All language subtitles for The Practice s06e15 Man And Superman

They told me you were busy. Thanks for
seeing me.

It's been a long time.

Five years.

When you left the bank, I remember Bill
saying that you got a job in a law firm.

How is Bill?

Is he okay?

No.

Jimmy, he's not.

It started slow.

He would forget things.

Like amnesia?

No. He's delusional.

Bill's schizophrenic.

I'm sorry.

He's been like this for almost five
years.

I can't care for him alone anymore.

There's a home.

A mental institution.

I put him there two years ago.

Tell me how I can help.

For the most part, he's lived there
without any problems. And then, about

months ago...

He fell out a window.

He fell out a window?

On the seventh floor.

Oh, my God.

But he survived.

Yes. A canopy on the third floor broke
his fall.

That and a man named Edward Green.

Who? An accountant who happened to be
walking by the building.

Bill landed on him and killed him
instantly.

Bill's being sued, Jimmy.

Me too. I'm his legal guardian.

Deborah, if you need a lawyer, I'll do
whatever I can.

He thinks he's Superman.

Excuse me?

My husband thinks that he is Superman.

I'm not sure what to say to that.

I know. It sounds absurd.

But it's not in his mind.

He really believes it, Jimmy.

And what scares me?

I don't think he fell out that window.

I think he was trying to fly.

I've got a hearing that day. So do I,
and mine's in federal court. We're not

making child care decisions based on
jurisdiction.

Please, I need you to help me this one
time. We need to find a new babysitter.

I understand, but I've got a full plate.
So do I, but that never seems to count.

Meanwhile, you keep taking on new cases.
I'm being criticized for that now? We

need new cases to keep this place
running.

Sometimes you need to choose family
before work.

Sorry. That sounds like a pretty good
fight, but wrong.

The Munces need our help. A lot of
people need our help, Jimmy. But I know

people. Bill Munce was my friend.

So why are they just hiring you now? The
hospital told them they'd work out a

settlement with the victim's wife, but
they couldn't make a deal. So it's going

to trial.

When?

Two days.

You can't just jump into a complicated
tort case on two days' notice. It's not

complicated. Everybody agrees he's nuts.

Everybody agrees he pancaked the guy.
We're talking about priorities.

Taking on new clients when you already
have cases that need your attention.

It won't take that long, I promise.

Defending a wrongful death case means no
contingency. These people got nobody

else to turn to.

One day.

That's all you get. If the case doesn't
settle, I want you out.

That's all I ask.

Now, I gotta go. Wait, Jimmy, I'm going
with you. Lindsay. We need a babysitter.

I suggest you start looking.

Bill's been deeply affected by this.

He sees himself as Superman.

Heroes don't kill innocent people.

Did you tell him you were coming?

Yes, of course.

What should I call him? Bill or
Superman?

Normally Bill.

We do our best here not to indulge the
delusion.

When we do, it's only to keep him calm.

Won't the medication help him with that?

To some extent.

But Bill's not responding to the current
drugs.

I wish I could say he's improving.

But he's not.

So the Bill Monsignor... He's almost
completely gone, Mr. Billy.

But he's still there.

He still has rare moments of lucidity.

You need to understand.

Bill Muntz is mentally ill.

That means he can be unpredictable, even
unreasonable.

Jimmy! Bill!

I'm sorry.

When they said my friend Jimmy was here,
I assumed they meant Jimmy Olsen.

Have we met?

No. I don't think we have.

I'm Jimmy Berluti.

This is Lindsay Dole.

We're your lawyers.

Well, you must be here about the
accident.

Yes. We were hoping to talk about that.

Well, I don't know what more I can say.

It was a busy morning.

And the attendance here at times can get
me a little...

I tried to fly without my cape.

Your cape?

All I can say is, I made a mistake.

It's just, I didn't realize the cape was
that important.

Well, of course it's important. I can't
fly without it.

I understand.

A man is dead.

And it's my fault.

Nothing I can do will ever change that.

And I'll have to live with that for the
rest of my life.

Actually, you may not remember me, Bill,
but you and I once knew each other.

I didn't keep in touch.

Sorry about that.

But you and I, we were friends.

I'm sorry.

I don't remember.

It was a long time ago.

But the man I knew, he never would have
meant to hurt anyone.

This was not your fault.

Sometimes bad things happen even to
heroes.

Aren't you concerned about the effect
the trial might have on him? Yes. For

Bill's sake, I prefer we settle. So why
haven't you? We've done everything we

could, but Mrs. Green and her lawyer are
being totally unreasonable.

The woman is entitled to something.

Her husband was killed.

Sure, but she's suing for $15 million.

We offered her a million dollars. She
won't settle for less than three.

You don't have insurance?

Of course we do, but we're worried our
carrier will drop our coverage if we get

hit for too much.

If that happens, we're finished.

Patients that we've treated for years
will be thrown into state mental

institutions if there's room.

Most will end up on the street.

But if you lose the trial, the sky's the
limit on damages.

And let's face it, he jumped out of your
window.

You have to think you're going to lose.

Only if the jury thinks we're to blame.

Wait a minute.

You're going to blame Bill?

He's insane. You were responsible for
him. We're not blaming Bill.

Who then?

Talk to his wife.

His wife?

Ultimately, we didn't push him out that
window.

She did.

What are you talking about?

On the day Bill fell, his wife came to
visit to tell Bill she was filing for

divorce.

Your client wasn't trying to fly, Mr.
Belluti.

He was trying to kill himself.

Why didn't you tell us? I'm sorry. I
didn't think they knew.

Deborah. I've talked to their lawyer a
dozen times. He never said anything

the divorce.

Look, I'm not exactly proud of myself.

We've been married for almost 14 years.
For the last five, I've been watching

him fall apart, praying that he gets
better. Deborah, you don't need to. I

I'm supposed to love him.

Stay with him.

And I swear to you both, I have tried,
but you don't know what my life has

become.

Do you think this was a suicide attempt?

Is that what they're planning on saying?

Yes. You can't let them.

Please. You cannot let Bill hear that.

They let the Munsters think the case
would settle.

There wasn't going to be a trial.

So Deborah and Bill walk into court
unprepared and get slaughtered with the

judgment. What are you going to do now?

Well, plan B.

What exactly are you getting at?

Well, Mrs. Green isn't the only one
who's been hurt by this. The Munsters

too. Emotional distress, pain and
suffering put the blame where it

So you think we should sue the hospital?

Damn right.

Lucy, call the agency. I need to meet
with more babysitters.

Will the judge let you do that? Sue the
hospital?

We hope so.

It's probably our only shot at winning,
but it is dangerous. The hospital will

come after you and Bill.

I don't know how much he can take.

You need to understand, if you're found
liable, you could lose everything,

including the money to pay for his care.

Okay.

He's been waiting for a while. We should
go in.

Hello, Bill.

Hello, Lois.

We're not going to deny what happened.

We're just going to say you weren't to
blame.

Okay.

One more thing.

If we can get the judge to go for it, we
want you to wear this Superman outfit.

I saw the complaint.

They named Muntz, not Superman.

Muntz is the one on trial.

Bill, they already know you're Superman.

Do they?

I'm not really sure.

Believe me, they definitely know.

And having the jury see who you are, it
could help explain to them how this

happened.

Really?

How?

Superman is an icon.

America loves you. Yes, which is why I
won't wear the outfit.

Superman is a role model. He shouldn't
be seen on trial.

As a matter of fact, now that they know
Munster's Superman, I'm going to need

your help to change my name.

Ms. Dole, I don't like surprises.

Filing a cross -complaint on the day of
trial constitutes a surprise.

Your Honor, we've only recently got on
this case.

Mr. Klein, what does the plaintiff have
to say about this?

Let them point fingers at each other, so
long as my client gets what she's

entitled to.

What we don't want is a continuance. We
need time for discovery.

You've had time. They have had access to
our clients from the moment this

happened. Your Honor, if the months
lose, they can always come after us

That means two trials with the same
witnesses and the same testimony. We

need to try this twice.

Since the plaintiff does not object and
the hospital did have ample discovery,

I'll allow the cross -complaint.

We'll begin in an hour.

You asked if I was worried that a trial
could devastate Bill.

The better question is, are you?

You need to understand.

Dr. Gorman is a compassionate man who
gets paid to care about Bill's

I'm not.

How long were you and Mr. Green married?

In August, it would have been 23 years.

You must have loved him very much.

Yes, Mr. Klein, I loved my husband.

Tell us what happened, Mrs. Green.

I met Ed for lunch at 12, and when we
were done, we decided to walk a few

to his office.

When did you realize that something was
wrong?

I slowed up for a minute to look at a
dress in one of the windows.

Look, I don't want to hear this. It's
okay, Bill. And I heard a scream.

And I saw a man.

That man.

Lying on the sidewalk.

He was wearing a Superman costume.

And what happened to Ed, Mrs. Green?

His neck was broken.

I knew he was dead.

Thank you.

I have nothing further.

Mr. Berluti?

Mr. Aldridge?

Your husband was an accountant.

Yes. An accountant who earned $45 ,000 a
year.

So? So you're suing for $15 million in
damages.

The truth is, Mrs. Green, your husband
was 53 years old.

It would have taken him over 300 years
to earn that kind of money.

My husband was killed, Mr. Aldrich. Yes,
because that woman chose to be

reckless. Objection. You don't really
believe that we're to blame for his

Objection. All the world.

This isn't right. I don't like this.

Bill. She didn't care about ending her
own marriage. Do you think she cares

about ending yours?

I don't know who is to blame, Mr.
Aldrich.

All I do know is that my husband is
dead.

And no amount of money can make that
right.

Bill's never tried to fly before.

He never discussed the ability to fly.

Flying is just not part of his
pathology.

Did Mr. Munson appear suicidal before
that day?

No. If he had, we would have lodged him
on a more secure floor.

Then why do you think this was a suicide
attempt?

To understand, you need to know about
Bill's condition.

Has his condition improved since being
at the hospital?

No. About all we can do is keep him safe
and calm.

That means keeping stress to an absolute
minimum.

Why?

It triggers inappropriate behavior.

I think stress made him try to end his
life.

And what stress are you referring to?

Bill's wife, Deborah, visited on the day
in question.

I met her at the reception desk and
walked her into a private room.

About ten minutes later, I walked by
that room and saw Bill alone, crying.

Did you ask him what was wrong?

Yes, but he wouldn't say.

I got him calmed down, then I went to
get his medication.

It was then that Bill jumped out the
window.

He dresses like Superman.

He calls his wife Lois.

But you didn't think he might try to
fly?

What happened had nothing to do with his
assumption of Superman's identity.

So he's lying when he said he tried to
fly?

At some level, I'm sure he believes it.

But that's just the defense mechanism.

Bill Muntz heard his wife say she was
leaving him.

Bill Muntz tried to kill himself, not
Superman.

And you being the doctor, you must know
exactly what reality he's in at any

given moment. I know he's ill. He needs
a safe place, which we provided him

until his wife destroyed it. Move to
strike. Non -responsive. Good thing. The

jury will disregard.

As director of the hospital, you treat
patients and make staffing decisions.

Yes. Doctor, isn't it a fact that last
year your hospital was bought by a

company? Yes, but... In less than three
months...

After you were born, you reduced your
staff by almost 30%. The company chose

streamline our costs. The reduction
hasn't proven a danger to anyone. Tell

Green that.

Objection! Withdrawn.

There were no bars on the windows, were
there, Doctor? No.

Because bars cost money.

They also intimidate and frighten the
patients.

Well, that's worse than letting them
fall out a window. I told you before

day he wasn't suicidal. Did you ask Mrs.
Muntz why she was there that day?

Well, no. If you were so concerned about
Mr. Muntz's fragile psyche, why didn't

you ask her why she was there? Because I
thought Mrs. Muntz cared about her

husband's mental health.

It never occurred to me that she would
behave so recklessly.

I love kids.

I have six of my own. Six?

They're older than you.

Are you two planning to have more? Oh,
no, no, no, we're not. Ever been accused

of misconduct with a child?

No, of course not.

Have you ever been arrested?

Bobby, no!

Any problems with drugs or alcohol?

Oh, wait just a minute.

The agency told me you were nice people.

Sorry, this is new for me. Before I hire
someone to take care of my son, I like

to be sure about them.

Well, I understand.

I do have excellent references.

There'd be only two families listed.

I was with those people for over ten
years without a problem. What about an

test? What? An AIDS test?

No, I have not had an AIDS test.

Exactly how old are you?

I'll tell you what.

I am old enough to know I don't need
this.

Good luck staying married to this pig.

I lost him the day he forgot my name.

He started calling me Lois.

Why did you place him at Clarendon Hall?

I kept him at home as long as I could.

Please understand, I'm still in love
with the man I married. It's just Bill

isn't that man anymore.

I've lost my husband.

Tell us why you went to see him that
day.

I went to tell Bill I was asking for a
divorce.

Was that really something that he needed
to hear?

Yes. We've been together a long time.
It's something he deserved to hear from

me. And how did he react when you told
him about it?

At first, he was confused and upset.

He said that Superman and Lois could
never be apart.

But by the time I left, he seemed okay.

This wasn't the first time you
considered a divorce, was it?

That's not true. You didn't want to be
married to a mid -level banker.

You resented Bill for his lack of
ambition.

Objection, Your Honor. This is what Bill
Muntz told his therapist the first year

he got to the hospital. That's
privileged.

We can use his statements to defend
ourselves.

He's right, Ms. Dahl. By throwing the
hospital, you waived the privilege.

I loved my husband, Mr. Aldridge.

Then why did you make him so miserable?

He said you called him weak, stupid.

Bill would never have said that.

Your husband chose to be Superman.

In his mind, he had to be perfect to
make you happy.

Objection. Argumentative.

Sustained. This past year, Mrs. Muntz,
how many times did you visit your

husband?

She came when she could, Bill.

Please. Mrs. Muntz?

I don't know.

Nine times.

Nine times, Mrs. Muntz.

You can't even make it there one day a
month.

It's hard for me to see him like this.

Stop him from hurting Lois. Why didn't
you talk to his doctor first?

Excuse me?

You're his legal guardian.

You were filing for divorce.

You had to know Bill might get upset.
Why not ask for his doctor's permission?

I don't need permission to speak with my
husband. Your husband, Mrs. Muntz, is

mentally ill.

You're going to leave him and you don't
tell his doctor ahead of time?

Objection. Stop it!

None of this has anything to do with
truth or justice.

Mr. Monk, sit down right now. She
doesn't have to worry about me.

I'm Superman.

Counsel, sit him down now or he's out of
here faster than a speeding bullet.

Please.

I will testify. We can talk about that,
but you need to sit down.

Attacking Lois like that, we can't let
them get away with it.

I don't think you should testify. I
don't like it either, but you didn't do

well up there. It's Ricky, I know, but I
think we need him to say this wasn't

your fault.

Bill, are you sure you want to testify?

You're damn right.

Those sons of bitches!

I'm sorry.

I, um... I don't know why, I just...

I'm going to protect Lois.

I'm going to testify.

He can't testify. He's crazy.

He's a named defendant.

He has to be allowed to take the stand.
Not if he's incompetent. They say his

wife caused him to jump. He's got the
right to explain that she didn't. He has

no sense of reality, of the truth. He
can explain what was going through his

mind. That's completely relevant to the
question of liability.

I hope Mr. Berluti realizes that if his
client testifies, I'm going to treat him

like any other witness.

Meaning what?

I'll have no choice but to go after him.

The man is not well.

You've made him watch everyone he's
trusted turn on him. His wife, his

What are you trying to do? Totally
destroy him? Is he threatening my

No, he's warning you. And so am I.

Are you sure you want to do this, Mr.
Berluti?

Look, if we lose, if the jury hits the
Munsters with real damages, they won't

able to afford private care.

Bill will spend the rest of his life in
a state institution and feel responsible

for bankrupting his wife.

We can't let that happen.

I'll let him testify, Mr. Berluti.

But I hope you know what you're doing.

Flying isn't something I just do.

There has to be a reason. So you've
flown before.

Many, many times.

Why did you want to fly that day?

Well, Lois had come to see me. Sorry.

Who was Lois?

The woman seated there.

My wife.

Why do you think she came to see you?

She said she wanted a divorce.

But I think she wanted my help.

I think she was in some kind of danger.

What kind of danger?

I don't really know.

When she left, I watched her from the
window.

And I was going to follow her from above
to make sure she was all right.

But that nurse, she started harping on
me about going down to lunch.

I forgot my cape.

I need the cape to fly.

So you weren't trying to hurt yourself.

You were just trying to fly.

That's right.

Thank you.

Nothing further.

Mr. Muntz, you love your wife.

Very much.

So when she told you she was leaving
you, that was devastating, wasn't it?

No.

Weren't you crying?

At first, maybe.

And then... I calmed down.

When?

Dr. Gorman said he found you crying ten
minutes later.

Alone.

You do remember that, don't you?

Mr. Muntz?

I, um... I remember.

Did she say why she was leaving?

Objection. Irrelevant.

Goes to a state of mind.

Of a world.

Did she say why she was leaving?

Not really.

Not really?

Didn't she tell you exactly why?

Isn't it a fact that your wife told you
she had met someone else?

A man she met at work?

What?

Objection. Lacks foundation.

I can lay the foundation.

I've got photos.

Objection. Upper ruled.

Mr. Muntz, do you remember the question?

She didn't say that.

I don't know what he's talking about.
Mr. Muntz, you tried to kill yourself,

didn't you?

Your wife told you that she had fallen
in love with another man and you tried

kill yourself.

Isn't that right?

I don't know what he's talking about. I
don't know what he's talking about.

I don't know.

I don't know.

I don't know what he's talking about. I
don't know.

I don't know.

I don't know. I don't know.

She would not tell me anything like
that.

How is he?

I don't know.

He won't talk to anyone.

Can I see him?

I don't think that's a good idea.

Jimmy, what they said about me meeting
somebody else, you have to believe me, I

never told him that's not the reason I
want the divorce.

I understand, Deborah, and I know you
were trying to protect him.

But hiding the truth?

He shouldn't have heard it for the first
time in court, and I shouldn't have

either.

I gotta get ready for my closing.

I'm sorry.

Jimmy gets nervous before his closing.

No, he's right.

The truth is, Lindsay, I've never known
what's best for Bill.

I mean, I know I'm not responsible for
his disease.

Not really.

But that lawyer, he was right about one
thing.

I never appreciated what we had.

I kept pushing him to be what I wanted.

What I thought he could become.

I don't think I ever accepted him simply
for who he really was.

In the law, we have a doctrine called
res ipsa loquitur.

The thing speaks for itself.

Sometimes negligence is so obvious, so
blatant, the law simply shifts the

to the defense.

We know someone was at fault for this,
so explain to us why it shouldn't be

Here, we have two defendants at fault.

A wife who drove her husband to attempt
suicide.

and an institution that failed to
control its patient.

Who's more to blame?

That's your decision.

But there was negligence here.

Mentally ill men in costumes don't just
drop on an accountant's head.

He's convinced that he's Superman, but
they never expected he might try to fly?

Ed Green would be alive if there were
bars on those windows.

It really is that simple.

You have to ask yourself, who was in the
best position to prevent what happened?

They were in control.

They were responsible for keeping him
safe.

That's what they were being paid to do.

The fact is, Clarendon Hall isn't really
a hospital.

It's a business.

These people care about profits, not
patients.

And that's why they didn't have bars on
the windows.

That's why they didn't have more staff
on that floor.

Dr. Gorman saw Bill Muntz crying in his
room.

If anyone had stayed in that room,

Ed Green would still be alive.

If they really think he tried to kill
himself, imagine the cruelty of

to him that his wife is seeing another
man right here in open court.

Now, I don't know much Latin, Mr. Klein,
but that's a thing that speaks for

itself.

When Deborah Munt told her husband she
was leaving him, it was reckless

She drove him out that window.

Had she told Dr.

Gorman, and she had the chance, he would
have protected Bill.

She didn't do it.

That's the negligence that cost Ed Green
his life.

Our hospital has taken good care of Bill
Munt.

For almost five years, long after his
wife stopped coming to visit, Dr. Gorman

and his staff have provided round the
clock treatment.

Don't blame us for the actions of a wife
who parked her sick husband at our

doorstep and then stopped caring for
him.

Don't blame us for her neglect and
cruelty.

We're a hospital.

We're in the business of caring for
people.

But for Mrs. Munce, this tragedy would
never have happened.

Bobby, what are you doing here?

Is it over?

Jimmy's with the Munces. We're still
waiting for a verdict.

What do you think?

I don't know.

An innocent man was killed.

The jury's going to want to blame
somebody for that.

I thought you might need this.

What is it?

Mental hospitals from around the
country.

I made a few calls.

A few? There are 15 names here. The
underlying ones might be able to take

when this is over. The two with the
stars by them are your best shots.

This must have taken you hours, and with
all the work that you've got... Why'd

you do it?

To be honest, um... I don't know.

Let's just say I fell for the guy.

There but for the grace of God.

Something like that.

By the way, I think we've got a new
babysitter.

You're kidding. You managed to hire one?

No, uh, Eugene and Eleanor did the
interviewing.

She seems very nice.

You still get the credit.

Thank you.

I better get back to the office.

Bobby?

Ms. Dole, the jury's back.

Madam foreperson, the jury has reached a
verdict.

We have, Your Honor.

What say you?

On question one, do we find the
defendant, William Muntz, negligent? We,

jury, answer no.

On question two, do we find the
defendant, Deborah Muntz, negligent?

We, the jury, answer yes.

Quiet. I said quiet.

Madam foreperson, do you have a verdict
on question three?

Yes, Your Honor. Question three.

Do we find the defendant, Clarendon
Hall, negligent?

We, the jury, answer yes.

We further order that Clarendon Hall pay
damages to the plaintiff in the amount

of $3 million and that Deborah Muntz pay
damages to the plaintiff in the amount

of $1.

Excuse me, we're not done.

Question four.

As to the cross -complaint, we fine for
the complainant and order the hospital

to pay Bill and Deborah Muntz actual
damages of $1 and to pay Bill Muntz

punitive damages in the amount of $1
million.

Your Honor, we move for judgment
notwithstanding the verdict and ask that

damage award be set aside.

Motion denied.

Members of the jury, this completes your
service. You are dismissed with my

thanks. This court is adjourned.

Thank you so much.

We'll appeal until the future's
judgment.

Somebody get a doctor.

Somebody get a doctor.

He was having a heart attack. It was a
panic attack, Bill. Some minor chest

pains caused by stress.

Bill, now that this is over, we need to
talk.

May I come in?

This is a client meeting.

Come on, Bill.

What are you doing?

Taking Bill back to the hospital.

The lawyer says our appeal should take a
year.

Whatever you may think, Mr. Belluti, I'm
still his doctor.

Bill tried to save my life.

So as long as we remain open, he's going
to have a home.

You don't have to go with him, Bill.

There are other hospitals that might
take you in.

Is it okay to talk to Lois for a second?

I don't think that would be a good idea.

No.

Wait, it's all right.

But you can't.

You don't love me anymore.

It's not true.

I just can't take care of you anymore.

Whatever you did, if you met someone
else, I don't care about that.

All that matters to me is that we stay
together.

I can't do this again.

Deborah.

I'll use whatever name you want.

Bill. Listen to me.

I won't be Superman anymore.

I promise. I can do it.

You can't.

The world needs Superman.

Especially now.

And no matter how much I might want to,
I can't ask you to stop being who you

really are.

I love you.

I love you too.

Goodbye.

Whoa!

world of home.