Matlock (1986–1995): Season 7, Episode 12 - The Divorce - full transcript

Turn one more time to get it.

[MUTTERING]

Got it now, I think.

[BLADES WHIRRING]

[GRUNTING]

[WHIRRING STOPS]

[PHONE RINGING]

Huh. Well...

What? What?

Oh.

Oh, hello, Duncan.



Oh, no, the disposal
just tried to eat my broom.

Yeah, yeah.

What?

Have you got a blind date
over there or something for me?

[CHUCKLES]

No, I liked... What
was her name?

Alice? Yeah. Yeah.
Clara's Aunt Alice.

Yeah, I liked her fine. I
liked 14 of her 15 cats.

But there was fur all over
everything, including Alice.

She kissed me good night
and I looked like the Wolf Man.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

Well, all right. I'll be
there at 6:00. Bye.

[MUTTERING]

[DOORBELL RINGS]



Good afternoon, sir.
How are you today?

My name is Carl M. Fuqua.

I'm here on behalf of the
Willow Springs Boys Club.

Oh, wonderful cause.
I gave at the office.

Isn't this your office?

Oh, it's one of them. I
have a chain like Kmart.

- Ah. Ha, ha.
- I'm late for an appointment.

[GRUNTS]

[GASPS]

MATLOCK: Are you all
right? FUQUA: I think so.

MATLOCK: Here. I'll call a doctor.
- Ooh!

No, no. No. I'm fine, really.

- Are you sure?
- I think so.

Nothing seems to be
broken. Heh-heh. Thanks.

Yeah.

[HUMMING]

[DOORBELL RINGS]

- Benjamin, it is so good to see you.
- Don't you look well?

- Well, thank you.
DUNCAN: Ha, ha.

Why am I here?

Still expecting your
questions to be answered

the minute you ask
them. Aren't you, Ben?

Set in my ways.

Before we get down to business,

I have a young,
impetuous Montrachet

I have been waiting
for a chance to crack.

- Why, I'd just as soon...
- Oh, I insist.

DUNCAN: Benjamin, this isn't
just wine, this is nectar of the gods.

[MATLOCK CHUCKLES]

Oh. You collect the glasses
and Duncan collects the wine.

- Aren't you the perfect couple?
- Ha, ha.

And like all perfect couples, we
have come to the same conclusion

at precisely the same moment.

- We want a divorce.
- And we'd like you to help us.

- How's that?
- Well, you see, Ben,

Duncan and I care about each
other deeply, and we always will.

But our marriage,
well, it's like a tree.

Though our roots go deep,

the branches have been
diverging for quite some time.

A tree?

What are you...?
What are you talk...?

No, never mind. Just
settle your differences.

Ha, ha. We're psychiatrists,
Ben. We're relationship experts.

Ours is in a state of
transition from perfect to over.

Well, I'm not a divorce lawyer.

Oh, but we want this to be amiable.
There are no children to consider.

Yeah. We just need
help with the paperwork.

Well, you have to understand...

The thing is, the last
thing we want, um,

are legal sharks bloodying
our tranquil divorce waters

with greed and vindictiveness.

CLARA: Please help us, Ben.

As friends?

LEANNE: Why are
they getting a divorce?

Well, the way they put it to
me, their marriage is like a tree.

The roots go deep but
the limbs are either rotten

or growing every which
way. I can't remember.

Sounds like they
use their own fertilizer.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

Yeah. I'll get it.

Hi.

- Benjamin Matlock?
- Front and center.

I have a registered
letter for you. Sign there.

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

Have a good one.

You have a better one.

Who's that from?

It's from some
lawyer here in Atlanta.

You've got to be kidding.

"This is to inform you that
my client, Carl M. Fuqua,

is bringing suit against you

for the dangerous
condition of your property."

Dangerous?

- Do you see anything dangerous?
- "Which resulted in serious injury

- to my client."
- Ah, there was no injury.

"We suggest you turn this matter
over to your insurance company."

You wanna tell me
what this is all about?

This guy, Fuqua, comes here,
collecting for some boys club.

- And you showed him the door.
- Well, yeah.

Yeah. And the next thing I know,

he's in a heap at the
bottom of the stairs.

- Did he seem hurt?
- No.

No. He was a little
woozy when he first got up.

I asked him if he wanted to
see a doctor. He said he was fine.

Then he walked away
under his own power.

That's just insurance
fraud, that's all.

Sounds like it to me. Ah, wait.

Insurance fraud or not,
you've gotta respond.

Let me handle this for you.

Once I finish with him,
he won't know what hit him.

BILLY: Ben, you
folks got a problem?

MATLOCK: Nothing
we can't handle, Billy.

I figured something
must be going on,

otherwise you'd have given my boy,
Cliff, a job by now, like you promised.

I said I'd try, Billy.

Leanne and I just started
up a new practice here

and there's not enough
work for three people.

You better not be backing
out of our deal, Ben.

- You owe me.
- I don't owe you, Billy.

He got your son out
from under a murder wrap.

- Isn't that worth something?
- You just don't understand, Leanne.

Ben got out, got away from
home, went to law school.

He's a rich lawyer now.

I had to stay home. I'm
just a poor working man.

My sister, Lucy, loved
him in high school.

He cast her aside like an old
sock. She never got over of it.

- Dad?
- I never cast her aside.

- I just started dating old man...
BILLY: Old man McKnight's girl.

Said you liked the
dimple on her chin.

Lucy cried and cried.

I wound up having to take
care of Lucy all these years,

and you got to law school.

I work, Leanne.

I scraped and I sent my
boy, Cliff, to law school.

And he owes me.

I don't owe you, Billy. You
can't move here to Willow Springs

and bring that boy
of yours with you

and hold your sister
over my head like this.

The least you can do is
give my boy a job, Ben.

Ben?

Ben?

MATLOCK: Well, what
about the place in Aspen?

CLARA: Oh, Duncan should
have it. He's the one who skis.

Not since I broke
my leg two years ago.

You take it, darling.

Aspen's always been your
place of psychic renewal.

You're right.

But you must take the
time share on Hilton Head.

Look forward to
working on my golf game.

You know, I found my father's
old golf clubs in the garage.

Look at this, Ben.

Solid persimmon.

Oh, that's beautiful.

Yeah. Yeah.

Well, I wish you
could work things out,

but, uh, if you'll give me
your financial statements,

I can wrap this up
in a couple days.

I'll have everything ready
for you tomorrow morning.

Thanks again for helping, Ben.

Oh, well, if everybody's like you,
divorce lawyers would starve to death.

- Yeah, I'll help.
- Ha, ha.

[DUNCAN SIGHS]

I love you.

I know.

CLARA: Duncan?
Your breakfast is ready.

DUNCAN: Be right there, darling.

[DUNCAN CHUCKLES]

- You are really something.
- So are you, darling.

[CLARA CHUCKLES]

Now, sit down before
your coffee gets cold.

[DUNCAN CHUCKLES]

Ah, you know, this is fascinating.
Before we decided to get divorced,

I doubt you would have
done anything like this for me.

And if you had, I probably
wouldn't have noticed.

CLARA: What's that, sweetheart?

I'm saying that now that
we're getting divorced,

we're finally able to
appreciate each other.

I mean, not as husband
and wife but as individuals.

The unique and special
people we really are.

I know my eyes have been opened.

I'm real sorry about my
dad. I know he can be a pain.

Yeah.

Well, simple uncontested divorce
like this is good to cut your teeth on.

- Not much money.
- No, no.

But good experience.

That's what I'm here for.
Now, who are the Farmingtons?

- Oh, they're the nicest people.
- Yeah.

They've done real well for
themselves. Psychiatrists.

- Oh.
- Yeah. Friendly, nice.

[HISSING]

[GASPS]

Clara, my God.

- Snakes for a snake, you worm.
- Clara.

CLARA: You haven't been to
Aspen in over two years, my foot.

It's not like you to
overreact. Clara.

Overreact? If anything,
I am underreacting,

considering the fact
that my husband,

who was supposed to be at a
professional conference in Chicago,

actually spent last February
1st through 10th in Aspen,

charging champagne
dinners and massages,

and ladies ski clothes for some
bimbo he was romancing in my house.

It's not a bimbo.

It ended a long time ago and it
has nothing to do with our divorce.

That's what you think.

DUNCAN: Okay, now
what are we doing?

- Excuse me.
- Clara!

What are you doing?

Renegotiating our
property settlement.

DUNCAN: Clara.

- Oh, Clara, darling.
- Don't you "darling" me, you snake.

See?

- That's overreacting.
- Oh.

You aren't even giving
me a chance to explain.

And Clara, this is not
very adult behavior.

Ah-ah. That side's
yours, this is mine.

[CHUCKLES]

Don't cross that line.

- Give me that.
- Okay. Catch.

[GASPS]

Regressing, are we? Okay.

You want infantile?

- Duncan.
- You got it.

Duncan, don't!

- This is a nice house.
- Oh, yeah.

CLIFF: Wow.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

[DUNCAN & CLARA
SHOUTING INDISTINCTLY]

[CRASHING INSIDE]

Do you hear something?

Ah, probably the television.

What the hell do you want?

MATLOCK: No, no. DUNCAN:
That woman is deranged.

MATLOCK: Grab
her! Grab her, Duncan.

CLIFF: I've got her.
- Let go of me.

MATLOCK: Stop it.
- She's out of her mind.

- You can't be acting this way.
- Ow!

Duncan. Duncan.
Stop... No. Stop that!

Well, she started it.

I did not. He did.
Philandering creep.

DUNCAN: Not freaking true.
- Wait a minute!

Yesterday, you were acting
like you were planning a wedding,

not a divorce.

Now you're ready to kill one
another. What happened?

- He had an affair.
- She's overreacting.

- I'm going home.
- Wait, you can't go.

You're our lawyer.

Was your lawyer. I agreed
to sign on to do paperwork,

not referee some
demolition derby.

Get yourself another
lawyer. Get two.

Come on, Cliff.

[CLARA SIGHS]

DUNCAN: You want
infantile? You got it.

CLARA: Duncan, don't.

- Guess this means I'm out of a job.
- We both are.

Mr. Bostwick. My name
is Leanne Mclntyre.

Dixieland Insurance
authorized me to represent them

in your client's personal-injury
suit against Mr. Benjamin Matlock.

The same Benjamin Matlock
who just happens to be your father.

I, um...

I checked you out.

Good. Then I can lay
my cards on the table.

Your client has no case.

Now, we could go to
court, trade witnesses,

waste a lot of time and money,
or we could settle right now.

I'm listening.

Granting that your client
sustained any injuries at all,

which, from Mr. Matlock's description
of the accident, seems highly unlikely,

we feel that the sum of $25,000 is
more than adequate compensation.

[CHUCKLES]

Well, Mr. Bostwick?

This must be a joke. I'm
just waiting on the punch line.

I didn't come here to
play games, Mr. Bostwick.

You're no fun at
all, are you? Okay.

Let's get serious.

Do you have a medical
degree, Leanne?

May I call you Leanne?

No, Mr. Bostwick, you may not.

Cute. Real cute.

All right.

The insurance adjuster's already
found loose boards on your father's porch.

The doctors I talked to tell
me that Carl Fuqua sustained

serious, permanent
damage to his neck and spine.

[CHUCKLES]

Your 25 grand wouldn't even take
care of the treatment he's had so far,

much less what he's gonna
need for the rest of his life.

I assume you have
a figure in mind.

Let's hear it.

A million dollars?
Is he kidding?

If we don't come up with
something in the high six figures,

he'll see us in court.

I can't wait.

A million dollars. Shyster.

You still wanna take this case?

- You betcha.
- Go get him.

CLARA: Excuse us.

- Ben, we are chagrined.
- Mortified.

Truly ashamed.

Can we please come in?

And all our repressed pain, anger,
and resentment came flooding forth

- in one massive catharsis.
- Very liberating, actually.

And now that we've worked
through it, we can move on.

And we really
want you to help us.

Oh, no, no, no.

Each of you needs
a separate lawyer.

What a good idea.

Miss Mclntyre can represent me.

Oh, well, I... Ben
can represent me.

Clara, my darling, that's brilliant.
That would keep it all in the family.

Oh, the last thing we want
are strangers coming in

and making problems
where none exist.

Sharks bloodying the water.

No. We acknowledge
those negative feelings, Ben.

But believe me, this
time, we really mean it.

Oh, with you on board,
this divorce can be

the positive, life-affirming
process we know it can be.

I'm not sure this is the
right way to go about this.

Oh, but you've already
done most of the work.

Are you sure you
won't see it through?

What do you think, Dad?

I don't know. What do you think?

BILLY: So you fired my boy.

I didn't fire him. The case
changed. He's not right for it.

Said you'd give him a
job, then you fired him.

I didn't fire him. He's
not right for the case.

Not smart enough for you?

I'll have you know, he
graduated from law school.

This has nothing to
do with his law school.

Maybe to you it don't.

But I paid a lot of
money for that degree,

and with your help,

Clifford's gonna pay
me back, and then some.

[SIGHS]

We have a deal, Ben.

Why do you keep
saying we have a deal?

I'm doing the best I can.
What more do you want?

Dinner would be nice.

I am so glad you and
Ben are doing this.

Duncan is a dear but, uh,
can I tell you something?

I am looking forward to not
doing someone else's laundry.

There is that.

I understand you're divorced?

Separated.

Any chance of reconciling?

Oh, no.

You know, to be honest, I hate
to admit that I failed at marriage.

Exactly.

You expect the perfect
relationship, then you're disappointed.

I don't know if I
was expecting that.

Of course, I wasn't
expecting him to run off

with a 25-year-old
aerobics instructor, either.

Oh.

Well, if your husband acted
out his negative feelings

instead of working
them through with you,

perhaps you're
better off without him.

Will you look at this?

Lipstick.

[SIGHS]

Glow In the dark pink.

He lied to me. He's
still having an affair.

Well, Clara, maybe
he got it at work.

Maybe one of his patients
was crying on his shoulder.

Bull.

The SOB is having an affair.

MATLOCK: Duncan and I
have come up with a document

that we think reflects
both the spirit and the letter

of what was discussed earlier.

That spirit has changed, Dad.

Now all we have to
do now... How's that?

Uh, certain behavior
has come to light,

which substantially has changed
my client's predisposition...

From now on, you can have
your girlfriends do your laundry.

MATLOCK: Now what?

Clara thinks that Duncan
is still having an affair.

- Oh. You are delusional.
- Don't try to gaslight me, Duncan.

That is not my lipstick.

- So now you're going to stick it to me.
- In spades.

Just what is it, Clara, exactly
that you think you're gonna get?

- What is the matter with you?
CLARA: You're in denial about our...

We've got the papers
right here, Leanne.

Let's just get them
to sign in a few places.

Oh, but Clara feels that
Duncan can't be trusted.

I don't care if she
trusts him or not.

Let's just sign and
get them out of here.

She thinks that if he lied about
this woman, he might be lying

- about their joint assets too.
- You're overreacting.

- She smells a rat, Dad.
- I don't care if she smells a skunk.

Maybe that's why her nose
sticks up the way it does.

They wanted a simple divorce,
and now everything's gone to hell

because she found a
little lipstick on his shirt.

She feels he's not the trusted
man she thought he was.

Who cares? Let's
just get them to sign.

LEANNE: Dad, I'm her lawyer
and you're Duncan's lawyer.

- Yeah. What happened to that?
- Shut up, Duncan.

That's very hostile of you, Ben.

- Dad, your blood pressure.
- Damn my blood pressure.

I never wanted anything
to do with this divorce.

And now my blood
pressure's gone sky-high

and my very own
daughter's turning against me.

Dad, I am just trying to do my
job. I am not turning against you.

Turning against me. Turning
against me. Turning against me.

I think we'd better bring
this meeting to a close.

But the papers.

Ah, we have to
re-evaluate things.

I'll see you later.

Well, now you're mad.

- Oh, I'm not mad.
- Yes, you are. You're mad.

All right, I'm mad.
I'll see you later.

Well, aren't you gonna stay
and have something to eat?

I'll fix something good.

There's some eggs and grits
and maybe some sardines.

What's that smell?
What's burning?

Oh, my God. That's my book.

Ha, ha. Burns like
a bandit, doesn't it?

Get back.

It's my side and I am
prepared to defend it.

Château Pauillac 1976.

Château La Serre
1958. Cute names.

Cute? Those wines are priceless.

Good. Unh!

- Clara.
- Ah.

That design would make
a lovely wallpaper. Unh!

We're going to have to
get going here, Mr. Matlock.

Uh, yes, sir.

Uh, she should be here
any minute, Your Honor.

I'm sorry. It's just...

I'm dead.

I'm sorry to bother you, Ben.

What are you doing here?

I'm here to see Leanne.

- Why?
- Uh, there she is.

JUDGE: Nice of you
to join us, Ms. Mclntyre.

I hope this isn't a preview of
how you plan to conduct this case.

My sincere
apologies, Your Honor.

If you could just grant
me a minute's more grace?

JUDGE: One minute, no more.

MATLOCK: What are you doing?

We're not even up to bat and
there are two strikes against us.

My car wouldn't start. Dad, I
need to speak to Cliff alone.

- Alone?
- Please, Dad?

- What...? What...?
- Dad, please?

- So you said you had a job for me.
- Yeah.

Um, all the details are in here.
Don't open it until you get outside.

And don't tell my
father about it either.

You're working for
me on this one, okay?

CLIFF: Are you sure
this is all right with Ben?

Time's up, Ms. Mclntyre.

Ready, Your Honor.

I'm sure.

You should have settled
while you had a chance.

CLERK: Court is now in session.

BOSTWICK: You're recently
married, aren't you, Mr. Fuqua?

Yes, sir. About six months ago.

And how would you characterize
your relationship with your wife,

uh, since the accident?

Uh, not so good.

Could you be a
little more specific?

[SIGHS]

I can't make love to
Suzanne like I used to.

BOSTWICK: What else?

FUQUA: She's gotta
do a lot of stuff for me

that, uh, a man
wants to do for himself.

At this point, I'd
like to show the court

a videotape shot by an
independent filmmaker

who is prepared to
testify here to its veracity.

This is a typical day
in the life of Carl Fuqua.

Will you tell us about
your life, Mr. Fuqua?

Sure.

Uh, here I am in bed.

I used to be a real early riser.

But now with all the
pain pills I gotta take,

Suzanne has to take care of me.

It's like I'm her kid,
not her husband.

She's even gotta help
me go to the bathroom.

Objection, Your Honor.
How can we be sure

that this whole tape wasn't
staged for the benefit of camera?

Future witnesses will testify as to
the serious nature of my client's injury.

His wife and a
filmmaker will corroborate

as to this being a typical
day in the life of Carl Fuqua.

This is nothing but a shameful
display to influence the jury.

- And you know it.
- Mr. Matlock.

But, Your Honor, this whole
tape, this is just made-up hogwash.

JUDGE: You have an attorney.
Please, speak through her.

But, Your Honor...

Speak through her.

Objection overruled.

You may proceed, Mr. Fuqua.

Uh...

Every morning, Suzanne
helps me get dressed.

Not that I go anywhere,

but, well, a man does what he
can to keep his dignity, you know.

I mean, she's my wife
and I know she loves me,

but how do you ask
somebody to sacrifice like that?

I look into her eyes and I see
the pain and it hurts so much.

JUDGE: Would you
like a moment - Speak.

JUDGE: to compose yourself?
- Say something. Object.

- I did. JUDGE: Ms. Mclntyre.

Object again.

Dad, believe it or not,
I know what I'm doing.

You're letting this
tearjerker bury me.

[GAVEL BANGS]

JUDGE: Mr. Matlock.

My sincere apologies, Your
Honor. It won't happen again.

I know a daughter is not supposed
to speak to her father this way,

but you leave me no choice.

Shut up.

[BOTH LAUGHING]

What have we done?

We have acted out all the
hostility we repressed for years.

- I feel so free.
- Ha, ha.

You know, come
to think of it, [SIGHS]

I feel like a great weight has
been lifted off my shoulders.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

I think we are going to be
better people, better therapists.

CLARA: I may take a younger lover.
- Ha, ha.

- Ah.
- Ooh.

[DUNCAN SIGHS]

Let's start cleaning
up this mess.

Oh, Duncan.

Look, the crystal vase we bought
in London on our honeymoon.

That was the first time I
thought rain was romantic.

You looked so great in
that oilskin and galoshes.

That's my Dinsmore
mobile? You bent it.

Ha, ha. Looks better that way.

Before you bent it,
it was worth $28,000.

Now it's not worth zip.

Well, bend it back.

That is ridiculous, Clara.
I can't begin to bend it.

Oh.

We have done hundreds of thousands
of dollars' worth of damage here.

Our homeowners policy
isn't going to cover this.

Oh, don't panic, Duncan. We'll
tell them that we had burglars.

Burglars don't break
things. They steal them.

- No, we'll tell them you did it.
- What?

Listen to me, darling.

Everyone knows that women your age
often suffer from hormonal imbalance.

I'm going to tell them that your
hormones suddenly went crazy

and you went berserk.

- Women my age?
- I'm a doctor. They'll believe me.

You're a rotten doctor.

You're a rotten husband.

And as a matter of fact, I have
never seen anything so stupid or ugly

as you in London in
your oilskin and galoshes.

[INTERCOM BUZZES]

WOMAN: Duncan, is that you?
- Yes, it's me.

Come on up.

[DOOR BUZZES]

WOMAN: Duncan.

Hey, Duncan, you look great.

[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Hey, hey, hey, we got
some kind of a problem here?

- I, um... I was...
- What are you, some kind of a pervert?

No, I'm a lawyer.

You come on here.

We don't allow none
of that around here.

Oh, yeah.

If I could just...

If I could just check
that right here, see how...

[MATLOCK GRUNTING]

Dad, can I help you?

I'm looking for a book.
That's it right... No.

No, that's not the one but...

[LEANNE SIGHS]

Oh.

- I'm disturbing you. I'll come back later.
- That's all right. I'll take a break.

- No, no, you were here first. I'll leave.
- That's all right. I really wanna leave.

- Am I interrupting something?
- No.

Would you mind? I need
to speak to Cliff alone.

- Now you're asking me to leave.
- You said you wanted to leave.

That's when you wanted to leave.

Now that I wanna
stay, you wanna stay?

Well, it's my house.

Please, Dad, just
for a minute. Please?

Thank you.

- Did you get anything?
- Well, yes and no.

- Let's start with the yes.
- Okay.

Dad, are you listening?

LEANNE: Dr. Harrison,
you've testified, and I quote:

"Mr. Fuqua will be severely physically
challenged for the rest of his life.

He will almost certainly
never be free from pain

and most certainly
confined to a wheelchair."

Just like that. No hope.

Despite all the advances
in medical knowledge.

- That is your expert opinion?
- It is.

LEANNE: You
couldn't be mistaken?

HARRISON: I've been a
practicing physician for 40 years

and have probably published more
articles on spinal and neck injuries

than anyone in this state.
I don't think I'm mistaken.

Dr. Harrison, how many times have
you testified as an expert witness

in personal injury cases
tried by Mr. Bostwick?

Several. I don't
recall the exact figure.

Isn't it true that in the last year
alone, you testified about 23 times?

That sounds about right.

How much money has
Mr. Bostwick paid you this year?

I'd have to check my records.
I don't recall the exact figure.

We don't need a home run,
doctor. Just get us into the ballpark.

Approximately $150,000.

LEANNE: You've retired from
your regular practice. Isn't that true?

With the exception of some
occasional consulting, yes.

Aside from the fees paid
to you by Mr. Bostwick,

how much additional money have
you made from consulting fees?

Approximately?

About $20,000.

I see. So out of
approximately $170,000,

all but 20 came from your work as
an expert witness for Mr. Bostwick.

HARRISON: That's correct.

LEANNE: I guess
keeping Mr. Bostwick happy

- keeps you employed.
- Objection.

Withdraw the question.
Nothing further, Your Honor.

This court stands in recess
until 10 a.m. Monday morning.

- Nice work.
- You sound surprised.

- Well, no...
- Just doing my job, Dad.

Same as I would for anyone.

[DOOR BUZZES]

[CHILDREN CHATTERING]

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

[CAMERA CLICKING]

MATLOCK: Where'd
you get these pictures?

I took them.

You sent Cliff to take pictures

of Duncan fooling
around with some woman?

I told her to. I knew the
louse was seeing someone.

DUNCAN: Clara.

Coming home at midnight with
that stupid, guilty grin on his face.

You hired someone who
works for me to follow Duncan.

Dad, he works for us.

I never wanted any part of this
divorce. You talked me into it.

Now my blood pressure's high,

my daughter and I are at one another's
throats, and I'm gonna kill Cliff.

DUNCAN: Will you excuse
Clara and me for a moment?

[MATLOCK GRUNTS]

You sent him to spy on Duncan?

- I didn't do anything wrong.
- Shut up, Cliff.

Dad, I didn't want a divorce
case either, but I took it.

Now, I am trying
to protect my client

the same way you are
trying to protect yours.

You're protecting her.

Now with this stuff, how are
we gonna settle this thing?

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

[CLARA SIGHS]

We've decided to go back
to the original agreement.

What are you talking about?

Oh, they deserve to know
the truth about this, Clara.

Um, the woman I'm
seeing now isn't a lover.

She's a sex therapist.

- Sex therapist?
- Mm-hm.

- Uh, sex therapist?
DUNCAN: Mm-hm.

- Oh, and she helped you with, uh...
- Mm-hm.

Is it all right with Clara?

Oh, we were definitely
having sexual problems.

At least Duncan was. Oh.

I think he's very courageous
to do something about it.

Why didn't you just
tell her to start with?

At first, I was embarrassed.

And then before I knew it,
things got completely out of hand.

CLARA: Come, Duncan.
I'll take you to lunch.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

Thank you. Thank you
for being so understanding.

- Ah.
- This has been a catharsis for me.

Oh, and a personal
breakthrough for me.

You've all been wonderful.

Goodbye.

[DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES]

LEANNE: Huh.

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

Did you, uh, get
something to eat?

- Dad, I'm trying to work.
- Oh.

Um...

Where we went wrong
with the Farmington case...

What could we have
done differently, Dad?

Oh, I wasn't talking
about the case.

I was talking about,
uh, you and me.

You've come to a
conclusion, counselor?

Yeah. Um...

I have a problem recognizing

that you're a grown woman
with your own way of doing things.

- I know that, Dad.
- Yeah.

- So if you wanna drop my case...
- You want me to drop the case?

No, no. No, I'm...
Look, I need you.

Good, I'm glad.

Because one piece
of advice I did listen to:

Always finish what you start.

Wait a second.

- Did you see that?
- What?

That.

LEANNE: How has the pain been
since last we spoke, Mr. Fuqua?

[SIGHS]

- Not so good. LEANNE:
I'm sorry to hear that.

Have you ever been
in pain like this before?

Never. Not even close.

And until you've felt it, there's
no way of imagining how bad it is,

how it controls your life.

So you've never had
any other accidents

before you tripped and
fell off my client's porch?

- No, ma'am.
LEANNE: You're sure?

Uh, not that I know of.

I'd like to show you something
that may refresh your memory.

I call it A Day In The
Life: The Early Years.

I am amazed at how little
you've changed, Mr. Fuqua.

There's no doubt that is you.

But I thought you said

you'd never been
in an accident before.

Was this done as some
sort of joke, Mr. Fuqua?

A costume party, perhaps?

I, uh... I don't remember.

Well, it was a few
years ago in Boston.

And of course you had a
different name then, Fred Logan.

Does any of this ring a bell?

Uh... Come on now.

I was watching your
tape the other night,

and I saw an old cane in
the closet. Got me to thinking:

Maybe you had been
in an accident before.

Uh, I don't recall.

Seeing that cane prompted
me to do a little detective work.

So I called a lot of
insurance companies

and that's how I
found your tape.

Your fall on my client's property wasn't
your first accident, was it, Mr. Fuqua?

Or do you prefer Logan?

As a matter of fact, you staged
so many accidents in Boston,

you were known as
Fall Down Freddie.

- Order. FUQUA: They
never proved nothing.

No, but after a while,
they stopped paying.

And that's why you came down
here and changed your name.

And for a year or two, you
even tried to make it legitimately.

But after a while, you got the
urge to try for another big score.

Maybe your lovely new
wife encouraged you.

Uh, uh...

- Oh, no.
- Oh, I'm not saying your wife

had anything to do with it.

I mean, a woman would have to
be crazy to let her husband go out

and deliberately disable
himself for money.

But that's what you
did, isn't it, Mr. Fuqua?

You deliberately fell
down my client's stairs,

hoping you would at least appear to
be injured badly enough to be set for life,

at my client's expense.

Well, Mr. Fuqua?

[CHUCKLES]

"We, the jury, in the
above entitled action,

return the following special verdict
on the questions presented to us.

One: Was the defendant,
Benjamin Matlock,

negligent in the maintenance
of his front porch?

Yes.

Two: Was the
defendant's negligence

a proximate cause of
the injury to Mr. Fuqua?

No."

JUDGE: That being the case,

Mr. Matlock is not
liable for any damages.

Thank you, ladies and
gentlemen. You are excused.

This court is adjourned.

[FUQUA SCOFFS]

That was some work, Leanne.

That poor guy came up against
the wrong family, that's for sure.

- Thanks, Cliff.
- Okay.

And congratulations
to you too, Ben.

I'm sorry.

I hope that there's no hard feelings
about my taking those pictures.

Oh, no, no, no.

As a matter of fact,
they helped clear the air.

The Farmingtons have
never been happier.

- They got back together?
- No, they're divorced.

They went to
Hawaii to celebrate.

- Psychiatrists?
- Yeah. Ha, ha.

You're...

You're a fine lawyer.

I know.

I guess I had a pretty
good role model.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]