Daredevil (2015–…): Season 1, Episode 3 - Rabbit in a Snowstorm - full transcript
Murdock and Foggy take on a mysterious wealthy client, but Murdock is convinced that there's more to the case than just the facts.
Hi.
Can I get a size 10 and a lane?
Sorry. We're closing up.
He's still playing.
Mr. Prohaszka bowls when he wants to.
Worked it out with the owner.
Can I join him for a few balls?
You wanna ask, knock yourself out.
Be right back.
Excuse me.
I was just wondering if maybe
I could join you for a couple games?
- Private game. You mind?
- No.
Hey... sorry.
I was just really looking forward
to throwing a few balls.
Get this moron out of my face.
Hey, come on.
Whoa, whoa. Hey!
You got a bad attitude, friend.
Mmm.
Love that smell.
Metal and oil.
Fresh, never been fired.
Take a whiff.
Like a good revolver better.
No chance of jamming up.
Man.
Look at this.
This is top of the line.
I guarantee this baby will not jam
or my name ain't Turk Barrett.
This is how he negotiates, huh?
Police are on their way, miss. Stay calm.
Hello?
Got him? Where is he?
Got him in sight.
He's right over there.
Don't move!
Stay there!
Keep your hands up!
Dispatch, Victor 23...
I want a lawyer.
# Daredevil 1x03 #
Rabbit in a Snowstorm
Original Air Date on April 10, 2015
You're Jack Murdock's kid, aren't you?
It's all right.
Seal of Confession.
Anything you said during
the sacrament of penance
stays between us.
Could've killed 10 people,
I couldn't tell anyone.
That seem fair to you?
Is what it is.
- I have to get to work.
- Yeah, me, too.
Wouldn't mind a cup of coffee
first, though.
Chamber of commerce donated
one of those... fancy espresso machines
for meetings and stuff.
I make a heck of a latte,
if you're interested.
Some other time, maybe.
Seemed you had a lot on your mind
last time you were here.
Sure you don't want that latte?
Take care of yourself, Father.
Thought you'd forgotten about me, Urich.
Never happen.
I don't know.
People's memories
these days ain't so good.
Back in the day,
I couldn't wait to see this view.
Me and the boys, driving in Friday nights.
Kings of the castle.
Kings don't have bodies in the trunk.
Tell that to Macbeth.
What's this about you moving to Florida?
Did you hear about Rigoletto?
Heard he retired.
Yeah... in pieces.
- Somebody putting it to you?
- You know the rules.
- Is it the Russians?
- The rules.
You go first... and then maybe
I got something to say.
That's the way it's always been.
Russians got a bee up their ass.
Somebody's been hitting them... hard.
Mostly around the docks.
Wasn't Rigoletto,
that what you're thinking.
So who are we looking at?
You tell me.
I don't know.
Been scratching at it.
Police reports get altered.
Public records, too.
But I know a pattern
when it shoves a thumb in my eye.
A new player, maybe?
Used to be if you killed a man,
you sent his wife flowers.
Now they just send his wife with him.
You know something, don't you?
Yeah.
Florida's beautiful this time of year.
The rules.
There are no rules, Benny.
Not anymore.
So that's it?
That's all I get?
You know, when I went away to do my 10,
every newspaper in town
dragged my name through the shit.
You were the only one who did it...
without mentioning my kids.
Always grateful for that.
Then give me something.
A name... anything.
Take a pass on this one, Benny.
Some fights will just get you bloody.
You know the whole,
"Let's stay out all night," thing?
Yeah.
How about next time
we skip the part with the eel?
Deal.
Hey, what do you think about
getting a sign on the door?
- Well, you got a sign.
- A real one.
You should get some clients first.
Just one little sign.
What could it cost?
Frank, you can barely afford to pay me.
I thought you were working for free.
I... I did... for a day.
- Hey... you know she's not really free?
- Hey.
Jesus. What happened to your eye?
- Oh. Are you okay?
- Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.
I just wasn't paying attention
last night. It's my fault.
You need a dog.
- I'm not getting a dog.
- What?
You don't like dogs?
Who doesn't like dogs?
I... I love dogs.
Everybody loves dogs.
Was that a knock?
Someone's at the door.
Our door?
Uh...
Karen?
Right.
Okay.
Hi.
Do you do walk-ins?
I represent a consortium with
diversified interests
in the private sector,
both domestic and international.
From time to time, we scout the landscape
for promising talent to put on retainer.
- Retainer?
- Mmm.
Why are you approaching us?
Why not a larger firm, Mr., uh...
Confederated Global Investments
is my employer.
It's not what I was asking.
It's the only name relevant
to this discussion, Mr. Murdock.
Oh.
So, why us?
Obviously, the larger firms aren't able
to provide the same hands-on attention
that we pride ourselves on
at Nelson and Murdock.
It's a fair question.
I'm here because my employer
does extensive business in Hell's Kitchen,
and who knows it better
than two local boys
who graduated from Columbia Law,
cum laude and summa cum laude?
Uh, the "summa" part is politics.
You set up shop
right here in your backyard
despite the fact that both of you
were made a very lucrative offer
from Landman and Zack in Manhattan
where you interned.
You've done your homework.
My employer expects no less.
Then forgive me for being blunt.
"Blunt" is a strong word.
In my line of work, I find it refreshing.
What is that line of work exactly?
What my partner is trying to say is
we're still building a practice,
so we're very particular
about our clientele.
I assure you, all my employer wants
is for you to continue
to be ethical, decent men...
good lawyers.
And for that, for nothing more than
your exceptional skills
and your discretion...
you'll be fairly compensated.
Uh-huh.
It's... It's fair.
That's... That's fair.
Your partner doesn't seem convinced.
Like Foggy said,
we're particular about our clientele.
I'm curious about your... clientele.
Do they all end up working for you
after you get them off for murder
or just the pretty ones?
You, uh, give us a minute, please?
Um...
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to upset anyone.
How did you know about
Miss Page's situation?
She was never charged.
There was nothing in the papers.
I have friends on the force.
I hear I'm not the only one.
I think we might be
veering off the subject.
I understand your concerns, Mr. Murdock.
Perhaps... you should
review one of our cases...
before you make a decision?
Peace of mind and whatnot.
That's a fantastic idea.
Matthew?
Yeah, what harm could it do?
Excellent.
You have... 38 minutes
to get to Precinct 15.
What? Now? What's the case?
Everything you need is in this file.
Thank you for your time.
No. Thank you.
Thank you very...
What is your problem?
He wouldn't even give us his name, Foggy.
You wouldn't care if you could see
the zeroes on this check.
- Yeah, maybe you would if you couldn't.
- We're running out of time.
- I'll meet you there.
- Meet me?
The hell are you going?
Matt!
It's been taken care of, sir.
So what exactly happened, Mr. Healy?
In your own words.
All I wanted was to throw a few balls.
The lady at the shoe counter
will tell you the same.
She also says that
you crushed the deceased's skull
with a bowling ball.
Self-defense.
The man and his... whatever they were,
they threatened my life.
They threatened you how?
Verbally? Physically?
Which sounds better?
Excuse me?
They threatened me
both verbally and physically.
So... you say you... didn't know
or have never met Mr... Prohaszka
- prior to last night?
- No...
but I do regret any injurious consequences
my actions may have caused.
You have quite the legal vocabulary,
Mr. Healy.
Am I right in assuming
this isn't your first rodeo?
I had issues.
I'm better now.
On second thought...
Mr. Healy, uh...
perhaps our firm
isn't the right fit for you.
Sorry I'm late.
Uh, no, no, that's...
I was just explaining
to Mr. Healy that, uh...
we have a full caseload
right now, so we...
We'd be happy to
represent you, Mr. Healy.
- What?
- We're taking the case.
Uh...
Why don't we start from the beginning?
Tell me everything you know.
I understand the policy
has an allotment of days,
but last time we spoke,
I was told I could request an extension.
This was last month, yes.
What's the new form called?
From the website.
Of course. Thanks.
Insurance talk?
It's the worst.
I remember, uh,
with my kids and the dentist.
Yeah.
Yeah. Got a minute
to talk about next week's spread?
Already working on it.
Another organized crime thing?
All of Hell's Kitchen.
There's a new player on the scene.
No one knows who it is or what they want.
Everybody's scrambling.
Your assignment's the city desk, Ben.
This is the city.
No one else is on this yet.
I'm the only one who sees it.
It's not sexy.
We're a newspaper, Ellison,
not a girlie mag.
You know that's not what I meant,
and nobody calls them that anymore.
It's not just the Russians.
I think maybe the Union Allied scandal
might tie into this.
Right, and you remember
what that expos? did for circulation?
Dick with a side of, "Who gives a shit?"
This is a real story.
Yeah, and it's gonna end
the same as it always does, right?
A bunch of fat old guys
in some white-collar prison
with more fat old guys.
The cops aren't even on this yet.
We could be the ones to connect the dots.
It doesn't sell papers, Ben.
Not anymore.
I want you on the subway line piece.
"Rumors bubbling.
Will Hell's Kitchen
finally get a subway line?"
Come on, we tell that every year.
- And every year, it kills.
- For a fluff piece.
You know, you like to
be on the ground, right?
You like to talk to people.
Take a poll.
What color do they like?
You know, we got a blue line,
we got a yellow line.
We're running out of colors.
Like M&M's?
Yeah, see?
You'll write the hell out of it.
There used to be a time
when the people in this building
wrote the hell out of the news.
Everybody we know...
is making twice what we are
writing for blogs,
working from home in their underwear.
We're hanging on by our fingertips, Ben.
You really want to be
greasing that ledge?
Make it visual, all right?
I'll call down to Graphics,
see if I can drum up a chart.
Oh, and, um...
I'll put in a call
to the insurance drones,
see what I can do, okay?
Would you like us to reiterate the terms
of attorney-client privilege, Mr. Healy?
Think I got it.
Then you know anything you tell us
stays in this room.
Just like church.
You must be a very important man.
That a question?
Statement.
It's not every day
a global investment firm
picks up the tab for a murder suspect.
Self-defense.
I wonder if you could shed some light
on the man that hired us to represent you.
- Don't think I can, counselor.
- Can't or you won't?
Maybe we should focus on
details pertinent to the case?
Just trying to build a solid defense,
and the connection between Mr. Healy
and the man that came to our offices
might just help prove his innocence.
How?
Maybe they're old friends.
Maybe he's a character witness.
Or maybe you were in his employment
at the time of the incident.
I just wanted to throw a few balls,
just like I keep saying.
You go bowling often, Mr. Healy?
When the mood hits.
And the deceased,
he had no motive that you recall?
No.
You didn't provoke him
intentionally or otherwise?
Are we breaking for lunch anytime soon?
Are you at all afraid of what might happen
if we lose this case, Mr. Healy?
No.
Are you?
Matt, a word, please?
We should not be doing this.
- Doing what?
- Defending professional criminals.
You're the one that keeps saying
we need real clients.
That's not a client.
It's a shark in a skin suit.
You pegged it back at the office.
There's something off
about this whole thing.
We agreed to represent him, Foggy.
We're gonna try this case
and let the jury take it from there.
Mr. Healy...
Uh...
I suggest we waive
criminal procedure law 180.80,
give the DA more time to explore a plea.
In the meantime,
the best thing for you to do
is to be forthcoming with us.
Together, we'll confront the charges
honestly, openly and within
the moral confines of the law.
Does that sound good to you?
No.
- Excuse me?
- I want the 180.80 date.
If I'm indicted, which we know I will be,
we'll waive all hearings and discovery
and go directly to trial.
Not my first rodeo, remember?
You'll need to testify.
I'm just gonna have faith
in our judicial system...
and you're gonna do your jobs.
- That simple?
- That simple.
And, uh...
as for the man who hired you...
all you need to know is...
his check's gonna clear.
Wait your turn, man.
I got next.
- Hi.
- Hi.
You wanna tell me
what the hell's going on with you?
First you decide
we're taking the case unilaterally
and then you cross-examine the guy
like we're playing bad cop/worse cop.
If we want to keep the lights on,
we gotta take some cases for the money.
You were right about that.
Okay, for the record,
this is the first time
you've ever said I was right.
I hate it.
Sometimes, we have to
do things we aren't proud of.
Yeah, but... this can't
become what we do.
Yeah, I know.
And we have to be on the same team,
making decisions together.
I got carried away.
I'm sorry, Foggy.
It's okay.
- So?
- Okay.
So assuming he's indicted, which, yeah,
it's on the DA to prove
beyond a reasonable doubt
that it wasn't self-defense,
shoe girl's DD-5 says that
she didn't come out of the back room
until after the fight had started,
which helps us.
And what about Prohaszka's men?
They lawyered up.
Wouldn't give a five.
Since when do the victims of an assault
not give a statement?
Another chit in our favor.
Plus Healy's pretty banged up.
Argue defensive wounds,
which makes it look more like a fight
and less like an execution.
So, you open, I'll sum up.
And we should cash that check,
have Karen see what she can find out
about Confederated Global.
Right.
Where the hell is she?
It's a fairly simple form.
Here you agree, in writing,
to never again disclose information
regarding your former employer,
the dissolved entity known as
Union Allied Construction,
or any of its affiliates.
Upon execution of this agreement,
the corporate interests,
as they currently exist,
agree not to pursue
legal action against you.
Against me?
Well, you signed
a non-disclosure agreement
the day you were hired, Miss Page.
Everybody did.
Not everyone broke that agreement
and distributed confidential information.
I... I exposed criminal activity.
And had you taken that information
to any law enforcement agency,
your rights may have been protected,
but instead... you went to
the New York Bulletin,
a privately-owned news organization.
I had nothing to do with that article.
So the file you illegally removed
from the premises of Union Allied
wasn't the same one
Mr. Urich refers to in this?
You see how this complicates things, yes?
Daniel Fisher was murdered
and your clients...
I assure you that any illegal activity
associated with Union Allied
has been dealt with,
thanks very much to you.
You're welcome.
If you'd like, you can take these
to your own representatives,
but I'm fairly certain
they'll advise you to sign it.
And as a show of good faith,
my clients would like to offer you
a lump sum of six months' salary.
For what?
For all your help in the matter
and for any stress
these events may have caused.
Stress?
Someone tried to kill me.
And while my clients acknowledge
no involvement with that individual
or claim legal responsibility
for his actions,
they do feel
it's their non-binding moral obligation
to offer you a chance
at rebuilding your life.
As long as I keep my mouth shut?
It's a clean slate, Miss Page...
a chance to put it all behind you.
Now, isn't that what you want?
Private rooms are hard to come by, Ben.
Especially this time of year.
She can't be in a communal.
She needs hands-on.
Yeah, well,
you are lucky after all this time
that they are still covering you at all.
They said, in some cases,
it's possible to get an extension.
Well, they say a lot of crap.
Mostly just to get you off the phone.
I already filled out the forms.
I just need you to approve them.
Yeah, okay.
This is the first step.
There are 1,000 more after this,
and I've got a hospital to run.
If I stop to fill out every appeal,
I am going to be...
They're gonna cut her off, Shirley.
It's not her fault.
Come with me.
It is not like we are
throwing her out on the street.
Not yet.
But the next thing you know,
the communal ward is at capacity,
then she gets pushed
to an out-patient facility.
I know there's a limit to what you can do,
to what I can afford.
I just want to make sure she can rest,
so she can get better...
so she can come home.
Okay.
Five days.
That's what this will buy you.
- And the appeal?
- No promises, okay?
Now get the hell out of my office.
I have got a measle outbreak to deal with
because idiot parents
don't want to vaccinate
and my best nurse is out
with who the hell knows what.
Uh...
What's that?
Cheese blintz from that place you like.
- You should have led with that.
- That'd be cheating.
Yeah.
- Hey. She had a good day.
- Yeah?
She was up half an hour.
Asked about you.
Let's pull section 35.15 of the Penal.
35.15.
Then we'll take our facts
and fit them to the CJI and the statute.
Got the insights?
It's still loading.
- We need better Wi-Fi.
- We need better everything.
Let's do that.
Let's win cases,
be popular and make money.
- It's not about that, Foggy.
- I know...
but it could be...
just a little, a smidge.
Hey, uh... Wi-Fi's acting weird.
You find out anything on Confed Global?
Yeah, uh, it's a subsidiary
of a holding company
of a loan-out to a holding subsidiary
and on and on and on.
But that dickhead's check
cleared in about two seconds.
There's your money.
Bang on the router, will you?
Oh, hey, no more long lunches
until this is over, okay?
You got it.
All right, practice insights for
New York State Penal Law 35.15.
And in the state of New York,
I'll remind you,
that my client is not required to prove
that he was justified in his actions.
Instead, it's up to the prosecution
to prove beyond a reasonable doubt
that he was not justified
in defending his life.
And they will come nowhere close
to meeting this burden.
At the end of this case...
the only verdict that you can render
will be not guilty.
Members of the jury,
this is an important case,
and I have a few additional comments
that I want you to consider.
If you should fail
to agree upon a verdict,
we will be forced to...
This will all be over soon, okay?
Just keep it together till the verdict.
Can you do that?
Look, you ask me,
it's almost like
they're doing you a favor.
I mean, you don't want
something like that floating around.
Go home.
Get some rest.
You got a big day tomorrow.
Stay down.
Ahhh!
I said stay down.
You son of a bitch!
What do you have on her?
A tape!
There's a tape, okay?
What's on it?
A mistake she made
when she was 19 and pretty,
something she don't want
her kids to know about.
- You get rid of it.
- I can't.
It's not a discussion.
It won't make a difference anyway.
- Who do you work for?
- I don't know.
- Ahhh!
- I want a name.
There isn't one!
That isn't how this works!
Look, I walk by a building,
if a light's on in the window,
I got a job.
Somewhere...
there's another light
in another building.
I don't do this.
I'm somebody else's job.
You tell her to get herself
excused from the jury.
Personal reasons, whatever it takes.
After that, she never sees you again.
They'll kill me.
Then you'd better
leave my city... tonight.
The court grants the motion
to excuse juror number eight from service
due to extenuating
personal circumstances.
The first alternate juror
will replace her.
Would the defense care
to make a closing argument?
Yes, Your Honor.
Thank you.
What the hell is he doing?
Mr. Murdock, we're waiting.
Sorry, Your Honor.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
forgive me if I seem distracted.
I've been preoccupied of late
with, uh, questions of morality...
of right and wrong, good and evil.
Sometimes the delineation
between the two is a sharp line.
Sometimes it's a blur...
and often it's like pornography.
You just know when you see it.
A man is dead.
I don't mean to make light of that,
but these questions...
these questions...
are vital ones...
because they tether us
to each other... to humanity.
Not everyone feels this way.
Not everyone sees the sharp line,
only the blur.
A man is dead. Um...
A man is dead.
And my client, John Healy...
took his life.
This is not in dispute.
It is a matter of record... of fact...
and facts have no moral judgment.
They merely state what is.
Not what we think of them,
not what we feel.
They just are.
What was in my client's heart
when he took Mr. Prohaszka's life,
whether he is a good man
or something else entirely,
is irrelevant.
These questions... of good and evil,
as important as they are,
have no place in a court of law.
Only the facts matter.
My client claims he acted in self-defense.
Mr. Prohaszka's associates have refused
to make a statement
regarding the incident.
The only other witness,
a frightened young woman,
has stated that my client
was pleasant and friendly,
and that she only saw the struggle
with Mr. Prohaszka after it had started.
Those are the facts.
Based on these...
and these alone,
the prosecution has failed to
prove beyond a reasonable doubt
that my client was not acting
solely in self-defense.
And those,
ladies and gentlemen of the jury...
are the facts.
My client,
based purely on the sanctity of the law
which we've all sworn an oath to uphold...
must be acquitted of these charges.
Now, beyond that, beyond these walls...
he may well face
a judgment of his own making.
But here...
in this courtroom...
the judgment is yours...
and yours alone.
- I need to talk to him.
- He sends his apologies.
I don't care about his...
Where is he?
This needs attention.
He's indisposed.
With what?
Art.
Art who?
Paintings.
- His penthouse is finally ready...
- You're shitting me.
Everything's spinning out of whack
and he's decorating?
The situation is under control, Leland.
You've lost your strong-arm and the tape.
- You got nothing on juror eight now.
- She's only a piece of the puzzle.
You ever try putting a puzzle together
with a piece missing?
It's damned aggravating.
I don't see why we're
going through all of this anyway.
Just get rid of Healy
the way you got rid of the other guy.
They find him hanging in his cell,
boom-boom, case closed.
Rance, Fisher, McClintock, Farnum.
We've been leaving
a trail of bodies lately,
and trails eventually lead somewhere.
This... this needed to be handled quietly,
within the confines of the law.
So you hire a couple of
back-door shysters?
I know 100 defense attorneys
with more experience
than Heckle and Jeckle.
It's not their experience that matters.
They just opened shop
and they're completely clean.
Say that about any of the
other 100 you know? Huh?
Two lawyers...
above reproach.
Self-defense.
No questions, no trail.
There's too much light shining on this.
I can't move on Prohaszka's holdings
until the glare is off.
Get the papers ready...
and let my employer worry about the rest.
Mrs. Fisher?
Hi.
- Um, uh... My name's Karen...
- I know who you are.
I'm sorry.
I know how... hard this must be for you.
My husband was found dead
in your apartment.
You have no idea
how any of this is for me.
Nothing ever happened
between me and Daniel.
You think I don't know that?
I know how much Danny loved me.
Whatever it is you're after,
Miss Page, I can't help you.
Union Allied?
They offered me money...
a lot of money...
if I sign an agreement to
never talk about what happened.
They offer you something like that?
They killed Danny.
They tried to kill me.
And now they just shuffle some papers
and change their name
and they get away with it?
- Let it go.
- I've tried.
It just doesn't feel right.
He said the same thing.
A few days before he...
He said something didn't feel right...
at work with the numbers...
and I told him that whatever it was,
he had a responsibility
to do something about it.
I figure I have a couple years
before I explain that part to my kids.
They have to pay for what they've done.
- They won't listen.
- We'll make them listen.
I already signed.
I have two kids, Miss Page,
and they're all that matter to me now.
If you have anyone that you care about...
let it go.
Shirley, thanks so much
for pushing this through.
I... I owe you one.
Okay, thanks. Bye.
Yeah.
Excuse me, Mr. Urich?
So they tell me.
I read your article.
- About the subway line?
- Uh...
About Union Allied Construction.
I, um...
I think there's more to the story...
if you're interested.
Please be seated.
They're hung.
Madam Foreperson,
it's my understanding from this note
that you have been
unable to reach a verdict.
We have not, Your Honor.
Allen charge.
She's sending them back in.
Still split, DA will retry.
No, they won't.
Will they, Mr. Healy?
That was a hell of a speech
you gave, Murdock.
A hell of a speech.
The trial has been expensive
for time, effort, money,
and emotional strain
to both the defense and the prosecution.
If you should fail...
The man that hired your lawyers,
who does he work for?
You think I'm afraid of you?
Tell me!
Who does he work for?
- I can't!
- I want a name!
Oh, God! Fisk!
Wilson Fisk!
You get in your car.
If I ever see you
in Hell's Kitchen again...
No.
You do not want to test me.
You think this is still about you?
I gave up his name.
You don't do that, not to him.
He'll find me...
and make an example...
and then he'll find everyone
I've ever cared about...
and do the same to them...
so that no one ever does what I just did.
You should have just killed me.
You coward.
There's an old children's joke.
You hold up a white piece of paper
and you ask, "What's this?"
"A rabbit in a snowstorm."
You interested or just looking?
Interested.
People always ask me
how can we charge so much
for what amounts to gradations of white.
I tell them it's not about
the artist's name or the skill required...
not even about the art itself.
All that matters is...
"How does it make you feel?"
It makes me feel alone.
Can I get a size 10 and a lane?
Sorry. We're closing up.
He's still playing.
Mr. Prohaszka bowls when he wants to.
Worked it out with the owner.
Can I join him for a few balls?
You wanna ask, knock yourself out.
Be right back.
Excuse me.
I was just wondering if maybe
I could join you for a couple games?
- Private game. You mind?
- No.
Hey... sorry.
I was just really looking forward
to throwing a few balls.
Get this moron out of my face.
Hey, come on.
Whoa, whoa. Hey!
You got a bad attitude, friend.
Mmm.
Love that smell.
Metal and oil.
Fresh, never been fired.
Take a whiff.
Like a good revolver better.
No chance of jamming up.
Man.
Look at this.
This is top of the line.
I guarantee this baby will not jam
or my name ain't Turk Barrett.
This is how he negotiates, huh?
Police are on their way, miss. Stay calm.
Hello?
Got him? Where is he?
Got him in sight.
He's right over there.
Don't move!
Stay there!
Keep your hands up!
Dispatch, Victor 23...
I want a lawyer.
# Daredevil 1x03 #
Rabbit in a Snowstorm
Original Air Date on April 10, 2015
You're Jack Murdock's kid, aren't you?
It's all right.
Seal of Confession.
Anything you said during
the sacrament of penance
stays between us.
Could've killed 10 people,
I couldn't tell anyone.
That seem fair to you?
Is what it is.
- I have to get to work.
- Yeah, me, too.
Wouldn't mind a cup of coffee
first, though.
Chamber of commerce donated
one of those... fancy espresso machines
for meetings and stuff.
I make a heck of a latte,
if you're interested.
Some other time, maybe.
Seemed you had a lot on your mind
last time you were here.
Sure you don't want that latte?
Take care of yourself, Father.
Thought you'd forgotten about me, Urich.
Never happen.
I don't know.
People's memories
these days ain't so good.
Back in the day,
I couldn't wait to see this view.
Me and the boys, driving in Friday nights.
Kings of the castle.
Kings don't have bodies in the trunk.
Tell that to Macbeth.
What's this about you moving to Florida?
Did you hear about Rigoletto?
Heard he retired.
Yeah... in pieces.
- Somebody putting it to you?
- You know the rules.
- Is it the Russians?
- The rules.
You go first... and then maybe
I got something to say.
That's the way it's always been.
Russians got a bee up their ass.
Somebody's been hitting them... hard.
Mostly around the docks.
Wasn't Rigoletto,
that what you're thinking.
So who are we looking at?
You tell me.
I don't know.
Been scratching at it.
Police reports get altered.
Public records, too.
But I know a pattern
when it shoves a thumb in my eye.
A new player, maybe?
Used to be if you killed a man,
you sent his wife flowers.
Now they just send his wife with him.
You know something, don't you?
Yeah.
Florida's beautiful this time of year.
The rules.
There are no rules, Benny.
Not anymore.
So that's it?
That's all I get?
You know, when I went away to do my 10,
every newspaper in town
dragged my name through the shit.
You were the only one who did it...
without mentioning my kids.
Always grateful for that.
Then give me something.
A name... anything.
Take a pass on this one, Benny.
Some fights will just get you bloody.
You know the whole,
"Let's stay out all night," thing?
Yeah.
How about next time
we skip the part with the eel?
Deal.
Hey, what do you think about
getting a sign on the door?
- Well, you got a sign.
- A real one.
You should get some clients first.
Just one little sign.
What could it cost?
Frank, you can barely afford to pay me.
I thought you were working for free.
I... I did... for a day.
- Hey... you know she's not really free?
- Hey.
Jesus. What happened to your eye?
- Oh. Are you okay?
- Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.
I just wasn't paying attention
last night. It's my fault.
You need a dog.
- I'm not getting a dog.
- What?
You don't like dogs?
Who doesn't like dogs?
I... I love dogs.
Everybody loves dogs.
Was that a knock?
Someone's at the door.
Our door?
Uh...
Karen?
Right.
Okay.
Hi.
Do you do walk-ins?
I represent a consortium with
diversified interests
in the private sector,
both domestic and international.
From time to time, we scout the landscape
for promising talent to put on retainer.
- Retainer?
- Mmm.
Why are you approaching us?
Why not a larger firm, Mr., uh...
Confederated Global Investments
is my employer.
It's not what I was asking.
It's the only name relevant
to this discussion, Mr. Murdock.
Oh.
So, why us?
Obviously, the larger firms aren't able
to provide the same hands-on attention
that we pride ourselves on
at Nelson and Murdock.
It's a fair question.
I'm here because my employer
does extensive business in Hell's Kitchen,
and who knows it better
than two local boys
who graduated from Columbia Law,
cum laude and summa cum laude?
Uh, the "summa" part is politics.
You set up shop
right here in your backyard
despite the fact that both of you
were made a very lucrative offer
from Landman and Zack in Manhattan
where you interned.
You've done your homework.
My employer expects no less.
Then forgive me for being blunt.
"Blunt" is a strong word.
In my line of work, I find it refreshing.
What is that line of work exactly?
What my partner is trying to say is
we're still building a practice,
so we're very particular
about our clientele.
I assure you, all my employer wants
is for you to continue
to be ethical, decent men...
good lawyers.
And for that, for nothing more than
your exceptional skills
and your discretion...
you'll be fairly compensated.
Uh-huh.
It's... It's fair.
That's... That's fair.
Your partner doesn't seem convinced.
Like Foggy said,
we're particular about our clientele.
I'm curious about your... clientele.
Do they all end up working for you
after you get them off for murder
or just the pretty ones?
You, uh, give us a minute, please?
Um...
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean to upset anyone.
How did you know about
Miss Page's situation?
She was never charged.
There was nothing in the papers.
I have friends on the force.
I hear I'm not the only one.
I think we might be
veering off the subject.
I understand your concerns, Mr. Murdock.
Perhaps... you should
review one of our cases...
before you make a decision?
Peace of mind and whatnot.
That's a fantastic idea.
Matthew?
Yeah, what harm could it do?
Excellent.
You have... 38 minutes
to get to Precinct 15.
What? Now? What's the case?
Everything you need is in this file.
Thank you for your time.
No. Thank you.
Thank you very...
What is your problem?
He wouldn't even give us his name, Foggy.
You wouldn't care if you could see
the zeroes on this check.
- Yeah, maybe you would if you couldn't.
- We're running out of time.
- I'll meet you there.
- Meet me?
The hell are you going?
Matt!
It's been taken care of, sir.
So what exactly happened, Mr. Healy?
In your own words.
All I wanted was to throw a few balls.
The lady at the shoe counter
will tell you the same.
She also says that
you crushed the deceased's skull
with a bowling ball.
Self-defense.
The man and his... whatever they were,
they threatened my life.
They threatened you how?
Verbally? Physically?
Which sounds better?
Excuse me?
They threatened me
both verbally and physically.
So... you say you... didn't know
or have never met Mr... Prohaszka
- prior to last night?
- No...
but I do regret any injurious consequences
my actions may have caused.
You have quite the legal vocabulary,
Mr. Healy.
Am I right in assuming
this isn't your first rodeo?
I had issues.
I'm better now.
On second thought...
Mr. Healy, uh...
perhaps our firm
isn't the right fit for you.
Sorry I'm late.
Uh, no, no, that's...
I was just explaining
to Mr. Healy that, uh...
we have a full caseload
right now, so we...
We'd be happy to
represent you, Mr. Healy.
- What?
- We're taking the case.
Uh...
Why don't we start from the beginning?
Tell me everything you know.
I understand the policy
has an allotment of days,
but last time we spoke,
I was told I could request an extension.
This was last month, yes.
What's the new form called?
From the website.
Of course. Thanks.
Insurance talk?
It's the worst.
I remember, uh,
with my kids and the dentist.
Yeah.
Yeah. Got a minute
to talk about next week's spread?
Already working on it.
Another organized crime thing?
All of Hell's Kitchen.
There's a new player on the scene.
No one knows who it is or what they want.
Everybody's scrambling.
Your assignment's the city desk, Ben.
This is the city.
No one else is on this yet.
I'm the only one who sees it.
It's not sexy.
We're a newspaper, Ellison,
not a girlie mag.
You know that's not what I meant,
and nobody calls them that anymore.
It's not just the Russians.
I think maybe the Union Allied scandal
might tie into this.
Right, and you remember
what that expos? did for circulation?
Dick with a side of, "Who gives a shit?"
This is a real story.
Yeah, and it's gonna end
the same as it always does, right?
A bunch of fat old guys
in some white-collar prison
with more fat old guys.
The cops aren't even on this yet.
We could be the ones to connect the dots.
It doesn't sell papers, Ben.
Not anymore.
I want you on the subway line piece.
"Rumors bubbling.
Will Hell's Kitchen
finally get a subway line?"
Come on, we tell that every year.
- And every year, it kills.
- For a fluff piece.
You know, you like to
be on the ground, right?
You like to talk to people.
Take a poll.
What color do they like?
You know, we got a blue line,
we got a yellow line.
We're running out of colors.
Like M&M's?
Yeah, see?
You'll write the hell out of it.
There used to be a time
when the people in this building
wrote the hell out of the news.
Everybody we know...
is making twice what we are
writing for blogs,
working from home in their underwear.
We're hanging on by our fingertips, Ben.
You really want to be
greasing that ledge?
Make it visual, all right?
I'll call down to Graphics,
see if I can drum up a chart.
Oh, and, um...
I'll put in a call
to the insurance drones,
see what I can do, okay?
Would you like us to reiterate the terms
of attorney-client privilege, Mr. Healy?
Think I got it.
Then you know anything you tell us
stays in this room.
Just like church.
You must be a very important man.
That a question?
Statement.
It's not every day
a global investment firm
picks up the tab for a murder suspect.
Self-defense.
I wonder if you could shed some light
on the man that hired us to represent you.
- Don't think I can, counselor.
- Can't or you won't?
Maybe we should focus on
details pertinent to the case?
Just trying to build a solid defense,
and the connection between Mr. Healy
and the man that came to our offices
might just help prove his innocence.
How?
Maybe they're old friends.
Maybe he's a character witness.
Or maybe you were in his employment
at the time of the incident.
I just wanted to throw a few balls,
just like I keep saying.
You go bowling often, Mr. Healy?
When the mood hits.
And the deceased,
he had no motive that you recall?
No.
You didn't provoke him
intentionally or otherwise?
Are we breaking for lunch anytime soon?
Are you at all afraid of what might happen
if we lose this case, Mr. Healy?
No.
Are you?
Matt, a word, please?
We should not be doing this.
- Doing what?
- Defending professional criminals.
You're the one that keeps saying
we need real clients.
That's not a client.
It's a shark in a skin suit.
You pegged it back at the office.
There's something off
about this whole thing.
We agreed to represent him, Foggy.
We're gonna try this case
and let the jury take it from there.
Mr. Healy...
Uh...
I suggest we waive
criminal procedure law 180.80,
give the DA more time to explore a plea.
In the meantime,
the best thing for you to do
is to be forthcoming with us.
Together, we'll confront the charges
honestly, openly and within
the moral confines of the law.
Does that sound good to you?
No.
- Excuse me?
- I want the 180.80 date.
If I'm indicted, which we know I will be,
we'll waive all hearings and discovery
and go directly to trial.
Not my first rodeo, remember?
You'll need to testify.
I'm just gonna have faith
in our judicial system...
and you're gonna do your jobs.
- That simple?
- That simple.
And, uh...
as for the man who hired you...
all you need to know is...
his check's gonna clear.
Wait your turn, man.
I got next.
- Hi.
- Hi.
You wanna tell me
what the hell's going on with you?
First you decide
we're taking the case unilaterally
and then you cross-examine the guy
like we're playing bad cop/worse cop.
If we want to keep the lights on,
we gotta take some cases for the money.
You were right about that.
Okay, for the record,
this is the first time
you've ever said I was right.
I hate it.
Sometimes, we have to
do things we aren't proud of.
Yeah, but... this can't
become what we do.
Yeah, I know.
And we have to be on the same team,
making decisions together.
I got carried away.
I'm sorry, Foggy.
It's okay.
- So?
- Okay.
So assuming he's indicted, which, yeah,
it's on the DA to prove
beyond a reasonable doubt
that it wasn't self-defense,
shoe girl's DD-5 says that
she didn't come out of the back room
until after the fight had started,
which helps us.
And what about Prohaszka's men?
They lawyered up.
Wouldn't give a five.
Since when do the victims of an assault
not give a statement?
Another chit in our favor.
Plus Healy's pretty banged up.
Argue defensive wounds,
which makes it look more like a fight
and less like an execution.
So, you open, I'll sum up.
And we should cash that check,
have Karen see what she can find out
about Confederated Global.
Right.
Where the hell is she?
It's a fairly simple form.
Here you agree, in writing,
to never again disclose information
regarding your former employer,
the dissolved entity known as
Union Allied Construction,
or any of its affiliates.
Upon execution of this agreement,
the corporate interests,
as they currently exist,
agree not to pursue
legal action against you.
Against me?
Well, you signed
a non-disclosure agreement
the day you were hired, Miss Page.
Everybody did.
Not everyone broke that agreement
and distributed confidential information.
I... I exposed criminal activity.
And had you taken that information
to any law enforcement agency,
your rights may have been protected,
but instead... you went to
the New York Bulletin,
a privately-owned news organization.
I had nothing to do with that article.
So the file you illegally removed
from the premises of Union Allied
wasn't the same one
Mr. Urich refers to in this?
You see how this complicates things, yes?
Daniel Fisher was murdered
and your clients...
I assure you that any illegal activity
associated with Union Allied
has been dealt with,
thanks very much to you.
You're welcome.
If you'd like, you can take these
to your own representatives,
but I'm fairly certain
they'll advise you to sign it.
And as a show of good faith,
my clients would like to offer you
a lump sum of six months' salary.
For what?
For all your help in the matter
and for any stress
these events may have caused.
Stress?
Someone tried to kill me.
And while my clients acknowledge
no involvement with that individual
or claim legal responsibility
for his actions,
they do feel
it's their non-binding moral obligation
to offer you a chance
at rebuilding your life.
As long as I keep my mouth shut?
It's a clean slate, Miss Page...
a chance to put it all behind you.
Now, isn't that what you want?
Private rooms are hard to come by, Ben.
Especially this time of year.
She can't be in a communal.
She needs hands-on.
Yeah, well,
you are lucky after all this time
that they are still covering you at all.
They said, in some cases,
it's possible to get an extension.
Well, they say a lot of crap.
Mostly just to get you off the phone.
I already filled out the forms.
I just need you to approve them.
Yeah, okay.
This is the first step.
There are 1,000 more after this,
and I've got a hospital to run.
If I stop to fill out every appeal,
I am going to be...
They're gonna cut her off, Shirley.
It's not her fault.
Come with me.
It is not like we are
throwing her out on the street.
Not yet.
But the next thing you know,
the communal ward is at capacity,
then she gets pushed
to an out-patient facility.
I know there's a limit to what you can do,
to what I can afford.
I just want to make sure she can rest,
so she can get better...
so she can come home.
Okay.
Five days.
That's what this will buy you.
- And the appeal?
- No promises, okay?
Now get the hell out of my office.
I have got a measle outbreak to deal with
because idiot parents
don't want to vaccinate
and my best nurse is out
with who the hell knows what.
Uh...
What's that?
Cheese blintz from that place you like.
- You should have led with that.
- That'd be cheating.
Yeah.
- Hey. She had a good day.
- Yeah?
She was up half an hour.
Asked about you.
Let's pull section 35.15 of the Penal.
35.15.
Then we'll take our facts
and fit them to the CJI and the statute.
Got the insights?
It's still loading.
- We need better Wi-Fi.
- We need better everything.
Let's do that.
Let's win cases,
be popular and make money.
- It's not about that, Foggy.
- I know...
but it could be...
just a little, a smidge.
Hey, uh... Wi-Fi's acting weird.
You find out anything on Confed Global?
Yeah, uh, it's a subsidiary
of a holding company
of a loan-out to a holding subsidiary
and on and on and on.
But that dickhead's check
cleared in about two seconds.
There's your money.
Bang on the router, will you?
Oh, hey, no more long lunches
until this is over, okay?
You got it.
All right, practice insights for
New York State Penal Law 35.15.
And in the state of New York,
I'll remind you,
that my client is not required to prove
that he was justified in his actions.
Instead, it's up to the prosecution
to prove beyond a reasonable doubt
that he was not justified
in defending his life.
And they will come nowhere close
to meeting this burden.
At the end of this case...
the only verdict that you can render
will be not guilty.
Members of the jury,
this is an important case,
and I have a few additional comments
that I want you to consider.
If you should fail
to agree upon a verdict,
we will be forced to...
This will all be over soon, okay?
Just keep it together till the verdict.
Can you do that?
Look, you ask me,
it's almost like
they're doing you a favor.
I mean, you don't want
something like that floating around.
Go home.
Get some rest.
You got a big day tomorrow.
Stay down.
Ahhh!
I said stay down.
You son of a bitch!
What do you have on her?
A tape!
There's a tape, okay?
What's on it?
A mistake she made
when she was 19 and pretty,
something she don't want
her kids to know about.
- You get rid of it.
- I can't.
It's not a discussion.
It won't make a difference anyway.
- Who do you work for?
- I don't know.
- Ahhh!
- I want a name.
There isn't one!
That isn't how this works!
Look, I walk by a building,
if a light's on in the window,
I got a job.
Somewhere...
there's another light
in another building.
I don't do this.
I'm somebody else's job.
You tell her to get herself
excused from the jury.
Personal reasons, whatever it takes.
After that, she never sees you again.
They'll kill me.
Then you'd better
leave my city... tonight.
The court grants the motion
to excuse juror number eight from service
due to extenuating
personal circumstances.
The first alternate juror
will replace her.
Would the defense care
to make a closing argument?
Yes, Your Honor.
Thank you.
What the hell is he doing?
Mr. Murdock, we're waiting.
Sorry, Your Honor.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury,
forgive me if I seem distracted.
I've been preoccupied of late
with, uh, questions of morality...
of right and wrong, good and evil.
Sometimes the delineation
between the two is a sharp line.
Sometimes it's a blur...
and often it's like pornography.
You just know when you see it.
A man is dead.
I don't mean to make light of that,
but these questions...
these questions...
are vital ones...
because they tether us
to each other... to humanity.
Not everyone feels this way.
Not everyone sees the sharp line,
only the blur.
A man is dead. Um...
A man is dead.
And my client, John Healy...
took his life.
This is not in dispute.
It is a matter of record... of fact...
and facts have no moral judgment.
They merely state what is.
Not what we think of them,
not what we feel.
They just are.
What was in my client's heart
when he took Mr. Prohaszka's life,
whether he is a good man
or something else entirely,
is irrelevant.
These questions... of good and evil,
as important as they are,
have no place in a court of law.
Only the facts matter.
My client claims he acted in self-defense.
Mr. Prohaszka's associates have refused
to make a statement
regarding the incident.
The only other witness,
a frightened young woman,
has stated that my client
was pleasant and friendly,
and that she only saw the struggle
with Mr. Prohaszka after it had started.
Those are the facts.
Based on these...
and these alone,
the prosecution has failed to
prove beyond a reasonable doubt
that my client was not acting
solely in self-defense.
And those,
ladies and gentlemen of the jury...
are the facts.
My client,
based purely on the sanctity of the law
which we've all sworn an oath to uphold...
must be acquitted of these charges.
Now, beyond that, beyond these walls...
he may well face
a judgment of his own making.
But here...
in this courtroom...
the judgment is yours...
and yours alone.
- I need to talk to him.
- He sends his apologies.
I don't care about his...
Where is he?
This needs attention.
He's indisposed.
With what?
Art.
Art who?
Paintings.
- His penthouse is finally ready...
- You're shitting me.
Everything's spinning out of whack
and he's decorating?
The situation is under control, Leland.
You've lost your strong-arm and the tape.
- You got nothing on juror eight now.
- She's only a piece of the puzzle.
You ever try putting a puzzle together
with a piece missing?
It's damned aggravating.
I don't see why we're
going through all of this anyway.
Just get rid of Healy
the way you got rid of the other guy.
They find him hanging in his cell,
boom-boom, case closed.
Rance, Fisher, McClintock, Farnum.
We've been leaving
a trail of bodies lately,
and trails eventually lead somewhere.
This... this needed to be handled quietly,
within the confines of the law.
So you hire a couple of
back-door shysters?
I know 100 defense attorneys
with more experience
than Heckle and Jeckle.
It's not their experience that matters.
They just opened shop
and they're completely clean.
Say that about any of the
other 100 you know? Huh?
Two lawyers...
above reproach.
Self-defense.
No questions, no trail.
There's too much light shining on this.
I can't move on Prohaszka's holdings
until the glare is off.
Get the papers ready...
and let my employer worry about the rest.
Mrs. Fisher?
Hi.
- Um, uh... My name's Karen...
- I know who you are.
I'm sorry.
I know how... hard this must be for you.
My husband was found dead
in your apartment.
You have no idea
how any of this is for me.
Nothing ever happened
between me and Daniel.
You think I don't know that?
I know how much Danny loved me.
Whatever it is you're after,
Miss Page, I can't help you.
Union Allied?
They offered me money...
a lot of money...
if I sign an agreement to
never talk about what happened.
They offer you something like that?
They killed Danny.
They tried to kill me.
And now they just shuffle some papers
and change their name
and they get away with it?
- Let it go.
- I've tried.
It just doesn't feel right.
He said the same thing.
A few days before he...
He said something didn't feel right...
at work with the numbers...
and I told him that whatever it was,
he had a responsibility
to do something about it.
I figure I have a couple years
before I explain that part to my kids.
They have to pay for what they've done.
- They won't listen.
- We'll make them listen.
I already signed.
I have two kids, Miss Page,
and they're all that matter to me now.
If you have anyone that you care about...
let it go.
Shirley, thanks so much
for pushing this through.
I... I owe you one.
Okay, thanks. Bye.
Yeah.
Excuse me, Mr. Urich?
So they tell me.
I read your article.
- About the subway line?
- Uh...
About Union Allied Construction.
I, um...
I think there's more to the story...
if you're interested.
Please be seated.
They're hung.
Madam Foreperson,
it's my understanding from this note
that you have been
unable to reach a verdict.
We have not, Your Honor.
Allen charge.
She's sending them back in.
Still split, DA will retry.
No, they won't.
Will they, Mr. Healy?
That was a hell of a speech
you gave, Murdock.
A hell of a speech.
The trial has been expensive
for time, effort, money,
and emotional strain
to both the defense and the prosecution.
If you should fail...
The man that hired your lawyers,
who does he work for?
You think I'm afraid of you?
Tell me!
Who does he work for?
- I can't!
- I want a name!
Oh, God! Fisk!
Wilson Fisk!
You get in your car.
If I ever see you
in Hell's Kitchen again...
No.
You do not want to test me.
You think this is still about you?
I gave up his name.
You don't do that, not to him.
He'll find me...
and make an example...
and then he'll find everyone
I've ever cared about...
and do the same to them...
so that no one ever does what I just did.
You should have just killed me.
You coward.
There's an old children's joke.
You hold up a white piece of paper
and you ask, "What's this?"
"A rabbit in a snowstorm."
You interested or just looking?
Interested.
People always ask me
how can we charge so much
for what amounts to gradations of white.
I tell them it's not about
the artist's name or the skill required...
not even about the art itself.
All that matters is...
"How does it make you feel?"
It makes me feel alone.