01x01 - The Last Real Journalist Working in Denver

[bunniefuu]

You better pull the trigger,

or I'm gonna f*cking k*ll--

this year's winner of the Ben C.

Bradlee Award for Excellence

in Investigative Journalism,

Beth Burgess.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Um

Wow. This is surreal, um

Firstly, I want to say

that this award

is a testament

to, uh, the unrelenting,

unwavering

journalistic spirit of all

my colleagues

at the Chronicle.

To all you brave souls

this is for you.

And of course I want

to thank my wonderful husband,

Marco.

If it wasn't for you,

I'd be wasting away somewhere

with no award,

and all my cutlery would be

in one pile in the drawer.

And then there's

Ravi Mehiri.

Yes, show him love.

Ravi

the best boss in town,

you wouldn't let me stop

until I got to the truth.

Well here I am.

Oh, and there's

one more person who deserves

recognition tonight.

Um, the woman who, from day one,

taught me the power

of a great story.

You know her as Susan Burgess.

But

but to me,

she'll always be Mom!

We love you, Susan!

Come on, Susan!

Oh, no, no. Uh, sadly, Susan

couldn't be with us tonight,

because, um

she's halfway around the world

researching her latest book

in Budapest and, um

can't say anything.

Um, anyway thank you!

Ooh.

Hi, thank you.

Oh, my-- Carol, hi!

Diane Sawyer,

eat your heart out.

Oh, God, did I sound stupid?

I felt stupid.

What? No, it was great.

I loved it.

Especially

when you talked about me.

Babe

- I love you.

- I love you.

All right, I'm gonna

get us some drinks.

Oh, okay. Okay, thanks.

- God, you are hot.

- Oh, come on!

Ravs, Ravs.

Can you believe it?

Come with me.

Why?

Ravi, what's going on?

Beth, this is Doreen Paulson.

She's our in-house attorney.

Ravi, what's this about?

- I'm sorry, Beth.

- Ms. Burgess, have a seat.

We need to talk.

What is this?

It's come to our attention that

you may have falsified a quote.

This, of course,

is a very serious matter.

Effective immediately, your

employment with the Chronicle

has been terminated.

Take a step back

and ask yourself,

"How did I get here?"

The truth is

you've been walking down

this path for a long time.

Most of our toxic beliefs

are formed in childhood.

We're rewarded when we're good

and punished when we're bad.

We learn to measure ourselves

against the strengths of others.

Most of all we learn

to fear failure.

The next ten chapters

will guide you

towards an understanding

that failure is nothing more

than a mirage.

Only you

have the ability to look failure

square in its face

and tell it to f*ck right off.

- Holy sh*t!

Jesus f*cking Christ!

- Oh, f*ck! f*ck, babe, it's me!

- What just happened?!

- It's me! It's me!

Marco, what the f*ck?

Jesus m*therf*cker.

- What are you doing?

-: I'm sorry.

Oh, God, are you okay?

- Sorry, yeah.

I just

You know, you were laying there

with your mouth open like this.

- Oh, God!

- And-and, naturally,

I was thinking

maybe you would give me

- one of your famous

sleepy blow jobs.

- Okay, I get it, no, I get it.

- No, no, no, no, no. No!

- What? Come on.

Look, baby, no, ew, no, gross!

- Stop it, stop it.

- What?

Come on, we can be fast,

not too fast,

just the right amount of fast.

Babe

I have a really early meeting.

I'm working, okay?

Come on, babe, just lay back,

I'll do everything.

- Oh, sh*t!

- What?!

Oh, no, no, no, no!

g*dd*mn it, the fish is dead.

- Awesome timing, fish.

- Oh, I keep k*lling them.

Well, maybe you should

stop stealing them.

And the police are

on the scene right now.

Just absolutely horrific,

devastating.

The victim was

three months pregnant

when her husband stabbed

her 27 times.

For Channel 24 News,

I'm Tessa Flores,

Chief Crime Correspondent.

Thank you, Tessa

Why are you smiling?

She was stabbed.

You're new here, right?

I-I work in the newsroom.

I'll call you up.

Um, what's your name?

Oh, are you calling Linda?

'Cause she doesn't get in

till 6:30.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Huh.

So you're his prize piggy.

Rav?

Linda, hi.

You can't keep doing this.

You know he deserves this.

Stop defending a monster!

Beth!

Stop her! Someone stop her!

Just leave the fish!

Good morning.

How is everyone?

Any thoughts on tomorrow's lead?

Still looking

for that front page.

I heard Lady Gaga might

run for Congress.

I love that she calls it

a front page

like it's a real paper.

- Yeah, and the stories

get stupider every day.

- Yeah.

- Can we get an interview?

- Doubtful, but

I could put together

something fun,

splashy, try to predict

- what her platform might be.

- Okay

get it ready, but keep it in

the hopper till she announces.

- All right.

- What else? Beth, anything?

Yeah, sure, um

I just had a very meaningful,

uh, interaction with

a homeless woman.

Oh, my God!

- You trying to k*ll me?

- Her name is Erica.

She grew up in Weld County.

And she lost everything

when she had to pay

out of pocket

for her mom's dialysis.

I'd like to live with her

in a shelter

for 48 hours

to-to put our readers

in Erica's shoes

and-and to give her

back a shred of her humanity.

- Cool. I'll think about it.

- Amber, it's,

it's putting a face to

an otherwise anonymous crisis.

Or is it about trying to get

me to slit my wrists?

Thanks, Beth.

But it's, it's not

our kind of story.

Because it's not

candy-coated Lady Gaga

fluffy happy fun,

we don't give a sh*t?

Excuse me,

but my uncle is homeless.

Really?

And so are two of my cousins.

And another different uncle.

So, yeah, you could say

I give a sh*t, but it's just

not the kind of story we do.

- But you've barely

even considered

- Beth?

As my therapist likes to say,

"Embrace the no."

So

What else? Fiona?

Okay, this might be

a terrible idea,

but it occurred to me

that it's the 20th anniversary

of the first

Harry Pottermovie--

You're a wizard, Harry.

- Iconic.

- Yeah, right?

So I was thinking to celebrate,

we could do a photo essay:

"Hermione's Hottest Looks."

Too good. Thank you.

Thank you.

What?

What is it? What is it?

A train set--

how cool is that, honey?

Ellie, baby, say cheese.

Ah, perfect!

Hey, did you get my message

about picking up the dollhouse?

What? No.

I thought

you were picking it up.

I think it's just it's just

Uncle Marco and Aunt Beth left.

Hi, there, sweetheart, um

Well, uh

Miss Big Birthday Girl

we got you something

really special this year.

We did?

- Ta-da!

- Wow!

- It's a fish.

- Yeah.

Yeah

What?

I want a cousin.

- What?

- Mama said

if I want a cousin

I should ask you.

Ellie! I never said that,

I did-- I didn't say that.

She's taking it

out of context

- is what that is.

- It's okay.

Come here, sweetheart,

come here, come here, come here.

Come here.

Oh, you're so big now.

A cousin would be fun,

though, huh?

Except it's-it's not possible.

Ellie, I'm gonna

tell you the truth, okay,

because I respect you.

There are some people,

who can have babies,

like Mommy and Daddy.

And there are some people,

like me and your Uncle Marco,

who who can't.

Okay, uh time for cake.

Everyone to the dining room!

- Yes, cake, cake!

- Yes, to the dining room.

Get the cake,

get the cake, go on.

I mean, I cannot get over

how adorable Ellie is.

Oh, god, she's a doll.

- Yeah.

- Thank you.

Wait, I thought

you were gonna fix that.

Oh, yeah, just give it a second,

it'll stop.

Well okay.

Hey, why'd you say that to her?

That thing about us not

being able to have kids.

Because we can't.

Technically we can.

Well, that's not

what Dr. Woodhouse said

when he sealed

those puppies shut.

Well, it is reversible.

I mean,

these puppies can be let out.

Oh, God, I didn't tell you.

Had the worst day. Again.

I had a great idea,

and Amber felt the need

to take a dump all over it.

She's f*cking obsessed

with Harry Potter.

Oh.

Wait, wait, wait.

Oh. Yeah,

Cin gave it back.

She said never gift a pet.

Your sister hates me.

Okay.

Welcome home, fishy.

Well, I got some good news today

at work.

Turns out a ranger

in the Tetons k*lled himself.

Yay. What?

Yeah. It means

that there's a job opening

in the crown jewel

of America's parks,

- the Tetons.

- Oh, no, no, no.

No, not the Tetons.

No. We're not moving to Wyoming.

Honey, we always talked

about leaving the city,

- getting a country house.

- Yeah, when we were old

and incontinent

and had nothing better to do.

Oh, come on, babe.

You hate your job.

- I don't hate my job.

- You were just complaining

about it.

I hate my boss.

I hate my office.

I hate the stupid sh*t

I have to write ab--

I don't hate my job.

Babe,

we have been

grinding it out here

for you.

I know you're trying

to get work stuff back on track,

but, uh, maybe

maybe it's time for a change.

Oh, my God.

You know how hard

this has been for me.

- I do.

- How much I've been struggling.

This is the first time

in so long

I'm not waking up every night

at 3:00 a.m.

with a panic attack.

I'm feeling almost c-close

to what I used to feel like.

If I give up now,

Ravi and the rest of them win

and-and they get proved right

and I'm a big, fat failure.

f*ck those f*ck. All of them.

Who cares?

We could put them

and this entire city

in the rearview mirror.

You know,

Jackson Hole

has newspapers, too.

Oh, my God. Yeah.

Breaking news--

another rich mom

f*ck her ski instructor.

I'd read that.

Besides, it's cheaper up there.

It's simpler. I mean,

you know, we wouldn't need much.

And who knows? Maybe you'd

end up doing something else,

like, I don't know,

raise a family.

W-- I'm sorry, what?

Yeah, I-I know

it wasn't the plan.

- We've always said

we don't want kids.

- I know.

- I know.

- We're old.

Then now or never.

Never!

You really want a baby?

I don't know.

Maybe.

Come here.

Hey.

I know this feels like

giving up.

But it's not.

It could be a fresh start,

just you and me.

Huh?

I'm gonna take a bath.

You want me to save the water

for you?

Uh, no, thanks.

Hey.

Do you have a second?

I wanted to run some story ideas

by you.

Great.

What are you thinking?

Well

There are rumblings

that Taylor Swift

is traveling from her home

to her car in a large suitcase,

to avoid paparazzi.

And I thought, why don't we use

this to tackle immigration?

So, Taylor Swift is our

beautiful, blonde Trojan horse,

but it's our way of talking

about human smuggling,

uh, family separation,

uh, immigrant detention centers

- and

- It-It's really

such an important issue.

- Yeah.

- But the Taylor Swift thing

was done years ago.

Um Okay.

Left turn for a minute.

How about we take Fiona's Harry

Potterball and we run with it?

So it's a-- it's a slideshow.

Uh, like a-a "Who's Sexy Now"

for-for the whole g*ng. S-S--

Harry and, um, the, um

redheaded one

and all the hot little

wizards.

You want to steal Fiona's idea?

No, no, no, no. God, no.

I want to expand on it.

: Have you even read

the Harry Potterbooks?

- Obviously.

-: Yeah.

Who's Hagrid?

Hagrid, um

: Oh, come on. Really?

Okay. Um

Hagrid, uh, is

a wizard, and she i--

- she is

- Let me stop you there, Beth.

We all know your reputation.

- I'm sorry, what?

- The way

you were fired

from the Chronicle.The scandal.

Wait a minute. You don't know

what you're talking about.

I was wrongfully accused.

Please!

Keep your energy professional.

While we aren't exactly

the Chronicle,

we do have

journalistic integrity,

which means I can't let my

writers steal from each other.

I would never steal a story.

Or make up a quote?

I want to keep you here.

I do.

But you need to find your spark.

And if you can't,

then maybe it's time to think

about doing something else.

: Here's your spark,

m*therf*cker.

Hey. Are you okay?

Yeah. Just swell.

Okay.

Oh. This one's for you.

What's CWP?

Colorado Women's Penitentiary.

It's a maximum security

women's prison.

Well, open it.

Uh It's from

someone called Toni Plimpton.

"Dear Ms. Burgess"

Wait.

I know that name.

Why do I know that name?

- Toni

- "Dear Ms. Burgess,

"three and a half years ago,

I was convicted

"of murdering my husband,

Wallace Plimpton.

"I was sentenced to 92 years

in prison.

"I could come to peace with that

if I had pulled the trigger.

But I didn't do it."

The d*ck Cutter!

Of course. Yes.

- I remember her. Do you not

- No.

A few days

before she k*lled him, she tried

to hack off his d*ck with a pair

of kiddie safety scissors.

She's a total loon.

Uh "But no one cares

about the truth.

They only care that one more

Black woman stays behind bars."

Oh, my God.

They found her husband's body

in a nature preserve,

trampled to mush by buffalo.

- Oof.

- "I know your work, Ms. Burgess,

"and I believe you're a genius

and the last real journalist

working in Denver."

It does not say that.

It does say that.

- I love her.

- Huh.

It does say that.

"Please help me.

"I know you can find the truth,

and the truth

will set us both free."

Okay.

Beth.

Beth, what are you gonna do?

You don't believe this woman,

do you?

I mean, the whole thing,

it seems super sketchy.

It reeks of a scam.

And, I will say,

they do tend to target

older people.

My grandmother's entire temple

got conned

by a man

who looked just like Jay Leno.

Like, an Indian Jay Leno.

He looked just like him.

I mean, the hair, the-the chin,

the denim on denim.

Listen, just don't give

this woman money.

She's gonna want money.

Don't give it to her.

Stand there, please.

Do that up.

Really? It's-it's so

Do it up or go home.

Okay.

Stay beside the line.

Ten minutes.

- Hi.

- Hi.

Listen, uh,

the letter that you sent me,

it was it was so moving.

- How are you?

- Oh, you know.

The best.

Right. No, of course.

I'm really sorry.

Yeah, they're punishing me

'cause I knocked out

a b*tch's front teeth

and stabbed her in the eye.

Huh.

She's a n*zi.

W-Well-well, uh,

I-I hope

she's eating out of a straw

for a good long time.

She will be.

I like your tattoo.

Oh, thanks.

I did it myself.

Wow. No way.

That's, um

Is it-- is it Medusa?

Yeah.

Well, it's me,

and I'm Medusa.

It's about time somebody

chopped off Perseus' head,

don't you think?

Yeah.

Totally.

What about you?

Any ink?

Ink? Oh.

No.

No, I'm not

I'm not that sort of person.

What, a badass?

I mean, you could pull it off.

Well,

a few years ago,

I was, like, this close

to getting, uh, an old-timey

typewriter on my upper thigh

Oh, you're-you're for real?

Yeah, no, that's cool.

I mean, you could get, like,

your kid's name or something.

You got any kids?

No. But, uh, that-that topic

sure comes up a lot.

It's a touchy subject?

No, it's just that, um,

well, my mom always chose work

over me,

and I don't want

to do that to a kid.

My work's my priority.

Which means you're my priority.

So

Cool.

Love a lady who means business.

Okay, so

if I'm gonna write your story,

I'm gonna need you

to piece together

for me what happened, uh,

the night of the m*rder.

So, where you were,

uh, who you were with.

I mean,

that's all public record.

Trial transcripts.

Well, yeah, of course.

I know that.

But, um, it helps to actually

hear it from you directly.

Uh, I was working

at TJs Sound & Video,

and I was alone.

Huh. Yeah, see, that's

that's not good.

You sound like the cops.

And, uh, why were you violent to

your husband a few days before?

Violent?

You mean the d*ck thing?

Yeah. The, uh the d*ck thing.

Tell me this,

why would I cut his d*ck off

if I was gonna k*ll him?

The whole reason

you cut a d*ck off

is so that he has to walk around

without a d*ck, right?

I mean

uh, that-that does make

some sense, yeah.

And he hit me.

He laid his hands on me

over and over.

Does your husband do that

to you?

Besides, I barely nicked him.

On his d*ck?

Jesus.

That's all anyone cares about.

It's a whole country full

of d*ck lovers.

I wouldn't call myself

a-a d*ck lover.

Uh

Okay. So who did k*ll Wallace?

Wyatt.

Who?

Wallace's brother.

Wyatt.

They ran g*ns.

I mean,

that's the guy

the D.A. should've gone after.

I was over there selling flip

phones for nine bucks an hour.

Meanwhile, those two

were clearing $5K a week,

funneling carbines

to the Philippines,

but who's serving time?

Okay, sorry, could you

just slow down for one second?

Um, okay, so his name is Wyatt.

And I missed the connection

to the flip phone,

so you'll have

to explain that to me.

And I know I can google it,

but what's a carbine, exactly?

You didn't bother looking me up,

did you?

No research? Nothing?

No, I did. I j--

I knew about the d*ck thing.

- And, um, I

- Okay.

- Goodbye.

- Wait, wait, wait, wait!

Where are you going?

No, I don't have time

to tell you how to do your job.

You can find somebody else

to boost your ego.

If I were you, I wouldn't

walk away from the one person

who can help you.

If you were me?

See, I have a daughter.

Her name is Laila, and

she turns four on October 13.

But that's all I know about her.

I don't know where she is,

who she's with,

who's peeling her carrots

or wiping her nose.

I don't know what

she sounds like or smells like.

I-I don't even know what she

looks like except for a picture

that I saw when she was born.

'Cause I had her in here.

In cuffs.

I gave birth

handcuffed to a bed.

They took my baby

and handed me a Polaroid.

So, yeah

that's who you'd be

if you were me.

But if I were you,

I would've done

my damn homework.

Oh. No, no, no. Sorry. Please.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Look,

the last year has been really,

really hard.

I barely sleep.

I

I work for

this brainless child dictator.

I-I steal fish to get even.

And now my husband

wants me to become

this walking, talking uterus

in the woods, and

And then I got your letter.

And

it gave me hope.

Please don't walk away. Please.

I'm-I'm not ready to give up.

You've had a hard year, huh?

Yeah.

Whew.

Well, at least you funny.

Look, this ain't

Driving Miss Daisy,

and I'm not cooking you

no Sunday dinner.

I'm here to save my a*s,

not yours.

Hey, yo, Jimmy!

You're so cute.

I shouldn't have said that.

f*ck.

Beth?

Tessa?

My God. Beth, look at you.

How are you holding up

after everything?

- It's fine.

- Good, good.

My God, you-you were

the last person that I thought

I'd bump into today.

This is so funny.

Sorry, wh-what is that?

Oh, um, this inmate-- well,

wrongfully convicted inmate--

wrote me the most amazing

letter. Listen to this.

"Ms. Flores, you are a genius

"and Denver's

last real journalist.

"I know you can find the truth,

and the truth

will set us both free."

That's beautiful, isn't it?

Yeah. Very. Except

I'm the genius in this one.

I love it.

She's auditioning us.

Wow.

Tessa Flores!

That's me.

Great to see you.

Good luck.

But you're not getting

this f*cking story.

Wyatt Plimpton?

Mr. Plimpton?

Hi, there.