Alright, Mama's gotta go get arrested.
Previously on "Rebel"...
Stonemore Medical heart valves are poisoning people.
Why won't she stop?
He doesn't want the case, Mom.
Sharon was healthy and happy
till she got that heart valve replaced.
-I said stop it. -And then depression --
I said stop it!
I lost the love of my life!
And I can't relive it now.
You want me -to come work for you? -Not for me.
With me, baby girl.
It's not easy living with you. Ask anybody here.
Guys, tell her.
This is Sharon's autopsy.
I've never looked at it.
Let's go crush those bastards.
[ Slow Violence's "I Wear the Crown [Doubt Me Now]" plays ]
♪
♪ Running fast, running free
♪ Lightning hunts the tallest tree ♪
♪ I can stop the air you see
♪ Doubt me now
[ Gun cocks ]♪ Doubt me now
♪ Doubt me, doubt me now
♪ Hey!
♪ Whoo-hoo
Whew!
I would ask you how you're doing,
but I think I have my answer.
My husband filed for divorce with no warning.
If you could see the scenarios playing out in my imagination,
you'd understand...[ Gun cocks ]
...how healthy this choice is.
Good news -- Cruz took the case.
Stonemore? He did?
[ Gun cocks ] Out of pity?
Don't look at me like that with a gun in your hand.
You know what? Maybe it was out of pity.
But Stonemore is poisoning people,
and that pity is gonna save a lot of lives.
And I can live with that.
I'm not gonna lie.
I'm a little scared of her right now.
[ Gunshot ] Good.
[ Gunshot ] There's three sides to every story, Zig --
yours, mine, and the cold, hard truth.
Did you read that on a tea bag?
Don Henley song.
There's wisdom in those lyrics, kid.
Hey.
[ Gunshot ]
♪
I'm giving you notice.
No, that's too planned.
Okay.
Cruz, I'm giving you no-- Why am I dancing?
Oh, my goodness. Uh...
It's nothing personal.
It's just...
Ugh!
Okay, all the potential plaintiffs received
the mechanical heart valve that Stonemore manufactured,
and they all developed severe
and debilitating auto-immune disorders.
How many plaintiffs are we talking?
Well, it's a Rebel crusade, so there's the potential for a lot.
But our theory is that Stonemore knew at a certain point
that the valve was defective.
And there should have been recalls,
but they prioritized profit over people,
and that's negligence.
Can we prove the link between the valve and the illnesses?
We don't have to.
All we have to do is show a strong likelihood
that one led to the other and let the jury connect the dots.
Here she is.
Sorry we're late.405 was hell.
Well, you're just on time to tell us
where we are on the medical study.
It's under way.
How far under way?
In the early stages.
I started running background checks
on all the potential plaintiffs, and several --
I don't want to hear about the background checks yet.
I want to hear about the study. Who's overseeing it?
Dr. Nathaniel Flynn.
Nate? Yes.
Your son? Yes.
The gynecologist?
Don't say it like it's a dirty word.
Oh, your son, the gynecologist,
is overseeing our heart-valve study?
He is consulting with a cardiologist.
And he is perfectly qualified --
You lied to me.
I did not lie!
He is doing a study.
[ Elevator bell dings ]
Hey, Misha. You got a sec?
Hey, uh, I don't know if you saw my mom on the news
talking about the Stonemore heart valve?
Are you serious? I know.
It's embarrassing.
But I kind of agreed to start a formal study for her,
mostly just to shut the whole thing down and prove her wrong.
But I'm not a cardiothoracic surgeon, and you are.
She just has a-a Facebook group right now,
and, obviously, we need a group of patients
who aren't self-selecting.
So I was wondering if you might be willing to follow up
with some of your patients who got the Stonemore valve.
You ghosted me.
[ Chuckles ]
What? Two years ago.
We had three dates. They were good dates.
From my perspective, they were excellent dates.
You were charming, and I was funny,
and we were both good in bed.
And then I just never heard from you again.
You stopped texting.
And when I'd pass you in the halls,
you would look at your phone
like it was the most interesting thing in the world.
I felt like I was in high school,
except I wasn't having sex in high school,
so it was like high school but more awful,
which is really saying something.
And now you're just wandering up to me
like none of that ever happened and asking for my help
with the study of the Stonemore valve,
which, by the way, is the single best mechanical heart valve
to ever hit the market.
So I'm left with no choice but to repeat my initial question,
which, if you'll think back just a couple minutes ago,
was, "Are you serious?"
[ Sighs ]
Annie, a study can take years,
even under the best circumstances,
which these are not.
Don't talk to me like I'm new at this.
Look, I stayed up all night reading what you have,
and it's just not enough.
Cruz, I swear, when you sit down and talk to these people --
I will sit down and talk to these people today,
but it's still not enough to file.
What you need is a Patient X.
A what?
A Patient X, an ace in the hole.
Someone who got the valve
and then developed auto-immune disease
and then got the valve removed, and the disease reversed itself.
Uh, no, no.
The insurance companies won't acknowledge
that the valve is a problem,
so they're not gonna pay to have them removed.
If I would have known Sharon's valve was making her sick,
I would have paid out of pocket to have it removed,
so I'm betting somebody did.
You find me a Patient X, and I'll file your suit.
It's not my suit.
Rebel, take the win. Cruz, I'm on it.
[ Door opens ]
You have to stop thinking about this as my suit.
If you think about it as my suit,
you're gonna do a crappy job.
Annie.
Do you have, uh, Sharon's autopsy with you?
You ready to look? No.
Just want it back.
[ Door closes ][ Sighs ]
If Annie's crusade bankrupts my firm...
Just help out if you can, okay?
♪
Um, it was a Jake or a James.
He was a college professor.
And he, somehow, got his insurance
to approve getting his Stonemore valve removed.
When?
When, Helen?
Uh, about a year-and-a-half ago.
About a year-and-a-half ago.
And he said he would report back to the group,
but he never did.
Ugh.
This brain fog -- God!
I wish I could remember his name.
It's okay. Lana's on it.
Thanks, Helen. Talk soon.
[ Sighs ]
Grady wants to stay in the guesthouse.
Think I should let him?
While he divorces you?
[ Sighs ] Oh, I get it.
You think if you let him stay, he won't want the divorce.
I think Ziggy doesn't need a giant upheaval right now.
And [sighs] it's not always easy to get my attention.
Maybe he was just trying to get my attention.
Any man who would file for divorce
to get your attention doesn't deserve your attention.
Got him.
Jason Erickson, college professor in Claremont.
Last posted to the Stonemore support group
a year-and-a-half ago.
Is he still alive?
Yes. Yes.
He posted on his own page this morning,
"I hate everyone. Wish me luck."
Come on.
Claremont's just an hour drive.
♪
[ Sighs ]
Cruz: It's gonna be a long haul.
We got to stay focused, alright?
Thanks. Appreciate it.
Hey, hey. There you are.
Listen, I'm gonna need you to take, uh,
a bunch of client declarations today
in the conference room, okay?
[ Clears throat ]
Um, Cruz, I-I'm giving you a notice.
Okay.
Not -- Not a notice, just notice.
I'm -- I'm giving you notice.
Notice of what?
Are you quitting because I'm taking on Stonemore?
You're taking on Stonemore?
-Why? -Well, you don't get to know why if you're quitting.
-Why are you quitting? -My mother's a lot,
and my dad offered me a job.
You're gonna go work for Benji Ray?
Look, I've learned so much from you, and I'm so grateful.
And now I have the chance to learn what I can from him.
And you're giving me notice?
Yes. No.
No? No, no notice.
Pack up and get out now.
-Uh, are you serious? -Yes, I'm serious.
You're gonna go work for the enemy.
I'm tempted to call security and have them show you out.
Does your mother know what you're doing?
No, and I'd prefer to tell her myself.
Okay. Before you go pack,
I want to say one thing as family, not as your boss.
Have you thought this thing through?
Cruz, I'd work for you forever,
but I barely work for you.
As long as I'm here,
I mainly work for her and mostly for free.
I just -- I need to break free a little bit.
You know? Just spread my wings.
A "yes" or "no" would have sufficed.
I don't need a Whitney Houston song.
I'd wish you luck, but I'm too bitter.
[ Door slams ]
Okay.
No. You absolutely will not move out.
Under California state law, it's your house, too.
That's what I told her.
Honestly, you're being generous
offering to move into the guesthouse.
I want to be generous.
I told you, we got a kid together.
The adopted daughter, Rosa?
Rosa. W-We call her Ziggy,
but it doesn't matter that she's adopted, 'cause she's our kid.
My kid. She's having a tough time already,
so I don't want to move away from her.
Listen, Ziggy got strung out on pain meds last year.
One minute, she's this great kid,
I'm taking her to all these volleyball tournaments,
and the next minute, it was bad,
and I didn't get it and I didn't understand it
and I still kind of don't, but I couldn't leave then.
It was just too much.
So I wasn't happy, but I waited.
Now Rebel just wants me to disappear.
I'll repeat what I said before, Grady.
Moving into the guesthouse is generous of you.
So let's help her understand that.
[ Pieta Brown's "The Hard Way" plays ]
♪
♪ I guess we had to learn the hard way ♪
Hey!
Hey.
Quad?
Quad as in quadruple?
Espresso? Don't judge me.
This is my one stupid drug.
[ Chuckles ] What are you doing here?
You don't have school?
No, I dropped out when I was strung out.
I'm thinking I might go back. I don't know yet.
You? Expelled.
Yeah, when I was doing Oxy every day,
I was also stealing to support my habit.
And now I, uh, do homeschool and I intern at a law firm.
[ Chuckles ] Do you want a coffee?
I'll buy you one if you... teach me how to skateboard?
♪
[ Knock on door ]
[ Exhales sharply ]
I am busy, I'm running late,
and I do not want whatever it is that you're selling.
Jason, I'm Annie Flynn Ray Bello.
I'm here to talk to you about your Stonemore heart valve.
Oh, I know you. I read your first book.
Excellent message, mediocre prose.
Still, no.
[ Knock on door ] You know, in general, I am a fan of what you do.
You fight the good fight, you clean up the blah-blah-blah,
and brava to you.
But I'm having a bit of a day -- or a bit of a month.
Or it might just be a bit of a decade.
And this day might bethe worst day
of my very bad decade.
Do you want to -tell us about it? -We've been known to help.
[ Sighs ] I have to gobefore the board
at the college where I teachto defend my job,
which is everything to me.
It is all I have.
Couldn't help but notice the swastika on your garage.
Does that have anything to do with why your job's on the line?
He has a swastika on his garage?
I have scrubbed it off and painted it over three times.
Every time,he puts it there again.
Hmm. Honestly, I didn't even see it.
I did.
-She used to be a cop. -That, too.
Who painted the swastika on your garage, Professor?
A begrudged studentwho is now accusing me
of physically assaulting him.
Did you assault him?
No, I did not.
I just tried to catch him in the act.
I've been trying to catch himin the act for months,
because it's not just my garage.
It's -- It's my desk, it's my blackboard, it's my car,
it's hate mail and threatsand homophobic slurs,
ever since I gave hima fully earned "D."
A grade? Some kid is doing this over a grade?
No, he's doing it 'cause he's a Nazi.
The grade just gave him a target.
Yeah, and the policeand the college do nothing
because I don't haveany proof.
-Listen, -I-I really can't be late.
Well, how about we give you a ride?
-It's walking distance. -We love to walk.
[ Knock on door ] Cruz?
The, uh, Stonemore plaintiffs are gathering in the lobby.
Do you want to take their statements together
or shall we divide and conquer?
I'd like to jump out the window.
So together then?
You know why I hired Cassidy?
Because Rebel asked you to?
She didn't ask me to.
She asked my wife,and then my wife asked me.
My wife and Annie made friends
-when Cassidy and my daughter, -Carmen, were in grade school.
They bonded over someperceived school-yard injustice.
I watched Cassidy grow up,
and I watched her almost blow it all.
She beat up some kidat school
for some other perceived injustice.
Well, she beat up the guy who raped her best friend,
so that was -an actual injustice. -Yeah, yeah,but my point is
that I had to represent herin -- in family court
to keep her out of juvie.
And then I hired herinto my firm.
Then I hiredAnnie's former sister-in-law
because she got kicked outof the police force.
Lana. Yeah, Lana.
And now I hired her other kid as an intern fresh out of rehab.
And now I'm gonna spendthe next many months of my life
interviewing people who are suffering
from the same thing that my --
-But the point I'm making here, -Amir,
is that you cannot say noto that woman.
No matter how good you are at saying no in general.
In fairness to you, Cruz, she has good taste in people,
great instincts when it comes to clients,
so maybe it's not that you can't say no to her, sir.
Maybe it's that you just know better
than to second-guess her.
Cassidy quit today. Did you hear?
Wait. What?
You quit?
I'm tired of feeling obligatedto do my mother's bidding.
So instead of learning basic boundaries,
you're opting for unemployment?
Well, my dad offered me a job.
So, really, I'm opting for a warwith my mom...and a raise.
Your father and his firm defend people
and corporations that do very bad things, Cass.
Not exclusively.
The work he does enables those people and corporations
to keep doing those very bad things.
Everyone's entitled to a zealous representation, Amir.
It's the constitutional premise of our entire justice system.
[ Chuckles ]
That sentence is what every lawyer says
on the day they sell out.
Don't do it.
Don't sell your soul just to piss off your mom.
[ Sighs ]
I'm not selling my soul.
I'm buying back my freedom.
And paying off some student loans.
But I do hope we can still hang out.
[ Julia Haltigan's "Mind Eater" plays ]
-Sean: There you go. -Ziggy: Okay, okay.
Like that?
Yeah. There you go. Now put your foot on.
There you go. There you go. You got it.
Okay. Alright, go ahead, go ahead.
I -- Yeah!
-Man: Hey, watch out. -Aah!
Ugh. Ow!
I got to get you a helmet. Geez!
Oh, my God.
Hey, you alright?
I-I think I broke it.
Hey, no. Oh, my God. Is it broken?
Let me see, let me see. Can you move your thumb?
A little bit?
Ziggy, look. Look. You're okay.
You're fine.
Just need some ice.
[ Sniffles ] Okay.
[ Sniffles ] I'm mortified.
You got a little freaked out there.
I got strung out 'cause of a sports injury, so I just...
Ugh! Sorry.
Hey, don't be sorry.
You're cute when you panic.
You want a hand?
Yes, please.
[ Groans ]
Hey, uh, if it still hurts, we can stop in there.
It'll help with the pain.
What?
Okay, it's not the same as Oxy.
-Weed isn't even addictive. -Yes, it is.
To addicts, it's addictive, Sean.
You're either clean or you're not.
I mean, you had four espressos this morning.
That's not the same thing.
Why? Because your sponsor says so?
I have to go to my internship. Don't follow me.
Ziggy. Come on. Ziggy.
I was kidding.
I lost years to that hellish heart valve.
Boyfriend left me.
I didn't publish, didn't make tenure.
But you're feeling better now,
since they took the Stonemore valve out.
Am I feeling better now?
I'm being dragged before the board
by a kid who's been targeting and terrorizing me.
What I am feeling, in all sincerity,
is that I might have a heart attack today just out of spite.
Joining a lawsuit is the last thing I need right now.
Uh, Professor Erickson, I know you've been through hell,
and the last thing you want to do is go backwards,
but it's --There. That's him.
Matthew Hilliard.
If the Stonemore valve took a human form,
it's Matthew Hilliard.
That's him? Not what I pictured.
You expecting an SS uniform?
Yeah, they don't wear those these days.
This is all I have left.
My job is all I have left,
and that hateful little bastard is gonna take it.
Sir, no, no. He's not.
He's not because I'm here.
Now, pull yourself together, and let's go fight this thing.
Jin Kim: Uh, Jason -- Professor Erickson,
you -- you brought a friend?
-She's my lawyer. -Matthew: A lawyer? [ Scoffs ]
I wasn't even allowed to bring my parents.
Uh, I'm clearly not a lawyer. I'm an advocate.
My name is Annie Flynn Ray Bello.
Oh. M-Ms. Bello --
[ Chuckles ] Ms. Bello is my mother-in-law.
We never really got along. You can call me Rebel.
Uh, respectfully, Ms. -- Rebel.
This is a disciplinary hearing for a professor.
For the student that's been spray-painting swastikas
on Professor Erickson's house all year.
Ma'am, this is a hearing for Professor Erickson
because he assaulted a student.
We have a zero-tolerance policy for physical assault.
Oh, and hate speech you tolerate?
Per Professor Erickson's contract,
if he lays hands on a student, his contract is void.
This is nothing but a formality.
Nothing but a formality?
You're -- You're not interested
in hearing his side of the story?
[ Remote clicks ]
Oh, wow.
Matthew: I broke two ribs.
That's pretty violent.
It wasn't.
He was running, and I caught him.
And -- And the part you don't see
is me walking into my classroom
to find the word "homo" spray-painted on my chalkboard
for the third time in a month
and seeing this kid walking out the back door.
I didn't do that. He's just obsessed with me.
I had left my homework in the classroom.
That's all.
All I want is to go to school and be left alone.
I'm not into you, man.
Can't you just -accept that? -You know something?
Uh, could I ask for a brief recess
to have a word with my client, Your Honor?
I'm not a judge.
I'm a women's studies professor.
And I'm still not a lawyer, but I do need a brief recess.
Come on.
Cruz: I don't do this as well as you do, my love.
Never get it quite -- quite right.
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah, well, I guess it'll have to do.
[ Knock on door ] Come in.
Hey. Hey.
I'm taking coffee orders. Do you want anything?
Hey, what's wrong, neña?
And don't say "nothing."
I just fell, and I hurt my wrist.
It's fine.
Enough with the coffee.
You're taking declarations with me today.
I am? Uh-huh.
Why? Why?
Because an intern is supposed to actually learn something.
Awesome. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you.
Um...your pocket thing is crooked.
Well, could you do better?
No. Then that's your first lesson --
never point out a flaw unless you have a way to fix it.
Let's go. A combate.
[ Hums ]
Oh. Hey.
Listen, I'm really sorry.
I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to --
Be an ass? Exactly.
Then why were you?
Well, I-I kind of have this --
I'm late for surgery and I don't have time
to listen to you failing to finish your sentences.
I did it because I'm damaged, you know?
I-I-I feel like I'm damaged goods in the romance department.
That is the worst possible answer.
Do you know why?
No.
Because that is about you, and we are talking about me,
how you treated me, my feelings.
Well, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry about how I treated you, Misha,
and not just because I need your help now.
I'll make you a deal.
I'm gonna spend my afternoon
making those Stonemore calls for you,
and, in exchange, you are going to take some time to think
and then get a drink with me
and explain to me why you did what you did.
I want details because I want to know
how to recognize men like you in the future.
I might also want sex to scratch an itch,
but I'll decide that after approximately three drinks.
Deal?
You'd have sex -with me again? -It was good sex.
I would never date you again, though.
I have self-respect.
Can I help you?
Are you the mother of Matthew Hilliard?
Yes, I am. I'm Teri. And you are?
My name is Lanalee Ray, and I am investigating a hate crime.
Oh, my God. That man.
That man would say anything.
My son is not a Nazi.
Teri, can you tell me --
Professor Erickson -- he needs help.
My son is being harassed by him.
Are you with the police?
Teri, I can see you're very upset, and I --
I am very upset because my son is not a Nazi.
I didn't raise a Nazi.
[ Sighs ] Come here.
Talk to me, Jason.[ Doors close ]
If I'm gonna help you, I need the whole story.
I didn't ask for your help.
You showed up at my door and you offered it.
And you didn't offer it out of the kindness of your heart, by the way.
You offered it because you need me for your lawsuit,
not the other way around.
And now you want to accuse me of lying?
I didn't accuse you of it.
You accused through inference.
You said you need the whole story.
It infers that I withheld something from you,
and I didn't.
You didn't mention the part
where he says you're in love with him.
That's because this is the first time I'm hearing of it.
Add it to the grab bag of cruelties and lies.
Really? Really.
What a little crapsack he is.
Thank you. Let's go.
And there's my son winning a community-service award
at age 8.
You really think Nazis do that?
Oh, look, here's one where he got a prize
for exemplary sharing in the fifth grade.
Exemplary sharing?
Yes, my son is
of the everybody-gets-a-trophy generation.
That doesn't make him a Nazi.
[ Clears throat ]
Teri, do you have Matthew's computer password?
Why would I give you that?
You're not even with the police.
No, but I work with Annie Flynn Ray Bello.
Rebel? Her book is on your shelf.
And she works for Professor Erickson.
And if your son is innocent,
that means the professor is guilty,
and that's a thing I need Rebel to know
before she gets any deeper.
So... I'm saying please.
Professor Erickson is a man who lost years of his life
to a poisonous medical device that was sewn into his heart.
So he doesn't have a lot of patience for anyone or anything
that's gonna waste any more of his precious time
on this planet.
He didn't mean to hurt Matthew.
He only meant to catch him.
We have a zero-tolerance policy for assa--
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, I know. For assault.
How high is your tolerance for cruelty, for viciousness,
for bullying, for gaslighting?
How high is your tolerance for Nazism?
He doesn't have any proof.
He was trying to get proof.
Do you actually think this mild-mannered professor
with a heart problem, who's been teaching for --
How many years, Jason?22.
After a 22-year career would just arbitrarily decide
to tackle a kid in the hallway one day?
You have to use your common sense.
You have to look past the policy to the human beings involved.
We have done that, Ms. Bello.
Matthew Hilliard has a flawless record,
and Professor Erickson has multiple complaints.
Just last year, Sadie Leshup registered
a formal complaint against you, Jason.
She said that you were rude to the point of abusive.
Okay, but j-just for some context,
Sadie Leshup spelled the word "context" with a "K" and an "S."
C-O-N-T-E-K-S-T.
And when I marked it wrong, she said, it can't be wrong,
'cause that's how she's always spelled it.
And did you hit her?
I hit her with a C-minus.
We have a zero-tolerance policy for assault.
Jin Kim: We don't know who's been harassing you,
and barring any actual proof,
I'm sorry, Jason, but we have no other choice.
Y-You're fired.
Oh, my God.
No.
This is not over. We do not accept this.
Excuse me? I need him.
I need him,
and the hundreds of people I'm working for need him.
He's my one-in-a-million. He is my unicorn.
And I need him, so you need to sit back down.
Because I am relentless, I am tireless,
and, quite frankly, I'm exhausting.
I will chase you through the halls.
I will chase you through the courts.
And I will exhaust you in a way that you will deeply regret.
Ms. Bello, what exactly do you think is the right thing here?
Well, the right thing to do is a real investigation.
But you're not gonna do that -- not because of policy,
but because our friend Jason here is kind of a pill.
-Excuse me? -You slammed the door in my face this morning.
Who does that?
He's a pill, but that doesn't mean you just fire him.
-Oh, thank God. -The White Boys?
You're a dues-paying member of The White Boys?!
Mom, what are you doing with my computer?
You're spending your time in incel chat rooms?
Matthew, is this what you're doing with your time these days?
I-I...We also found spray paint and sketchbooks
in the back -of his closet. -Mm-hmm.
Say goodbye to your new friends, Matthew.
Mom!
I'm a very big fan.
♪
[ Door opens ] So, can we assume
that Professor Erickson is no longer fired
for the crimes of giving his students honest grades?
♪
[ Ringtone plays ]
Hey.
You remember Misha Nelson?
Misha...
She's a cardiothoracic surgeon I dated a couple years ago.
She's smart, attractive, funny.
Yeah. Why? Why'd I end it?
Because she decided to sleep over after sex.
Oh. So you had to do your whole
"move to the couch and set an alarm,
then move back to the bedroom before she wakes up" thing.
Yeah, no, that's too much work.
Yeah, too many intimacy issues.
Oh, please.
Like you'd let a guy sleep over after three dates.
[ Chuckles ] I definitely wouldn't.
Intimacy issues are a thing we have in common.
Maybe it's because we have the same mother.
[ Alarm chirps ][ Chuckles ]
Does our mother know yet
that you're going to work for your dad?
Uh, no.
At least I don't think so. She hasn't disowned me yet.
She's not gonna disown you. She's just gonna yell a lot.
Please. She's the same person who left my dad
when he decided to stop working for the people
and become a corporate attorney.
You remember when I was 9
and I set fire to the house with my magnifying glass?
[ Chuckles ] Yeah. But that was an accident.
I did this on purpose.
And the, uh -- the headaches are every day?
No, but they're becoming more frequent,
and when they do come,
it's enough to make you want to leave the planet.
And you didn't have headaches
before you got the Stonemore valve?
That's a stupid question. I'm your age.
Of course I'd had headaches.
-I'm just asking. -No, I know what you're asking.
No, I have never experienced pain like this.
-Where's Rebel? -She's not here.
Rebel said you're the best,
but it doesn't seem like your heart's in this.
-My heart? -I spent two years organizing this group.
I've sent dozens of e-mails to Rebel alone.
I've written hundreds of letters to lawyers
looking for someone to take this case on.
This valve ruined me.
Didn't just ruin me.
It ruined hundreds of other people
that I now know personally and consider my friends.
And if I know hundreds, how many are out there?
Thousands, tens of thousands.
When I say your heart's not in this, Mr. Cruz,
I'm not saying I expect you to care the way I care.
I know lawyers take cases primarily for money.
I'm not naive. But I need to win this.
I need this valve out of my body.
I need this valve out of my daughter's body.
I need to win this.
And Rebel said that you're the best,
but you seem not all that interested.
And that is causing me some emotional pain
on top of the physical pain that I live with every day.
Rebel: I got him.
Hey, Zig. Hey, Helen.
Meet Jason Erickson.
Helen Peterson. Jason.
Oh, it's so nice to finally meet you in person.
I wanted to report back to the group.
I should have. And I'm sorry.
Got him, Cruz.
Patient X.
[ Elevator bell dings ]
[ Indistinct conversations ]
♪
Benji: Cass.
You're a couple weeks early.
Cruz didn't want notice, so...
Yeah, that figures. I'm happy you're here.
-Thanks. -I'd show you around, but it's a busy day.
Luke, can you help Cassidy find her office, give her a tour?
-Absolutely. -Have a great first day.
Try to be friendly -- boss's kid and all.
[ Chuckles ]
No matter how old I get, he still makes me feel like I'm 12.
Well, if it helps at all, he makes me feel that way, too.
Follow me.
-Can I take that? -Yes, please.
Here we are.
Wow.
What do you think?
Everything's so shiny and new.
[ Chuckles ] So?
Was it rough with Cruz?
Everyone just feels a little betrayed.
Fair enough.
How do you feel?
I feel...
like I'm free for the first time.
I feel exhilarated. I-I feel...
[ Chuckles ]
Every day of my professional life has been about my mom
because her name got me into law school,
and she got Cruz to hire me.
And now --Now you don't work for her.
Now I don't work for her, and it's just hitting me.
[ Chuckles ]
I-I thought I would be conflicted, you know?
But I just -- I feel --
Beautiful.
What? What?
Oh, nothing.
Um ...ve got to -- Uh, see you later.
Ooh!
Ahh! [ Chuckles ]
Oh! Oh, he's beautiful.
There you go, Mom.
Oh.
Well done, alright?
You, too. Good job, Dad.
[ Monitor beeping ]
♪
Don't do that.
-Don't do what? -Smile at me.
We're not friends.
You ghosted me. Live with it.
Nate.
Oh, hey. Hey.
I called 25 patients with Stonemore valves.
22 of them are living their best lives.
And the other three?
The other three are terribly ill with auto-immune symptoms
that they didn't have before the surgery.
[ Sighs ] Damn it.
I hate it when my mom's right.
Sit here.
Tell them what you told me, word for word.
Um ...got the Stonemore valve,
and, uh, within a couple of years,
I-I got so sick that my whole life fell apart.
Full-body inflammation, debilitating migraines.
So I got it taken out.
Because his sister works for the insurance company.
Uh ..., sorry. Go on.
I had the valve removed and replaced with a porcine valve.
A-And within a week, no more migraines, no more pain.
I had been so sick, I wanted to die.
And then it was just gone.
Helen: Oh, my God.
Why didn't you tell us?
You were all so sick,
and I was feeling so much better.
I didn't want to rub it in.
I was a coward, and I'm sorry.
Are you willing to join our suit?
[ Sighs ]
My sister's gonna be seriously pissed, but...
Rebel saved my ass today, and so, yes.
Just yes.
I-It's the right thing,
and I want to help if I can help.
No, it's not gonna be simple as that.
You see, they're gonna put you through the wringer.
There's gonna be a-a million different medical tests.
You're gonna feel like a pincushion
by the time they get through with you.
Oh, my God.
Why are you trying to talk him out of helping us?
I have the same question.
♪
Excuse me a second. I'm sorry.
[ Sighs ] I-I-I'm sorry.
Um, excuse me a second, as well.
[ Breathing heavily ]
[ Puccini's "Sono Andati?" playing ]
♪
[ Cruz shouting indistinctly ]
[ Singing in Italian]
[ Muffled ] Why?! Why?!
♪
Why?![ Sighs ]
What's going on in there?
Cruz is finally getting that Aunt Sharon didn't have to die.
That Stonemore hurt her.
There was a way to save her.
Shouldn't you go in there?
No.
He needs to let it out.
[ Screams ]
Cruz: Helen.
You are correct that you deserve better
than what I've given you here today.
You deserve better and you will get better,
and I will be better.
What this company has done to you
and countless others like you is unconscionable.
And they will pay.
They will recall the valves.
They will pay to remove the valves
from each and every one of you.
And they will pay damages
for the life they've stolen from you.
Now, I know that no amount of money
will bring back what you've lost,
but we're gonna get enough money from them
till they feel the sting, to make them think twice
before they choose profit over lives in the future,
before they ignore scientific evidence
and human suffering
and continue to call themselves altruists.
They will pay.
And with your blessing, I will file this action today
and I will see to it that they do.
Thank you.
♪
Grady!
What the hell?
I said no to the guesthouse.
You could have at least given me a damn minute
to change my mind before you move in.
I'm not moving in, babe. You are.
-What? -You said I can't have the guesthouse,
so I'm keeping the main house, okay?
I just put all your junk in there.
Grady, uh, are you sure you want to play like this?
Dad, can you please just move into the guesthouse?
That's what I want to do.
That's all I want to do, but your mom's got a way
of making everything more difficult
than it has to --[ Gun cocks ]
You gonna get off my property?
No. Mom.
What the hell, Rebel? Mom!
Oh, m-- Oh, my God.
I shouldn't have done that.
Ziggy, I-I'm so sorry.
Ziggy, I should not have done that.
I shouldn't have pulled a gun on your dad.
You -- you didn't pull a gun on Dad.
You pulled a gun on his car. I mean, that's different.
That's my client's car!
If you think this was ugly a minute ago, I'm gonna make --
Alright, that's enough! That's enough! Everybody, just stop.
He gets the guesthouse, Rebel. What?
He gets the guesthouse because now he has you on vandalism
and brandishing -a deadly weapon. -Oh, yeah.
If he presses charges, this does not go well for you.
He gets the guesthouse.
And you go to marriage counseling.
What? What?
That's what you told me when I was circling the drain.
And it felt impossible.
You said that I didn't get to just quit.
I didn't get to just die, not at least without a fight,
so that's what I'm telling you.
You guys don't get to just quit each other,
not without at least a fight!
[ Sighs ] Okay.
So he gets the guesthouse, no one's pressing charges,
and you go to counseling.
She pays for my client's windshield.
Yeah, I pay for everything anyway.
Lana: Alright. Sounds like we have a deal.
And, Dad, move Mom's crap back in the house.
And I'll be taking this home with me tonight.
Probably a good idea.
[ Exhales sharply ]
Alright, here you are.
That's a big stack of files.
Yep. We're a busy firm.
You worried about the fallout in your family?
You know, when my parents divorced,
my mum cut my dad out of all the family photos,
and my dad [chuckles]
he permanently replaced my mum's first name
with a curse word so vile I-I won't repeat it.
And they never spoke again.
Just wondering what happens when your mum finds out.
I have an older brother --
he has a different dad than me --
and a younger sister who also has a different dad than me.
And even though my mom burns through husbands like kindling,
she sticks with her kids.
And we stick with each other.
She'll be pissed and my little sister will side with her
and everyone will yell a lot, but at the end of the day,
we're a family.
No one pretends anyone doesn't exist --
not even the ex-husbands.
Well, that's nice.
Yeah.
Sometimes, it is.
[ Widowspeak's "The Good Ones" plays ]
[ Sighs deeply ]
[ Cellphone rings ]♪ Blessed child, you're smiled upon ♪
♪ It's open roads, and they're playing your song ♪
♪ And the light always shines
♪ On everything you do
[ Knock on door, door opens ]
Come with me.
Where?
We're gonna end this day on a better note.
♪ You've got the purpo--
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
[ Music stops ]
Okay, God, give me strength.
[ Drawer opens ]
[ Insects chirping ]
Yes? Can I help you?
Mark Duncan? Yes.
You've been served.
Have a good night.
♪
You're right. That was fun.
Burgers and fries?
I'm vegetarian.
Burger's for me.[ Engine starts ]
[ Benji speaking indistinctly ]
♪
Really, it's important that...
Cass.
Hey, I don't mean to interrupt.
Just wanted to say hi.
Everyone, this is Cassidy Ray,
our newest associate and my firstborn.
Nice to meet you all.
We'll catch up with you later, Cass.
Right now, I got a big, old fish to fry.
So I've heard.
Who's the big, new client?
Stonemore Medical.
♪