Damages (2007–2012): Season 3, Episode 11 - All That Crap About Your Family - full transcript

NARRATOR: Previously
onDamages...

ELLEN: Frobisher had
my fiance killed.

This is a tremendous book.

Let me option this.
And I want to play you.

Louis Tobin had to
start moving the money

down there before he confessed.

And on Thanksgiving night,
Tessa started moving it out.

Patty Hewes asked you
about Thanksgiving night?

I appreciated you not
talking to her about it.

We are not going to approach
Tessa Marchetti now.

What are you talking about?



We've got no leverage.

I don't need you
or your protection.

I shouldn't have pushed
Tessa. I'll tell Patty.

And if she finds
out, blame it on me.

Ellen Parsons, she's been
talking to Patty Hewes.

The truth is, we do
believe the Tobins

were involved in
your mother's death.

What should I do?
Call this number.

This is Tessa Marchetti.

I'm just a couple blocks
away from your office.

You're under arrest.

Do you know who that is?

She babysat for you and Carrie.

When we were kids, you used
to tell me I was adopted.



Her name's Anne Connel. All
I could get was an address.

It's about a hundred
miles out of the city.

[DOORBELL CHIMES]

Can I help you?

Ms. Connel?

I'm sorry to bother you, um...

My name's Ellen Parsons.

Yes?

Do you remember me?

Ellen?

[WHEN I AM THROUGH
WITH YOU PLAYING]

♪♪♪ Little lamb

♪♪♪ Smile

♪♪♪ When I am through with you

♪♪♪♪ There won't
be anything left

♪♪♪ When I am through with you

♪♪♪♪ There won't
be anything left

♪♪♪♪ When I am
through with you ♪

Curtis Gates arrested
Tessa Marchetti.

For what?

I have no idea. That's why
she never showed up here.

So Gates just
happened to arrest her

right when she was
coming to talk to us?

Looks like it.

How the hell would
he know to do that?

I have no idea.

Why am I under arrest?

Because of your boyfriend.

What?

He's a citizen of Antigua.

So?

He's been living here in New
York for the last three months

on an expired visa.

Well, how is that my fault?

Well, he entered
the country with you

and he lives in your apartment.

It's a crime to house an
illegal alien, Ms. Marchetti.

Look, he's going
to get it renewed.

I didn't do anything. You
can't arrest me for this.

Well, I'm sorry, but I can.

I want to talk to a lawyer.

Of course. I think you should.

Any lawyer in particular?

Tessa Marchetti wants Patty
Hewes to be her lawyer.

Arresting Tessa
was the right move.

Yeah, I should thank you.

We would've missed this
opportunity if you hadn't told me

that Patty was working
with Ellen behind my back.

Just doing my job.

Hey, you're not going
to fire Ellen, are you?

As soon as she comes back
from wherever the hell she is,

send her to my office.

Thank you.

Why did you decide to find me?

I had a dream about
you, actually.

Did you ever cook for me?

Many times.

So, you say you're
an attorney now?

Yes.

I'm glad things
worked out so well.

I was always worried about you.

Why's that?

And I was very sorry
when I had to let you go.

Let me go? What, what...
What does that mean?

Maybe we shouldn't
talk about this.

No. It's okay. I-I
want you to tell me.

Ms. Connel, were you...

This is a very strange
question, but...

Was I adopted?

I'm not your mother, Ellen, if
that's what you were thinking.

But I lived with
you at some point?

No one ever told you?

My mother just said that
you were our babysitter.

Yes, I was. When you
were four or five.

And that was all it was?

Ellen, things in your home
were bad when you were young.

Bad how?

I never really knew
all the details,

but your father was very
unhappy, very angry.

I always thought your
mother should've left him,

but with two small girls, she
was scared to be on her own.

And she couldn't handle
you and your sister.

So she sent me to you?

You were happy at my house.

Your mother knew that.

Uh, how long did it last?

You lived with me
maybe six months.

And then, one day,

your mother asked
if I was interested

in making the
arrangement permanent.

Your parents didn't adopt you.

It was the other way around.

I don't understand.

Your mother asked
me to adopt you.

And what did you say?

I said yes.

I adored you.

But your mother decided

she couldn't go through with it.

So, she brought you home.

And after that,

she didn't want you
to see me again.

I understood.

Your mother loved you, Ellen.

She did the best she could.

I talked to my client. You have
nothing on Tessa Marchetti.

You're holding her
on a technicality.

So, what's your point?

I thought you didn't detain
people without cause.

Yeah, well...

If I've learned one thing on this
job, it's to remain flexible.

Tessa is the key to
my case right now.

I need her to find
the Tobins' money.

Well, she's in my custody.

Sooner or later, you're
going to have to let her go.

That's true.

And you can wait for
that eventuality,

but I doubt you have the time.

So, why don't you just
give me what I want?

Which is?

You've been working behind
my back with Ellen Parsons

on Danielle Marchetti's murder.

I want evidence.

I'm not ready to make a deal.

AUTOMATED VOICE: You
have one message.

Hey, it's Tom. Look,
I'm sorry I screwed up,

but your boss arrested
Tessa Marchetti

and, I don't know,
the shit hit the fan.

I've never seen Patty like this.

Where are you?

[CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING]

Hello, Ellen.

I left messages.

Why haven't you called me back?

Leave it.

[EXHALES]

How did Gates know you were
helping me on the case?

I'm sorry.

It was my fault.

Because as soon as he found out,

Gates went straight to Tessa
Marchetti and arrested her.

I approached Tessa.

I thought that I could
get her to cooperate,

and then the whole thing
blew up in my face.

It was a mistake.

A mistake?

Was it?

Or have you been trying to
humiliate me this whole time?

What? Pretending to help me.

When what you really wanted
was to get close to Gates.

No.

You used me.

'Cause it's always been
about ambition with you.

You act like you
care about the case.

All that crap about your family.

Your sister's wedding.

I fell for your bullshit.

But I know you now. I see you.

You're a climber.

A parasite.

And you're ruthless.

Just go.

I want you out of my apartment.

I want you out of my life.

May I remind you, Mr. Frobisher,
you're under oath.

Yeah, I'm well aware.

So, you considered your company

sort of like a
family, didn't you?

Very much like a family.

And was it your job to
hold the family together?

Yes. It was.

And you failed.

Objection. I'm
warning you, Counsel.

I'll rephrase. Was it very
painful for you when you failed?

Objection. You keep this up,

and we're gonna have
ourselves a problem.

ACTRESS: Would you agree
the crumbling of that

relationship was
nothing less than,

really, say, the
dissolution of a marriage?

You better watch what you say.

ALEX: Is that your position?

Or was the failure of that relationship,
as you call it, your failure?

Your deceit, your
breach of trust,

your absolute infidelity
to your employees?

I admire you, Ms.
Hewes, I really do.

But we're very different.

Is that so?

You've made a career out of crushing
people who stand in your way.

And whereas you seek to destroy,

I seek to create.

I've always felt it was my duty

to inspire the people
who work for me.

So that together,

together,

we can build
something remarkable.

What did you think?

It is such a huge help to
hear this thing out loud.

We're still, you know,
doing some fine-tuning,

but its reading great.
ARTHUR: Something's wrong.

Arthur, do you not think
the script's working?

There's something off, you
know? Something's missing.

I don't know what the
protocol is. Can I...

By all means. Tell
them whatever you want.

Listen... Hey, that
was great, by the way.

Now, listen to me. This is
Patty Hewes you're playing.

The kind of woman
who eats her young.

I mean, when she looks across the
table at the Frobisher character,

she is pure, unadulterated evil.

Okay?

Yeah.

Okay.

And you...

Jesus, it's uncanny.
It's like seeing a ghost.

I want to tell you
something, though.

Ray Fiske was gay. Okay?

Toss that in and play with
it a little bit, all right?

And no makeup next time.
It's just a workshop.

Okay, let's take
it from the top.

Whenever you're ready.

May I remind you, Mr. Frobisher,
you're under oath.

I'm well aware.

Do me a favor, will you, Toby,
and grab us a couple of coffees?

You can finish your shoes later.

Tessa Marchetti's in custody.

Custody of who?

The DA.

They got her on what charge?

It's unclear.

God! Using a 24-year-old
girl as a courier?

Was that the best idea my
father could come up with?

He had to scramble, Joe.

Why didn't he have
a goddamn plan?

He did. Of course he did.

But the government
surprised him,

and they started to
move in too quickly,

and we were forced to improvise.

I brought these, Lou.

You wanted the heels
fixed on your boots.

They're going to get me,
Stu. I can't hide it anymore.

It's okay.

She knows about the fraud.

You met with the SEC?

Yeah.

It's only a matter of time before
they put two and two together.

Jesus.

Louis, are you okay?
Do you have your pills?

Sweetheart, get me a
glass of water, please?

Okay. Yes. Okay.

I'm going to tell
my family tonight.

And then I'm going
to turn myself in.

It'll be easier on the family
if I just get it over with.

Are you ready on your end?

Everything's set with
the charity, but...

Thanks, Dani.

Can you give us a minute?

Yeah, of course.

We've got to start making
those transfers tonight.

Lou, this is happening too fast.

We don't have a courier yet.

How soon can Emanuel authorize
a signatory for the account?

As soon as you need.
That's not a problem.

But who are you going to use?

I don't like doing this.

But there is someone
we can trust.

He chose Tessa?

Tessa was his daughter.
Of course he trusted her.

How much does she know?

Only that she was
depositing paychecks.

What about the
documents she signed?

She know where the
money was going?

Absolutely not. She never
knew what she was signing,

so there's nothing she
can tell the authorities.

And you're sure of that how?

Because your father
was smart and careful.

Smart? He got caught. Okay?

I'm not going to let
that happen to us.

Tessa was always loyal to him.

Doesn't mean she's
going to be loyal to me.

Listen to what I'm telling you.

Tessa Marchetti doesn't know
anything and she's on your side.

So calm down and
don't get paranoid.

Arthur, Terry's ready for you.

[LAUGHS]

Oh, my God.

Man, if I knew I was
this good-looking,

I would've tried a
different line of work.

Actually, can you
give us a minute?

Yeah. Everything okay?

Yeah, I just want
to talk to Art.

Sure. Take your time.

Fantastic. Really, really.

Just remarkable, man.

It's not working, Art.

What's not working?

Any of it. I mean, the hair
and the clothes are fine.

What's the problem then?

None of it feels authentic.

You know, it feels
too on-the-surface.

I need to be able
to go inside you

and figure out what drives you.

That's the only way I
can truly find the part.

That sounds great.
Do... do it.

You don't get it.

[SIGHS]

See, when we were

workshopping the
deposition scene...

No, but that's going to
be a great goddamn scene.

Now, once we get, you know, a
top-flight actress in there,

elevate the whole
thing. Really.

Could be a great scene,
but it's dishonest.

What do you mean by that?
Why is it dishonest?

I read the stenographer's transcription
from your actual deposition.

Now, I don't know what
you told the screenwriter,

but you never waxed
philosophical with Patty.

You went ballistic.
All right, but...

No, it was great!
It was terrific!

It was uncensored!
It was unfiltered!

That's what I need
to get in touch with.

My anger?

Your dark side. I
need access to it.

Otherwise, this is
just candy coating.

You are a complicated man.

You have an underbelly

that most people
never get to see.

Of course.

I have to be able to see it.

All right, all right.

Well, I'll just have to
show you my underbelly then.

What is this?

What you need to
arrest Carol Tobin

for Danielle Marchetti's murder.

Thank you, Patty. Uh, give
me a chance to look it over.

If it's what I need, I'll
release Tessa immediately.

I don't want you to release her.

I'm sorry? Not
officially anyway.

I would like the Tobins to think
that she's still in custody.

So what do you need from me?

I can't trust Tessa.

If Zedeck is confident she'll protect
us, he must have his reasons, Joe.

I don't give a shit
what Zedeck says.

Her mother is dead, okay?

The DA's office is going to
use that to win her over.

Your father has supported
Tessa her whole life.

She has every reason
to protect us...

I am responsible for
this family now, Leonard.

I am responsible!

And she is not family.

Why should she be loyal to us?

She's a problem.

What do you want to do?

You've hired people
before, right?

To find Carol, to
have me followed...

God knows what else.

There have to be options, Len.

Tessa is in custody. We
can't even get to her.

Well, they can't
hold her forever.

Joe, look at me.

I'm your attorney. I
need you to listen.

I can't let you do
anything stupid.

It's not about you.

If you're not willing to help
me deal with it... I am...

If you're not willing to help me
deal with it, I can understand.

Joe, I am...

I'll find somebody
else who can help me.

Thank you for letting me sit in

on the Tessa Marchetti meeting.

It'll be a great
experience for you.

I'm going to include
you more from now on.

I would love that.

When the Tobin case is over,

Tom and I are going to want
someone who's ready, Alex.

Someone who could step up, take
more responsibility in the firm.

I look forward to it.
That's why I came here.

CURTIS: You sabotaged
this office.

You withheld evidence and
you took it to Patty Hewes.

Right?

Nick told you?

Yes, Nick told me. He
has respect for his job.

I wasn't trying
to undermine you.

I believed Patty
would find information

that would help us prosecute
the Tobin family for the fraud.

Oh, so you were
doing it to help me?

I was doing it to help the case.

That's all you have to say?

It's the truth.

Are you firing me?

Right now, I don't
want you around here.

You're on leave indefinitely
till I make my final decision.

Go home, Ellen.

We're going to get
you out of here.

Thank you.

But first, we want to know
the truth about Thanksgiving.

I lied to you, Ms. Hewes.

I was with my mother that night.

TOM: We know.

We also know you changed your
route with the airline that day.

Yeah, I made my first
flight to Antigua.

Why? Who sent you there?

Louis wants me to fly tonight?

He needs you to. He's in trouble,
Tessa. He may go to jail.

How often does he want
me to go down there?

Just once a week.

You'll deposit your paychecks

and sign some
documents at a bank.

[PHONE RINGING]

Hello?

I left my pills.
Please bring them over.

Isn't your family there?

I don't care. Leave
them in the lobby.

Louis, are you sure?

Just do it, Danielle.
God damn it, just do it!

Okay. I have to go.

Mom, you know more
than you're telling me.

The documents you'll be signing

will be sending
money to a charity.

That's all you'll
be doing. I promise.

Take this. Call Lenny. Tell
him to come pick these up.

No one can know that I
spoke to Louis tonight.

Okay.

Trust me, baby, it's
going to be okay.

Your mother said
you were helping

transfer money to a charity?

Yes. Was I stupid
to believe her?

No, no, the Tobins were
involved with several charities.

Do you remember if your
mother mentioned one by name?

I don't think so.

When you were cashing your paychecks
at the Royal Antiguan Bank,

you mentioned that you
signed three documents.

Yeah, in order to get
American currency.

Is it possible that a charity's
name was on that third document?

I don't think so.
I would've seen it.

Do you have copies
of that document?

No, they keep
everything at the bank.

Do you remember anything
about that form?

Not really. I signed
it so many times,

but it was just a
bunch of numbers.

Numbers and maybe
some random letters.

ALEX: Could be an IBAN.

What's that?

Routing codes for transferring
money to an account in the US.

Tessa, how would you feel about
going back down to Antigua?

Whatever you need.

What does Tessa actually know?

We're not sure.

I know that look, Lenny.

What else is wrong?

Protecting the money is the
only thing that matters to Joe.

He's not thinking clearly.

What do you mean?

Tessa isn't safe.

Lou never would've wanted
anything to happen to her.

You have to intervene.

How?

Tell Joe the truth.

You didn't tell him?

It's not my place,
Marilyn. You need to.

Joe needs to know
Tessa is his daughter.

I'm Malcolm.

I'll be keeping an eye on you

in case you have any sudden
urges to contact the Tobins.

Don't worry. I won't.

Thank you for letting Tessa out.

See what can happen when
we decide to work together?

[WOMAN MOANING IN PLEASURE]

[MAN GRUNTING]

Shit.

You are good.

I'm glad you liked it.

You are a fun kid.

[DOOR OPENS, SHUTS]

[CHUCKLES]

So, how does it feel to be me?

I could get used to that.

No. Mmm-mmm.

Well, no pressure. I just...

I just thought you were
looking for the underbelly.

Come on. Shit.

I'll trade you.

Now, there's something
you've got to understand.

Here, cheers. Cheers.

This is not just about pleasure.

No. No.

No, all of this...

All of this releases me.

Matter of fact, I...

This is the spot I came to

to make the biggest
decisions of my life.

Who to lay off?

[LAUGHS] Screw you.

No, I mean it. Screw you.

No, no, I...

There's a rawness that,
uh, I get in touch with.

And I find clarity in that.

I find clarity in darkness.

See, this is the kind
of stuff I want to know.

How dark do you get?

All right.

How far would you go

to protect your
money? Your family?

What would you do if
every single thing

that mattered was
being threatened?

Threatened how?

Someone out there. You know,
someone who could take everything.

Shit. Shit.

And then, what... what if a
man came up to you and he said,

"I can make all your
problems go away forever"?

What would you have to do?

Nothing.

Just say the word.

What could he do for you?

Anything.

Shit.

That's the dark side, my friend.

It doesn't get any
darker than that.

Art...

What kind of shit are
we talking about here?

What's up?

I want you to cut off any
communication with Ellen.

Why?

Either she was sloppy
or she disobeyed me.

What makes you say that?

She told me she
approached Tessa.

Even after I told her not to.

That's how Gates found out
about what we're trying to do.

Patty, hold... hold on.

I let my guard down. I should
never have let her back in.

[SIGHS]

Look, uh, whatever
Ellen told you,

she was covering up for me.

She didn't approach
Tessa. I did.

I'm sorry. I was... I was
impatient and I screwed up.

The truth is, Ellen tried
to salvage my mistake.

She was the one who
steered Tessa back to us.

Why did you do it?

I did what I
thought I had to do.

So the two of you were
strategizing behind my back.

And then you lied
to me about it.

Yeah.

I lied to you.

Have you ever lied to me?

I've got work to do.

I made a judgment call
and I took a risk.

I'm done apologizing.

I'd like you to start
looking for new cases.

Excellent. Any
particular area?

Bring me whatever you're
most passionate about.

Maybe pharmaceutical
class-actions

or constitutional violations.

Alex, you can bring
me whatever you want.

That's how we work here.

Okay.

Did you tell him?

Yes.

Joe's going to
leave Tessa alone.

Are you okay?

Louis should have
told Joe sooner.

He couldn't.

Joe wouldn't have been able
to handle it back then.

He couldn't take care of
himself, much less a child.

Well, now he knows.

You all set?

Yeah, I'm ready.

All right.

You'll go to the bank like
it's business as usual.

Make your deposit,
sign the paperwork.

And I keep the third document.

We shouldn't be seen
together, so you'll leave now.

I'll be waiting for you across
the street from the bank.

Get in the car, and we'll
go straight to the airport.

Got it.

You're out walking in
the middle of the day.

Work's been a bit iffy.

Suddenly got all this
time on my hands.

Must be nice.

I guess. I don't know
what to do with myself.

You went to see that woman.

Yeah.

My babysitter.

What were you expecting to find?

I don't know. I was hoping...

Hoping what?

I'm not sure. It was stupid.

You know, you've
always been trying

to rewrite your family history.

What do you mean?

Well, you started by being the
good girl who never got in trouble,

then the perfect student.

Now the successful attorney.

I finally figured
out you and Patty.

Yeah?

You both hate bullies.
It's what drives you.

Your father was a bully.

And I remember, Ellen, I saw it.

How he treated your
mom and Carrie.

And you couldn't stop him.

You were helpless.

And that's why you're
drawn to Patty,

because she's not.

Ellen,

if you want to keep working
for Patty, go back to her.

If not, then really move on.

Stop talking to her.

Thanks, David.

I'm sorry.

For what?

I haven't been thinking about
you as much as I used to.

That's good.

But I haven't forgotten.

I miss you.

It's nice to see you, Mary.

If Tessa comes through,

we'll need to cross-reference
the routing codes.

With a list of every bank in
the US. I pulled it already.

And we'll need a
list of charities.

I've gone through
the Tobins' 1040s.

I figured I'd start with the
charities they donated to regularly.

If that's how the Tobins
laundered the money...

What did you think
of Alex Benjamin?

She's smart, ambitious,
very dedicated.

She'll fit right in.

Yes?

You were saying?

I'm glad you like her.

I didn't say I liked her.

Patty?

I'm sorry, Alex.

It's not working out.

What's not working out?

You.

I don't understand.

I think you do.

Are you firing me?

It's not personal.

Take the afternoon and
clean out your office.

Malcolm?

Malcolm?

I have the document.
I thought you were

gonna meet me at the bank and...

Oh, my God.

Oh, my God.

Tessa Marchetti?

Please. No. No.

[CELL PHONE RINGING]

Yes?

EMANUEL: Your fears were
well-founded, Mr. Tobin.

Ms. Marchetti came
back to Antigua.

But all is well.

Mr. Tobin, are you there?

Thank you.

The money's safe.

It's not your fault, Joe.

Your father had a daughter
with Danielle Marchetti.

This was his mistake.

You did it for your child.

You did it for all
of us, for our...

For our... our future.

You had no choice.

[WHEN I AM THROUGH
WITH YOU PLAYING]

♪♪♪ When I am through with you

♪♪♪ There won't be anything left

♪♪♪ When I am through with you

♪♪♪ There won't be anything left

♪♪♪ When I am through with you ♪