The L Word (2004–2009): Season 5, Episode 8 - Lay Down the Law - full transcript

Did you really think it would be
that easy?

Who sent you?

I believe I asked you a question.

That's the reveal. Oh fuck!
I love that.

You've gotta stop dropping in on me
like this, Mrs. Bryant.

I thought you'd be happy
to see me,

Mr. Bryant.

- Did you miss me?
- Always.

Backlighting's great.
The backlighting works. Absolutely.

Send a fucking clip to Ratner.

Tell him we?ve got
the girl of his dreams...



- I believe so.
- His wet dreams.

And we want eight million for her.

It's going up to twelve million
on the next picture.

- Oh my God, guys!
- Don't change the story.

This is unbelievable.
You guys are

the best agents and managers ever.
I mean, this is unbelievable.

I have a call into Stuff

and I think we got the cover.

Oh my God!

Oh my God!
Look at that dog...

Let's stop here.

That was great.

Shit!

You're good.



Alright. Like I was saying,

I like her. I do. I like her.
But she's different.

It?s called heterosexuality.

Yeah, I know, I know.
I've been with tons

of straight girls.
I know what they're like.

- Tons, I tell you.
- Yeah, but maybe she?s a spaghetti girl...

Straight until wet.

It's horrible.

Okay.
Do you think she?s into you?

I don't know.

I called... Wait.
I called her the other day,

and we're talking,
and her boyfriend's on the other line.

- Oh, straight girl is playing you.
- Yeah. I...

I know, I know, I know. But

I like it.

That's the crazy. I like it.

I'm thinking...

I should take her somewhere.
I don't know. I was thinking,

I was thinking maybe I should,
I should take her to the theater.

- Does she like the theater?
- I don?t know...

I hate it.

Forget this thing.

- It sounds horrible.
- Forget this kinda thing.

Hey, how about if I have a dinner party?

- Really?
- In my house.

- Yeah.
- So uh...

But only one more couple.

Okay. Uh...

I don't know who.

- Oh, Sam and Tina.
- Sam?

Yeah, Sam the DP on the movie.

- Oh, okay.
- Yeah?

- Yeah.
- Alright.

- Do we roll?
- Wait,

it's one time, like this.

- Are you ready?
- Yeah, almost.

Is Bette... Wait, is Bette pressuring you
to do this super bike ride?

- No, no, I wanna ride.
- Yeah?

My Aunt is a breast cancer survivor...

That's a good reason. Okay.

"Is Niki a Lez Girl"?!
Have you seen this?

- Oh, shit.
- She has

a hundred million dollar career-making
blockbuster premiering tomorrow night,

and all anyone wants to talk about
this morning

is what she?s doing in your
little turd of a movie.

Look, Kevin,
it's not good for our movie either.

- I?m gonna fuckin? pull her.
- No!

The last thing I need is
the zit faced teen boy demographic

thinking Niki Stevens doesn't like dick!

I mean, I never wanted her to do

- "Lez Girls".
- Kevin, you can't pull her, okay?

We're in the middle of production, alright?

Please, you can't pull her
from the movie.

Just wait. Hear me out.
Look, I have an idea.

Do you represent any hot young actors?

Yeah. I?m on the verge with Zac Efron.

No, no, no. We need her

to be photographed at her premiere
with someone

hip and hot and hunky,

handsome.
You know, someone

- whose dick she might like.
- Oh, Tina,

oh, Tina, that's fucking brilliant!

- Yeah.
- I got

call asking about her the other day,
from Stavros Niarchos...

No, no, no, we can do better than that.

He's jeezy. I mean,

there's no way that Niki Stevens
dates Paris's sloppy seconds.

Niki is an actress,
she's not a fucking heiress.

Somebody who's

really boyishly hip and

and High-School Musical
Jane Magazine sort of way?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- You know,

yeah, you know, someone sensitive,
someone who all the tweenish girls

just go really nuts for.

Hey, boss. Are you ready to take
a look at my outfit for the scene with...

Oh, shit time for busting in on you.

Oh, no, no, no, no.
Uh, Greg, this is Kevin.

This is Niki's manager

and jeans are great. I'm sure
Jenny will be happy with those.

It's gonna work.

Good to meet you.

- How about I catch on you later?
- Okay. Thanks, Greg.

I'd fuck him.

A dick that everybody likes.

- "The Blister Exists" by Slipknot -

Are you done with that?

Yeah,

it's all yours.

Who's that for, Jesse?

Stuff here...
Why is she wearing a Balenciaga?

- She can't afford that.
- 'Cause she saw Balenciaga

in Karina?s closet and went nuts...

Why does she always get
the good clothes...?!

Wait, who said that? Jesse?

Why can't I wear the furskin
Mark Jacobs boots!

I want Balenciaga!
She totally lost it on me,

stomping and screaming around...

- So what did you say?
- I got her one.

Alright. Well, don't worry, Gloria.
I think you did the right thing.

I'm gonna talk to her.
She'll be fine.

- Hey.
- There you are. Look, Jenny,

I need to talk to you.

I just need to finish my meeting, okay?

Give me a second.
Can I see the Marni?

There she is! Hello!
Oh, my godness, I love it.

I love it, love it, love it.
This is for Karina?

Yes.

I think that this purple...

- Isn't this purple fabulous?
- It's amazing. I love it.

It's amazing. It is.
You know what I think?

I think that this should be
Karina's colour and I sort of,

I see her with this

gold choker that's here
up the neck like that,

that like,

it's like the snake is intertwined.

Now, Jenny.
I need to talk to you right now.

You have to hang on.
I'm not done with my meeting.

I also see her with a fresh gardenia
in her hair

so she just walks into the room
and she's just like wafting feminity.

- I think that would... What?
- This is important.

Okay. Mom is calling.

Listen,

we have a bit of a
situation with Niki?s managers.

- What's going on?
- It's about the SheBar debacle last week.

There are photos all over

- the tabloids of her.
- I know.

- I saw it and it's terrible.
- No, it's fucking awful

and her management, they're
beside themselves. They're so angry.

They're gonna pull her from our movie.

What? Come on!
They can't do that.

- Yes, they can.
- Why?

Because these photos
were taken on our time clock. Okay?

And it was a total breach
of her contract.

You know, luckily for us,

I don?t think they will do that
because it wouldn?t look good for Niki.

But they?re insisting,

insisting, that she take a date
to the Liquid Heat premiere tomorrow.

Oh, she is. She?s taking me.

Not unless you grow a penis.

- What?
- A jock.

A standard, cute,
girls-creaming-in their-jeans American hunk.

- No.
- Actor boy.

- What?
- Yeah, that's what they want.

No, you're kidding.
I don't believe you.

Hey,

what's going on?

I just heard that you're taking some
actor to the premiere tomorrow night

- instead of me. Is that true?
- I don't want to.

I don't want to,
but they're making me.

They said that if I, if I went without,
without some boy,

that everybody would say I was gay
and people would not like me anymore.

And then my career would be over.

And they're just making me date
fucking Greg,

they're making me date cheese-ball Greg!

The Greg who plays Tim in the fucking film?

- Yeah.
- That midget?

No! Whose fucking idea is this?

I don't want to.
I wanna go with you so bad.

- Well, I wanna go with you.
- That's outta the question.

I don?t want you within ten miles of
the Westwood Palace tomorrow night.

You know what, Kevin?
I don't really care

what you and your fucking purple tie
think of my whereabouts, okay?

What the fuck do you think this is?
1952?

Well, you can give her a beard
so you can pretend that she's straight?

- You should be ashamed of yourself.
- No, actually,

- you should be ashamed of yourself.
- Oh yeah? Why?

I'm not even gonna go into
the questionable ethics of you

screwing the under-age star
of your movie.

- I love her, Kevin! I do!
- But if you so deeply care for Niki

and your purported mission to make
the first star-driven, studio movie about lesbians,

you're not gonna destroy
the career of the star

on whom the movie?s success hinges.

I will not continue this conversation

until you remove the piece of snot
that's dangling from your nose.

- You're so quick.
- No, I'm actually serious.

It's distracting the seriousness
of your arguments. So...

take the tissue,

- and just wipe your nose.
- Thanks.

You don't have to listen to
the things he says.

He's not even a human being.

He's an agent.

Cover that hickey.

Change your fucking tie.

Hey, what are you still doing here?
I thought you were wrapped.

I want to get drunk

and then

I want you
to have sex with me.

Cammie, let's not forget. You're not gay.
You're just gay for pay, right?

- I know that. I suck in this part.
- No, you don't.

- No, I do, I know I do.
- No.

- Jenny hates me.
- -She doesn't.

- She wishes she never cast me. I know she does.
- She's my friend, she'd never say that.

- And I'm a good actor. It's not fair.
- I know you are.

You're doing a wonderful...

- Cammie?
- What?

- This isn't professional.
- You sleep with everyone!

- Wait a second! Who told you that?
- You...

It's me. Am I that repulsive?

No! You're beautiful.

You are...

Shane, I wanted to...

- "Underworld" by BETTY -

That's a great colour on you.
Could you give us a second?

One moment.

- Okay, I'm gonna talk to her.
- Okay.

- And it's not gonna leave the three of us, alright?
- Thank you.

Get now... just get dressed and

and go home.

Is this all for tomorrow night?

Yeah. I'm doing Moroccan.

Yeah, I see that.

And uh, who's coming to this Moroccan feast?

Amy and her new girlfriend Melinda.

- Shane, maybe Molly.
- Shane and Molly?

It's such a disaster.

Well...

A little flaky,

and a little homophobic. I mean,
the things that she said about Phyllis...

I think that's right.
She's so crazy about her.

She loves the challenge.

- It's not about that.
- Yeah, so she says.

And I, I invited Tina and Sam.

You what?

- Shane said they're together.
- They're not together.

It doesn't matter.
It's not a couple diner.

Anyway, Tina seemed happy
to bring her.

Did it uh...

Did it ever occur to you to maybe

ask me first before you

invited Tina and...?

No.

What... what are you so upsed about?

I don't know. I mean, I just,
I think it's uh...

Just this whole ex-girlfriend
becoming best friend thing.

I mean, it's you and your ex,
me and my ex. It?s really my idea

of some kind of nightmare
lesbian dinner party.

Then don't come!

But let me know.

Of course I'm coming.

Can I help you?

You're very bad.

- "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye -

- Hello, Alice.
- Hi.

Thank you very much for joining us today.

The proceedings will be begin shortly.

You can wait here
until you're called to testify.

All we ask of you is that

you answer any question posed
directly and truthfully.

I'll try not to take too much of your time.

This Board has been convened
for the purpose

of considering the pertinent facts relating
to the case of Captain Tasha Williams,

542nd Military Police Company,

who is being processed for
administrative separation by reason

of homosexual conduct

under the provisions of AR 135-175,

paragraph 2-12g.

The Board will make a recommendation
with respect to final action of retention,

separation or suspension.

The Board is not bound
by any formal rules of evidence.

And the Board?s decision will be based upon
a preponderance of the evidence presented.

Captain Williams, do you have any questions

regarding your rights or
procedures before this Board?

No, Sir.

Captain Tasha Williams is
an exemplary soldier.

She has served
with distinction in Iraq.

She has a Bronze Star Medal
with V for Valor,

two Army Commendation Medals,

a Joint Service Commendation Medal...
There can be no debating

Captain Williams's courage

and commitment to military service.

Thank you.

The military code of conduct
is very clear.

Rules are in place to maintain
good order and discipline,

and our job here
is to enforce those rules.

It has been alleged
that Captain Williams

has committed
acts of homosexual conduct,

and should the evidence presented to you
today support those findings,

the government will recommend
that Captain Williams

be separated from duty in
the United States Army National Guard.

Thank you.

- "I'm A Lover" by The Staple Singers -

Oh, well, check out this shit.

Yeah. What the fuck am I gonna do
with these She-bitches?

You got them closed down.
What else do you want?

Yeah, but they're gonna open back
and when they do,

guess what? Everybody?s gonna
want to go over there

wanting to look at that Niki Stevens
and her greasy ass.

So, go pull a Tony Soprano
and get them whacked.

Oh shit!

Have you lost your mind?

You can?t take a hiatus from school!
You aced your LSAT?s.

I'm just taking some time off
to figure out what exactly I want to do.

I mean, why does the world need
more lawyers, seriously?

What?s the point? It?s so pedestrian.
You get a degree

- and then intern...
- For Ruth Bader Ginsburg!

Who ever!

Then you get married
and pop out 2.5 babies

- and summer on the Cape.
- Yes!

No! I don?t want that life!

- It?s just not me!
- It is you! It?s always been you.

What about Richard?
Richard loves you!

Richard was a bore.

It's why we broke up last week.

- He worshipped the ground you walked on!
- Which was boring!

He?s learning to golf, Mom, golf.

And he's got medication
for early-onset baldness!

- Don?t you see how depressing that is?
- He's human.

You can?t throw away everything
you two have built together.

You?re one to talk.

What does your father say?

That you owe him a lot of money
and you?ve ruined his life.

Do you know what happens to people
without an education?

You could end up like...

Like her!

- What?s wrong with Shane?
- She's a hairdresser!

That?s what happens to people
who don?t get an education.

They wind up in service professions.

Did you just hear yourself say that?

- You're so elitist.
- It?s true!

- I thought you were friend with Shane.
- Sure, to party with.

- To party with?!
- Molly...

She?s not a serious person.

What do you know about her?
You don?t know her at all.

I know plenty. She?s a

Lothario and a cad,

and the kind of boy
you fall in love with in high school

before you know any better.
Thank god you?re not a lesbian.

Where are you going?

Go gay for Shane.

We?re gonna adopt Chinese babies
and live in a trailer park.

Don?t you dare tell her
anything I just said.

Oh my God, you're alive!
Hi!

I'm sorry I didn't call you back.

I called you?

Listen, I might have called you,
but it was a long time ago. So,

Alzheimer's kicked in at some point.

Am I seeing you tonight?

If you're seeing me tonight...
You might seeing me tonight. Maybe.

- Maybe.
- Maybe. How about this? How about

you call me in a little bit
and we talk about it.

- I will.
- I won't hold my breath, but,

I look forward to hearing
the phone ring.

Earlier you testified that Captain Williams

was your commanding officer in Iraq.

Would you please characterize her
as a commanding officer?

She?s a fair and honest leader.
She has the respect of her unit

and always has a clear picture of
where we?re going.

We got into some
pretty hairy situations out there,

but we always felt safe
with Captain Williams,

as safe as you can
in that part of the world, Sir.

Good.

Do you have any personal knowledge

supporting the allegations that
Captain Williams is a homosexual?

No, Sir.

I see.

You testified that
you?ve been reclassified MOS 42A

and transferred to a another division.

What was
Captain Williams? role in that?

I asked Captain Williams to
recommend me for job reclassification

because of personal circumstances
having to do with my family, Sir.

So she went to bat for you?

Yes, Sir.

I see.

And you would have no qualms about
serving under her again, would you?

I would serve under her anytime, Sir.

Thanks.

You could have said no.

You didn?t have to accept the invitation.

I thought it was coming
from both of you.

Why would I invite you to bring some

girl who?s after you
to Jodi?s dinner party?

I don?t know. I thought it was
something you decided. You know,

you're the one that's with Jodi.

I'm with

whoever the fuck I'm with.
No one.

And you and I are just...

we just have some kind of flameless?

And you're okay with that?

It?s kind of a foregone conclusion,
don?t you think?

No. No, it's not. Not for me.

I don't want to break
you and Jodi.

That's not anything I want.
I don't wanna be part of that. I...

What if I want to?

Do you?

Look, I really, I don't...

This is just I don't like
who I am becoming right now and...

and when I

think about Angie, it's just...

it, it's just...

not behavior I want to model
for our daughter.

What do you wanna do?

I think we should stop,

you know,

but I just think we should get
some kind of clarity for us. I just...

It's a good idea, yeah.

Thank you for your testimony here today,
Specialist Martinez.

I just have a few more questions
for clarification.

This job reclassification,

you said it was something
that Captain Williams arranged for you?

- Yes, Ma?am.
- That?s very fortunate for you.

Not many reclassification requests
are granted.

The military doesn?t usually like
to spend the time and money

to retrain somebody for
someone else?s job

when they?re perfectly capable
of doing the one

to which they?ve already been assigned.

Captain Williams must have felt
very strongly about you

to have granted that request.

I don?t know, Ma'am.

Did you have a sexual relationship
with Captain Williams?

- No, Ma'am.
- What sort of relationship did you have?

She was my commanding officer, Ma'am.

Did she ever take you out to dinner?

- No.
- Put your arm around you?

- Well, sure but...
- Isn?t it true that when

she put her arm around you,
you knew she was a lesbian?

No. I mean,

- I had heard rumors.
- What kind of rumors?

Some of the guys, they talk...

It was generally believed, in your unit,

that Captain Williams was a lesbian.
Yes?

- Some of the guys, they...
- Specialist Martinez, yes or no.

- Yes, Ma'am.
- In that case, you must have felt

uncomfortable to be receiving
special treatment

from Captain Williams?

I mean, if she was a lesbian and
you were receiving preferential treatment...

Objection. Characterization of
preferential treatment is unsupported.

Objection overruled.

Witness may answer.

Did you feel uncomfortable
receiving attention from Captain Williams?

I didn?t want the others thinking I was...

Yes.

I was uncomfortable.

How?s it going?

Martinez folded.

I?m sorry. It's...

Do you know
when they?re gonna call me?

You?re their witness.
I have no idea.

Tasha, I?m not on her side.
I don?t want to be here.

I know.

I?m just sorry that
you got pulled into this.

It?s okay.
You can talk to one another.

I was looking for you.

Well, you found me.

I came to tell you
that we?re out of time.

You mean, I don?t have to testify?

Same time tomorrow.

Niki, you look beautiful.

Niki, do the smile.

Adele, there she is.

- Oh my God, she looks so beautiful.
- She looks amazing.

You see that woman over there
in the blue dress?

She's banned. Meke sure
she doesn't get into that theater.

Got it?

Yeah, I'll take care of it.

- "Maresia" by Monica Freire -

- Hi!
- Hi Jodi, how are you? Sorry we're late.

I had a meeting
to go over the next week?s work.

- Do you want something to drink?
- Uh... wine would be great.

Uh, no, thank you.
I don't drink when I'm shooting.

I?d think you would need a stiff drink

after being mired in
Jenny?s masturbatory opus all day long.

Uh, this is Amy and Melinda.
This is

Tina and this is Sam.

This is Molly.

Hi, what's up?

- Excuse me, Miss.
- Yes?

I?m going to have
to ask you to leave the premises.

Well, excuse me, Mister,

but I actually

have a ticket.

Excuse me!

Just text her.

I don't like you.

It will just take one second, okay?

She's not gonna get that.
You've gotta go in there

- and tell her we're here.
- I'm gonna go inside, I'm gonna tell her.

She's gonna insist that they let you in.
This is a huge

- dumb mistake. Okay?
- Yeah.

- Two seconds.
- I feel like an asshole, but...

Don't!

So you?re the cameraman
for Jenny?s movie?

Oh, the Director of Photography. Yeah.

That must be pretty unusual,
to have a woman doing that job.

There are about
as many female DPs in Hollywood

as there are women in Congress.

We were lucky to get Sam.

Yes, Richard is a really nice guy,

and he loves me so much,
but

it's just not enough.

The problem is, I just...

don't give the shit how much he loves me.
I mean, we don't have that

thing, you know, the...

- Zsuss.
- Right.

No zsuss, no spark, no

- thing.
- Got it.

Do you want a cigarette?

- I'm trying to quit.
- Yeah, me too.

- But I can quit tomorrow.
- Me too.

This is delicious.

What it's called?

B-I-S-T-E-Y-A.

This is bisteya.

And you made it? It's amazing.

I?m sorry.
We didn?t mean to exclude you.

- Yes, you did.
- No, we didn't.

- Yes, she did.
- Uh, what did you say?

Nothing.

Where?s the bathroom?

Has Jodi ever made you an Indian dinner?

No.

Too bad.

Well, it?s just as well
because Bette hates Indian food.

Well, I didn?t before we...

we went to India and

I got really sick there.

Yeah. She lost ten pounds.

She was so weak, I practically
had to carry her through Jaipur.

- I know your deal.
- No, you don't.

I do. You're thinking:
"Here's this stupid little straight girl

who doesn't know who she is or
what she wants to do with her life"

and you?re just going to sit there
and be charming until I sleep with you.

I think nothing of the sort.

- Really?
- Really.

You don't want to sleep with me.

- No.
- Why not?!

Jesus God! Um...

Well, to be honest,
I thought about it.

But I came to the conclusion that

if it was to happen, you would probably
freak out afterwards and then you'd

most like go running back
to your boyfriend for months.

And then I'd be stuck in the cold with

nothing but the distant memory of

mediocre sex. And I'd

- be out of cigarettes.
- Just cigarettes. And I'm not mediocre in bed.

I didn't say anything.

I don't know.

Whatever this weird psychology is
you're using,

that's not gonna work either.

Listen.

I'm not trying to do anything,
I swear. I just

like talking to you.
I like you.

I have no tricks up my sleeve.

it is what it is.

Was that bad?

It's a bad idea.

Can, can you take me home?

Please?

I?m sorry. I shouldn?t have done that.
That was

a bad idea, and I just, uh,
I think, look,

if you could just take me back
to my mother's house, but..

I'm sorry, I...

I told you.

Come on.

Alright people.
It's about to start.

If you've got your passes,
let's go.

Nobody who shouldn't be on that set
is gonna get on the set, I promise you.

- That's very good.
- Yeah.

Hang on one sec. Excuse me.

- "B-A-B-Y" by The Brunettes -

Where?d everybody go?

Jodi took them up to the rooftop
to show them her sculpture.

Molly went home with Shane.

Shane told me to say goodbye to you.

This is really one of the most
excruciating things I?ve been through.

I think we should go see Dan.

- Dan Foxworthy?
- He knows us better than anyone.

He can help us figure out
what the hell we?re doing.

That was incredible.
Thank you for showing us.

You guys should check out
Jodi's sculpture up there. It's amazing.

I know. It's beautiful.

- Do you wanna get going? I should really...
- Oh yeah,

- I need to get up so early.
- Yeah.

Thank you for dinner.
It was so nice to meet you.

So nice to meet you too.

Hey, Niki, you should kiss Greg.
They'll love it.

There you are.

Did you see that?
Niki just kissed Greg.

Jenny, don't... Don't let that
upset you, okay?

Look, there are photographers everywhere.

- Yeah.
- They probably made her do that, okay?

Just don't be upset.

- Can we go home?
- Yeah, let's go.

Major Dorough,
could you please explain

the significance of this website?

It's owned by Alice Pieszecki, Colonel.

She does a podcast on a talk
on being a lesbian.

She interviews other lesbians
about their sexlives

and talks about her own sex life.

So, Alice Pieszecki, the woman named
in two of the complaints

against Captain Williams,
is a self-prophest lesbian?

Yes, Ma'am, that's correct.

And

this chart?

It's a chart of all the lesbians she knows

who have had sex with one another.

- Who've had sex with one another?
- Yes, Ma'am.

It's not my chart, Colonel.

If you know what I mean.

Yes, thank you Major Dorough.
I think we all know what you mean.

- Nothing further.
- Your witness, Captain Beech.

Major Dorough,

has Captain Williams' name appeared
anywhere in either the Chart

- or the website?
- No, but...

Thank you, Sir.

No further questions.

Do you swear, Miss,
to tell the truth,

the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
So, help you God...

I do.

It's nice to see you again Ms. Pieszecki.

I wish I could say the same.

I saw you on television the other day...

On "The Look".

It was fun, very entertaining.

I?d never seen it before.

So, you are a lesbian, Miss Pieszecki?

Last time I checked.

How long have you known Captain Williams?

I don't know. Maybe a year.
I'm not sure.

How would you describe your relationship?

We?re friends.

And that doesn?t make Tasha a lesbian.

I didn?t ask if
Captain Williams is a lesbian, Alice.

You might want to stick
with the questions I ask.

Do you know many people in the military?

No.

Well, I?m curious then.
How is it someone like yourself

can meet someone like Captain Williams?

We met through mutual friends...

- at a gathering.
- A lesbian gathering?

No.

Have you had
sexual relations with Captain Williams?

You know what?

This whole thing,
this whole thing is a crock.

It's a frickin' witch hunt.

I mean, you're trying to say

Tasha's a lesbian
because of her association with me.

With lame, trumped up evidence.

I'm sorry,
but I could just as easily say

that I think you're a lesbian,
Colonel Davis.

With the propensity to engage
in homosexual conduct.

Because of the way you looked at me
in the hallway yesterday.

- That is enough, Ms. Pieszecki.
- All I have to do

is establish that you know a lesbian,
one lesbian,

and maybe you had lunch with her once.

I bet there aren't a lot of women
who wear that uniform

who haven't eaten out
with a lesbian in their time.

I'd like to request a 15 minute recess

to let Ms. Pieszecki collect herself.

Yes. We'll take a 15 minute recess.

I'm okay. I mean, if you wanna keep...

Did I say something?

What you were trying to pull in there?!

I wasn?t trying to pull anything.

- Don?t play games with me, Alice.
- I'm not!

Okay, here's the deal.

I'm gonna need something from you.
Some kind of assurance

that I don't have to watch my back.

Okay, I'm listening.
What?

Tell your friend Captain Williams
to play by the rules

when she gets on the stand.
I'm going to ask her about Private Brown.

She just has to tell the story,
matter-offact.

The one about Brown seeing us
at the race track.

And twisted an innocent day out with friends
into a sordid escapade

so that he could make
his trumped up charges.

And I?ll never have to see you again?

No, you will

never hear from me again.

I won?t be calling you back on the stand,

and I won?t be discussing this
with Captain Beech.

So you have about five minutes to do
what you need to do before we resume.

Oh my God!

- Look, you have to listen to this.
- What? What are you doing?

- I think you might walk out of this.
- What?!

Yeah. Davis is terrified I?m going
to out her. She says

she doesn?t want to have to watch her back.
So she just made a deal with me.

She said, all you have to do
is tell the Brow story,

and say you believe in
their bullshit code of honor, whatever,

and she's gonna recommend you
for retention.

- She's gonna let me off?
- I don't know.

Captain Williams!

- The hearing will resume in 5 minutes.
- I gotta go.

Okay, good luck.

One final question, Captain Williams.

Why did you enter the military?

I come from a military family.

My father served, and his father before him.

I feel a strong sense of duty
to serve my country.

It?s what I?ve always wanted to do, Sir.

Thank you.

- No further questions.
- Recorder, your witness.

Captain Williams, what is your relationship
to Private Jack Brown?

Private Brown was a soldier
serving under my command.

Does he hold a grudge against you
for any reason?

He was upset with me
when I recommended Specialist Martinez

for the Human Resources job
instead of him.

It's been alleged that you gave
preferential treatment to Martinez

because you were hopeful
of a more intimate relationship?

That is not true.

I recommended
Specialist Martinez for reclassification

because she has a superior service record.

She has two commendations
and she's disciplined and hard-working.

Brown wasn?t qualified, Ma'am.

Do you think Brown brought
these charges against you in retaliation?

Yes, I do believe that.

Does the military represent
the ideals and morals

by which you live your life?

Yes, absolutely, Ma'am.

You?re aware, Captain, that
our armed services are strained for

qualified, dedicated officers,

- especially on the front lines.
- I'm aware of that, Ma'am.

One last question... Do you agree
that the military codes of conduct

to be strictly adhered to,
at all times?

I always have.

Until now.

I?m sorry?

One of the things that?s asked of us
when we go to the front lines

is that we be prepared to be separated
from the people that we love.

And we ask it of them, too.
We ask them to go

and let us fight for their freedom,

maybe to never come home.

And when we do come home,
we feel blessed.

It seems so wrong now

to have my personal freedom denied to me
within my own country.

It seems wrong to watch
the person that I love

be interrogated like a criminal
when she did nothing wrong.

Person you love.

To whom are you referring, Captain Williams?

Alice Pieszecki, Colonel.

Wait!

What happens? Did you win?
You look happy.

I did. I won.

I?m really glad for you. Really.

So, what happened in there?

I told them I loved you.

Hey, there.

Williams, you're gonna be missed
around here.

Good bye.

It's a shame, Captain Williams.

Personal freedom is an enviable thing.

But personal sacrifice

to ensure that many more Americans
can enjoy their freedom...

That's the nobler cause.

Good luck to you.

- "Little By Little" by Dusty Springfield -