02x04 - The Illusion of Control

[bunniefuu]

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

ANNOUNCER: And now,

receiving her star
on the Hollywood Walk of Fame,

two-time Oscar winner Amaya Andrews.

Are you ready, Ms. Andrews?

Almost.

Sweetheart, do you want to help him?

Okay. We're ready now.

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

MAN: Security!

(CROWD GASPING, CLAMORING)

Please, don't do it!

Please. Please, stop!
You don't understand.

I'm not trying to hurt him! No.

Wait.

(CRYING): He's my son.

He's my son.

He's my son!

(GROANS)

Come on.

Mm.

She's here. And I cleared
them to come upstairs.

- Everybody knows how to behave?
- Oh, we are gonna be so nonchalant.

It's gonna be completely
chalantless out there.

You're gonna be starving for chalant

- by the time this meeting's over.
- (ELEVATOR BELL CHIMES)

("FAME" BY DAVID BOWIE PLAYING)

♪ ♪

Thank you.

- Ms. Andrews.
- Dr. Bull.

Thank you so much
for agreeing to meet with us.

It means... (SIGHS) more than I can say.

Uh, this is Kellan King, my attorney,

whose idea it was to call you
in the first place.

Mr. King. Ms. Andrews.

And you must be... Mr. Andrews?

- I'm Alexander. I'm her son.
- Oh.

(CHUCKLES) Of course.

Well, it's very nice to meet you.

You like candy? You like cookies?

Things like that?

It's okay, she's not listening.

It's just between us guys.

We don't have any of that stuff here.

- Marissa?
- Yes?

Would you please take Alexander
to the kitchen

and show him that we don't have
any of that stuff here.

Maybe get him a root vegetable?

A small kale salad with radishes?

- Whatever you say, Dr. Bull.
- Very good.

AMAYA: My marriage was over.

There were fertility challenges.

I was burnt out from work.

I just felt stuck inside myself and...

(SIGHS)

Sounds like real movie star
problems, right? (CHUCKLES)

Sounds like people problems.

I just wanted to go
somewhere I'd never been before,

somewhere where no one
would know it was me.

A friend of mine had gone
to Ethiopia the year before

on a humanitarian mission,
and I just thought,

"That's what I'm going to do."

Well, that's very admirable.

It's not.

I was looking for a place to hide.

And then one day I walked into...

I-I didn't know what it was.

A nursery school? Day care center?

And there was this sound of kids.

Laughing.

Children laughing.

- It's just one of those great sounds.
- (CHUCKLES)

Turns out it was the New Life Orphanage

in Addis Ababa.

And this little three-year-old
walks over to me

and starts wrapping his arms
around my legs.

And... that was that.

So, I'm guessing

we're all here because of that fellow

who jumped out of the crowd
in L.A. last month claiming

he was Alexander's father?

(SIGHS) He is Alex's father.

He volunteered some DNA.

Tests came back over the weekend.

Obviously, I had no idea.

I was told that Alex was an orphan.

According to Alexander's father,

the boy's mother had malaria.

While he was caring for her,
he dropped the boy off.

At an orphanage?
In many developing countries,

orphanages don't work like they do here.

Families sometimes use them
to fill gaps in childcare

when they're having a tough time.

They drop their kids off
fully expecting to pick them up

when their situations improve.

Point is... (CLEARS THROAT)

he is the father.
We're not disputing that.

Amaya has her paperwork,

but the paperwork on the Ethiopian end

is apparently incomplete,

and the orphanage no longer exists.

Which is why I suggested
we come to see you.

(CHUCKLES) I get it.

And I won't lie... I'm flattered.

But...

I think it would be a mistake.

So you won't help us?

Oh, no, I'll help you.

But I don't think
you should go to court.

CHUNK: Where are you going?

BENNY: Get him, Chunk.

(LAUGHS)

I just think it's an enormous mistake

to take this...

(SIGHS) very private,
very sensitive matter

and put it out there
for public consumption.

And if you go to family court,
it's what's gonna happen.

Amaya, you're a gigantic
celebrity all over the world.

This is gonna be big news.

Trust me.

At some point,
things will be said about you,

about your child, that you don't like,

and I don't think you want that.

Not for yourself, and not for your son.

So, what do you folks suggest?

Well, I suggest you sit down
with Alexander's father...

privately.

See what you can work out.

Would it be such a bad thing
if every year,

he spent the month of July
in Ethiopia with his father?

Or every other Christmas?

Given your resources, maybe...

you can offer
some sort of financial help.

Give Dad the wherewithal
to come and visit his son.

Have a better life back in Ethiopia...

so that when Alexander visits,

it's a nicer, safer environment.

The thing about common sense?

It's not really very common.

So, when you hear it,
when someone shares it with you,

you can't help but be very grateful.

Uh-huh.

(ELEVATOR BELL CHIMES)

- She's taller in person.
- Shorter.

- Prettier.
- Eh, I didn't think so.

I don't think
that's her natural hair color.

Can't wait to tell my mama.

(SCOFFS)

(WAILING SIREN PASSES)

(ELEVATOR BELL CHIMES)

_

(SIGHS)

Uh, excuse me, miss?

Amaya.

My son is gone.

Gone?

Gone.

We're guessing
he's somewhere in Ethiopia.

That man, Abel,
he never brought him back.

Oh, my... I'm so sorry.

Have you called the State Department?

I've called everyone.
Everyone is doing their best.

But apparently we don't have
an extradition treaty

with Ethiopia, so their best is useless.

I have an excellent investigator.

- I can have her there...
- I didn't come here

for your help, Dr. Bull.

I came here

to look you in the eye

and to tell you that my son is gone,

and that it's your fault.

Ms. Andrews,
I-I'm not sure what you mean.

(VOICE BREAKING): I had a family.

And then I took your advice,
and now I don't have a family.

I am going to sue you, Dr. Bull.

I'm going to take every single thing

that you have.

I am going to make you feel
what it's like

to lose everything.

Everything that matters to you.

And then maybe
you'll start to understand

a sliver of what I'm feeling.

(LIVELY SPANISH MUSIC PLAYING)

(TV INTRO MUSIC PLAYING OVER RADIO)

(HORN HONKS)

(CHEERING, APPLAUSE)

TV HOST: I just want you to know,

Amaya, that our hearts go out to you.

Oh...

(APPLAUSE)

Uh, well, Nicole,

- I knew I needed to get the courts involved.
- Right.

- But then I met someone.
- Mm.

One of those people
who sort of puts it out there

- that he's smarter than everyone else?
- Oh, yeah. We know the type.

Okay. And he said to me,

"No, you don't want to do that."

- Is there any way we can shut this off?
- "Would not involve the courts.

Just deal directly
with the boy's father."

- BULL: Okay, hey.
- Yes.

I've been reading about that.
There's got to be a way

- to shut this off.
- AMAYA: You'd think

with a name like Bull,
I would have known better.

- Hey!
- (LAUGHTER)

(HORN HONK ECHOES)

Mr. Getman?

Ronald Getman? Attorney-at-law?

I'm Dr. Jason Bull.

The trial whisperer guy.

Mmm. I've been waiting for you.

Hope it's okay I started eating. Yeah.

No worries.

Sorry I'm late. I, uh...

I thought this address...

(CHUCKLES) Well, I didn't
realize it was for a deli.

I thought we were meeting
at your office.

This is my office.

What can I do for you?

You know, when I was in college,
I studied you.

Hmm. What'd you learn?

Anything I can use?

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

That video of you
cross-examining that Crip?

He was a k*ller.

You made him cry on the stand.

That was a couple decades
and many wives ago.

You have any idea how good you are?

I followed you the way
guys follow baseball players.

If you were a stock,

I would have put every penny
I had into you.

Hmm.

What are you doing in an outer borough?

What are you doing in a deli?

There something I can do
for you, Dr. Bull?

♪ ♪

(CAR CHUGGING AND SQUEAKING)

(LINE RINGING)

(RINGTONE PLAYING)

(SIGHS)

(LAUGHS)

Harrison. Hey.

You made it.

That's one way of putting it.

And your boss actually

expects you to come back
with this little boy?

(LAUGHS) Talk about naiveté.

You know, he's here
on an American passport.

The law is on our side.

American law. You're in Ethiopia.

Oh, is that why
I can't read any of the signs?

So were you able to get me that,
uh, appointment at the embassy?

He's waiting for you. Jeff Hill.

And this is our mock courtroom.

GETMAN: Wow. Just squint,

it almost looks real. (LAUGHS)

Marissa, Chunk, Benny, this is
the legendary Ron Getman.

He's going to be representing me
in our dispute with Amaya.

- It's so nice to meet you.
- Yeah.

It's an honor, sir.

Well, you got to get out more.

I'm sorry. What...?
What's your name again?

Getman. Ronald Getman.

Ah. Colón. Benjamin Colón.

Colón... that's a pretty-smelling name.

Oh.

I always wanted
a pretty-smelling name, huh?

Who knows?

Maybe next life.

So what do these do?

Can I talk to you for a second, please?

BULL: Be right back.

What are you doing?

- What do you mean?
- That guy?

That's who you want
representing you in court?

Yeah, absolutely.

That guy, Ron Getman... he's a shark.

Ron Getman is a k*ller.

Ah. Yeah, well, your k*ller
looks like a shoe salesman,

and not a terribly successful one.

Look, I know you're disappointed, I know

you wanted to do this,
but I'm telling you,

we need someone
from the outside... someone,

who, amidst all the Hollywood
glamour that is Amaya,

strikes the jury as authentic.

And people don't get any more
authentic than Ron Getman.

I don't know, Bull.

I've never heard of this guy.

You know, my future's on the line, too.

You lose the business, I lose my job.

I just wish he looked more...

- kempt.
- Well, don't let that fool you.

That man understands the music
of the courtroom better

than anyone I've ever seen.

And, yeah, he's got a reputation

for being not all that user-friendly.

Maybe that's why you've
never heard of him.

But I'm not looking for a friend.

I'm looking for someone to save my life,

and I'm telling you,
he's the guy to do it.

GETMAN: Amaya Andrews
is a lot of things.

She's talented, beautiful,

rich, and,

between you and me,
she's also a spoiled brat.

She's a pampered celebrity

who's used to getting
everything she wants.

And Dr. Jason Bull...

he's got three Ph.D.s,

and years of experience
doing what he does.

He sat down this lady,
and he gave her great advice.

Advice that she was free
to take or leave.

Now, at the time, Amaya,

her attorney and the father
all made an agreement.

Tragically, the father didn't
abide by that agreement.

So spoiled Amaya got mad.

Not at the father
who didn't keep his word,

not at the attorney
who went over the terms

of the deal and told her
to proceed, but at Dr. Bull,

who wasn't even in the room
when everyone shook hands.

Now, Dr. Bull...
he's a lot of things, too.

He's a brilliant man,
he's a good human being,

but guess what?

He's not a fortune teller.

So Amaya is suing him for what?

For not being able to tell the future?

For not being God?

Kind of absurd,

wouldn't you say, ladies
and gentlemen of the jury?

I think you would.

Not that's just the, uh,

gist of it all.

Kind of popped into my head
when I was, uh,

coming over from Brooklyn to here.

That was... very impressive.

Thank you. So, Dr. Genius,

how come there's no bodies
in the chairs?

How are we supposed to run a mock trial

without mock jurors?

Well, unfortunately,
in cases involving celebrities,

mock juries tend
to be fairly unreliable.

Without the presence of
the celebrity herself,

it's virtually impossible

to create the dynamics of the trial.

The data's almost always worthless.

Okay, so what I was
hoping we could do is

kind of come up with a
plan of action, strategy.

Maybe a media campaign
of our own, right?

I mean, as you said,
she's a spoiled brat.

I was thinking we just
turn my team loose.

You haven't met Cable yet,
but give her hours

on the dark web, and she will find dirt

on Little Miss Wonderful
that'll make your hair curl.

Now, once all that stuff

is out there, she is gonna be
running from the media instead

of booking herself on every
show that has the words "the"

and "show" in the title. Actually,

we don't have to look for anything.

Let's just make something up,

because that's basically
what she's done.

And we're not in a court of law.

Nobody's putting their hand on a Bible.

So, we just have to work together

and find the nastiest,
darkest stuff that's out there.

It has to be plausible in the world...

O-O-Okay. Uh, hold on.

What do you mean "we"?

Me.

You, us, the team.

No. I'm sorry.
We don't have to do anything.

Now, are you listening to yourself?

You're so angry right now that
you're borderline certifiable.

Now, I'm-I'm... I'm happy
to work with your team.

I-I could tell
that they're lovely people.

But I'm the lawyer, you're the client.

In the courtroom, there's only
gonna be one quarterback.

And since you're the one
who's being sued...

Okay, hold on a second. This is...

No, no, no, you hold on a second.

Have you ever heard the expression

"doctors make the worst patients"?

You're gonna do more harm than good

if you try to manage this case.

Your judgment is skewed, Dr. Bull.

Let me help you. Let us help you.

With all due respect...

my reputation, my livelihood,

the livelihood of everyone here
depends on this.

And lest we forget, I'm actually
kind of great at this.

I read people better than anyone.

I read juries better than anyone.

You need me to win this case.

I beg to differ, Doc, and frankly,

what I don't need is you acting
like the rash egomaniac

that the prosecution is gonna
paint you to be,

and that's exactly
what you're doing right now.

You want to win?

Sit back, trust your team
and do what I say.

Or else fire me and God bless.

It's up to you.

He's right, Bull.

You're too close to it.

I think we need Mr. Getman
here to call the plays.

Let us do this for you, Bull.

Unfortunately,
there's not a lot we can do.

By breaking the terms
of his settlement with Amaya,

the boy's father broke U.S. law,

but he hasn't broken Ethiopian law.

You've been talking to Harrison.

- (LAUGHS)
- I get it.

Ethiopia is a sovereign nation.

State Department has no jurisdiction.

You can't force the
father to do anything.

Only Ethiopian law enforcement
can do that.

Okay, well, maybe you can help
me with the adoption paperwork?

There's virtually nothing
from the Ethiopian side.

I'll make some calls, but... (SIGHS)

Okay, so, what's the next step?

There's got to be an arm you can twist,

a back you can scratch. Look,

I can give you Abel's
last known address,

but beyond that...

It's basically musical chairs.

Benny, you will be riding shotgun

with Mr. Getman at the defense table.

I'll be behind you, uh, in the courtroom

- with the earwig and transmitter.
- Ah.

Does that mean you're gonna wear
the Bull signature glasses, too?

Chunk will man the monitors,
uh, referencing questionnaires

and profiles,
while Cable keeps deep diving

on the Web and social media.

That's me. Deep diving, shallow living,

making my mother proud.

Yeah, that all sounds peachy.

So, uh, what kind of jurors
are we looking for?

Well, as you so beautifully explained

in your opening statement
to our empty chairs,

our narrative is that Bull is human.

His job isn't to see the future.

It's to give the best advice possible

with the information he's given.

Now, for that to work, we need jurors

who can separate certainty from chance,

people who understand that there
are limits to foreseeability,

that choices and outcomes
don't always correlate.

We want to focus on individuals
who judge circumstances

only on the factors
that they can control.

I'm sorry. Was that English?

I-I-I just...

I-I don't know what the hell
she's talking about.

BENNY: Think of, uh,

texting and driving.

Right? It's illegal,
but we've all done it.

Now, you got two people

driving on the same road.

First person finishes their
text, puts their phone away,

keeps on driving. No one's the wiser.

But as the other person
is hitting "send,"

a kid chases a ball onto the street.

The car hits the kid.

Now, is the second person more culpable

than the first because a kid jumped out?

Okay, so what we need
is people that understand

- that sometimes stuff just happens.
- Yeah, exactly.

Well, why didn't you say that
in the first place?

- (GAVEL BANGS)
- MAN: There she is.

(GALLERY MURMURING, CAMERAS SNAPPING)

(EXCITED CHATTER)

Look at this.

All right, brother.

You guys ready? 'Cause this is
gonna be an uphill battle.

(GAVEL BANGS)

How are you?

So, are you a fan of Ms. Andrews' films?

I mean, I've seen them. Who hasn't?

Some of them are better than others.

GETMAN: Uh-huh.

Restricting her arm and leg movement.

Not telling the truth.

Stop it.

She's unnaturally still.
Is she lying about her feelings

towards Amaya?

It looks like
we got a superfan on our hands.

The defense moves to strike, Your Honor.

Good girl.

How are you?

Can't help but notice you got...
what is that, a wrist brace?

Did you have an accident or you...

trying to make a fashion statement?

Yeah. (CHUCKLES)

Hand steepling. Secure and confident.

He's gonna tell the truth.
I'm a... I'm a carpenter.

Another guy I work with
dropped his hammer on my hand.

No kidding, huh?

So, you gonna, uh, file a claim?

Eh, no, not my deal.

Could be me dropping
the hammer the next time,

you know what I mean?

Understands that outside forces
sometimes shape outcomes.

I like him.

Anything else I should know?

CABLE: Not a strong
social media presence.

Follows a couple sports blogs,
but no red flags.

Mm.

Acceptable to the defense, Your Honor.

Let me ask you a question.

Do you believe in fate?

I certainly do.

Yes.

Look at her... designer sunglasses,

designer handbag. She is into names.

She's Team Amaya all the way.

We need to strike her.

You need to cut it out.

We need to get her out of here.

Oh, my goodness, I love this juror.

(WHISPERING): No. No.

No.

No.

Yes.

No.

(GALLERY MURMURING)

BULL: No.

- No. No.
- Stop it.

GETMAN: Um,

Your Honor,
we find the juror acceptable.

No! No, we don't. No.

No, you don't.

We move to strike, Your Honor.

Thank you.

Who moves to strike this juror?

You are the defendant, not the attorney.

Sit back down.

Sit down.

- (WHISPERS): What are you doing?
- (GAVEL BANGS)

- My job.
- JUDGE HARPER: Dr. Bull, again, you are

out of line.

Your attorney has accepted this juror,

and that acceptance stands.

And the next time
you interrupt these proceedings,

I will find you in contempt.

Do you understand me?

(GALLERY MURMURING)

Yes, Your Honor.

(MUSIC PLAYING IN DISTANCE)

(KNOCKS)

(DOOR OPENS)

Salaam. Excuse me. Hi.

Do you speak English?

What can I help you with?

Oh, good.

Um, is this Abel Bekele's apartment?

I was supposed to meet him,
but nobody's here.

Sorry, I haven't seen Abel
in about a week.

Maybe he and his son went
to the countryside.

Of course. Thank you.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER IN DISTANCE)

♪ ♪

(CAMERA SNAPPING)

Hey. How goes it?

So, what am I looking at?

What did you just send me?

Um, not sure, exactly.

Abel and Alexander aren't here,

and I-I don't have much to go on.

But I found this photo by the bed.

It's clearly been handled a lot.

Makes me think it has sentimental value.

Um, I'm guessing
that's the mom there with them?

Can you help me figure out
where it was taken?

Let me see if image recognition
pulls anything up.

You think that this is where
they went, based on one photo?

I don't know.
It seems like kind of a stretch.

Hey, it's all I got.

- It's a mosque in Awash.
- Awash?

A market town about kilometers east.

All right, well, um,
I guess if Bull asks,

tell him that's where I'm headed.

Oh, and, uh,

I sent some photos to Harrison
to be translated.

So just follow up with him, in
case I lose cell service, yeah?

Okay.

(SIREN WAILING, HORN HONKING)

Marissa Morgan?

Who's asking?

I'm Marissa Morgan.

You've been served, ma'am.

I'm being subpoenaed as a witness.

(SIGHS) A witness for the opposition.

BULL: So, why you?

What's their play?

Maybe it's just a simple strategy.

They want to question
Marissa about the business,

suss out how much TAC is worth.

I don't know.

You were in the room
with Amaya, King and me

when I gave 'em that advice.

What do they think you know?

Maybe it's as simple as this.

This subpoena says that
I'm sequestered as a witness,

which means I can't help
you with this case anymore.

I'm not even supposed to be here
right now.

See you boys in court.

(SIGHS): Hmm.

(SIGHS)

I don't think I've ever done
a case for TAC without Marissa.

Neither do I.

We...

...are going to be fine.

Between me and the Jolly Grey Giant,

we've got your back.

♪ ♪

KING: And how long

have you and Dr. Bull been
working together at TAC?

A little over six years.

Before that, you worked
as a situations analyst

for Homeland Security.

Yes, sir.

In fact, he hired you away
from Homeland Security.

Yes, sir.

So it's fair to say

he values your opinion.

You'd have to ask Dr. Bull.

KING: Well, I think
you're being modest, but...

I'll withdraw the question.

Weren't you in the room
when Dr. Bull offered his advice

- to Amaya that day?
- I certainly was.

And what did you think of that advice?

I thought it reeked of
common sense and basic humanity.

And I was glad
that he offered it and proud...

that I worked for him.

With him.

KING: I'd like to submit the following

electronic mail

into evidence.

Do you recognize that e-mail?

Did you send that to your boss,

Dr. Bull, that evening, after meeting

with me and Amaya?

I did.

Would you please read that to the jury?

Uh, objection.

Can someone please tell the defense

where that mystery e-mail came from?

It's listed in discovery,

along with all the other
e-mails and reports

related to this case that
Dr. Bull's company surrendered.

Overruled.

Well, I mean, it's nothing.

It-it was a thought I had.

Will you please read it?

"Dear Bull,
Thought you were amazing today.

"Two things worth noting.

"Ethiopia isn't party to
the Hague Adoption Convention.

"Not sure of the implication of that,

but I guess that's what
her lawyers are for."

"Also, I would be remiss
if I didn't tell you

"that birth parents in these situations

are notoriously unreliable."

(GALLERY MURMURING)

KING: So, not withstanding
your abundant pride

in your boss, you felt
compelled to warn him.

I wasn't warning.

I was... sharing some concerns.

I thought Dr. Bull's advice
was extremely sound

for a domestic case. I just...

I was... worried, given

this was an arrangement
with a developing nation.

- That's all.
- Worried that,

say, if Mr. Bekele didn't abide

by this arrangement,

Ms. Andrews might have little recourse?

Well, as I said in my e-mail,

she has lawyers
to perform due diligence.

My firm isn't on trial here...

yours is.

And my firm didn't give her this advice,

set her on this path...

Uh, ob-objection.

Who-Who's testifying here?

Sustained.

Jury, you will ignore

Mr. King's comments.

- Please continue, Mr. King.
- KING: Now,

Mr. Getman has gone on and on
about how Dr. Bull isn't liable

because nobody can see the future.

And yet it appears you did just that

and warned Dr. Bull about it,

to boot.

Seems like maybe the
only folks you didn't warn

were the people who would
actually be affected by it,

like Amaya.

Objection. Is the attorney
asking a question

or is he beginning his closing argument?

Withdrawn.

No more questions, Your Honor.

JUDGE HARPER: Defense, your witness.

Um, we would like to request
a brief recess, Your Honor.

JUDGE HARPER: So granted.

(GAVEL BANGS)

Now, tell me about this e-mail.

What about it? She just read it.

And you didn't heed it? But there was

nothing to heed. She
mentioned the convention.

But, like she said, that's
what Amaya's lawyers are for.

And what about the other?

The other?

Where-where she said that birth parents

in these situations can be unreliable.

Was she citing a study?

Where did that come from?

Help me here.

No, she wasn't citing a study.

It was really just...

a personal opinion,

and I didn't think
it was relevant to the case.

Wait a second, she has
a personal opinion about...

the reliability of birth parents

in adoptions
involving third world countries?

No. She has a personal opinion

about the reliability
of birth parents, period.

And it is informed
by personal experience.

And...?

And it's not my story to tell.

You want to save your company?

Do you want to save his job?

Marissa's job?

The man is trying to help you, Bull.

Marissa was adopted from foster care.

But before the adoption was finalized,

her biological mother
came back into the picture.

Just like here.

In Marissa's case,

she was returned to her
biological mother's custody.

Unfortunately...

her mom was a drug addict.

It was not an idyllic childhood.

Ding, ding, ding, ding.

We have a winner.

Marissa's judgment was shaped
by her personal history

and not the fact that any
reasonable professional

could have foreseen what happened.

Thank you, Marissa. This is perfect.

You can't use it.

I won't let you.

Excuse me?

Why not?

First of all, it's effective,
and it happens to be true.

Like I said, it's not my story to tell.

It was shared with me in confidence...

years ago.

And it's not like we're in
a position to ask permission.

Bull, do you want to win?

Hmm? Because her testimony out there,

was a Kn*fe in the gut.

And if we're gonna survive,

I got to stop the bleeding.

And frankly,
I don't need your permission.

GETMAN: Ms. Morgan,
you said in your e-mail

that birth parents are
notoriously unreliable.

Uh, that knowledge came from where?

I'm sorry. I don't
understand the question.

When you brought up the
notorious unreliability

of birth parents, I'm curious,

how did you become an expert on that?

Have you read studies?

Have you written papers?

What qualifies you to offer

a professional opinion on this?

It wasn't a professional opinion.

GETMAN: Oh, it-it wasn't
a professional opinion?

So that means it was a personal one.

Yes. And in hindsight,
I had no business offering it.

It was completely irrelevant.

Irrelevant,

because it had nothing to do

with Amaya and her adoption,

but everything to do with you.

Correct?

Is it true, Ms. Morgan,

that you grew up in foster care? Hmm?

That just about the time

you were going to be adopted,

your biological mother appeared,

and put the kibosh on it
and you ended up

- living with her...
- Objection!

- This man's out of order!
- ...while she battled

- drug and alcohol addiction.
- Totally out of order!

That's what you get when you hire a guy

who works out of a deli.

- What are you doing?
- JUDGE HARPER: Dr. Bull,

take your seat.

It is you that is out of order.

You. I have told you once,

you have no standing in this court.

You cannot object.

You cannot speak!

- Defense has no more questions.
- Sit down, Jason!

JUDGE HARPER: You leave
me no choice, Dr. Bull.

I declare you

- in contempt of court.
- (GAVEL BANGS)

Officer, please remove him.

CABLE: Naomi?

Who's asking?

My name is Cable McCrory.

I'm a friend of Harrison's.

Well, actually, a friend
of a friend of Harrison's.

And where is Harrison?

I don't know.

He texted and asked me to meet with you.

No offense, but I don't know you.

I agreed to do a favor
for a former colleague,

not for some girl I've never met.

Please. My friend
in Ethiopia really needs

to know what those papers say.

There's a little boy

gone missing.

And my boss

could lose everything.

A lot of this is just boring,

bureaucratic boilerplate.

But based on what Harrison
told me about the situation,

I think this might be
what you're looking for.

A relinquishment agreement.

What is that?

A signed relinquishment agreement.

This guy Abel said he thought his son

- was coming back, right?
- Yeah.

This paper gives up all
parental rights to his child

in perpetuity.

- He knew his son was never coming back.
- (SIGHS)

This document is enforceable
in any Ethiopian court.

So he lied.

He certainly did.

Now all you have to do is find him.

And find the boy,

and call the police...
half a world away.

(SIGHS)

(LOCK BUZZES)

GUARD (OVER P.A.):
Each of you have rotations.

Five minutes. Standby for the all clear.

Morning.

I don't have to worry about Amaya

taking the business,
I put it up for bail.

BULL: Very funny.

How's Marissa?

Oh, a little rattled,

a little embarrassed, very concerned,

but she'll be fine.

Now ask me if I've got any good news.

Oh. Do you have any good news?

Ooh, as a matter of fact,

we booked out of that
courtroom so fast yesterday,

that no one checked in with TAC.

Turns out that Getman delivered

a spectacular closing argument.

Better than the opener
he gave to our empty chairs.

If the mirror jurors are to be believed,

then our jury is split.

Hmm. Nice.

Has the jury arrived at a verdict?

JURY FOREMAN: Yes, we have, Your Honor.

The jury finds in favor of
the defendant, Dr. Jason Bull,

and his company
Trial Analysis Corporation.

Well, just goes to show you,

the older I get, the dumber I get.

I was right about you in college.

You are a force of nature, sir.

And you're really great at what you do.

I owe you a million thanks.

And a million apologies.

Oh, truthfully, the only thing
you owe me is money.

(CHUCKLES) I'm happy for you, Jason.

You've built something

you can be proud of.

And people shouldn't be allowed
to take it away from you

just because things didn't
work out the way they wanted.

Why doesn't this feel better?

(SIGHS)

I thought victory was supposed
to make you feel good.

Hmm, you're the doctor, you tell me.

(CHILDREN SHOUTING PLAYFULLY)

♪ ♪

ABEL: Alexander.

(LAUGHS) Good job!

(SPEAKING ETHIOPIAN)

P-Police?

(SPEAKING ETHIOPIAN)

Do you speak English?

Nice to see you both again.

Have a seat.

Sorry we're late.

I thought we were meeting
at Mr. Getman's office.

This is my office.

Hmm. Well, if this is about filing suit

to recover court costs...

BULL: It isn't.

We wanted to meet with you face-to-face

to give you a heads-up about something.

You will be receiving a call shortly

from the State Department
with some flight information.

Flight information?

For whom?

Oh, Alex? You mean, he's...?

He's coming back.

H-How? How did you...?

I didn't. He did.

I'll explain everything,
but I need you to listen.

I'm listening.

Your son is on his way home.

And his father is awaiting trial
in Ethiopia.

Okay.

You know how much it hurt you

to be away from your son, that's
how much it hurt his father

for the past five years.

You can make this right.

Let Abel come to the States.
Don't press charges.

Let him be a part of Alexander's
life in some way.

GETMAN: A-And you know what?
Here's another thought.

Maybe consider starting a foundation.

You're good at getting
the media's attention.

And it might be nice
to focus on something

other than yourself for a change.

Excuse me?

Ignore the presentation,
focus on the message.

It's why he works in the outer boroughs.

Yeah. Did I say something wrong?

Though this has been
a difficult experience

for all of us,

my eyes have been opened
to both the profound benefits

and potential pitfalls
to international adoption.

That is why it is the mission
of the Bekele Foundation

to make sure that every child
brought to America

is done so ethically
and with transparency.

And now,

there's someone very special
I would like to thank.

Dr. Jason Bull.

(APPLAUSE) Because of you,

my son has both a mother and a father.

Because of you, we are all a family.

And I thank you
from the bottom of my heart.

Don't you find this
to be a bit hypocritical?

- She was suing us three weeks ago.
- I guess.

I like her hair.

I love her clothes.

Notwithstanding the legal thing,

I think she's a really nice person.

("FAME" BY DAVID BOWIE PLAYING)