Bull (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Bull - full transcript
Our system says a man is innocent
until proven guilty.
- Innocent till proven guilty?
- The burden is on the government
- Nobody believes that.
- To prove that you're guilty
- Show me where that's written down.
- Beyond a reasonable doubt.
I-It's called innocent till proven black.
- (people continue talking)
- I believe in our system of justice.
How many people have been taken off
death row because of DNA testing?
20. It's 20 people.
- 20 people that would have died.
- Stop blaming the system.
- There is a better way.
- (overlapping talking continues)
(overlapping talking)
(overlapping talking grows louder)
Rich people don't
play by the same rules.
(people cheer)
(indistinct conversation)
(screaming)
(screaming continues)
(camera shutter clicking)
(sirens wailing)
(helicopter blades
whirring, excited chattering)
NEWSMAN: Brandon Peters,
the son of tech billionaire
Pete Peters, is set to
be arraigned on charges of...
NEWSWOMAN: ...where honor student
Alyssa Yang's body washed ashore.
Alyssa was last seen alive
on a yacht belonging to tech...
NEWSMAN 2: She was strangled
to death while on a yacht
belonging to Pete Peters' company.
Schnoop is expected to
take a huge financial hit.
As surely as the sun rises in the east,
my client will be vindicated,
and we look forward to a full
and fair hearing in open court.
(reporters clamoring, camera
shutters clicking)
(doors opening, closing)
I'm Marissa Morgan.
Pete Peters.
I work with Dr. Bull.
Welcome to Trial Analysis Corporation.
I thought this was jury consulting.
I wouldn't use that
term around Dr. Bull.
What we do here is trial science.
A trial is more than just the law.
It's psychology, neurolinguistics,
demographics.
The way to win is to know your jurors
down to their neurons.
And how exactly do you do that?
I'll show you.
Yes, Brandon Peters had
sex with Alyssa Yang.
That's why the coroner
found his DNA on her body.
(softly): That's our in-house
counsel, Benny Colón.
He's testing your son's defense strategy
in front of a mock jury.
BENNY: Yes, yes.
But the state cannot produce
a single eyewitness that saw
Brandon kill Alyssa Yang.
That is as much a fact
as the rivers that flow to the sea.
Is he...
pretending to be me?
Excuse me...
for a moment.
(whispering): The client is here.
Yes, I see that and he
has brought some lawyers.
MARISSA: Oh, he brought five lawyers.
You know I hate lawyers.
Pete, I wrote that
opening statement and it works.
In lulling people to sleep,
but that's not really what we're after.
Out of this jury pool,
you're gonna get three
not-guilty votes.
Juror number four,
diamond earrings, platinum bracelet.
She is giving Brandon the benefit
of the doubt because
she thinks he's too
pampered to kill anyone.
Juror number seven,
college frat boy. Basically,
wants to be Brandon.
And juror number 11,
our rebel without a cause.
He's siding with Brandon on principle,
but he'll crater under pressure.
Is that right?
Yes.
By a show of hands,
after hearing that opening,
how many find the defendant
not guilty?
Pete Peters.
Dr. Jason Bull.
Can you help my son?
Absolutely.
Hi.
(gavel banging)
The jury starts
with a preconceived idea of the truth.
We don't guess at that.
We deep dive into the jury pool.
We know what they're thinking
from the beginning.
What happened to
innocent until proven guilty?
No trial starts at zero.
MARISSA: Even before jury selection,
TAC profiles every potential juror.
Their behavioral patterns
in life and, especially, online.
What they click on,
likes, keywords, avoidances,
it all gets plugged into
a 400-factor matrix
that is scary
in its predictive efficiency.
We'll know how they'll
vote even before they do.
How do you get that data?
I hired Marissa from the Department
of Homeland Security.
Is there someplace we can sit?
Sure. Here you go.
So... what are
they thinking?
You're a rich jerk.
He's your jerk son
who got everything handed to him.
A trial is not a popularity contest.
Good 'cause they don't like you, either.
Speaking of which, I don't want to see
this army of lawyers again.
Just you.
And her.
I've tried hundreds of cases
without this woo-woo psychology.
PETE: So, what would you do?
RUTLEDGE: No eyewitness.
No murder weapon. Those are the facts.
Try the facts.
BULL: Except we already
tried it 18 times
on the facts,
and we didn't win one.
Well, a mock trial is not a trial.
"Innocent until proven guilty," is like,
"Two all-beef patties,
special sauce, lettuce,
cheese, pickles,
onions on a sesame seed bun."
It's the old jingle.
Do what he says.
(scoffs)
You know, I'm not a monkey...
I like monkeys.
- ...who you can tell to...
- I love monkeys.
They have self-discipline.
Extroverted.
They eat a diverse diet.
I was the Attorney
General of the United States.
Curious George never
said, "I'm not a monkey."
You can't control a trial like this.
You can't.
Things have changed...
but things haven't changed that much.
These are the questions
I want you to ask for the voir dire.
"Why do you catch a cold?"
Hey.
Sorry if it got rough in there.
Somebody has to call the shots.
It's better to be
clear from the beginning.
No hard feelings.
You're a con man.
You conned Peter, but
you haven't conned me.
I love you, man.
(elevator bell chimes)
Good night, Dr. Bull.
Good night.
You want us to bug his watch?
I hate surprises.
DANNY: Clyde's watch.
When Izzie asked me for a divorce,
that was a pleasant surprise...
That's not how I remember it.
She's your sister.
You were married to Benny's sister?
Are we wasting time or
is this team building?
C. Clyde Rutledge,
the former chief law enforcement officer
of the United States.
I remember you cried for weeks
while listening to Harvest
by Neil Young day and night.
When are you gonna stop talking
about my divorce?
Just bug the watch.
"To Clyde: In friendship. Barack."
Rule number one:
the client is the enemy.
Speaking of which,
he didn't show up for witness prep.
He missed three appointments.
Okay, so, we have a
defendant going in front
of a conservative
judge with a boy band haircut
and pimp sneakers.
Do we believe that Brandon
didn't know Alyssa before the party?
Cable, hack into his contacts.
See when he entered her phone number.
He entered her number the first time
the first night of the party.
That's not her number.
Look it up.
Why would Alyssa have two phones?
(reporters clamoring, camera
shutters clicking)
Clyde.
You lost this at my office.
Thank you.
Almost looks like a real Rolex.
The president gave me this watch.
Nixon?
JUDGE: You may proceed with
the questions, Counselor.
Why do you catch a cold?
WOMAN: I have two small
children in day care.
They bring home ailments from
all the other children.
Why do you catch a cold?
I'm not gonna answer that.
You have to.
- Tell me about her.
- Put me down
as the juror who won't answer
frivolous questions.
Bess Johnson, 43.
Project accountant, 50 a year.
Divorced.
A son, AJ, 24, gay,
in Dannemora on a drug charge.
Did he get a fair trial?
She has a bumper sticker that says,
"The System is Rigged."
Wow. That's cynical.
BULL: Tell me this moron
isn't gonna strike her for cause.
Your Honor, if the juror
won't answer the question...
General Rutledge, who's the
man who you keep looking to?
The man in the front row.
RUTLEDGE: That's Dr. Bull.
He's a member of the defense team.
Are you gonna challenge this juror?
Acceptable to the defense, Your Honor.
JUDGE: It looks like we have a jury.
Participating in a criminal case
as a juror is an important duty.
I live with my parents.
I live with my parents.
I retired on disability.
I retired on disability.
I just got engaged.
I just got engaged.
I've got a kid in the system.
I have a kid in the system.
We created a mirror jury,
a clone of the jury
that just got picked,
a 94% match in every demographic,
every personal characteristic.
We have them attend the trial every day
along with the actual
jury to hear firsthand
every bit of evidence
and every single testimony.
We then fold their
debrief into what we already know
about each juror's behavioral patterns.
So, what was that about,
"Why do you catch a cold?"
It's called "locus of control."
Rosalind believes that
life is within her control.
Fred think things just happen to him.
We want as many jurors as possible
who see themselves as victims.
But then they'll
identify with the victim.
BULL: No, they'll see
Brandon as the victim.
Victim of what?
Neglectful father.
Absent mother.
The love that they were raised with,
the love they gave their children
that Brandon never got.
Don't take it personally, Pete.
You want to win, right?
So, how does the algorithm
say we're doing?
What's the score?
We've got two votes.
This is ludicrous.
The jury hasn't heard one witness.
So, we need ten more votes?
We need one vote.
In this case,
it could come down to one.
One juror...
who takes control of the jury.
One story, based on the facts or not,
that will persuade that
person to not convict our client.
How do you know it's her?
How do you not know?
Listen... I want to know
every injustice she ever suffered.
Every time she was screwed over.
Every slight, real or imagined.
I want to know
when she didn't get
picked for the kickball team.
I want all of it.
Where are you going with that?
I'm gonna bring your boy home.
These are the contacts from
Alyssa's second phone?
Did you light a candle?
No.
No candles. No flavored coffee.
Did you just break up with someone?
You know what? Next time, how
about you just e-mail me,
okay, Cable?
Do you really want an
illegal hack on your computer?
Peyton Shong.
I know him from when I worked narcotics.
(construction and street noise)
What's up?
How you doing?
(both grunt)
Easy, easy, easy.
PEYTON: Maybe I talked
to her. I don't remember.
You're not gonna eat?
How'd she get invited to that party?
Pretty girls get invited everywhere.
Peyton, don't make me kick your ass.
Lighten up, man.
You used to have a sense of humor.
Breathe, okay?
Look, we're on the
same side on this one.
I just need the information.
Alyssa was smart.
She was careful. She had hustle.
She moved crystal and molly.
She knew all the rich
kids from the clubs.
She got the drugs from you?
At first.
She'd come out on the seven
train when she was 14.
Do her homework on the train.
Then it was an Uber.
Then she...
bought a BMW, found a new supplier.
What aren't you telling me?
She stopped being careful.
She started selling fake molly,
methylone.
With just enough MDMA to
turn the test kits black.
How much fake molly was she moving?
Enough to buy a BMW.
(reporters clamoring)
REPORTER: It's the first day
in the murder trial
that electrified the city.
Brandon Peters, accused of
the murder of Alyssa Yang,
seen here arriving with
his father, Pete Peters.
His mother, the ex-Mrs. Peters,
just arriving.
To the left is her
friend Adele Bensimon,
married to real estate developer
Freddie Bensimon.
(reporters continue clamoring)
(grunts softly)
Hey, Bull.
Jenna.
(shutter clicks)
ATTORNEY: You and
Alyssa's father, you're divorced?
Since Alyssa was 12.
That's my ex-husband,
David, in the front row.
Did you have a good
relationship with your daughter?
After my divorce, especially.
She would talk to me about everything.
She would tell me
that I was the only one
who really understood her.
- She would talk to me...
- My wife used to pull this.
Riding to the defense of the children.
She had to control everything.
MRS. YANG: She said that
she really liked Brandon.
These kids in a divorce are just lost.
MRS. YANG: ...really hit it off.
I know she wanted to sleep with him.
And did they sleep together?
She was 18.
It's normal at that age
- to meet a boy and...
- It's normal to meet a boy and drown?
MRS. YANG: Maybe I should have said no.
And the next time Alyssa called
you, what did she say?
She sounded frightened.
They had sex, but it
wasn't enough for him.
ATTORNEY: What do you mean
"It wasn't enough for him?"
(man coughs)
He wanted to have... anal sex.
(gallery murmuring)
I told her to stay away from Brandon
and that I would call his father.
Which I did.
Did you hear back from Mr. Peters?
Not till two days later.
I got a call from his assistant
to tell me that there
had been an accident.
His assistant called you, not Mr. Peters?
They did a headcount.
They thought she might
have fallen off the boat.
Somebody needs to stick
it to this prick.
He had his assistant
call you to tell you
your daughter was dead.
Objection.
JUDGE: Sustained.
No further questions.
RUTLEDGE: Ms. Yang,
did you know your
daughter was a drug dealer?
That's not true.
RUTLEDGE: Mrs. Yang,
you might learn things in court today.
I just don't like this lawyer.
I don't like the
way he talks down to me.
And did you see the
way he makes his associate
carry all the bags?
RUTLEDGE: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine.
I'm so hungover.
RUTLEDGE: MDMA.
Known as molly.
Alyssa was selling molly
- to Brandon's friends.
- (sighs)
And then she got greedy.
Blame the victim, you misogynistic jerk.
RUTLEDGE: She sold
them fake molly, methylone.
Isn't it possible someone found out?
BULL: She hates Rutledge.
Bess hasn't heard a word he's said.
RUTLEDGE: Isn't it possible
she sold fake molly to the wrong person
and that is what got her killed?
My daughter was a good girl.
- (gallery murmuring)
- An "A" student!
- And you are making it seem...
- JUDGE: (bangs gavel) Quiet, please.
RUTLEDGE: You can't
judge a book by its cover,
can you, Mrs. Yang?
I don't think you
knew your daughter at all.
Pig.
RUTLEDGE: No further questions.
JUDGE: Court is in recess till Monday.
(gavel banging, gallery murmuring)
(sniffles, chuckles)
You travel with these?
I'm a psychologist.
Lifetime supply comes with the license.
Pete told me about you.
Thinks you're some kind of magician.
So far, I haven't seen it.
You think it's okay if
I take another Xanax?
I've already taken three.
I'd go easy on that.
I'll just take half.
Pace yourself, Gail.
It gets a lot worse before
it gets better.
He doesn't even have a
relationship with Brandon.
Did he tell you that?
Pete got him an apartment
when he was 16 and
basically just stopped seeing him.
Hadn't seen him for a
year before the party.
(sighs deeply)
I came here for witness prep.
At Versailles,
a strategically placed beauty
mark said, "Kiss me."
For us, it's what kind
of jeans do you wear?
Your clothes, your
hair, glasses, jewelry,
it's all a code we use
to talk to each other.
I don't need clothes.
I have clothes.
(chuckles)
BULL: Brandon, never argue
with a stylist from Vogue.
You can call me Chunk.
And I'm Dr. Jason Bull.
It's time we had a talk,
don't you think?
Why are you smirking?
- I'm not smirking.
- Did you see that?
- He smirked, he's a smirker.
- Hmm.
It's between a snigger and a leer.
They're not going to convict
me because of my haircut.
No, but they ought to
hang you for being a dick.
You do realize
there's dozens of people here
working around the clock to
save you from life in prison?
Look, Dr. Bull...
Dr. Bull is too formal.
Okay, Jason...
"Jason"? Wow.
- I was thinking "boss."
- "Boss"?
I like "boss."
Call me "boss."
My dad says I don't have to testify.
93% of all communication is nonverbal.
You've been testifying since day one.
CHUNK: I'm gonna get these
measurements to the tailor.
(chuckles)
Did you kill Alyssa?
No.
But you did have sex with her.
They can believe
whatever they want to believe.
Is there any reason anyone
would have seen you with her
at the time she was strangled?
No, I wasn't with her.
Then where were you?
To be honest with you,
I don't even remember leaving my room.
I had too much to drink.
We all did.
I don't know yet
exactly what happened on that boat
and I don't know if
you're lying about what happened
between you and Alyssa,
but I do know you're
lying about something.
You're supposed to be on my side.
I may be the only one who is.
She's a naturally dominant personality.
She has lunch every day
with Rosalind and Sarah.
See how she keeps her hands on her hips?
Goes through doors first.
Sustains eye contact.
They look up to her.
Even Frank likes her.
- She connects all the dots.
- She doesn't fit the analytics.
- I got a hunch about her.
- She'll make up her mind
and won't be swayed.
By you or anyone.
You were right.
Brandon was hiding something.
Where'd you get this?
I went through
everyone's photos, all of them,
even the Snapchat.
There were 30,000.
- Sleep much?
- 20 minute nap every four hours.
Polyphasic sleep, in the
long run, it saves you 20 years.
I see.
But this wasn't on Brandon's phone.
No, but they're Brandon's.
Look at the monogram, that's
Brandon's stateroom.
(sighs, chuckles)
You know, I was just sitting here,
wishing this case was more complicated,
and then you show up,
as if sent by
heaven, with our defendant's
contemporaneous photos of an arcane
Japanese bondage ritual.
Nice knots.
(with accent): Summers
at the yacht club.
(scoffs)
Tell me this isn't Brandon's.
- It's not admissible.
- Brandon and Alyssa had sex with ropes.
She turns up strangled to death.
How is that not admissible?
Ah.
Mr. Palmer, care to weigh in
on Brandon's party antics?
Wow.
I love the manicure.
Alyssa was a nail biter, it's
in the coroner's report.
No, not with those nails.
Half-moon nails?
That's a vintage look
from the '40s.
It's not admissible 'cause
it's not Alyssa.
And you win a free meal at
the Arby's of your choice.
He hooked up with two
girls on the yacht?
How do I get invited to
a high school party?
Kidding.
ADELE: Taylor is fragile.
Of course I explained how
close Brandon and Taylor are.
Our daughter had
nothing to do with this.
GAIL: We were all close.
We vacationed together.
We'd imagine how the kids
would get married one day.
Taylor and Brandon.
You know all about delusions, Mr. Wool.
Dr. Bull.
All the pretty dreams
from long, long ago.
These your initials?
"AB"?
Taylor gets so unhappy, it's unbearable.
She asked me to get this girl invited.
It was a very small guest list.
But she moped and moped and...
well, you can't say it,
but you know how pushy Asian girls are.
GAIL: I remember when you called me.
ADELE: It's so typical of
how clueless Taylor is.
I knew that girl was trouble.
We were there, we
watched the whole thing happen.
You were all on the yacht?
Honestly, I think the
only reason that girl
befriended Taylor was to get to Brandon.
I told Taylor, you need to
tell her Brandon is yours.
Mrs. Bensimon,
do you realize this
is your daughter, Taylor,
in this photograph?
With Brandon?
Well, as long as it was with Brandon.
- Oh, hi.
- Hello, darling.
ADELE: Taylor, honey, this is Dr. Bill.
- Dr. Bull.
- He's working
with Brandon's lawyers.
Cool.
Excuse me for a second.
Oh.
BULL: Taylor?
♪ Ain't coming ♪
Hey. Can I ask you a few questions?
We really don't want
Taylor getting hurt by this.
I'm afraid you have to leave.
♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh ♪
Huh.
♪ And when I'm down, I
get used to the rain ♪
♪ Yeah... ♪
♪ My heart ♪
♪ Is black. ♪
When did Taylor find out that
you and Alyssa slept together?
I tell Taylor everything.
You told her?
I had a friend like that, growing up.
Who you confided in and hog-tied
with Japanese bondage ropes?
She wanted to do that.
She wanted to?
You don't understand.
You sleep with any girl who asks?
Why are you looking at me like that?
I didn't do anything wrong.
MARISSA: Dr. Bull?
Can I see you for a minute?
Why is he asking all
these questions about Taylor?
Are you worried about Taylor?
The photos I took of
Taylor weren't sexual.
36% of Americans use masks,
blindfolds and bondage tools.
Which makes handcuffs in bed
more popular than either
political party.
Uh-huh.
And it corresponds
with such positive traits
as extroversion, openness,
and conscientiousness.
Is this why you called
me out of my meeting?
Those photos got leaked to the papers.
He said those pictures weren't sexual.
They're not sexual?
Mm-mm.
(grunting, panting)
Let me help you, Liberty.
(sighs): Why, thank you, kind sir.
Self-reliance, that's
my motto. Do it yourself.
RUTLEDGE: Taylor, with
all the prescription drugs
you currently take,
did the doctor or the pharmacist
tell you not to take street drugs?
It's not recommended.
But wasn't Alyssa Yang your drug dealer?
Yes.
RUTLEDGE: You were
the one who got Alyssa
invited to this party?
TAYLOR: My mother...
my favorite person...
Called Brandon's mother as a favor,
because I asked her to.
RUTLEDGE: You even
loaned her a necklace.
It's a necklace my mother gave me...
Amethysts in rose gold...
It belonged to my grandmother.
Was there a necklace on the body?
RUTLEDGE: Can you read this...
text message you sent Alyssa?
"Keep your hands off
Brandon. Brandon's mine."
And then they slept together.
I was surprised.
I never heard of
Brandon hooking up with anyone.
She didn't seem like his type.
RUTLEDGE: Weren't you angry?
Why do you keep trying
to twist everything I say?
RUTLEDGE: You wrote
Brandon a text message.
Perhaps this will refresh
your recollection.
(sighs)
(Taylor scoffs)
If you had seen Problem Child 2,
you would know what this was.
Would you please read what
you wrote, Ms. Bensimon?
"The bitch must die."
(gallery murmuring)
RUTLEDGE: Where were you
between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.
when Alyssa Yang was murdered?
Asleep in my room.
Did anyone see you?
I was asleep.
RUTLEDGE: You had motive.
You had opportunity.
Isn't it possible
you killed Alyssa?
- (yells)
- (gasping)
- Oh!
- (gavel banging)
JUDGE: Quiet in the court!
(gallery murmuring)
Didn't see that coming.
(handcuffs jingling)
Taylor.
MAN (over radio): Eagle coming
out of the courthouse.
MAN 2 (over radio): Transpo
en route. 30 seconds out.
MAN: Watch your six.
The dead girl's father is approaching
in a blue windbreaker.
MAN 2: Eyes on target.
Eyes on the prize.
Secure the perimeter.
(gunshots)
(panicked clamoring)
But don't you see what
a break this is for us?
Clyde wants to move for a mistrial.
Well, this might be the
first time we get a fair trial.
Now that Wyatt Earp has put
some points on the board,
they can stop using your
son to stick it to you.
The jury saw the whole thing.
How is that not grounds for a mistrial?
Well, he missed.
Mostly.
We have a hung jury,
according to your data.
Then we go again.
A-Another trial?
Half the time with a hung
jury, the D.A. drops it.
What if he's guilty?
What does Brandon say?
Have you even spoken to your son?
He'll do what I tell him to do.
He always has.
You basically told him he
wasn't worth your time
and he has lived up to
those expectations.
Tell me he didn't do this.
(computers trilling, phones ringing)
I just watched the mirror jury
deliberate for two and a half hours.
We're losing.
I like a challenge.
It's one of the ten traits
of highly successful people.
Hmm.
A victim wants a caretaker.
These people...
are all linked...
to Bess.
We still don't have her.
Her son,
AJ, went through life
looking for the father he never had.
Just like Brandon
went through life looking for
the father he never had.
When Bess sees
Brandon, she sees her son, AJ.
Bess's second chance to
save her son, through Brandon.
Can I talk to you?
Would you mind taking your earbuds out?
"While employers believe
it's rude to wear earbuds
in the workplace, millennials
are using them
to focus and be more productive."
It's in our HR manual.
Too long, didn't read.
Remember we put that
bug in Clyde's watch?
He's meeting with the D.A.
You don't have Singapore Ear, do you?
He's taking a deal... Second
degree manslaughter.
He's gonna plead Brandon guilty.
I want Brandon downstairs.
- (door opens)
- Hey.
Don't mind him, I
borrowed him from the law firm.
Earbuds, Josh.
It just means whatever
we say in here is protected
under attorney-client privilege.
Why are we meeting down here?
Take a seat.
Why?
Just have a seat.
I'm not gonna testify.
Do you like Nutraloaf?
My father said I'm gonna take a deal.
'Cause that's what you're
gonna be eating
for the next ten years.
Forget it.
I'm not doing it.
(scoffs) Now is not the time
to bail on yourself just
because Daddy is.
I know, Brandon. I've
been down that road.
Yeah, right.
I... I mean, everybody respects you.
Even my dad says you're the best.
Your dad...
Dads...
If a father never said, "I love you,"
right?
Never.
Never said, "I'm proud of you."
Couldn't say it.
'Cause he didn't believe it.
Then who's the failure?
The father or the son?
Look in the mirror
and be the man your father never was.
Give yourself what you
wish you could get
from somebody else.
I'll be right there with you.
(sighs)
Sometimes I feel like
this whole thing...
you know, like...
like I'm watching it
happen to somebody else.
I know you're gay, Brandon.
I've known for a long time.
And it's nothing to be ashamed of.
(chuckles) It's who you are.
(exhales deeply)
How did you know?
I didn't even know.
Isn't that where you were the
night Alyssa was murdered?
Somewhere else,
with someone else, doing...
...something else?
Does my father know?
Your father just made a deal
to put you in prison for ten years.
Did he even ask you?
(breathes shakily)
(sniffles)
You can do this.
(nervous sigh)
They're not going to believe me.
Hey...
don't give up on people.
They're all we've got.
- Speak up.
- Answer directly.
Keep your hands still.
BENNY: Don't slouch.
MARISSA: Respond only to questions,
not statements.
- Don't fill silences.
- Don't smoke on breaks.
It's not enough to tell the truth.
You have to tell the truth effectively.
I gotta get this to my
boss. He'll need time to prepare.
Clyde's not doing the direct, you are.
(Benny chokes, coughs)
What? Does he know that?
(scoffs) My read on the
women on this jury is
they hate your boss.
If we spring you on them,
they just may rally to
vote for you, Liberty,
rather than against Brandon.
I'm the client, right? I'll tell him.
LIBERTY: Brandon...
I want you to direct your attention
to the night in question.
Were you with Alyssa Yang that night?
Yes, I was.
And on a previous night,
did you have sex with her?
Yes.
Did you argue about sex?
I didn't want to have
sex with her again.
It was a mistake.
Did something go wrong?
It's a mistake to do everything in life
because of what other
people expect you to.
LIBERTY: You're a healthy young man.
She was a beautiful young girl.
Why not?
Well, my parents kept asking me why
I didn't have a girlfriend,
and Alyssa was one of the
hottest girls around
and an "A" student who could, you know,
go to Oxford.
So that was, like, a
perfect picture, and...
at a certain point you get tired
of disappointing everyone.
So what was wrong with
the perfect picture?
I'm gay.
(quiet murmuring)
Is that where you were
between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.?
Yes.
I was with someone.
LIBERTY: Brandon, I have to ask you...
...who were you with?
Look, I mean no
disrespect to you or anyone,
but I'm not gonna answer that.
I said what I've
said, and I'm not sorry,
but I'm not gonna do
this to someone else.
Brandon, now is not the
time to be a hero.
I've told you
everything you need to know.
Brandon, did you kill Alyssa Yang?
- No.
- Save yourself.
Tell this jury who you were with.
You just want...
You want to break it all apart.
Break everything!
(shouting) You're
supposed to be the adults!
(whispering and murmuring)
(gavel banging)
JUDGE: Quiet, please!
(gavel banging)
We have no further questions, Your Honor.
So you didn't tell the police
you were with someone that night?
- No.
- You lied to the police.
- Objection.
- I'll withdraw the question.
You admit you had sex with Alyssa.
Your DNA was found in her body.
- You were never gay before...
- I was always gay! I...
And now that your
trial isn't going so well...
do you really
expect this jury to believe
that you were with a secret,
gay, mystery lover
who you refuse to name?
I just didn't think it was
really up to me to be happy.
Your refusal is answer enough.
I'll withdraw the question.
No further questions.
- How did I do?
- Well...
you're not done yet.
I'm doing the closing argument, too?
Well, the real
closing arguments take place
behind the jury room door.
Always.
And our research shows that
Bess will deliver it.
Bess... who carries a
terrible burden of guilt
for failing her own son.
You can free her from that.
Can you do it?
Brandon Peters did not kill Alyssa Yang.
People know the truth when they hear it.
That's why we say it has a ring.
To tell the world that you're gay...
to tell yourself...
is not something you
do out of convenience.
It might be the hardest conversation
you ever have.
In not giving us an alibi
he gave us, perhaps, the best alibi
we could ever want.
It's an old-fashioned word
you don't hear so much of anymore,
you don't see so much of anymore.
Character.
(gavel banging)
Would the foreman read the verdict?
FOREMAN: On the charge of
murder in the second degree...
...we find the defendant...
not guilty.
(excited murmurs)
JUDGE: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
thank you for your service
and for being an integral
part in the judicial process.
You are dismissed.
(gavel bangs)
Good work, Brandon.
ADELE: Let's go, Taylor.
TAYLOR: Where are we going now?
ADELE: Taylor, let's go.
Meet with your therapist.
TAYLOR: What?
Mom, it's not for an hour.
Excuse me. Bess. Hey.
Oh, I recognize you.
You were always watching us.
(chuckles)
I'm Dr. Jason Bull.
What kind of doctor are you?
Psychologist.
Is that what you do, analyze people?
Not like that. Different.
Well, I was watching you, too.
Oh, yeah?
You grew up with a
lot of pain, didn't you?
That's how you learn how
to watch people like that.
Read 'em.
Figure out what makes 'em go.
To survive in that home. Mm.
I know.
I know.
Can I ask you a question?
Look, can we walk while we talk?
I don't like getting home after dark.
- Why'd you vote not guilty?
- Stop!
Stop trying to figure people out,
just to get 'em to do what you want.
It's just a very lonely place.
I wish I could.
I've never seen so many lost children.
What did we do?
Why do you catch a cold?
ADELE: I just don't know how you
could have been so reckless.
And with Brandon!
These things happen.
Well, it's not gonna happen again.
Good night.
(door opens, closes)
♪ ♪
I just couldn't stand
for you to be unhappy.
(siren approaching)
(tires screech, car doors open, close)
OFFICER: Police! Stay
right where you are!
We will use force if you do not comply.
Hold it right there!
until proven guilty.
- Innocent till proven guilty?
- The burden is on the government
- Nobody believes that.
- To prove that you're guilty
- Show me where that's written down.
- Beyond a reasonable doubt.
I-It's called innocent till proven black.
- (people continue talking)
- I believe in our system of justice.
How many people have been taken off
death row because of DNA testing?
20. It's 20 people.
- 20 people that would have died.
- Stop blaming the system.
- There is a better way.
- (overlapping talking continues)
(overlapping talking)
(overlapping talking grows louder)
Rich people don't
play by the same rules.
(people cheer)
(indistinct conversation)
(screaming)
(screaming continues)
(camera shutter clicking)
(sirens wailing)
(helicopter blades
whirring, excited chattering)
NEWSMAN: Brandon Peters,
the son of tech billionaire
Pete Peters, is set to
be arraigned on charges of...
NEWSWOMAN: ...where honor student
Alyssa Yang's body washed ashore.
Alyssa was last seen alive
on a yacht belonging to tech...
NEWSMAN 2: She was strangled
to death while on a yacht
belonging to Pete Peters' company.
Schnoop is expected to
take a huge financial hit.
As surely as the sun rises in the east,
my client will be vindicated,
and we look forward to a full
and fair hearing in open court.
(reporters clamoring, camera
shutters clicking)
(doors opening, closing)
I'm Marissa Morgan.
Pete Peters.
I work with Dr. Bull.
Welcome to Trial Analysis Corporation.
I thought this was jury consulting.
I wouldn't use that
term around Dr. Bull.
What we do here is trial science.
A trial is more than just the law.
It's psychology, neurolinguistics,
demographics.
The way to win is to know your jurors
down to their neurons.
And how exactly do you do that?
I'll show you.
Yes, Brandon Peters had
sex with Alyssa Yang.
That's why the coroner
found his DNA on her body.
(softly): That's our in-house
counsel, Benny Colón.
He's testing your son's defense strategy
in front of a mock jury.
BENNY: Yes, yes.
But the state cannot produce
a single eyewitness that saw
Brandon kill Alyssa Yang.
That is as much a fact
as the rivers that flow to the sea.
Is he...
pretending to be me?
Excuse me...
for a moment.
(whispering): The client is here.
Yes, I see that and he
has brought some lawyers.
MARISSA: Oh, he brought five lawyers.
You know I hate lawyers.
Pete, I wrote that
opening statement and it works.
In lulling people to sleep,
but that's not really what we're after.
Out of this jury pool,
you're gonna get three
not-guilty votes.
Juror number four,
diamond earrings, platinum bracelet.
She is giving Brandon the benefit
of the doubt because
she thinks he's too
pampered to kill anyone.
Juror number seven,
college frat boy. Basically,
wants to be Brandon.
And juror number 11,
our rebel without a cause.
He's siding with Brandon on principle,
but he'll crater under pressure.
Is that right?
Yes.
By a show of hands,
after hearing that opening,
how many find the defendant
not guilty?
Pete Peters.
Dr. Jason Bull.
Can you help my son?
Absolutely.
Hi.
(gavel banging)
The jury starts
with a preconceived idea of the truth.
We don't guess at that.
We deep dive into the jury pool.
We know what they're thinking
from the beginning.
What happened to
innocent until proven guilty?
No trial starts at zero.
MARISSA: Even before jury selection,
TAC profiles every potential juror.
Their behavioral patterns
in life and, especially, online.
What they click on,
likes, keywords, avoidances,
it all gets plugged into
a 400-factor matrix
that is scary
in its predictive efficiency.
We'll know how they'll
vote even before they do.
How do you get that data?
I hired Marissa from the Department
of Homeland Security.
Is there someplace we can sit?
Sure. Here you go.
So... what are
they thinking?
You're a rich jerk.
He's your jerk son
who got everything handed to him.
A trial is not a popularity contest.
Good 'cause they don't like you, either.
Speaking of which, I don't want to see
this army of lawyers again.
Just you.
And her.
I've tried hundreds of cases
without this woo-woo psychology.
PETE: So, what would you do?
RUTLEDGE: No eyewitness.
No murder weapon. Those are the facts.
Try the facts.
BULL: Except we already
tried it 18 times
on the facts,
and we didn't win one.
Well, a mock trial is not a trial.
"Innocent until proven guilty," is like,
"Two all-beef patties,
special sauce, lettuce,
cheese, pickles,
onions on a sesame seed bun."
It's the old jingle.
Do what he says.
(scoffs)
You know, I'm not a monkey...
I like monkeys.
- ...who you can tell to...
- I love monkeys.
They have self-discipline.
Extroverted.
They eat a diverse diet.
I was the Attorney
General of the United States.
Curious George never
said, "I'm not a monkey."
You can't control a trial like this.
You can't.
Things have changed...
but things haven't changed that much.
These are the questions
I want you to ask for the voir dire.
"Why do you catch a cold?"
Hey.
Sorry if it got rough in there.
Somebody has to call the shots.
It's better to be
clear from the beginning.
No hard feelings.
You're a con man.
You conned Peter, but
you haven't conned me.
I love you, man.
(elevator bell chimes)
Good night, Dr. Bull.
Good night.
You want us to bug his watch?
I hate surprises.
DANNY: Clyde's watch.
When Izzie asked me for a divorce,
that was a pleasant surprise...
That's not how I remember it.
She's your sister.
You were married to Benny's sister?
Are we wasting time or
is this team building?
C. Clyde Rutledge,
the former chief law enforcement officer
of the United States.
I remember you cried for weeks
while listening to Harvest
by Neil Young day and night.
When are you gonna stop talking
about my divorce?
Just bug the watch.
"To Clyde: In friendship. Barack."
Rule number one:
the client is the enemy.
Speaking of which,
he didn't show up for witness prep.
He missed three appointments.
Okay, so, we have a
defendant going in front
of a conservative
judge with a boy band haircut
and pimp sneakers.
Do we believe that Brandon
didn't know Alyssa before the party?
Cable, hack into his contacts.
See when he entered her phone number.
He entered her number the first time
the first night of the party.
That's not her number.
Look it up.
Why would Alyssa have two phones?
(reporters clamoring, camera
shutters clicking)
Clyde.
You lost this at my office.
Thank you.
Almost looks like a real Rolex.
The president gave me this watch.
Nixon?
JUDGE: You may proceed with
the questions, Counselor.
Why do you catch a cold?
WOMAN: I have two small
children in day care.
They bring home ailments from
all the other children.
Why do you catch a cold?
I'm not gonna answer that.
You have to.
- Tell me about her.
- Put me down
as the juror who won't answer
frivolous questions.
Bess Johnson, 43.
Project accountant, 50 a year.
Divorced.
A son, AJ, 24, gay,
in Dannemora on a drug charge.
Did he get a fair trial?
She has a bumper sticker that says,
"The System is Rigged."
Wow. That's cynical.
BULL: Tell me this moron
isn't gonna strike her for cause.
Your Honor, if the juror
won't answer the question...
General Rutledge, who's the
man who you keep looking to?
The man in the front row.
RUTLEDGE: That's Dr. Bull.
He's a member of the defense team.
Are you gonna challenge this juror?
Acceptable to the defense, Your Honor.
JUDGE: It looks like we have a jury.
Participating in a criminal case
as a juror is an important duty.
I live with my parents.
I live with my parents.
I retired on disability.
I retired on disability.
I just got engaged.
I just got engaged.
I've got a kid in the system.
I have a kid in the system.
We created a mirror jury,
a clone of the jury
that just got picked,
a 94% match in every demographic,
every personal characteristic.
We have them attend the trial every day
along with the actual
jury to hear firsthand
every bit of evidence
and every single testimony.
We then fold their
debrief into what we already know
about each juror's behavioral patterns.
So, what was that about,
"Why do you catch a cold?"
It's called "locus of control."
Rosalind believes that
life is within her control.
Fred think things just happen to him.
We want as many jurors as possible
who see themselves as victims.
But then they'll
identify with the victim.
BULL: No, they'll see
Brandon as the victim.
Victim of what?
Neglectful father.
Absent mother.
The love that they were raised with,
the love they gave their children
that Brandon never got.
Don't take it personally, Pete.
You want to win, right?
So, how does the algorithm
say we're doing?
What's the score?
We've got two votes.
This is ludicrous.
The jury hasn't heard one witness.
So, we need ten more votes?
We need one vote.
In this case,
it could come down to one.
One juror...
who takes control of the jury.
One story, based on the facts or not,
that will persuade that
person to not convict our client.
How do you know it's her?
How do you not know?
Listen... I want to know
every injustice she ever suffered.
Every time she was screwed over.
Every slight, real or imagined.
I want to know
when she didn't get
picked for the kickball team.
I want all of it.
Where are you going with that?
I'm gonna bring your boy home.
These are the contacts from
Alyssa's second phone?
Did you light a candle?
No.
No candles. No flavored coffee.
Did you just break up with someone?
You know what? Next time, how
about you just e-mail me,
okay, Cable?
Do you really want an
illegal hack on your computer?
Peyton Shong.
I know him from when I worked narcotics.
(construction and street noise)
What's up?
How you doing?
(both grunt)
Easy, easy, easy.
PEYTON: Maybe I talked
to her. I don't remember.
You're not gonna eat?
How'd she get invited to that party?
Pretty girls get invited everywhere.
Peyton, don't make me kick your ass.
Lighten up, man.
You used to have a sense of humor.
Breathe, okay?
Look, we're on the
same side on this one.
I just need the information.
Alyssa was smart.
She was careful. She had hustle.
She moved crystal and molly.
She knew all the rich
kids from the clubs.
She got the drugs from you?
At first.
She'd come out on the seven
train when she was 14.
Do her homework on the train.
Then it was an Uber.
Then she...
bought a BMW, found a new supplier.
What aren't you telling me?
She stopped being careful.
She started selling fake molly,
methylone.
With just enough MDMA to
turn the test kits black.
How much fake molly was she moving?
Enough to buy a BMW.
(reporters clamoring)
REPORTER: It's the first day
in the murder trial
that electrified the city.
Brandon Peters, accused of
the murder of Alyssa Yang,
seen here arriving with
his father, Pete Peters.
His mother, the ex-Mrs. Peters,
just arriving.
To the left is her
friend Adele Bensimon,
married to real estate developer
Freddie Bensimon.
(reporters continue clamoring)
(grunts softly)
Hey, Bull.
Jenna.
(shutter clicks)
ATTORNEY: You and
Alyssa's father, you're divorced?
Since Alyssa was 12.
That's my ex-husband,
David, in the front row.
Did you have a good
relationship with your daughter?
After my divorce, especially.
She would talk to me about everything.
She would tell me
that I was the only one
who really understood her.
- She would talk to me...
- My wife used to pull this.
Riding to the defense of the children.
She had to control everything.
MRS. YANG: She said that
she really liked Brandon.
These kids in a divorce are just lost.
MRS. YANG: ...really hit it off.
I know she wanted to sleep with him.
And did they sleep together?
She was 18.
It's normal at that age
- to meet a boy and...
- It's normal to meet a boy and drown?
MRS. YANG: Maybe I should have said no.
And the next time Alyssa called
you, what did she say?
She sounded frightened.
They had sex, but it
wasn't enough for him.
ATTORNEY: What do you mean
"It wasn't enough for him?"
(man coughs)
He wanted to have... anal sex.
(gallery murmuring)
I told her to stay away from Brandon
and that I would call his father.
Which I did.
Did you hear back from Mr. Peters?
Not till two days later.
I got a call from his assistant
to tell me that there
had been an accident.
His assistant called you, not Mr. Peters?
They did a headcount.
They thought she might
have fallen off the boat.
Somebody needs to stick
it to this prick.
He had his assistant
call you to tell you
your daughter was dead.
Objection.
JUDGE: Sustained.
No further questions.
RUTLEDGE: Ms. Yang,
did you know your
daughter was a drug dealer?
That's not true.
RUTLEDGE: Mrs. Yang,
you might learn things in court today.
I just don't like this lawyer.
I don't like the
way he talks down to me.
And did you see the
way he makes his associate
carry all the bags?
RUTLEDGE: Methylenedioxymethamphetamine.
I'm so hungover.
RUTLEDGE: MDMA.
Known as molly.
Alyssa was selling molly
- to Brandon's friends.
- (sighs)
And then she got greedy.
Blame the victim, you misogynistic jerk.
RUTLEDGE: She sold
them fake molly, methylone.
Isn't it possible someone found out?
BULL: She hates Rutledge.
Bess hasn't heard a word he's said.
RUTLEDGE: Isn't it possible
she sold fake molly to the wrong person
and that is what got her killed?
My daughter was a good girl.
- (gallery murmuring)
- An "A" student!
- And you are making it seem...
- JUDGE: (bangs gavel) Quiet, please.
RUTLEDGE: You can't
judge a book by its cover,
can you, Mrs. Yang?
I don't think you
knew your daughter at all.
Pig.
RUTLEDGE: No further questions.
JUDGE: Court is in recess till Monday.
(gavel banging, gallery murmuring)
(sniffles, chuckles)
You travel with these?
I'm a psychologist.
Lifetime supply comes with the license.
Pete told me about you.
Thinks you're some kind of magician.
So far, I haven't seen it.
You think it's okay if
I take another Xanax?
I've already taken three.
I'd go easy on that.
I'll just take half.
Pace yourself, Gail.
It gets a lot worse before
it gets better.
He doesn't even have a
relationship with Brandon.
Did he tell you that?
Pete got him an apartment
when he was 16 and
basically just stopped seeing him.
Hadn't seen him for a
year before the party.
(sighs deeply)
I came here for witness prep.
At Versailles,
a strategically placed beauty
mark said, "Kiss me."
For us, it's what kind
of jeans do you wear?
Your clothes, your
hair, glasses, jewelry,
it's all a code we use
to talk to each other.
I don't need clothes.
I have clothes.
(chuckles)
BULL: Brandon, never argue
with a stylist from Vogue.
You can call me Chunk.
And I'm Dr. Jason Bull.
It's time we had a talk,
don't you think?
Why are you smirking?
- I'm not smirking.
- Did you see that?
- He smirked, he's a smirker.
- Hmm.
It's between a snigger and a leer.
They're not going to convict
me because of my haircut.
No, but they ought to
hang you for being a dick.
You do realize
there's dozens of people here
working around the clock to
save you from life in prison?
Look, Dr. Bull...
Dr. Bull is too formal.
Okay, Jason...
"Jason"? Wow.
- I was thinking "boss."
- "Boss"?
I like "boss."
Call me "boss."
My dad says I don't have to testify.
93% of all communication is nonverbal.
You've been testifying since day one.
CHUNK: I'm gonna get these
measurements to the tailor.
(chuckles)
Did you kill Alyssa?
No.
But you did have sex with her.
They can believe
whatever they want to believe.
Is there any reason anyone
would have seen you with her
at the time she was strangled?
No, I wasn't with her.
Then where were you?
To be honest with you,
I don't even remember leaving my room.
I had too much to drink.
We all did.
I don't know yet
exactly what happened on that boat
and I don't know if
you're lying about what happened
between you and Alyssa,
but I do know you're
lying about something.
You're supposed to be on my side.
I may be the only one who is.
She's a naturally dominant personality.
She has lunch every day
with Rosalind and Sarah.
See how she keeps her hands on her hips?
Goes through doors first.
Sustains eye contact.
They look up to her.
Even Frank likes her.
- She connects all the dots.
- She doesn't fit the analytics.
- I got a hunch about her.
- She'll make up her mind
and won't be swayed.
By you or anyone.
You were right.
Brandon was hiding something.
Where'd you get this?
I went through
everyone's photos, all of them,
even the Snapchat.
There were 30,000.
- Sleep much?
- 20 minute nap every four hours.
Polyphasic sleep, in the
long run, it saves you 20 years.
I see.
But this wasn't on Brandon's phone.
No, but they're Brandon's.
Look at the monogram, that's
Brandon's stateroom.
(sighs, chuckles)
You know, I was just sitting here,
wishing this case was more complicated,
and then you show up,
as if sent by
heaven, with our defendant's
contemporaneous photos of an arcane
Japanese bondage ritual.
Nice knots.
(with accent): Summers
at the yacht club.
(scoffs)
Tell me this isn't Brandon's.
- It's not admissible.
- Brandon and Alyssa had sex with ropes.
She turns up strangled to death.
How is that not admissible?
Ah.
Mr. Palmer, care to weigh in
on Brandon's party antics?
Wow.
I love the manicure.
Alyssa was a nail biter, it's
in the coroner's report.
No, not with those nails.
Half-moon nails?
That's a vintage look
from the '40s.
It's not admissible 'cause
it's not Alyssa.
And you win a free meal at
the Arby's of your choice.
He hooked up with two
girls on the yacht?
How do I get invited to
a high school party?
Kidding.
ADELE: Taylor is fragile.
Of course I explained how
close Brandon and Taylor are.
Our daughter had
nothing to do with this.
GAIL: We were all close.
We vacationed together.
We'd imagine how the kids
would get married one day.
Taylor and Brandon.
You know all about delusions, Mr. Wool.
Dr. Bull.
All the pretty dreams
from long, long ago.
These your initials?
"AB"?
Taylor gets so unhappy, it's unbearable.
She asked me to get this girl invited.
It was a very small guest list.
But she moped and moped and...
well, you can't say it,
but you know how pushy Asian girls are.
GAIL: I remember when you called me.
ADELE: It's so typical of
how clueless Taylor is.
I knew that girl was trouble.
We were there, we
watched the whole thing happen.
You were all on the yacht?
Honestly, I think the
only reason that girl
befriended Taylor was to get to Brandon.
I told Taylor, you need to
tell her Brandon is yours.
Mrs. Bensimon,
do you realize this
is your daughter, Taylor,
in this photograph?
With Brandon?
Well, as long as it was with Brandon.
- Oh, hi.
- Hello, darling.
ADELE: Taylor, honey, this is Dr. Bill.
- Dr. Bull.
- He's working
with Brandon's lawyers.
Cool.
Excuse me for a second.
Oh.
BULL: Taylor?
♪ Ain't coming ♪
Hey. Can I ask you a few questions?
We really don't want
Taylor getting hurt by this.
I'm afraid you have to leave.
♪ Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh ♪
Huh.
♪ And when I'm down, I
get used to the rain ♪
♪ Yeah... ♪
♪ My heart ♪
♪ Is black. ♪
When did Taylor find out that
you and Alyssa slept together?
I tell Taylor everything.
You told her?
I had a friend like that, growing up.
Who you confided in and hog-tied
with Japanese bondage ropes?
She wanted to do that.
She wanted to?
You don't understand.
You sleep with any girl who asks?
Why are you looking at me like that?
I didn't do anything wrong.
MARISSA: Dr. Bull?
Can I see you for a minute?
Why is he asking all
these questions about Taylor?
Are you worried about Taylor?
The photos I took of
Taylor weren't sexual.
36% of Americans use masks,
blindfolds and bondage tools.
Which makes handcuffs in bed
more popular than either
political party.
Uh-huh.
And it corresponds
with such positive traits
as extroversion, openness,
and conscientiousness.
Is this why you called
me out of my meeting?
Those photos got leaked to the papers.
He said those pictures weren't sexual.
They're not sexual?
Mm-mm.
(grunting, panting)
Let me help you, Liberty.
(sighs): Why, thank you, kind sir.
Self-reliance, that's
my motto. Do it yourself.
RUTLEDGE: Taylor, with
all the prescription drugs
you currently take,
did the doctor or the pharmacist
tell you not to take street drugs?
It's not recommended.
But wasn't Alyssa Yang your drug dealer?
Yes.
RUTLEDGE: You were
the one who got Alyssa
invited to this party?
TAYLOR: My mother...
my favorite person...
Called Brandon's mother as a favor,
because I asked her to.
RUTLEDGE: You even
loaned her a necklace.
It's a necklace my mother gave me...
Amethysts in rose gold...
It belonged to my grandmother.
Was there a necklace on the body?
RUTLEDGE: Can you read this...
text message you sent Alyssa?
"Keep your hands off
Brandon. Brandon's mine."
And then they slept together.
I was surprised.
I never heard of
Brandon hooking up with anyone.
She didn't seem like his type.
RUTLEDGE: Weren't you angry?
Why do you keep trying
to twist everything I say?
RUTLEDGE: You wrote
Brandon a text message.
Perhaps this will refresh
your recollection.
(sighs)
(Taylor scoffs)
If you had seen Problem Child 2,
you would know what this was.
Would you please read what
you wrote, Ms. Bensimon?
"The bitch must die."
(gallery murmuring)
RUTLEDGE: Where were you
between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.
when Alyssa Yang was murdered?
Asleep in my room.
Did anyone see you?
I was asleep.
RUTLEDGE: You had motive.
You had opportunity.
Isn't it possible
you killed Alyssa?
- (yells)
- (gasping)
- Oh!
- (gavel banging)
JUDGE: Quiet in the court!
(gallery murmuring)
Didn't see that coming.
(handcuffs jingling)
Taylor.
MAN (over radio): Eagle coming
out of the courthouse.
MAN 2 (over radio): Transpo
en route. 30 seconds out.
MAN: Watch your six.
The dead girl's father is approaching
in a blue windbreaker.
MAN 2: Eyes on target.
Eyes on the prize.
Secure the perimeter.
(gunshots)
(panicked clamoring)
But don't you see what
a break this is for us?
Clyde wants to move for a mistrial.
Well, this might be the
first time we get a fair trial.
Now that Wyatt Earp has put
some points on the board,
they can stop using your
son to stick it to you.
The jury saw the whole thing.
How is that not grounds for a mistrial?
Well, he missed.
Mostly.
We have a hung jury,
according to your data.
Then we go again.
A-Another trial?
Half the time with a hung
jury, the D.A. drops it.
What if he's guilty?
What does Brandon say?
Have you even spoken to your son?
He'll do what I tell him to do.
He always has.
You basically told him he
wasn't worth your time
and he has lived up to
those expectations.
Tell me he didn't do this.
(computers trilling, phones ringing)
I just watched the mirror jury
deliberate for two and a half hours.
We're losing.
I like a challenge.
It's one of the ten traits
of highly successful people.
Hmm.
A victim wants a caretaker.
These people...
are all linked...
to Bess.
We still don't have her.
Her son,
AJ, went through life
looking for the father he never had.
Just like Brandon
went through life looking for
the father he never had.
When Bess sees
Brandon, she sees her son, AJ.
Bess's second chance to
save her son, through Brandon.
Can I talk to you?
Would you mind taking your earbuds out?
"While employers believe
it's rude to wear earbuds
in the workplace, millennials
are using them
to focus and be more productive."
It's in our HR manual.
Too long, didn't read.
Remember we put that
bug in Clyde's watch?
He's meeting with the D.A.
You don't have Singapore Ear, do you?
He's taking a deal... Second
degree manslaughter.
He's gonna plead Brandon guilty.
I want Brandon downstairs.
- (door opens)
- Hey.
Don't mind him, I
borrowed him from the law firm.
Earbuds, Josh.
It just means whatever
we say in here is protected
under attorney-client privilege.
Why are we meeting down here?
Take a seat.
Why?
Just have a seat.
I'm not gonna testify.
Do you like Nutraloaf?
My father said I'm gonna take a deal.
'Cause that's what you're
gonna be eating
for the next ten years.
Forget it.
I'm not doing it.
(scoffs) Now is not the time
to bail on yourself just
because Daddy is.
I know, Brandon. I've
been down that road.
Yeah, right.
I... I mean, everybody respects you.
Even my dad says you're the best.
Your dad...
Dads...
If a father never said, "I love you,"
right?
Never.
Never said, "I'm proud of you."
Couldn't say it.
'Cause he didn't believe it.
Then who's the failure?
The father or the son?
Look in the mirror
and be the man your father never was.
Give yourself what you
wish you could get
from somebody else.
I'll be right there with you.
(sighs)
Sometimes I feel like
this whole thing...
you know, like...
like I'm watching it
happen to somebody else.
I know you're gay, Brandon.
I've known for a long time.
And it's nothing to be ashamed of.
(chuckles) It's who you are.
(exhales deeply)
How did you know?
I didn't even know.
Isn't that where you were the
night Alyssa was murdered?
Somewhere else,
with someone else, doing...
...something else?
Does my father know?
Your father just made a deal
to put you in prison for ten years.
Did he even ask you?
(breathes shakily)
(sniffles)
You can do this.
(nervous sigh)
They're not going to believe me.
Hey...
don't give up on people.
They're all we've got.
- Speak up.
- Answer directly.
Keep your hands still.
BENNY: Don't slouch.
MARISSA: Respond only to questions,
not statements.
- Don't fill silences.
- Don't smoke on breaks.
It's not enough to tell the truth.
You have to tell the truth effectively.
I gotta get this to my
boss. He'll need time to prepare.
Clyde's not doing the direct, you are.
(Benny chokes, coughs)
What? Does he know that?
(scoffs) My read on the
women on this jury is
they hate your boss.
If we spring you on them,
they just may rally to
vote for you, Liberty,
rather than against Brandon.
I'm the client, right? I'll tell him.
LIBERTY: Brandon...
I want you to direct your attention
to the night in question.
Were you with Alyssa Yang that night?
Yes, I was.
And on a previous night,
did you have sex with her?
Yes.
Did you argue about sex?
I didn't want to have
sex with her again.
It was a mistake.
Did something go wrong?
It's a mistake to do everything in life
because of what other
people expect you to.
LIBERTY: You're a healthy young man.
She was a beautiful young girl.
Why not?
Well, my parents kept asking me why
I didn't have a girlfriend,
and Alyssa was one of the
hottest girls around
and an "A" student who could, you know,
go to Oxford.
So that was, like, a
perfect picture, and...
at a certain point you get tired
of disappointing everyone.
So what was wrong with
the perfect picture?
I'm gay.
(quiet murmuring)
Is that where you were
between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m.?
Yes.
I was with someone.
LIBERTY: Brandon, I have to ask you...
...who were you with?
Look, I mean no
disrespect to you or anyone,
but I'm not gonna answer that.
I said what I've
said, and I'm not sorry,
but I'm not gonna do
this to someone else.
Brandon, now is not the
time to be a hero.
I've told you
everything you need to know.
Brandon, did you kill Alyssa Yang?
- No.
- Save yourself.
Tell this jury who you were with.
You just want...
You want to break it all apart.
Break everything!
(shouting) You're
supposed to be the adults!
(whispering and murmuring)
(gavel banging)
JUDGE: Quiet, please!
(gavel banging)
We have no further questions, Your Honor.
So you didn't tell the police
you were with someone that night?
- No.
- You lied to the police.
- Objection.
- I'll withdraw the question.
You admit you had sex with Alyssa.
Your DNA was found in her body.
- You were never gay before...
- I was always gay! I...
And now that your
trial isn't going so well...
do you really
expect this jury to believe
that you were with a secret,
gay, mystery lover
who you refuse to name?
I just didn't think it was
really up to me to be happy.
Your refusal is answer enough.
I'll withdraw the question.
No further questions.
- How did I do?
- Well...
you're not done yet.
I'm doing the closing argument, too?
Well, the real
closing arguments take place
behind the jury room door.
Always.
And our research shows that
Bess will deliver it.
Bess... who carries a
terrible burden of guilt
for failing her own son.
You can free her from that.
Can you do it?
Brandon Peters did not kill Alyssa Yang.
People know the truth when they hear it.
That's why we say it has a ring.
To tell the world that you're gay...
to tell yourself...
is not something you
do out of convenience.
It might be the hardest conversation
you ever have.
In not giving us an alibi
he gave us, perhaps, the best alibi
we could ever want.
It's an old-fashioned word
you don't hear so much of anymore,
you don't see so much of anymore.
Character.
(gavel banging)
Would the foreman read the verdict?
FOREMAN: On the charge of
murder in the second degree...
...we find the defendant...
not guilty.
(excited murmurs)
JUDGE: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
thank you for your service
and for being an integral
part in the judicial process.
You are dismissed.
(gavel bangs)
Good work, Brandon.
ADELE: Let's go, Taylor.
TAYLOR: Where are we going now?
ADELE: Taylor, let's go.
Meet with your therapist.
TAYLOR: What?
Mom, it's not for an hour.
Excuse me. Bess. Hey.
Oh, I recognize you.
You were always watching us.
(chuckles)
I'm Dr. Jason Bull.
What kind of doctor are you?
Psychologist.
Is that what you do, analyze people?
Not like that. Different.
Well, I was watching you, too.
Oh, yeah?
You grew up with a
lot of pain, didn't you?
That's how you learn how
to watch people like that.
Read 'em.
Figure out what makes 'em go.
To survive in that home. Mm.
I know.
I know.
Can I ask you a question?
Look, can we walk while we talk?
I don't like getting home after dark.
- Why'd you vote not guilty?
- Stop!
Stop trying to figure people out,
just to get 'em to do what you want.
It's just a very lonely place.
I wish I could.
I've never seen so many lost children.
What did we do?
Why do you catch a cold?
ADELE: I just don't know how you
could have been so reckless.
And with Brandon!
These things happen.
Well, it's not gonna happen again.
Good night.
(door opens, closes)
♪ ♪
I just couldn't stand
for you to be unhappy.
(siren approaching)
(tires screech, car doors open, close)
OFFICER: Police! Stay
right where you are!
We will use force if you do not comply.
Hold it right there!