Previously on Bull...
I'm considering leaving TAC, and going to work
for Bradley Lena.
You're leaving?
Goodbye.
I can make you a full partner.
No. You're too late, Bull.
I'm happy where I am.
Ms. Rentzel?
I'm Special Agent Delgado.
You recently met a young woman
by the name of Zola Macer, a hacker, goes by "Tidal."
TAYLOR: You're asking if my son
can move to Hawaii?
I thought we could at least discuss it.
There's nothing to discuss.
I'm not living clear across the country
from my six-year-old son.
I got a call from the attorney
representing Erik Rentzel.
Being in the middle of a criminal investigation
isn't gonna play well in family court.
Erik is suing me for custody of Mauricio?
[BIRD CALLING]
Can you believe this?
This is crazy.
But I wouldn't say no to some overtime.
Yeah.
Oh. Heads up.
The boss is here.
Hey!
Can someone tell me what the hell I'm doing here
at 10:00 a.m. and not a damn thing's getting done?
I'm sorry, Mr. Krenell, but...
You know how much this is costing me?
I know. It's just we got a situation.
He said his name is "Dimitri Gillard" or something.
- Apparently, he owns the place. - Owned.
I'll handle it.
[CLEARS THROAT] Sir,
we're gonna need you to leave.
No.
I understand how difficult this must be for you,
but everything's been decided.
All the checks have been sent out.
I'm sure you got yours, right?
My grandpa started this shop 92 years ago.
- Sir, that's not the - I live right upstairs.
That's where I was born.
My wife died there.
And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you flatten it.
Mr. Gillard, you've been paid,
so now it's time to move on.
Oh, yeah.
About that check...
I got a couple of ideas of where you can stick it.
[LAUGHS, MUTTERS]
Start the demolition.
Well, he's still there.
Don't worry. He'll move.
- Take it down. - MAN: You got it.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
[METAL SIGN CREAKING]
[ENGINE STARTS]
Over my dead body!
So you almost ran over a 73-year-old man?
Mr. Gillard wasn't harmed, and thanks to his antics,
the building's still standing, too.
I sympathize with Mr. Gillard,
but the city has a legal right to demolish that building.
And he was paid fair market value for his property.
So this is an eminent domain situation, Councilwoman?
Yes. A judge granted approval for the city
to convert several buildings in that neighborhood
for the public good.
BULL: So you're planning to knock down
three blocks full of homes and businesses
to put up an office park.
Not just any office park, Dr. Bull.
The Tidemarsh Tech Hub will be a mecca
of innovation and commerce.
It'll bring in hundreds of high-paying jobs and
increase the city's revenue base.
All for the low, low price of one neighborhood.
CHUNK: So if this has already been signed off on,
why are you coming to us?
KRENELL: Because Mr. Gillard wasn't just
chained to his shop.
Ah.
You're being sued for civil fraud?
Mr. Gillard is claiming the Hub was designed
to line the pockets of those of us on the City Council
- and Mr. Krenell's company. - CHUNK: It's smart.
It's basically the only way
to get an eminent domain approval overturned.
And if he succeeds, the project will be dead.
Mr. Krenell, it says here your firm donated
hundreds of thousands of dollars to the campaigns
of City Council members?
This is New York City.
Giving donations is standard operating procedure
if you want to get anything done.
I spearheaded this project,
and as you'll see, I didn't accept
a penny from Mr. Krenell.
We did this the right way, I promise you.
I'm sorry. I just...
I don't think that we're the right firm for this.
You guys have got
hundreds of lawyers in your employ.
I'm sure one of 'em can handle this.
This case will be tricky to navigate with a jury.
And Mr. Gillard hired an upstart, new firm
trying to make a name for itself.
Apparently, they got some sort of, uh, data wizard on staff
who specializes in jury analysis.
I'm sorry. What's the name of the firm?
[ELEVATOR BELL CHIMES]
[GASPS] Good luck.
Hey, whose side are you on?
Everybody's? I don't know. This is so weird.
BULL: Ah.
Bradley Lena. You've met Chester Palmer, I think?
- Of course. - And Marissa, don't you look terrific.
Very well rested.
Must be nice not having to juggle so many cases.
Oh, we're very busy. I'm just sleeping better.
Wonderful.
So, uh, you asked for a settlement conference.
I'm assuming you have a proposal you want to throw out?
Right. Take your time with it.
Although I think it's fairly concise.
You're offering our client a stall
in the Tech Park's food court?
Yes. In perpetuity.
In New York's real estate market, I'd say
what we're offering Mr. Gillard is veritable a gold mine.
It's a stall.
It's nine feet by five feet.
Ooh, that's a typo. I think it's actually closer to eight.
Either way, it is quite a generous offer.
Considering the court has already
awarded the city eminent domain, and your client, Mr. Gillard,
has been paid a very fair price for his property.
Your clients displaced Mr. Gillard and
hundreds of other tenants and business owners
by fraudulent means.
You have no proof of fraud.
What you have is a client who is resisting progress.
People have been displaced all over this great city.
That's how we got the Brooklyn Bridge,
that's how we got Central Park,
our amazing subway system.
Do we regret those decisions?
Your client isn't building Central Park.
It's a cubicle farm.
It's a mecca for innovation.
MARISSA: Okay.
Bull, you've made your point, wasted everyone's time.
Congratulations.
This meeting is over.
Don't bother showing us out.
I know exactly where the exit is.
I guess I'll see you in court.
All right, see you in court.
Is this how this whole thing is gonna play out?
What are you talking about?
[LAUGHS SOFTLY]
You knew they weren't gonna accept this offer.
It's a power move. Have them come all the way up here
- and... - Not true.
- It was a completely legitimate offer. - Bull,
you didn't want any part of this case
until you found out that Marissa was gonna be on the other side.
Now, when can we dispose with all of the score settling
and just get back to the law?
There are no scores being settled.
She chose to leave this company and work for our rival.
We always knew this day would come,
where we would face off against each other.
Here we are.
So I say we just rip the Band-Aid off.
So what if it hurts a little?
Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com
I still can't believe Erik's suing for full custody.
We didn't even fight over custody
when we first got divorced.
Mm. I've seen this happen before.
Things are simple when both parents live in the same town
after a divorce, but when lives start to change...
He can't take Mauricio to live in Hawaii.
- Please tell me we can stop him. - I believe we can.
New York courts favor maintaining parental rights.
Oh, that's good.
Mauricio has spent his entire life in New York City.
He's settled in his school here.
That'll count with the judge.
He absolutely loves his school.
Mrs. Summers, his teacher...
He talks about her literally all the time.
The one trouble area is your association
with this hacker, Tidal.
But while it's not ideal, we're going to...
It's ridiculous this Tidal thing is even an issue.
I knew her for, what? Like, three days?
I've had naps that have lasted longer than that.
But you know Erik's team is gonna make us out
to be some sort of the new Thelma and Louise.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Erik knows I would never associate with a criminal.
- He's the creep who had me followed. - Taylor!
Sorry.
Your frustration is completely understandable.
But don't worry. We'll handle the Tidal situation.
I've helped parents maintain custody with far
bigger strikes against them.
- Really? - Absolutely.
But there's something I need you to understand.
During the hearing, both you and Erik will be on display,
and the judge will be watching everything.
So you have to keep your anger,
no matter how justified, under control.
You don't have to worry about me.
I work for a trial science company.
I know how to behave in a courtroom.
Not this one.
Family court's a whole different animal.
The issues being decided there are incredibly primal.
It's the place where people who never fall apart, fall apart.
So the most important thing for you to do is keep your cool.
Good morning. It's voir dire prep day.
Is there anything better?
I can think of a few things.
- It was a rhetorical question. - What you thinking?
We have the home court advantage.
How's that?
This is New York City, and everybody knows
if you look closely enough at any major project,
you're probably gonna find something fishy.
Or a body buried in the foundation.
You, my jaded friend, are exactly the kind of New Yorker
we want on our jury.
Someone who understands you have to walk through the gutter
to get to the other side of the street.
Okay, so, jaded New Yorkers.
That's not bad. Any idea what Marissa's gonna be thinking?
Oh, I know exactly what Marissa's gonna be thinking.
She is gonna go all in for traditionalists.
These are folks who place a high value
on maintaining the city's history and uniqueness.
Makes sense to me. Any thoughts on questions?
Yeah, I was thinking...
Uh...
What are you doing?
This is exactly who Bull will expect us to try to seat.
We have to stay one step ahead of him.
All right. So what now?
Bull's snap judgements on people are spot-on.
Better than anyone I have ever met.
But the fact is, people are more than first impressions.
Thank God or I never would've gotten a date
back in high school.
Bull's weakness is that he doesn't always dig deep.
That is what I am good at, and he still doesn't have
a replacement for me.
- No, he does not. - I've already started
analyzing our jury pool.
Instead of just considering one or two
controlling factors, like we did at TAC,
I think the better move is for me to look at dozens.
I am gonna know these jurors so well,
Bull will not have time for instinct.
Well, this all sounds amazing, but I have to point out
that voir dire starts tomorrow.
Well, I never said it was gonna be an easy night,
but I'm gonna be ready.
- Oh. - Yeah. With the knuckles. Yup.
- Thank you. [CLEARS THROAT] - There it is.
Damn. Marissa came prepared.
I'll take my gut instinct
over her charts and graphs any day.
Counselors, when you're ready.
- Good morning. - JURORS: Morning.
Today, I'd like to talk to you about rats.
You, sir... How do you feel
about the city's rat situation?
It's disgusting. But what are you gonna do?
You don't think that we can get rid of them?
JUROR NUMBER SIX [LAUGHING]: You're kidding.
First, you got to get new trash bins.
The garbage trucks got to pick them up more often.
That takes money.
And you'd probably have to poison a bunch of 'em.
And you know, people have opinions about that.
Nah, it'd be like doing anything else in this city...
A pain in the ass.
[CHUCKLES]
Your Honor, juror number six
is acceptable to the defense.
Juror number six is also acceptable to the plaintiffs.
Jurors number 12, 15
and 19 are also acceptable.
Aren't you gonna ask them any questions first?
No, Your Honor. We have all the information we need.
CHUNK: Uh, one moment,
please, Your Honor.
[WHISPERING]: I may have underestimated Marissa's charts.
So what do we do?
Well, when you're going to lose,
there's only one thing left you can do...
Kick over the board.
What are they up to?
No idea, but I don't like it.
Excuse me. Could I have the attention
of all of the juror candidates, and including
jurors in the gallery?
Uh, who here has been arrested by the NYPD?
And if you would, please, keep your hands raised.
Um, anyone's business has been cited
by the city?
And finally,
Who here
has received a parking ticket?
Your Honor,
we request that all of the juror candidates
with their hands raised be excused for cause.
Well, they've all suffered at the hands of the city.
They won't be impartial.
Crap. He is trying to change out the entire jury pool.
All my research will be useless.
We'll be flying blind.
Your Honor, this is ridiculous.
Everyone has parking tickets.
That's not true. I don't have parking tickets.
I don't even drive a car.
And it looks like I'm not alone.
JUDGE: Mr. Palmer, I'm inclined
to agree with plaintiff's counsel.
This feels like a stretch.
I suppose we could file an interlocutory appeal.
See what the appellate court thinks.
No. That won't be necessary.
The court thanks and dismisses
all the jurors with their hands raised.
Your Honor, at this rate, we won't be able to seat
anyone on this jury.
Do you think I've never
sat juries before, Counselor?
I'll pull in more jurors
from the central jury room.
It'll be fine.
Was that bad?
Oh, uh, uh...
No, no, no, no, no. Recycling's around the corner.
Grab some lunch and regroup?
[SIGHS] Bull loves a curveball.
I should have been more prepared for that.
Ah, it doesn't matter. Right now,
you're living rent-free in that guy's head.
The more time he spends focused on you,
the less time he's focused on the case.
Now, have we worked together long enough
to eat ramen in front of each other?
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
I got the updated witness list.
Looks like Erik's team just added a new one.
Who is Rachel Ness?
- Rachel? - Yeah.
She's Erik's ex.
Guess she's not such an ex anymore.
Erik and I were together for about a year and a half.
We took some time apart, and reconnected two months ago.
But I think the break helped focus us.
We're more committed than ever to the relationship.
Won't maintaining a relationship be difficult
with Erik relocating to Hawaii?
Um, actually... I'll be moving with him.
DAVIS: And have you and Erik talked about what kind of role
that you would play in Mauricio's upbringing?
We have. Obviously, it's gonna be a big transition for him.
And since I'm not planning on working once I get there,
we thought I could help him with the changes
- by being his full-time caregiver. - Mm-hmm.
And you mentioned you've been dating Erik
- [WHISPERING] - for close to two years now.
And I'm guessing that you've observed both his
and Ms. Rentzel's relationship with Mauricio?
RACHEL: I have. Erik's an amazing dad,
incredibly devoted.
It doesn't matter if he's got a deadline or a big deal.
He's always there for Mauricio. Always.
- [RACHEL LAUGHS] - DAVIS: And Ms. Rentzel?
Taylor is great, too. I mean, she loves
Mauricio to bits. There is no question about that.
It's just... with her, it feels like
it's one work emergency after another.
And I know she's doing her best,
but even I have had to step in and watch Mauricio several times
because she was too busy.
[WHISPERING]: That's not true.
It's way more complicated than that.
[SNIFFLES]
How dare you.
You think I'm the bad guy? Me?
- Whoa. - Guessing he didn't tell you about
our little sleepovers, then.
What-What is she talking about?
We had sex while you were dating
and probably still would be if I hadn't called it off.
- What the hell are you doing? - Oh, that's too low?
But you get a free pass to take my son away from me?
You think I'm doing this just to spite you?
This is about Mauricio.
- That's a damn lie! - Taylor, come with me.
PATRICIA: Okay.
Just because you're screwing someone who doesn't care
about having a career doesn't make you a better parent!
Taylor.
Let's go. Now.
Are the plaintiffs ready to call their first witness?
Yes, Your Honor.
We'd like to call Thomas Krenell to the stand.
They're calling me?
- Are they even allowed to do this? - Objection.
Your Honor, this is purely theatrical.
On the contrary, Your Honor.
This case is about real estate development.
Calling the developer at the center of it all
seems like a logical place to start.
And as you're well aware, defendants are fair game
in a civil trial.
JUDGE: Overruled, Mr. Palmer.
Plaintiff may call the witness.
You'll do great.
[GROANS]
I wasn't prepared for Krenell to take the stand
until we called him. He hasn't been fully prepped.
He is what he is... an arrogant real estate developer.
I don't think our jaded New Yorkers will care.
BRADLEY: Mr. Krenell,
can you confirm that the area indicated here
in yellow is where you plan to build your Hub development?
Yes.
And did you direct your investment partners
to purchase properties
adjoining the Hub development,
indicated here in red, months prior to
any public announcement of the project?
Yes, I did.
Isn't it true that, since then,
their value has increased more than sixfold?
- Your point? - I guess I'm a little confused.
At every public hearing
where the project was discussed,
you swore it was the best thing, for the community.
But really, it was the best thing
for you and your investors, isn't that right?
I never claimed to be a non-profit.
Just because I made money
doesn't mean it wasn't good for the city, too.
Our jaded jurors look bored.
BRADLEY: Would you say, then,
that you considered the concerns of the community?
Of course I did.
With the court's permission, we'd like
to introduce an audio recording taken
at the August 17 annual property group meeting.
Objection! This hasn't been properly introduced, Your Honor.
BRADLEY: As Mr. Krenell is the subject in the recording,
he can authenticate it himself.
I'll allow it.
Proceed.
KRENELL [ON RECORDING]: Every deal I've done,
investors have been worried about public backlash,
community opinion.
These people, "the public" you're so scared of...
At the end of the day, they just want to be told what to do.
They're nothing but sheeple.
They'll moan and complain, but you give them a place
to buy a Big Gulp, scratch-off lotto tickets,
and they'll follow along, fat and happy.
Objection, Your Honor.
This is unduly prejudicial.
It's a cheap trick by plaintiff's counsel
to inflame the jury.
[QUIETLY]: And it worked.
Our jurors might ignore some low-level fraud,
but no New Yorker worth their salt is gonna ignore an insult.
Any idea where I can get a lotto ticket
and a Big Gulp around here?
Never mind. I'll figure it out. See you tomorrow.
What was that you said about New Yorkers not ignoring insults?
They made Krenell look like a real ass in there.
Yeah. I don't like being caught on my back foot.
[SIGHS]
Listen, we better find out
if there's any other boogeymen in Lisa's closet.
Danny's been looking into the councilwoman.
She's a Girl Scout. But I can have her dig deeper.
Yeah, let's go Grand Canyon deep, shall we?
I want to know everything she touched in office.
Every stop sign she was responsible for,
every baby she kissed on her way there.
Is there anything that we can do?
I'd like to catch them on their back foot.
Well, I thought you were above settling scores.
I am, but it's like we used to say about tackling.
It's nothing personal, but sometimes,
you just got to lay somebody out.
Well, they threw dirt on our guy.
Let's dig up some on theirs.
All right, we've got your T-shirts,
your pajamas, your underwear.
Wait. Where are your socks?
Squeeze 'em in there, kiddo.
All right.
Are you and Daddy mad at each other?
Why do you say that?
Because you both seem mad.
Well, sometimes mommies and daddies have
to figure things out.
But you don't need to worry about that,
'cause we've got it all handled, okay?
Okay.
I love you more than anything.
[KNOCKING AT DOOR]
[SIGHS]
Hey, there. Right on time.
Good. Mauricio, you ready?
- I'll have him call in the morning. - Perfect.
Uh-oh. My Iron Man toothbrush.
Just so you know,
Rachel and I haven't mentioned the custody hearing
or said anything negative about you in front of Mauricio.
Like we agreed.
I didn't want it this way.
Well, you made it this way.
Well, I'm stopping by Dimitri's
to squeeze in a little extra prep
before he gets on the stand today.
Okay. I'll see you at the courthouse.
Bye, Bradley.
Dimitri, you're not supposed to be open yet.
Y-You're not allowed to do business unless we win.
There were customers waiting. How could I turn them away?
Well, I...
Morning.
Ah, you know each other? This is why I love New York.
I'll grab a place setting so you can join your friend.
Bull sent you, didn't he?
Hmm. Maybe I just wanted some good hash browns.
You got to go.
All right, I'll go.
You know, uh,
you got Bull pretty fired up over this case, right?
Good.
Oh. Your friend left already. That's too bad.
Did you talk to her?
Oh, yeah. She asked all kinds of questions
about my place, the neighborhood,
that fire we had a couple of years ago.
She was real easy
- to talk to. - I bet.
What did you tell her about the fire?
Mr. Gillard, did you light your own business on fire?
That's ridiculous. Of course not.
I love the Tough Penny. It's my home.
But it's also your business.
And in the four months prior
to the fire, your business was suffering.
Sales were down almost 20%, is that correct?
It was a little slump. They were fixing the sidewalks.
It was hard for people to get in.
But a big check from an insurance company...
Well, that surely would have helped out
- with that little slump. - No.
That's not how it was at all.
Mr. Gillard, this is a verified copy
of the insurance claim that you filed.
Can you read for the jury what is stamped
across the front of this page?
"Rejected."
CHUNK: And isn't it true that the insurance company
rejected your claim
because the investigation that they conducted
into the cause of the fire came back as inconclusive?
They couldn't determine whether it was an accident
or arson.
They just didn't want to pay.
The grease trap wasn't cleaned properly. That's what happened.
Or maybe, maybe the city and Mr. Krenell
are not the frauds.
You are.
Objection! Inflammatory.
- That was low. - What are we talking about?
You know very well
Dimitri didn't try to burn down his place.
If this was about money for him,
he would have cashed Krenell's check.
It was four times what that insurance policy was worth.
Well, it doesn't matter what I think.
It matters what the jury thinks.
Dimitri's a good man. You should be ashamed of yourself.
For what? Making the other side look bad?
That's the game.
This isn't about making Dimitri look bad.
This is about making me look bad.
- Oh, it's about winning. - [ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
That's what TAC does. We win.
If you didn't want to be on the losing side,
you shouldn't have left.
The whole time I was on your team,
I always thought you had a code.
But I guess you're not the person I thought you were.
When you were working with Zola Macer,
the hacker who goes by "Tidal,"
were you aware that she was a person of interest for the FBI?
No. I had no idea until I was contacted by Agent Delgado.
And did Agent Delgado arrest you?
No. He questioned me about my knowledge of Ms. Macer,
but he never brought any charges against me.
So the FBI found no criminal activity on your part?
No.
Because I hadn't done anything wrong.
PATRICIA: Ms. Rentzel,
earlier in the proceedings, we heard mention
of your demanding work schedule.
Would you agree with this characterization?
It's challenging, and important work.
So, yes, it can be demanding.
And honestly, yes,
sometimes I do find it difficult
to balance my work and home life.
Isn't that true of almost all working mothers?
But if I need to cut back my hours to keep my son,
I will absolutely do that.
PATRICIA: Just to be clear, you're willing
to reduce your work load if the court determines
it's necessary for you to maintain custody?
Yes. I'll do whatever it takes.
Mauricio is the most important thing in the world to me.
He always has been.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Ms. Rentzel, isn't it true
that your work for the Trial Analysis Corporation...
It doesn't just require long hours,
it can also be quite dangerous, as well?
No, I wouldn't say that.
DAVIS: You wouldn't?
Didn't you just testify
that your work forced you
to associate with an alleged criminal?
I work in criminal defense
So, yes, on occasion,
I'm going to encounter an alleged criminal.
Just like lawyers and judges
and anyone who works in the justice system.
But I've never felt like I was in any danger.
So, you didn't feel like you were in danger
when there was an anthrax attack
at your office two years ago?
That was a hoax.
There was never any anthrax involved.
It was just someone trying
- to scare us. - Well, what about when
your boss, Jason Bull's child was kidnapped a few months ago?
Was that a hoax?
That had nothing to do with TAC.
Really? Didn't you and your work colleagues
handle that kidnapping
without the aid of the police?
- Yes, but... - And isn't it true
that in the wake of the kidnapping,
you told your ex-husband
you feared for Mauricio's safety?
TAYLOR: I didn't...
I didn't mean it like that.
Something terrible had just happened to someone I knew,
so, yes, of course it had an impact.
Excuse me, Counselor, if I may?
Of course, Your Honor.
Did you or did you not fear
for your child's safety because of your job?
In that moment, yes, but...
I was just...
...emotional.
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
- Hmm. - Hold up.
What's this?
I don't know.
[CHUCKLES] Sounds promising.
Well, I've been making my way through the truckload
of documents the city sent over.
Everything Lisa ever touched.
And?
Well, eight months before plans were announced
for the Tidemarsh Tech Hub,
the city initiated a structural integrity inspection
for Dimitri's block.
These kind of inspections are like shortcuts
for municipalities wanting to redevelop.
So if they find a building is dangerous,
it's easier to condemn.
And no tricky eminent domain proceedings to manage.
- So what did they find? - Well, that's the odd thing.
Nothing, because they halted the inspection
when they got to Dimitri's building.
Well, that's interesting timing.
Very. My guess is, there may be more to this story,
and that story may not be a good one for our clients.
But I'll keep digging,
- see what I can find. - I'm not sure we want to do that.
- What do you mean? - Right now, the absence
of a completed inspection report is a nothing.
But if we keep digging,
and we find a little something,
I am afraid that that will fall under Marissa
and Bradley's discovery requests,
and we will be obligated to share it with them.
Aren't we obligated now?
Is there an argument to be made
that we don't have to share it with them?
Chunk?
There can be an argument made for all manner of things, Bull.
But that doesn't mean you should.
Okay, send that on over.
That way, when Marissa eventually loses,
she will have to say
that we were 100% above board.
But there's no reason to do their job for them, so,
put as many documents as you can get your hands on
on top of that.
If we're giving Marissa the needle,
we might as well give her the whole haystack.
[LINE RINGING]
MARISSA: Hey.
Sorry. I know I'm not supposed to be calling you
because of the case and everything, but...
No. I'm glad you called. How are you?
I'm... I'm okay.
[SIGHS]
Taylor, what's going on?
I'm... not okay.
[CRYING]: I'm terrified.
The custody hearing isn't going well?
I'm afraid I'm going to lose Mauricio.
And everything they're saying about me, it's all true.
I thought I was doing
the right thing: taking this job,
working hard to provide for my son,
setting an example.
But they're making it sound like I'm screwing up Mauricio.
I don't know. Maybe I am.
No. That is complete crap.
I know you. You are a great mom.
So what if you work hard?
You shouldn't have to apologize for it.
- But... - MARISSA: No buts.
Just keep fighting, no matter how ugly it gets.
It's already so much uglier than I ever thought possible.
I mean, Erik and I have had our problems before, but this...
It's the nature of trials... Inherently adversarial.
It's cutthroat.
It's even more painful when you have a personal relationship
with the other side.
Are things getting ugly between you and Bull?
WOMAN: Uh, Ms. Morgan,
someone just dropped off some documents for you.
[GRUNTS SOFTLY]
Sushi or Thai?
- What? - For takeout.
It's gonna be a long night, but I think
if we jump in right away, we can get through it.
Have you forgotten about the Bolen Equity dinner?
We'll have to reschedule.
That's not an option.
If we land this client, it'll be huge.
Dimitri is our client right now.
And servicing him should be our first priority.
We took Dimitri's case pro bono.
It's good for our image, but it doesn't keep the lights on
or fund my sneaker habit.
Bradley, there could be something in here
that wins us the case. We can't ignore this.
Oh, come on. Don't be naive, Marissa.
Bull's playing us.
He's send us on a snipe hunt so that we'll stay up all night
and be useless in court tomorrow.
Our firm is all about the future.
I'm gonna go win us some new business.
Are you coming or not?
No.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Uh, is Marissa wearing the same dress she had on yesterday?
Well, I have no idea.
The bigger question is... Who's that guy with her?
I found the snipe.
BRADLEY: Mr. Woods,
how long have you been
a structural inspector for the city?
Almost 22 years now.
This is a work order for the structural integrity inspection
ordered by the city on the Tough Penny in December 2019.
Is that your name, where it indicates
the inspector on the project?
Yes, it is.
- So you conducted the inspection? - Not exactly. I mean,
I began the inspection, but I never finished it.
And why is that?
During the inspection,
I found what looked like a Redding Cornice.
BRADLEY: What's a Redding Cornice?
It's a type of ceiling molding,
but it was only used by one architect: Mary Stuart Redding.
She was one of the first women architects in the Northeast.
Why would the discovery of this cornice stop the inspection?
It's protocol. Almost everything Mary Stuart Redding touched
is considered historical.
We needed to do a landmark review.
Is that an involved process?
It can take up to three years.
And while the review's going on,
you're not allowed to touch a thing.
You can't even replace a toilet
without having a committee meeting about it.
BRADLEY: So the demolition of a building
with these cornices would
certainly be off the table?
Yes. Definitely.
But a landmark review was never conducted. Why is that?
I was told to drop the whole damn thing.
My inspection, notifying the landmark committee,
all of it.
Who told you to stop?
She did.
Councilwoman Nash.
BRADLEY: Did she tell you why?
No. The next thing I knew,
they announced this Tech Hub project.
Thank you.
No further questions, Your Honor.
It looks like that nothing was a something after all.
"We the jury find for the plaintiff, Dimitri Gillard,
"that the actions of the New York City Council
"and Thomas Krenell were fraudulent
according to the laws of the state of New York."
- Oh. - Thank you so much.
We'd, uh, better wrap it up if we're gonna make it
- on time. Yeah. - All right.
Thank you.
[DOOR OPENS, FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING]
All rise.
Court is now in session.
FOLEY: Good afternoon. In the case
of Rentzel v. Rentzel, I have reached a decision.
It is the State of New York's strong preference
to allow parents to retain their custodial rights
whenever possible.
Unfortunately, having Mauricio spend
half the year in school in New York and the other half
in Hawaii is simply not practical.
Therefore, the current 50-50
custody arrangement cannot continue.
Given Mr. Rentzel's superior support network
and the troubling questions
surrounding Ms. Rentzel's ability
to care for and protect this child,
I find it is in Mauricio's best interest
to grant full legal and physical custody
to Mr. Rentzel.
- [EXHALES] - ♪ Growing distant ♪
♪ For a long while ♪
♪ Could you listen ♪
- No. - ♪ Before there's nothing left ♪
♪ To say ♪
♪ We're firing off in different ways ♪
♪ We do this all the time ♪
♪ And I'm over and out. ♪
[SOBBING QUIETLY]
We can appeal. The judge said it himself.
They want to maintain custodial rights.
The important thing is that we are gonna keep fighting.
This isn't over, not by a long shot.
I need to pick up Mauricio from the babysitter.
I can't let him see me like this.
[CRYING]
I don't want him to be scared.
I'll be right back.
[CRYING]
[EXHALES]
You know, for a man
who just got everything he wanted,
you look pretty miserable.
I'd really like to be alone right now.
It's a funny thing about winning, isn't it?
When you're in the fight, you'll do anything.
You'll kick, scratch, claw...
bite.
Anything...
to win.
And you just get so
fixated on it that you never stop to ask
why...
...why...
do we want it so bad?
And was it worth it?
So was it?
You can't take him from me yet. It's still my day.
Hey, wait! Wait! I need to talk to you.
- You've said enough. - You were right! You were right.
I think a small part of me was doing all this to hurt you.
My God, Erik.
But that is because you hurt me, too.
When we got back together, it was not
just for fun or a distraction.
I thought maybe...
[EXHALES] Anyway...
that's not why I'm here.
Why are you here?
[LAUGHS]
Do you remember the...
yellow blanket with the giraffes Mauricio used
to drag around with him everywhere?
What does that have to do with anything?
He loved that blanket.
And one day, when I took him to the zoo,
he insisted on bringing it.
But on the way home, he fell asleep,
and I forgot it on the subway. He cried for hours.
He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't sleep.
So then you came over to talk to him.
Five minutes later, he was quiet.
Yeah. I remember that.
Well, I peeked into his room.
And... there you were
holding his hand while he slept.
[SOBBING]
Mauricio looked so peaceful.
And...
in my gut, I knew why.
Because you are his real security blanket, Taylor.
Nothing else comes close.
I want to be with Mauricio more than anything, but...
[SIGHS]
I love him too much to take him away from you.
What are you saying?
Erik is granting you primary custody?
I know. It's crazy.
He'll still have Mauricio in Hawaii for summers and holidays.
We're gonna figure out a way to make it work.
I am so, so happy for you.
And it's the right thing.
Did Erik mention why he had this big change of heart?
Honestly, I have no clue.
I just... thank God he did.
Yeah.
Oh, it's getting late.
I promised Mauricio I'd take him over to the park.
Of course, go! I-I'll talk to you later.
I doubt we'd have won without that aborted inspection.
I can't believe Bull turned it over.
- What do you mean? - Well, if it were me,
I'd have buried it so deep, no one would've ever found it.
Even if you thought it fell within the discovery requests?
I don't understand the question.
It would have been an ethics violation.
If a tree falls in the woods...
I'm gonna squeeze in a workout before dinner.
See you tomorrow.
[DOOR OPENS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
- Hey. - Oh, uh, sorry.
I still had my key.
So I let myself in.
I have been saying we should change those locks.
I was on my way to my office,
and I suddenly had a craving for TAC's coffee.
It's understandable, because it is
- the very best coffee in the world. - [CHUCKLES]
I know what you did for Taylor.
Oh, come on.
I gave a little nudge, that's all.
Yeah, well, that nudge changed her life.
And I was wrong.
The other day at the courthouse.
- Oh, I don't know about that... - No, no, no. Let me finish.
You're exactly the person I thought you were.
When your people need you most, you're always there.
Let's not get carried away.
You know, the other night, when I was going through
that truckload of documents that you dumped on me?
I was alone.
Bradley thought it was beneath him.
Oh.
But you would've been there with me.
Or at the very least
- Danny would've been... or Taylor. - [LAUGHS]
Having your name on the door
doesn't mean much if it doesn't feel like home
when you walk inside.
So, did you mean it
when you said that we could be partners?
True partners?
Absolutely.
Then I guess there's only one thing left for us to do.
What's that?
- To us. - Oh!
Before we, uh...
toast, can I...? Can we switch mugs?
- What? - Well, it's just...
- This is my mug, sorry. - Oh, I'm sorry, I thought
we were partners... what's yours is mine kind of thing.
Yeah. It's just my mug. It's because it's...
This is my...
Happy?
Thrilled.