Chance (2016–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - The Mad Doctor - full transcript
Previously on "Chance"...
Stop it, stop it.
- Was it Jackie?
- Yes, I believe it was.
We're gonna be doing some cases
for them pro Bono.
You think that will give you
someone to talk to about Raymond?
He's not omnipotent.
There are limits.
Not until he's dead.
Him or me.
How's it coming with
your cop buddy, Blackstone?
You'd be amazed
at how many coincidences
I hear about.
I'm getting to the point
where I don't even believe
in such things.
Next time we coincide like this,
that's on you.
He threatened me.
There's ways of handling
a guy like that,
because right now
he's the feeder.
You need to turn
the tables on him.
We are willing
to consider Nicole's
continuing at Havenwood
under strict probation.
It won't be necessary for us
to discuss anything further.
- What are you doing?
- Being the feeder.
You were right.
Shit has hit the fan.
My daughter was attacked.
Some stranger hit her
in the face.
This is Blackstone, D.
I know it.
This guy is out to crush me.
He's out to show you
he can crush you.
This is not a game.
Question is not, is it a game?
Question is, who sets the rules?
Frontotemporal dementia is
a degenerative brain disorder
that affects the nerves
and blood vessels
of the frontal lobe.
Someone with this condition
will experience dramatic changes
in their behavior...
Socially inappropriate actions.
Hypersexuality is common.
- Babe, tapping out?
I know you want in on these.
Also, emotional indifference
to others' pain or suffering.
As in not reacting
to the possibility
of his beloved wife drowning?
Yes.
And how is FT diagnosed?
Dr. Kushel's SPECT scans
revealed abnormal dark regions
in his prefrontal cortex,
indicating deterioration
in areas
associated with feelings
of shame or empathy,
also impulse control.
We've heard testimony
from friends and family
who described Dr. Kushel
as a sensitive,
self-controlled physician before
he was, um...
- Oh, shit. My jury's back.
- It's all right.
- Sorry.
- No, no. Go, go.
Judge Klockner just cleared
her docket, FYI.
We're definitely
gonna be up this time.
But I think we're in good shape.
Do you feel ready?
As I'll ever be.
Okay.
Getting in?
Forgot something.
Sorry.
Hey.
Listen, about Blackstone.
Our investigation.
Yep.
Can you hand me that wood glue
on the top shelf?
I... I guess
I don't understand.
It's been...
It's been two days now.
Start right now if you want.
Well, what I'm saying is
I thought we had started.
I mean, what are we doing?
We're waiting for Blackstone
to make some other move on us?
He's already shown you
what he can do.
He's not gonna do anything else
till he sees what you do.
Well, what I did was
give you money.
Unless this is you
angling for more.
Not unless you've
changed your mind
about what you want.
5 gets you his computer.
10 gets him a beating,
20 makes him go away.
No, no, no,
that's not... I...
All I want is something
that I can give the D.A.
You need to give them something.
Otherwise, it's your word
against Blackstone's.
You don't want that.
All good with the money.
Just a little short on wheels.
You...
You don't have a car?
License. When I came back
from my last tour,
I just never renewed it.
It seemed best.
So, you can't drive.
Oh, I used to drive
all over the fucking place.
It just didn't go so well.
There were issues.
That's go find this fucker.
What? Right now?
Okay, uh...
My car is parked in the alley.
You said Blackstone
broke into your car.
That means he knows
what it looks like.
We'll have to fix that.
Let's go rent something.
Your butter has to be salted,
and it has to be real butter.
Cheese can be whatever
kind of cheese people like.
I prefer good American cheese.
Then you put some olive oil
in a pan, and then your butter.
The oil keeps the butter
from burning too quickly.
Put your bread
and cheese together,
salt and pepper
between the cheese.
Then throw it in the pan
on top of the hot oil.
Now, the key here
is temperature control.
You want to crisp the bread
without melting out the cheese.
Now you take it off.
Use a paper towel
to wipe up the excess oil
and do the same thing
on the other side.
It will be crispy but fluffy.
The perfect grilled
cheese sandwich.
- Are we done here?
- Why?
- It's still light out.
- I don't know.
It just feels weird
sitting outside.
I feel overmatched.
You're looking
at the smoke, brother.
The trappings of power.
Blackstone rests on that.
We call it domain specificity.
Within a certain domain,
he's powerful.
Put yourself in his
crosshairs in his domain,
he can use that power.
To my point.
I'm feeling like
I'm in the crosshairs.
I'm feeling a little
more rabbit-like
than I would prefer.
Here's the thing
about a dirty cop.
He's already stepping
outside his domain.
That's a big chink in his armor.
I want to take down
a guy like that,
I'm going right there...
Catch him where he lives.
What's he gonna do?
Call a cop?
You're looking at this
like a receiver.
We're gonna feed this fucker.
There he is.
That's him.
- You see him?
- Yeah.
Shoulders loose,
hands by his waistband.
What does that mean?
Means he's ready to fight.
Also to pull a weapon.
Operator I worked
with in Kandahar
used to say...
Feet never killed anyone.
Audi, right?
Yeah.
Good enough detective he ranks
a prime parking spot.
Here we go.
Steady, man.
It's all good.
Far back as we can
without losing sight.
And if we do lose sight...
Who gives a shit?
Yep. Loose to lose...
That's the technique.
Follow as far as we can
without getting burned.
And that's the rule...
Never get burned.
If we lose him,
come back the next day,
pick him up right
where were we lost him.
Then we're back to our map,
and we're marking our route.
Over time, we know
where he lives
and where he goes,
and we've got a formula,
and you're sticking to it.
You're making
a grilled cheese sandwich.
A faster fucking car
wouldn't hurt.
Just sayin'.
Same time tomorrow, Doc?
What? Uh, no, I can't.
I-I, you know...
I do have a practice.
What time you close?
What time do we close?
We close at 6:00.
I don't see patients
after 4:00.
Perfect.
Be here at 4:30.
Okay.
I got to say, this...
This is all so weird.
I mean, I'm a medical
professional,
not some Raymond Chandler
character.
You want to help
this Jaclyn or not?
- What?
- Your lady.
She's not my lady.
You said you were trying
to help someone,
and the last person
who tried got murdered.
She's not your lady?
What is she?
I consulted on her case.
I made a referral.
How do you know her name?
You said you went
to a Chinese restaurant
to meet with Jaclyn
when Blackstone threatened you.
I remember things people say.
He... terrorizes her.
He... he...
He attacked her
so violently he triggered
a dissociative state.
Second personality.
I've met her... Jackie.
She your lady?
N... Neither...
4:30, Doc.
On time is late.
Leave a message.
Hi, it's Eldon.
Uh, I just thought I'd check in,
see how things were
going with Suzanne.
I hope it's going well.
I'm sure it is.
But, uh, I was, uh...
I was thinking about you
and, uh, wondering about...
everything.
Um, the way you left
my apartment and, uh...
Anyway, any time you...
You want to call me back,
I'll be around.
Uh...
Oh, by the way,
probably best not to mention
to Suzanne that I called.
Okay, thanks.
Yeah, I'm, uh, just on my way
to the office, Christina...
Why?
What the hell would he build
a workout space down there for?
So he could train more clients,
so he could contribute.
He knocked out two
support pillars.
He had to hang a heavy bag,
and then there was
all the other equipment.
That was
a weight-bearing wall.
Ugh. The foundation
is damaged now. Am I wrong?
Andrea said the buyer
bought a structural engineer
who says the house
is now potentially unsafe.
I know this.
He fucked up, okay?
And he's very regretful
about it, and so am I.
Does Neil understand
what's involved financially here
if we can't sell that house?
Jesus, we've got
unpaid attorney's fees.
We got taxes,
got a double mortgage.
- Yes, he understands.
- Well, do you?
You know, there's at least
a couple of people
living in tents
on Division Street right now
who thought it could
never happen to them.
You know what, honey?
I've got some time.
I'd like to take you out
for a while,
show you something, okay?
- Really, now?
- Why not?
It's not like she's got school.
- Yeah.
- Eldon, man, I'm really sorry.
Okay, seriously,
I-I didn't mean to...
What can I do?
You can make it right.
That's what.
You want to make it right, Neil?
Yeah.
Yeah, no, I'll... I'll put it
all back the way it was.
All of it.
I will.
Okay, well, you can tell Andrea
to tell people that the price
is the price as is.
They can take it or leave it.
I'll get Nic back by lunch.
Divorce has had a pretty
magical effect on you, huh?
You're just making big decisions
all over the place now.
Full of fuck-you's
for the world.
Yeah, that's me.
And Berkeley High is
less than a mile that way.
Uh, that way.
Hey, how bad did Neil
fuck up the house?
It's not your problem, sweetie.
It is if it falls down.
It won't.
What about earthquakes?
All he did was he just made it
a little harder to sell.
That's it.
Here we are.
Whoa.
This is the place?
- What you think?
- It's actually a possibility?
Averages out at less
than I pay in the city.
How'd you even find it?
Well, gee, I used this thing
called the interweb.
They want an answer by Friday.
There's a group of engineering
grad students
who've got great credit,
and they're in the offing.
Want to check out the unit?
Sure.
But I already like it.
Okay, but, you know,
you might not like the...
The sauna and the roof garden.
- Are you kidding?
- Only about it having those.
Aw!
Man walks down
the middle of road.
There are no lights, no moon.
He's dressed all in black.
Car drives down the same road.
The car has no lights
but swerves,
missing the man
at the last second.
How does this happen?
I have no idea.
You want a hint?
Nope, I give up.
It's daylight, professor.
Here we go.
What do you think?
Liquor store,
check-cashing joint,
or the massage parlor?
Out of his domain.
It's...
It's a brothel, right?
Happy Hands it is.
See how long he stays.
You hungry?
Uh, no.
I'll be right back.
Excuse me, sir, but could you
spare some change, please?
Anything... baby's hungry.
Uh... Yeah, sure.
Hold on a second.
Hey.
Get the fuck out of here.
Fuck you.
What I'm feeling...
You're not much into riddles.
Maybe it's 'cause
I'm not that good at them.
Also, 'cause much of the time,
feels to me like
someone's got an answer
and wants to show you
how smart they are.
I don't give a fuck
about answers.
What I want to know is,
what is the formula
that's being used to trick me?
If I can recognize the formula,
then I can sidestep the trap.
The one with the guy
walking down the road...
That's using extraneous
detail to mask
what's not being said.
There he is.
What do we do?
We stay with him?
Fucker was in there
for two hours.
What we need to know now
is how often.
Once a week?
Same day, same time?
Rule number one...
Never get burned.
Rule number two...
Never press your luck.
You're on an island
with two tribes.
Oh, Jesus.
Does the prosecution have
any questions for the witness?
Does frontotemporal dementia
diminish intellectual capacity,
or moral clarity?
No, it does not.
A disorder that doesn't
remove the concept of law
but encourages
or allows a person to behave
badly seems convenient,
doesn't it?
Editorializing phrased
as question, Your Honor.
Withdrawn.
Dr. Chance, does a person
with frontotemporal
dementia know
the difference
between right and wrong?
They certainly can.
Does Dr. Kushel,
in your opinion?
Yes, I believe he does.
Although, to be clear,
you can know the difference
between right and wrong
intellectually,
but still be unable
to stop yourself
from doing wrong.
Kushel sprung from med school
with prescription pad
and a broad mantra...
Do no harm.
Easier said than done.
Well, he does it.
He got married, kids, house.
He's caring, reliable
Consistent.
Until suddenly, he stops
obeying traffic lights,
the stop signs,
starts shoplifting
and taking off
his shirt in public.
From there he goes
to trading Oxy scripts
for oral sex like it's the most
natural thing in the world.
What you call
a mid-life crisis.
Oh, that's the question.
Where does personality end
and neurological damage begin?
This guy's case stemmed
from visible
neurological damage.
The point is,
is that the very organ
that he had trained to save
is betraying him.
Might land him in jail.
You want to have some food
with your salt?
It's a cleansing agent.
When it's salted?
What they clean cast-iron
skillets with,
not soap and water.
They scour it with
a big fistful of salt.
You think your blood pressure
is a cast-iron skillet
'cause I can assure
you it's not.
He likes dogs.
So did Hitler.
This is interesting.
Who are they?
Fuck if I know.
He gave the dog to the girl.
Do we stay with him?
D?
No.
Uh, too risky to follow on foot.
Let's call it a day.
- Hey, honey.
- Did you get the apartment?
- The...
- Did you call?
What did they say?
Yeah, uh, I did.
I called, and...
they gave it
to the grad students.
I thought you were before them.
Yeah, so did I.
I-I don't know.
Building manager must have...
Must have made a mistake.
I'm sorry.
Okay. Love you.
Hey...
We've heard testimony
from friends and family
who say Dr. Kushel
was an empathetic
and self-controlled physician
before he was diagnosed.
That doesn't surprise me.
Then could Dr. Kushel,
in your opinion,
have exercised willpower
to stop himself
from writing his wife
or anyone else
prescriptions for narcotics
that they didn't need?
Uh... I'm sorry.
- Wha... the, uh...
- Could he...
Could Dr. Kushel
have stopped himself
from writing prescriptions?
Uh, in my opinion, no.
And why is that?
Frontotemporal dementia
robbed him of that capacity.
He could no more force himself
to do the right thing than a man
with a severed spinal column
could force himself to walk.
And does Dr. Kushel know
what's wrong with him?
- In my view, he...
- Fucking right I do.
I'm a Goddamn doctor.
Dr. Kushel, I'm not going
to warn you again.
This is Officer Kirk, SFPD.
Building security called us
about Mr. Taylor's car.
Well, it looks like
somebody broke into it.
Big mess.
He available to come down
to level 2?
No, has to be him in person.
He needs to sign the report.
Thanks.
What kind of errand is this?
The kind where you go
someplace and surprise a guy.
Hey, Frank.
You suck at your job.
I found you, didn't I?
Yeah, but how long
did it take you?
Open your trunk.
This can go one
of two ways, Frank.
If I was you, I'd go
with the first one.
Why are you looking at him?
Don't look at him.
Look at me.
Good.
Put your hands on the bumper
there, both hands.
- What?
- Did you really not hear me?
Or are you trying to buy time?
Wait, listen.
Just listen to me.
Shut up.
Looking pretty fucking
scared there, Frank.
You ever want to find me again,
this'll help you remember
what you looked like
when you did.
You got that?
What the fuck was that?
Picture connects the fear
and the pain,
crushes the spirit.
- Plus, we got a watch.
- Not an answer.
Whatever it was,
I don't want to be a party
to anything like
that ever again.
You are a party to it, Doc.
What that asshole was doing
was gonna interfere
with what you
and I are doing here now.
It already has.
We're late.
That guy was in the bar.
Yes, he was.
Good get.
So, why?!
Scumbag's not a cop, okay?
He's private.
It was a private matter.
But you did good, by the way.
He looked at you.
I thought you were gonna say
something, show weakness,
but you didn't.
You just gave him
a fucking hard-ass stare.
Were you aware of that?
I was not.
He thinks we're a damn team.
Killers on the road.
You see his fucking face
in that picture?
Let's go see what other nuggets
we can chisel out of this day.
Routine really is like
having a target on your back.
There you go.
Another cop?
Maybe they come for the wings.
What the fuck?
Oh, Christ.
He's just a cop being a cop.
This is what we've been watching
this whole fucking time?
Him setting up this bust?
Doing the job doesn't
change who he is.
Anyway, massage parlor
hand jobs are vice.
He's homicide.
Why is he wasting
his time on something
that isn't even his department?
Your not knowing the reason
doesn't mean there isn't one.
I know there is one.
That's my point.
Blackstone is the guy
walking down the road...
Using extraneous details
to mask what is not...
Oh, Christ on a bike,
stop it with the riddles!
He's... he's a cop, D.
He's doing cop stuff.
We're two assholes
sitting in car
that smells of onion rings.
Have it your way, Doc.
What other way
is there to have it?
We've been sitting here...
How long have we been
sitting here?
For this?
I'm sorry.
I forgot the riddles
and the fine dining.
- Your lady...
- She's not my...
Jaclyn never said her husband
didn't get his day job done, right?
She said he's dirty.
The point is we get to know him,
so we're there when
he trips over his dick.
Maybe there is no fucking point.
Maybe I want my money back
'cause this is all bullshit.
How about we change it up?
Day after tomorrow's Saturday.
We know where he lives.
How about we see
what he does on his day off?
We get no joy out of that,
we can talk about a refund.
This... this...
Jesus.
You want a soda?
Or a cone?
I think they got
ice cream in there.
No, thank you.
I'll get you some water.
Suzanne.
Jesus, El, how much
have you had?
It is the shank of the evening,
as they say.
What's up?
There's been, um,
an incident with Jaclyn.
I wanted to be sure
before I told you.
She... she took some money
from her student's house.
- Stole it.
- What?
- When?
- Yesterday.
And you're...
You're sure about this?
Her mother's
my friend, remember?
Father's a developer,
keeps a lot of cash around,
$2,000 of which
is now gone, apparently.
Christ.
They're not pressing charges,
thank God.
They just want her gone.
Did you talk to Jaclyn?
- What did she say?
- She denies it.
But then she denies her memory
and the existence of time
and everything else.
And besides, she's really
the only one it could have been.
It could have been Jackie.
I mean, she could...
She could...
Whatever it is,
I don't know what to do now.
You have another plan?
No. I-I don't.
Leave a message.
Hey.
Where's, uh...
Hong... he canceled.
His wife called.
He's under a 72-hour
involuntary hold at SF General.
Okay.
Uh, that guy,
the mad doctor... Kushel...
His verdict came in guilty.
Yeah, well, I guess
that's not really a surprise.
He's asking to see you.
Who? Kushel? Why?
I don't know.
His attorney reached out.
They've got him at County
waiting transfer to Vacaville,
and he wants you to visit.
Oh, man. I'll have
to think about that.
Also, my maternity leave.
Yeah, right.
Yes, that's starting...
- Tomorrow.
- No.
Yeah, it starts tomorrow.
No, no, I thought it was
gonna be next month.
It was gonna be,
and... now it's not.
What do you mean?
What happened?
Is there something
wrong with the baby?
Well, then, what changed?
You did.
Yeah.
Well, you know, I've had
a lot on my plate.
Yeah, it's not just lately.
You haven't been yourself
for a long time.
Although, these days,
you're just so jumpy
and shady and...
I don't know.
But I keep waiting for you
to react or something
or come back to your normal self
or at least show
that you know that you've
changed, but you never do.
And I don't know...
It's your life.
And I just... I really...
I really like
working here and now.
I don't want to do
shady right now.
Anyway, so, I'm just
gonna not have ankles
and try not to drink grape soda
at home on the couch
instead of here.
I do know.
And I'm gonna fix it.
Please don't leave.
I was leaving in a month anyway.
I'll make sure there's
a temp in the morning.
Never would've figured you
for a motorcycle guy.
That was 30 years ago,
give or take.
I wasn't really.
Broke my femur.
Silver lining was I got to spend
a year abroad in Oxford.
What'd you do there?
Studied French
and German literature.
Not medicine?
It was medicine I was
trying to get away from.
Among other things.
Oh, what do we have here?
You okay?
Wait. Is that Jaclyn?
Yes.
I guess I get it now.
You never said
what she looked like.
I thought you said
she was leaving him, though.
Oh, wait, is this the other one?
Which one is this?
Is this Jackie?
I don't know who that is.
You okay?
Yeah.
- You sure?
- Yeah.
Do you know what's going on?
What's the deal with them?
No, I... I don't know.
All right, listen.
Sit tight.
I'm gonna get you some water.
Did he see you?
Did he?
I don't know.
I don't think so.
Why'd you go in there?
Do you even know?
A man who cannot cover
nor restrain his emotions
is no longer his own master.
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
Don't be stupid.
You're not stupid.
You familiar with the concept
of the frozen lake?
No, I'm not.
Learned it
when I was in the Teams.
Something you want so badly
you'll go out to the center
of a frozen lake to reach it.
Where the ice is thinnest.
But you won't see that.
Everyone else will,
just not you.
I'm rolling with my guys.
Someone says to me,
"You're on your frozen lake."
I stop and take time right then
because he sees
something I can't.
And I need to hear that.
Whatever it is I'm doing,
I need to stop.
I need to...
I need to step back from this,
whatever this is.
It's just...
I can't get it straight.
I almost got us caught today.
I can't even tell you why.
I just told you.
She's your frozen lake, bro.
My opinion...
She's Blackstone's, too.
I wanted to ask you something.
Can I just...
What happened to your teeth?
Some guy cut me
in line at dinner.
Called me a fucking Jew.
And I said, "Fuck you,
you're a Nazi."
Guard hears this, comes over,
takes them out with the stick.
- I'm sorry about that.
- Well, don't be.
Not about that.
You can know the difference
between right and wrong
and still not be able to stop.
That's what you said.
Yes, I did.
But who's deciding?
That's what we have
to settle now.
Just you and me.
Right and wrong.
Who's deciding which is which?
You tell me.
Other people.
Other people who don't think
about you for longer
than they have to,
and then they're gone.
How can you trust them?
They don't know,
and they don't care.
Trust yourself.
What if you can't
trust yourself?
Who's telling you that?
And how can you live that way?
You can't.
The way you feel
is all you have.
Even if you're broken.
What happens to you
happens to your life.
What other way can you
be than who you are?
Lesson one...
Don't get burned.
Jaclyn.
What... what... no!
No! No.
What was that today?
- What were you doing?
- You can't be here.
You came to me,
and you told me
that you had to get away.
It was death... him or you.
Then I see you today
like that with him?
I want to help you.
I'm trying to help you.
I care about you.
But I don't know what
the fuck is happening!
He has something of mine,
all right?
- Something important.
- What? What does he have?
- My daughter.
- What do you mean?
You told me
you had a miscarriage.
I was 17.
I wasn't married to her father.
I gave her up.
We reconnected two years ago.
She's in school now...
Chico State.
Raymond pays her tuition.
Because she serves
a purpose for him.
Why didn't you tell me?
You think he's gonna hurt her?
He said as much, which is why
if he wants to get breakfast
or go shopping,
I don't say no.
Whatever he wants.
Will she be all right?
That's my problem.
You're good.
I know you are.
But you're not strong enough.
It's not an insult.
No one is.
There's always someone
strong enough.
You're better than this.
Whatever this is,
it won't end how you think.
Battle is a joyous thing.
When we see that
our cause is just,
tears come to our eyes.
A sweet delight
fills our hearts.
Do you think that someone
who has felt this
is afraid of death?
Doc, I know you called
a time-out,
but you needed to see.
It's the woman
from the dog park.
Yeah.
She thought he was a nice guy
with a nice dog
helping her get settled.
The other two he poached
from the Happy Hands bust.
What do you mean "poached"?
- What's he doing?
- Business.
Trafficking women.
He's getting them
ready to work...
for him.
Jaclyn, Jackie,
whatever her name is,
your lady...
She was telling the truth.
Stop it, stop it.
- Was it Jackie?
- Yes, I believe it was.
We're gonna be doing some cases
for them pro Bono.
You think that will give you
someone to talk to about Raymond?
He's not omnipotent.
There are limits.
Not until he's dead.
Him or me.
How's it coming with
your cop buddy, Blackstone?
You'd be amazed
at how many coincidences
I hear about.
I'm getting to the point
where I don't even believe
in such things.
Next time we coincide like this,
that's on you.
He threatened me.
There's ways of handling
a guy like that,
because right now
he's the feeder.
You need to turn
the tables on him.
We are willing
to consider Nicole's
continuing at Havenwood
under strict probation.
It won't be necessary for us
to discuss anything further.
- What are you doing?
- Being the feeder.
You were right.
Shit has hit the fan.
My daughter was attacked.
Some stranger hit her
in the face.
This is Blackstone, D.
I know it.
This guy is out to crush me.
He's out to show you
he can crush you.
This is not a game.
Question is not, is it a game?
Question is, who sets the rules?
Frontotemporal dementia is
a degenerative brain disorder
that affects the nerves
and blood vessels
of the frontal lobe.
Someone with this condition
will experience dramatic changes
in their behavior...
Socially inappropriate actions.
Hypersexuality is common.
- Babe, tapping out?
I know you want in on these.
Also, emotional indifference
to others' pain or suffering.
As in not reacting
to the possibility
of his beloved wife drowning?
Yes.
And how is FT diagnosed?
Dr. Kushel's SPECT scans
revealed abnormal dark regions
in his prefrontal cortex,
indicating deterioration
in areas
associated with feelings
of shame or empathy,
also impulse control.
We've heard testimony
from friends and family
who described Dr. Kushel
as a sensitive,
self-controlled physician before
he was, um...
- Oh, shit. My jury's back.
- It's all right.
- Sorry.
- No, no. Go, go.
Judge Klockner just cleared
her docket, FYI.
We're definitely
gonna be up this time.
But I think we're in good shape.
Do you feel ready?
As I'll ever be.
Okay.
Getting in?
Forgot something.
Sorry.
Hey.
Listen, about Blackstone.
Our investigation.
Yep.
Can you hand me that wood glue
on the top shelf?
I... I guess
I don't understand.
It's been...
It's been two days now.
Start right now if you want.
Well, what I'm saying is
I thought we had started.
I mean, what are we doing?
We're waiting for Blackstone
to make some other move on us?
He's already shown you
what he can do.
He's not gonna do anything else
till he sees what you do.
Well, what I did was
give you money.
Unless this is you
angling for more.
Not unless you've
changed your mind
about what you want.
5 gets you his computer.
10 gets him a beating,
20 makes him go away.
No, no, no,
that's not... I...
All I want is something
that I can give the D.A.
You need to give them something.
Otherwise, it's your word
against Blackstone's.
You don't want that.
All good with the money.
Just a little short on wheels.
You...
You don't have a car?
License. When I came back
from my last tour,
I just never renewed it.
It seemed best.
So, you can't drive.
Oh, I used to drive
all over the fucking place.
It just didn't go so well.
There were issues.
That's go find this fucker.
What? Right now?
Okay, uh...
My car is parked in the alley.
You said Blackstone
broke into your car.
That means he knows
what it looks like.
We'll have to fix that.
Let's go rent something.
Your butter has to be salted,
and it has to be real butter.
Cheese can be whatever
kind of cheese people like.
I prefer good American cheese.
Then you put some olive oil
in a pan, and then your butter.
The oil keeps the butter
from burning too quickly.
Put your bread
and cheese together,
salt and pepper
between the cheese.
Then throw it in the pan
on top of the hot oil.
Now, the key here
is temperature control.
You want to crisp the bread
without melting out the cheese.
Now you take it off.
Use a paper towel
to wipe up the excess oil
and do the same thing
on the other side.
It will be crispy but fluffy.
The perfect grilled
cheese sandwich.
- Are we done here?
- Why?
- It's still light out.
- I don't know.
It just feels weird
sitting outside.
I feel overmatched.
You're looking
at the smoke, brother.
The trappings of power.
Blackstone rests on that.
We call it domain specificity.
Within a certain domain,
he's powerful.
Put yourself in his
crosshairs in his domain,
he can use that power.
To my point.
I'm feeling like
I'm in the crosshairs.
I'm feeling a little
more rabbit-like
than I would prefer.
Here's the thing
about a dirty cop.
He's already stepping
outside his domain.
That's a big chink in his armor.
I want to take down
a guy like that,
I'm going right there...
Catch him where he lives.
What's he gonna do?
Call a cop?
You're looking at this
like a receiver.
We're gonna feed this fucker.
There he is.
That's him.
- You see him?
- Yeah.
Shoulders loose,
hands by his waistband.
What does that mean?
Means he's ready to fight.
Also to pull a weapon.
Operator I worked
with in Kandahar
used to say...
Feet never killed anyone.
Audi, right?
Yeah.
Good enough detective he ranks
a prime parking spot.
Here we go.
Steady, man.
It's all good.
Far back as we can
without losing sight.
And if we do lose sight...
Who gives a shit?
Yep. Loose to lose...
That's the technique.
Follow as far as we can
without getting burned.
And that's the rule...
Never get burned.
If we lose him,
come back the next day,
pick him up right
where were we lost him.
Then we're back to our map,
and we're marking our route.
Over time, we know
where he lives
and where he goes,
and we've got a formula,
and you're sticking to it.
You're making
a grilled cheese sandwich.
A faster fucking car
wouldn't hurt.
Just sayin'.
Same time tomorrow, Doc?
What? Uh, no, I can't.
I-I, you know...
I do have a practice.
What time you close?
What time do we close?
We close at 6:00.
I don't see patients
after 4:00.
Perfect.
Be here at 4:30.
Okay.
I got to say, this...
This is all so weird.
I mean, I'm a medical
professional,
not some Raymond Chandler
character.
You want to help
this Jaclyn or not?
- What?
- Your lady.
She's not my lady.
You said you were trying
to help someone,
and the last person
who tried got murdered.
She's not your lady?
What is she?
I consulted on her case.
I made a referral.
How do you know her name?
You said you went
to a Chinese restaurant
to meet with Jaclyn
when Blackstone threatened you.
I remember things people say.
He... terrorizes her.
He... he...
He attacked her
so violently he triggered
a dissociative state.
Second personality.
I've met her... Jackie.
She your lady?
N... Neither...
4:30, Doc.
On time is late.
Leave a message.
Hi, it's Eldon.
Uh, I just thought I'd check in,
see how things were
going with Suzanne.
I hope it's going well.
I'm sure it is.
But, uh, I was, uh...
I was thinking about you
and, uh, wondering about...
everything.
Um, the way you left
my apartment and, uh...
Anyway, any time you...
You want to call me back,
I'll be around.
Uh...
Oh, by the way,
probably best not to mention
to Suzanne that I called.
Okay, thanks.
Yeah, I'm, uh, just on my way
to the office, Christina...
Why?
What the hell would he build
a workout space down there for?
So he could train more clients,
so he could contribute.
He knocked out two
support pillars.
He had to hang a heavy bag,
and then there was
all the other equipment.
That was
a weight-bearing wall.
Ugh. The foundation
is damaged now. Am I wrong?
Andrea said the buyer
bought a structural engineer
who says the house
is now potentially unsafe.
I know this.
He fucked up, okay?
And he's very regretful
about it, and so am I.
Does Neil understand
what's involved financially here
if we can't sell that house?
Jesus, we've got
unpaid attorney's fees.
We got taxes,
got a double mortgage.
- Yes, he understands.
- Well, do you?
You know, there's at least
a couple of people
living in tents
on Division Street right now
who thought it could
never happen to them.
You know what, honey?
I've got some time.
I'd like to take you out
for a while,
show you something, okay?
- Really, now?
- Why not?
It's not like she's got school.
- Yeah.
- Eldon, man, I'm really sorry.
Okay, seriously,
I-I didn't mean to...
What can I do?
You can make it right.
That's what.
You want to make it right, Neil?
Yeah.
Yeah, no, I'll... I'll put it
all back the way it was.
All of it.
I will.
Okay, well, you can tell Andrea
to tell people that the price
is the price as is.
They can take it or leave it.
I'll get Nic back by lunch.
Divorce has had a pretty
magical effect on you, huh?
You're just making big decisions
all over the place now.
Full of fuck-you's
for the world.
Yeah, that's me.
And Berkeley High is
less than a mile that way.
Uh, that way.
Hey, how bad did Neil
fuck up the house?
It's not your problem, sweetie.
It is if it falls down.
It won't.
What about earthquakes?
All he did was he just made it
a little harder to sell.
That's it.
Here we are.
Whoa.
This is the place?
- What you think?
- It's actually a possibility?
Averages out at less
than I pay in the city.
How'd you even find it?
Well, gee, I used this thing
called the interweb.
They want an answer by Friday.
There's a group of engineering
grad students
who've got great credit,
and they're in the offing.
Want to check out the unit?
Sure.
But I already like it.
Okay, but, you know,
you might not like the...
The sauna and the roof garden.
- Are you kidding?
- Only about it having those.
Aw!
Man walks down
the middle of road.
There are no lights, no moon.
He's dressed all in black.
Car drives down the same road.
The car has no lights
but swerves,
missing the man
at the last second.
How does this happen?
I have no idea.
You want a hint?
Nope, I give up.
It's daylight, professor.
Here we go.
What do you think?
Liquor store,
check-cashing joint,
or the massage parlor?
Out of his domain.
It's...
It's a brothel, right?
Happy Hands it is.
See how long he stays.
You hungry?
Uh, no.
I'll be right back.
Excuse me, sir, but could you
spare some change, please?
Anything... baby's hungry.
Uh... Yeah, sure.
Hold on a second.
Hey.
Get the fuck out of here.
Fuck you.
What I'm feeling...
You're not much into riddles.
Maybe it's 'cause
I'm not that good at them.
Also, 'cause much of the time,
feels to me like
someone's got an answer
and wants to show you
how smart they are.
I don't give a fuck
about answers.
What I want to know is,
what is the formula
that's being used to trick me?
If I can recognize the formula,
then I can sidestep the trap.
The one with the guy
walking down the road...
That's using extraneous
detail to mask
what's not being said.
There he is.
What do we do?
We stay with him?
Fucker was in there
for two hours.
What we need to know now
is how often.
Once a week?
Same day, same time?
Rule number one...
Never get burned.
Rule number two...
Never press your luck.
You're on an island
with two tribes.
Oh, Jesus.
Does the prosecution have
any questions for the witness?
Does frontotemporal dementia
diminish intellectual capacity,
or moral clarity?
No, it does not.
A disorder that doesn't
remove the concept of law
but encourages
or allows a person to behave
badly seems convenient,
doesn't it?
Editorializing phrased
as question, Your Honor.
Withdrawn.
Dr. Chance, does a person
with frontotemporal
dementia know
the difference
between right and wrong?
They certainly can.
Does Dr. Kushel,
in your opinion?
Yes, I believe he does.
Although, to be clear,
you can know the difference
between right and wrong
intellectually,
but still be unable
to stop yourself
from doing wrong.
Kushel sprung from med school
with prescription pad
and a broad mantra...
Do no harm.
Easier said than done.
Well, he does it.
He got married, kids, house.
He's caring, reliable
Consistent.
Until suddenly, he stops
obeying traffic lights,
the stop signs,
starts shoplifting
and taking off
his shirt in public.
From there he goes
to trading Oxy scripts
for oral sex like it's the most
natural thing in the world.
What you call
a mid-life crisis.
Oh, that's the question.
Where does personality end
and neurological damage begin?
This guy's case stemmed
from visible
neurological damage.
The point is,
is that the very organ
that he had trained to save
is betraying him.
Might land him in jail.
You want to have some food
with your salt?
It's a cleansing agent.
When it's salted?
What they clean cast-iron
skillets with,
not soap and water.
They scour it with
a big fistful of salt.
You think your blood pressure
is a cast-iron skillet
'cause I can assure
you it's not.
He likes dogs.
So did Hitler.
This is interesting.
Who are they?
Fuck if I know.
He gave the dog to the girl.
Do we stay with him?
D?
No.
Uh, too risky to follow on foot.
Let's call it a day.
- Hey, honey.
- Did you get the apartment?
- The...
- Did you call?
What did they say?
Yeah, uh, I did.
I called, and...
they gave it
to the grad students.
I thought you were before them.
Yeah, so did I.
I-I don't know.
Building manager must have...
Must have made a mistake.
I'm sorry.
Okay. Love you.
Hey...
We've heard testimony
from friends and family
who say Dr. Kushel
was an empathetic
and self-controlled physician
before he was diagnosed.
That doesn't surprise me.
Then could Dr. Kushel,
in your opinion,
have exercised willpower
to stop himself
from writing his wife
or anyone else
prescriptions for narcotics
that they didn't need?
Uh... I'm sorry.
- Wha... the, uh...
- Could he...
Could Dr. Kushel
have stopped himself
from writing prescriptions?
Uh, in my opinion, no.
And why is that?
Frontotemporal dementia
robbed him of that capacity.
He could no more force himself
to do the right thing than a man
with a severed spinal column
could force himself to walk.
And does Dr. Kushel know
what's wrong with him?
- In my view, he...
- Fucking right I do.
I'm a Goddamn doctor.
Dr. Kushel, I'm not going
to warn you again.
This is Officer Kirk, SFPD.
Building security called us
about Mr. Taylor's car.
Well, it looks like
somebody broke into it.
Big mess.
He available to come down
to level 2?
No, has to be him in person.
He needs to sign the report.
Thanks.
What kind of errand is this?
The kind where you go
someplace and surprise a guy.
Hey, Frank.
You suck at your job.
I found you, didn't I?
Yeah, but how long
did it take you?
Open your trunk.
This can go one
of two ways, Frank.
If I was you, I'd go
with the first one.
Why are you looking at him?
Don't look at him.
Look at me.
Good.
Put your hands on the bumper
there, both hands.
- What?
- Did you really not hear me?
Or are you trying to buy time?
Wait, listen.
Just listen to me.
Shut up.
Looking pretty fucking
scared there, Frank.
You ever want to find me again,
this'll help you remember
what you looked like
when you did.
You got that?
What the fuck was that?
Picture connects the fear
and the pain,
crushes the spirit.
- Plus, we got a watch.
- Not an answer.
Whatever it was,
I don't want to be a party
to anything like
that ever again.
You are a party to it, Doc.
What that asshole was doing
was gonna interfere
with what you
and I are doing here now.
It already has.
We're late.
That guy was in the bar.
Yes, he was.
Good get.
So, why?!
Scumbag's not a cop, okay?
He's private.
It was a private matter.
But you did good, by the way.
He looked at you.
I thought you were gonna say
something, show weakness,
but you didn't.
You just gave him
a fucking hard-ass stare.
Were you aware of that?
I was not.
He thinks we're a damn team.
Killers on the road.
You see his fucking face
in that picture?
Let's go see what other nuggets
we can chisel out of this day.
Routine really is like
having a target on your back.
There you go.
Another cop?
Maybe they come for the wings.
What the fuck?
Oh, Christ.
He's just a cop being a cop.
This is what we've been watching
this whole fucking time?
Him setting up this bust?
Doing the job doesn't
change who he is.
Anyway, massage parlor
hand jobs are vice.
He's homicide.
Why is he wasting
his time on something
that isn't even his department?
Your not knowing the reason
doesn't mean there isn't one.
I know there is one.
That's my point.
Blackstone is the guy
walking down the road...
Using extraneous details
to mask what is not...
Oh, Christ on a bike,
stop it with the riddles!
He's... he's a cop, D.
He's doing cop stuff.
We're two assholes
sitting in car
that smells of onion rings.
Have it your way, Doc.
What other way
is there to have it?
We've been sitting here...
How long have we been
sitting here?
For this?
I'm sorry.
I forgot the riddles
and the fine dining.
- Your lady...
- She's not my...
Jaclyn never said her husband
didn't get his day job done, right?
She said he's dirty.
The point is we get to know him,
so we're there when
he trips over his dick.
Maybe there is no fucking point.
Maybe I want my money back
'cause this is all bullshit.
How about we change it up?
Day after tomorrow's Saturday.
We know where he lives.
How about we see
what he does on his day off?
We get no joy out of that,
we can talk about a refund.
This... this...
Jesus.
You want a soda?
Or a cone?
I think they got
ice cream in there.
No, thank you.
I'll get you some water.
Suzanne.
Jesus, El, how much
have you had?
It is the shank of the evening,
as they say.
What's up?
There's been, um,
an incident with Jaclyn.
I wanted to be sure
before I told you.
She... she took some money
from her student's house.
- Stole it.
- What?
- When?
- Yesterday.
And you're...
You're sure about this?
Her mother's
my friend, remember?
Father's a developer,
keeps a lot of cash around,
$2,000 of which
is now gone, apparently.
Christ.
They're not pressing charges,
thank God.
They just want her gone.
Did you talk to Jaclyn?
- What did she say?
- She denies it.
But then she denies her memory
and the existence of time
and everything else.
And besides, she's really
the only one it could have been.
It could have been Jackie.
I mean, she could...
She could...
Whatever it is,
I don't know what to do now.
You have another plan?
No. I-I don't.
Leave a message.
Hey.
Where's, uh...
Hong... he canceled.
His wife called.
He's under a 72-hour
involuntary hold at SF General.
Okay.
Uh, that guy,
the mad doctor... Kushel...
His verdict came in guilty.
Yeah, well, I guess
that's not really a surprise.
He's asking to see you.
Who? Kushel? Why?
I don't know.
His attorney reached out.
They've got him at County
waiting transfer to Vacaville,
and he wants you to visit.
Oh, man. I'll have
to think about that.
Also, my maternity leave.
Yeah, right.
Yes, that's starting...
- Tomorrow.
- No.
Yeah, it starts tomorrow.
No, no, I thought it was
gonna be next month.
It was gonna be,
and... now it's not.
What do you mean?
What happened?
Is there something
wrong with the baby?
Well, then, what changed?
You did.
Yeah.
Well, you know, I've had
a lot on my plate.
Yeah, it's not just lately.
You haven't been yourself
for a long time.
Although, these days,
you're just so jumpy
and shady and...
I don't know.
But I keep waiting for you
to react or something
or come back to your normal self
or at least show
that you know that you've
changed, but you never do.
And I don't know...
It's your life.
And I just... I really...
I really like
working here and now.
I don't want to do
shady right now.
Anyway, so, I'm just
gonna not have ankles
and try not to drink grape soda
at home on the couch
instead of here.
I do know.
And I'm gonna fix it.
Please don't leave.
I was leaving in a month anyway.
I'll make sure there's
a temp in the morning.
Never would've figured you
for a motorcycle guy.
That was 30 years ago,
give or take.
I wasn't really.
Broke my femur.
Silver lining was I got to spend
a year abroad in Oxford.
What'd you do there?
Studied French
and German literature.
Not medicine?
It was medicine I was
trying to get away from.
Among other things.
Oh, what do we have here?
You okay?
Wait. Is that Jaclyn?
Yes.
I guess I get it now.
You never said
what she looked like.
I thought you said
she was leaving him, though.
Oh, wait, is this the other one?
Which one is this?
Is this Jackie?
I don't know who that is.
You okay?
Yeah.
- You sure?
- Yeah.
Do you know what's going on?
What's the deal with them?
No, I... I don't know.
All right, listen.
Sit tight.
I'm gonna get you some water.
Did he see you?
Did he?
I don't know.
I don't think so.
Why'd you go in there?
Do you even know?
A man who cannot cover
nor restrain his emotions
is no longer his own master.
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
Don't be stupid.
You're not stupid.
You familiar with the concept
of the frozen lake?
No, I'm not.
Learned it
when I was in the Teams.
Something you want so badly
you'll go out to the center
of a frozen lake to reach it.
Where the ice is thinnest.
But you won't see that.
Everyone else will,
just not you.
I'm rolling with my guys.
Someone says to me,
"You're on your frozen lake."
I stop and take time right then
because he sees
something I can't.
And I need to hear that.
Whatever it is I'm doing,
I need to stop.
I need to...
I need to step back from this,
whatever this is.
It's just...
I can't get it straight.
I almost got us caught today.
I can't even tell you why.
I just told you.
She's your frozen lake, bro.
My opinion...
She's Blackstone's, too.
I wanted to ask you something.
Can I just...
What happened to your teeth?
Some guy cut me
in line at dinner.
Called me a fucking Jew.
And I said, "Fuck you,
you're a Nazi."
Guard hears this, comes over,
takes them out with the stick.
- I'm sorry about that.
- Well, don't be.
Not about that.
You can know the difference
between right and wrong
and still not be able to stop.
That's what you said.
Yes, I did.
But who's deciding?
That's what we have
to settle now.
Just you and me.
Right and wrong.
Who's deciding which is which?
You tell me.
Other people.
Other people who don't think
about you for longer
than they have to,
and then they're gone.
How can you trust them?
They don't know,
and they don't care.
Trust yourself.
What if you can't
trust yourself?
Who's telling you that?
And how can you live that way?
You can't.
The way you feel
is all you have.
Even if you're broken.
What happens to you
happens to your life.
What other way can you
be than who you are?
Lesson one...
Don't get burned.
Jaclyn.
What... what... no!
No! No.
What was that today?
- What were you doing?
- You can't be here.
You came to me,
and you told me
that you had to get away.
It was death... him or you.
Then I see you today
like that with him?
I want to help you.
I'm trying to help you.
I care about you.
But I don't know what
the fuck is happening!
He has something of mine,
all right?
- Something important.
- What? What does he have?
- My daughter.
- What do you mean?
You told me
you had a miscarriage.
I was 17.
I wasn't married to her father.
I gave her up.
We reconnected two years ago.
She's in school now...
Chico State.
Raymond pays her tuition.
Because she serves
a purpose for him.
Why didn't you tell me?
You think he's gonna hurt her?
He said as much, which is why
if he wants to get breakfast
or go shopping,
I don't say no.
Whatever he wants.
Will she be all right?
That's my problem.
You're good.
I know you are.
But you're not strong enough.
It's not an insult.
No one is.
There's always someone
strong enough.
You're better than this.
Whatever this is,
it won't end how you think.
Battle is a joyous thing.
When we see that
our cause is just,
tears come to our eyes.
A sweet delight
fills our hearts.
Do you think that someone
who has felt this
is afraid of death?
Doc, I know you called
a time-out,
but you needed to see.
It's the woman
from the dog park.
Yeah.
She thought he was a nice guy
with a nice dog
helping her get settled.
The other two he poached
from the Happy Hands bust.
What do you mean "poached"?
- What's he doing?
- Business.
Trafficking women.
He's getting them
ready to work...
for him.
Jaclyn, Jackie,
whatever her name is,
your lady...
She was telling the truth.