day walking in her shoes
"has made me appreciate both her and the job she does""
She rarely lets me read these reports anymore.
I'm special.
Yes, you are.