02x14 - Day One

[bunniefuu]

MATTY: The law firm Jacobson
Moore hid documents

that could have taken opioids
off the market

and saved our daughter's life.

Talk to me about the mysterious
Debra Palmer.

I moonlight as
a mortuary cosmetologist.

OLYMPIA: Senior had her sign an NDA.

I was just tracing
the hush money Senior paid

to bury the Wellbrexa study.

Senior must have funneled the money

through his personal accounts.

JULIAN: Dad, is everything okay?

I'm forgetting all kinds of things.

I'm scared, son.

SHAE: Matlock... I don't trust her.

I am always happy to talk about
Madeline Matlock.

SHAE: I haven't always
been the nicest to you.

You're a really good person, Matty.

I should not have fired you, Sarah.

If you ever want back on my team,

I'll take you in a second.

I'll have to think it over.

MATTY: Joey's Alfie's father.

I'm sorry I missed your call.
Is everything okay?

I had a craving,

and, uh, my sponsor's out of town,

so I thought I'd call you.

Would you want to talk to me
through AI

after I'm gone?

I'd talk to Mom.

Hi, Mom.

There's no easy way to say this.

We think your dad's using drugs again.

That's why we're not going camping?

MATTY: Yes.

We haven't heard from him
for a few days,

and neither has his sponsor.

And the last time I saw Joey,

he was struggling.

Why?

Because he admitted

that he's known about you
the whole time.

What?

- Edwin.
- He deserves the truth.

He knew about me?

EDWIN: Since before you were born.

He's simply not

- who we thought he was.
- MATTY: Let's not

turn this into a verdict yet, okay?

We don't know what's going on.

ALFIE: I don't care what's going on.

He knew about me
the whole time and he lied.

- Exactly, end of story.
- MATTY: Look, this is a very

- complicated situation, it's...
- I just want to go to sleep.

Can you guys go?

- [DOOR CLOSES]
- What happened to neutral?

I don't want to be neutral.
The guy's a dirtbag.

- We're done with him.
- Joey is Alfie's father.

And Alfie has been doing

just fine without him all these years.

Regardless, we have to think
about it from all angles,

including what Ellie would want.

So you've had one conversation
with an AI

version of our daughter,

and now you are ready to blow up

all the boundaries we set?

Edwin, that is not true.

Oh, boy.

You made the right call, Mom.

Dad would just be more upset if
you told him that we still talk.

I know, and I hate lying to him,

but shutting Joey out
isn't the answer.

I'm surprised Dad's taking
such a hard line.

- He was always the softie.
- No kidding.

I'm used to being the stubborn one.

Well, I'm glad you said it and not me.

- In a corn maze.
- Oh, stop it.

You still won't admit
that you got us lost.

The map was wrong, okay?

That's my story
and I'm sticking to it.

[SIGHS]

You only remember that
because I uploaded a video.

You're just an AI program.

Nobody's perfect.

[PHONE VIBRATES]

Oh, it's Olympia. We'll talk later.

- Did you find anything?
- OLYMPIA: Maybe.

We went through my dad's accounting,

and in 2010,

there are all these weird charges

paid to an entity known as "E.G."

- E.G.?
- OLYMPIA: Yup.

Found one charge for $75,000.

Another for $50,000.

For "personal grooming services."

That's not man-scaping.
That's clear-cutting.

OLYMPIA: Exactly.

And it adds up to $350,000,

which is the exact amount
Priva was paid.

All funneled through the same vendor.

JULIAN: No billing address, no tax ID.

Just "E.G."

"Executive Glow-up"?

"Encrypted Gains"?

I have an educated guess.

DEBRA [OVER RECORDING]:
Hi. You've reached Debra Palmer

at Eternal Glamour.

If someone you love is dead,
press one.

For personal beauty, press two.

Two.

Debra Palmer.

This is Arthur P. Bench with the IRS.

Your LLC is being

audited for back taxes.

You must reply
to this phone call immediately.

If you do not reply,

you will be facing
criminal consequences.

AUTOMATED VOICE [OVER PHONE]:
If satisfied with

- your message...
- [HANGS UP]

You're coming in a little hot, Arthur.

Debra Palmer is not Joey.

We're trying to get a look
at her books,

not hang her for treason.

Your note is received.

And drop whatever accent
you're doing, Meryl.

I'm not doing an accent.

It's a backstory

of a hardscrabble upbringing

and foreign travel.

Do you think Joey's dead?

Darling...

I hope not.

Should we call hospitals in case?

I called them,
and I'll call them again.

Darling, it's...

[SIGHS] It's the waiting,

not hearing... it's the hardest.

And-and there's nothing we can do.

Now, Sir Arthur P. Bench

must have silence

for his conversation
with Debra Palmer.

The IRS agent's a knight?

Must relate to his
hardscrabble backstory.

Going again.

Latte with oat milk and an extra shot?

You know my coffee order?

- I had to ask Hunter.
- [LAUGHS]

Have you given any more thought
to my job offer?

I know I sprung this on you,

but with the merger closing
in two weeks,

I'm gonna need an answer pretty soon.

Of course, and I have been
thinking about it a lot,

and I talked it over with Julian,

who has been so supportive,

which makes it harder.

Um...

I'm gonna need another day.

HUNTER: Hey. Morning.

Hunter. I'll see you at 9:00?

Uh, for Travis Lee, yeah.
I saw it on the calendar,

but I couldn't find a case file.

Because he's not a client.

I gave a guest lecture at an
undergrad criminal justice class

three years ago
and Travis was a student.

He lost his father
in a terrible hit-and-run.

Never got solved.

Thank you for meeting me,
Professor Lawrence.

Of course. I'm glad we can
get you in. How's law school?

Uh, I'm really enjoying it, ma'am.

- Good.
- And I know that

your time is valuable,
so I will speak quickly.

This is a timeline for the night
my dad was k*lled.

This is the map.

He and I fought at my house, here.

I left to go clear my head.

He went to go find me
and he got hit here.

The initial accident report showed

skid marks from SUV tires

and silver paint on a guardrail,

so I cross-referenced silver SUV

vehicle records in the area

with reckless driving and DUI arrests,

and I eventually zeroed in
on a suspect. Michael Hammond.

MATTY: Could you slow down a little?

I happen to be 108 years old.

[CHUCKLES] Sorry.

The crash took place on a road between

the neighborhood pub
and Hammond's house.

- Okay.
- So, I started scouring social media posts

tagged from the pub
the night of the accident,

which there were a lot of,
because it was the World Series.

That's when I found Hammond's car.

One of the bartenders
remembers Hammond leaving drunk

right after Freddie Freeman
hit a home run at 10:40 p.m.,



I know Hammond did it.

- And you put all of this together?
- TRAVIS: Yes, ma'am.

Yeah, over the past few years.

I thought it would be enough
to get the D.A.

to re-open the case, but it wasn't.

So, I filed a civil suit pro se.

The statute of limitations
for a wrongful death suit...

TRAVIS: Already passed.

I know. That's why I'm here.

I'm looking for a way
to get around it,

and I thought that you might
have some advice for me.

Very quickly.

Because they filed
a motion to dismiss,

and the hearing is at 1:00 p.m.

Today?

Yeah.

Bruh.

Michael Hammond's
got a fancy lawyer, and

they want my case tossed, and...

if I lose, I mean...

it's over. There-There's no justice.

And I owe it to my dad

to see this out to the end.

He was out on the road because of me.

Someone has to be held accountable.

Well, what do you think,
Professor Lawrence?

The doctrine of fraudulent
concealment, Your Honor.

A defendant who covers up
their wrongdoing

tolls the statute of limitations.

And fleeing an accident...
that is textbook concealment.

My client didn't flee
because he didn't hit anyone.

Nor was he intoxicated. We have proof

that there was a DUI checkpoint
between Brennan's Pub

and my client's home,

a checkpoint he passed
without incident.

A white man driving a luxury SUV
passing a DUI checkpoint?

Color me shocked.

There was also blood spatter
on the guardrail.

Wealthy, white or not,

a blood-soaked car

isn't getting through a checkpoint.

There is no case here.
I'm sorry that the plaintiff

lost his father, but he can't
ruin my client's life

just because he's looking
for someone to blame.

FRIGO: Ms. Lawrence, your
tolling argument's persuasive,

but I'm concerned about
whether you can back it up.

- I can assure you that...
- FRIGO: I don't want assurances.

I want evidence.

Evidence that defendant
hit plaintiff's father

and fled the scene. If not,

I'm not only inclined
to dismiss this case

but to sanction you

and your firm
for frivolous litigation.

Are you comfortable with those terms?

I believe in my client,

and he deserves justice.

If it was Hammond, he must have

cleaned the blood off his car.

I'll get Hunter to canvass
all the late-night businesses

- between the bar and the checkpoint.
- [PHONE VIBRATES]

Speaking of business,

Debra Palmer bought Edwin's IRS act,

hook, line, and sinker.

He's meeting her
at her beauty bar Thursday.

We've got her right where we want her.

- [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
- Howard Markston, please.

Tell him that Debra Palmer
is here to see him.

Your skin looks a little dry, honey.

Luckily, I am launching
a skin care line.

[DEBRA CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY]

I knew Edwin came on too strong.

[PHONE VIBRATES]

SENIOR: Debra.

- As I live and breathe.
- DEBRA: Aw.

SENIOR: You haven't aged a day.

Oh, what can I say, Howie?
My products work.

SENIOR: Let's go up to
my office. More privacy.

[PHONE VIBRATES]

- [GASPS]
- Huh?

- DEBRA: So big. [LAUGHS]
- [SENIOR LAUGHS]

Oh, hi, there.

Hi. Sorry.

I was coming to talk
about a client lead.

I didn't realize
you had an appointment.

No appointment, just a favor

- for an old friend.
- Mm.

Debra, this is my son, Julian.

DEBRA: Oh, my gosh.

Mr. Handsome and Mr. Handsomer.

I'll let you two guess which is which.

[LAUGHS] Okay, yeah. We will.

Uh, Debra has a little, uh,
tax issue she needs help with,

- for her company.
- Oh.

Eternal Glamour,

making you glow in this lifetime
and the next.

[CHUCKLE] Remember when we came up

with that slogan? I won't say where,

- but we both know where.
- [SENIOR LAUGHS]

Uh, what-what exactly
was the tax issue?

[SIGHS] Thank you.

What is the tax issue?

I've been going
round and round in my head

about this, and then I just thought,

oh, who better to ask
than my angel investor?

You invested in Debra's company?

I got her set up with an LLC

back in, uh...

Well, it would have been...

Oh, 16 years ago.

- Oh.
- DEBRA: Mm. Hard to believe.

So, Mr. Handsome-est,

what do you say...
can you help a girl out?

I really don't want to have to
meet that IRS guy alone.

He was really aggressive.

JULIAN:
My dad is pretty busy right now.

I'd be happy to help.
When's the meeting?

Oh. Well... [CLEARS THROAT]
the guy, Arthur,

said that he would
come to my beauty bar

on Thursday,
and he said to be prepared

to "open every single book!"

-Oh, audits rarely go back
-DEBRA: Yeah.

more than six years.

If they want anything
before 2019, call me.

- DEBRA: Okay.
- SENIOR: And have Arthur come here.

Home turf. More intimidating.

- Yes.
- [LAUGHS]

That's-that's a great idea. Um, Debra,

- let's talk in my office.
- You don't have to ask me twice.

- Oh.
- [LAUGHS] - How did a girl get so lucky?

Son.

Thanks. I'd, uh, help her, but

I don't trust my brain
with all the numbers right now.

I-I know, Dad. I'm happy to help.

Shouldn't be any bumps, but, uh,
if you find anything funny

in her records, let me know.

Before the auditor takes a look, okay?

- Okay.
- [BOTH LAUGH]

[PHONE RINGING]

[SIGHS]

Arthur P. Bench, IRS.

This is Julian Markston.

I'm calling in regards
to Debra Palmer's audit.

I will be representing her interests

in this matter going forward.

The first order of business
is that the meeting

Thursday will be held
at Jacobson Moore.

Nonnegotiable.

You tell him.

Uh, can you and your client
both hear me?

Nope.

- You want me to come to the firm?
- Yes.

End of discussion. [CHUCKLES]

But Shae works there.
We met in Georgia.

And Debra can't see Matty or Olympia.

They were at the karaoke club.

There's a lot at stake.

I assure you, I have

considered that, so I will
see you here Thursday at 3:00.

Now, let's discuss
the terms of the audit.

You are not allowed to look
at any document prior to 2019.

Then how are you going to

get her to bring them to the office

- so I can make copies?
- Oh, don't you worry,

documents going back 20 years
will be in the building

for me to refer to,

but you will not be permitted
to look at them

under any circumstance.

Hello, Mr. Hardball. [CHUCKLES]

God, I'm striking out at every turn.

- Did you check the gas stations?
- Yep,

there's two between the crash
site and the DUI checkpoint.

Super well-lit with cameras.

If Michael stopped
to wash blood off his car,

- someone would have noticed.
- What the about car washes?

Yeah, there's one along the route,

and it was closed
at the time of the crash.

Hmm.

Oh, you're picturing it, aren't you?

What?

Getting your job back.
I overheard Olympia's offer.

- Hunter, I'm sorry...
- No, it's all good.

Just tell me in advance, so I know

if I should wear my nice suit.

Well, if you have a nicer suit,
you should be wearing it.

And you are way too laid-back
about a decision

that affects your job stability.

Eh, I had to be flexible growing up.

All right, let's hear it.
Pro-con list.

I don't have a list.

- Okay, I have a list.
- I knew it.

[CHUCKLES]

Okay. Well, pros.

Olympia's cases are exciting,

and it's really satisfying
when we win.

Cons. Quality of life.

Long hours at the computer
has contributed

to what I'm hoping
is not a permanent neck hump.

With Olympia,

it's like everything is an emergency,

and not everything is a 911.

That is a really good point, Sarah.

Shae. There you are.

Thanks for making time for coffee.

Of course.

You showed up for me,
I'm happy to show up for you.

Well, I appreciate that,

but I don't want you
to feel beholden to me.

Just doing my job.

Yeah, spit it out, Matty.
I've allotted five minutes

for this yappuccino,
and I am not flexible.

You free for a late lunch Thursday?

Say around 2:30?

That's why you wanted to have
coffee? To talk about lunch?

Well, you... lay eyes on you,
make sure you were doing okay

after the whole hullabaloo.

- Yeah, I am, thank you.
- Good.

Well, why don't we catch up
over Dover sole?

N-No hidden agenda, just girl talk.

[LAUGHS SOFTLY]
I have voir dire Thursday.

I'll be in court all afternoon.
But another time?

- I'd love that.
- Okay.

Thursday's timing works
out just great.

Great.

Hunter was just about
to update me on the 911 logs.

Well, no calls about a silver
SUV the night of the crash,

but the police
non-emergency line got one.

Good thinking. What'd you find?

Well, owner of a tattoo shop
along the route said an SUV

was blocking the alley.

Car was gone by the time
parking enforcement got there.

- And did you call the tattoo shop?
- I did.

Guy was a little grumpy.

I thought an in-person meeting
might be more effective.

Maybe I'll even, uh,
get some ink. [CHUCKLES]

- Let my bad boy side out.
- [LAUGHS]

Hey, man. Have some ginger ale.

Oh. Sorry.

It's just the needles and the sounds.

I didn't expect to get dizzy.

Do you want to cancel your consult?

It was for me, actually.

With Mr. Toad.

Just Toad.

Ah. Apologies.

Toad.

You want to get a tattoo?

Oh, I want to talk about
getting a tattoo.

You staring 'cause I'm old?

Sure am.

- You staring 'cause I'm tatted?
- Sure am.

- They painful?
- Yes.

But so is life.

Least with a tattoo, you got
something to show for it.

I like that.

You want to ink it on my arm?

[LAUGHS SOFTLY]

So?

What are you thinking about getting?

- [PHONE VIBRATING]
- I'm sorry, I have to answer.

Are you safe?

I am, yes.

Uh, I'm back at home.

I just came from a meeting.

I'm-I'm so sorry.

Um, can-can I come
talk to you in person?

- If you're sober.
- I am.

I promise.

I'll call you.

Tough road.

It is.

So, listen, I didn't
come here for a tattoo.

I'm shocked.

- [LAUGHS]
- Does the real reason have to do

- with the lawyer that called?
- Guilty.

Can I ask you a question?

Not before you answer mine.
What's your tattoo?

Oh, come on, I told
you I'm not here for that.

Doesn't matter. Everybody
knows what their tattoo would be,

even if they'd never get it.

Um...

A catbird.

What's a catbird?

My turn.

You called

the non-emergency police line,

game six of the 2021 World Series.

Why?

I've been thinking about that
ever since

the other lawyer called.

Uh, one of my guys
went out for a smoke,

said a SUV was blocking the alley.

He asked him to move,
he didn't, so I went out myself

and filmed the jerk
in case things got heated.

You have footage?

Still on my phone.

Hey, man, you got to clear out.

Yeah, yeah. Uh, okay.

That is definitely Michael Hammond

- washing his car.
- Okay, give me a minute, please.

And we definitely have a case.

Sneaky pinky.

- Sneaky pinky.
- [LAUGHS]

Well, I almost wound up with
a tr*mp stamp for my troubles,

but this should shut down
their motion to dismiss.

Oh. I got to go, Olympia.

[LAUGHS]: The house
is crawling with IRS agents.

Have you heard?

Arthur P. Bench is coming into

Jacobson Moore on Thursday.

Well, don't kiss me in public
or you'll blow my cover.

[LAUGHS] No, no. You should have

heard me arguing with Julian
about the terms

of the audit. I held my ground

like Coriolanus with a calculator.

And Debra's bringing in receipts
going back to 2005.

Wow, tough crowd.

Joey called, and he wants
to talk to us in person,

- No.
- and I said yes.

- Madeline.
- We can't close the door on him.

That's what we did with Ellie,

and I've never stopped regretting it.

Okay, if you want us
to hear him out, fine,

but I am not gonna change my mind,

I am not going back into the cycle

and he's going to be lying anyway.

OLYMPIA: I'll remind you, Mr. Hammond,

depositions are under oath.

So, is that you in this video?

Yes, that's me.

Why were you washing your car

in a dark alley at 11:00 at night?

I vomited. [SIGHS]

Food poisoning.

I couldn't make it home,
so I pulled over.

Some of it got on the bumper,
so I found the nearest hose

and rinsed it off, then

I drove the rest of the way home.

Can anyone corroborate your story?

MICHAEL: My ex-wife was asleep

when I got home, my daughter

- was with her boyfriend.
- That's convenient.

- Travis.
- BRYANT: If the plaintiff is gonna interject,

- we should recess.
- We're good. There won't be

any further interruptions.

I do share my client's skepticism.

You sure it wasn't alcohol poisoning?

I was not drinking
and driving that night.

I mean, you do have several DUIs.

That was a very shameful

period of my life, but I've changed.

I'm grateful for a second chance.

You know who didn't get
a second chance? My dad.

- He didn't get a second chance.
- We're done with this deposition.

- Wait.
- BRYANT: Let's resume

once you get a handle on your client.

Go ahead. Hide behind your lawyer.

You've been hiding
all these years because

- you can't face what you did.
- Travis... - Okay.

- Coward!
- Stop yelling at him.

- He's a good man.
- He left my dad to die.

- He's garbage.
- Don't raise your voice at my daughter.

- You show some respect.
- You don't deserve respect!

- Calm down.
- You deserve to go to jail!

HUNTER: Okay, buddy.

[PANTING] I'm sorry.

I... I-I don't know what happened.

HUNTER: Okay.

MATTY: Did you use?

Yes.

But I'm back on track,
and I ha... I have three days.

And I'm-I'm going to meetings.

And I'm so sorry.

For what?

Lying to us? Using again?

- Abandoning your infant son?
- All of it.

And I want to make amends
to you and to Alfie.

You think I'd let you
anywhere near Alfie?

Come back when you've got
a year and we'll talk.

A year?

- He's just mad...
- You're damn right I'm mad.

He's lied to us from day one.

Because Ellie told me that
I only had one chance with you.

You're blaming your behavior
on our dead daughter?

- No one is saying that, Edwin.
- You chose to lie.

You chose to use.

We gave you a chance,
you threw it away.

You don't deserve
to be in Alfie's life.

But I'm his father, and I have rights.

Rights? I don't give a damn
about your rights!

Look, that's enough.

Joey, I-I think you should leave,

just until everybody cools down.

AI ELLIE: Whoa. That is not

my conflict-averse Pops.

It's so weird, Ells-bells.

He's acting so out of character.

Says the woman going back
to a tattoo parlor at night.

[LAUGHS]

The bartender said Hammond
was in a suit at the bar,

and then, at the tattoo shop,

he was wearing
a high school rugby jersey,

and his daughter's boyfriend
is on the rugby team.

You think the daughter
helped him cover his tracks?

Maybe he called her,

had her meet him at the tattoo parlor.

With the rugby shirt,
since he vomited.

Exactly.

And then she drove home,

and that's how they got through
the DUI checkpoint.

You really are like Matlock.

I told you.

- Well, I got to head out.
- Just be careful.

Tattoo parlors get dicey
after this late.

- Did-did you just...
- I heard it.

- I-I know...
- I-I've become my mother.

- This is that moment.
- [LAUGHS]

- ALFIE: Grammy?
- [GASPS]

Was that Mom's voice?

Uh... it is. I just made an AI version

during my case last week.

What?

What? What's going on in here?

She's talking to an AI version of Mom.

Can I talk to her?

No, no. I-I d...

Not a good idea.

Then why are you using it?

Yeah. Why are you using it?

I-I just had a question.

Last week.

I had another question.

You're addicted?

No, I'm not.

Uh, it's over. I-I'll stop.

I promise.

TOAD: That looks good,
man. Well, look who it is.

Gotham's soon-to-be painted lady.

Less about getting inked

and more about following up with you.

Well, I figured.

But a dude can dream, and I have been.

After you called, I took
my shot at your, uh, catbird.

Where is it...

[GASPS]

♪ ♪

Oh. I am very touched.

Oh, if you don't mind my saying so,

his feather whiskers make him
look like William Howard Taft.

[BOTH LAUGH]

Well, whenever you look at it,
you think of whoever or whatever

inspired the catbird.

My brother Tuck was a fly-fisher.

Taught me technique.

Got this a few months after he died.

So, he's always with me.

Well, I can see the benefit in that.

Well, you fire away
with your follow-ups,

- and I'll get this stencil on you.
- Oh, come on, now.

Some people need a tattoo.

I don't know why, but I feel like

- you're one of them.
- [LAUGHS SOFTLY]

Well, I'll lie down,
but I'm not doing it.

That's the anthem
of my marriage, by the way.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

The night that Michael's car
was out back,

did you notice a teenage girl?

Uh, we were thinking his daughter

was in the passenger seat.

Could be a witness.

I don't remember
a teenage girl, but...

I didn't ever have eyes
on the inside of the car.

Mm. That door

- leads to the alley, right?
- Mm-hmm.

But you went out the front door.

Yeah, dude had his vehicle
against the wall.

That door wouldn't open because it was

bumping up against a bike
that was mounted on the back.

A bike?

Sorry. It's, uh...

Do you remember the color?

OLYMPIA: Scarlett, can
you tell us if this red bike

is yours?

Gonna need a verbal
yes or no for the court.

Yes.

OLYMPIA: And did you ride that
bike to meet your father at the bar

the night Mr. Lee was k*lled?

BRYANT: Object to
the form of the question.

OLYMPIA: On what grounds?

Or are you warning your client
to answer carefully?

Did your father have you meet him

because he was
too incapacitated to drive?

Yes.

- Scarlett.
- I met my dad at the bar.

I biked from my boyfriend's house.

We drove home from there together.

- OLYMPIA: Who drove?
- Me.

And-and it was dark,
and there was no way

I could see him
on the side of the road.

"Him," as in Doug Lee?

SCARLETT: Yes. My dad started

throwing up,
and I was trying to help him,

but when I leaned over, I lost control

- and that's when I hit him.
- MICHAEL: It's my fault.

My-my drinking.

She was 15.

She was just trying
to take care of me.

But then she drove away,
and you both hid what happened.

Which is a felony
under the New York penal code,

and charges will be brought.

Are you okay, Travis?

Uh, I-I need to get some air.

MATTY: He blames
himself, is the problem.

He thought once he found out
what happened,

the feeling would go away, but...

how do you stop a feeling?

Maybe cold turkey.

Like quitting drugs.

Make a decision and you keep
reminding yourself

why you made it.

- It's not easy.
- Insanely hard.

But then, the second day's
easier than the first

and the third day
is easier than the second.

Fourth day's a hellscape,

and on and on.

And when you relapse?

You go back to day one.

And you start all over again.

- What other choice do you have?
- [DOOR OPENS]

Hey. Hunter said you headed up here.

Ellie?

I thought you stopped.

Not so easy. I mean,
I get to sit with my daughter.

I get to talk to her.

But it's not real.

I know that.

But it doesn't matter,
'cause it feels real.

I don't have to worry about
if she's gonna use or...

or if I'm gonna lose her.

Look...

...I have no experience with this,

but as your friend
who wants you to heal,

I'm not sure if this is helping.

I know.

I just...

I want to ask Ellie

if she blames me.

Then why haven't you?

'Cause then I won't have
any reason to come back.

And I don't want to say goodbye
to her again.

Is it almost time?

Shae just left for court,
Edwin arrives in ten minutes.

Is he clear on the plan?

Well, we went over it
this morning, and...

[TONGUE CLICKS]
...he's gonna keep it simple.

[ELEVATOR BELL CHIMES]

No threats.

- No accent.
- Arthur P. Bench.

IRS. They're expecting me.

- MATTY: You'll keep Senior occupied.
- I had to get on your schedule

so we could talk plans
for the twins' birthdays.

MATTY: We don't need
him complicating anything

when Debra Palmer
arrives for the audit.

Exactly when
did you first start offering

your embalming specials,

- Ms. Palmer?
- 2010.

That's when I expanded
into the "living space,"

so then I needed to purchase

all new ingredients
that were only partially toxic.

- Hmm.
- JULIAN: A reminder... we are focused

on 2019 to the present.

EDWIN: I'm not asking
to see anything prior,

I am asking

to legitimize expenditures

that were back-laid by undercuts

in cash flow accounting.

What does that mean?

It means Arthur
is focused on undercuts

instead of general solvency.

Young man, are you telling me
how to do my job?

- Someone should.
- Julian.

Because I am a proud member
of the United States

Internal Revenue Service for 43 years,

seven months and ten days.

Well, they whiffed
on their hiring practices.

Oh, you might want
to think twice before insulting

the only government agency

that can get into
your checking account

as if it were a sock drawer!

Now you're threatening to audit me?

The IRS doesn't threaten.

We act.

- [LAUGHS]: Oh.
- Boys, boys, please.

Why don't we just
take a walk or something

so you can... you can
just cool off, okay?

[SCOFFS]

Thanks for the muscle in there.

Of course.
I'm sorry I got a little heated.

- I did too.
- [BOTH CHUCKLE]

Should we take off all our clothes?

- Oh...
- I'm just kidding.

Your dad would be furious.

Unless he wouldn't be?

[MUTTERS SOFTLY]

[PHONE VIBRATES]

Oh, God.

You Markston men
have the same chapped lips.

Oh. [SHORT CHUCKLE] Wasn't aware.

- Don't be embarrassed.
- [CLEARS THROAT]

I have a balm
that will change your life.

- Oh.
- Let me show you

a before-and-after,

'cause you're gonna freak.

Where is my phone?

I swear it has little legs on it.

- Oh, pardon me, miss.
- Oh, not at all.

[PHONE VIBRATES]

Debra?

[PHONE VIBRATES]

Oh...

♪

Sorry, Mr. Bench,
I forgot my phone. [CHUCKLES]

EDWIN: Well, I hope your
attorney has calmed down.

DEBRA: He's getting there.

Wait a minute.

[GIGGLES SOFTLY]

Thank you. Now, please hide

before Debra comes back.

Oh, no.

EDWIN: What?

I know him.

You do.

I don't want to lie to you,

so I'm asking you, please,

don't ask more questions, Shae.

Like I said.

You showed up for me,
I show up for you.

Have you seen Olympia?

Because her student-client
is crying in the stairwell.

Oh.

[DOOR CLOSES]

I'm-I'm sorry.

I-I know I got what I wanted...
the truth...

and they'll both be charged,
but I-I just had

an intense panic attack,

which, uh, happens with PTSD.

That what's going on?

According to my therapist, yeah.

I thought I had it handled,
but I guess, uh,

the case brought everything back.

Feel like I'm 17 again,

yelling at my dad about my curfew.

That's what we were arguing about.

Over 30 stupid minutes.

- If I hadn't walked out...
- You can't

blame yourself, Travis.

[SNIFFLES] How do I stop?

Cold turkey.

Just make the decision.

And that works?

[LAUGHS SOFTLY]

I don't know, son.

It's worth a try.

Oh. What's, uh,
what's going on, buddy?

Oh.

Yeah, um...

I was just eating yogurt,

and then my heart
started beating really fast

and then I was
kind of hyperventilating,

so I think I just... I think
I just had a panic attack.

Or yogurt.

'Cause you don't know
who you should work for.

Exactly.

Well, what's the rush?
You'll figure it out.

Yeah, but I...
I don't like not knowing.

I always know.

In high school, I aimed for college,

in college, I aimed for law school

and then in law school,
I aimed for Jacobson Moore

and then Olympia and...

And now you don't know,

which is hard 'cause you're
addicted to goalposts

and the hit you get
when you clear one.

So what should I do?

Play dodgeball.

Okay, I'd like to think you're joking,

but that dopey grin
tells me otherwise.

You'll-you'll know
when you know. In the meantime,

you... oh, you got to get
rid of that nervous energy.

And you're in luck,
'cause I have an in

with the captain of my dodgeball team.

Oh?

[WHISPERS]: I'm the captain.

Okay.

Arthur the accountant came through.

Olympia and Julian are knee-deep

in Debra's 2010 records

looking for the 350,000.

I'm glad it worked.

Have you come to your senses?

About Joey?

Yeah.

I've heard you yell...

a total of three times
in our entire marriage.

Stubborn,

strident, reactive, unforgiving?

It... That's just not you.

And I...

I'm trying to figure out why.

And I think...

you have some PTSD from Ellie.

Madeline, I have processed my grief.

Yes, your grief.

But you haven't handled your trauma.

The relapses.

The constant panic.

Loving someone that intensely

and hating them and fearing for them.

That's a deep trauma, Edwin.

That's PTSD.

It was when Joey disappeared.

I went back...

...to Ellie.

I know.

But Joey is not Ellie.

And Alfie is no longer a baby.

And...

...I'm a different person, too.

You held my hand when I was
looking into the abyss.

I just want what's best for Alfie.

I know.

SARAH: Tag!

You're out, red 12.

- [EXCLAIMS]
- Same team.

You're red 12, remember?

I never knew how satisfying
it would feel

to throw ba*ls at people.

Did you see that one guy I gave,
like, two black eyes to?

The referee? Yeah. You also set

a new league record for yellow cards.

- Mm.
- Important thing is

you know your move, right?

Yeah.

So, I know you asked me for an answer,

and...

my answer is that I don't know.

And the merger
is closing in two weeks,

so...

I am going to take
the full two weeks to decide.

And I hope that you can respect that,

because I am worth the wait.

I agree.

I'll wait.

I shouldn't have let things get
so out of hand the other night.

Uh, I-I'm sorry for everything.
I really am.

Hey.

[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]

I'm sorry, Alfie.

For not sticking around
when I knew about you.

For not being honest.

But mostly, I'm sorry about
all the years I missed out on.

I know what a great kid
you are, Alfie,

and my slipup had nothing
to do with you.

But me being back here...

...has everything to do with you.

Come on.

♪ ♪

[EXHALES]

AI ELLIE: That sounds so sweet.

It really was.

A catbird moment, truly.

I remember that.

I was seven,

and I wanted to see
a catbird so badly.

You took me to that preserve.

Yeah, and when you saw
that little grey bird,

you burst into tears.

Just... "Oh, it's just

"a boring bird.
I thought it was gonna be

- something special."
- [CHUCKLES] No whiskers,

- no fur. False advertising.
- And "catbird"

became our code for something special.

Which is why...

You didn't.

Well, what do you want now?

A tattoo.

I need something to hold on to.

[GASPS, LAUGHS]

It's a way to keep you with me always.

Because I have to let you go again.

As painful as that might be.

I love you, Mom.

I love you, Ellie.

[PHONE VIBRATES]

Any luck?

OLYMPIA: It took a minute, but Matty,

we got what we needed.

- What do you mean?
- There is a cash withdrawal

for 350K, and it left
her account the day before

the Wolf visited Priva.

We got our proof.

We've tied Senior to the hush money.

[EXHALES]

Is everything okay?

Yeah.

It's better than okay.

Today feels like day one.