02x02 - Homecoming

[bunniefuu]

Aaron: It feels like a lifetime
ago that I got arrested.

I was innocent.

And I became a lawyer
to get myself out.

It took me a long time
to figure out

how I really got in here.

That girl
who OD'd at the club...

Roswell: Her father's
a major power broker

and a hedge‐fund billionaire.

Aaron: I have
a district attorney targeting me

to gain access to you.

Your money and your friends.

And along the way,
there was a whole lot of hurt.

Marie!

You're my brother,
and I love you.

I'm moving in with Marie.

Do you love me?

Yes, Darius.

And Aaron?

But after 9 1/2 years,
I got everything I wanted.

I'm exonerated.

I get to practice law.

And I'm going home.

[ R&B music plays on radio ]

It's a lot, huh?

You know, they were all cheering
for me when I walked out.

[ Chuckles ]

No one's ever done what you did.

You realize that, right?

♪♪

Jasmine:
My mom just texted.

They're gonna be here
in like 10 minutes.

[ Baby cooing ]

[ Smooches ]

You got to bring the food
out now.

I told you, you gotta keep
that covered so it stays warm.

This tray's so hot,
it's burning my hands.

So just put it down
and get the fritters.

Not right there, Ronnie!
[ Groans ] Jazz.

What?

Everything's not
gonna be perfect.

Okay?

[ Dog barking in distance ]

[ Car door opens ]

[ Clears throat ]

It's nice.

[ Chuckles ]

Come on.
Get your stuff.

Oh, my God. Marie.

Oh, hey.
How you doing?

How's the baby?

Oh, eats, sleeps.
Doing great.

I haven't seen Darius around.

He moved out.

Oh, my goodness.

Just in time, huh?

♪♪

Jazz?

Jasmine: Daddy!

[ Giggles ]

♪♪

I can't believe
this day is finally here.

I know.

I know.

[ Sighs ]

And I missed you so much,
sweetheart.

[ Chuckles ]

♪♪

Hey, Ronnie.

Hey, Mr. Wallace.

[ Baby cooing ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

He's beautiful.
[ Chuckles ]

We've been calling him AJ.

Aaron Junior.

♪♪

There you go.

Oh.

Hey, there, AJ.

How's the world
treating you so far?

[ Cooing continues ]

♪♪

I still can't believe
you managed to make all this

with a newborn in the next room.

Where'd you get all that energy?

Helps to be 18, I guess.

[ Laughter ]

So, you taking off work?

No.

I had a lot of vacation time
coming to me,

so I just cut
way back on my shifts

so I can get this girl
up and running.

She's got
some amazing tips, Dad.

Yeah, I bet she does.
[ Chuckles ]

Well, some things,
you never forget.

[ Chuckles ]

Though, they've got
these new blankets now

that basically
swaddle themselves.

Remember how much trouble
we used to have with that?

Oh, that was one thing
I could do.

Nice and tight.

Had to keep my baby girl snug.

[ Both chuckle ]

And you weren't too bad
at the diaper changing.

Dad changed diapers?

Oh, yeah.
Maybe four or five.

Come on!

[ Laughter ]

[ Siren wailing in distance ]

[ Breathes heavily ]

So, you, uh ‐‐
you got any big plans

for tomorrow,
for your first day back?

Yeah.

Yeah, I thought
I'd have, um, breakfast

with my baby girl over here.

Then go see Jamal's sister.

Oh, really?
Yeah.

She's the key to his case.

I really want
to get started on it.

How about Henry? I'm sure
he's dying to see you.

Yeah, I spoke to him.

He said he has
some big opportunity

he wants to talk to me about.

Oh, that's good.

Yeah, we'll see what it is.

Well, you do what you gotta do,
Mr. Wallace.

I got a half day of school.

I should be back here
around noon.

Thank you, Ronnie.
Appreciate that.

[ AJ fussing ]

I guess it's feeding
time. Mm‐hmm.

[ Fussing continues ]

♪♪

[ AJ grunting calmly ]

♪♪

Davidson: Well,
today's your lucky day.

We're giving you the superstar.

Aaron Wallace?

I thought he was exonerated.

Of the drug charges.

He picked up probation
for as*ault

during the prison riot.

He was released this afternoon
to his wife's address.

I suggest you pay him a visit
tomorrow.

And the politics?

You mean does he get
any extra leeway

because he's already been
a thorn in everybody's side?

Something like that.

I'm gonna say just the opposite.

I'm not gonna trip him up,

if that's what you're asking me.

How do you think
he managed to get himself off?

And got Glen Maskins
sent packing?

If the man's already got that
kind of juice from the inside,

how long do you think
it's gonna be

before he gets
back into the life?

And if someone's
gotta be on his a*s,

he better not be white?

You caught this
'cause you're the best.

But if you're not down for it,

I could always give it
to Darnell.

No. I'm down.

Good.

And stay all over him.

He's a crafty son of a b*tch.

♪♪

Marie: I think it's best
you go home tonight.

We can figure out a plan
tomorrow.

Oh, yeah. I'll just go kiss
Jazz and AJ good night.

Okay.
Alright.

Good night,
Mr. Wallace.

So glad you're home.

Come here.

♪♪

You're a good man.

You stay that way, alright?

Yeah, I will, sir.
Yes, sir.

And no more "Mr. Wallace."

It's "Aaron."
Alright?

[ Chuckling ]
Yeah, yeah, sure.

♪♪

That meant a lot to him.

Yeah.

I, uh, got you
a few things to wear,

until you have time
to go shopping yourself.

I wasn't sure what style you
were going for at this point,

so I went kind of neutral.

Thanks.
Mm‐hmm.

I have a real early shift
tomorrow,

so I won't be here
when you wake up,

but we need to get you
to the DMV

so you can get an ID,
to the bank.

We can go to the DMV
on Thursday.

Probation office is around
there, and I got to check in.

Right. Right. Right.

Well, I got you this for now.

I downloaded Uber for you,

so you can use that
to get around.

And here's
some walking‐around money

until we get you an ATM card.

Thanks.

I, uh...

I figured... you'd crash
on the couch at first,

if that's okay.

Yeah, sure.

I mean, listen.
[ Chuckles ]

That's a king‐size bed
compared to what I'm used to.

[ Both chuckle ]

And I'm sorry ‐‐
there's no shower down here,

but you can use
the one upstairs.

Yeah. No problem.
Thanks.

[ Sighs ]

♪♪

[ JNR Williams'
"What a Difference" plays ]

♪♪

♪ Oooooh, oooooh,
ooh, ooooooooh ♪

♪ Oooooh, oooooh ♪

[ Door closes ]

♪ Ooh, ooooooooh ♪

♪ What a difference
a day made ♪

♪ 24 little hours ♪

♪ My yesterday was blue, dear ♪

[ Chuckles lightly ]

♪ Today I'm part of you, dear ♪

♪ What a difference a day made ♪

♪ And the difference is you ♪

♪♪

[ Man shouting indistinctly ]

Man: Close cell 4!

[ Gates clank ]

[ Breathing heavily ]

[ Clears throat ]

[ Breathing shakily ]

♪♪

♪♪

[ Birds chirping ]

[ Child laughs ]

♪♪

[ Dog barking in distance ]

♪♪

[ Sighs ]

♪♪

[ Sizzling ]

♪♪

Jazz: Daddy?

♪♪

I can't believe you're cooking.

Come on.

French toast
still your favorite?

With strawberry jam?

[ Sighs ]
You read my mind.

I've been having
the worst cravings.

I got that bacon just like
you like it ‐‐ nice and crispy.

Now sit.

AJ still sleeping?

About 22 hours a day.

I didn't hear a peep all night.

He mostly sleeps
right next to me.

That way, I don't even
have to get up to feed him.

[ Chuckles ]
How's it going with school?

You gonna be able to catch up?

I'm not even behind.

I had them give me all my
upcoming assignments last month.

I do everything at home
the next six weeks,

go back end of January.

I'm proud of you, sweetheart.

I'm proud of you, Dad.

Eat.

♪♪

[ Laughter echoing ]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[ Sighs ]

♪♪

♪♪

Darius: You're my brother,
and I love you.

But it's time for everyone
to move forward.

♪♪

So, you're
the famous Aaron Wallace?

I was your brother's cellmate
for almost nine years.

I never would have
survived in there
if it wasn't for him.

And you come finding me now why?

Because I need your help.

In Jamal's case.

He pled out. Far as I know,
there's nothing to do.

He had a bad lawyer.

You can help me prove that.

Isn't he up for parole anyways
in three years?

[ Door slams ]

Um...

You remember
the riots at Bellmore?

He was involved in that.
Tried to save me.

He'll never make parole.
Not with that in his file.

So, you want me to say what?

Your ex‐boyfriend.

Tony.

The one Jamal k*lled.

He had a criminal record.

In order for me to access it,

I need an affidavit from you
about his behavior.

Listen to me, okay?

Look, I got a real shot
at getting Jamal out.

But I got to prove
Tony was violent.

That's why I need your testimony
and his criminal record.

[ Door squeaks ]

Your break's over.

Please, Georgia.

I'll think about it, okay?

I gotta go.

Who's this?

Just a friend of my brother's.

♪♪

[ Indistinct talking ]

[ Door slams ]

♪♪

Female voice: You've reached
Aaron Wallace's voicemail.

Leave a message.

Hey. Let me know
how it goes with Henry.

Uh, really want to hear
about this opportunity.

Bye.

[ Cellphone beeps ]

If you're satisfied
with your message, press 1.

To erase and re‐re‐‐ [ Beep ]

[ Inhales sharply ]

[ Beep ]

Hi. Uh, hope you have
a good meeting with Henry.

Let me know if you want
something special for dinner.

Bye.

[ Indistinct talking on P. A. ]

Your message has been sent.

So, what are we doing here?

'Cause if it's about
the hot dogs,

we need to be at Nathan's
or Carnegie Deli.

Oh, I hate to break the news
to you. Carnegie closed.

Come on.

Spencer Richardson
called me yesterday.

He was wondering if I thought
you'd be open to talking to him.

That happens to be where he runs
his charitable foundation.

He's ready to show you around.

If you're not comfortable,
he'll come down here.

Can't hurt to hear
what the man has to say.

I know you got
no good reason to trust me

or want anything to do with me.

I'm a powerful man,

and I used that power in a way
that hurt you.

But I'm also a man who admits
when he's made mistakes

and tries to ‐‐

Tries to what?
Make up for them?

[ Scoffs ]

Unless you have some way
to give me back 9 1/2 years,

you may want to think
twice about what comes
out of your mouth next.

I can never do anything
to make that right for you.

But I can offer you something

that might make
the next chapter in your life

more fulfilling
than maybe you'd imagined.

[ Scoffs ]

And what have I been imagining?

[ Chuckles ]

I shouldn't be so presumptuous.

What do you want to do?

Spend time with my family.

I've missed a lot.

You became a lawyer.

I got to believe you want
to do something with that now.

A lot of guys at Bellmore
don't belong there.

That'll keep me busy
for a while.

Pro bono work?

For people
who aren't in prison yet?

Yeah. Possibly.

What about the broader issues
in the criminal justice system?

I'm not gonna solve those.

No.

But we can make a dent in them.

"We"?

Shine a light on the flaws
in the system.

And counter them
with initiatives

that come from my foundation.

Henry has all kinds of ideas

and a profound understanding
of the institutional problems.

Combine that with my funding
and your profile?

We could do
a lot of good together.

My profile.

[ Breathes deeply ]

You got a PR problem.

After what happened in court.

And you want to bring me
into the fold

to show the community
that this is all just
water under the bridge.

That would be the cynical way
to look at it.

Plus, you have to
make money, right?

This is what
I'm prepared to offer.

♪♪

[ Sighs ]

♪♪

Next time, I'd love
to show you my facilities.

♪♪

[ Paper rustles ]

♪♪

I got to say,
I kind of love the idea

of us working together
full time.

Yeah.

I don't think it's selling out,
if that's your concern.

[ Sighs ]

Helluva day one, huh?

Hmm.

I know you're bummed
about Jamal's sister.

If she refuses to help,
you got other plays.

I'm happy to be
a sounding board.

Great seeing you, Henry.

I'll call you tomorrow.

Alright.

[ Sighs ]

[ Vehicle departs ]

[ Sighs ]

[ Doorbell rings ]

[ Knock on door ]

[ Doorbell rings ]

[ Clears throat ]

Didn't mean to startle you.

Scotty Williams.

I'm your probation officer.

First appointment's
not till tomorrow.

And part of my job is to show up
whenever I feel like it.

Keep you on your toes.

You need to ring the
bell again? [ Sighs ]

I see they didn't
give you a key.

I know how all this
works. I don't think you do.

Otherwise, you wouldn't have
questioned why I was here.

I gotta evaluate your
entire living situation,

starting with your
home environment.

[ Sighs ]

[ Camera clicking ]

[ Clicking continues ]

You worried he's gonna be
dealing drugs from the dining room?

Documentation of
the domestic situation

is an important part of the process,
Mrs. Wallace.

Well, you're very thorough.

Well,
anyone who's good at their job is.

May I see the sleeping quarters,
please?

I'm, um...

I'm sleeping down here
on the couch right now.

Till we get re‐adjusted.

In my experience,

people in your
situation do much better

when they're in a
secure relationship.

But I understand re‐assimilation
can be very difficult

for the family as
much as the convict.

I'm not a convict.

He was exonerated.
He's innocent.

He's on probation for as*ault.

Come on.

But I get your point,
and I apologize.

Thanks.

Maybe we can sit down
and discuss the rest?

In addition to my random visits,

we'll meet officially
twice a week,

either here or at my office.

Your curfew will be 10:00,

which means inside the
home environment by 9:59,

not sipping a Coke on the lawn,

not walking the dog.

Inside the house.

We don't have a dog.

But I get the idea.

You're not permitted
to drink alcohol

or leave the state of New York

without the permission
of the probation office.

You're not allowed to interact
with any known criminals

or convicted felons.

You get that I'm a lawyer,
right?

You'll need to run
your cases by me.

[ Scoffs ] I'll have to pre‐clear
any meetings you have

with witnesses or clients if
they have any kind of record.

Which leads me to today.

Georgia Bishop, Jamal's sister.

She called you?

I followed you.

Her boyfriend,
the one who interrupted your meeting,

his name's Dirk Burrell.

He's been upstate twice.

Once for as*ault,
once for armed robbery.

Long story short ‐‐ stay
away from both of them.

She's a witness
in my client's case.

Look, I understand you feel you
owe a debt to your friend, but ‐‐

He has a constitutional
right to representation.

Now, I'm his lawyer,
which means I can meet with witnesses

relevant to his defense.

Now,
you want to fight me on that?

Judge is gonna rule in my favor.

So, what's next?

Your employment status.

I thought we just
went over that.

If your plan is to defend
your old friends at Bellmore,

how are you gonna
support yourself?

[ Sighs ] First of all,
my wife is in a full‐time job.

And this house is already
paid for by her father.

But in my experience,
a man just getting out of prison

needs to have some
degree of financial stability,

which is why I need you...

to attend one of these
courses in the next week.

It'll teach you how
to write a résumé,

how to conduct
yourself in an interview,

how to harness
whatever skills you have.

You really think treating
me like everybody else

is a formula for success here?

If you don't appreciate
the nature of this dynamic,

you shouldn't have
agreed to this probation.

♪♪

It was a pleasure meeting you,
Mrs. Wallace.

Congratulations
again on your grandson

and on having your husband home.

♪♪

I'll let myself out.

♪♪

[ Door opens, closes ]

♪♪

♪♪

[ Shower running ]

[ Sighs ]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Hey, um, I was thinking

maybe I could get
a key to the house.

I see Ronnie has one.

Oh. Yeah. Right. I'm so sorry.

I,
Um ‐‐ I couldn't find another copy,

but I'll give you Ronnie's
until I get more made.

Yeah,
that'd be good. Thanks. Yeah. Yeah.

So,
how'd it go with Jamal's sister?

I still need to work on her. Mm.

What about the boyfriend
the PO was talking about?

You concerned?

You not?

I can handle him.

Okay.

I'm not giving up on Jamal.

I never said you should.

[ Inhales sharply ]

And what about the offer
from Spencer Richardson?

I couldn't tell how
you felt about it.

[ Sighing ] Yeah.

I don't want to walk into his office
every day thinking about who he is,

about Lexi, about the club,
and the past.

Yeah, I get it.

[ Sighs ]

I know you've never
really worked for anybody,

but he's a very respected man,

and maybe this is a way
for it all to mean something.

I became a lawyer by myself,
from my cell.

I don't need him or
anybody else to prop me up.

I know you don't.

But it sounds like he really
wants to do some good.

[ Sighs ]

And it would be
for a lot of money,

for Jazz's college, for AJ.

You know,
when she goes back to school in January,

I may have to cut back even more
of my shifts to take care of the baby,

so that means less money coming in,
maybe for a while.

Yeah, I'll ‐‐ I'll think about it,
alright?

[ Buttons clicking ]

[ Line ringing ]

This is Georgia. Do your thang.

Hey,
Georgia. This is Aaron Wallace.

I really want to talk to
you some more about this.

I texted you so you
have my number.

Thanks.

♪♪

[ Cellphone beeps ]

♪♪

[ Crickets chirping ]

♪♪

♪♪

Soon you're gonna be taking
on the whole world, huh?

♪♪

Look who's on baby duty.

[ Chuckles ]

Oh, it's just Grandma.

She's come to check
up on Grandpa...

[ Chuckles ] make sure
he's doing everything alright.

Looks like you are.

Shouldn't you be sleeping?

I have the day off tomorrow,
so I can sit with you.

[ Both chuckle lightly ]

♪♪

You remember that song
I used to sing to Jazz?

Mm‐hmm.

♪ Good night, sweet Jazz ♪

♪ Good night, my girl ♪

♪ Daddy loves you so much ♪

[ Chuckles ] Mm‐hmm.

I would sing that to her
hundreds and hundreds of times

till she went to sleep.

I remember that well, because...

I'm the one that made it up.

No.

Mm‐hmm. That's not true.

Oh, no,
that's true. [ Chuckles lightly ]

It was "Mommy
loves you so much,"

and then you stole it from me.

Oh, it was, huh? Yes, it was.

I would never do that.

Yes, you did. No.

I would never do that. But
because you were so cute,

you know,
I just let you have it.

Is that right? Yep.

[ Chuckles ]

♪ Good night, sweet AJ ♪

♪ Good night, my boy ♪

♪ Grandma loves you so much
♪ ♪ Grandpa loves you so much ♪

♪ Good night, sweet AJ ♪

♪ Good night, my boy ♪

♪ Grandma loves you so much
♪ ♪ Grandpa loves you so much ♪

[ Chuckles lightly ]

[ AJ cooing ]

[ Telephones ringing,
indistinct talking ]

Aaron: There's my
temporary driver's license,

ATM/Visa card,

and here's the
number to my cell.

[ Camera clicks ]

Sounds like you've
been productive.

How are things at home?

They're fine.

You know,
I didn't want to say it the other day,

in front of Marie,

but we can arrange for you
to live at a halfway house

if that would be a
better situation for you.

No. That won't be necessary.

Okay.

Anything on the
employment front?

I'm still considering
my options.

Obviously, I could just hang up
a shingle and run my own shop.

Not when you can't
afford an office.

I managed to run plenty of
cases in a six‐by‐four‐foot cell.

I'm sure I can make do
with what I got right now.

Fair enough.

You staying away
from Georgia and Dirk?

Why don't you check my texts?

♪♪

♪♪

I'm sure you got where you are

by doing everything
your own way.

In prison ‐‐

You ever been?

You can't fight
me on everything.

I won't.

Only the things that
really matter to me.

Well, I can tell you why

she might not be
answering your texts.

The night after
you went to see her,

one of her neighbors called 911.

Domestic abuse call.

Cops got there.

Somehow,
she was the one who ended up arrested.

For what?

All I know is, they're trouble.

Which is why I'm
telling you ‐‐ stay away.

♪♪

[ Sighs ]

[ Indistinct conversations ]

[ Buzzer, door opens ]

Georgia.

You called a lawyer yet?

I was gonna use
a public defender.

Well, I can do better.

Tell me what happened.

b*tch next door called the cops.

They roll up there, I tell 'em to go away,
they barge in anyways.

And now you got
an as*ault charge.

It was just a squabble.

Now, listen,
I can get you out of this,

but you got to
tell me the truth.

I can't.

He's already got
a criminal record.

The judge will
believe you. I said no.

He can't hurt you
if he's behind bars.

I'm not gonna be
responsible... Georgia.

For putting another
person in prison.

I'm not testifying.

And this whole thing
would never have happened

if you hadn't shown
up in the first place.

That's what set him off.

♪♪

[ Sighs ]

They got you on a drug charge.

[ Scoffs ] It was a handful of Valium,
which they only got

'cause they went fishin'
through all my drawers.

Well,
you didn't have a prescription for it,

which is an "A" misdemeanor.

I'll give 'em the dealer.

It's this kid that lives
in my neighborhood.

Kid? He's like 19 or 20.

No. His name's ‐‐

No, no, we're not doing that.

They throw the book at him
and put him away for years.

♪♪

How you gonna help me, then?

[ Sighs ]

[ Birds chirping ]

[ Lid clatters ]

[ Ringtone plays ]

[ Groans ]

Hey. Where are you?

Hey. Um,
I'm down at Central Booking.

Jamal's sister got arrested.

What?

It's a long story.

But... I need your help.

With what?

Is there a substance abuse
program at the hospital?

Uh, yeah.

And what about domestic
abuse? Is there counseling for that?

No,
but there's a program at St. Agatha's.

I‐I know some people there.

Oh, great.

[ Sighs ]

Can you make some calls for me,
please?

I need to get her enrolled
before her arraignment.

[ Cell door closes ]

[ Anderson. Paak featuring
Rick Ross' "Cut 'em In" plays ]

♪ Hit‐boy on the beat so ♪

♪ You gotta go berserk ♪ ♪ Yeah,
yeah ♪

♪ Okay, mm ♪

♪ Sometimes you need a friend ♪

♪ Not the ones that just show
up and don't put nothin' in ♪

♪ You know, the ones that lend
a hand and wanna see you win ♪

♪ When you come up on a lick,
make sure you cut 'em in ♪

♪ Cut 'em in ♪ ♪ And then, huh ♪

♪ Sometimes you need a foe ♪

♪ One that keep your eyes open,
keep you on your toes ♪

♪ You know, the ones that wanna
keep you where you been before ♪

♪ But I can't go ♪

♪ No, I can't go ♪ ♪ No,
I can't go ♪

♪ No, I can't go ♪ ♪ And,
whoa, huh ♪

♪ Sometimes you need a friend ♪

♪ Not the ones that just show
up and don't put nothin' in ♪

♪ When you come up on a lick,
make sure you cut 'em in ♪

♪ And then ♪

♪ Sometimes you need a foe ♪

♪ Need a foe ♪

Docket ending 347,
People vs. Georgia Bishop.

Charged with as*ault
in the third degree

and criminal possession
of a controlled substance

in the seventh degree.

Aaron Wallace for the defense,
Your Honor.

Your Honor,
this is a domestic violence situation

in which drugs were recovered
from Ms. Bishop's bedroom.

People have no offer.

The People are correct.

This is a domestic
violence situation.

But my client is not
the aggressor here.

In fact, she's 5'5".

He's 6'1",
with two prior violent felonies.

Is that true?

Yes, Your Honor,
but we're not gonna litigate

a "He said, she said" here.

And in any event,
we have a dozen ill*gal Valium pills ‐‐

Which were the
result of a bad search.

The cops showed up on
a domestic violence call

and then started
snooping around the house,

looking for something
to bust the victim for.

If the defendant is willing to
testify against Mr. Burrell ‐‐

So she was arrested to try to
force her to testify against him?

She was arrested for throwing
a plate at Mr. Burrell's face

and for the drugs.

I have already arranged

an outpatient drug treatment
program at Hillcrest Memorial.

I take one pill a day.
I'm not some addict!

Georgia. If I was some
soccer mom from the suburbs,

I'd have my doctor writing me
prescriptions like they was candy.

Sounds like your client's not
quite compliant with your plan.

Have you even had a
chance to run it by her?

A moment, please.

You want to make useless points

about how unfair
society is to you,

or you want me to
get you out of this?

[ Sighs ]

She'll agree to attend a
drug treatment program,

as well as entering a domestic
violence support group.

May I approach?

Sorry. I didn't get a chance
to print out the paperwork.

But you can see the
e‐mails which confirm

she's been accepted
into both programs.

Mr. Kirk,
can we make a deal here?

Only if Ms. Bishop agrees
to periodic drug tests.

No problem.

And as long as there are no
other arrests in the next year,

we're amendable.

Well done, Mr. Wallace.

I didn't know you were
gonna be practicing.

I am, Your Honor.

Then I guess
we'll see you again.

[ Gavel bangs ]

Come on. Let's get you home.

♪♪

[ Door closes ]

Hey.

Hey.

Oh,
I can't remember how long it's been

since I had Chinese.



Two days before
you got arrested,

we were out with Michael
and one of his chicks.

Something wrong?

Spencer called.

Said he hadn't heard from you.

And what'd you tell him?

I told him we were
thinking about it.

Of course,
I have no idea what you're thinking.

Did he pressure you?

No. He was very respectful.

Alright.

Did you hear what I said?

What?

That I have no idea
what you're thinking.

I already told you ‐‐

I don't think I can
wrap my head around it.

So, you don't want to take a
job because it's gonna make you

think about how
you got arrested,

but you have no problem
spending your time with ‐‐

Helping Jamal and his sister?

A woman who's bounced from one
a*usive man to the next her entire life.

Suddenly,
you're gonna be the one to help her?

I'm doing this for my friend,
Marie.

Who's in prison because of her.

Well, I'm not him,
and I'm not about to do something stupid.

Okay. Well,
what about the boyfriend?

What if he comes after you?

What if he comes here?

It's not gonna come to that.

No, you can't promise that.
You can't promise anything.

[ Sighs ]

Alright, so,
I take Spencer Richardson's money.

And that'll make you happy?
That solves everything?

No, it doesn't solve everything.

But it'll help this family. It'll
help make you legitimate.

Legitimate? You
know what I mean.

That man's responsible
for putting me away!

No, he's not!

He just wanted somebody to pay
for what happened to his daughter.

Maskins and the cops are
responsible for what happened to you.

So,
what? Now I just gotta be his show pony?

I don't know!

But you need to
talk to your wife

about decisions that affect
the future of this family,

instead of playing this
lone wolf thing that ‐‐

♪♪

That what?

Go on. Say it.

That got me locked up?

♪♪

Yeah.

Least I know where
your head's at.

♪♪

I'm sorry, sweetheart.

I need to get some air.

[ Door opens ]

[ Door closes ]

♪♪

I like the space.

Yeah, I do, too. Yeah.

Me here, you there?

We'll flip a coin for it.

♪♪

You think this is a mistake?

♪♪

You said you were up all night.

Can't argue with the
dark night of your soul.

[ Knock on door ]

Your friend just
called from downstairs.

Should I bring him up?

[ Door closes ]

So, you don't like the idea
of working under my roof...

[ Briefcase thuds, echoes ]

but you still want my money?

A reasonable salary for me.

Something to cover our overhead.

And something for my
Bellmore and pro bono cases.

Hmm.

And a fund to help
inmates' families

and the formerly incarcerated
get back on their feet.

You can do all of that and
more from the foundation.

That was supposed to
be part of the discussion.

I gotta have my independence.

I'm offering you a chance
to make a real difference ‐‐

on an institutional scale ‐‐

and you want to go mom‐and‐pop?

If you meant what you said

about wanting to
make things right,

then you'll let me
choose how I want to do it.

♪♪

I got one case ‐‐ Hmm? ‐‐

I want you to take.

[ Latches click ]

You'll understand why
it's important to me.

♪♪

One case.

Mm‐hmm.

You follow it all
the way through,

you can have half
my original offer.

And I'll need to have a full
accounting on a monthly basis

of where every dime is going.

Sounds fair.

I'll write your Realtor
a check on my way out.

♪♪

[ Siren wailing in distance ]

[ Sighs ]

[ Cellphone vibrating ]

Hello?

Is that my man right there?

Jamal?

[ Chuckles ]

Yeah, yeah. You know how it is,
man. Come on.

You got a burner?

Come on, man. I told you I was
gonna be a shot‐caller in here.

Tell me this. How'd we do?

Round One to Wallace.

Ahhh. So you got it, huh?

Got your sister's affidavit.

I've subpoenaed for
Tony's criminal record.

We're on our way.

Alright. She came through for me,
huh? [ Chuckles ]

Yeah, man. Of course.

Yeah, yeah,
'cause she's smart, man.

Real smart. Always
did well in school.

I'll do whatever
I can to help her.

Alright,
man. Thanks for everything.

I'm serious.

You're out of your
mind. Don't thank me.

Yo, Walter.

Guess who I got
on the phone here.

Hey, yo, that's Wallace?

[ Laughs ]

You know it. [ Laughs ]

Yo, you like a superhero in here,
bro.

Invisible Man,
Luke Cage, I don't know.

[ Chuckles ]

People just can't believe
you ain't here no more.

I can barely believe it myself.

[ Sighs ]

[ Dog barking in distance ]

[ Vehicles passing ]

[ Lock clicks ]

[ Switch clicks ]

[ Door creaks ]

Mm‐hmm?

[ Knock on door ]

Yeah.

Okay, j‐just send me the files,
and I'll ‐‐ I'll have a look.

Great.

Thanks. Good night.

Hey.

Hey.

Sorry I missed dinner.

Oh, it was just leftovers.

I met with Richardson.

We made a compromise.

I still get my salary,
but I get my own office away from him.

I gotta do this
one thing for him,

then I get to choose
my own cases.

Alright. [ Chuckles ]

I need to focus on getting
people back to their families.

I think I'm gonna
be good at that.

Thank you.

For hearing me.

I'm sorry about last night.

[ Sighs ]

I'm just scared, Aaron.

♪♪

I don't want to lose you again.

Oh, you won't.

♪♪

Not ever.

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪