Accused (2023–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Scott's Story - full transcript

- What would you tell your
son if he was still alive?

- What would you tell your
son if he was still alive?

Murderer!

- It's just a paintball.

It's just a paintball.

Tell the judge my client
needs 15 minutes to clean up.

- Murderer!

- Now, I was concerned
that the tumour

crossed over to the
left side of your brain.

The good news is it's an edema:

a swelling of the tissue.
It's not cancer cells.



So we should be able to remove
the tumour with clear margins.

- All of it?

- All of it.
- Thank God.

- You're gonna do
great, Myranda.

You have an amazing daughter.

That's my wife. Excuse me.

- Thank you, doctor.

- Hey, Lynn, I'm
with a patient, so...

- I'm on my way to see the
principal at Devin's school.

Could you meet me there
as soon as possible?

- Okay. I'll be there
in about 15 minutes.

Where's your mother?

- Thank God you're here.

- Are you okay?
- No, I'm not okay.



I'm the opposite of okay.

It's Sabrina Kavanaugh, the
girl who's been bullying Devin.

- Mrs. Harmon, this isn't
about assigning blame.

- Well, maybe it should be.

I called you about
this two weeks ago.

Have you even asked Devin about how she
and her friends have been provoking him?

Did you see what they
did to his locker?

- Whatever may have
triggered Devin,

he threatened another
student's life.

This was posted on three
social media platforms.

Sabrina's family hired
a private security firm

that traced it to
Devin's IP address.

- This is... This
is a lot to take in.

I'm not quite sure
how to react to this.

- It would help our
assessment if you can tell us

about any disturbing
behaviour you may...

- Assessment?

I'm sorry, what
kind of assessment?

- This isn't the first time Devin's
behaviour has raised a flag.

- So you're... expelling him.

Right? I mean, that's where
this is going, isn't it?

- Mrs. Harmon...
- We'll save you the trouble.

- Lynn.
- No. We're gonna pull Devin

out of school.
- Lynn...

We can at least hear them out.

- Are you coming?

That is such great news, Meghan.

- I'm glad.
- Yeah. No, that school just

wasn't the right fit for him.
- Right.

- And I can't tell you how
much we all appreciate this.

- Well, we're looking
forward to it.

- Okay, great. We'll
see you Wednesday.

- Alright then.
- Thank you.

Well, Bellevista
Academy can take Devin

as a mid-semester transfer.

Hey, Devin, how does that sound?

Dev, did you hear me?

- Yeah. We're in the same car.

It's sort of impossible not to.

- You have an
interview on Wednesday,

but it's just a formality.

- Am I the only one who thinks

we need to talk
about what happened?

What you were thinking when
you threatened that girl?

- What was I thinking?
- Yes!

- I guess I was thinking
she's a stuck-up bitch

who deserves whatever
happens to her.

- Oh! Oh! I am so
sorry, so sorry.

Okay! Okay! Come on, let's
go.

Bandit, Bandit!

The gate was opened. Oh...
I'm so sorry. So sorry.

- Devin!

Devin!

- Just give him
some space. Okay?

Devin, roll the
ball back to Mommy.

Roll the ball to me

and I promise I'll roll
it right back to you.

Roll the ball.
- How come Devin never listens?

- Well, he just, you know, likes
to take his time. That's all.

- Or maybe he's broken.

- Alex, don't say that.

Don't you ever say that again.

Come on, just roll it to Mommy.

Scott, are you filming?
Shut the thing off! Okay?

Is this your pirate ship?

- You can't come in.

- Oh! Is this where
you hide your booty?

- It's where I
keep my prisoners.

- Can I see?

Just one peek. Hey, ow!

Devin, that hurts.

- It's my prisoner.
- Hey!

Let me see. Oh!

Oh, honey, you can't
keep animals like this.

- It can't leave,
it's my prisoner.

- But...

Devin...

Stop!

Stop! Devin...

- It can't leave.
It's my prisoner.

- Maybe he's broken.

- Oh. I'm just reading
up on Bellevista.

Student faculty ratio, course
selection... It's incredible.

We should have moved
Devin a year ago.

- Switching schools isn't
gonna fix this, Lynn.

He's getting worse, not better.

- Maybe we could send
him back to Dr. Liu.

You know, he's older now,
he might be more responsive.

- No.

He's already burned
through three psychiatrists

in two years. He's made it
very clear he's not going back.

But it's more than that.

What happened today has been
happening since he was born.

You know how Alex would
always be so upset

if someone was hurt or sad?

Devin's never had
that kind of empathy.

But it's more than that.

- Maybe the problem is
you keep comparing them.

- No.
- No, no. Devin senses that.

You know, the way you're
always measuring him up

against his older
brother. It's not fair.

- I think he's dangerous, Lynn.

- You need to get some sleep.

You've got surgery
in the morning.

- Lynn.

Lynn, I'm worried.
I'm really worried.

- What, you think I'm
not? I'm his mother.

- He spends every day and
every night in that room of his

doing God knows what.
He's got no friends.

I never know what's on his mind.

I don't know what he's
thinking or feeling.

- Maybe you should talk to him.

Okay? Maybe if you spent a
little more time with him

and less with your patients...

- Oh, please, don't
make this about me.

- But every time you decide
to pay attention to him,

you start to catastrophize.
- Every time you make excuses

and point fingers
at everyone else.

- Because I'm the one he
comes to when he's crying

when he's terrified
of these cruel kids!

- Judge is ready.

- You okay?

- All rise. Court
is now in session.

- Please.

Good morning, ladies
and gentlemen.

This preliminary hearing
is being convened

at the request of the
District Attorney's Office.

From the evidence
presented here today,

I will determine whether or
not to compel the defendant,

Dr. Scott Harmon, to stand
trial in criminal court.

Are both sides ready?

- Ready for the
People, Your Honour.

- Ready for the
defense, Your Honour.

- Prosecution may call
its first witness.

- Just ignore them. Don't
give them the satisfaction.

- Oh, hey.

You're up early.

- Technically, I
haven't gone to bed.

Sounded like you and
Mom had a rough night.

- Well, we were just
working through some stuff.

- How'd that go for you?

- Your brother's
coming home on Friday.

Maybe the two of you
can get together,

talk about what's been going on.

- So we can... work
things through?

Like you and Mom.

- Bandit!

Come!
- Geez.

Someone should
put that dog down.

Bandit, let's go.

- I need a better view,
Nadine. Thank you.

- We're lucky we caught
this thing when we did.

If we had waited for symptoms,
it would've crossed the midline.

- We're getting
bleeding in the field.

Isolate the source.

I think Nadine tore
a branch of the ACA.

- I'll take a look.

- I'm sorry, you asked
me to widen the field...

- Step out of the way and
let Dr. Becker step in

so I can see what
I'm doing, please.

- We're good.

It's all good, it's good.

It's not the ACA,
it's the tumour.

Ah, we're all good, Nadine.

You wanna tell me what
that was all about?

It's the first time in 27 years

I've seen you snap
at someone in the OR.

- I'll speak to her.

- You sure there's nothing else?

Because that didn't
come out of the blue.

- I had a rough night.

- Devin?

What happened this time?

- Honestly, I'm a
little talked out.

I'll speak to Nadine.

- Scott...
- I'm okay.

- Tell me, Dr. Becker...

Do you consider
Dr. Harmon a close friend?

- Yes, he's one of my closest.

- Describe your
professional relationship.

- Dr. Harmon is one of the
most gifted neurosurgeons

I've had the privilege
to work with.

- Did Dr. Harmon

ever mention the prospect
of Devin's death?

- What Dr. Harmon and I shared
was private and speculative.

- It's a simple question.

Did Dr. Harmon ever discuss the
prospect of his son's death?

Let me remind you,
you're under oath.

- Hey! Great timing, Al.

- Hey, Dad! I just heard back
from the Fulbright people.

- And?

- I got it.
- The scholarship?

- Don't sound so surprised.
- I'm not, I'm just...

I'm just so proud of you, Alex.

Except I hate the idea
of you living for a year

in a country I can't
point out on a map.

I'll give you a clue.

It's in Africa, between
Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

Dad?

Dad?

- Oh, say that again?

- How about I just show you this
weekend when I'm home. Alright?

I'll get in at 3:15, but you
don't have to pick me up.

- Of course I'm
gonna pick you up.

I've gotta run, a patient
wants to speak to me.

I'll see you on Friday.
- Okay. Bye, Dad.

- So how close are
we on the money?

- I got 3000.

We're short seven.

- I can do the math,
moron, I'll get the money.

- I gotta go.

- I knocked. Who
were you talking to?

- A friend.

- Your friend have a name?
- Jax.

- Where's Jax from?
- The internet.

- Oh. I heard you two
talking about money.

- Yeah. It's an investment.

- Crypto or...

- Since when do you
care who my friends are

or what I do with them?

- I'm your father,
of course I care.

Look, if you don't want to
talk to me, that's fine,

but we have to find you
someone you can speak to.

- About what?

- Well, this, for starters.

Was this you?

It's a simple question, Dev.

- What are you
asking me exactly?

If I fed that dog a
wad of ground beef

laced with rat poison before I
bashed its skull in with a hammer?

- Did you?

- If I did, you should be thanking
me for the peace and quiet.

No more yap, yap, yap.

- We're not done here. Hey!

Devin
just ran out of the house.

He said you accused him of
killing the neighbour's dog.

My God, Scott, he's not the one
who needs help here. You are!

- Read this.

- This is uh...

the girl from Devin's
school, Sabrina Kavanaugh.

- Yeah.

No one
listens to anyone.

They just want to hear their
own stupid copycat voices

copying each other on
an endless loop, 24-7.

I'm special because
I know who I am

and I know what I want.

Not like all the
Stacys and the Chads

who walk around like insects,

clueless that my boot is
right over their heads

ready to come down
whenever I choose.

I remember everyone who's
ever tried to hurt me.

Especially you, Sabrina.

You think I didn't see
you laughing at me?

Well, let's see if you're
laughing when I wipe you

and your bitches' coven off
the face of planet Earth.

Because Zero Hour
is almost here.

And I will take the
respect I deserve.

- I can't stop
shaking right now.

- It's okay.

It's okay. I'm here.

It's okay.
- Oh God.

Scott, I'm so sorry.
- No, no, no.

- I'm so sorry.
- Shh.

Well,
that's a new one.

Drinking while
dialyzing.

Or is it dialyzing
while drinking?

Either way, I doubt your
nephrologist would approve.

- I've got stage four renal
failure, so I ask myself:

What the hell do I have to lose?

If I'd known you were coming,

I'd have brought another glass.

- I just wanted to let you know
that Nadine accepted my apology,

so we're all good.

- Oh. I have a funny feeling

you didn't come here just
to talk about Nadine.

- I don't want to burden you.

- I assume we're
talking about Devin.

- He's getting ready,
Mitch. To do something bad.

- What do you mean,
"something bad"?

- I found a journal that he
keeps hidden in his room.

Before I put it
back, I took these.

I don't know what to do.

I can't tell him that
I searched his room,

it'll destroy what little
trust we have between us.

And he refuses to
see a therapist.

- Where's Lynn in all this?

- We're on the
same page. Finally.

Not that either of us have
a clue how to handle this.

- What about the police?

This is enough to get
an involuntary hold.

- 72 hours max.

And that's only if Devin submits
to a psychological evaluation,

which he will not do.

- Look, there's gotta be
something they can do.

- Like what?

They can't arrest him for a
crime he hasn't committed.

The idea of Devin hurting
himself is horrifying enough.

But what if he
hurts someone else?

What if he does
what I'm afraid of?

What...

My gut tells me that he will do.

Sometimes...

And this is gonna sound awful...

Sometimes...

I imagine that I
get this phone call

that Devin's been killed
in a car accident.

And I keep waiting for this
primal grief to hit me.

But instead,

I just have this
overwhelming relief.

- Dr. Becker, as
neurosurgeons,

you're used to making
hard decisions.

Choosing the lesser
of two bad choices.

- This is true.

- Can you give me an example?

- To remove a tumour, we have
to take into consideration

the patient's life
being compromised

by paralysis or some
other cognitive deficit.

- Over the years you've
known each other,

has Dr. Harmon shared
Devin's problems with you?

- He's my friend.

- Did Dr. Harmon share his
fear that Devin was planning

to commit mass murder?

- No. Not explicitly.
- But essentially.

- Yes.

- Did he also share
what happened when

he took his concerns
to the police?

- He was frustrated that they
wouldn't do anything about it.

- So Dr. Harmon was...

convinced that he needed
to do something himself.

Before Devin could
execute his plan.

Earlier, you described
the "cold calculus"

of your profession, of having to
make the lesser of two bad choices,

so let me ask you...

Did Dr. Harmon ever
share the cold calculus

of killing his own son before
his son could kill anyone else?

Specifically,

did Dr. Harmon share
his plan to take his son

to Deep Gorge to murder him?

- Hey, Dev.

Been waiting for you.

Where have you been?

- Looking for stray dogs.

- I'm sorry, Devin.

That was an awful thing for
me to say and I'm sorry.

- Whatever.
- Listen...

I've been waiting here to
talk to you for an hour

before your mother
comes home, just us.

- What, do you wanna
talk heart to heart?

Man to man? Father to son?

- Just give me a minute of
your attention. That's all.

Just one minute.

Look...

Whatever trouble you've
had over the years...

I haven't helped.

We can't start over, I get that.

But maybe we can try to deal
with each other differently.

I was hoping that
maybe we could start

by spending more
time alone together.

You know, not with a therapist
in a therapist's office, or...

Somewhere away from here.

Do you remember the State Park

that I once took you
and Alex camping in?

We went hiking up to Deep Gorge.

Do you remember that?

- No.

- Well, it's a beautiful place.

I think you'd really like it.

- That's pretty challenging,

especially considering the
weather this time of year.

- We have all this winter
gear that we've barely used.

- I still can't believe Devin
actually agreed to go with you.

- Well, he didn't
exactly jump up and down.

- Yeah, but he said yes.

- Well, I gave him an incentive.

Before we had our
blowout, I overheard him

talking to one of his
friends about this investment

that they need some money for.
- So you bribed him.

Not that that matters.

The fact that you got through
to him at all, Scott...

Thank you.

For not giving up on him.

Be careful out there.

- It's getting cold.

I'm freezing.

How much longer?

- We're still a couple of
hours away from the Gorge.

I remember the last time we
were here, I promised you

if you got tired I'd carry
you the rest of the way.

I guess the expiration date on
that promise has passed, eh?

- Can't we just camp here and hike
the rest of the way in the morning?

- Yeah, there's a spot
we can camp up ahead.

- Try this.

- Thanks.

We should get some sleep.

- What about the money?

The investment with my friend?
You said we could go over it.

- It's getting late, we
can talk about it tomorrow.

- It's like, not even nine.

- We've had a long day.

- Why are you trying
to force me to sleep?

You go to sleep.

Whatever.

Is it time?

- Yeah. It's time.

- I... I just
realized something.

- What?

- Alex was supposed
to come home today.

- I told him to come next week.

Right now, you're the priority.

- Emergency?

- Nothing that can't wait.

- Now I remember this place.

I remember wondering what it would
be like to push Alex over the side.

- What are you doing?

- Shouldn't I be
the one asking you?

- Devin...

- I know you found my book.

You read what I wrote.

Did you ever think that maybe
I wanted you to read it?

- Why?

- So you'd know how angry I was.

How angry I am.

And don't say I should have
talked to you about it,

because that's never worked
for either of us, has it?

- What should we do?

- All I know is that I don't
want to feel like this anymore.

Look, there is no
investment. I just...

made that up because I...

knew you wouldn't
understand the real reason.

- Try me.

- That stupid school that
Mom wants me to go to,

I can't go there. I can't.

- I was talking to my friend Jax
about the situation and he...

He said I could go with him on
this trip that he's got planned.

- What trip?
- Iceland.

For two months.

He's got the whole
thing figured out.

Where we'll go, how
much it'll cost.

It's all right here.

That's why I wanted to talk
to you about it yesterday.

I was thinking that
maybe if I go with him,

when I come back,

I could see somebody.
That's what the money's for.

A way to maybe stop feeling
so mad all the time.

- Hey! Welcome home!

Uh... So, how was it?

- It was good. It
was really good.

- Oh.
- Should I help you unpack?

- No, you go inside.

You're tired.
- I'm okay.

- The ground was
hard, it was cold,

you need some
real sleep. Go on.

- You sure?
- Yeah.

- Thanks, Dad.

Goodnight, Mom.
- Oh yeah.

Goodnight.

Is that our son?

- I know, right?

Oh...

- What? What's wrong?

- I tried calling to tell you.

Our neighbour
found her dog.

Devin didn't do anything.

And it kills me to think that we
let ourselves believe that he did.

You know?

Okay, tell me everything.

- Well, we got to talking.

He's... he's open
to getting help.

- Oh, that's incredible.

Go back, I need details.

- Let me unpack first and I'll
tell you everything inside.

Okay.

- No reasonable person
can deny that Dr. Harmon's

was a difficult situation.

An impossible situation.

But we're not here today to second-guess
what he didn't do, or should have done.

We're here because of
what he actually did.

So I'd like to call my
next witness to the stand.

Please state your
name for the court.

- Jasper Sind.

- Is that what Devin called you?

- No. He knew me by
my gaming handle.

Jax.

- Sir?
- Oh, I'm sorry. Thank you.

- Hey. I've been
looking for you.

Myranda Chang is coming in
at noon for a follow-up CT,

I figured you'd want
to debrief the parents.

- Sure. When it's good news,
it's good to be the messenger.

- You know, I barely
saw you this week.

You're not avoiding me, are you?

- Actually, everything's good.

- Really?

- Things are okay.

- Hey, I'm glad.

- Come on, I'll
tell you about...

- Let me grab a coffee,
I'll be right over.

- We just want him to
care about something,

do something productive.

- Who's this friend?

- He met him through
his online video gaming.

- Oh...

- Baby steps, right?

Before last week, I didn't
know he had a friend.

It's not like I just wrote him
a blank cheque and that's that.

I mean, he promised to see a
therapist when he gets back.

He's interviewing a bunch
of them before he... leaves.

We do have
reports that the shooter

has barricaded himself
inside one of the classrooms.

This is a live situation.

We will keep bringing you
updates as they come in.

- Parent or guardian, park
over there and check in.

Otherwise, you need to turn around.
- I'm Scott Harmon.

- Park here and come with me.

This way, sir.

- Dr. Harmon, this
is Captain Kramer,

the chief hostage negotiator.

- Your son's barricaded
himself in a classroom

with eight hostages.

He wants to talk to you.

Just listen and let him talk.

- Devin.

- Hey, Dad.

- Devin, let them go.

You're not my father anymore.

Not that you ever were.

You really believed that I
bought into all that crap

up at Deep Gorge?

About wanting to help
me through my anger?

You brought me up
there to kill me.

And don't deny it,

we both know that it's true.

The one thing that I
don't understand is...

why you didn't go
through with it.

- You're my son.

- I guess you should've done it
when you had the chance because...

I couldn't have
done it without you.

- If Dr. Harmon hadn't
given Devin $10,000,

would you and he have been
able to carry out the shooting?

- Not a chance.

- Tell us what you bought with
the money Dr. Harmon sent you.

- Two AR-15s.

Three M&P 9 mm 2.0.

Two Kevlar vests.

Smoke bombs, 5-inch fixed
blade hunting knife.

Ten boxes of the 5.56
mil spec cartridges.

- Did Dr. Harmon ever contact
you before he sent the money?

- Never.

- Why do you suppose he'd
let his son go to Iceland

with someone he'd
never even spoken to?

Yeah, see, that's...

that's the thing. Devin...

Devin never thought that his
father actually believed his story.

He told me that his
father hated him

and that he'd pay pretty much
anything to make him disappear.

- That's all,
Mr. Sind. Thank you.

Your Honour,

Scott Harmon knew his son was
planning to commit mass murder.

He had read all about it.

Did Dr. Harmon stop
his son? Get him help?

Intervene? No.

He wrote a cheque.

Essentially arming his son with the
weapons he used to murder seven students,

grievously wound a dozen others

and permanently traumatize
an entire community.

Other peoples' children are dead

because of Scott
Harmon's complicity.

Now, Dr. Harmon may
claim wishful thinking.

He may claim denial.

But he knew what his
son was planning.

He was certain enough to
plan killing Devin himself.

But when he lost his nerve and
couldn't go through with it,

Dr. Harmon paid off his son,

knowing full well what he
would do with that money.

If that isn't complicity,
I don't know what is.

- The District Attorney has
made a compelling argument.

In the end, however,

her interpretation of
the law is an overreach.

Rather than simply having
some speculative knowledge,

the defendant needs to have
taken a more direct role,

either by encouraging
or planning

or in some way assisting the
crime with specific intent.

Dr. Harmon's behaviour
may have been negligent,

but it wasn't criminal.

Prosecution's argument
doesn't rise to legal standard

of his having been accessory
to a felony before the fact.

The defendant, therefore, is
remanded into his own custody.

- Congratulations, Scott.

- Al...

- Is it true?

Did you take Devin upstate...

to kill him?

I wish you'd done it.

Difuze