Partners (2014): Season 1, Episode 1 - They Come Together - full transcript

Man: What I leave to you
now, my greatest revelation...

truth and facts

certainly have their place in society,

but do they really have a place

in a court of law?

No.

I'm moving on from this law firm today

with a great sense of personal liberation,

and therefore this was
an easy decision to make.

Yeah, real easy...

Because your father fired your ass.



Just like he demoted you, Uncle Jerry.

Good morning, son.

Don't start with me, mama.

All I said was good morning.

No, mama, what you said was,

"your life is going to hell.

You're being walked over.

And I still haven't gotten my
flat screen TV for my bedroom."

No, what I said was, "good morning".

Yes, it is, and it's a new day, mama.

I'm going to have me some kale,

start my day off, mama.

Okay. Yeah, all-righty.

All right.



I'm going to save this for later.

Can I just say one thing?

History has proven otherwise, mama.

Renee divorces you after 22 years.

22 years!

I am not sorry that Renee is gone,

I just don't understand why you
are letting her take everything.

Not everything. You're still here.

Marcus, if you agree to
this settlement today,

you will be digging a financial hole

it will take you years to get out of.

Your life will be a living hell.

My bedroom is 30 feet from my mother's.

Oh, I know hell.

- Morning, daddy.
- Don't you start with me.

- So he's still...
- Yep.

- And he won't... ?
- Nope.

Okay.

I'm not in denial

and there is nothing to discuss.

Frankly, daddy, none of us
would be in this situation

if you hadn't broken the
vows that you made before God.

Tell that to your mother.
She's the one who left.

All I know is I am saving myself

so that when I get married, it is forever.

Honey, you can only save
a pork chop for so long

before it dries up and won't
attract anything but flies.

And Marcus, fight for what's yours.

Take control of your damn life.

If I did that, none of your
asses would be living here.

Have a good day!

Good morning, Michael. It's a new day.

Your ex's lawyer called.

Oh. What does she want now?

She already got my balls hanging
from her rear view mirror.

They want to reappraise the
building for the settlement.

They claim it was undervalued.

Fine. I got to get to court.

No, no, no, no.

This is not fine.

If you lose this building,
I could be out of a job.

It will work out.

Marcus, three years ago
I was a bitter waiter

at the American girl doll restaurant

serving high tea to spoiled
eight-year-old and their $300 dolls.

I drank every day.

Now I'm a paralegal

and going to law school at night.

Please don't make me go back there.

What do you want me to do?

Clearly I'm not an expert
on relationships with women.

One time a girl asked me
to take off her blouse,

my response was, "okay, fine.
It doesn't fit me anyway."

But what I do know is that
women just want to be respected.

I appreciate everyone's concern, okay?

But I'm fine. I am great.

I don't need anything from y'all.

So, thank you.

Third floor, courtroom 2A.

(Theme music plays) ♪ mama
said she didn't raise no fool ♪

♪ one mind apart is
never stronger than two ♪

♪ I'm about the life,
about to come on strong ♪

♪ come on come on, come on, come on ♪

♪ whoa, yeah ♪

♪ one mind apart is
never stronger than two ♪

♪ whoa, yeah ♪

♪ mama said she didn't raise no fool. ♪

Yo, Ryan! We still on for
golf on Saturday morning?

7:00 A.M. tee-off?

I can't. Your dad's put the word out

and I want to keep my job.

Sorry, buddy, but it's all over town.

No respectable firm will hire you now.

Allen!

Lizzie, what are you doing here?

Why aren't you in school
where I pay good money

for you to attend classes
in a locked facility?

And how did you get here?

I hitched a ride from a cute
boy I met in a van... $hawn.

The "s" in his name is a dollar sign.

Plus he owns, well, a van.

Did you tell your mother you left?

I was going to, but then
I thought, "no, don't."

Well, if you're here to
tell me you're running away,

you have my blessing.

How can you talk to me like that?

I'm your daughter.

Stepdaughter.

If you don't give me money to go shopping,

I'm telling mom to cut you off.

Oh, you really think you have more
influence over your mother than I...

I know, I know.

I was laughing at myself
as I was saying it.

Jeez, that was easy.

Where did you get your
parenting skills anyway?

From the back of a Xanax bottle

where it says "keep away from children."

There's a 20.

Twenty?

Do I look like I'm standing on a corner

about to get into an Impala?

Well, it's something to aspire to.

Mr. Brown, I summoned you here today

to discuss your abhorrent
conduct during our last trial.

From which I emerged victorious.

Thanks to misdirection,
hiding behind technicalities,

and something that was a very
close cousin of jury tampering.

Your Honor, I think that's an exaggeration.

You used air quotes every time
you said the words, "the law."

That attitude is why

I'm sanctioning you with
these pro Bono cases.

Your Honor!

Furthermore, stay and
observe the next attorney.

Maybe you'll learn
something about legal ethics.

I am well-versed in legal ethics.

How do you think I've
avoided them for so long?

Not my crowd.

Mr. Jackson, you're
representing yourself today?

Good to have you in front
of the bench as always.

Well, it's an honor, Your Honor.

Judge, Mrs. Jackson has waived
her right to appear today

since both parties have
agreed upon all the terms.

Mr. Jackson, this division of assets

overwhelmingly favors your ex-wife.

But I get to keep 100%
of the blame. You get it?

I fully understand, Mr. Jackson.

Still, let's give all parties

the opportunity to review
the terms one more time.

Court adjourned until tomorrow.

You know, 10 years ago I
was right where you are.

Being stalked by a white
guy in the bathroom?

In the throes of divorce,
vulnerable, confused,

a little high on Darvon.

Do I know you?

I am the guy who can help you

get a more equitable settlement.

Allen Braddock, your legal savior.

Drumming up business in the men's room?

Man, you must be desperate.

Look, I saw you in that courtroom today.

I could offer you a bit of advice

that might actually benefit you.

You know what would benefit me?

Not having you in my face.

Now watch. I'm about to feel the benefit.

You're obviously in pain.

Do I look like I'm in pain to you?

If emotional scars were visible,

strip joints would go out of business.

And despite the look on
my face, you still talking.

Fine. Give it all away.

I'm sure that everything you've
accomplished in life was easy to come by.

You don't know me.

I know you'll regret not accepting my help

when you're riding home with your groceries

hanging off the handlebars of your bicycle.

You going to help me or not?

It's never a good idea to represent
yourself in a personal case.

You know that.

You should have had another
lawyer with you all along.

You're too emotionally involved.

Now, your wife is taking

70% of your assets

and half your business.

How the hell did you get
my settlement agreement?

There are still some people who
can be persuaded by charisma.

Yeah, but how did you get it?

Just tell me what happened.

I work too much.

We grew apart and the divorce was my fault.

You are letting your
guilt cloud your judgment.

Tell me, are you secure enough
financially to retire comfortably?

If I die Tuesday.

I've been through divorce myself.

Let me help you.

What's in it for you? What do you want?

- That's rather cynical.
- What do you want?

The satisfaction of creating a
solidarity between two professionals.

What do you want?

Take those pro Bono cases
the judge dumped on me.

There it is!

Listen, that judge asked
me to observe you today

because you're this
great community activist,

ethical, you always do the right thing.

But those same qualities are the reason

you're taking it in the assets.

I really don't like you.

No, you don't like what I have to say.

No, it's you.

I can totally work around that.

(Growls) Ah... !

Nothing says "I made it
halfway to the American dream"

like a storefront office.

Says the man who screwed up nepotism.

Hey, Marcus, I completed
the background check

on that seedy bathroom lawyer you met.

Turns out Mr. Allen
Braddock is an arrogant shark

who is privileged and
pissier than a public pool.

Veronica, meet Allen Braddock.

Oh.

How uncomfortable for you.

For both of us.

Mmm. Just you.

Veronica is our office assistant.

She also does investigative
work around here.

How is your second marriage
going, Mr. Braddock?

Sorry to hear about your country
club membership being revoked,

but at least now you don't
have to pay your $379 bar bill.

Well done, Veronica, I'm...

fascinated at how I've equally mastered

the skills of deduction and seduction?

I only wanted to...

Understand what cannot
possibly be explained?

You have rendered me speechless.

Your struggle is real,
Mr. Braddock. Welcome.

So, you must be the guy that got Marcus

to postpone the settlement.

Allen Braddock.

This is Michael, my assistant.

- How long have you been practicing law?
- Over 20 years.

- Civil, criminal, or corporate?
- All of the above.

- Success rate?
- 89%.

- Favorite legal film?
- "The verdict."

I'm guessing yours is "Legally Blonde."

I like him.

Well, now that I've been thoroughly vetted,

if I'm going to help you,

I'm going to need to see
your financial records.

I got it locked in a safe upstairs.

What, you live above your office?

Yes, with my daughter and my mother.

And your wife left you? Shocking.

- So...
- Oh, thank you.

Allen, you married?

Yes, to my second wife Kimberly.

She's young and beautiful

and is driven by two intense needs...

financial and sexual.

I take great pleasure
in fulfilling them both.

She just asked you were you married.

All right, so this is interesting.

Tell me, Marcus, where is
your ex-wife living now?

In the rectory next door to the church.

Yeah, she started going to father
Francis for spiritual guidance

and ended up working there.

She does their bookkeeping,

gets a salary, room and board...

and according to this, she
was also giving the church

monthly donations of $500.

What... whoa, whoa. What, what, what?

Follow me on this.

- She was unhappy in
the marriage. - Mm-hmm.

- She sought counsel from
this priest. - Mm-hmm.

The she started working with him,

then she divorced you

and moved into the
rectory where he now lives.

I say we go down to that rectory

and find out what's really going on.

Mama, Michael: Mm-hmm.

Um-umm.

Dear Lord, forgive us
our blatant trespasses,

but it was his idea to
trespass, almighty God.

Would you come on?

- This is interesting.
- Oh, this is illegal.

Father Francis is in room 206.

Renee is in room 205.

Now my math is never as quick or exact

as when I run into an
old girlfriend with a kid,

but these two rooms

seem pretty darn close together.

Come on.

Aha!

Aha, what?

All right, not so fast. Not so fast.

Let's get the hell out of here.

What are you so afraid of?

Damnation, purgatory, hellfire, you.

Just relax.

Oh, Lord. Jesus is looking at me.

Does he look mad?

Does he look mad? Is there
something on his mind?

Aha! Now do you believe me?

A priest with a reading lamp?

This is a 20-watt light bulb.

You can't read by that.

But in a hot bed of desire,

it's just enough light
to see which end is up.

Are you crazy? No, let me rephrase that.

You're crazy.

Then explain this!

Who ties rosary beads to a bedpost?

A priest who likes to say his rosaries.

All four bedposts?

You couldn't possibly be...

who hurt you?

What's this?

A traveling exorcism kit?

Heh heh. Oh.

It is.

- I'll just look in here, too.
- No, let's not.

- What the...
- We can find...

- we have to see...
- Oh. I can't believe it.

I gave Renee that little heart-shaped
box for our 10th anniversary.

Looks like Renee has been giving

her "little heart-shaped
box" to somebody else.

I can't believe my ex-wife
was getting broke off

by the one straight priest in Chicago.

Not only that, she was sleeping with him!

Finally, somebody whiter than me.

You know, I never trusted that woman.

She was always so judgmental,

and I can tell somebody's
judgmental just by looking at 'em.

How could she do this with a priest?

I'm guessing "missionary."

This is a woman I lived with for 22 years

trying to make me think it's all my fault.

And the entire time she's
sleeping with father Francis,

giving him a second coming.

Listen, I know this is difficult,

but someone has got to acknowledge

the elephant in the room.

So I'm just going to say it, Marcus...

No. No.

I knew it. I was right!

And you want to brag about that?

No, no. I'm sorry.

Nobody knows the sting of
infidelity better than I.

I was actually there the night
my mother caught my father

being indifferent with another woman.

That's so sad.

Damn, man.

And all this time I'm feeling guilty?

I'm a sorry-ass fool.

You listen to me, son.

You are always helping everybody else.

Now it's time for you to help yourself.

She's right, Marcus.

We finally have the leverage

to change this farce of a settlement.

It's your call.

You deserve better.

Much better.

You know what, Allen?

Start drawing up those
new settlement papers.

You know what? I still don't like that guy.

Further scrutiny of Mrs. Jackson's
current living arrangement

has led both parties to a new agreement,

which was submitted to
your clerk this morning.

I am confident the court will approve

of this new, more equitable settlement

as presented.

But, you be the judge.

I am the judge, you fool.

Now as much as I resent ruling anything

in your favor, Mr. Braddock,

I am happy to be finding
in favor of Mr. Jackson.

I'm sorry that because of me

you had to find out about
your wife's indiscretions.

Yeah, and I'm sorry that
your daddy had to fire you,

but I can totally see why.

No, it was exhausting trying
to live up to his expectations.

So what are you going to do now?

You know, if we partnered up together,

we could really help each other.

You know, maybe if we didn't partner up,

it would be better.

I could generate some real
income around here for you.

You need me.

You don't have no place to go, do you?

Look, how long do you think
you can be a man of the people

when those people pay you in promises?

Look, I appreciate what you did for me,

but I don't need anything from you.

Here's a check.

Damn. Maybe one thing I need.

And I need a place to practice.

I've been giving this a lot of thought.

But we just met yesterday.

For me, that's a lot of thought.

Eh, thanks anyway, but
it's not going to happen.

Go on. Touch it.

It wants you to.

(Groans)

You know what? Just
because I take this check

doesn't mean I'm practicing law your way.

Not at first. Oh, of course not.

Oh, and I won't ever lie.

I'd never ask you to,

but I will teach you to tell the truth

ten different ways.

That won't happen.

I think it already has.

And I already feel dirty.