01x11 - Achilles Heel

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Clarice". Aired: February 11, 2021 to present.*
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Set in the year 1993, one year after the events of The Silence of the Lambs, this series tells an untold personal story of Clarice Starling, as she returns to the field to pursue serial murderers and sexual predators.
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01x11 - Achilles Heel

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- Previously on "Clarice"...

- DNA says you were right.

Hudlin was the man you saw at Woodhaven the night Marilyn Felker k*lled herself.

Joe Hudlin.

Alastor Pharmaceuticals' fixer-lawyer.

Krendler: Hudlin said he was in the middle of a big acquisition.

Is Alastor Pharmaceuticals in the middle of a buy-out?

Tyson Conway, whose dad owns Alastor Pharmaceuticals.

Clarice: I need your help.

I think your father is associated with some very, very bad people.

Julia Lawson?

You're a senior accountant at Alastor Pharmaceuticals?

- That's right.

- Three women are dead.

They were in a clinical trial for Reprisol.

All three had children with birth defects.

Clarice: I'm gonna turn Catherine in

to the Carney's Point New Jersey Police.

There have to be consequences.

They don't want us to run.

They want us to suffer.

This is enough, right?

For the lawyer?

I remember men.

Dr.

Li: Are you sure that this story you've been telling yourself is the whole story?

♪♪ ♪♪ Clarice's Father: Hey.

You know what you got to do, right?

You're my good little deputy.

♪♪ [Door opens]

♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ [Gasps]

Clarice: Someone told me once this is the hardest time.

When you're angry.

What's the freezing point of nitrogen?

Minus degrees Celsius.

Freeze the anger.

And suddenly, I could see.

So let's see.

Multiple crimes.

Different crimes.

But that's just it.

This conspiracy started in the one mind.

Probably Hudlin's.

We need to profile this conspiracy like we'd profile a k*ller.

One mind.

One monster.

[Knuckles cr*ck]

Each m*rder was crafted to look like something it wasn't.

He could've sealed these women in gallon drums and dumped them in a landfill somewhere.

They'd be gone forever.

Easy.

But painting them as victims of a serial k*ller?

Cutting and biting?

And he left them all where they would be found.

He wanted to leave an impression.

A deep one.

Like a scar.

He didn't want them to have any dignity.

He believed these women deserved it, and he wanted everyone to know it.

Esquivel: They wronged him.

Personally.

Rebecca Clark-Sherman... her su1c1de, that was about shame.

Even if this is corporate, to protect the Alastor merger...

somehow, it's really all about him.

Clarice: A narcissist, yes, but more than that.

He didn't have to have Wellig assassinated in a room full of FBI agents.

He wanted to show us that he could.

Most K*llers don't like to show their work.

This guy...

... it's only real if there's an audience.

Mr. Hagen built this company from one lab in Rochester.

Alastor is like a child to him.

So let's not d*ck around.

[Laughter]

You all have a packet.

I think we can agree...

we're close to finalizing the merger.

This is the year he's decided to set her free.

Clarice: These are his choices.

These are all signatures.

These are...

[Sighs]

They're...

Flourishes.

Yes.

Yes.

He's an artist.

♪♪ This guy we're unearthing?

Feels like Hudlin.

Yeah, sure feels like the kind of guy who would prance around a ward full of coma victims.

- Hey.

- What?!

- [Pager beeps]

- You need to keep...

your cool.

Herman.

His office.

Last time he wanted to see me, he ordered me to investigate you.

He's not one for good news.

So, he got your complaint.

George said it'd be quick.

You don't think he'll try to fire you?

I don't.

That'd be too quick and painless.

They squeeze you and squeeze you until you quit, is my understanding.

Whatever you need.

I know.

[Sighs]

♪♪ [Telephone ringing]

Starling.

They're closing this deal.

- Now?

- Yes.

Things are gonna move faster than you can imagine.

You better get here, because everything

you need to get these guys

is about to go into a warehouse in the Cayman Islands.

Man: Hey.

Julia?

- Julia, are you there?

- We need you in there.

We're at the last hurdle.

Sorry.

Julia, are you there?

[Receiver clicks]

♪♪ ♪♪

♪ There's power in the blood ♪

♪♪ ♪ In the precious blood of the Lamb ♪ ♪♪

- If this sale is going through, Julia's right.

It's gonna be chaos.

We need a warrant, like, yesterday.

I want to talk to Tyson Conway about Hudlin again, see if Hudlin fits our profile.

Hey!

There he is.

The prodigal son returns.

Welcome back.

How are the in-laws?

They're okay.

It was a lot of years of stuff to move into a small place, so it's, uh, good I went.

What's up?

Where are we at?

Someone bring him up to speed.

I'm going to Main Justice.

Time to come clean to the AG.

Tell her we never dropped the investigation.

Whoa.

No more Secret Squirrel?

Well, we're there.

We'll need subpoenas, warrants, indictments.

She's not gonna like that we kept her in the dark.

Good to see you.

Looks like I missed some stuff.

Let's see...

[Sighs]

Got a copy of your EEOC complaint.

I'm glad you're speaking up.

This place needs a house cleaning.

But mostly, I just want to see if you had any, uh, questions.

Questions?

About what happens next.

The Bureau will ask for a mediator.

Your lawyer will probably reject that, and then things will play out.

Meantime, I want to make sure that our relationship doesn't suffer.

Can we just let the lawyers talk to the lawyers and not let it affect the day-to-day?

You are an asset, Ardelia.

And we're a team.

Of course.

Good.

Thank you.

Four murders.

Five, if you include Wellig.

- There's more.

- More?

I'm exposed.

Good.

Wellig's coroner's report was forged.

They framed me for it.

A guy named Joseph Hudlin leveraged the report and forced us to drop the River Murders.

He's also dropping pressure into my custody case.

- You're running a rogue operation.

- I couldn't tell you until

- we had something concrete.

- Uncool, Paul!

Something we could move on.

You went behind my back.

This is deep, Ruth.

And it's mean.

And Starling was right about it from day one.

I'm under fire from half of Congress.

This is just the nail in my coffin, and honestly, your girl may have sunk me here by turning Catherine in.

Most people end up in jail.

She's in a psychiatric care center.

Now, I'd have done the same thing, but...

If Gant and the other wolves get ahold of this...

[Sighs]

I-I haven't seen her since...

They won't even let me talk to her.

I wish Starling would just do what she was told.

She didn't save Catherine's life the first time by being obedient.

You knew that.

I did.

Starling's right, and it's costing both of us.

Ty: You could've called.

You're far too wise to want the pleasure of my company, so I'm guessing you're here to profile me.

Clarice: Not you.

I want to know about Joe Hudlin.

[Exhales sharply]

You want to profile me when I'm talking about Joe Hudlin?

You don't like him.

I just want to be able to see him clearly.

I think I'm the only one who can.

My father has a blind spot, which is counterintuitive because... he's so successful.

Well, that could be part of why he's so successful.

Blind spots are mostly a compartmentalization mechanism.

Wow.

Impressive.

It's just psych school.

I-I've been doing some digging since we last spoke.

And I think Hudlin is a predator.

He nudges my father into a colder place, especially as he's gotten older.

Some of my dad's decisions just aren't him.

This sale is gonna break Dad's heart.

He just doesn't know it yet.

If he were entirely himself, I don't think he would jettison something he loved.

I understand.

Do you?

Well, I mean, my father was powerful in his own way.

He was a lawman.

He kept me close.

I could count on that.

It was a good feeling.

Being close.

It's funny.

What is?

You lost your father as a girl.

I found mine as an adult.

But still, everything we do, we do for them.

Well, this has been helpful.

You're gonna go get Joe Hudlin, aren't you?

[Scoffs]

You know I can't talk about an ongoing investigation.

You are.

You're gonna go get Joe Hudlin.

We'll talk soon.

Thank you, Ty.

♪♪ Okay.

I'll look into it.

You have a call.

If it's Llewellyn Gant again, tell him...

It's Catherine.

On your private line.

[Beeps]

- Catherine?

- Catherine: Mom.

Sweetheart, hi.

Th...

They let you call?


It's not prison.

[Chuckles]

I know.

I'm...

I'm sorry.

I...

How is it?

It's nice.

The people are nice.

Funny, some of them.

Are you all right?

Yeah.

In here with everyone, I don't feel lonely or crazy.



I know me being here isn't great for you,


but it was the right thing.

So, thanks.

For sending Clarice.

♪♪ Herman called you "Ardelia"?

Yeah.

Called me "part of the team".

He was supportive of the cause, even.

Conspicuously supportive.

[Drawer opens]

[Folder thuds]

George said to write down every encounter.

I want Herman to remember, too.

If I was feeling generous, I'd say he's so far down the rabbit hole, he might even believe his own...

Nope.

He's setting up the narrative.

"It's not us, it's you.

You're interpreting.

You're imagining.

You're seeing what you want to see".

You people.

Does conspicuous support count as retaliation?

It counts as a preamble to a whole lot of hell.

[Elevator bell dings]

♪♪ [Door buzzer]

Here.

Let me get that.

Oh.

Thank you.

Crazy day.

[Clears throat]

♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪

It doesn't seem right.

It's a lot of money.

You guys worked White Collar Crimes.

Can we tie Hudlin up for a minute?

Uh, get an ex-parte?

Freeze his accounts?

I don't want him making $ million for murdering four women.

[Telephone rings]

Starling.

They're gutting the fifth floor.

Hold on.

I'm bringing on the team.

Line .

So, what does that mean?

It's R&D.

I was...

I was going up there to look for the Reprisol files, and...

Julia!

You can't be doing that.

They're moving everything out already.

They're demolishing the place practically.

And the raw data?

The evidence we need?

Yeah.

That's where it would be.

Should I go and see if we can find the...

- No!

- No, no, no.

Julia, do not do that.

Who is this girl?

Nancy Drew?

No.

Hudlin is watching you.

Just sit tight.

Keep your head down, okay?

We'll be in touch.

Okay.

[Receiver clicks]

♪♪ And you think Hudlin has these files.

- The AG is not going...

- I know.

I have another way into this.

Go, Starling.

It's a mosaic.

All of it, and we have been looking at the tiles.

And you have a profile of the artist.

He's bold.

He likes to see the consequences of his actions.

He likes to see people jump when he says.

And it's not enough that he k*lled these women.

He wanted to leave their families with a scar.

Tyson Conway believes Hudlin is pulling the strings at Alastor, that he is in Nils Hagen's ear.

That he is manipulating his father.

What do you want?

I want to sit with Hudlin.

No.

No, this feels too personal.

He tried to have you k*lled.

Sir, that is why it has to be me.

He will be smug as hell, confident, and he will hang himself.

Take Esquivel and Tripathi.

Sir, it is better if I go alone...

"I"?

This isn't about you.

I've told you that.

And every time you say something like that, I lose confidence.

Lives depend on you understanding.

Yes, sir.

Take Esquivel and Tripathi.

Or stay behind.

♪♪ - ♪♪ - _ Alright.

How are we playing this?

Do we know about Hudlin and Krendler, the blackmail, that whole thing?

Uh, no.

Let's say no.

Call an audible if we have to.

♪♪ Hudlin: Agent Starling, Joe Hudlin.

I'm Mr. Hagen's associate.

♪♪ Mr. Hudlin, thank you for your time today.

This won't take long.

Right this way.

So... how can I help you?

Naomi Myers, a sales representative, was found dead of an overdose of your drug Reprisol.

Oh.

What can you tell us about her?

There are over , sales reps.

Almost all women.

I'm sorry.

I'm not sure why you're coming to me with this.

Hmm.

I thought you were General Counsel?

Uh, no.

I'm a consultant.

But I like to keep an eye on things.

So, you like to keep an eye on the sales reps and handle a merger at the same time?

That seems kind of odd.

There's been no public announcement about a merger.

Where are you getting your information?

That's privileged.

♪♪ Yeah, they just started packing a couple of days ago, but they're almost done.

No unauthorized personnel in or out.

Any idea where they're moving it all?

Nope, all I know is they want it on a truck

- by the end of the day tomorrow.

- [Wheels rattling]

I try not to ask questions.

♪♪ Man: Let's go.

Let's move it.

Hey, there.

Hold that elevator.

♪♪ I have to go to a meeting.

Do you have to go and count the tampons in the ladies room dispensers?

[Chuckles]

I'm gonna need the names of everyone in the FBI who has this idea about a merger.

- That's not a thing that happens.

- Mnh-mnh.

And I'm going to sue you and the Bureau into a deep hole in the ground

- for Tortious Interference.

- [Door opens]

Not now.

♪♪ Mr. Hagen would like to meet with you.

No.

Just you.

You probably just screwed up.

Oof.

♪♪ ♪♪

Nils: Special Agent Clarice Starling.

Mr. Hagen.

Thank you for making the time.

I was curious as to your interest.

Well, sir, we're investigating the death...

No, no.

Not about that.

You see, I'm very protective, and, uh...

I was curious as to your interest in my son.

Was it Tyson that told you about the sale of my company?

- No, sir.

- But he is helpful in your investigation of the dead girl?

Naomi Myers.

♪♪ Do you like art?

What do you see?

Clarice: Passion.

Boldness.

Exactly right.

It's inspired by Alastor himself.

You're familiar?

There are a few Alastors that I can recall.

There's, um, Prince of Pylos, and Alastor was the name of the horse of Hades.

And it's an epithet for Zeus, the god of, well, everything.

And son of Cronos.

You know your Greek mythology.

Psychology degree.

Lots of Greeks.

Ah, yes.

Tyson told me you're intelligent.

I see that now.

A sale of a public company is a fragile thing, Agent Starling.

The timing of your interest in Tyson, agents in my lobby, today of all days.

At my age, you learn there are no coincidences.

Well, sir, we're investigating the death of an employee...

Yes.

Well, in the scheme of things, I do not know this salesperson, this victim.

I don't know their habits, their lifestyle.

I don't know if there was anything...

unpleasant...

tainted.

Why would there be?

Women.

♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪

- ♪♪

[Dial tone]

[Dialing]

[Telephone ringing]

Clarke.

Julia: I have it. I have it all.

You have what?

I'm in R&D, on the fifth floor.

I-It's all here.

A report from Sandra Bishop's OBGYN.

- Angela Bird's pregnancy test.

- [Loud thud]

Alastor knew.

They knew everything.

Um, w-w-what do I do?

- Bring it to you? - Clarke:

No.


No.

They are watching you.

Okay.

Um...

Give me your fax number.

Okay, you can wait for your agent in the lobby.

I'm done wasting time with you.

That's ballsy.

Tripathi: We have some more questions for you.

You can answer them here, or we can take you down to our place.

What?!

Please.

You have no grounds.

Obstruction of justice, making false statements to the FBI, being a d*ck who threatened to sue me.

You know what?

Forget it.

You can just answer the Grand Jury's questions.

[Pager beeping]

_ Why do I always have to do the grunt work?

'Cause you're the grunt.

Five sugars.

What is it about the story of Cronos that drew you, Mr. Hagen?

Oh, I suppose he's the God of Time.

We are in the business of extending it.

Prolonging life.

And yet you named your company after his son.

It is like my child.

See, that's interesting to me, sir, because Cronos feared his children would usurp him the way he usurped his father, and so he devoured them.

All of them.

Alastor was the only one rescued by his mother.

It's a pretty dark tale.

That is an obvious interpretation.

There is light there, Agent, if you look for it.

I see it as a tale of survival.

I believe it is a parent's duty to create a story or a myth for their children to believe in.

It's how they learn principle.

I did my best for Tyson.

It is compelling, is it not?

When you buy a piece of art, you're buying an alignment of impossible circumstances.

Universal odds against it happening are staggering, and yet it did.

It is miraculous.

Like a child?

Like Tyson?

He is the same kind of miracle.

Hmm.

Your only child.

What story did you create for him?

You could probably tell me, Agent.

You're close to him.

You have created a space for the two of you.

Manipulated that space.

I would like to know...

everything he shared with you.

[Fax machine whirring]

♪♪ [Door handle rattling]

Man: This one's locked!

Yeah.

She's somewhere on the fifth floor, trying to fax the Gutenberg Bible one page at a time.

Just go get them from her before she gets caught.

But play it cool.

Don't interfere yet.

Yeah.

♪♪ More Casey Laughty, from June.

She started the trial in March, which means she would have gotten pregnant some time before that.

Is this the door?

Yeah, this is the one.

[Beeps]


_ What?

Why'd you stop?

♪♪ Son of a bitch!

Oh.

Uh, sorry.

I-I was just...

You're not authorized to be in here.

How about you just hold up one sec?

One-eight-four, come in.

I'm sorry, who are you?

Uh, I-I'm an accountant.

Come with me.

♪♪ Security, take the freight.

♪♪ So, does Reprisol have a narcotic quality?

Way below my pay grade.

What?

Was this girl a junkie or something?

[Knocks]

Just a minute.

A situation on the fifth floor.

Be right back.

Tyson only told me that you were a great man.

He said you made an impact on him that you will never understand.

He said you were a father.

Do you reciprocate his interest in you?

Why only the one child, sir?

Were you unable to have more?

Is that why Tyson is a "miracle"?

You talked about survival.

All of Cronos's children except Zeus were dead.

Is that why the myth speaks to you?

Let me turn the question back to you... your job.

You're famously drawn to...

oh, what is the right word?... destructive men.

I read "The Tattler", too.

These men that you've "brought down".

I'm sure you think yourself superior to them.

Superior to sad little maniacs with no power in the world, no form of expression, no impact, besides their sad, little crimes.

They are... exterminators.

You think the women they k*lled are bugs?

Rats?

You define their very existence.

You're the most important thing to happen to them.

I'm a leader of men, Agent.

Any battle, I will be the victor, because that is the world.

I am myself, Agent.

You are the bug that got away.

You named your company Alastor because it was your creation, and then from nowhere comes a real boy.

And you must doubt if he's even yours sometimes.

Never doubt what is mine!

[Door opens]

Apologies.

♪♪ ♪♪

[Indistinct whispering]

Esquivel: She's investigating a m*rder.

Um, thanks for the sandwiches, though.

Uh, Wellig's is here, too.

It's, uh...

It's labeled.

♪♪

- Who is it?

- The accountant.

This has gone too far.

Take care of it.

We can't.

Not on the premises.

♪♪ I'm leaving you now, Mr. Hagen.

♪♪ I will see you again.

♪♪ [Elevator bell dings]

Where's Julia?

Hudlin ditched us and gave her to Security.

What did Hagen want?

I'll tell you when we're out of here.

Security's in the basement.

[Elevator bell dings]

♪♪

- I saw the cop.

- What cop?

The Baltimore cop who brought Wellig the root beer.

- He's here.

- Well, that doesn't bode well for Julia.

They won't do it here.

♪♪ [Knock on door]

Hey.

There seems to be a little confusion.

We have this from here.

Oh.

Well, okay.

Let me make a copy of the incident report.

Oh.

Don't worry about it.

♪♪ ♪♪

[Grunts]

Oh, God!

Hey.

Don't do that.

Relax.

I'm gonna go get the car.

♪♪ ♪♪

FBI!

- [Screams]

- Don't move!

Don't move!

[Gasps]

- Hey!

- Don't move!

Stop!

Stop!

Okay.

Stop.

Good God!

There's been a huge misunderstanding.

Julia, I'm sorry.

This is Julia, our accountant.

A-And Julia was in my office.

Mr. Hagen's security team overreacted.

I'm so sorry.

Julia, this sale has everyone on Defcon One.

It was an overreaction.

Of course, you're free to go.

Is everything all right, ma'am?

Yes, I'm fine.

Misunderstanding.

Alright, then.

So, we're finished for now?

♪♪ ♪♪

It's him.

Nils Hagen is the man we conjured in the basement.

Not Hudlin.

Yeah, Wellig's k*ller's on Hagen's payroll.

[Sighs]

What?

The men I've met, the monsters I've met, left nightmares behind them, but all of them were outsiders.

They had nowhere near the scope of this guy.

He's a master of the universe.

He has lawyers and lobbyists protecting him while he...

Okay.

Can we get Tyson Conway on our team?

Sir, I think we need to get him clear.

Out of harm's way.

You think he's in danger?

Well, he worships his father.

Not our department.

Nils' son is leverage.

Bring him into the fold.

Call the AG.

We have it all.

What do you mean?

You got to tell him.

It's so good.

Um... w-well, when security started knocking on the door, I-I knew I wouldn't have time to fax all the documents, so I-I pulled them all together and put them in a safe place.

I mailed them.

Oh.

Uh, sorry.

I-I was just...

To my grandma.

She lives in Boise.

Her name's Lena.

You'll have everything in three to five business days.

♪♪ Holy crap.

Nancy Drew.

[Chuckles]

♪♪ Whatever it is, I take it it's not good.

- I've been promoted.

- That's...

Onsite Security Supervisor for the new Fingerprint Repository.

In Clarksburg?

In...

In the boonies.

Basically construction site security.

Probably working out of a trailer.

No squads, no other agents, certainly no Black agents.

Certainly no you.

♪♪ They want to isolate us.

I don't take it, my career is over.

You take it, your career is over.

This is the squeeze.

They act as if they're doing you a favor.

It's only gonna get tighter.

We're making a deal right now.

You tell me when you can't breathe.

I'll tell you.

I'm the underwater champion of Camp Moosilauke three years in a row.

They can kiss my ass.

I'm breathing.

♪♪ A security detail?

For how long?

Of course.

-hour protection.

To know you're safe.

Erin will be the one who kills me.

[Sighs]

That's it?

For now.

I'm sorry you and Erin got caught up in all this.

That's the funny thing about the truth.

Once you know it, you can't un-know it.

I wouldn't have thought I could do all this.

I would have.

♪♪ ♪♪

[Sighs]

Ty: Hello?

Where are you right now?

Are you alone?

What's going on?

If there wasn't an Alastor,

would there be a Global Health Horizons?

I...

Uh, we have enough capital to...

Yeah.

Yes.

We're dependent on Alastor.

Yeah.

Clarice, w...

is something happening to my father?

Is he in danger?

I can't say any more.

I'm sorry.

Ty, I need your help, and please,

I'm only asking you because...

... well, I would be heartbroken if anything were to happen to you or your company.

Ty?

You've said enough.

What...

What does that mean?

Is this what you do?

Turn people into whatever you need them to be.

You wanted to know about my father, so you concoct a little...

traumatic currency?

A connection over loss?

No.

Tyson.

No?

Then what is it?

Tell me.

Don't call me again.

[Sighs]

♪♪ ♪♪

[Fluttering]

♪♪ You know what you need to do, right?

You're my good little deputy.

♪♪ ♪♪

♪♪

♪♪ ♪♪

[Indistinct whispering]

♪♪ ♪♪ Your daddy's a thief.

[Gasps]

[Dryer whirring]

Hey.

Nightmares, too?

Awake, and living in uncertainty.

Hmm.

- Yeah.

- [Sighs]

What nightmares?

Bill?

No.

I keep having these weird dreams about my father.

They're all...

messed up or something.

You know, we grow up believing the things they tell us to believe, but...

I mean...

what happens if you find out you've been building yourself on a lie?

♪♪ [Telephone rings]

[Beeps]

Hello?

Nils: Ruth?

It's Nils Hagen.

Nils.

How long has it been?

Just long enough, apparently.

I am calling with a...

begging bowl.

You've never begged a day in your life, Nils.

But you have, as a hungry Senate candidate.

You were a very generous donor.

Your team is bringing attention and scrutiny to the sale of my company.

I see.

We are at a delicate point.

Though I am very grateful for all the support you've given me over the years...

Call it off, Ruth.

... I have never and will never impede the course of justice.

Goodbye.

Lila Gumb did not press charges.

That does not mean she never will.

And for Catherine, she had a future as long as she was the victim.

Now she is a predator.

I will bend you both until you break.

Call it off.

♪♪
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