♪ O holy night
♪ The stars are brightly shining... ♪
Hi, sorry to bother you, Lance. It's just, um, uh...
Dasha, she hasn't come down to the car yet.
And that's my problem because...?
Well, we'll be late to the match?
Clara, this is your job.
Or can you not handle the simple act of picking up a client?
I-I called her, I pounded on the door.
She's-she's not answering.
Then use your Ivy League brain
and figure out how to get inside her room and wake her up.
You mean, break in?
I don't care how you do it.
Bribe the front desk for a room key.
Charm a bellboy.
Do whatever it takes or you're fired.
MAN [distant]: Merry Christmas!
Whoa. Sorry.
It's okay. No problem.
Dasha? Are you up?
[door closes]Hey, Jade.
Have you seen Dasha?
She's not answering her phone.
Not since last night. Sorry.
Yeah. She probably overslept.
I've got to run.
First match back since my surgery.
Hope my hip holds up for a three-setter.
Yep. Good luck out there.
♪ O night
-♪ Divine -[lock beeps, clicks]
Dasha?
Dasha, it's morning.
Let's get moving.
If you shower fast, we can still make it on time.
Come on, Dasha. It's an important tournament.
Dasha, wake up.
Dasha?
Oh, my God. Please, no.
Please, please, please, no.
[gasping]
Help. I need help. She's not breathing!
♪ The angel voices...
Thank you, Pastor.
Mr. Palmer, a word?
Uh-oh.
Never good when the pastor calls you Mister
and says they need a word.
There's a congregant, Clara Williams,
a good girl.
Works the soup kitchen every Saturday,
rain or shine.Mm-hmm.
She's in trouble.
Okay. What kind of trouble?
Did you hear about Dasha Markovic's overdose?
Oh, yeah, yeah. It was tragic.
Clara is being charged with her death.
She gave her the drugs that killed her.
So... big trouble.
She needs a lawyer. Can you help her?
[sighs] Pastor, I would, I would love to,
but TAC's shutting down for the holidays, and...
It'd be a true gesture of Christian goodwill.
A way to give back
this season of giving.
I hear you, Pastor, but...
[scoffs] TAC charges some pretty hefty fees.
We have money.
You got any more excuses?
♪
You got guilt-tripped by your pastor.
It's like every sin I ever committed
was tattooed to my forehead.
Well, I respect the church's passion,
but this is about a quarter of our fee.
Do you want to argue dollars and cents with Pastor Reynolds?
No. That's why I don't go to church.
I spent so much time with Dasha over the last two years.
I know she was a client, but...
it kind of felt like we were friends.
And the fact that I gave her something
that killed her...
I don't know how I'm gonna live with that.
The police report said that the cocaine
that you gave Dasha was laced with fentanyl.
It's a powerful opiate.
Look, I know that I never should have gotten
the cocaine for Dasha in the first place,
but I never would've given it to her
if I knew that there was fentanyl in it.
Well, unfortunately the prosecutor
doesn't care what you knew.
Tons of street drugs are getting cut with fentanyl every day.
It's leading to a massive amount of ODs.
So the D.A.'s office is taking a hardline
on anyone who is involved in distributing these drugs.
I don't sell drugs.
I don't even do drugs.Right.
Why don't we start at the beginning.
Tell us what happened.
Dasha's agent is my boss.
And as his assistant, it is my job to service her.
I schedule her meetings.
I make sure that she gets there on time.
Basically, anything that she needs, I make sure that she has.
Even when it's cocaine?
My boss made it very clear that
if I didn't give Dasha exactly what she wanted, he'd fire me.
So, your boss knew that Dasha had asked you for drugs?
He told me which dealer to go to.
Told you verbally, no paper trail?
Lance Thomas's motto is, "Don't write anything down
unless you want to see it on social."
Wait. Your boss is Lance Thomas?
Yes.
Okay. So, your boss is a jerk.
He threatens to fire you unless you break the law.
Why don't you quit?
Look, I know it sounds ridiculous.
It is ridiculous. I just...
Being an athlete has been my entire life.
I ran track growing up, and my family,
we didn't have any money, but because I was fast,
I got to go to college.
I was training for the Olympics my junior year,
and I got a stress fracture in my foot.
I did everything that the doctor said,
but it didn't heal.
So... that was it.
My running career was over.
And so, being an agent was the next best thing?
It's better in a lot of ways, actually.
A lot of athletes grow up poor,
like I did,
and they get taken advantage of.
So, I thought...
if I could make it as an agent, that I could advocate for them.
But first you had to survive Lance Thomas.
I've had tough coaches my whole life,
and some of them have been downright bullies.
But I never let them break me.
And I wasn't about to let Lance break me.
That's why I stayed.
That's why I did whatever he told me to do.
I thought I was being strong.
But now I just wish
that I had been strong enough to walk away.
Then maybe Dasha would still be alive.
She's guilty.
Never a great way to start a defense.
I know.
But I feel for Clara.
She just got caught up in the machine, Bull.
Is that an affirmative defense I'm not aware of?
No, I'm just saying, she's young.
She's working in a high-pressure environment.
It's easy to lose perspective.
Hell, it was like that for me. When I got to New York
and started working at Vogue, it was the exact same thing.
Fashion, sports...
Lot of people dream of working in those industries.
Exactly.
You put up with a lot just to keep your job.
It starts out, you're picking your boss's kid up from school,
and then you're picking your boss's dog's poop up.
So, by the time they tell you to go buy drugs,
you're programmed just to do it.
You're like a frog in a boiling pot of water.
You don't realize that you're in trouble until it's too late.
Well...
Lance Thomas got Clara in a world of trouble.
What if we try to shift the blame
so Lance looks like the bad guy?
Maybe.
It might not be enough.
You remember how the pastor used the Christmas spirit
to get you to meet Clara?
Yeah.
Well, juries are also more inclined
to be generous around the holidays.
Less likely to convict.
Christmas is at the end of next week.
There's no way we can squeeze this
onto the docket before then.
Chunk, my daughter got kidnapped this year.
We got her back.
I got charged with bribing a juror.
We got me off.
So, sue me if I'm feeling a little bullish.
♪
Who says the holiday season isn't filled
with magic and wonder?
You got Clara's case on the docket?
Dave from the clerk's office gave us
the last slot of the season.
Told you helping him with
those Friday crosswords would pay off.
I stand corrected and amazed.
Now, I hate to be a downer...
Then don't.
Do you really think that we can finish
a manslaughter case this fast?
Speed is our friend here. Round up the team.
We need to move faster than Santa's sleigh.
You're really going all in on the Christmas thing, aren't you?
[chuckles]: Oh, you know-ho-ho it.
[phone beeps]
We are full speed ahead on the Clara Williams case.
Trial starts on Monday.
Did you tell Bull that come December 23
I will be in Aruba, no matter what?
No, but I'm sure you will.
We can work Christmas Day for all I care.
Erik took Mauricio to Hawaii for the holidays
so I'll be all alone anyway.
You said that so chipper and yet it's actually sad.
It is, a little.
It's the first Christmas without Mauricio
since he was born, but hey, no pity parties.
I've got my Netflix cued up and Hunan Delight on speed dial.
What are you doing for Christmas, Marissa?
I am going to a dinner party on Christmas Eve
that I suspect is a covert setup.
My friend's brother got divorced,
and she keep dropping hints about getting us together.
That sounds awful.
Why? Maybe he's amazing. What's his deal?
Well, he's handsome, intriguing,
and an archaeologist of all things.
Oh. I can dig that.
Oh, Taylor. No.
Oh, you're all here.
Thank you.
So...
In order for Clara to be convicted of manslaughter,
the A.D.A. has to prove that
giving Dasha the fentanyl-laced cocaine was reckless.
But it was reckless. I mean, if you ask me,
Clara should've simply refused to do it.
Okay, well, remind me not to put you on the witness list.
We need to paint a picture that it was impossible
for Clara to say no;
that she wasn't being reckless, she was coerced.
You're going after Clara's boss?
Yep. Lance Thomas.
Ranked the number one
most powerful sports agent by Forbes.
And a notorious toxic bully.
Between football and fashion, I've seen this guy
more times than I can count.
He's only happy when someone's crying.
There are chatrooms devoted to this guy.
One user claiming to be his ex-assistant said
she got fired for taking time off to do chemo.
Another guy said he had to sleep at the office
because Lance threatened to fire him
if he ever beat the kid into work.
We need more than Internet rumors.
We need witnesses that are willing to testify
to his brutality,
so it's not just Clara's word against his.
I'm on it. DANNY: Why aren't we going
after Dasha Markovic's responsibility?
It's not like Clara held her down
and forced her to snort that coke.
Danny, you can testify all day long.
The woman is dead. I would tread lightly there.
Understood.
Oh, and Danny...
Yeah?
I need you to track down that drug dealer.
See if you can get him to testify
that Lance sent all of his assistants there
to buy drugs for his clients,
so we can establish the culture.
Get a drug dealer to rat on his customers
and incriminate himself. No problem.
Anything else you want to ask Santa for while he's at it?
An acquittal, maybe.
["Deck the Halls" playing]
Yep, yeah. I just sent you over a proposal.
Take a look at it and let me know what works for you.
Yeah. Sounds good. Bye.
Hey.
Hey.[sniffs] Ooh, am I having a stroke,
or is something burning?
[gasps] Ah! Damn it.
Oh, shoot. Ah.
Um, I got distracted by my call.
I guess December wasn't the best time
to start my consulting business.
You know, I thought I'd have, like, one client.
All of a sudden, I have seven businesses
that want to redo their brands.
Yeah.
Maybe you want to skip the Christmas cookies this year.
[groans] They're gingerbread men.
And Astrid and I, we were going to decorate them,
and we were gonna put them on the tree.
Oh, the tree.I just wanted to make
Christmas really special after the few months we've had.
So, I just got off the phone with the tree farm guy.
[chuckles]: It's kind of funny.
He delivered the tree to my old address,
'cause I didn't update the tree farm guy.No.
Oh, my-- Can he bring us another one?
There's nothing available till next week.
No. No, no. That's too late.
I'll figure out a time to go out...No, no, no, no. No tree...
[stammers] But I have been figuring it out,
and I got this place.
And they are gonna deliver an eight-foot Douglas fir,
extra plump.
Ten-foot.
She wants a ten-foot.
There's the ten-foot Douglas fir.
Extra plumper.
[squeals softly]
[elevator bell dings]
Izzy and I are going all out this year.
Ten-foot Douglas fir,
fat as she comes.
Let's hope we find some jurors
with as much Christmas spirit as you.
Mm-hmm. We want to steer clear of rebels
who would never cave the way Clara did.
What we want are conformists.
If you're showing up for jury duty,
doesn't that kind of make you a conformist already?
[elevator bell dings]That's true.
Oh, God.What?
When I read that it was A.D.A. Robert Jones,
I didn't know that it was that Robert Jones.
[chuckling]
Chester Palmer.
Looks like we've got ourselves a rematch.
Rob, how are you?
This is my colleague, Dr. Jason Bull.
Rob and I were in law school together.
Oh, I think it's fair to say
I was Chunk's nemesis.Hmm.
That's funny. He never mentioned you.
Oh, well, nobody likes to relive their defeats.
Good luck, Rob. You're gonna need it.
Don't think so.
Hmm. Chunk has a nemesis.
That guy, real gunner in law school.
Top of the class.
Made law review.
He and I made it to the Moot Court
competition finals.
And? He beat me.
And he loved it.
Well, let's flip the script on that, shall we?
♪
Yeah.
JUROR: The first time I drank alcohol was
in high school at a graduation party with my friends.
And did you enjoy it?
No.
I spent the whole time worrying about getting in trouble.
I just wanted to fit in.
Don't know what kind of person
that makes me.
It makes you a conformist.
Hold up, Bull.
Around the time juror number nine had his first beer,
he spearheaded an environmental campaign
when fish were washing up dead in his hometown river.
Does not sound like conformity to me.
Sounds like he's got a heart.
You sure you're not going too fast?
If we don't seat a jury today,
we will not finish the trial by Christmas.
If we don't finish the trial by Christmas,
we will miss out on all that holiday cheer.
So we go fast.
This juror is acceptable to the defense, Your Honor.
Ten jurors sat in under an hour?
I wish every lawyer who came before me
kept such an efficient pace.
Uh, may I have a moment to confer
with defense counsel, Your Honor?
Make it quick, Counselor.
[clears throat]
Yeah. I'm starting to have concerns about this jury pool.
I'm thinking of moving for a change of venue.
That's ridiculous. On what grounds?
Oh, by the time I'm done with my motion,
I will have plenty of grounds.
But I should let you know, I write real slow.
What do you want?A fair jury.
Specifically. Forty-four.
No way. He's got obvious bias.
His cousin OD'd.
Yeah. Spent 25 years at the same insurance company.
Okay, 44. Are we done?You bet. Oh.
Oh, oh, wait, wait, wait. Just one more thing.
To feel 100% secure in this venue,
I will need juror number 26.
Bull, juror number 26 is a self-declared anarchist.
Absolutely not. Oh, well,
then I'd better get started on my motion.
I hope you weren't planning on taking advantage
of the holiday spirit.
Rob, you seem like a very nice guy,
so I'll be concise. If you try to move my jury,
I will file an extortion complaint so fast
it'll make your head spin.
[whispers]: Your colleague came to play.Mm.
Juror 26 is a nonstarter. Got it.
Uh, will you accept juror number seven?Yes.
Yes. Yes.
Well, we have a jury.
Your Honor, uh,
defense counsel and I have agreed
on jurors number 44
and seven.
Good.
Opening arguments start at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow.
On the dot.
That man gets under my skin.
Really? I hadn't noticed.
We had better win this thing.
Well, the good thing about fighting a peacock is,
once you pluck all his feathers, he's really just a tall chicken.
How long you been sitting on that?
Couple hours.
Getting cold out there.
TAYLOR: Might be a white Christmas.
Or even a blizzard.
They're predicting quite a bit of snow.
As long as it doesn't screw up my flight to Aruba.
Ooh.
Opening arguments didn't go so well, huh?
Well, this A.D.A. isn't playing around.
He came in strong.
But Chunk was able to make up some ground.
Where are we with Lance Thomas's former assistants?
Well, there's a woman he fired, Melanie Standish.
She works at a store in Herald Square.
She's willing to talk?
Well, she'd rather not,
but at least she didn't hang up on me
like all the other assistants.
I've got until 5:00.
I'll get her to talk.
Miss Kiernan, how did you know Dasha Markovic?
We met on tour when we were 16.
It's a really competitive atmosphere,
so it can be hard to make friends.
But Dasha and I, we just clicked.
Sounds like you two were close.
I got injured at the French Open last year.
I thought my career was over.
I was really depressed, and...
I guess Dasha could tell,
because one day I came home after physical therapy,
and... there she was.
She flew all the way to my hometown
just to see me.
[choked up]: I'm sorry. I just...
I still can't believe she's gone.
I understand. It's a... it's a huge loss.
JADE: Thank you.
Were you with Dasha
the night before she died?
I was.And did someone
bring her the fentanyl-laced cocaine that night?
Yes.
Her.
Clara Williams.
I have no further questions.
Miss Kiernan,
did you ever see Dasha
use cocaine?
Yes.
Shift the blame.More than once?
Yes.
Objection, Your Honor. Relevance?
Dasha didn't die of
a cocaine overdose.
She died because the cocaine Miss Williams supplied her with
was laced with a fatal amount of fentanyl.
Shows a pattern of drug abuse, Your Honor.
Overruled. Proceed, Mr. Palmer.
Would it be fair to say
that you saw Dasha use cocaine on many occasions?
I guess so.
One last question.
On the night before Dasha passed away,
did you hear her call Clara
and ask her to bring her the cocaine?
Yes.
No further questions.
Tell me you're seeing more mistletoe than holly berries.
I don't want to lie and end up with a stocking full of coal.
BULL:Jury doesn't want to blame Dasha for her own death.
We need to find a Scrooge they can target.
♪
Sounds like Lance Thomas can be a pretty tough boss.
Told you, not gonna talk about Lance.
Well, he's not your boss anymore.
He can't get you fired.
Well, wish someone could.
Was Lance the reason why you left the agency?
Why you're stacking candles two days before Christmas?
Maybe.
But I'm up for a job at another agency,
and I'm not about to blow it by narcing on Lance.
He knows everyone in sports.
Well, sounds like Lance could be pretty persuasive.
Did he ever ask you to buy drugs for a client?
You do not give up, do you?
Clara Williams is facing 15 years in prison
because she did what Lance told her to do.
What if that had been you?
Okay, look.
You did not hear this from me,
but check out Crystal Meadows SoHo Rehab.
Did he send clients there?
Crystal Meadows SoHo. Merry Christmas.
And a happy new year.
Mr. Thomas,
what was your relationship with Dasha Markovic?
I was Dasha's agent.
Signed her when she was just 13.
She didn't make it to the Junior Finals that year,
but I could tell she was gonna be one of the greats.
I got her a new coach. New trainer. Nutritionist.
The next year, she won the whole damn thing,
and I got her her first endorsement deal.
Sounds like you made quite the investment in Dasha,
didn't you?Of course.
It's what I do for my clients. Whatever they need.
Whatever they need, huh?
Does that include buying them drugs?
No, of course not. I would never do that.
I-I'm sorry. Not you personally,
but you ask your assistants
to buy them drugs.
LANCE: No, I do not ask
my employees to break the law.
He's lying.
Oh, I know. CHUNK: Mr. Thomas,
did you know that Dasha abused cocaine?
LANCE: I was aware that she used cocaine,
but I did everything in my power to discourage it.
Did you know that
she sought treatment last year
at the Crystal Meadows SoHo Rehab?
Uh...
I-I did know that she was there,
and I was fully supportive of her efforts to get clean.
Well, if that's true,
then why did you pull her out
two weeks before she finished her treatment?
Dasha was the defending champ
at the U.S. Open.
She had worked her whole life for this,
and she wanted to see it through.
Whatever she needed.
Right?Dasha promised to go
back to rehab once the tourney was over.
And did she go back and complete her treatment?
No, but the plan...
In fact, right after the tournament,
she shot a commercial for which you personally received
$1 million, isn't that right?
That ad campaign had been in the works for months.
You removed her from rehab
and now she's dead from a drug overdose.
♪
Isn't that right?
No further questions, Your Honor.
Mr. Thomas.
Did you buy cocaine for Dasha on the night she died?
No.
No further questions, Your Honor.
Guy's slippery as a snake.
The witness or the A.D.A.?
Counsel, please approach.
As tomorrow is Christmas Eve,
I'd like to reconvene this trial after the holidays.
Does the second week of January work for both parties?
Uh, no, Your Honor,
my client has a right to a swift and speedy trial.
The courthouse is closed
the first week of January, Mr. Palmer.
The second week is what I can offer.
But the courthouse is open tomorrow.
We can have this wrapped up by then.
I don't want to make these jurors come in
on Christmas Eve
unless they're going to be finished for good.
We'll be finished, Your Honor.
A.D.A. Jones, any objections?
No. No objections, Your Honor.
Okay then. We'll wrap this up tomorrow.
I'm sure the jury will be pleased not to come back
after the new year.
MARISSA: Hey, do either of you know
how to make a raspberry cheesecake?
God no. Why?
Well, the archeologist reached out.
We've been texting. [chuckles]: He's funny.
Curious how LOL leads to cheesecake.
I might have bragged that I could make a mean one.
Now I'm in charge of dessert for tomorrow night.
Ladies, we're in a world of hurt.
I need more ammunition to throw the blame on Lance.
Danny, did you track down
the dealer Clara bought the coke from?
Yeah. I just found out he got busted,
and is being held at Rikers.
Can you get in to see him today?
I tried. Uh, visiting hours are over.
Can you see him tomorrow?
I will be on the beach tomorrow.
And Clara's going to be in prison for 15 years
if we don't dirty Lance up.
[sighs] Fine.
I will change my flight.
But I hate you. You know that, right?
Yes. Yes, I do.
Good.
♪ Oh, the weather outside is frightful ♪
♪ But the fire is so delightful... ♪
[grunts]That snow is really coming down out there.
I'm telling you.
And look at this. Fantastic.
Okay, I'm gonna get changed,
and then we are going to decorate our tree.
Oh, take your time.
Where's the tree? I got an email it arrived today.
Oh, it arrived. Wait here.
With all these cookies?
Mmm.♪ Let it snow, let it snow
♪ Let it snow...
Close your eyes.
That's ominous.
[stifled laugh]What the...?
[gasps]
Oh. [laughs]
So, I ordered a ten-inch tree instead of a ten-foot tree.
Those pesky apostrophes.
Well, so much for a perfect Christmas.
No, no, no. I promise you,
I will get you an adult-sized tree.
♪ But as long as you love me so ♪
Mmm.
♪ Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. ♪
[elevator bell dings]
I'm starting to think that this blizzard isn't gonna miss us.
Ah. Such a
beautiful tree.
You know what else will be beautiful?
If Danny can get us something useful
from that drug dealer today.
Good morning, Mr. Palmer.Pastor Reynolds.
I can't believe you came all the way down to court today.
I'm not a fair-weather pastor.
Hmm.Am I gonna see you at Midnight Mass tonight?
Yeah, I'll be there.
Do you go to church, Dr. Bull?
Well, it's complicated.
Is it?
Okay, Pastor Reynolds,
let's, uh... let's go grab our seat.
JUDGE TAHANI: We've got a full day
so let's get to it.
Defense may call
their first witness.
The defense calls Clara Williams
to the stand, Your Honor.
Your Honor, before Ms. Williams takes the stand,
there's some evidence I'd like to enter.
[lively chatter, music playing]
[clears throat]
Your Honor, this video is irrelevant
to the events on the night that Dasha died.
We strongly object to its inclusion.
If the defendant is going to take the stand
and testify that she bought drugs against her will,
her personal history of drug use is entirely relevant.
I agree with A.D.A. Jones.
I'll allow it.
Your Honor. [chuckles]
I-I need some time to prepare.
Defense assured the court
they'd have proceedings wrapped up by tonight.
That's before counsel sprung this video
on us at the last minute.
I'll give you a brief recess to prepare, Mr. Palmer.
You should have shared that video before trial.
I am working well within the lines.That you keep redrawing.
If you hadn't pushed to finish trial today,
you'd have plenty of time to mitigate the fallout.
That was always your problem, Rob.
You always got cocky when you thought you were ahead.
Chester... I am ahead.
Oh, come on. I'll give you an extra $200.
What do you mean you can't deliver it today?
I'm not being a wise guy.[phone beeping]
Oh.
Hey, Marissa, do you have any connections
in the Christmas tree business?
Forget getting a tree. You're not even gonna
make it home for Christmas Eve.
What? Why not?
Find a window.
Oh.
The blizzard just struck New York City head-on.
Roads are blocked. Subways are down.
We're snowed in.
Ugh. There goes my jury's Christmas spirit.
TAHANI: I have some bad news. Due to the blizzard,
the mayor's office has issued
an emergency declaration restricting all
non-essential travel.
The roads, the subway,
everything's shut down until further notice.
I apologize for the trouble
that rushing this trial has caused,
but since there's nowhere we can go, we might as well proceed.
Clara, was that you who we saw
using cocaine on that video?Yes.
Do you use cocaine regularly?
No. That was the first and only time I've ever tried it.
Were you pressured into using it?
I was pressured into doing a lot of things
for my job, but not that.
I wanted to try cocaine that night.
Why is that?
I guess I just
wanted to cut loose for once.
Growing up, I didn't get to go to a lot of parties.
My family-- we didn't have a lot.
I mean, my dad-- he worked really hard,
but my mom passed away when I was really young,
so it was just him, raising five kids on a bus driver's salary.
And I had a job, since I was 14, to help out.
And I knew that if I wanted to go to college,
I was gonna have to work way harder than everyone else.
So I spent every moment I had
studying or on the track.
Anyway,
that night, when I saw everyone else doing it,
I thought...
maybe I could finally have some fun, too.
Was it fun?
Not really.
And now, seeing what's happened to Dasha,
I realize just how lucky I was that there was no fentanyl
in the cocaine I tried.
Clara, why did you buy Dasha that cocaine?
I didn't feel like I had a choice.
I know that sounds crazy. Of course I had a choice.
But my boss, Lance Thomas-- he told me
that he would fire me if I didn't do it.
And were you worried about how you would support yourself
if you lost your job?
Well, I made minimum wage, and I live in New York City, so, yeah.
But it wasn't just about the job for me.
This was my dream.
I wanted to represent athletes more than anything.
I wanted to be a voice for them, I wanted to protect them.
I didn't do everything that I could to protect Dasha.
I never should have gotten her that cocaine.
I'll regret the part I played in Dasha's death
for the rest of my life.
No further questions, Your Honor.
[Jones clears throat]
Before Dasha's death, were you aware
that people could overdose from drugs?
Yes.
And have you seen the-the signs around town-- subways, busses--
that warn of the dangers of fentanyl-laced drugs?
I have.
So is it fair to say that you knew the risk,
and yet, you still supplied Dasha
with the drugs that killed her?
Yes.
Nothing further.
Well, I'm sorry, Bull. The jury is as red as...
I know I started it, but if you use another Christmas metaphor,
I'm gonna lose the will to live.
[gasps]
That looks fabulous.
Did you find a bakery?Nope.
Stayed up all night making it, probably for nothing.
Don't think I'll make it to the party now.
I'm sorry. At least you're not snowed in at Rikers.
Listen, I came all the way out here.
There's a freaking blizzard outside,
so I couldn't leave even if I wanted to.
Can you just let me speak to him for a few minutes?
You should have called ahead. I would have told ya.
No visitors are allowed on Christmas Eve.
Well, this isn't a social call.
A young woman's life is on the line.
Would it kill you to make an exception?
No. But the paperwork might.
Sorry, no can do.
[sighs][garbled radio transmission]
You see that suitcase right there?
I'm supposed to be on a flight
to Aruba right now.
I was supposed to actually leave last night,
but I postponed my flight to visit this inmate.
And I get that none of that is your problem.
But I have had a rough couple of months.
My mom had a stroke, and she and I...
Well, it's never been easy.
But I-I took leave from work to take care of her.
And when she recovered, I said to myself,
"Let's take care of me. Let's-let's
treat myself to Christmas on the beach."
But it seems like I'm gonna be, uh, spending it here at Rikers.
So if I'm gonna be stuck here,
I would at least like it to mean something.
You done?
Yes.
My mom was a real piece of work, too.
Can you make it quick before the shift change?
Gone before you know it. Thank you.
Aha.You heard from Danny?
Not yet. Hey, you got any cash?
You hungry?
Yes. So's the jury. The, uh...Oh.
The cafeteria's closed for the holiday.
You can't sympathize on an empty stomach, huh?
No. Least we can do is feed them.
They're not gonna make it home tonight.
I don't think that there's enough junk food
in the world to turn this jury around.
I know. We need to stall, give Danny enough time
to figure some stuff out.
I don't think Judge Tahani's gonna do us any favors.
Why don't you talk
to your old pal Rob and see if he'll take a plea deal?
You-you want me to float a plea deal as a stall tactic?
Well, he would do the same to us, wouldn't he?
You summon me here to tell me how the jurors ended up
with a stocking full of snacks?
They don't know who bought the snacks.[scoffs]
For all they know, you bought the trail mix
and the cheese puffs.
I was counting on the fact that no one can sympathize
on an empty stomach.
Eh. Oh, well, I'm still winning.
You don't stop, do you?
Look, I know I come on strong.
I've got a big personality, and that's not to everyone's liking.
But at my core,
I'm just a kid from the sticks looking to make good.
You came from the sticks, huh?
I grew up in a mobile home.
I'm the first in my family to go to college.
I didn't know that.
Yeah, well, clearly, I overcompensate.
So says my therapist.
Don't quote me on this,
but I can sympathize with Clara.
I mean, when you come from nothing,
you will do anything not to return to...
nothing.
I get that.
Cheese puff?
They're the perfect blend of chemical and crunch.
[chuckles softly]
What are you doing?
You have a little something there.
The playing field's only fair
when we both look our best.
So I'm glad that you can sympathize with Clara
because I actually want to talk about a plea deal.
See what, if anything, is on the table.
A plea deal?Mm-hmm.
Well, if you're serious, I'll run it up the ladder to the D.A.
I'd appreciate that.
Hey, um...
Would you ever be interested
in catching up over a drink sometime?
I don't mean to imply any quid pro quo with the plea.
You know what? Don't answer that
until we're done with all of this.
[door closes]
As I predicted, the dealer won't rat out Lance
or his other customers.What an upstanding guy.
But he swears up and down there was no fentanyl in his supply.
[chuckles] I bet he does.
JADE: Why did you make me come here today?
I don't have time for this. Now I'm stuck here.
JONES: Excuse me a moment, sir. I may need you
as a rebuttal witness.I don't feel well.
I need to get out of here as soon as possible.
I'm sorry, I'm on the phone. Be right back.
Hi. Sir, sorry about that. So, listen.
[sighs]
DANNY: Bull? You there?
Yeah.
Well, the dealer claims that he tests his stuff
because dead customers aren't return customers.
Well, he's saying that so he doesn't get prosecuted
for Dasha's death.
Maybe, but I had Taylor pull up the arrest report.
His house was raided the night Clara bought drugs from him,
and the coke the police recovered had no fentanyl.
So the fentanyl was added afterClara bought it?
Maybe Dasha juiced up her own coke.
Athletes can get hooked on fentanyl patches.
After they're injured.
Did Dasha have an injury?
I don't know.
But there was someone else in that room that night who did.
Danny, you may have just delivered a Christmas miracle.
Are both parties ready to give their closing arguments?
Actually, Your Honor, we have entered into plea negotiations,
and the D.A. has authorized me to make an offer.
Your Honor, the defense is no longer interested in a plea.
You're not?We'd like to enter into evidence
this police report, and we'd like
to recall one of the prosecution's witnesses.
Ms. Kiernan, when you were recovering from your hip injury,
were you prescribed fentanyl?
No. I don't think so.
I would like to remind you that you're under oath.
I'd also like to inform you
that all fentanyl prescriptions are registered
with the New York Prescription Monitoring System.
I wasn't able to get access to the system.
I'm not sure Jade's in the database.
Then it's a good thing Jade doesn't know that.
I was prescribed painkillers.
I guess they could've been fentanyl.
CHUNK: And that's how you became addicted to fentanyl?
Objection. Speculation.
I'll allow it. Please answer the question.
I'm not addicted to fentanyl.
[sniffles]
Feeling okay, Ms. Kiernan?
I think I'm coming down with something.
CHUNK:Well, you seemed okay yesterday.
But you have been stuck in court for quite some time.
Mm, we all have.
CHUNK:Did you know that fentanyl withdrawal sets in
after about eight hours, roughly the amount of time
that you've been here?
Objection! Badgering.
Sustained.
Take it easy, Mr. Palmer.
Bring it home for the holidays, Chunk.
CHUNK: Ms. Kiernan,
are you aware the police raided the home of the dealer
who sold Clara the cocaine shortly after she purchased it?
No.
Could you read for me
the highlighted line on this police report?
"Field test fentanyl-- negative."
I can't help wondering.
If there was no fentanyl in the cocaine that Clara purchased,
how did it get into the cocaine that Dasha ingested?
I have no idea.
You testified yesterday
that you were with Dasha
when Clara dropped off the cocaine, isn't that right?
Yes.
Did you cut Dasha's cocaine with fentanyl
to get a better high?JONES: Objection!
This is gross speculation.TAHANI: Overruled.
Please answer the question, Ms. Kiernan.
No. I wouldn't do that.
Dasha's dead because of you, isn't she?
JONES: Objection!
Your Honor, this is outrageous.I withdraw, Your Honor.
Do you think that the jury will believe Jade's responsible?
I have no idea.
Let us pray.
Lord, we come to You with humility.
TAHANI: Have you reached a verdict?
JURY FOREPERSON: We have, Your Honor.
On a night in Bethlehem,
with faith as their only source of warmth,
Your star as their guide...
We, the jury, on the charge
of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance,
find the defendant, Clara Williams, guilty.
You sent them a son,
and with that, You gave us all redemption.
On the charge of negligent manslaughter...
...we find the defendant
not guilty.
TAHANI: This trial is concluded.
We thank the jury for your service.
Court is adjourned.
REYNOLDS: Unto your Holiness, we say,
amen.
Amen.Amen.
The possession charge carries about a year in prison,
but we're gonna aim for probation in sentencing.
No matter what, it's better than 15 years in prison. Thank you.
Looks like it let up.
BULL: Yeah. Huh. No buses, but
the subways are running.
Nice job in there.Thanks. You, too.
Oh. Here comes your nemesis.
I'm gonna jingle-jangle on out of here.
See you later.Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
[exhales]
Cheap tricks on Christmas Eve?
You ought to be ashamed of yourself.
I don't know what you're talking about, Rob.
You were just stalling for time with that plea deal. Total BS.
Are you mad because you stuck your neck out
and asked the D.A. for a plea deal?
Or are you mad because you stuck your neck out
and asked me for a drink?[laughs]
Little of both if I'm being honest.
Well, if I'm being honest, the answer was gonna be "yes."
I'll see you later, Rob.Chester?
What about right now?
My party is four blocks away.
I should be able to walk that, right?Totally.
Don't tell Bull but I'm gonna sleep on his couch,
brave the snow in the morning.
You sure you're gonna be okay here? Alone?
Yes. I'll be fine. Go meet your archeologist.
Hope he's a... real find.
♪
[wind whistling]
[sighs]
[wind whistling]
Still trying to make it to Aruba?
At this point, I would just settle for getting home.
Well, get in. You're making that flight.
[squeals, laughs] Let's roll!
MARISSA: I have two forks.
I'll share mine if you share yours.
Snow too deep to walk?
Never made it outside.
Realized I'd rather spend Christmas Eve with family
than some random guy.
Even an archeologist?
Just think of the dirt.
[laughs] Here.
Thanks.
I hope it isn't too sweet.
I meant thanks for... coming back.
I know.
Ooh.Let's check this out.
Ah...
Ho, ho, ho!
You made it. Why are you all wet?
Because I walked 40 blocks.
Aren't the subways back running?
You can't get one of these on the subway.
[laughs]♪ O Christmas tree...
That's...
The last tree on the lot, no judgment.
I am not judging. You got us a tree.
I know it's a little...
It's perfect.Oh.
Merry Christmas.Merry Christmas.
All right, let's decorate this guy.
Astrid, Daddy got a tree.
♪ Your branches.
Captioning sponsored by CBS
and TOYOTA.
Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org