Mind Games (2014): Season 1, Episode 8 - Royal Fiasco - full transcript

♪ ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh ♪

Baylor.

Where is that? Waco?

- I've never been.
- Darien: Waco. Yep.

I mean, it's not Stanford,
but we hold our own.

Oh, so you know where I went to school?

Everyone in behavior psychology

has read your work, Dr. Edwards...

even in Waco.

Now, why don't we talk
about why you're here?

[Sighs]



I don't know.

I guess because my girlfriend
thinks it's a good idea.

To be honest,

I've had very bad
experiences with therapists.

They've... they've had a few with you, too.

So you know about my
condition. That's good.

What you might not know

is that I spent the
last 20 years of my life

studying human psychology and behavior

so that I could learn to
manage my condition myself.

How's that working out?

Educate me.

What exactly is it that you do?

- [Elevator bell dings]
- [Clark humming]



Sam: Seriously? You don't know
how to unfold a camping chair?

Miles: My parents were
not really into camping.

They were more into glamping.

Which is... ?

It's like camping but...

without any of the camping.

Guys?!

Furniture?

See, I told you he'd notice.

- You owe me lunch.
- I do.

Megan: Oh, you're here.

- Do you have a second?
- Uh... Yeah!

What happened?

Well, as predicted, my agent dumped me.

No, with the furniture.

Oh! Uh, Latrell's on that, I think.

Here's the thing... with
no chance of acting work,

I kind of need a full-time job.

Okay, I'm sorry. Back up.

Um, your... your agent dumped you why?

'Cause Ross made me back
out of a national commercial.

- He did?
- Yeah!

Latrell, you're in charge
of two accounts! That's it!

- I'm not asking you to run the federal reserve!
- Guys,

why is there no furniture?!

Look, i... it's fine.

It's... it's nothing, all right?

They took everything. We're working on it.

Took everything? I thought the phone was

ringing off the hook with new business.

- It is, which is why you need a receptionist.
- That's why we need furniture!

- Yeah, Clark, um, I need
- Ross insisted on a second account,

- those three digits...
- and I forgot to link it to the auto-pay

- for the furniture rental place.
- ... Off the back of your credit card.

- Okay? I'll send them to you.
- Megan: If the real stuff comes...

Bye. Wait! I didn't know you were here.

- Oh, you know what? And maybe in the future,
- I actually just came here to...

- people will be replaced by androids and holograms,
- the wi-fi to search for an apartment

- but right now...
- because if I...

- You know what? I'm gonna get out of your way.
- No, no!

You're looking for an apartment?

[Sighs] Yeah, the girl I'm subletting from

is coming back early, so I
have to find a place quick.

No, you can stay with me.

- What?
- What?

While you look or, uh, uh, you know...

It's okay. I'll find a place.

No, I'll help you look, okay?

Not that... I'm not saying
that you don't... I'm...

No, that... that would be
great. When do you want to go?

- Clark, Clark.
- Does nobody else think it's ridiculous

- that there's no receptionist here?
- I really think...

[All talking]

Darien: Okay, here's what I'm hearing...

besides having a condition which,

in most people, takes all
their energy to manage,

you run an unusual company where

you employ a staff of people

who bring their own stresses and variables

and rely upon you for
virtually every decision.

You're describing being a boss.

That's what bosses do.

Employing two convicted felons,

one of whom is your brother,

in a business designed to
manipulate people's behavior.

Is that what you'd say most bosses do?

- Latrell: It will be here by tomorrow and signed...
- Excuse me? Excuse me.

I think we're lost. We're looking
for Edwards and Associates.

Ah. You found us!

Uh, ignore the decor.

It's part of what makes
us a unique company.

This is my brother,
Clark. I'm Ross Edwards.

- Welcome.
- Hi.

Hi.

- Hi.
- So, uh, what brings you?

Someone is trying to take our baby.

[Cooing]

We've wanted a baby for as
long as we've been together.

We spent a fortune on in vitro and

hormone therapy and then

waded through the adoption
process for five years.

And finally, two weeks ago,

little Ethan here.

Ross: So, what's the problem?

We adopted him in Indiana

where the birth mother has 30
days to contest the adoption.

- Hmm.
- And she changed her mind.

Yeah. Which happens. I mean,
we... we knew that going into this.

There's... there's more.

- This is her.
- [Sighs]

She grew up on the streets in Gary.

Drugs, larceny, assault.

Barely 18, and she's spent more time

in the courts than the classroom.

We can't send him to
where he won't be safe.

Please.

So, how does this work?

Within 30 days, she can
ask for the baby back?

Well, yeah. And she
just requested a hearing.

- When's the hearing?
- Tomorrow.

Tomorrow?!

[Ethan cries]

I'm sorry.

It's organic. He loves it. Yeah.

- Yeah.
- [Crying stops]

I know it doesn't make sense.

We just met Ethan, but...

He's a part of our family now.

Clark: Oh, i... it makes total sense.

The human baby is born physically helpless

but has the mind control
of an alien super race.

Right now,

your brains are... are
surging so much oxytocin.

You're forging bonds
that will last a lifetime.

Ross: [Sighs] We want to help, of course.

We'll try our hardest.

But we're dealing with an unstable mother,

and we only have one day to work...

No one will take your baby. I promise.

Let us work on it,

and we'll call you when
we finalize an approach.

- Thank you so much.
- Thank you.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

- Thanks for coming in.
- Yeah. Yeah. Thank you.

- Beautiful baby.
- Thanks.

- Got your hands full.
- Yes, we do.

[Sighs]

"I promise"?

Look, if we go in front of a judge,

I want these parents to project
certainty, confidence, all right?

I want them calm, reassured.

Well, now that they're fully reassured,

can you actually deliver
on what you just promised?

Yes.

Almost certainly.

[Sighing]

Excuse me. Miss?

Would you pay 10 bucks to
see something truly amazing?

10 bucks? That's a lot of money, kid.

What if I told you I could knock down

this parking meter with my bare hands?

Um...

Okay.

[Metal clangs]

All right. Yeah. You're on.

[Laughs]

All right.

Don't spend it in one place.

You're still just an old softy.

My God!

Oh! Martin!

What are you doing here?

You should have asked for $20, kid.

Cool trick. Thanks.

All right. Good work.

God, you look good.

And you're still a very convincing liar.

[Laughs] What are you doing here?

Well, I was in town. I
thought I'd look you up.

Chased down every name

I could ever remember you ever using

until it occurred to
me to try your real one.

[Chuckles] Yeah, well, that's me now...

just plain, old Sam.

- You're not working?
- I am working.

In fact, I... I got to get
back or I'm gonna be late.

Well, I'll walk you.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

[Chuckles]

So, when you say working,
you don't mean working.

- You mean you have a job.
- [Laughs]

Paycheck, taxes, et cetera.

Yeah, I got one of those little rubber mats

under my office desk.

- Wow.
- [Chuckles]

That's great, Sam. Really.

Yeah, it feels good.

Listen, um...

I'm sorry I didn't call
you right when I got out.

Oh, that's okay.

I imagine your to-do list
was pretty long at that point.

Hey, taxi!

So, how does this work?

I call your secretary
and make an appointment?

I'm only in town for a couple of days.

I want to take you for a cup of coffee.

Yeah, sure. Uh, where are you staying?

I'm running a little
lean. Still looking around.

Well, you know you can stay with me.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

It's only a day or two.

No, you... you stay as long as you like.

I got one of those pull-out
couches, a little kitchenette.

Might even have some baby
carrots in the fridge.

[Chuckles]

I missed you, Sam.

Yeah, I missed you, too.

[Sighs]

But you owe me 10 bucks.

How about we target the
judge with age-bias priming?

No, we don't know enough about the judge.

No, we have a baby in a good home,

so we just need to prime
the judge not to remove him.

How about change aversion?

Yes!

Wait. No.

Problem there is

the baby's already changed families,

so if we prime the judge against change,

he may just return things
to their original state.

And send the baby back
to where he won't be safe.

Yeah, we need to maintain something

that's already established,

so...

Status-quo reinforcement.

Really? That's a thing?

So, what are we doing?

What do you mean, "what are we doing"?

I thought you were getting us furniture!

I'll get to that. I want to help.

- With what?
- The case.

I grew up with girls like the birth mother,

which means I know how to approach her.

That's great, only we're
not targeting the girl.

No, t... t... t... the
teenage brain is erratic,

and then you add drugs
and emotional issues?

[Whistles]

The highly rational mind of
a judge, on the other hand,

is focused and decisive.

Oh, yes!

- What? You got it?
- What?

I found a great apartment for Beth.

Can we get back to the case?

Never mind.

It's below the "L." She'll never sleep.

- Status-quo reinforcement plus...
- No.

What if I work the first week for free...

- Shh. Please don't shush me.
- The "L." She's never gonna sleep.

- Status-quo reinforcement.
- You're apartment hunting?

Overload! Cognitive overload!

Cognitive overload?

It's like, uh, choice exhaustion.

Your brain has a limited reserve of energy

for making decisions, so
if you deplete that reserve,

your brain automatically defaults

to taking the easiest available solution.

So, people come to you with life-altering,

critical problems, and you make decisions

which have an immeasurable impact on them

while being pulled in
a thousand directions?

W... what are you asking?

Well, I mean, I know I only went to Baylor,

but I have to wonder...

Uh, if you were the client,
would you trust your fate

to someone who is struggling
to keep it all together?

Would you hire you?

[Keyboard clacking]

Hey. Hey.

Saw your light.

I'm just going over
Clark's plan for tomorrow.

I wish we had more time.

Judges kind of make me nervous.

- Can't imagine why.
- Yeah.

Although the thought of annoying the hell

- out of one of them is kind of appealing.
- [Chuckles]

You know, we're, uh, sort
of teamed up tomorrow.

You want to grab some
dinner, talk about the plan?

Dinner?

I mean, you know, dinner.

I eat. You eat. We all eat.

Yeah... you are my boss,
so is there some sort of

employee handbook I should
read, company policy?

We don't even have furniture.

If we had employee handbooks,
I'd be stacking them for chairs.

[Chuckles] Uh, eh, sure.

I could eat.

[Sighs]

But... I'm buying.

You have any money?

Well, not in the literal sense, no.

Hmm. Join the club.

[Cork pops]

So, she asks me, "what
did you learn in prison?"

Seriously? "What did you learn in prison?"

- I knew what the parole lady wanted to hear...
- [Chuckles]

Uh, personal responsibility,

contributing to society,
et cetera, et cetera.

Mm-hmm.

But what I was thinking ah... was that,

uh, I learned two AA batteries
and a disposable razor

make an excellent cigarette lighter,

and I learned that you
can cook almost anything

with, uh... boiling water
and a 20-gallon garbage bag.

I learned... oh, I learned
what my real hair color was.

- Wow.
- Yeah, well, I'd been dying it for so long

- that I had no idea anymore.
- Mm.

And actually, you can get pretty
decent hair products in there,

but what you had to trade to
get them... ooh, not worth it.

[Soft music plays]

Do people, uh...

people ask you what it was like?

[Inhales deeply]

Uh... No.

But I don't know that many people.

You?

Yeah, yeah.

But I don't think they really want to know,

so [Chuckles] I just tell
them it's like summer camp

but with less inappropriate touching.

Yeah, the men's prison

and the women's prison across
the lake, they have mixers.

Care to dance, Miss?

[Southern accent] I would love to.

But, you see, I got shackles on my feet.

[Southern accent] Ooh, well, that's okay.

Fortunately for you, I learned
how to pick a lock in prison.

Oh, well, isn't that convenient.

I bet that you just
charm the orange jumpsuits

off of all the ladies in here.

[Normal voice] Well,
sometimes that's the only way

- you can actually tell that they are ladies.
- [Chuckles]

[Normal voice] Well, I hope that you don't

have any doubts about this one.

Well, it doesn't hurt to double-check.

[Both chuckle]

Think your house guest has gone to bed yet?

Mm... probably.

It would be such a shame to
wake him up when I got in.

Yeah, it would be a shame.

[Moaning]

Oh, God.

You understand that this is gonna cost you

some quality shampoo.

Okay.

[Both chuckle]

Good morning.

- Hey.
- I brought you doughnuts.

You know, Chicago has
got amazing doughnuts now.

That's great. Were you
out all night making them?

- Ha ha ha.
- [Chuckles]

Sorry about that.

Things kind of got away from me.

- Can I ask you a question?
- Yeah.

You working something?

What?

Found this article about
the place where you work.

Reporter didn't think much of it,

but he mentions the people who work there,

and I see this Miles Hood.

Hood, as in

his last name is on
buildings across Chicago.

And then I think my little Sam landed a job

right next to this massive trust-fund kid.

Yeah?

Total coincidence?

- Yes.
- You're not working an angle on him?

It's not like that. It's a job.

A real job. And he's my friend.

Okay. That's good.

But I know you're not my kid,

but I've tried to look
out for you like you were.

For all I know, I'm the only
one who ever came to visit you

when you were locked up.

You always seemed happy to see me.

You make parole, you get
out, and you don't call.

And I... I guess I'm sitting
here thinking, "what did I do?"

See, it wasn't about you.

But then I see this, and I think,

"she's making a play at something

and she just thinks it's not my thing."

I mean, I know you always thought

my moves were... kind of boring.

No, you weren't boring.

I was boring!

It's why I was so against
that thing with the guy

you thought you were in love with.

Oh, here we go again.

Point is, not calling because
you're working a score,

I almost get that.

But if not that, what? What did I do?

Nothing. I promise.

I... I just needed to figure
out how to do this right.

Okay.

Okay. Sure. I think I just missed you.

We've been together a long time.

- For me, those are happy memories.
- Mm.

Uh, look, Sam, uh...

[Inhales sharply]

... as much as I wish it would,
this is not gonna ask itself.

I...

I... I'm in a situation.

I need to keep moving.

Trying to keep a low profile, all cash.

And I'm just running low.

Uh... no, no, it's...
it's okay. Um, how much?

Strictly a loan, okay?

I have the money, and
I will send it to you.

It's just I'm out of cash
and I can't go to an ATM.

Martin, it's fine. It's fine.

Whatever you can spare, whatever's handy.

Yeah, I got about... $1,800

in the bank. Why don't we go now?

Means a lot, Sam. Really.

So, how does giving this judge a bad meal

let us keep our baby?

By convincing his brain

that changing something that works is bad.

Latrell, more fork options.
We need to overload him.

Okay. There we go.

Just so... o... okay.

Hey, turn the heat up in here.

He needs to be really uncomfortable.

First we get our operative Megan

to get Nayfeld to break
from his status quo...

change his lunch routine

and go to a restaurant that we rented out.

Judge Nayfeld?

Such a pleasure to meet you.

I've heard lots of amazing things

about you from Judge Lehman.

Oh? How do you know Lehman?

I'm with the new Josh Beylin restaurant,

and we're trying to build
our courthouse clientele.

He was one of our first customers

and now also our biggest fan,

and he asked us to buy you lunch.

Clark: And then when he
gets to the restaurant...

choice exhaustion.

Here's a menu for you, sir.

And this is our prix fixe chef's lunch.

Here are our cocktails for the day.

This is the wine list for you.

And this is our dessert menu.

We overload him.

Sparkling, still, tap, mineral, flavored?

Tap is fine.

Ice... cubed, no ice, chipped ice?

Ice, cubed.

We make him so mentally depleted,

his brain can't make any more hard choices.

Then status-quo reinforcement.

Basically, we make sure he
has a miserable experience.

Wow.

What do you do?

Just a judge.

Can judges do that?

- Like, get things for free?
- Of course you can. It's Chicago.

No, it... it's not like that.

No, just ignore him.

Yeah, it's easy. She's
been doing it for years.

- No, he doesn't like it when I talk to other men.
- You know what?

A judge might come in
handy if you keep it up.

See? He's just insecure because
I'm a lot younger than him.

What are you talking about?
You're slightly younger.

Okay, let's just say

that between the time that
you were born and I was born,

a German Shepherd could be
born, live a full life, and die!

Because the judge
deviated from his routine,

- his brain will blame this bad experience he had...
- [indistinct shouting]

This is not the first time!

... on choosing something new
over something established.

By the time he's done with lunch,

he'll have paid so dearly for
deviating from the status quo,

he's primed to stay the course.

So, when he comes to your case,

he should take the path
of least resistance...

maintain the existing contract

and leave the baby with you.

Woman: Mr. and Mrs. Bradley,

I'm terribly sorry, but Judge
Nayfeld had to leave unexpectedly.

Your case is currently being rescheduled.

My apologies for the inconvenience.

One second.

Um, wait, wait. Uh, just...

I... I'm with the Bradleys'... attorney.

W... what's going on? What
happened to Judge Nayfeld?

Sounds like food poisoning.

Hey, Clark, Clark! You
should have seen Miles...

What happened?

Did we win?

Are you familiar with
Newton... Isaac Newton?

Not sure. Did he go to Baylor?

[Chuckles]

Well, he worked up this crazy idea

that bodies in a system
don't move in isolation

but are affected by every
other body in that system.

[Sighs] I realize that my actions

have an effect on other people, Doctor.

I'm acutely, acutely aware of that.

And theirs affect you,

making it hard to
maintain your equilibrium.

Newton even called his observations "laws,"

lest we think they don't apply to us.

- [Telephone ringing]
- Ross: It's not as bad as it sounds.

We... we poisoned a judge, Ross!

We gave a guy a tummy ache.

Let's not blow things out of proportion.

A guy who was primed to fix this.

[Ringing continues]

Just waiting to see if the
phone will answer itself.

Give it a minute.

Think it might.

All I did was ask if you wanted to spend

the rest of your life
selling mouthwash and spandex.

Which would have paid my rent,

which is now two weeks overdue.

Okay. I'm sorry.

When we have money, you are hired.

Sam: So, what now?

Well, the Bradleys are
in a total state of panic,

so we don't want them
anywhere near the courthouse.

And their case is rescheduled
for day after tomorrow,

but we have no way of knowing
what judge will hear it.

So we target the birth mother.

It's not ideal, but it's what we've got.

It might not be so bad.

I mean, we're talking about
a girl who, for nine months,

believed that giving the kid
up was the right thing to do.

Excellent point! That's an excellent point!

I didn't just discover a
planet. Why are you so excited?

She made a difficult, rational decision...

And then went back on
it. Why? What happened?

She had a baby.

Yes!

Hormones.

Her protective maternal
instincts kicked in.

Okay, so how do we turn off
a mother's maternal instinct?

I will call my mother,
and I will get some tips.

Uh, p... p... perceptual rivalry.

Oh! Yeah.

Yes!

Okay. Ready?

[Chuckles]

Rabbit or a duck?

- Rabbit. Rabbit.
- Duck. Duck.

***

Trippy, right?

Your brain has to choose what image to see

even if you're aware of both animals.

It can't perceive them simultaneously.

It's called "perceptual rivalry."

Same thing happens when we make a decision.

Anthony Jack studies!

Yes, and Jack showed, just
like the optical illusion,

we can either engage our emotional network

or our logical one, but not both.

So, how do we get this girl's logical part

back in charge so she
rethinks this whole thing?

Puzzles.

Humor me.

We find out the reasoning

behind her initial decision
to give up the child.

Then Megan goes in with
a set of logic puzzles

that she says helps us identify
which aspects of motherhood

that she'll find the most challenging.

But the real reason for the puzzles

is to engage her analytic network.

Yes!

And then with her analytic network in gear,

Megan goes in with a
set of scripted questions

that Miles will write to remind her

of the logical reason why she gave
up the child in the first place.

Thinking rationally,

she'll see her maternal urges

as the short-sighted
instincts that they really are

and change her mind
about keeping the child.

How can you be so sure?

Because

she'll be thinking with her head...

And not her heart.

Where were you to cheat off in high school?

College.

Oh.

[Sighing]

Hmm.

- Um...
- Hey, uh...

Do... do you want... were...

- No.
- What? Oh, no.

Both: Were you gonna say something?

- [Chuckles]
- You talk. Go first. What?

Um, I was gonna ask you to,

um, maybe join me for a dinner tonight.

- Oh. Oh.
- But then I changed my mind.

Well, that's good, 'cause,
uh, apparently dinner

makes me very tired the next day.

- I know.
- Latrell: Ross, can I talk to you for a sec?

Oh, uh... yeah. What's up?

Uh, I found a way to pay Megan.

Just want to talk you through it.

- Excuse me.
- Great. Uh, let's... my office.

Before we get into payroll,
what the hell was that?

That?

Well, you can file that

in the "none of your business" cabinet.

I know you, Ross, and I know
how your relationships end.

Look, I may not have
liked Sam at the start...

one recovering con artist for our company

seemed like plenty...

but she's a big part of the team now.

And when whatever this is
blows up, I just want...

Oh, pl... this coming from the guy

who's doing accounting
backflips to keep Megan around?

Yes, well, this isn't
about office romances.

This is about your record
with relationships, period.

Really?

Look, this company was your idea, Ross.

Now, you talked a lot of us into joining.

I'm just asking you to think...

is this really the best thing for it?

Okay, so you have three light bulbs,

but you've only got one switch, and...

this is not a good time for a logic puzzle.

So...

[Indistinct conversations]

I was so hungry the last few weeks.

Feels weird not wanting to eat.

Well, look, don't beat
yourself up about it.

Our organization, uh, is here

to help girls in your position.

But in order for us to help you,

we need to know all about you.

So, why don't you tell us

about when you first
learned you were pregnant?

[Inhales deeply] Um, I was in rehab again.

I busted out a few weeks before,

and that's when it happened.

[Scoffs]

It's funny, 'cause rehab's
the last place I wanted to be

till I found out I was pregnant.

And then I was, like, grateful to be there.

And why is that?

'Cause... home sucks.

Pretty much had to get high all the time

just to get through it.

Are you still using?

Are you kidding? I was pregnant.

Addiction is extremely powerful.

I've been clean for almost a year.

Having that baby...

I mean,

I knew I couldn't keep him or nothing.

But when he was inside
me, that baby was mine.

I don't know. I just...

I started to see things different.

Different how?

Like...

What I did mattered... to someone.

I quit using...

and I went back to school
and almost got my G.E.D.

I'm gonna go to college.

Then...

why did you give him up?

'Cause what kind of mom
was I supposed to be?

I had no business with a baby.

But that's different
now. I... I can do this.

You've stayed clean?

Mm-hmm, yeah, I got a job now,

um, at this really cute store,

and I'm getting my own place.

I... I can be a good mom
to that baby. I know I can.

I just...

I want him to know how much I love him.

But I can't do that if he's not with me.

Yeah. I think I have all I need.

Thank you for your time, Miss Mayi.

Uh, go.

Um, our... our group will be
in touch with you really soon.

Or not. [Clears throat]

May not need us. It sounds
like you're on the right track.

Wait. What are you doing?

This girl is not what we signed up for.

We're not doing this.

Ross: I'm not trying to make you feel bad.

- I'm just saying...
- Good, 'cause I don't.

Look, I really need to focus on this.

Beth has less than a week.
This is her first apartment.

I just want it to be perfect.

[Sighs] We all do.

Just promise me the next time

that you pull the plug on something,

you'll let me know.

I mean, I'm not emitting
oxytocin or anything.

I'd just like you to
consider my needs a little.

That's all.

- Sure. Yes.
- Thank you.

Is there a difference between
a bachelor and a studio?

- [Knock on door]
- Well, yeah.

Sam says we dropped the case.

Why is there still no desks?

I thought you were getting paperwork.

- Why?
- Because we need furniture!

No. I mean the case.

This is important. Critical.

Clark wouldn't pull out

if he didn't think it
was the right thing to do.

Except how would he know?

I grew up with kids with moms like her.

You know where they are now?

Locked up, dealing, doping,
or dead... every one of them.

You didn't meet her.

You're judging her based
on a bias. We all did.

That's what people do.

- But sometimes those biases are wrong.
- You're not hearing me.

I'm from this girl's world.

Well, you did it.

You got out.

I was selfish.

Yeah. No kids. No passengers.

I clawed my way out. I
left my own brother behind.

Plus, I never took a step

down the road to drugs and crime

this girl's been walking for years.

Latrell, people change.

Yes, she wants the chance to change,

to face her challenges.

Clark, anyone can pull themselves together

for a week or two if they've
got something to prove.

It doesn't last. A baby does.

Look... I hear what you're saying.

I do.

I'm just not willing
to play God on this one.

Oh, you're still playing God, Clark.

You just switched sides.

Um... the Bradleys are here.

[Sighs]

We had a deal!

Our new hearing is tomorrow!

What are we supposed to do now?

You still have a great case.

We're just not gonna have
any further impact on it.

[Voice breaking] You made me a promise.

And then what? You spend

15 minutes with this girl and you break it?

How exactly did she convince you

she'd make a good mother, hmm?

Hmm, did she tell you how she served time

for cracking another girl's skull open?

- Ross: Look...
- A month before she got pregnant,

she was arrested selling drugs.

If this baby is taken from us,

you will have destroyed the
lives of everyone involved.

Can you live with that?

Darien: And you feel
good about your choice?

I made a calculated decision.

Followed through with my best judgment.

That's all any of us can hope to do.

But isn't the whole
basis of your research...

I mean your whole company...

predicated on the idea that
our decisions are controlled

by our environment in ways
we're not even conscious of?

I mean, this judge, for instance.

Didn't you say he was powerless to
make a clear decision based on... uh...

what was it? Cognitive...

- Overload.
- "Cognitive overload."

No... air quotes. It's a thing.

All right, fine.

But isn't it possible you simply reached

your own cognitive overload
and needed to remove yourself

from an emotionally complex situation?

Weren't you juggling a variety of stresses

when you agreed to take the case?

Isn't it possible you dove right in

without weighing both sides

because your mind was so overwhelmed

that it jumped to a hasty conclusion

in order to avoid making
the choice more difficult?

- [Laughs]
- And since when does ordering a Manhattan

become a lesson in the culinary arts?

Yeah, I know, right?

Herbs and spices and orange wedge.

It's like, "come on.

We're not preparing a
Thanksgiving meal here."

[Chuckles] "Just pour
the bourbon." [Laughs]

[Sighs]

What?

Oh, um, yeah.

It's... it's just me now.

My, um... my house guest has
moved on, so you can come in.

I want to. I do. I just...

Uh-oh.

No "uh-oh." I just...

if you don't want to do this,
then I don't want to do this.

- So, it was fun, but I'll see you tomorrow.
- No, look.

I didn't say I didn't want to do it.

I... I mean, I... I want to do it.

I just don't want to do it in
the way that I usually do it.

Well, how do you usually do it?

Because we did it in various ways.

Will you shut up? Not that. This.

Instead of me coming in

and proceeding down the
path that I normally take,

which is to say the path
that usually leads me

to screwing things up entirely,

maybe we just do things differently.

Dinner, flowers, a movie.

I want to get it right.

Well, then don't... serenade me.

You serenade me, I'm gonna laugh.

And no carnations, okay? Roses only.

- Get out of here.
- Hmm.

Go away.

[Sighs] Good night.

[Sighs]

Hey.

Hey.

What are you doing here? [Grunts]

I thought that you left
[Chicago accent] Chicago.

[Chuckles] Can't get enough of Chicago.

[Grunts] What the hell happened to you?

Let me see.

Come here. Let me see!

Oh! [Inhales sharply]

It's nothing. I'm fine.

I just came to give your money back.

You mean the money that
I loaned you yesterday?

Why... whoa.

- "Dear Sam... "
- Don't read that! Don't read that!

- It's not finished! That...
- "... You are stronger than you realize.

"I'm prouder than you know.

I... I'm glad I got to see that
smile one last time before... "

What the hell is going on?

I thought I had a sure thing.

And I ended up with some...
unforgiving partners.

How much do you owe?

More than you and I have
ever laid our hands on.

So, then we just get it. Right?

I mean, we've... we've worked our way

out of tight spots before.

We get it. We throw
something together, right?

And then we, uh...

I'm not dragging you into this!

You're out! You're straight!
That's a good thing!

Stay that way.

And you're bleeding on
my living room floor,

and you're leaving me a
note that basically says,

"hey, I'll see you in
the next lifetime"? No.

Nag, nag, nag.

God, just tell me how
much. We'll figure it out.

Don't be stubborn.

We could pull a dozen
jobs and not make a dent.

I have to put an end to this myself.

[Sighs]

How?

Hey, what does that mean?

"Bye, Sam." That's what it means.

No, no, no. Hey.

Would you just... would you
just sit back down, please?

We can figure this out.

When is the last time
you just... not this time.

I weighed all the options before I ran.

There's no way out of it!

- Hey, what about...
- Aah.

What about Miles?

- No. I'm not dragging you back into this.
- No, just...

just hear me out.

All I would do is... is open up the door.

Uh, you make your play, you keep me clean,

and then when it's all
over, you're paid up,

I'm back on the straight and narrow, and,

you know, the Hoods have to live

with one less wing
[Chuckling] in some museum.

[Chuckles]

Why are you doing this, Sam?

Because it's what you would do for me.

Oh, you're gonna love it.

Uh, it's got recessed lighting,
uh, loads of closet space.

Oh, I'm sure I'll love it.

Oh! You know what?

We got to stop by the,
um, furniture-rental place.

I'll get the papers from Latrell.

Is Latrell in yet?

Uh, no, he was for a minute, and then poof.

Poof where?

I don't know. It was kind of weird.

What was weird?

Well, he was asking a lot
of questions about the case,

the adoption couple, and
the... and the puzzles.

But he... he didn't say where he was going?

No, he just tore out of here.

Uh...

Where's your clipboard?

Which clipboard?

The clipboard with the logic puzzles

and the questions you wrote
to get the girl to back off.

W... wait.

You don't think that Latrell would...

Play God?

[Sighs]

[Cellphone ringing]

The cellphone! Can we track the cellphone?

Calm down, Clark. We're not the NSA.

I don't need to calm down!
I need to find Latrell!

These are just some of the questions

you have to ask yourself.

How much do you make at your job per hour?

How many hours of child
care are you gonna need?

What's it gonna cost
for child care per hour?

Do you really have the means
to take care of this baby,

not just 1 or 2 years,

but 18 years?

Being a mother is about doing
what's best for both of you.

What you need to focus
on is becoming the woman

you want that child to find
when you do see him again.

Dr. Edwards.

I don't know what you
did or how you did it,

but I wanted to come here
and say thank you in person.

We got a call from Leanne Mayi.

She dropped her case and
confirmed the adoption.

I'm glad to hear it all worked out.

Got to admit, I thought twice

about paying you after our last meeting.

Yeah, yeah, that was...

Well, that was all part of the plan.

The... the backup plan.

In... in case you guys got a new judge,

we needed you desperate
instead of confident.

Sorry we caused you any stress.

Well, you certainly had us fooled.

[Elevator bell dings]

Anyway, thank you again.

Excuse me.

I'll walk you out.

How could you do this?

I definitively said we were
gonna leave this one alone.

I heard you, but I never agreed.

- You don't get to agree.
- I know you're a genius, Clark,

and I know you know a lot of
things about a lot of things,

- but that girl's life is not one of them.
- She was committed.

She changed!

And she can stay changed
if that's what she wants.

She has a chance now

and a chance to get out
and a chance to prove that,

in the long run, she made the right choice

so that if and when she
does finally become a part

of that kid's life, it'll
be because she earned it.

So you do what you got to do.

Fire me if that's it.

But I'm not apologizing for a damn thing.

Darien: So, would you still argue

this is a supportive, healthy environment?

Why does challenging
have to equal unhealthy?

It doesn't.

But if you struggle with shaky hands,

you don't challenge
yourself by diffusing bombs.

Yeah, but you keep framing this

as the reason why I shouldn't
be doing what I'm doing.

I mean, this week was as bad as it gets.

Crazy-stressful on all fronts.

But I focused and managed.

So how about, "nice job, Clark.

Way to engage your coping
mechanisms." How about that?

[Chuckling] Okay.

Yes, you did an exceptional job

of white-knuckling your way
through a very tough week.

But we're not talking about

mustering all your will
for just a few days.

And this Latrell was right.

It's like that girl.
Short-term change is easy,

especially when you're
trying to prove something.

But what happens when you stop focusing

on what it is you're trying to prove?

What happens when you let your guard down,

when things come calling that
you can't just push aside?

This triumph is deceptive.

- * the truth don't stop *
- You can dodge traffic for a minute.

But you keep playing in the street,

eventually you will get hit.

You need to be looking for
ways to simplify your life.

The more complicated you let things become,

the harder they are to maintain.

What do you think?

Perfect, right?

Yeah. Yeah, it's good.

Wait. Do you hate it? Did I miss something?

You're right.

♪ like the moon ♪

A life with no complications,

- red flags, potholes...
- * the truth don't stop *

... would probably be a lot safer for me.

♪ it's really coming ♪

But at what cost?

- * the truth don't stop *
- [Inhales deeply]

I think you should move in with me.

[Sighs]

- * the truth don't stop *
- Clark, are you serious?

You wanted to know why I came here.

Here's why.

Because I don't want to be safe...

if all I get from it is safety.

[Inhales deeply]

What if I leave my hair in the
drain or I grind the coffee too fine?

I mean, won't those things drive you nuts?

Yes. Totally.

♪ let the rain fall ♪

But I think it's worth it.

I want what life gives you
when you step off the curb.

♪ let the rain fall ♪

[sighs]

So...

Where do we start?

♪ let the rain fall ♪