Better Call Saul (2015–…): Season 3, Episode 5 - Chicanery - full transcript

Found a phone!

It looks like it's from 1967,
but I think it'll work.

Just a sec, Jimmy.

Excellent.
Thank you for being so careful.

-Sir.
-Hmm?

-We have to get in your attic.
-For what?

Oh, the hook-up.

Oh, no. That's all right.
Don't bother.

Oh, it won't
take 20 minutes.

Plus, you really can't use it
if I don't do it.

No, it's all right.
We're not gonna.



Uh, when you're
done here,

would you get some more lamps
in the garage?

Thanks.

-So, we got a phone.
-Yeah.

The yard's half-mowed.

Uh, the sockets and stuff
are looking a-ok.

I'm gonna check again
just to make sure.

We're almost there.

Good.
Good.

Um, what do you think?

On? Off?

Ohh.
I think...Off.

Yeah. You're right.
Off it is.

-Chuck.
-Hmm?



You sure this is
the right play?

I mean, in my experience,

the bigger the lie,
the harder it can be to dig out.

I'll cross that bridge
when I come to it.

Hey, guys, think we're set
with the lamps.

Uh, could someone give me a hand
with this phone? Gracias.

Mmm.

It's open!

Rebecca.

-Chuck.
-You look lovely.

- Oh, it's so good to see you.
- And you.

Oh.

Hey,
what's with the candles?

Why you sittin' here
in the dark?

Yeah, I was wondering
the same thing.

Oh, my god,
the afternoon I've had.

Two hours ago,
i take the sea bass out.

No sooner is it prepped
and resting

than -- boom! --
Power goes down.

I get on the phone
to the city.

To make a long story short,

those bozos at pnm
mixed up my payment.

The deadbeat
at 512 San Cristobal

hasn't been paying
his bills.

And, of course, I'm...

-215.
-215, exactly.

Mm-hmm. Mm.

They say they'll have it on
again by tomorrow.

In the meantime, I borrowed some
camping gear from my neighbors.

Hence, the rustic flair.

-Jeez.
-Oh, yeah.

So, what do we do?

Uh, get out of here
and go to a restaurant?

We could hit seasons.
Your treat.

We could, yeah.

But, um, you know,
dinner's almost ready.

And the fish -- I would have
just had to throw it out.

All I have to do is toss it
in a pan.

How about
we just rough it?

Huh?
You okay with that?

Uh, um...

Well...Why not?
It'll be fun.

We'll do
an haute-cuisine camp-out.

Great! Then it's settled.
Let me take that.

-Take your...
-Oh, yeah, here.

-Here, I'll take that.
-Oh, thank you. Mm-hmm.

-Mmm.
-Mmm.

Oh, my god.

I can't eat
another bite.

Cheers to
the galloping gourmet.

-Mm!
-Ah.

Yeah.

Mm.

The calvados
is perfect.

Mm.
You always liked it.

Here.

Uh, um.
Let me get this.

No, no, Jimmy.
You don't have to.

No, least I can do
is the dishes.
Oh.

Thank you.

Thanks, Jimmy.

This turned out better
than I thought.

Uh, I'm so...Sorry
about the lights.

Oh, it's nice.
Atmospheric.

I mean, I still can't get over
Jimmy being a lawyer.

Neither can I.

He's got his own shingle out
and everything.

I mean, a real,
responsible citizen.

I mean,
who woulda thought?

Yeah.

Mm.

This place
is the same.

I mean,
i-i would've thought you'd

Change things up.

Move things around.

You've got great taste.
And if it ain't broke...

How's the tour going?

It's good.
Good.

Um, the far east this fall.

Uh, China, south Korea,
and Vietnam.

That's gonna be exciting.
Yeah.

And then, um,
after Santa fe this week,

uh, we're back
to central Europe.

And it's good?

Well, it's a lot of hotels.
Yeah.

I mean, in Budapest,
i think I saw mostly

the inside of the concert hall
and the marriott.

But, you know,
i shouldn't complain.

You're not complaining.
You're observing.

Did you finally
get to see salzburg?

Not yet,
but next month, after Vienna.

Do you remember when we tried
to go to salzburg?

And that crazy old lady
on the scooter...

Oh, yes! Yes!
...Chased us out
of the train station.

Yeah!

And then, um --
and then we went and got, uh,

it was a-a-a raspberry
linzer torte in innsbruck?

Mm.
To make ourselves
feel better?

Mm. You said,
"we'll never finish this!"

And then we did.

So, what's after Asia?
Any plans for a stateside tour?

Oh, you know,
hopefully next year.

You know, maybe a residency.
Oh, that would be sweet.

I mean, you know,
i like the buses

and trains and planes fine,
but I, um...

I miss having one --
one place to hang my hat.

Oh, god!

I'm sorry.
I-i-i hate that thing.

I feel like I'm on a leash.
Ugh!

I'm sorry.

Oh.
Oh, it's my conductor.

Um, I have to take this.
I'm sorry.

H-hi, Andre.

No, I'm just at dinner.
What's up?

Well, I can do that
at rehearsal.

Yeah, no problem.
Yeah.

No, i-i know that they're
coming in late on bar 16.

Y-yeah.
Got it. Got it.

I will make sure that --

uh, c-c-can you hold on
a second?

Let me just get a pen.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.
No, i-i...

Yeah,
hold on one second.

Yeah, I can do it --
i mean, whatever you need.

Mm-hmm.
Okay.

All right, shoot.

Okay...

Chuck?

I'm all right.

Well, do you want me to rehearse
the cellists separately?

- Jimmy: Rebecca.
- Rebecca.

Well, no, it's not just him.
It's the whole section.

Rebecca!

Uh, no.

T-that's fine.

Yeah.

Chuck, what the hell?!

Andre?

I-i-i have to --
I'll have to call you back.

I'm sorry.

What is your problem?

Say something.

It is
incredibly bad manners

to answer a cellphone
in company.

It's very rude.

Uh, i-I'm sorry.

I-i didn't know
that you felt that way.

I...Didn't mean to offend you,
Chuck.

I-i may have overreacted.

That was very abrupt.

-No.
-Uh.

I understand.

Uh...

It's getting late.

Thank you
for a lovely dinner,

but I should be getting back
to the hotel.

Just gimme a minute,
and we can --

no. Uh, um,
I'll just get a cab.

I don't want to put you out
any more than I already --
please, let me.

No, really.

A cab is the easiest.

You gotta do somethin'.

Y-you can't let her leave
like this.

Just tell her
what's going on.

No. No.

She'll understand.

She'll -- would you rather
she think you're a raging prick

than know the truth?

No.

Look, if you won't tell her,
then I will.

No, no. No!

You will not tell her.

You...Will not tell her.

All right.

Hi, Andre.
Yes, I'm sorry about that.

I dropped the phone.

Caldera: Jesus.
What're you doing, man?

There's barely any oxygen
in that bag.

-You're suffocating her!
-"Her"?

Yeah, just because
you don't see swingin' dicks

doesn't mean you can't tell
a boy fish from a girl fish.

Oh, yeah, see.

Now I can see
the lipstick.

This is a living creature.
It's not a piece of furniture.

So, after this,
you take her home.

You put her in a big bowl,
at least a gallon.

Get a good bubbler,
maybe a plecostomus.

And don't feed her
too much.

People get fat.

Fish, they drown
in leftover food.

All right already,
Jacques cousteau.

Point made.

Good.

I'm guessing our friend
didn't refer you to me

to get
ichthyological advice.

I'm looking for someone
with a light touch.

I'm not talking some teenager
taking a five-finger discount

on string cheese
at the stop 'n' shop.

I need highly skilled,
high-end, discreet.

A real pro.

You gotta fit him
in a tight space?

I don't think so.

I got just the guy,
then.

That's why I say golfing
is a contact sport.

Great job, Ms. wexler.
Very refreshing.

Believe me, uh, we're happy
to get this one off the docket.

Not as happy
as we are.

Again, great job.

Thank you.
Thank you, sir.

Ladies,
dinner's on me.

Kim, I knew you were good, but i
didn't know you were this good.

Oh, I'm glad
you're happy.

We couldn't have done it
without you.

And I hope you realize
this means a whole lot
a work comin' your way.

Oh, that's --
that's great.

Well, you don't sound
like it's great.

I hate to be a buzzkill,

but there is something
you need to hear

before we get
any deeper in.

It's about your former attorney,
Charles mcgill.

What about him?

Charles has been making

some very ugly allegations
about his brother, Jimmy,

with whom I happen to share
an office space.

Allegations?
Of what?

Charles thinks that Jimmy

somehow took control
of your documents

while he was working on them
at his home.

He believes Jimmy transposed
the address numbers.

Transposed the numbers?

How would he
even do that?

Charles contends that Jimmy
took the documents

pertaining
to the rosella branch

and, while Charles
was indisposed,

photocopied
and doctored them.

That's pretty baroque.

The important thing here

is I think it could make
some noise in public.

Soon.

I wanted to tell you this in
the spirit of full disclosure.

I thought it was better
if you heard it from me.

If you have any reservations
at this point

or if you are not comfortable
staying with me,

we can discuss options.

If there's one thing
i cannot abide,

it's a man who won't
own up to his mistakes.

Now, whatever mud mcgill
is slinging he's not gonna

screw me out of the best
outside counsel I've ever had.

That's...

I'm so glad
to hear that.

We appreciate
the heads-up,

but you can call this baby
put to bed.

Now the most important thing --
dinner.

7:00 good for you?

-Uh, works for me.
-Great.

We'll talk strategy --

we move on Colorado
or Utah first?

See ya at 7:00.

This mcgill thing.

You're sure it's not
gonna be a problem?

I am.

Mesa verde isn't involved
in any way, shape, or form.

Okay. Good.

Then,
I'll see you tonight.

Okay, great.
See you then.

Alley:
Okay, this is it.

We can run without lights
and mics.

We'll collect all cellphones

and hold them for the duration
of your testimony.

The, uh, court reporter,
would it be possible

to move him or her farther
from the witness stand?

Um, yeah,
i think we can arrange

having them
in the back of the court.

I'm sorry. There's nothing
i can do about the exit signs.

It's code.

I appreciate
all you're doing.

Thank you.

Mr. alley, I wonder
if you'd give us a moment.

I'd like to go over something
with my colleague.

No problem. I'll be outside
when you're ready.

Howard?

How you feeling, Chuck?

I'll muddle through.

Because this is
a lot to ask.

And if you're not up to it --
just throwing this out there --

maybe you don't need
to testify at all.

No, I do.

I'm the only person
who can adequately explain

the context of that tape.

Otherwise, the defense'll
tear it to shreds.

It's already
a solid case.

We have Jimmy's statement from
the pre-prosecution diversion.

There's my testimony
and the private eye's.

Maybe there's no need to put you
through the wringer like this.

This isn't about me
or my health.

This is about PR.

We lost a client.

That happened because,
while you were...Incapacitated,

your brother
accessed documents

that should have been secured
at hhm.

What Jimmy did
is unconscionable, yes...

But one of my jobs is to
safeguard the firm's reputation.

This is not the time
to worry about how we look.

This is about what's right
and what's wrong.

I'm not gonna risk
Jimmy getting, what?

A year's suspension?
Maybe two?

He deserves disbarment,
not some slap on the wrist.

No, Howard.
There's only one way forward.

Let justice be done,
though the heavens fall.

Sorry to keep you waiting.
This'll do nicely.

Please extend my thanks to the
committee for their flexibility.

Alley: Good morning. I'm
Robert alley for the state bar.

In the matter
of James m. Mcgill,

the state bar intends to prove
the following violations

of the ethical code.

16-102 -- engaging in conduct
a lawyer knows is criminal.

Mr. mcgill certainly knew that
breaking down his brother's door

was criminal behavior.

16-804 -- committing a criminal
act that reflects adversely

on the lawyer's honesty
or trustworthiness as a lawyer.

Any reasonable person
would agree

that assaulting another lawyer
in his own home

reflects badly on Mr. mcgill's
fitness as an attorney.

16-304 -- unlawfully altering,
destroying,

or concealing material having
potential evidentiary value.

Mr. mcgill broke into
his brother's home

and destroyed an audiocassette

which contained a recording
of a conversation

between himself and his brother,
Charles mcgill.

We will show that this recording
was evidence

in an ongoing legal case.

The state bar believes that,

once we have presented
the facts,

the committee will agree
that disbarment is warranted

for James mcgill.

Thank you very much.

Thank you,
Mr. alley.

Ms. wexler?

Thank you, Mr. chairman.

Good morning.

I'm Kim wexler, co-counsel with
James mcgill, for the defense.

You've already read Mr. mcgill's
pre-prosecution statement.

We don't dispute he broke into
his brother's house,

an act he regrets...Deeply.

But there is another side
to this story.

One not about calculation
or ill intent,

but about about two brothers,

whose relationship,
after years of strain,

finally broke.

We believe that, after you
have the complete picture,

you'll understand
James mcgill is an asset

to our legal community.

And he should remain a full
member of it in good standing.

Thank you.

Thank you,
Ms. wexler.

Okay, if, uh, everyone's ready
to begin testimony...

Mr. alley,
call your witness.

Hamlin:
Bang! Bang! Bang!

Then he kicked down the door.

Jimmy was very agitated.
He was shouting.

He demanded Charles turn over

the evidence
he'd been collecting --
Kim: Objection.

We haven't established the tape
is "evidence" of anything.

The defense has only
acknowledged it as
a piece of property.

Uh, allow me
to rephrase.

Jimmy demanded an audiocassette
in Charles' possession,

which Jimmy proceeded,

with the help of
an iron fireplace implement,

to pry from Charles' desk.

He then broke the cassette
into pieces

and went on
to confront his brother.

What happened after the
defendant smashed this tape?

Mr. brightbill
and I --

that's the
private investigator

that Charles hired?

That's correct.

He and I were concerned that
Jimmy might strike his brother.

So that's when
we stepped in.

Thank you, Mr. Hamlin.
Certainly.

Nothing further
at this time.

Man: Ms. wexler?

Kim:
Thank you, Mr. chairman.

Torrent downloaded from RARBG

You testified you've known
my client for some time.

How long exactly?

Nearly 10 years.

How did you come
to know him?

His brother asked to hire him
in the mailroom at our firm.

And you did.
Yes.

What was your opinion
of him then?

I thought

He had a lot
of get-up-and-go.

He was a hard worker.

You had a nickname for him,
didn't you?

"Charlie hustle."

"Charlie hustle."

How'd you feel when you
found out he'd become a lawyer?

Surprised.

He'd put himself
through law school

and taken the bar exam without
telling any of the partners.

Even Charles.

He bootstrapped his way
into a law degree

while working
in your mailroom.

Did you consider taking him on
as an associate?

We did.

Briefly.

Sounds like
you didn't hire him.

Why not?
With that kind of grit.

The partners decided
it would be best

to avoid the appearance
of nepotism.

We felt hiring Jimmy
might damage morale.

Nepotism.

Your firm is "Hamlin, Hamlin,
and mcgill," right?

Who's the other Hamlin?

My father.

Which partner was the most
concerned with nepotism?

Charles mcgill.

So Jimmy's own brother
blocked him.

Alley: Objection.

How are the hiring practices
of Hamlin, Hamlin, mcgill

relevant here?

It's relevant
to understand

the relationship
between these brothers.

We'll, uh, give you some leeway,
Ms. wexler,

but don't stray
too far.

Charles mcgill is not
the subject of this hearing.

Thank you.

Did Jimmy know
his brother was the one

that prevented you
from hiring him?

Hamlin:
No. He did not.

Eventually, he was hired
by the firm of Davis & main.

I'd be happy to say more
about that, if you'd like.

No. Thank you.

When Charles' condition
appeared,

Jimmy took care of him,
didn't he?

I believe so.

Jimmy was struggling
to build his solo law practice,

and yet, every single day,
without fail,

he brought his brother food,
supplies --

even his favorite
newspapers.

-Isn't that right?
-He did.

Could you speak to the terms
of Charles' leave of absence?

You know I can't.

It was an fmla leave.
Anything more is confidential.

But you can confirm it was due
to mental illness, correct?

Objection! Charles mcgill's
mental health isn't at issue.

This is a smear job on the
state bar's upcoming witness --

nothing more.

This is not a competency
hearing, Ms. wexler.

Mr. Hamlin is not a
psychiatric professional.

Do you have any questions
that would be more germane

to his experience?

No.

I have nothing further.

The witness is excused.

Alley: At this time,
the state bar would like

to enter exhibit five
into evidence.

We ask that Charles mcgill's
recording be played.

I'm respectfully renewing
my objection.

The probative value
of playing this exhibit

is outweighed
by how prejudicial it is.

All due respect
to Ms. wexler,

but the state bar feels
this is fundamental to hear.

We don't want to leave
any question

as to the intentions
of both parties.

Ms. wexler, we already ruled
this was fair game

when we denied your motion
to suppress.

I'll add, the rough-and-tumble
of your client's conduct aside,

we need to know
whether one lawyer

attempted to tamper
with another's evidence.

Come here.

What are you still doing here?

Flight's delayed.

How delayed?

40 minutes,
last I checked.

Shit.
Okay. Keep me posted.

Alley: Um, yes.

Here we go.

Thank you
for your Patience.

The state bar
is ready to proceed.

Um, begging your pardon.

Um, the defense requests
a moment to review, if we could?

All right.

When you're ready.

Thank you,
Mr. chairman.

What are we doing?

We're stalling.

Yes. Yes.

My brother has many
admirable qualities.

I-in some ways,
i can say I admire him.

Too cold.

I love my brother.

But Ted kaczynski's brother
loved him, too.

And he wanted to help.

That's sanctimonious.

I love my brother.

He's a good person.
He has good in him.

But the law is too important.

Ah.

Be right there, Howard!

The law is too important.

Hmm...

Jimmy: I sure shit wouldn't
be tellin' ya otherwise.

But, yes...
It's the truth.

Chuck: You'd go to such lengths
to humiliate me?

I did it for Kim!

She worked her butt off
to get mesa verde

while you and Howard sat around
sipping scotch and chortling.

Hamlin, Hamlin, mcgill --
more like scrooge and Marley!

Kim deserves mesa verde --
not you, not hhm.

She earned it,
and she needs it!

I did it to help her,

but i-i honestly didn't think
it would hurt you so bad.

I thought you'd just say,
"oh, crap, I made a mistake,"

and go on with your life,
like a normal person!

But, oh, no!

Wishful thinking!

So, can I, uh,
tell Howard

you're not quitting
or retiring or whatever?

And can we take all this shit
down off the walls?

I'm gonna go call Howard.

Jimmy.

You do realize
you just confessed to a felony?

I guess.

But you feel better,
right?

Besides,
it's your word against mine.

Uh. Um.

All right, uh,
Mr. alley, uh,

we need to make accommodations
for your next witness.

Is that correct?

-Yes, Mr. chairman.
-All right.

For those who don't know,
we need to prepare the room.

Uh, the clerk is going to
collect your, uh, cellphones,

watches, key fobs --
anything electrical.

If you prefer not to,
please secure your items

outside this room.
Thank you.

Thank you
for understanding.

Your phone, sir?

I left it in the car.

-Oh. Excuse me.
-Sorry.

-That's yours.
-Thanks.

Please raise
your right hand.

Do you swear or affirm to tell
the truth, the whole truth,

and nothing
but the truth?

I do.

Could you state
your name?

Charles l. Mcgill.

I'm a senior partner at the law
firm of Hamlin, Hamlin, mcgill.

Can the court reporter
hear me?

Yes, sir.
I can hear you fine.

Mr. mcgill,
I'll try to be brief.

We don't need to dwell
on the burglary

or the assault
that you suffered.

Thank you.
I appreciate that.

Alley: What I would like
to hear about is this tape.

What compelled you
to make it?

I had a suspicion my brother
had tampered with documents

in a case
i was working on.

And why would he do that?

Doesn't sound
particularly brotherly.

I believe it was his hope
that the tainted documents

would cause the client
to become disillusioned

with my representation

and return to their previous
attorney, Ms. wexler.

Which, I should note,
is precisely what happened.

Objection.

I'm not saying Ms. wexler
knew what Jimmy was doing

or had any involvement.

I'm only stating
that it happened.

Did you have any evidence

to support your suspicions
about James?

No.
My brother,

whatever else can be said
of him, can be quite clever.

Did an excellent job
of covering his tracks.

Objection.

The witness has admitted there's
no corroborating evidence

this supposed crime
even occurred.

I'd like to hear
what he has to say.

We're going to
continue.

Uh, we'll extend you the same
latitude on cross, Ms. wexler.

Go on, Mr. mcgill.

Without
physical evidence,

I felt that
a recorded confession --

if I could get one --
was my best bet.

On its own, I knew the tape
would be somewhat flimsy,

but it was a start.

A foundation
for a more ironclad case.

I suppose that Jimmy
must have felt

the tape was decisive evidence
on its own.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have
broken in to destroy it.

Objection.
More speculation.

How can he know what was
going on in Jimmy's head?

Sustained. We just need to hear
what happened, Mr. mcgill.

Chuck:
I-i apologize.

I recorded my brother
to build a case against him.

Alley:
And at the time,

would you say that you were
in possession of your faculties?

All due respect, but --

but you do sound somewhat
unhinged on the recording.

Yes, I understand that.

But what you heard
was theater.

A performance,
play-acting.

I exaggerated the symptoms
of my disease

to extract the truth.

Can we talk about your disease
for a moment?

I'd like everybody here to be
on the same page about it.

Of course.

It is sometimes referred to
as ehs,

electromagnetic
hypersensitivity.

I describe it as an acute
allergy to electromagnetism.

It's not a common condition,
is it?

I know it sounds strange.
I do.

But 30 years ago, no one had
heard of peanut allergies.

But you admit
that no one --

uh, no doctor --
has ever diagnosed you.

Aids was not identified properly
until 1981.

HIV wasn't known as the cause
until '83.

These things take time
to unravel, even for doctors.

Would you say
that your illness

affects your ability
to think clearly?

No.
It affects me physically.

It causes me great pain.
However, I'm perfectly lucid.

Thank you.

Mr. mcgill, I have
only one more question for you.

Do you hate
your brother?

Absolutely not.

I love my brother.

There's nothing malicious
in Jimmy.

He has a way of doing
the worst things

for reasons
that sound almost noble.

But what I know for sure
is that the law

is too important
to be toyed with.

It's mankind's greatest
achievement -- the rule of law,

the idea that,
no matter who you are,

your actions
have consequences.

And the way my brother
treats the law --

It breaks my heart.

That's why I did what I did.

Not to hurt him, but to protect
something that I hold sacred.

Thank you, Mr. mcgill.

The state bar rests.

I think we need
to put on the brakes.

I'm sorry. My co-counsel and i
need a moment to confer.

Please be brief,
counselor.

Yes, of course.

She'll be here.

Do you have anything
for cross?

Uh, can I look
at your notes?

Yeah, of course.

Can we, um...

Yeah.

-Hey.
-Hey.

So glad you made it.

Mr. chairman, I'm sorry.

Um, might I have a moment, uh,
to get a breath?

Oh, of course,
Mr. mcgill.

Uh, folks,
let's call this 15.

Everybody, please be back
and ready to go on the hour.

-Rebecca.
-Chuck.

It's good to see you.

I have to say,
I'm a bit surprised.

Did Jimmy subpoena you?

You're not on the witness list.
You don't have to testify.

No, no, no, no.
I'm not here for that.

Well, what, then?

Chuck,
i wish you'd told me.

I-i can't believe what
you've been going through.

How long has it been?

Ah.

You're here to help.

Because all this
is so stressful for me.

Is that
what Jimmy told you?

He's worried about you, Chuck.

In spite of everything that's
happened between the two of you,

he -- he cares.

What exactly
did he say?

Um, well,
that you had been sick.

Allergic to electricity?

He sent me pictures
of the house.

Chuck, my god.

Why didn't you tell me?

I didn't want
to upset you.

Worry you
unnecessarily.

But now you're here.

And now you know.

I came because I thought
it was the right thing.

I thought -- I don't know --
that you'd want me to.

But I guess that I'm more
of a distraction.

So, uh...

I'm gonna be in town
for a few days,

and I would love
to spend some time with you.

But right now,
i-i think I should go.

No. No, no, please.
I want you to stay.

Really?
You don't seem happy to see me.

I am.

Just surprised,
that's all.

Please, stay.

Are you sure?

Yes, I'm sure.

You've been sold
a bill of goods, Rebecca.

I want you
to see what's what.

She's not
what I expected.

Oh, yeah?
What'd you expect?

I don't know.
Just...

Not her.

You know, she's gonna hate you
when this is over.

Yep.

All right,
uh, Mr. mcgill,

I'll remind you
you're still under oath.

I understand.

At this time, I'd like
to turn cross-examination over

to my co-counsel,
James mcgill.

Uh, well, there's been a lot
of fuss about it,

but you and I have never really
talked about this tape you made.

We lost the opportunity

when you burglarized my house
to destroy it.

Fair enough.

Um, and I was
in the wrong there.

But, still, I'd like
to try and follow your story

of why and how
you recorded it.

Oh, is this where you claim
the tape is spurious?

That it's not really
your voice?

No.
That's me on the tape.

But, still,
i have some questions.

Like, the recorder,

it must've hurt like hell
for you to touch that.

There was a degree
of discomfort, that's true.

And where
did you hide it?

I mean,
the sound's pretty clear,

so it wasn't in
the couch cushions, was it?

Tucked under a space blanket.
Out of sight.

Wow.

So there's no chance
i would see it.

Not with the state
your place was in.

Isn't that right?
I suppose.

Would you like to set the scene
for the disciplinary committee?

Tell them, you know,
what your house looked like

at the time
of the recording.

Objection.
Relevance?

Well, the circumstances
of the recording

are materially relevant.

How can you know
what the tape really means

unless you know what was
going on when it was recorded?

Overruled. The witness
can answer the question.

I covered most of the walls with
foil-scrim-kraft insulation.

I also hung a number
of space blankets.

Compact mylar sheets.

They insulate and protect

against mild
electromagnetic radiation.

All right, so, shiny
insulation and space blankets

all over the walls
and the ceiling.

It was like being
inside of a disco ball.

Do you have a point?

Well, um, I'm impressed

by how much work
went into entrapping me.

You went all out.

I didn't entrap you.

I provoked an admission
in adverse interest.

That's not
the same thing.

How did you know
it would work?

What do you mean?

How did you know your
"provocation" would work?

Why'd you think a bunch
of shiny plastic

would make me
say anything?

Isn't it because you knew
that it was precisely the thing

that would worry me
so much

that I'd say anything
to talk you down?

Objection.

Okay. Withdrawn.

Let's -- let's get back
to your house,

every surface
covered in tinfoil.

Nothing crazy
about that, huh?

As I've said,
i was playing up my condition.

Usually, it's
a perfectly normal house.

You think your house
is normal?

Can I call your attention
to exhibit nine?

This is your house,
right?

Yes.

So, exposed wires.

There's a camp stove.

There's a lantern
on top of newspapers.

You call this normal?

I call them adaptations.

A prophylactic measure for
a physical, medical condition.

Did the doctor who granted me
guardianship for you

think this was
a physical condition?

Objection.

You can't introduce a teg
as evidence.

Besides which,
the panel has already ruled

that Mr. mcgill's mental health
is not at issue.

No, the state bar opened
the door to this on direct

when the witness talked about
his supposed "play-acting."

Allowing me to follow up
on cross is only reasonable.

We discussed
the physical allergy,

not a mental disability.

Potato, po-tah-to.

It comes down to this --

in order to understand
what I was thinking,

you need to see Chuck
through my eyes.

You need to know if I believed
that tape was evidence.

And I say it was evidence
of only one thing --

my brother hates me.

Now, he claims that he lied to
me to get me to tell the truth.

And I'm telling you

I lied to my brother
to make him feel better.

Which of us you believe

depends on how we all understand
the mind of Charles mcgill.

Well, we did promise the defense
some leeway.

You may proceed.

-Thank you, Mr. chairman.
-But watch yourself.

Chuck, I'd like to go back
a little further,

talk about when these symptoms
first started.

It was shortly after you were
divorced, is that right?

Yes.

You think the stress of the
divorce brought on the illness?

I doubt it.
It was an amicable split.

My ex-wife and i
are still on good terms.

In fact, your ex-wife is present
with us today, is she not?

When was the last time
you two saw each other?

Objection.
This is not family court.

We're not here to re-litigate
the witness' divorce.

I can't see what purpose
this serves.

I can.

I'll tell you
why my brother

brought my ex-wife
to this hearing.

4,000 miles she came,
lured by concern for me.

What Jimmy's driving at
is the last time I saw her,

I covered up my illness.

I'd been suffering from it
for some time,

but I went to great lengths
to conceal that fact from her.

I'm sorry I deceived you,
Rebecca.

I didn't want you
to think less of me.

Now Jimmy has outed me
in front of you.

You know why?

To rattle me.

He knows I still have a...

Lot of,
feeling for my ex-wife.

He's hoping
this will break me down.

Split me apart
at the seams,

like a murderer confessing
on an episode of "Perry Mason."

Well, I'm sorry
to disappoint you, Jimmy.

Have I answered your questions
to your satisfaction?

Do you have
anything else?

Yeah, I do.

Earlier, you talked about
other diseases.

Physical conditions,
you said.

Uh, so, okay, if you'd had,
um -- I don't know --

lung cancer, would you
have told Rebecca then?

If that had been the case,
maybe.

I might have.

So how is this different?

Mr. mcgill.
Move it along.

You don't
have to answer that.

I want to get down
to brass tacks.

I want to be very,
very specific here.

This illness,
what does it feel like?

You mentioned
it's painful.

It is.

There's a tightness in my chest,
difficulty breathing,

and pain, burning pain.

The pain
spreads everywhere.

Sounds horrible.
Does it hurt right now?

There's always
some discomfort, yes.

Electricity is everywhere
in the modern world.

But I very much appreciate
the indulgence of the panel

for their accommodation
here today.

I can handle this fine.

Right, so, with the lights out,
you don't feel them?

Chuck: If the current's
not flowing, no.

Oh. Sorry about
the exit signs.

I guess they couldn't
kill those for you.

Well, they're not drawing much
current, and they're far away.

Intensity drops off
with distance,

per the inverse-square law.

Okay, whoa!

Inverse-square --
I'm not a physicist.

Could you dumb that down a shade
for me?

The farther away it is,

the stronger the source
needs to be to have an effect.

Got it.
Got it.

So, if I had a small battery,
say, from a watch or something,

and I got it close to you,
close to your skin, you'd know?

I would feel it, yes.

Can you feel more current

coming from any particular
direction right now?

Uh, from that back wall

or, uh, from over there

or up through the floor?

Can you tell us where
the nearest source is

right now?

Jimmy, do you have something
in your pocket?

Yes, I do,
as a matter of fact.

My cellphone.

From this distance, you should
feel it, and you don't, do you?

Mr. mcgill, you were warned to
leave your electronics outside.

It's all right.

It's all right.

May I?

Ah.

Just as I thought.
There's no battery in here.

You removed the battery.

That's a sorry
little trick, isn't it?

Yeah, you got me, Chuck.
Dead to rights.

I removed the battery.

-Objection.
-Sustained.

Y-you've taken all the leeway
you're getting, Mr. mcgill.

Wrap it up fast.

God, Jimmy.

Don't you know by now
this is real?

I feel this.

It's a physical response
to stimuli.

It's not a quirk.

What do I have to do
to prove it to you?

I don't know, Chuck.

Could you reach into
your breast pocket

and tell me what's there?

What now?

Can you tell the court
what that was?

-A battery.
-Mr. chairman, please.

Do you recognize
that man in back?

His name is huell babineaux.
He's on our witness list.

You bumped into him
in the stairway.

He'll testify he planted this
fully charged battery on you

over
an hour and a half ago.

Hour and 43 minutes ago.

An hour and 43 minutes.
Thank you, Mr. babineaux.

And you felt nothing.

No, no, no.

No, no. It's a trick.
It has to --

enough is enough.

I submit that Mr. mcgill's
mental illness is a non-issue.

-If he were schizophrenic...
-Schizo--

...it wouldn't take away from
the fact that the defendant --
i am not crazy!

I am not crazy.

I know he swapped
those numbers.

I knew it was 1216.

One after magna carta.

As if I could ever
make such a mistake.

Never. Never!

I just --
i just couldn't prove it.

H-h-he covered his tracks.

He got that idiot at
the copy shop to lie for him.

Alley: Mr. mcgill, please.
You don't have to go in--

you think
this is something?

You think this is bad,
this -- this chicanery?

He's done worse.
That billboard!

Are you telling me that a man
just happens to fall like that?

No.
He orchestrated it!

Jimmy!

He defecated
through a sunroof!

And I saved him,
and I shouldn't have.

I took him into my own firm.

What was I thinking?!

He'll never change.

He'll never change.

Ever since he was 9,
always the same.

Couldn't keep his hands
out of the cash drawer.

But not our Jimmy.

Couldn't be precious Jimmy!

Stealing them blind.

And he gets to be a lawyer?!

What a sick joke!

I should have stopped him
when I had the chance!

And you --
you have to stop him!

You --

I apologize.

I lost my train of thought.

I got carried away.

Do you have
anything else?

No. Nothing further.