Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 7, Episode 9 - Bitter Pill - full transcript

Telling me that these
counterfeit drugs are legal?

These pills, if used
according to directions

that are right on our label, it
wouldn't have hurt your son.

Whoever sold these is
an accessory to murder.

What can I do?

Write letters!
Picket that place!

Let them know you won't tolerate

this kind of thing
in your community!

Ross!

He took those black beauties

because he thought
they were look-alikes.



How many living powder
kegs have to be ignited by this

before we do something about it?

Gentlemen, you are
about to enter the most

fascinating sphere
of police work.

The world of forensic medicine.

Today is your big,
great party, huh?

See you gents later. I gotta
go make basketball history.

Later.

Hey, wake up.

We're gonna be
late for practice.

Man, you look wiped.

What'd you do, party all night?

If you call cramming
for English Lit partying.

No sleep at all?



My folks laid down the law.

If I blew the exam,
I'd be off the team.

What about blowing practice?

You're not even on the team yet.

Don't forget, he's cutting
the squad by four today.

Great timing. I don't have the
energy to put up a free throw.

Don't worry 'bout a
thing. I got just the ticket.

No thanks, Ross. You
know I'm not into those.

Hey, it's nothing', buddy.
This isn't the real thing.

It's like a couple of
cups of strong coffee.

Well, maybe one.

One won't even knock
the sleep out of your eyes.

Take a few.

Guaranteed to have you
slam-dunkin' from the high post.

I don't know.

Hey, you wanna make
the team, don't you?

- Yeah.
- Right? You tired?

Come on, let's go.

Watch the hot-dogging Buler!

You don't dibble a
ball, you pass the ball.

All right, Jordan
in for Scarcelli.

Red Bull, let's
see some defense!

Way to go, Perry!

Way to go!

Hey, looking good there, coach.

You bet he is.

Hey!

Somebody get a nurse
right away. Hurry up.

Body is that of
Perry Jordan, age 18.

Basketball player.

The report says he collapsed
during a practice game.

Just like that? No warning.

Apparently not. They got
him to the Emergency Room,

but he was DOA.

Can you imagine? A
strong young man like this

snuffed out like a candle.

You think it could be drugs?

If so, they weren't
by way of the needle.

There's not a mark on him.

Let's see what we can find out.

Look at that.

Profuse bleeding surrounding
the base of the brain.

A massive basal brain
hemorrhage that blew out

into the ventricles.

Excuse me, Sam.

What could it be,
Quince? An aneurysm?

Then we'd see a single source.

But the bleeding's so diffuse.

Look at that.

The basilar artery
is torn wide open.

It could have been caused by
a weakness in the vessel's wall

combined with a brief
surge in blood pressure

so intense, the vessels
almost exploded.

Get a section of
that torn vessel.

What a frightening way to die.

You suppose it was drugs
that caused the surge?

No point in speculating.

The answer's in the tox screen.

I'll get Marc started on it.

Mike, good to see you.

You're not in trouble with
your superiors again, are you?

No.

Even the trauma centers
we were fighting for

couldn't have helped the boy
you worked on this morning.

- Perry Jordan?
- Right.

Yeah, it's a shame.

I just finished the
initial post mortem.

It's still inconclusive.
Were you involved?

Yes, but not as a paramedic.

He was my cousin.

I'm sorry.

We've always been
close as brothers.

He was a very special kid.

So strange, Dr. Quincy.

I spend my days around
the injured, the dying.

I'm confronted with
death all the time,

I don't think I've really
seen it until today,

until it hit home.

I'm sorry, Mike.

Was there anything
in his medical history

that might account for a stroke?

Perry had Ehlers-Danlos disease.

I don't remember any
indication of drug malformation.

That's why he got into athletics

to overcome his
physical weakness.

And he did.

But?

Maybe, it was something else.

I found these pills in
his locker at school.

Could they be
responsible for his death?

A type of amphetamine.

Kids call them black beauties.

Sure. Enough of these
could do it, all right.

They're one of the most
powerful stimulants made.

These all you found?

Yeah, just the two. You
haven't done a toxicology?

We're working on it now.

You think Perry was
strung out on speed?

No! He was no drug user!

That's what makes it so crazy.

Do you know where he got them?

The name of the pharmacy?

I don't know. I didn't
want to bother his parents

until I was sure that
that was the reason.

I'll let you know what we find.

- May I keep these?
- Of course.

- I appreciate it, Doc.
- Okay, Mike.

If Perry did overdose
on those pills,

it's because somebody
pushed him into it,

and pushed him hard.

And I'm going to
find out who did it.

I owe Perry that much.

That hunch was wrong, Quince.

No amphetamines at all.

That's odd. What do we have?

Three different drugs.

I've identified two of them,

ephedrine and
phenylpropanolamine.

Here's a third.

It's caffeine.

Mike was right to suspect drugs,

but these are relatively tame.

All three are
over-the-counter drugs.

The sections confirmed
a structural weakness

in the blood vessels from
the Ehlers-Danlos disease.

There's still something
that bothers me.

Analyze this for
me, will you, Sam?

Sure, Quince.

Quince?

Amphetamines show up?

Nope. But guess what
was in that black capsule?

The same three
nonprescription drugs

we found in the boy.

Two hundred milligrams caffeine,

fifty milligrams ephedrine,

fifty of the
phenylpropanolamine.

A sheep in wolf's clothing?
Doesn't make any sense.

Hand me the pharmacology
reference, Sam.

"Amphetamine." There it is.

Black capsule, white markings.

There's the logo,
and the number 92.

But this one is 29.

Otherwise they're identical.

You realize what
we've got here, Sam?

These are counterfeit drugs.

Somebody's putting
drugstore medications,

which mimic the
effects of speed,

into capsules, which look
like the real amphetamine.

What's the Sergeant's
name in Narcotics?

- Monahan's friend.
- Um...

- LaBotte.
- Yeah, Sergeant LaBotte.

This is gonna put
him in a state of shock.

It's a look-alike.

You've seen them before?

Seen them? Where've you been?

They call them
peashooters on the street.

This is just one kind.
I've seen, maybe

50 different counterfeit
drugs in the last year.

Have you been able
to make many arrests?

- Oh, the look-alikes?
- Yeah!

On what charge?

Unless we can prove
someone's trying to

pass them off as the real thing,

what we call "Sale in lieu of,"

there's not even a
law being broken.

Are you telling me these
counterfeit drugs are legal?

They are, in this state.

And all but about
12 or so of others.

How's that possible?

Everything in 'em
is uncontrolled,

over-the-counter stuff.

They're careful to meet
the labeling requirements.

And they make it
look a hair different

from the real
amphetamine or whatever,

so they can't get nailed
on copyright infringement.

That's why the
29, instead of 92.

Uh-huh.

Where's it all come from,
somebody's basement?

You have been living with your

head in the sand.

One-hundred-fifteen
distributors in 22 states.

Most of them springing
up in the last year.

And you just sit back and
don't do anything about it?

Quincy, you've
gotta appreciate that

we're in a war here.

I've got pushers
selling to 10-year olds,

PCP labs in kitchens,
heroin cut with arsenic,

cocaine coming
in by the bellyful.

There's enough
illegal stuff out there

to fill a dumpsite.

I've got so many
enemies as it is.

Doctor, sometimes I feel
like opening the window

and waving a white flag.

And you want us
to mobilize against

a bunch of legal drugs?

Sergeant LaBotte...

I just had an 18-year-old boy

on my table this morning
because of these legal drugs.

I've got to be realistic.

I've got priorities
a lot more pressing

than these look-alikes.

And one unfortunate death
of a susceptible person

isn't going to change things.

You yourself said a rare
condition was involved.

Yes, but there's
no way to predict it.

How many other kids
are walking around

with similar conditions?

How many living powder
kegs have to be ignited

by these before we
do something about it?

Good workout, guys.

These Saturday
practices are gonna pay off

when we play Roosevelt.

It'd be nice if we
could chalk up a win,

in memory of Perry.

Before I let you go,
there're some people here,

who want to talk to you.

Most of you know Mike
Garber, Perry's cousin.

And this is Dr. Quincy.

Gentlemen, floor's yours.

I won't take much of your time.

Your friend, and teammate died

because he took a
large dose of pills.

The pills ruptured the
blood vessels in his brain

which had been weakened
by a childhood disease.

What he took looked
exactly like black beauties,

an amphetamine, but these pills

are supposedly harmless.

I'm here to tell you
that these look-alikes

are far from harmless.

I'm also here to ask
for your cooperation.

Mike tells me that
Perry wouldn't have

tried these drugs
without some coaxing.

If someone here
gave them to him,

it's important that we know.

Nobody's here to point fingers.

We just want to see
that no one else makes

the same mistake Perry did.

Dr. Quincy, Coach Chaney,

could I have a minute
alone with the guys?

All right, let's cut the bull.

Perry had a lot of
friends on this team.

You expect me to
believe that nobody here

knows beans about
how he ended up

taking those pills?

Somebody better
start talking in a hurry,

because my patience
is just about worn out.

Rod?

Steve?

Malcolm?

Talk to me, man!

I'm gonna tell, Mike.

Somebody's got to.

A couple of times, I
was feeling pretty lousy,

and one of the guys
tried to get me to

take those look-alikes.

And I know I'm not the only one.

Who was it, Malcolm?
Someone here?

He didn't show up
for practice today.

Went to a swim party.

It's Ross. Ross Yates.

I thought you guys had
basketball practice today.

Only for the guys who need it.

Anyway, I didn't
miss much basketball.

They just called me and said

there was a lot of
talk about Perry.

It's really lousy. What
happened to him?

He took some pills, didn't he?

But that's not what killed him.

Something was wrong inside.

It could've happened any time.

Such a sweet guy, too.

You haven't seen
Rick around, have you?

Over by the side of
the house, with Craig.

At least, he was, a minute ago.

- Okay, thanks a lot.
- Sure. Bye.

Oh, just the man
I wanted to see.

What's happening, Ross?

It's what's not happening,
I'm worried about.

Listen, man, I forgot
my jacket at home.

Left my mother's
little helpers at home.

You think you could spare some?

Sure. But one's enough to

get you four feet
off the ground.

Only, I wanna get to the moon.

Julie. Hi, Julie!
How're you doing?

- You okay?
- Yeah, but you look warm.

You don't look well. You
wanna cool off a little bit?

Go!

You know what I mean?
Am I right or what?

I'm sorry?

I'm the great Yates.
The great, great Yates.

The great, great Yates.

Understand? Hiya!

That's it. Easy.

It's okay, man.

Will you cool it?

Cooling it!

Ross!

Our investigator's report
corroborates what Mike found out.

The boy convulsed
for several minutes

after he was pulled
out of the pool.

Resuscitation efforts failed.

That's because he didn't drown.

The lungs are
congested, but no edema.

And no pink froth in the airway.

The congestion was
caused by the heart's

inability to keep pace.

It couldn't pump the blood
out of the lungs fast enough.

So, you think it was
the heart that failed?

Cardiac arrhythmia.

Like a race horse
losing its stride

and throwing its rider.

But something had to
have caused that failure.

You add this to
the description of

his behavior just
prior to death,

and to the fact that he
was a known look-alike user,

and there's not much
doubt we're gonna find

drugs in his system, is there?

The only questions are,
which ones and how much?

- Amphetamine.
- That's right.

You double-check this?

Since when has
double-checking been enough?

Three runs, and all
with the same results.

Quite a level, too. Figure six
to nine pharmaceutical doses.

And unless someone had built
up a tolerance to amphetamines,

that could well be
enough to trigger

arrhythmia and cause death.

Lab. Fijiyama.

Hang on a minute.

It's Monahan. He says he's got

two kids down there
he can prove gave

Ross Yates the pills he
took. You want to talk to him?

I was just going there...

He's on his way
over, Lieutenant. Sure.

It's so screwy, Sam.

We suspect amphetamine
in the Perry Jordan case,

and it turns out
to be look-alikes.

This time, we have
every reason to

suspect look-alikes,

and the kid dies
because of amphetamine.

I want to find out why.

In case nobody mentioned it,

the Lieutenant and I
are homicide detectives.

I've had it to here
with kids like you

passing out your poison
like some kind of appetizer.

Like it's the only way
to get a party rolling.

Well, you just rolled
this guy into his grave.

And maybe, just maybe,
we got a case for murder.

The longer you guys play
games, the tougher it'll be.

Tell them, Quincy.

Maybe it'll inspire them
to be a little more talkative.

Ross Yates died because
he took amphetamine.

Black beauties,
in your language.

You got that, guys?

No look-alikes to tiptoe around.

Strictly a controlled substance.

If it comes out that you
were pushing that stuff...

No! Nobody was pushing anything!

That's not how it happened.

They were my pills. He
said he left his at home.

So, naturally you obliged.
How many did he take?

One, I think.

You think?

To get the level we found,

he had to take at least six.

Look, we didn't think
he'd be dumb enough to

take them all at once.

Take 'em away, Sergeant.
We'll mop up later.

Okay. Folks, let's go.

Come on.

Any doubt in your mind?

None.

That poor kid was
playing Russian roulette

with six full barrels.

He took those black
beauties thinking

they were look-alikes!

Maybe, this time,
it was indirect.

But as far as I'm concerned,
those look-alikes just killed again.

Are we still talking about
an insignificant case?

Perry Jordan may
have been a rare

medical exception to the rule,

but what happened
to the Yates boy

could happen to anyone.
And he's just as dead.

Someone gets used
to the look-alikes

to the point that he pops
them like jelly beans,

then he comes
across an identical,

or almost identical pill,
with 20 times the wallop.

How many OD's have we seen,
that might have been a result of

this same kind of mix-up?

You're the coroner!

And it's a question I
can't answer, either.

Nobody can.

But we can make sure
there won't be any more!

Our kids are
playing a shell game,

where losing means they die!

Something's got to be done!

I agree with you.

You do?

I already sent a man
out to the Yates house

to see what he could dig up.

I do want to help
you on this, Quincy,

but understand, my
hands are still tied.

I go out now and bust
a guy in his garage

with a shopping
bag full of look-alikes,

and I can't even
confiscate them,

much less put the guy away.

A third of our undercover
buys have been

blown this month on pills
that turn out to be legal.

But you can't just roll over.

You do something about the law,

and I'll work like a
banshee to enforce it.

- Excuse me, Sergeant...
- C'mon in, Mort.

- You get anything?
- Yes, sir.

The parents found
them in one of his jackets.

Look-alikes, all right.

Probably mail order.

They're not mail order.

We went through his
things, and found a receipt

and a price list.

They're right off the shelf.

From that storefront
on El Camino.

That Zagner guy.

Thanks, Mort.

Whoever sold these is

an accessory to
murder in my book.

Maybe even in mine.

But the judge's gonna
go by a different one.

It's called the Penal Code.

Sometimes I wonder if
we're on the same team.

Look, Quincy. You find
something down there.

Maybe he's packaging
on the premises.

Something I can bust him on.

You got my blessings.

- Otherwise no charges?
- No violations.

All these things
are really safe?

Safe as mother's milk.

I wouldn't sell
them if they weren't.

I'm just not sure they'll help.

What's the problem?

It's the afternoons.

I come back to the
office from lunch,

it's like I'm drained. I can
hardly keep my eyes open.

I used to get that myself.

You take these?

You bet I do. Swear by them.

Anything you
recommend in particular?

Everybody's got their favorites.

But I think these little white
numbers will do the job.

Okay.

How much for 50 of the hearts?

With tax, $22.50.

Oh, thank you very
much. The correct change!

You got it. Thank you.

- Come again.
- Okay.

Yes, sir. What can I do for you?

You seem to know
what you're talking about.

- You a doctor?
- Nope.

A pharmacist?

No, but I bet I know as much as
any ten of those guys put together.

Really?

What if I were to tell you
that your merchandise

wasn't safe as mother's milk?

I'd tell you to take it
up with Uncle Sam.

All this stuff's got
his stamp of approval.

Everything I sell is a
legal over-the-counter drug.

You can find the same
ones in any drugstore.

In these combinations?
I don't think so.

Who the hell are you?

I'm from the Coroner's
Office. Dr. Quincy.

A doctor. I should've guessed.

Look, you see
something you like, fine.

If not, I don't think we
have much to talk about.

I don't know about that.

We have something of
a mutual acquaintance.

A boy came through both
our establishments recently.

The pills he bought ended
up in the hands of a kid

who never should've had them.

What somebody does when
they leave here is their business.

But it was your
business that killed him.

The boy who was here.
The one who bought the pills.

Friday night he took a
bunch of real black beauties.

Now, he's dead too.

Ross Yates.

I read about it this morning.

Well, let me tell you
something, Doctor.

If he had stuck
to the pills I sell,

he'd still be alive today.

But it was your safe-as-milk
pills he thought he was taking!

He was used to the look-alikes.

And he couldn't tell them apart,

because the people
you buy from make sure

they can't be told
from the real thing

without a magnifying
glass and a reference book!

You helped create a smoke
screen of confusion that killed him!

So how come the
cops aren't down here?

Two kids are dead. How many
more do you have to initiate,

before it begins to bother you?

Hold on, right there!

I think you've got things
a little turned around.

I'm providing a service.

I'm giving people
an alternative to

all those high-rewing
pills you doctors toss out

like New Year's confetti.

You just watch.
Someday, these pills

will be as common
as your morning coffee,

or a daily vitamin.

Or Mom's apple pie.

Not if I have anything
to say about it.

Did you see that
car parked out there?

That car cost twice
what you make in a year,

but you better believe,
it was a long time comin',

a very long time.

I've been a flop all my life.

I used to sweep out a brewery,
before I started bouncing from

one business failure to
another. Until this. Until now.

I'm finally making
some real money,

and I'm not gonna
let you or anyone else

take it away from me!

If there wasn't
a need out there,

I wouldn't be in
business now, would I?

You're fighting a
losing battle, Dr. Quincy.

For now.

There are people
out there who care,

some in pretty high places.

If you talk to them, tell
them you met someone

who can get them even higher.

Oh, they'll be
hearing about you.

Thanks. I make my
living on word of mouth.

Wow!

Oh, Mercy.

Not bad for an old man.

It's demoralizing.

Six-love, six-one.

And I remember when I
used to let her beat me.

I sure do.

And how far do we
go back, Dr. Quincy?

Before you were born.

And even before your
father was a state senator.

Would you believe it, Quincy?

My little girl's about
to go Ivy League.

She enters
Dartmouth in the fall.

My old alma mater.

But I thought that was all male.

Not anymore. Times have changed.

Dad, I'm gonna go hit a few.

Go ahead.

Have you had a chance
to look into that matter

we talked about?

Yup.

Made some phone calls.

- I put a key man on it.
- And?

And it's tragic about
those two boys,

but frankly, I don't think
drafting new legislation

is the way to go.

I think we have
too many drug laws

on the books, as it is.

And there's no way
to phrase a law like

you're suggesting.
It's just too vague.

What're we gonna do?
Outlaw legal medications?

Alvin, have you seen this place?

I was fully briefed.

Then how can you be so blase?

That's my job, to
look at all sides.

What side are you looking at

that allows some
charlatan to roll into town,

and peddle his
phony snake oil to

anyone waving the cash?

Only, it's worse than snake oil,

because every so
often, this elixir can kill.

Honestly, Quincy,

I think you're exaggerating
the danger here.

I've seen two bodies
that say I'm not.

I spoke to Kathryn about this.

She's tried these pills.

She says it's all a
tempest in a teapot.

Nothing earthshaking.

She used them once or twice

to get through term papers.

If she's gonna take something,

better those
over-the-counter drugs

than the real amphetamines.

But these look-alikes
are like training wheels

for illicit drugs.

It may be exposing kids to pills

who wouldn't have
turned to them otherwise!

I trust my daughter
to be sensible.

Now, we can go
round and round on this.

My advisors and my
own sense tells me

this is a relatively
harmless fad.

The less we raise
a ruckus over it,

the faster it'll die.

This is a malignancy,
and you're talking about

letting it grow,
hoping it'll disappear.

As a doctor I've learned,
there's only one way to

deal with a malignancy.

- You cut it out...
- Honey, your toss is off.

Throw it higher.

Stick around for lunch.

Before it spreads.

The Food and Drug Administration

is supposed to be the
final safety net, isn't it?

And you're telling me
you can't stop them either?

Look, we're every bit
as concerned as you are?

I've got two teenagers myself.

If I had the authority,

I'd padlock those storefronts,
then I'd hit these guys

with everything I could.

But if the DA doesn't have
the authority, who does?

That's a question the
Attorney General and our office

are mulling over right now.

Have you come up with anything?

There's a law on the books.

The Sherman, Food,
Drug and Cosmetics Law.

It covers adulteration,
labeling, advertising.

Take a look at this.

That's been running in
some of the local papers.

The A.G. thinks we
can nail them under

the fraudulent advertising
provisions of the law.

We'll try to get an
injunction against sale.

Will the court shut them down on

something as flimsy as that?

That'd take a
crystal ball to know.

It may only be possible
to restrain their advertising.

Great. So they pull the ads.

So what? They can
still peddle their poison.

It'll just be a holding action.

Nobody here seems
to be in a great hurry

to get a law like
that off the ground.

It's more complicated
than I think you're aware.

There are legitimate
manufacturers of generic drugs

like aspirin, cold
remedies, that kind of thing.

If we're not careful,
the law we write

could be used to get
competing drugs off the market

because they happen to look like

the brand-name pharmaceuticals.

It gets down to intent,
and any lawyer will tell you

that's the grayest
part of the law.

Who supplies Zagner?

I believe his distributor
is in New Mexico.

Here it is. Macanor
Pharmaceuticals.

I appreciate your seeing
me on such short notice.

When you get a
call from the coroner,

let's just say, curiosity
got the better of me.

Won't you have a seat, Doctor?

I understand one
of your customers

is a drug manufacturer
in New Mexico.

Greystone Labs.

We supply them, along with
70 or so other companies.

Ephedrine sulfate, and
caffeine, in their case.

Do all 70 companies
use your drugs

for look-alike amphetamines?

You as a doctor should
know how common

those drugs are in any number of

over-the-counter products.

But you do know that
Greystone uses them

for their look-alikes.

I understand they market
a perfectly legal stimulant.

The wholesaler we
deal with is fully licensed.

I'm convinced that the
combination Greystone uses,

along with their deceptive
packaging, can be quite dangerous.

They caused a stroke in
a young man I autopsied.

The drugs we sell have
been proven safe for years

after exhaustive,
and I might add,

expensive testing.

I'm not questioning
the safety of your drugs.

Only what's done with
them when they leave here.

Nobody puts them together
with phenylpropanolomine,

but phony speed merchants,
like Greystone Labs!

Do you know what it costs
a pharmaceutical company

to comply with
all the hundreds of

Food and Drug regulations?

Americans depend on the drugs

we and other companies provide.

We're involved in the
treatment of countless ailments.

We save lives.
We don't take them.

How much could
it be worth to you?

What is it? Five percent
of your business?

That's beside the point.

If we cut off Greystone Labs,

there are a hundred
other companies

waiting to fill their orders.

And don't think they
won't. This is a highly

competitive industry.

If we slowed production
for the sake of a gesture,

the stockholders would
boot me out of this chair...

And rightfully so.

Now, Doctor, if you'll be kind
enough to let me get back to work,

I think my curiosity's
been satisfied.

That's funny.

You've just begun to pick mine.

I asked Mike to bring
together as many of you

as possible because I
wanted you all to know

that our common enemy
is as tough as they come.

And that this is one war you're
gonna have to fight yourselves.

Don't look for allies
in the Government,

in Law Enforcement
or anywhere else

because there's no one
who can do it, but you.

Dr. Quincy, my son Perry
died taking those look-alikes.

If I never accomplish
anything else,

I've got to try and stop it from

happening to
someone else's child.

But honestly, if the police,
the FDA, the drug industry

can't do anything
about it, what can do?

Let 'em know that
you won't tolerate

this kind of thing
in your community.

But what good's
all the protesting

if the law's on his side?

Mrs. Jordan's
already lost a son.

Either we sit back and
wait for the next tragedy,

or we do something,
draw the line, and tell

guys like Zagner,
"No more. It's all over."

This is Irene Jordan,
mother of Perry Jordan.

Could you tell us why
you're out here today?

I'm here because I don't
want any other parent

to go through what we did.

What's so frightening
about these drugs

is that people assume,
the way my son assumed,

that they've got
to be all right.

Otherwise, how could
they get away with

selling them out in
the open like this?

This is the owner of the
Pep Shop, Keith Zagner.

Would you join us over
here for a moment, please?

- Keith Zagner?
- Yeah?

Would you join us, please?
I'd like you to respond

to some of these comments
Mrs. Jordan is making.

If you don't mind.

What about these pills
and this story of yours?

I'd just like to
ask these people.

If her boy OD'd on
too much aspirin,

would you be out there,
picketing the pharmacy?

Yes.

If aspirin manufacturers
blurred the distinction

between drugs, the way you do.

You want everyone to
believe they're getting

the real prescription drug.

Otherwise you wouldn't
disguise them that way.

Excuse me, sir.
What's your name?

I'm Dr. Quincy. I'm
with the Coroner's office.

If you could prove that,

you could slap the
handcuffs on me right now.

You ought to know it's
illegal to sell one thing,

and claim it's another.

Everything I carry
is clearly labeled.

Burden of proof's on
you to prove otherwise.

But you're all so
hungry for a scapegoat,

you refuse to look at the facts.

These pills, if they'd
been taken according to

the directions
right on the label,

wouldn't have hurt your son.

He abused them.
That is not my fault.

Has it ever occurred
to you that the law might

just be on my side
because I'm right?

Not for a minute.

The law's on your
side because of apathy,

because of ignorance. Because
people are still unaware of

the danger your drugs represent.

But that's a loophole
we're going to fill

before another unsuspecting
kid falls through it.

What about that, Mr. Zagner?

Have young people
been buying your pills?

I'm glad you brought that up.

As of today, no one
under 21 years of age

will be able to buy my products.

But what about
yesterday? It was 18.

And two weeks ago, anybody
with the cash was fair game.

So, now they'll have
to go through a pusher.

And who knows
what he'll call them?

You know, Doc, you
ought to come down

off that soap box for a
second and listen to yourself.

You've got these people
more fooled than a warehouse

of my pills could.

You're the kind of hysteric that's
ready to shut down the auto industry,

'cause someone gets
nailed in a car crash.

It all sounds good,
until you really listen.

Keep huffin' and puffin',
Dr. Quincy. You too, Mrs. Jordan.

This whole dog and pony show.

You're the best
advertising I've got.

Come right in there, ladies.
I've got everything you need.

Step right in there.

Thank you very much, Dr. Quincy.

Mrs. Jordan, thank
you very much.

Let's close this right here.

Clearly, this is
one of those stories

with more than two sides.

You've just heard
three of them live,

here from the Pep
shop on El Camino.

I'm Larry Carol. Back now to
the Channel Six News studios.

Okay, let's get out of here.

He practically
laughed in our faces,

and customers
were still coming in.

But this is just the beginning.

Mary, what is it? Is
something wrong?

Bob and Celia's girl, Annie.

She's in the emergency
room at Glenoaks Receiving.

What happened?

She thought the
pills she was taking

were the same as the
look-alikes she got at

Zagner's shop. The
kids call them 'ludes.

Methaqualone, a
powerful depressant.

But it turns out she took
a handful of the real drug.

The insanity.
The utter insanity.

When is it going to end?

Excuse me.

Operator, get me the police.

Did you have a good night?

You don't look too rested.

Aren't you just a
tiny bit embarrassed?

Of course, I'm embarrassed.

How much do I
owe you for the bail?

Nothing. You've even managed
to duck a court appearance.

Zagner graciously
dropped the charges.

The man's a prince.

At a press conference
he called to show

everyone the damage you did.

Yeah, you almost made
him look like he's the victim.

Quincy, you really blew it.

Quincy, don't you think
I know how you felt?

I'm not gonna lie
to you. I'm no saint.

I'd like to tear that
place apart myself.

You know, utterly destroy it?

But at least I count 10
seconds and back off.

I know I can't afford
to let my anger

override my judgment,
and neither can you.

I couldn't help it.

When that woman came
in and told me about that

poor little girl in a coma,
and nothing was gonna

happen to him, I lost control.

Quincy, you were
right about the drugs.

But the minute you take
the law into your own hands,

you are wrong.

You've got to weigh the
consequences of your actions.

What're you trying to do?

Sabotage the protest before it
has a chance to do any good?

Because that's exactly
what you may have done.

Come on, I'll give
you a ride in your car.

More picketing? For what?

The news stories after
our last demonstration

ended up bringing
him a lot of publicity.

The more we holler,

the more people
hear about this guy.

And if we all look the
other way when we drive by,

or if we crawl under a rock,

is that going to
protect our children?

Mary, this man has
got to be stopped.

A dozen states have
passed specific laws

aimed at the look-alikes,

and in every case, it
started with public pressure.

Your kind?

No. Your kind.

Don't underestimate
the power you have

if you stay unified, if
you stay committed.

Last time I told you not to
look for any help in the trenches.

That you had no allies.

Well I forgot a big one.

The truth is on your side.

If you stop now, you'll be
playing right into his hands,

just the way I did.

You'll have raised
enough of a hullabaloo

to spread his message, but
not enough to spread yours.

Don't quit now,
please, stay on them.

Peacefully. Legally.

Demand a law to
deal with the problem.

Make them know you
won't settle for lip service,

or dead-end studies, or excuses.

Let's not forget
the drug companies

that keep these
operators in business.

They won't feel as anonymous,

if a lot of letters and
phone calls come in.

We could talk to the
newspapers and magazines

that carry his ads.

You might get action a
lot quicker than the FDA.

I still think we could
be fanning the fire.

I'm going out there tomorrow.

Anybody else?

You, Mary?

You're damn right I am.

Ladies and gentlemen,

the purpose of this hearing
is to bring out information,

to get as many
viewpoints as possible

on what have come to be
known as look-alike drugs.

It's not a legislative hearing.
We're not at that point yet.

I think my own views on

whether we can solve this
problem, if it is a problem with a law,

are well known.

But I'm here to listen.

Our first speaker will
be Sergeant LeBatt.

As a narcotics officer,

I'm butting up against these
pharmaceutical replicas,

more and more every day.

Usually, by the time
they're swallowed,

they've gone through
so many hands,

nobody's sure if they're
the real thing or not.

Senators, we can't even
write these guys a citation.

The law tells me
they're on the up-and-up.

The cop in me says they stink.

By the time the truth hits you

that we're giving these
pushers the respectability

and full protection of the law,

it'll be too late.

You'll be turning
murderers into millionaires.

I just spent the last
hour composing myself.

The pain of losing a son
is still agonizingly close,

but I came here to shed light,

not tears.

Not every parent
really knows their child.

I knew Perry well
enough to say that

he would never
have taken those pills

if he wasn't convinced
that they were safe.

I'm told that Perry was
susceptible to stroke.

Of course, we didn't know that

until his system was so stressed

that it collapsed.

As long as this poison can
be passed off as harmless,

how many other conditions
like my son's will be discovered,

only during an autopsy?

One thing you get used to
as a coroner, that's death.

It surrounds you like a fog...

Greets you as you walk in
the front door in the morning,

dogs your every step.

And you do become used to it.

Numb to the parade of
tragedies passing in front of you.

A terminal disease catches
up with a frail old man,

a race car driver runs
smack into destiny

on a tight corner...

But, some deaths
you never get used to.

The young people.

The deaths that never
should have been.

Senseless deaths.

The ones that could have
been avoided, if only...

If only Perry Jordan had
stayed away from pills.

If only they weren't
so easily available.

If only they weren't billed

harmless as a cup
of coffee and a refill.

If only they weren't
disguised as amphetamines.

If only young
people knew better.

If only adults knew better.

If only.

If only...

Then maybe, two boys
who should be practicing

back-door plays on a
basketball court, would be.

I know these hearings aren't
aimed at developing legislation.

But I just spent the
better part of a week

listening to a lot of people

who ought to know
what they're talking about.

I'd be negligent if I didn't
share my conclusions with you.

Without a law, we're dead.

As dead as Perry
Jordan and Ross Yates.

Mr. Zagner and his
enterprising colleagues

will go on gambling
with other people's lives

until they're stopped cold.

And that'll take a law...

A tough, crystal-clear
law. Not just here,

but in every state of the union.

Otherwise, this is
one Pandora's Box

you'll never close.

Alvin, what're you doing here?

Hello, Quincy.

I've got both good and bad news.

Which do you want first?

I need all the good
news I can get.

You ought to like this.

Zagner's boarding up the Pep
Shop. Closing it down, as of today.

That is good news!
How did it happen?

Credit where credit is due.

It was the community.

The protests, the
pickets, the letters.

Macanor Pharmaceuticals
got some of the heat.

They announced they'd no longer

ship to the company
that stocks him.

No one is taking
his advertising either.

Last couple of weeks his
business dropped off badly.

Oh, so nice of you to come
by and tell me personally.

- I know how busy you are.
- My pleasure.

You said there
was bad news, too.

Yes.

The committee voted
down a recommendation

for a new law on
the look-alikes.

You managed a few votes,

but most of the members
felt there was no way

this legislation
would ever clear.

I guess I don't have to
ask which way you voted.

- I'm just one voice.
- A mighty powerful voice.

You're the chairman
of that committee.

Don't tell me you've come to
turn it around with your vote.

I've never lied to you, Quincy,

and I'm not about to start now.

I feel the same way I did
when you first brought this up.

Your intentions were the best,

nobody's questioning that.

But you were going
about it in the wrong way.

A new law isn't the answer.

Zagner's gone, isn't he?

We've cut away some of that
malignancy we spoke about,

but the smallest remnant,

and the cancer will grow again.

Nucleus and...

Ribosomes. Ribosomes.

Leslie. Leslie, wake up.

Come on, Les. Wake up for me.

What? What is
it? What time is it?

It's almost 3:00 a.m.

3:00? Why don't
you hit the sack?

I can't. I'm too wired.

How many of
those pills did you...

No wonder you can't sleep.

C'mon, you know those
aren't the real McCoy.

I'm just...

I'm just tense.

If I don't get some rest
before that Bio exam,

I may as well not show up.

What do you want me to do?

You still have those
downers, don't you?

I think so.

Under the notepads,
bottom drawer of my desk.

Go easy, kiddo.

Those things are the real McCoy.

Give me a break.
I'm a big girl now.