06x13 - The Hard Right
Posted: 03/04/22 07:15
[BRAKES SQUEAK]
Turn your damn headlights off.
Sarge?
Yeah, I see it.
- [INTERCOM BEEPS]
- Dim your headlights.
Bravo six Romeo.
We got a possible level three.
Going to confirm. Over.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
That Sergeant Bly?
Sergeant, there a problem?
Sergeant?
Sergeant, what are you doing?
He's got a w*apon.
Put the w*apon on the dash. Now!
Now!
Step out of the vehicle
with your hands up.
Oh, my God, Bly, what happened?
- [HELICOPTER PASSING]
- [DISTANT WHISTLE BLOWS]
Jason. Thanks for coming.
Of course, Victor.
This is Chester Palmer,
- our lead counsel at TAC.
- How are you, sir?
This is Colonel Victor Taggart,
one of the finest psychiatrists
the U.S. Army has to offer.
Also one of the very few
psychiatrists in the U.S. Army.
Jason's been ragging me
for years about headshrinking
for the Army.
It's true that therapy is not
as popular in m*llitary circles
as I'd like, but I feel confident
we can turn that around.
In another generation or two.
- [CHUCKLES]
- What's going on?
I run a unit here that treats soldiers
dealing with trauma suffered
during deployment.
PTSD's epidemic, as you can imagine.
One of my patients
was just charged with m*rder.
Name's Sergeant Carter Bly.
Colonel, if this involves a
m*llitary court proceeding,
I'm not sure that TAC
is the right fit for you.
It happened off base
under civilian authority.
And before you ask,
Bly waived confidentiality,
so no HIPAA issues.
So, what happened?
He confessed to k*lling another soldier.
Sergeant Nathan Wells.
They were friends.
Best friends.
He confessed. Did he give a reason?
There is no reason.
That's why you're here.
BLY: I've known
Nathan since high school.
Day after graduation,
he drove us to the recruiting station.
I was hesitant.
But Nathan walked right up
to the recruiter
and said he was there
to serve his country.
That's how he was.
He didn't like talking about a thing.
He'd just do it.
[CLEARS THROAT]
You need to take a moment?
[SNIFFLES] No, sir.
Nathan and I did basic together,
one tour in Iraq, two in Afghanistan.
What happened the night
that Sergeant Wells d*ed?
We were hanging out in Pelham Bay Park.
Used to go there when we were kids.
What were you doing there?
Drinking beers. You know.
Hanging out.
Then a vehicle backfired.
Came out of nowhere.
It was loud.
Next thing I know,
I'm standing over Nathan
with a g*n in my hand.
Whose was it? Yours?
No, sir.
It was Nathan's.
He always had it on him.
Well, how did you get it?
I must have grabbed it.
Why do that?
I don't remember.
It's all right, Carter.
In therapy, I've learned
that when I dissociate,
I'm in a fight-or-flight mentality.
I could've thought Nathan
was trying to k*ll me or...
I don't know. Anything, really.
I just don't know.
Nathan was like family to me.
Last thing I wanted to do was hurt him.
[SIGHS]
I've been seeing these
kind of cases more and more.
Soldiers experiencing PTSD episodes,
coupled with dissociative disorders.
Bly's case is more severe than most,
but the experience he's
describing isn't unique.
It's not even all that unusual.
Can you help him?
Colonel, even
with Sergeant Bly's illness,
if we take his case,
we'd strongly recommend a plea deal.
Plead guilty? Why?
Well, because he did it
and because he confessed to it
and I see no other credible way
to argue it.
He wasn't in his right mind.
Come on.
If there was ever a case to
argue diminished capacity, this is it.
[SIGHS] Vic, the insanity defense
is only used in about one percent
of cases, and even then,
it's only successful
% of the time.
Juries don't like saying someone
isn't responsible
for something they clearly did.
But he wasn't responsible.
Jason, the U.S. m*llitary takes
healthy young men and women
straight out of high school
and ships them off to the b*ttlefield.
And when they come back
emotionally damaged,
soldiers like Bly who seek treatment
get stigmatized.
Their careers stall out.
Now, there's a number of us
who are trying to change that,
but shifting institutionalized
norms takes time.
BULL: Okay. We do understand that.
Bly's condition is not his fault.
It's a result
of his service to this country.
There's no way on earth
that that young man should go to prison.
And you're willing to
testify to that in court?
- Absolutely. And all day long.
- CHUNK: Bull, look,
I just have to say
that if we plead this out,
Bly is looking
at a reduced sentence.
Maybe as little as five years.
But if we take this to trial,
all that is
out the window.
He's looking at , minimum.
There's a ton of downside if we lose.
Well, then I guess
we're gonna have to win.
Synced & corrected by -robtor-
www.addic ed.com
Mm. Did your super fix
that leaky sink yet?
He said he's waiting
on a part to come in.
They don't take that long.
I'll go talk to him.
Dad, my apartment, my sink, my problem.
I know. I'm just saying I don't
want him brushing you off.
Want one of these?
- I'll finish this stack.
- No, thanks.
I'm starting a new trial today,
and I never know if I'm gonna
have enough time to eat lunch.
- About the trial...
- Oh,
I read that story that you wrote
about the, um...
the, uh, pigeon
and the dog. [LAUGHS] It was hilarious.
It was a puff piece.
No, it was funny. It made me
smile. That's not nothing.
Dad, I need to talk to...
I know you want to be doing
more compelling,
hard-hitting journalism,
but you've only been
at BANG Online for, what, a few months?
You got to pay your dues, kid.
My editor asked me to cover your trial.
What?
The Fort Dryer m*rder.
My editor asked me
to write a story on it.
That's...
[SIGHS] Anna, that's...
What?
You don't think I can handle the story.
No, I didn't say that.
But you go from writing animal stories
one week to covering
a high-profile m*rder
- the next?
- I've been working really hard.
I know you have.
But your editor knows that I'm
representing the defendant, right?
- Yes.
- Mm-hmm.
He thinks that you're
gonna be able to hit me up
for information, Anna.
He's taking advantage of you.
This is my sh*t, Dad.
And okay.
Maybe it did come a little early because
my editor thinks that
I have an in with you.
But I promise I'm not gonna
ask you for any favors.
I'm writing this story.
Well, if you are going to do
this, then you have to know
you and I are gonna have to keep
things completely separate.
I'm talking church and state separate.
Well, I'd argue that the church
- influenced the state quite a bit...
- Anna.
Church and state. Got it.
Good. You're both here.
We need to start digging
on the Fort Dryer case.
Already started.
This is so sad. I've been
digging through their socials.
These guys did everything together.
How do you get over
k*lling your best friend?
DANNY: Well, the fact that they were
so close,
that has to be good for us, right?
There's no motive
for the prosecutor to point to.
Well, technically, the prosecution
doesn't need motive to prove m*rder,
but the lack of one certainly helps us.
So, Taylor, stay on their relationship.
That is our offense.
Danny, you're on defense.
Which is?
PTSD.
Colonel Taggart will testify
as an expert witness,
but it would be great
if we could find anyone
who has witnessed Bly experiencing
a PTSD episode.
- DANNY: I'm on it.
- Marissa?
Henri.
- I'm sorry to interrupt.
- MARISSA: Uh, no.
Uh, perfect timing.
I'll check in with you two later.
Who's the hot French guy?
No clue.
Go, Marissa.
It's perfect.
- It fits the space quite well.
- Thank you for bringing it.
I doubt most gallery owners
would take the trouble
to install their clients' artwork.
Well, most of my clients don't
spend months visiting the piece
before they make the purchase.
I wanted to be sure
that you were certain.
[EXHALES] I was certain
the moment I laid eyes on it.
I just...
needed to earn it.
Well, she was meant for you.
This may sound silly,
but I do believe in
a spiritual connection with art.
Well, I hope it's not silly.
It's been the guiding principle
of my life.
[CHUCKLES]
Uh, this is a law firm, no?
Uh, not exactly. We're
a trial science company.
- Ah.
- We consult on legal cases
before they go to trial.
Ah.
Why? Do you need a lawyer?
I could use a little legal
consultation, perhaps.
Have a seat. Let me see if I can help.
I do some work
with a nonprofit
that attempts to repatriate
art and antiquities
to their countries of origin,
and we recently identified
a centuries-old tribal mask
that was stolen from the
Guro people off the Ivory Coast.
Unfortunately, the item is
about to go up for auction
here in New York,
and we won't have the official
chain of title, for a couple of weeks.
And once the piece is sold, it...
it could disappear forever.
Have you explained the situation
to the auction house?
Without proof of provenance,
auctioneers tend to be
dismissive of these claims.
But I thought I could stall
with the thr*at of legal action?
Our in-house counsel
is in the middle of trial right now,
but I might be able
to scare them a little.
Nathan was incredibly proud
to serve in the m*llitary,
to be a role model
to our five-year-old son, Jack.
You must have been proud of him, too.
Absolutely. Proud and sometimes worried.
I said a lot of prayers
when Nathan was deployed,
but I never thought
that he would be k*lled at home
by one of his fellow soldiers.
I know this is tough, but
you got to look at her.
THOMAS: Mrs. Wells, are you aware
that the defendant
claims he was suffering
from a PTSD blackout
when he sh*t your husband?
Yes. But I don't believe that
for a second.
CHUNK: Objection.
The witness is not an expert on
post-traumatic stress disorder.
THOMAS: Your Honor,
the defense has stated that Sergeant Bly
and Sergeant Wells were best friends.
Spent lots of time together.
Mrs. Wells is qualified
to speak to her own observations
of the defendant's behavior
- and motives.
- I agree. Overruled.
But keep it within her purview,
Counselor.
Mrs. Wells,
why don't you believe
the defendant's story?
I'm not saying Sergeant
Bly didn't have problems
when he got back from
his last deployment,
but I've been around him plenty,
and I've never seen him
black out or lose control.
My husband did
just as many tours as him,
and he never would've flipped
out and k*lled somebody.
Objection...
Inflammatory and irrelevant.
Sergeant Wells'
mental health has absolutely
no bearing on this case.
NAUMANN: We have
gone a little out of bounds.
The jury will disregard
the witness's last statement.
THOMAS: In the weeks leading
up to your husband's death,
did you have any reason
to believe that he
and Sergeant Bly were not
on friendly terms?
Yes. Things had been tense between them.
Ever since Nathan got back
from his last tour.
And a few nights before
Nathan was k*lled...
the two of them were arguing
out on our driveway. For ages.
Did you hear what they were
arguing about?
No, at least not all of it, but...
at one point Carter...
Sergeant Bly...
got up in Nathan's face
and I heard him yell that...
he would do whatever it took
to stop him.
Did you ask your husband
what they were fighting about?
He said it had to do with Afghanistan.
[SNIFFLES]
But he couldn't talk about it.
As in, it involved some kind
of m*llitary secret?
TRISH: That's how I understood it.
- Yes.
- Do you think that Sergeant Bly
k*lled your husband to prevent him
from revealing something
that happened overseas?
Objection, Your Honor!
This is gross speculation!
Sustained.
The jury will disregard A.D.A.
Thomas's conjecture.
Dial it back, Ms. Thomas.
No further questions, Your Honor.
What happened in Afghanistan?
Nothing.
I don't know what she's talking about.
Then what were you fighting about?
BULL: Sergeant?
He signed up for another tour.
- I didn't think he should do it.
- Why not?
I remember the toll
my last tour had on me.
Nathan had a wife.
A son.
Had more at stake.
I was concerned about him.
Well, to the jury,
that concern...
looks like motive.
Hey, Vic, how you doing?
I hope you don't mind.
They told me you were
on your way back from court,
and it was okay for me to wait here.
Oh, what's going on?
Jason, I can't testify.
What are you talking about?
I had to ask permission to testify,
which I assumed would be pro forma.
I didn't know the classification
status of Bly's deployments.
I'm sorry, what does that mean?
Some of the operations that Bly
took part in are highly classified.
My superiors are concerned
that details could leak if I testify,
so they have ordered me not to.
- Ignore them.
- I can't do that.
Yes, you can!
Or quit the Army.
So you don't have to take
these asinine orders.
The m*llitary is my life...
I know you don't get that.
Without your testimony,
Bly is doing years.
You get that.
Right?
I'm gonna subpoena you
and Bly's records and I'm
gonna put it all out in public.
You can try. It won't work.
You brought me into this.
You put me on this mission.
- I know.
- And now you're saying
that the Army told you to walk away?
I was wrong to assume
that I could help this soldier
just because I'm treating him.
I can't, Jason.
So you're telling Bly?
I already have.
He understands.
"He understands."
Hmm.
He understands that his therapist
just hung him out to dry?
When you're a soldier,
you're a soldier first.
Well, congratulations, soldier.
You just left one of your own behind.
MARISSA: You're selling stolen goods.
Show me the paperwork
that says someone else
owns this, and they can have it back.
Until then...
I can't help you.
We will have the provenance
document shortly.
It would be in your best interest
to pull the mask
from the auction in the interim.
No, it would be in my best interest
to sell it and make a profit.
And risk losing a crucial piece
of the Guro people's
cultural history forever.
No offense, but I get people
making claims on art all the time.
- Hmm.
- If I held up every auction
without proof...
I'd be out of business.
_
_
_
_
Let's focus on the stolen mask.
I am prepared to file a Writ of Replevin
to return this property
to its rightful owner.
What law firm did you say you're from?
Trial Analysis Corporation.
Hmm. May I see your card?
There's no "esquire" after you're name.
You're not even a lawyer, are you?
I represent the interests...
Okay, look, I have
an auction in two days.
Unless I get clear provenance
before then,
this piece will be listed.
Have a nice day.
[CAR HORN HONKING]
God, that man, I want to slap
the nice day right out of him.
You have a temper, too?
But you know how to keep yours in check.
I shouldn't have needled him like that.
He deserved it.
You'd think someone who worked with art
would appreciate its
cultural significance.
Oh, well, you know,
most people don't appreciate
that spiritual connection you spoke of.
But thanks for trying.
Oh, no, no, we're not done.
- We're not?
- Not by a long sh*t.
Look, I may not have
"esquire" after my name,
but I love a good fight.
Our whole case is PTSD.
If Taggart doesn't testify,
we have no case.
Sorry I'm late.
I had a thing before work.
So Taggert is still a no-go?
- Yeah.
- Do you think
the Army is muscling him to cover up
something that went bad
over in Afghanistan?
I could do some digging.
- See if there's anything to that.
- BULL: No.
Frankly, I don't want to find out
that Bly had a motive
to cover up something
that happened over there.
The only place
that leads is premeditation
and a m*rder conviction.
Okay, then what's our plan B?
Plan B is...
plan A... PTSD.
We need to find a new expert
who can get up there and testify.
Let these jurors know what it's like
to have a dissociative experience.
But a new expert is not gonna
understand Bly's history.
Which is why it is more
important than ever that we find
somebody from Bly's past
who has witnessed
one of these PTSD events.
How's Danny coming with all that?
I don't think it's going well.
She hasn't even been
able to get on the base
to talk to Bly's fellow soldiers.
Well, she needs to figure out
a way to talk to them off base.
[g*nsh*t]
[EMPTY SHELLS CLANGING]
Damn. You're all right.
Where'd you learn to sh**t like that?
My dad.
He was in the Army and gone a lot.
When he was around,
I wanted to hang out with him.
If that meant learning
how to sh**t a g*n,
that's what I did.
You ever think of joining?
Thought about it.
My dad really struggled
when he got back.
PTSD, you know.
It happens.
I read it just happened over
at Fort Dryer.
One soldier sh*t another off base.
They're saying it's PTSD-related.
You know either of those guys?
Yeah, I knew both of them.
The, um, the sh**t, was it
Sergeant Bly, I think?
- You really think he had PTSD?
- Yeah.
He seemed pretty messed up
since his last deployment.
You ever see him have,
like, an episode or anything?
What are you asking about Bly for?
Just making conversation.
- You a cop or something?
- What?
You know Bly's trial's
going on right now.
You working for him?
For Bly?
Working for him...?
We got nothing to say to you, lady.
Come on.
Get her out of here.
Sorry, ma'am,
but you're gonna have to leave.
I'm just trying
to get some range time in.
You're upsetting my customers.
I'm just making friendly conversation.
This way.
Do you happen to know Sergeant Bly?
Friendly conversation, my ass.
Listen, the guy's on trial for his life.
I work for his defense team.
The Army won't let me on base
to talk to anyone, so...
Anyone on base talks about
Bly, they'll catch hell.
Yeah, but you're not from base.
Not anymore.
Retired.
Right, so no one can
give you hell anymore.
Bly liked to come here.
We talked sometimes.
Things weren't so easy for me
when I came home, either.
Did he ever talk to you about his PTSD?
Some. Yeah.
He had it pretty rough.
Bly said that he suffered
from, um, blackouts.
Did you ever see anything like that?
Last fall a group of us got
together in the park, for a birthday;
some kids were playing with bang snaps.
One of them threw a handful,
sounded like...
a*t*matic w*apon fire and...
Bly totally lost it.
Would you be willing to testify to that?
Don't need to.
I can show you.
- [LOUD POPPING]
- Take cover!
Did he just tackle a little boy?
Nearly broke the kid's arm.
CHUNK: Sergeant Bly, do
you have an explanation
for what we just saw in that video?
Ever since my second tour of duty,
I've suffered from severe PTSD.
I won't sleep for days.
If I do...
I get night terrors.
And I get bad panic att*cks sometimes.
If I get triggered,
like with the fireworks in that video,
I black out completely.
My psychiatrist says the official term
is a dissociative event.
And is that what happened
the night that you sh*t
Sergeant Wells?
Did you have a dissociative event?
BLY: Yes, sir.
My best guess is...
I was triggered by a car backfiring.
CHUNK: Sergeant Bly, did you have any
- animus toward Sergeant Wells?
- I think you should see this.
- Any reason to want him dead?
- No.
He was my friend.
Trish Wells testified earlier that...
that you and her husband were fighting
just days before he d*ed.
- Isn't that correct?
- We were arguing.
But we're friends.
Sometimes friends argue.
Look...
Nathan was more than a friend.
He was like a brother to me.
I had absolutely no desire to k*ll him.
Thank you, Sergeant Bly.
No further questions, Your Honor.
We are winning
some hearts and minds, Bull.
Let's see how well Sergeant Bly holds up
on cross before we pop the champagne.
Sergeant Bly, have you ever stayed
- at the Stone Valley Motel?
- CHUNK: Objection.
- Relevance?
- THOMAS: Your Honor,
I assure you this is relevant.
It'll take me just
a moment to get there.
Sergeant Bly,
you will answer the question.
I'm not sure.
I don't recall every...
- motel I've ever stayed in.
- Where is this going?
- I don't know.
- Let me see if I can jog your memory.
An article was published
on BANG Online today
stating that you were
a guest at Stone Valley Motel
on September of this year.
Did you stay the night at the motel?
[QUIETLY]: Yeah.
Uh, the court didn't hear you,
Sergeant Bly.
Yes. I was there.
Did a woman
spend the night in your room with you?
Yes.
Who was that woman?
[SIGHS]
Trish Wells.
THOMAS: You had an
affair with Trish Wells,
the wife of Sergeant Wells?
The man you claim
was like a brother to you?
I should've never let it happen.
When I came back from my last tour,
I was having a hard time.
I just needed someone to talk to.
Nathan was overseas.
Trish and I were there for each other.
THOMAS: Is that why
you k*lled Sergeant Wells,
so you could have his wife
- for yourself?
- CHUNK: Objection.
Inflammatory, Your Honor.
Overruled. Sergeant Bly will
answer the question.
BLY: No. We ended things months ago.
The sh**ting had
nothing to do with Trish.
Don't bring her into this.
Well, I didn't bring her
into this, Sergeant.
You did.
No further questions, Your Honor.
- Ask for a recess.
- CHUNK: Your Honor?
The defense requests a short recess
before we redirect.
ANNA: No, no, no,
he admitted it on the stand.
- All of it now. The whole thing.
- CHUNK: Anna!
- I need to talk to you.
- Yeah.
Now!
You'll have my copy by : .
Thanks, bye.
That was my editor, Dad.
I don't interrupt you
when you're in court.
You blindsided me in there.
That article you wrote
blew up our whole defense.
You could've given me a heads-up.
You didn't want me asking you
for favors,
but I'm supposed to tip you off
about a scoop?
It's called professional courtesy, Anna.
Church and state, remember?
You're just mad that I found
something that your team didn't.
When you didn't even think
I could handle this case.
I never said that.
You didn't have to.
Look, I didn't mean
to blow up your case.
I found a lead and I followed it.
All right, okay.
You want to be a professional?
I'm gonna treat you like one.
I'm adding you to our witness list.
What? Why?
Wait, no, if I'm on the witness list,
I-I'll be under a gag order.
I can't write my story!
Yeah, that's right.
Welcome to the big leagues.
Well, I think it would've
been better for us to know
that you were having an affair
with Sergeant Wells' wife
before we told the jury
you guys were best friends.
I should've told you.
I was ashamed.
Disgusted in myself.
And I didn't want,
I didn't want Trish's son
to find out after he'd already
lost his father.
Did Sergeant Wells find out?
- Is that why you guys were fighting?
- No.
He didn't know about me and Trish.
We were fighting
about Nathan doing another tour,
- like I told you.
- Are you sure that's it?
'Cause I can't defend you
if you don't tell me everything.
You don't have to defend me.
[SCOFFS]
I just want this to end.
Well, the trial's almost over,
and we have to get it right.
We're talking
about the rest of your life.
Trish has been through too much pain.
I'm not dragging her through more.
- What do you mean?
- I'm done.
That's it.
I'm pleading guilty.
You need to sit down and we
need to talk this through.
Take me back to the base.
BULL: Sergeant!
- Danny.
- You don't have to say it.
Chunk's kid totally
smoked me on that affair.
And she's barely off
her college newspaper.
Well, that is not what I was gonna say.
But... yeah,
I did not anticipate the affair, either.
So that is on me, but now...
Sergeant Bly...
wants to plead guilty.
I say let him.
If he k*lled his friend
to keep banging his wife,
he should go to jail.
If Bly k*lled Wells
so he could be with Trish,
why confess to the m*rder?
Why not have a better plan?
Well, murderers aren't
always that smart.
Or logical.
Well, that's true.
I don't understand Bly's
sudden desire to plead guilty.
I mean, he says
he doesn't want to put Trish
through any more pain.
The cat's already out
of the bag about the affair.
What more pain is there?
Maybe he's hiding something else.
I want to know
what Bly and Wells were really
fighting about in the driveway.
Maybe one of the neighbors
overheard them?
I'll check it out.
Thank you.
Kind of late to be caffeinating.
Well, I was just doing
a little research.
Trying to figure out a way
to stop that auction I told you about.
Oh, yeah. For the handsome
French art dealer who
saves the world's
cultural heritage in his free time.
- What?
- Just saying.
I get it. Henri's a little...
ooh-la-la.
Yeah. I may have a little crush.
You should ask him out.
I don't know.
Look, his gallery's my happy place.
It's where I go to escape sometimes.
If I ask him out...
it doesn't work out,
then I can't go back there.
Or maybe it does work out
and you can go to his gallery
all the time.
Or it doesn't work out and you
find a new gallery.
I mean, this is New York City,
after all.
[LAUGHS] Right now I just want
another sh*t at that smug auctioneer.
I can't let that guy win.
Good morning.
Welcome back.
You pass the bar since
the last time we spoke?
I'd like to show you something.
A notice from the Cultural Ministry
of the Ivory Coast showing
that the Guro tribal mask
is in fact a stolen artifact.
That's not proof of provenance.
I told you, until I get
the provenance, I'm not removing
the piece from auction.
MARISSA: Oh, sorry,
I wasn't being clear.
This notice isn't for you.
I'm sending it to all of the buyers
registered to attend today's auction.
Good luck with that.
My client list is confidential.
- She has the list.
- Yeah. I bet.
Right next to your fake law degree.
It's true, I'm not a lawyer.
But I am very resourceful.
Yeah. [EXHALES]
Stolen antiquities make buyers nervous.
Fewer buyers means lower bids on...
everything.
It's your choice, Mr. Ratliff.
You can remove the mask
from the auction,
or I can hit send.
Wait.
[KNOCKING]
- Morning.
- You got something?
I'm not sure. I couldn't
find any neighbors
who saw the fight, but
there's a guy who lives
across the street that let me go
through his security camera footage.
- Did it get the fight?
- Yeah.
But there was no audio,
so not very helpful, but...
there was something else.
Two weeks before Wells d*ed,
the camera caught this.
That's Bly, pulling Wells
out of his garage.
- He's giving him CPR.
- Yep.
Why would you try
and save your friend's life,
only to k*ll him two weeks later?
Get me the M.E.'s report on Wells.
[KNOCKS]
Hey, Vic.
Jason.
I was gonna call, but...
I thought maybe you wouldn't answer it.
I need your help.
Nothing's changed, I can't testify.
I don't want you to.
Bly lied.
And we both missed it.
What are you talking about?
You said the Army stigmatizes soldiers
who seek treatment for PTSD?
Not officially, but yes.
I suspect there are a lot
of soldiers who don't report
their PTSD even if they have symptoms.
More than I'd like
to think about. [SIGHS]
Where are you going with this?
I took another look
at Wells' M.E. report.
His organs... Heart, liver,
lung... they were all cherry red.
Which is consistent with
exposure to high levels
of carbon monoxide. Say,
if you wanted to k*ll yourself
in your garage with car exhaust.
Wells didn't die
from carbon monoxide poisoning.
No, he did not.
But he also didn't have any
defensive wounds on his body.
Now how would Sergeant Bly
have been able to take a g*n
away from a trained soldier
without leaving any marks?
What do you need my help with?
We need to get Bly to tell us the truth
about what really happened that night.
I'm here.
Not that I had a choice.
What's this about?
Well, I wanted to...
talk to you about this
guilty plea you want
to file... I've got
some problems with it.
Yeah, like what?
I don't believe you're guilty, for one.
I don't care.
If you won't do it,
I'll get another lawyer...
Sergeant?
What do you hear?
Listen.
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
What is that, birds?
Squirrels? Do you hear any cars?
I sure don't.
BULL: No, I don't hear any cars
because there are
no cars anywhere near here.
So how do you get
triggered by a backfiring car?
[SCOFFS] Doesn't matter.
It matters if there
was no car backfiring.
It matters if Wells had
no defensive wounds.
Your story's starting
to fall apart, Sergeant.
Yeah, I know what happened!
Wells also had PTSD, didn't he?
He was suffering badly and you knew it?
That's why he tried to k*ll himself
in the garage that night.
And we know
that you saved him.
Carter.
You did everything you could for Wells.
You could not have done anything more.
But you can help
your brothers and sisters.
The ones who are suffering
just like Wells did
and are afraid to say anything.
The truth is a powerful thing, Sergeant.
Tell the truth about Wells.
Talk about what happens
if you don't get treatment.
I didn't help Nathan.
I couldn't.
He was struggling...
so much.
- Just listen to what I'm saying.
- I won't do it.
I'll walk you in myself.
- No!
- Nathan, you need help.
What I need is to get the hell
out of here and redeploy.
- Why do you want to go back?
- It's easier over there.
It feels, uh...
- normal.
- Another tour's
only gonna make things worse.
Things can't get any worse!
- I got to tell Trish.
- No.
About you needing help,
about the garage.
- Don't, man.
- She needs to know.
- She deserves to know.
- Come on.
Come on, I can't have
my wife knowing about this.
Thinking I'm weak. Thinking I'm...
I'm some problem.
I don't want to talk about this anymore.
[EXCLAIMS]
Hey, uh...
Let's just hang.
Yeah?
Let's just hang.
- All right.
- All right.
Want to go to the truck
and grab some more beers?
Yeah, sure.
- [g*nsh*t]
- [GASPS]
Nathan!
Nathan was a hero.
I didn't want his su1c1de
to take away from that.
To tarnish his memory for Trish.
For his son.
[CRYING]
So you confessed to a m*rder
that didn't occur?
Nathan was my best friend
and I betrayed him.
[SNIFFLES] He didn't know.
But I knew.
And my life...
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
I don't have much to be proud of.
Nothing to look forward to.
Especially now that
Nathan's not here anymore.
[CRYING]
This was just, um...
[SNIFFLING]
I was just trying to make things right.
[SNIFFLES]
No further questions, Your Honor.
Has the jury reached a verdict?
JUROR: We have, Your Honor.
In The State of New York
v. Sergeant Carter Bly,
we the jury find the defendant...
...not guilty.
[EXHALES]
NAUMANN: My thanks
to the jury for their service.
This court is adjourned.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Thank you.
It's my pleasure.
Excuse me.
Congratulations, Sergeant.
And you, too, Jason.
Well, you guys didn't make it
easy, but we got there.
Why did you not tell me?
I should have known.
I didn't know how to.
No, don't-don't say that.
How did I not know
he was so broken?
[CRYING]: How did I not...?
[SOBBING]
Anna, hold up, hey.
Oh, am I allowed to speak now?
Has the gag order lifted?
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have
put you on the witness list.
That was petty.
Yeah. It was.
I was annoyed.
You showed up your old man.
And, yeah, maybe you were right,
maybe I wasn't ready
to see you do your thing.
Clearly I was wrong, and that's on me.
So...
can I make it up to you?
Can I buy you something to eat?
I get to choose the restaurant?
Of course.
Okay.
So...
have you given any thought
to maybe covering sports?
'Cause I don't want to do this
kind of thing any time soon.
[LAUGHS] I hate sports.
But you feel free to cover
all the boring cases.
That way I won't feel
tempted to write about them.
[LAUGHS]
We both know that's not gonna happen.
- [LAUGHS]
- [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Come on.
[KNOCKING]
Hey... you have a visitor.
- HENRI: I hope I'm not disturbing you.
- No... [STAMMERS]
Of course not. Come in.
Well, um... it was nice to meet you.
And you.
- Uh, to what do I owe the pleasure?
- Um...
I-I brought you something
as a thank-you.
- Oh.
- The provenance documents
finally arrived.
And the mask is on its way back
to the Ivory Coast.
That is wonderful news.
Oh.
It's beautiful.
I don't recognize it from your gallery.
No, no, no, it's not from my gallery.
It's, um, this is, uh, from me.
You paint?
- I had no idea.
- We mustn't reveal
all our secrets at once.
- Henri?
- Hmm?
Would you like to go
to dinner with me sometime?
To share more secrets?
I might need a bit of wine before that.
[CLEARS THROAT]
TAGGART: Word came down today.
Bly's getting an Other
Than Honorable discharge.
For lying.
That sounds a bit harsh.
I understand why it seems that way.
And I understand why they did it.
Really?
There's a code.
You follow it or leave. That's the deal.
[SIGHS]
You know, Vic,
sometimes I think you give a...
little bit too much to this thing.
I get that.
But sometimes the people
inside this thing
think the people outside
don't give enough.
Ah, point taken.
- Two worlds.
- [BUGLE PLAYING]
Two worlds.
Turn your damn headlights off.
Sarge?
Yeah, I see it.
- [INTERCOM BEEPS]
- Dim your headlights.
Bravo six Romeo.
We got a possible level three.
Going to confirm. Over.
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
That Sergeant Bly?
Sergeant, there a problem?
Sergeant?
Sergeant, what are you doing?
He's got a w*apon.
Put the w*apon on the dash. Now!
Now!
Step out of the vehicle
with your hands up.
Oh, my God, Bly, what happened?
- [HELICOPTER PASSING]
- [DISTANT WHISTLE BLOWS]
Jason. Thanks for coming.
Of course, Victor.
This is Chester Palmer,
- our lead counsel at TAC.
- How are you, sir?
This is Colonel Victor Taggart,
one of the finest psychiatrists
the U.S. Army has to offer.
Also one of the very few
psychiatrists in the U.S. Army.
Jason's been ragging me
for years about headshrinking
for the Army.
It's true that therapy is not
as popular in m*llitary circles
as I'd like, but I feel confident
we can turn that around.
In another generation or two.
- [CHUCKLES]
- What's going on?
I run a unit here that treats soldiers
dealing with trauma suffered
during deployment.
PTSD's epidemic, as you can imagine.
One of my patients
was just charged with m*rder.
Name's Sergeant Carter Bly.
Colonel, if this involves a
m*llitary court proceeding,
I'm not sure that TAC
is the right fit for you.
It happened off base
under civilian authority.
And before you ask,
Bly waived confidentiality,
so no HIPAA issues.
So, what happened?
He confessed to k*lling another soldier.
Sergeant Nathan Wells.
They were friends.
Best friends.
He confessed. Did he give a reason?
There is no reason.
That's why you're here.
BLY: I've known
Nathan since high school.
Day after graduation,
he drove us to the recruiting station.
I was hesitant.
But Nathan walked right up
to the recruiter
and said he was there
to serve his country.
That's how he was.
He didn't like talking about a thing.
He'd just do it.
[CLEARS THROAT]
You need to take a moment?
[SNIFFLES] No, sir.
Nathan and I did basic together,
one tour in Iraq, two in Afghanistan.
What happened the night
that Sergeant Wells d*ed?
We were hanging out in Pelham Bay Park.
Used to go there when we were kids.
What were you doing there?
Drinking beers. You know.
Hanging out.
Then a vehicle backfired.
Came out of nowhere.
It was loud.
Next thing I know,
I'm standing over Nathan
with a g*n in my hand.
Whose was it? Yours?
No, sir.
It was Nathan's.
He always had it on him.
Well, how did you get it?
I must have grabbed it.
Why do that?
I don't remember.
It's all right, Carter.
In therapy, I've learned
that when I dissociate,
I'm in a fight-or-flight mentality.
I could've thought Nathan
was trying to k*ll me or...
I don't know. Anything, really.
I just don't know.
Nathan was like family to me.
Last thing I wanted to do was hurt him.
[SIGHS]
I've been seeing these
kind of cases more and more.
Soldiers experiencing PTSD episodes,
coupled with dissociative disorders.
Bly's case is more severe than most,
but the experience he's
describing isn't unique.
It's not even all that unusual.
Can you help him?
Colonel, even
with Sergeant Bly's illness,
if we take his case,
we'd strongly recommend a plea deal.
Plead guilty? Why?
Well, because he did it
and because he confessed to it
and I see no other credible way
to argue it.
He wasn't in his right mind.
Come on.
If there was ever a case to
argue diminished capacity, this is it.
[SIGHS] Vic, the insanity defense
is only used in about one percent
of cases, and even then,
it's only successful
% of the time.
Juries don't like saying someone
isn't responsible
for something they clearly did.
But he wasn't responsible.
Jason, the U.S. m*llitary takes
healthy young men and women
straight out of high school
and ships them off to the b*ttlefield.
And when they come back
emotionally damaged,
soldiers like Bly who seek treatment
get stigmatized.
Their careers stall out.
Now, there's a number of us
who are trying to change that,
but shifting institutionalized
norms takes time.
BULL: Okay. We do understand that.
Bly's condition is not his fault.
It's a result
of his service to this country.
There's no way on earth
that that young man should go to prison.
And you're willing to
testify to that in court?
- Absolutely. And all day long.
- CHUNK: Bull, look,
I just have to say
that if we plead this out,
Bly is looking
at a reduced sentence.
Maybe as little as five years.
But if we take this to trial,
all that is
out the window.
He's looking at , minimum.
There's a ton of downside if we lose.
Well, then I guess
we're gonna have to win.
Synced & corrected by -robtor-
www.addic ed.com
Mm. Did your super fix
that leaky sink yet?
He said he's waiting
on a part to come in.
They don't take that long.
I'll go talk to him.
Dad, my apartment, my sink, my problem.
I know. I'm just saying I don't
want him brushing you off.
Want one of these?
- I'll finish this stack.
- No, thanks.
I'm starting a new trial today,
and I never know if I'm gonna
have enough time to eat lunch.
- About the trial...
- Oh,
I read that story that you wrote
about the, um...
the, uh, pigeon
and the dog. [LAUGHS] It was hilarious.
It was a puff piece.
No, it was funny. It made me
smile. That's not nothing.
Dad, I need to talk to...
I know you want to be doing
more compelling,
hard-hitting journalism,
but you've only been
at BANG Online for, what, a few months?
You got to pay your dues, kid.
My editor asked me to cover your trial.
What?
The Fort Dryer m*rder.
My editor asked me
to write a story on it.
That's...
[SIGHS] Anna, that's...
What?
You don't think I can handle the story.
No, I didn't say that.
But you go from writing animal stories
one week to covering
a high-profile m*rder
- the next?
- I've been working really hard.
I know you have.
But your editor knows that I'm
representing the defendant, right?
- Yes.
- Mm-hmm.
He thinks that you're
gonna be able to hit me up
for information, Anna.
He's taking advantage of you.
This is my sh*t, Dad.
And okay.
Maybe it did come a little early because
my editor thinks that
I have an in with you.
But I promise I'm not gonna
ask you for any favors.
I'm writing this story.
Well, if you are going to do
this, then you have to know
you and I are gonna have to keep
things completely separate.
I'm talking church and state separate.
Well, I'd argue that the church
- influenced the state quite a bit...
- Anna.
Church and state. Got it.
Good. You're both here.
We need to start digging
on the Fort Dryer case.
Already started.
This is so sad. I've been
digging through their socials.
These guys did everything together.
How do you get over
k*lling your best friend?
DANNY: Well, the fact that they were
so close,
that has to be good for us, right?
There's no motive
for the prosecutor to point to.
Well, technically, the prosecution
doesn't need motive to prove m*rder,
but the lack of one certainly helps us.
So, Taylor, stay on their relationship.
That is our offense.
Danny, you're on defense.
Which is?
PTSD.
Colonel Taggart will testify
as an expert witness,
but it would be great
if we could find anyone
who has witnessed Bly experiencing
a PTSD episode.
- DANNY: I'm on it.
- Marissa?
Henri.
- I'm sorry to interrupt.
- MARISSA: Uh, no.
Uh, perfect timing.
I'll check in with you two later.
Who's the hot French guy?
No clue.
Go, Marissa.
It's perfect.
- It fits the space quite well.
- Thank you for bringing it.
I doubt most gallery owners
would take the trouble
to install their clients' artwork.
Well, most of my clients don't
spend months visiting the piece
before they make the purchase.
I wanted to be sure
that you were certain.
[EXHALES] I was certain
the moment I laid eyes on it.
I just...
needed to earn it.
Well, she was meant for you.
This may sound silly,
but I do believe in
a spiritual connection with art.
Well, I hope it's not silly.
It's been the guiding principle
of my life.
[CHUCKLES]
Uh, this is a law firm, no?
Uh, not exactly. We're
a trial science company.
- Ah.
- We consult on legal cases
before they go to trial.
Ah.
Why? Do you need a lawyer?
I could use a little legal
consultation, perhaps.
Have a seat. Let me see if I can help.
I do some work
with a nonprofit
that attempts to repatriate
art and antiquities
to their countries of origin,
and we recently identified
a centuries-old tribal mask
that was stolen from the
Guro people off the Ivory Coast.
Unfortunately, the item is
about to go up for auction
here in New York,
and we won't have the official
chain of title, for a couple of weeks.
And once the piece is sold, it...
it could disappear forever.
Have you explained the situation
to the auction house?
Without proof of provenance,
auctioneers tend to be
dismissive of these claims.
But I thought I could stall
with the thr*at of legal action?
Our in-house counsel
is in the middle of trial right now,
but I might be able
to scare them a little.
Nathan was incredibly proud
to serve in the m*llitary,
to be a role model
to our five-year-old son, Jack.
You must have been proud of him, too.
Absolutely. Proud and sometimes worried.
I said a lot of prayers
when Nathan was deployed,
but I never thought
that he would be k*lled at home
by one of his fellow soldiers.
I know this is tough, but
you got to look at her.
THOMAS: Mrs. Wells, are you aware
that the defendant
claims he was suffering
from a PTSD blackout
when he sh*t your husband?
Yes. But I don't believe that
for a second.
CHUNK: Objection.
The witness is not an expert on
post-traumatic stress disorder.
THOMAS: Your Honor,
the defense has stated that Sergeant Bly
and Sergeant Wells were best friends.
Spent lots of time together.
Mrs. Wells is qualified
to speak to her own observations
of the defendant's behavior
- and motives.
- I agree. Overruled.
But keep it within her purview,
Counselor.
Mrs. Wells,
why don't you believe
the defendant's story?
I'm not saying Sergeant
Bly didn't have problems
when he got back from
his last deployment,
but I've been around him plenty,
and I've never seen him
black out or lose control.
My husband did
just as many tours as him,
and he never would've flipped
out and k*lled somebody.
Objection...
Inflammatory and irrelevant.
Sergeant Wells'
mental health has absolutely
no bearing on this case.
NAUMANN: We have
gone a little out of bounds.
The jury will disregard
the witness's last statement.
THOMAS: In the weeks leading
up to your husband's death,
did you have any reason
to believe that he
and Sergeant Bly were not
on friendly terms?
Yes. Things had been tense between them.
Ever since Nathan got back
from his last tour.
And a few nights before
Nathan was k*lled...
the two of them were arguing
out on our driveway. For ages.
Did you hear what they were
arguing about?
No, at least not all of it, but...
at one point Carter...
Sergeant Bly...
got up in Nathan's face
and I heard him yell that...
he would do whatever it took
to stop him.
Did you ask your husband
what they were fighting about?
He said it had to do with Afghanistan.
[SNIFFLES]
But he couldn't talk about it.
As in, it involved some kind
of m*llitary secret?
TRISH: That's how I understood it.
- Yes.
- Do you think that Sergeant Bly
k*lled your husband to prevent him
from revealing something
that happened overseas?
Objection, Your Honor!
This is gross speculation!
Sustained.
The jury will disregard A.D.A.
Thomas's conjecture.
Dial it back, Ms. Thomas.
No further questions, Your Honor.
What happened in Afghanistan?
Nothing.
I don't know what she's talking about.
Then what were you fighting about?
BULL: Sergeant?
He signed up for another tour.
- I didn't think he should do it.
- Why not?
I remember the toll
my last tour had on me.
Nathan had a wife.
A son.
Had more at stake.
I was concerned about him.
Well, to the jury,
that concern...
looks like motive.
Hey, Vic, how you doing?
I hope you don't mind.
They told me you were
on your way back from court,
and it was okay for me to wait here.
Oh, what's going on?
Jason, I can't testify.
What are you talking about?
I had to ask permission to testify,
which I assumed would be pro forma.
I didn't know the classification
status of Bly's deployments.
I'm sorry, what does that mean?
Some of the operations that Bly
took part in are highly classified.
My superiors are concerned
that details could leak if I testify,
so they have ordered me not to.
- Ignore them.
- I can't do that.
Yes, you can!
Or quit the Army.
So you don't have to take
these asinine orders.
The m*llitary is my life...
I know you don't get that.
Without your testimony,
Bly is doing years.
You get that.
Right?
I'm gonna subpoena you
and Bly's records and I'm
gonna put it all out in public.
You can try. It won't work.
You brought me into this.
You put me on this mission.
- I know.
- And now you're saying
that the Army told you to walk away?
I was wrong to assume
that I could help this soldier
just because I'm treating him.
I can't, Jason.
So you're telling Bly?
I already have.
He understands.
"He understands."
Hmm.
He understands that his therapist
just hung him out to dry?
When you're a soldier,
you're a soldier first.
Well, congratulations, soldier.
You just left one of your own behind.
MARISSA: You're selling stolen goods.
Show me the paperwork
that says someone else
owns this, and they can have it back.
Until then...
I can't help you.
We will have the provenance
document shortly.
It would be in your best interest
to pull the mask
from the auction in the interim.
No, it would be in my best interest
to sell it and make a profit.
And risk losing a crucial piece
of the Guro people's
cultural history forever.
No offense, but I get people
making claims on art all the time.
- Hmm.
- If I held up every auction
without proof...
I'd be out of business.
_
_
_
_
Let's focus on the stolen mask.
I am prepared to file a Writ of Replevin
to return this property
to its rightful owner.
What law firm did you say you're from?
Trial Analysis Corporation.
Hmm. May I see your card?
There's no "esquire" after you're name.
You're not even a lawyer, are you?
I represent the interests...
Okay, look, I have
an auction in two days.
Unless I get clear provenance
before then,
this piece will be listed.
Have a nice day.
[CAR HORN HONKING]
God, that man, I want to slap
the nice day right out of him.
You have a temper, too?
But you know how to keep yours in check.
I shouldn't have needled him like that.
He deserved it.
You'd think someone who worked with art
would appreciate its
cultural significance.
Oh, well, you know,
most people don't appreciate
that spiritual connection you spoke of.
But thanks for trying.
Oh, no, no, we're not done.
- We're not?
- Not by a long sh*t.
Look, I may not have
"esquire" after my name,
but I love a good fight.
Our whole case is PTSD.
If Taggart doesn't testify,
we have no case.
Sorry I'm late.
I had a thing before work.
So Taggert is still a no-go?
- Yeah.
- Do you think
the Army is muscling him to cover up
something that went bad
over in Afghanistan?
I could do some digging.
- See if there's anything to that.
- BULL: No.
Frankly, I don't want to find out
that Bly had a motive
to cover up something
that happened over there.
The only place
that leads is premeditation
and a m*rder conviction.
Okay, then what's our plan B?
Plan B is...
plan A... PTSD.
We need to find a new expert
who can get up there and testify.
Let these jurors know what it's like
to have a dissociative experience.
But a new expert is not gonna
understand Bly's history.
Which is why it is more
important than ever that we find
somebody from Bly's past
who has witnessed
one of these PTSD events.
How's Danny coming with all that?
I don't think it's going well.
She hasn't even been
able to get on the base
to talk to Bly's fellow soldiers.
Well, she needs to figure out
a way to talk to them off base.
[g*nsh*t]
[EMPTY SHELLS CLANGING]
Damn. You're all right.
Where'd you learn to sh**t like that?
My dad.
He was in the Army and gone a lot.
When he was around,
I wanted to hang out with him.
If that meant learning
how to sh**t a g*n,
that's what I did.
You ever think of joining?
Thought about it.
My dad really struggled
when he got back.
PTSD, you know.
It happens.
I read it just happened over
at Fort Dryer.
One soldier sh*t another off base.
They're saying it's PTSD-related.
You know either of those guys?
Yeah, I knew both of them.
The, um, the sh**t, was it
Sergeant Bly, I think?
- You really think he had PTSD?
- Yeah.
He seemed pretty messed up
since his last deployment.
You ever see him have,
like, an episode or anything?
What are you asking about Bly for?
Just making conversation.
- You a cop or something?
- What?
You know Bly's trial's
going on right now.
You working for him?
For Bly?
Working for him...?
We got nothing to say to you, lady.
Come on.
Get her out of here.
Sorry, ma'am,
but you're gonna have to leave.
I'm just trying
to get some range time in.
You're upsetting my customers.
I'm just making friendly conversation.
This way.
Do you happen to know Sergeant Bly?
Friendly conversation, my ass.
Listen, the guy's on trial for his life.
I work for his defense team.
The Army won't let me on base
to talk to anyone, so...
Anyone on base talks about
Bly, they'll catch hell.
Yeah, but you're not from base.
Not anymore.
Retired.
Right, so no one can
give you hell anymore.
Bly liked to come here.
We talked sometimes.
Things weren't so easy for me
when I came home, either.
Did he ever talk to you about his PTSD?
Some. Yeah.
He had it pretty rough.
Bly said that he suffered
from, um, blackouts.
Did you ever see anything like that?
Last fall a group of us got
together in the park, for a birthday;
some kids were playing with bang snaps.
One of them threw a handful,
sounded like...
a*t*matic w*apon fire and...
Bly totally lost it.
Would you be willing to testify to that?
Don't need to.
I can show you.
- [LOUD POPPING]
- Take cover!
Did he just tackle a little boy?
Nearly broke the kid's arm.
CHUNK: Sergeant Bly, do
you have an explanation
for what we just saw in that video?
Ever since my second tour of duty,
I've suffered from severe PTSD.
I won't sleep for days.
If I do...
I get night terrors.
And I get bad panic att*cks sometimes.
If I get triggered,
like with the fireworks in that video,
I black out completely.
My psychiatrist says the official term
is a dissociative event.
And is that what happened
the night that you sh*t
Sergeant Wells?
Did you have a dissociative event?
BLY: Yes, sir.
My best guess is...
I was triggered by a car backfiring.
CHUNK: Sergeant Bly, did you have any
- animus toward Sergeant Wells?
- I think you should see this.
- Any reason to want him dead?
- No.
He was my friend.
Trish Wells testified earlier that...
that you and her husband were fighting
just days before he d*ed.
- Isn't that correct?
- We were arguing.
But we're friends.
Sometimes friends argue.
Look...
Nathan was more than a friend.
He was like a brother to me.
I had absolutely no desire to k*ll him.
Thank you, Sergeant Bly.
No further questions, Your Honor.
We are winning
some hearts and minds, Bull.
Let's see how well Sergeant Bly holds up
on cross before we pop the champagne.
Sergeant Bly, have you ever stayed
- at the Stone Valley Motel?
- CHUNK: Objection.
- Relevance?
- THOMAS: Your Honor,
I assure you this is relevant.
It'll take me just
a moment to get there.
Sergeant Bly,
you will answer the question.
I'm not sure.
I don't recall every...
- motel I've ever stayed in.
- Where is this going?
- I don't know.
- Let me see if I can jog your memory.
An article was published
on BANG Online today
stating that you were
a guest at Stone Valley Motel
on September of this year.
Did you stay the night at the motel?
[QUIETLY]: Yeah.
Uh, the court didn't hear you,
Sergeant Bly.
Yes. I was there.
Did a woman
spend the night in your room with you?
Yes.
Who was that woman?
[SIGHS]
Trish Wells.
THOMAS: You had an
affair with Trish Wells,
the wife of Sergeant Wells?
The man you claim
was like a brother to you?
I should've never let it happen.
When I came back from my last tour,
I was having a hard time.
I just needed someone to talk to.
Nathan was overseas.
Trish and I were there for each other.
THOMAS: Is that why
you k*lled Sergeant Wells,
so you could have his wife
- for yourself?
- CHUNK: Objection.
Inflammatory, Your Honor.
Overruled. Sergeant Bly will
answer the question.
BLY: No. We ended things months ago.
The sh**ting had
nothing to do with Trish.
Don't bring her into this.
Well, I didn't bring her
into this, Sergeant.
You did.
No further questions, Your Honor.
- Ask for a recess.
- CHUNK: Your Honor?
The defense requests a short recess
before we redirect.
ANNA: No, no, no,
he admitted it on the stand.
- All of it now. The whole thing.
- CHUNK: Anna!
- I need to talk to you.
- Yeah.
Now!
You'll have my copy by : .
Thanks, bye.
That was my editor, Dad.
I don't interrupt you
when you're in court.
You blindsided me in there.
That article you wrote
blew up our whole defense.
You could've given me a heads-up.
You didn't want me asking you
for favors,
but I'm supposed to tip you off
about a scoop?
It's called professional courtesy, Anna.
Church and state, remember?
You're just mad that I found
something that your team didn't.
When you didn't even think
I could handle this case.
I never said that.
You didn't have to.
Look, I didn't mean
to blow up your case.
I found a lead and I followed it.
All right, okay.
You want to be a professional?
I'm gonna treat you like one.
I'm adding you to our witness list.
What? Why?
Wait, no, if I'm on the witness list,
I-I'll be under a gag order.
I can't write my story!
Yeah, that's right.
Welcome to the big leagues.
Well, I think it would've
been better for us to know
that you were having an affair
with Sergeant Wells' wife
before we told the jury
you guys were best friends.
I should've told you.
I was ashamed.
Disgusted in myself.
And I didn't want,
I didn't want Trish's son
to find out after he'd already
lost his father.
Did Sergeant Wells find out?
- Is that why you guys were fighting?
- No.
He didn't know about me and Trish.
We were fighting
about Nathan doing another tour,
- like I told you.
- Are you sure that's it?
'Cause I can't defend you
if you don't tell me everything.
You don't have to defend me.
[SCOFFS]
I just want this to end.
Well, the trial's almost over,
and we have to get it right.
We're talking
about the rest of your life.
Trish has been through too much pain.
I'm not dragging her through more.
- What do you mean?
- I'm done.
That's it.
I'm pleading guilty.
You need to sit down and we
need to talk this through.
Take me back to the base.
BULL: Sergeant!
- Danny.
- You don't have to say it.
Chunk's kid totally
smoked me on that affair.
And she's barely off
her college newspaper.
Well, that is not what I was gonna say.
But... yeah,
I did not anticipate the affair, either.
So that is on me, but now...
Sergeant Bly...
wants to plead guilty.
I say let him.
If he k*lled his friend
to keep banging his wife,
he should go to jail.
If Bly k*lled Wells
so he could be with Trish,
why confess to the m*rder?
Why not have a better plan?
Well, murderers aren't
always that smart.
Or logical.
Well, that's true.
I don't understand Bly's
sudden desire to plead guilty.
I mean, he says
he doesn't want to put Trish
through any more pain.
The cat's already out
of the bag about the affair.
What more pain is there?
Maybe he's hiding something else.
I want to know
what Bly and Wells were really
fighting about in the driveway.
Maybe one of the neighbors
overheard them?
I'll check it out.
Thank you.
Kind of late to be caffeinating.
Well, I was just doing
a little research.
Trying to figure out a way
to stop that auction I told you about.
Oh, yeah. For the handsome
French art dealer who
saves the world's
cultural heritage in his free time.
- What?
- Just saying.
I get it. Henri's a little...
ooh-la-la.
Yeah. I may have a little crush.
You should ask him out.
I don't know.
Look, his gallery's my happy place.
It's where I go to escape sometimes.
If I ask him out...
it doesn't work out,
then I can't go back there.
Or maybe it does work out
and you can go to his gallery
all the time.
Or it doesn't work out and you
find a new gallery.
I mean, this is New York City,
after all.
[LAUGHS] Right now I just want
another sh*t at that smug auctioneer.
I can't let that guy win.
Good morning.
Welcome back.
You pass the bar since
the last time we spoke?
I'd like to show you something.
A notice from the Cultural Ministry
of the Ivory Coast showing
that the Guro tribal mask
is in fact a stolen artifact.
That's not proof of provenance.
I told you, until I get
the provenance, I'm not removing
the piece from auction.
MARISSA: Oh, sorry,
I wasn't being clear.
This notice isn't for you.
I'm sending it to all of the buyers
registered to attend today's auction.
Good luck with that.
My client list is confidential.
- She has the list.
- Yeah. I bet.
Right next to your fake law degree.
It's true, I'm not a lawyer.
But I am very resourceful.
Yeah. [EXHALES]
Stolen antiquities make buyers nervous.
Fewer buyers means lower bids on...
everything.
It's your choice, Mr. Ratliff.
You can remove the mask
from the auction,
or I can hit send.
Wait.
[KNOCKING]
- Morning.
- You got something?
I'm not sure. I couldn't
find any neighbors
who saw the fight, but
there's a guy who lives
across the street that let me go
through his security camera footage.
- Did it get the fight?
- Yeah.
But there was no audio,
so not very helpful, but...
there was something else.
Two weeks before Wells d*ed,
the camera caught this.
That's Bly, pulling Wells
out of his garage.
- He's giving him CPR.
- Yep.
Why would you try
and save your friend's life,
only to k*ll him two weeks later?
Get me the M.E.'s report on Wells.
[KNOCKS]
Hey, Vic.
Jason.
I was gonna call, but...
I thought maybe you wouldn't answer it.
I need your help.
Nothing's changed, I can't testify.
I don't want you to.
Bly lied.
And we both missed it.
What are you talking about?
You said the Army stigmatizes soldiers
who seek treatment for PTSD?
Not officially, but yes.
I suspect there are a lot
of soldiers who don't report
their PTSD even if they have symptoms.
More than I'd like
to think about. [SIGHS]
Where are you going with this?
I took another look
at Wells' M.E. report.
His organs... Heart, liver,
lung... they were all cherry red.
Which is consistent with
exposure to high levels
of carbon monoxide. Say,
if you wanted to k*ll yourself
in your garage with car exhaust.
Wells didn't die
from carbon monoxide poisoning.
No, he did not.
But he also didn't have any
defensive wounds on his body.
Now how would Sergeant Bly
have been able to take a g*n
away from a trained soldier
without leaving any marks?
What do you need my help with?
We need to get Bly to tell us the truth
about what really happened that night.
I'm here.
Not that I had a choice.
What's this about?
Well, I wanted to...
talk to you about this
guilty plea you want
to file... I've got
some problems with it.
Yeah, like what?
I don't believe you're guilty, for one.
I don't care.
If you won't do it,
I'll get another lawyer...
Sergeant?
What do you hear?
Listen.
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
What is that, birds?
Squirrels? Do you hear any cars?
I sure don't.
BULL: No, I don't hear any cars
because there are
no cars anywhere near here.
So how do you get
triggered by a backfiring car?
[SCOFFS] Doesn't matter.
It matters if there
was no car backfiring.
It matters if Wells had
no defensive wounds.
Your story's starting
to fall apart, Sergeant.
Yeah, I know what happened!
Wells also had PTSD, didn't he?
He was suffering badly and you knew it?
That's why he tried to k*ll himself
in the garage that night.
And we know
that you saved him.
Carter.
You did everything you could for Wells.
You could not have done anything more.
But you can help
your brothers and sisters.
The ones who are suffering
just like Wells did
and are afraid to say anything.
The truth is a powerful thing, Sergeant.
Tell the truth about Wells.
Talk about what happens
if you don't get treatment.
I didn't help Nathan.
I couldn't.
He was struggling...
so much.
- Just listen to what I'm saying.
- I won't do it.
I'll walk you in myself.
- No!
- Nathan, you need help.
What I need is to get the hell
out of here and redeploy.
- Why do you want to go back?
- It's easier over there.
It feels, uh...
- normal.
- Another tour's
only gonna make things worse.
Things can't get any worse!
- I got to tell Trish.
- No.
About you needing help,
about the garage.
- Don't, man.
- She needs to know.
- She deserves to know.
- Come on.
Come on, I can't have
my wife knowing about this.
Thinking I'm weak. Thinking I'm...
I'm some problem.
I don't want to talk about this anymore.
[EXCLAIMS]
Hey, uh...
Let's just hang.
Yeah?
Let's just hang.
- All right.
- All right.
Want to go to the truck
and grab some more beers?
Yeah, sure.
- [g*nsh*t]
- [GASPS]
Nathan!
Nathan was a hero.
I didn't want his su1c1de
to take away from that.
To tarnish his memory for Trish.
For his son.
[CRYING]
So you confessed to a m*rder
that didn't occur?
Nathan was my best friend
and I betrayed him.
[SNIFFLES] He didn't know.
But I knew.
And my life...
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY]
I don't have much to be proud of.
Nothing to look forward to.
Especially now that
Nathan's not here anymore.
[CRYING]
This was just, um...
[SNIFFLING]
I was just trying to make things right.
[SNIFFLES]
No further questions, Your Honor.
Has the jury reached a verdict?
JUROR: We have, Your Honor.
In The State of New York
v. Sergeant Carter Bly,
we the jury find the defendant...
...not guilty.
[EXHALES]
NAUMANN: My thanks
to the jury for their service.
This court is adjourned.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
Thank you.
It's my pleasure.
Excuse me.
Congratulations, Sergeant.
And you, too, Jason.
Well, you guys didn't make it
easy, but we got there.
Why did you not tell me?
I should have known.
I didn't know how to.
No, don't-don't say that.
How did I not know
he was so broken?
[CRYING]: How did I not...?
[SOBBING]
Anna, hold up, hey.
Oh, am I allowed to speak now?
Has the gag order lifted?
I'm sorry. I shouldn't have
put you on the witness list.
That was petty.
Yeah. It was.
I was annoyed.
You showed up your old man.
And, yeah, maybe you were right,
maybe I wasn't ready
to see you do your thing.
Clearly I was wrong, and that's on me.
So...
can I make it up to you?
Can I buy you something to eat?
I get to choose the restaurant?
Of course.
Okay.
So...
have you given any thought
to maybe covering sports?
'Cause I don't want to do this
kind of thing any time soon.
[LAUGHS] I hate sports.
But you feel free to cover
all the boring cases.
That way I won't feel
tempted to write about them.
[LAUGHS]
We both know that's not gonna happen.
- [LAUGHS]
- [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Come on.
[KNOCKING]
Hey... you have a visitor.
- HENRI: I hope I'm not disturbing you.
- No... [STAMMERS]
Of course not. Come in.
Well, um... it was nice to meet you.
And you.
- Uh, to what do I owe the pleasure?
- Um...
I-I brought you something
as a thank-you.
- Oh.
- The provenance documents
finally arrived.
And the mask is on its way back
to the Ivory Coast.
That is wonderful news.
Oh.
It's beautiful.
I don't recognize it from your gallery.
No, no, no, it's not from my gallery.
It's, um, this is, uh, from me.
You paint?
- I had no idea.
- We mustn't reveal
all our secrets at once.
- Henri?
- Hmm?
Would you like to go
to dinner with me sometime?
To share more secrets?
I might need a bit of wine before that.
[CLEARS THROAT]
TAGGART: Word came down today.
Bly's getting an Other
Than Honorable discharge.
For lying.
That sounds a bit harsh.
I understand why it seems that way.
And I understand why they did it.
Really?
There's a code.
You follow it or leave. That's the deal.
[SIGHS]
You know, Vic,
sometimes I think you give a...
little bit too much to this thing.
I get that.
But sometimes the people
inside this thing
think the people outside
don't give enough.
Ah, point taken.
- Two worlds.
- [BUGLE PLAYING]
Two worlds.