Original subtitles

I'll, uh, take those drinks to the table.

Robbie?

Syd.

Do you wanna sit?

One beer and one ros�.

Honey, our table's ready.

Lauran, this is, uh...

Sydney... it's so nice to finally meet you.

Robert's told me so much about you.

Oh, dear. Not all bad, I hope.

Robert.

Old boyfriend gets you a double on the house.

What about ex-husband?

That gets you the whole bottle.

For what it's worth...

she's got nothing on you.

Oh no, no, no, no.

Well, in that case, we'll just get a court order,

force them to open up their books.

Ha, something tells me that'll scare them

- into a settlement fast. - Hi, sorry.

Appreciate the help, Elijah. Say hello to Sydney for me.

I will, Senator.

Hello, Sydney.

Hey, sorry I had a...

... plumbing issue.

You didn't miss anything. We're going ahead as planned.

Great.

Plumbing?

Yeah.

Want me to send my guy over?

No, all good.

Glowing, in fact.

I have so many questions, Sydney.

First of all, what kind of a man

seduces the legendary Sydney Strait?

First of all, I do the seducing.

I am the seducer. Me.

Seducers are never this defensive or this late.

He wouldn't leave.

Who has nowhere to go in the morning?

Wake them fully dressed, with an egg sandwich.

What... why... why an egg sandwich?

The egg tells them they're special,

the sandwich says, "You can take that to go."

You're a terrible person.

Who's never late.

May we, uh... may we help you?

Yes, sir.

I would like to sue the United States government.

You're gonna want to talk to her.

Synced & corrected by QueenMaddie www.addic7ed.com

They call them 100-year floods.

But in the last decade, there's been three.

Rainfall is up, year over year, beyond any forecast.

So you wanna sue for global warming.

Three weeks ago,

my whole neighborhood was under water.

Last time that happened,

insurance money took nine months to come through.

By the time we moved back in,

there was black mold everywhere.

People were sick.

Homes were abandoned.

- Where are you living now? - A motel.

Everybody acts like families

getting displaced is unfortunate.

And it is.

All due respect, sir,

the Mississippi has been flooding worse now

than it has in 500 years.

That's not unfortunate.

All of this is someone's fault.

Righteous, stubborn, smart as a whip...

reminds me of someone.

She doesn't need a protracted lawsuit.

What she needs is immediate humanitarian aid,

insurance companies making timely payouts...

FEMA actually doing their job.

Humans to be humane?

Agreed.

Why don't we get on the horn and, uh,

call some charities, local businesses?

Mayor's office, Governor Lee.

Yeah, all that... let's get these folks some help.

What's shaking, Della?

The parts I want and not the parts I don't.

That's in the cut.

Back at 6:00.

Smells like bad decisions in here.

Where do you think the music comes from?

Briana says you wanna get your affairs in order?

May I ask... are you ill?

- No. - Ah.

Last week...

I buried a friend.

Best horn player you ever seen.

When he passed, what little money he had

went to Uncle Sam. He ended up in a... pine box.

You'd be surprised how many old bluesmen end up like that.

Anyway... I have a collection of guitars worth a little.

I'm hoping you can set something up so when I go,

my friends won't have to pass the hat.

Well, I'll get a proper appraisal,

and we'll incorporate the guitars into a trust.

If you don't mind... What's that gonna run me?

How 'bout a private concert?

Your favorite song... Right here, right now.

Uh-uh, not an easy one, not a go-to.

I want the one you play to get into heaven.

Heaven... or maybe hell.

? Got me on my knees ?

? Oh Ruby Lou ?

? When I hear you sing, girl ?

? My Ruby Lou ?

? The moon is high ?

? Oh Ruby Lou ?

Dad, we should take your car,

'cause I don't think the wagon will fit in mine.

I hope you know that we're not trying to disappoint you, Erika.

Thank you, sir.

You can call me Elijah.

You did an awful lot of research.

Did someone at school help you?

My school got flooded, too,

so I take the bus to the library.

They have a lot of information on climate change,

and I like to do my research.

Do you wanna be a scientist?

Actually, I wanna be a lawyer.

- Oh! - So I can help people.

- That's why I became a lawyer. - Me, too.

Then why did you leave and go work for that other firm?

Uh, Dad, you wanna... You wanna take this one?

No, no, no, no. I think that was your question.

Okay... Erika, you're going to make a really good lawyer... know why?

'Cause you know just the rest questions to ask

to make someone really uncomfortable.

? You know I'm coming back ?

? For you ?

Whoo! That was incredible.

It's actually one of my favorite songs.

What?

Truth? I wrote it.

I thought Big Jay LaRue wrote that song.

He and I were close once.

Things happened.

He ended up recording it.

Hold on. Jimi, you're a smart guy.

You know there's royalties for a song like that.

No, that's old news.

You can't walk down Beale Street

without running into somebody that really wrote something.

But you wrote "Ruby Lou."

You say you wanna make sure

no one has to pass the hat for you.

Let me at least go to the record company

and just talk to them.

You played that song for me, of all the songs.

I think maybe there's a part of you that wants

to leave behind something more than guitars.

Dad!

Erika.

What did I tell you about messing with these people?

Oh, no, no, she's not been a bother at all.

Elijah Strait. This is my daughter, Sydney.

Hi... it was our pleasure

spending time with her, honestly.

She's, uh... She's really something.

- Well, what do you say? - Thank you, ma'am.

Yep.

- Elijah. - Go find your mother, baby.

She was starting to worry.

Oh, she left her research in the trunk there.

Wheel it in on her wagon, did she?

- Yeah, yeah. - Yeah, I try not to discourage

her dreams, you know. It's... it's been a bad stretch.

It's very kind of you all to indulge her

and to bring her back all this way.

Thank you. Thank you both.

Oh, can we help you, or...

Oh, no, no, no. I'll go get her research.

Okay.

Dad...

Does this seem right?

Come on, now. We live in the richest country in the world.

How do we let our people down like this?

Dad...

let's sue the U.S. government.

- He's all yours, Jake. - Thank you.

So, you want to tell me

what the hell you were doing up there?

Have you seen the view from up there?

It's spectacular.

Did you notice the "No Trespassing" signs

while you were going up there?

Jake, you gotta lighten up.

I mean, I think the police are gonna cut me a little slack

for a while, you know what I'm saying?

I've never driven a Porsche before.

Don't even think about it.

Uh, this is fine, Jake, really.

I'm not in second grade.

You don't have to walk me to my door.

Oh, no, actually I do,

because this way I'll be able to sleep,

'cause I'll know that you are safe,

I'll know that you're on the ground,

I will know that you are in the...

_

George.

Yeah, I forgot to mention the, uh, decorations...

It's no big deal.

Hey, um...

Why don't you grab some things and, uh...

come stay at my place for now?

They painted "Kid Killer" on George's door.

Yeah, I know.

This town's got a long memory.

Just 'cause we know the truth doesn't mean

everyone else is gonna believe it.

- I'd offer to send a car by... - But?

Well, me looking into this case...

I'm just about as popular as George is right now.

I'm sorry.

Listen, the best way I can help George...

by finding out what happened.

Now, good news.

Found someone who might be able to fill in some of the gaps

about the night Tess was murdered.

It's an ex-cop.

Robert.

So, um, Lauran is nice.

You don't really think that.

I honestly don't know,

because I'm pretty sure she loathes me.

- Good point. - Which you just confirmed.

I did not.

Robbie, it's fine, I get it. I'm the ex-wife.

I don't expect to be invited

to dinner parties or the wedding.

Is there a...

Jealous?

Curious.

No wedding.

Okay.

Now if the inquisition's over...

Yes, it's over, Robert.

Well, we've decided not to sue

the U.S. government for climate change.

Because we found someone more directly responsible

for the flooding in your town,

someone that we can get into court fast.

The Army Corps of Engineers.

They're the ones who built the levee system along the river.

Erika, with something as big as global warming,

it's hard to assign specific blame,

but with the levee system, we feel that we can demonstrate

to a jury that the Army should have foreseen

the flooding that your town endured.

- I like this plan. - Okay.

So... how can I help?

You know, as our client,

you will be the face of this case,

so we would like to have you in court with us

every day, if that's possible.

Of course. I just take the 14 to the six,

to the 19 to the 40... the same buses I take to get here.

Actually, I forgot... On trial days, we pick you up.

Mm-hmm.

I don't need the special treatment.

Oh, no, it's not. It comes with our service.

Well, in that case, sure.

How long have you known Teddy?

Since our playground days.

That's beautiful.

Oh, yeah, she's got something, that one.

Come on, we can talk in here.

Thanks for seeing us on such short notice.

What I wanna know is, when am I gonna get you

in here to lay down something?

What's this?

Oh, I take it you've never heard Anthony in church.

Anthony.

Go on, give me a few bars of something.

? He leadeth me ?

? O blessed thought ?

? O words of heavenly comfort fraught ?

Surrounded by talent everywhere I look.

That's what I love about this city.

Speaking of talent, what about Jimi Barkley?

Did you find out about the history of "Ruby Lou"?

Even if there was any proof that he wrote it,

which there isn't, I only own half the rights.

Big Jay LaRue owns the other half?

Yes, as the song's credited writer,

but he passed, so his widow, Gertrude, owns it now.

But the point is, I only make 50% on that song,

and I need every penny I get.

Teddy...

we both know how it was back then.

I remember our dads telling us stories

about how songs were passed around, traded,

and yes, stolen.

You really think Big Jay LaRue,

author of half a dozen legitimate hit songs,

stole "Ruby Lou" from an old running buddy

who never wrote a single hit in his life?

I know when I'm being lied to.

Jimi wasn't lying.

How well do you know Jimi?

I mean, you know he served time for weapons and drug charges?

You know he has a history of exaggerated claims

and broken promises?

Old bluesmen tell sad stories.

And they tell them well. That's why we love them.

That's also why you don't ever trust them.

- Should we call them? - Uh, no.

Is that Emerson's car?

I offered to get him a new one, but...

There she is!

You ready?

Erika...

... you know what today is?

My day in court.

No need to be nervous.

Dr. Pope, what is a levee?

A levee is an artificial embankment

which keeps a river from flooding an area

when it overflows.

So, if someone builds a levee to protect one town,

what happens with the water that would have been flooded there?

It's redirected back into the river,

which means more flooding downstream.

_

I study the economics of the Mississippi River.

Over the course of its 2,348 miles,

it generates $400 billion in revenue.

Could you tell the jury... Is there a correlation

between the height of a levee

and the wealth of the people the levee protects?

The richer the area, the higher the wall.

_

Colonel Ramirez, as the Army Corps of Engineers'

Chief Engineer, it's safe to say you understand

- the basics of hydrology? - I do.

When you designed the current levee system,

one which protects a wealthy suburb

to the north of my client's town,

did you foresee that flooding might increase as a result?

We foresaw it and feared it.

That's why we lobbied the government

to build protection for your client as well...

Move to strike... No question pending.

I'm finishing my answer to your question

about what we foresaw.

He's right, Miss Strait.

We foresaw the problem.

We asked to fix it.

We were blocked from protecting her town

by the Environmental Defense Council.

Uh, Your Honor, may we have a brief recess

to investigate the veracity of this statement?

We'll pick this up after lunch.

That should give you enough time.

You look worried.

Well, the Army Corps of Engineers

built the levee that flooded your town, but...

if they tried to fix it and someone else stopped them,

then we're looking at...

The Environmental Defense Council...

They blocked the levee because it imperiled

the nesting grounds for some endangered bird.

So, does that mean we lose?

Not necessarily.

Miss Strait, I have seen my share

of your antics firsthand,

but do you really expect for me to allow you

to add a second defendant based on the testimony

of your first defendant?

It's not her idea, Your Honor, it's mine.

And trust me, I wouldn't add an environmental group

headed by a lifelong friend to the complaint

if I didn't believe it had merit.

Any objections?

To them blaming someone besides my client?

Oh, not besides... In addition to.

Right... good luck with that strategy.

Seems to me our odds of winning went down by 50%.

Some days, things just don't break your way,

and when that happens,

what you hope for is to live to fight another day,

and that's what we did.

- Think she bought that? - Not for a heartbeat.

Then we better figure out how to win a case

against two different defendants at once.

Yeah.

"Ruby Lou"? No, I've never heard of that.

'Cause the music you listen to is garbage.

Easy or I'm gonna be telling Maya that you're playing hooky

to watch the "Top Chef" finale.

Did you change something?

Hey, sweet! Brewskis.

That's a nice surprise from a guy who has

a mini wine fridge.

When did they start making those, anyway?

George, you've, uh...

You've moved my furniture around.

Yeah, isn't it better?

The flow is more natural.

One thing about living in a six by eight cement cell

for all those years.

You get real good at feng shui.

Okay, so what do we think?

Okay, so Teddy was right.

Jimi Barkley has had more than this share of trouble.

Robbery, grand theft auto...

Jacket of an addict always reads the same way.

This, however, is interesting.

Every time he was arrested from '68 to '77,

look who bailed him out.

It's either Big Jay LaRue

or a woman named Gertrude Davis.

And didn't Teddy say that LaRue's wife

was named Gertrude?

If it's the same one, that means she knows Jimi,

and maybe she'll believe him.

I couldn't sleep last night.

I was up tossing and turning,

thinking about how much I want to win.

You and me both.

- Do you have a boyfriend? - Oh, uh...

Uh... no, not really.

There's... well I guess there's this one guy.

He's cute, but I don't really...

know him that well... Well, what about you?

You got... you got your eye on someone, huh?

I mean, there is this one boy I like.

- Okay. - But my dad says he's trouble.

I know that's supposed to be a bad thing,

but I kind of like that he's trouble.

Does that make sense?

So much and so little at the same time.

Drinks.

What are you two talking about?

- Tacos. - Theme parks.

Oh, so that's how it's gonna be?

Okay, coffee for Sydney, a...

OJ for Erika.

Elijah?

Sydney, give us a second.

Hey, Caleb, we, uh...

We shouldn't be talking like this.

Yeah, you're damn right, we shouldn't be.

What are you doing?

Last time I checked,

I'm a guy who spends most of his time fighting big money

to protect forests and parks,

and you're the guy representing my organization.

I know.

What kind of a message do you think it sends

to your other clients if you come after me?

- That a threat? - No, it's an honest question.

I've got a town under water.

People living in motels and a little girl who wants to know

how this happens in the greatest country on Earth.

So... I gotta go wherever this case leads.

- _ - ... and so the EDC acted?

Yes, we blocked that levee.

But the flooding is not our fault.

So you admit you blocked construction of a new levee?

Yes.

But you think the flooding is not your fault?

We did our own investigation

into the flooding of your client's town.

Since when does the Environmental Defense Council

conduct investigations?

Since it was named in a lawsuit alongside

the Army Corps of Engineers,

an organization we routinely fight against.

Our investigation found that the levees north

of your client's town were systematically overbuilt

by contractors in order to gouge the taxpayers.

This, in conjunction with systemic kickbacks

to inspectors.

Nothing further.

And as such, we would like to add

the following defendants.

Ted Gafney, president, Benson Construction.

Louis Bartlett, president, Wild River Construction.

Edgar Barta, director

of the Memphis Department of Public Works,

and Joan Aversano,

the Head of the River Valley Levee Board.

I thought you said our chances of winning

decrease with every new defendant.

- We did. - 100 divided by eight...

- Yeah, Erika... - Don't say,

"We live to fight another day,"

because that's not what's happening.

Losing is what's happening.

Yep, you're right. We're losing.

But the next thing a good lawyer does

when one strategy doesn't work...

You pivot to another one.

Like what?

We don't know.

It's called alternative liability.

It's a legal doctrine which allows the plaintiff, us,

to shift the burden of causation of an injury

to multiple defendants.

Then, it's up to the defendants to provide evidence

as to which one of them caused the injury...

and if they can't do that,

then a jury can hold them all responsible.

Erika... bottom line is, if we go with this,

come Monday morning when we walk in there,

we don't have to point the finger

at just one person anymore. We can blame them all.

It's risky, but we think it'll work.

Appreciate you seeing us, Tommy.

I was real sorry to hear about your son.

Yeah.

No parent should ever have to bury their child.

Let's, uh...

let's talk about George Bell.

Yeah... I figured somebody would be coming by

when I read he was freed.

I found the mother's original statement.

I know you took it. I know someone buried it.

How'd you find it?

Tommy, right now this is informal.

You keep answering my questions with more questions,

it's gonna get formal real quick.

It was around 10:30 that night...

I got a call telling me that they found Tess's body.

And, um, not five minutes passes

before Chief Rayburn calls me,

wants me to get out of bed and go take the mother's statement.

Wait, now... you're saying the chief called you himself?

That didn't seem strange?

Yeah, it seemed very strange, but he's the boss.

So I go get the mom's statement,

except she's so blotto that I don't know what to make of it.

She said the daughter came home.

But she also made a pass at me, so...

I go back to the station, I show Rayburn what I wrote up,

and he says, "Just lose this interview.

Try it again tomorrow." That's what happened.

And the second interview... He tell you to steer it?

They told me he was the guy, Robbie.

Did the chief ask you to steer it?

"Get the final nail," he says.

"Because we know she didn't come home."

So, next stop, Rayburn?

Chief Rayburn's dead.

Yeah, suicide.

Eight or nine years ago.

Cheer up. My trail might've run cold, but...

Tommy's gonna help make your case, right?

Yeah.

Thanks for coming in, Mrs. LaRue.

I was a big fan of your husband.

- Call me Trudy. - Thank you, Trudy.

I represent a gentleman I think you know.

Jimi Barkley.

Jimi Barkley.

Now, to be clear, he's not saying that

your husband stole the song,

but is it possible that, just maybe,

Jimi had a hand in writing it?

My husband loved Jimi... Like a brother.

Took care of him the way you take care of family,

even when they disappoint you or...

steal from you or...

lie to your face.

So many times I begged Joseph to write Jimi off,

but Joseph never gave up.

He said, "There's a good man in Jimi."

And now Jimi's going around, spreading that lie like that.

I'm just glad Joseph's in a better place,

because this would break his heart...

Whereas all it does to me,

is prove my point.

Emerson... Emerson, are you almost here?

Are you sure?

Damn car of his broke down.

- No! - Uh, no need to panic.

He said that Erika has a backup plan

- that involves three different buses. - Okay.

Twice in my life I've known

12-year-old girls that...

couldn't have stopped them

from doing what they believed in if I tried.

No, she'll get here. Just gotta make sure

we got this courtroom teed up for her when she does.

Let's hope she gets here by closing arguments.

Mr. Gafney, is it true

that your company built the north levee?

Yes, we built the north levee,

but those specs were dictated by the planning board,

who demanded we overbuild.

This is not our fault.

Mr. Bartlett.

Instructions are instructions,

and our job is to follow them.

It's not our fault.

- Edgar Barta. - It's not my fault.

Joan Aversano?

It's no one's fault.

Is it my understanding that the defense rests?

Yes, Your Honor.

Very well.

This brings to a close, the evidentiary portion of the trial.

We'll now hear closing arguments,

starting with the plaintiff.

You're supposed to talk to the record company, not Trudy.

Jimi, there was nothing...

If I wanted you talking to her,

don't you think maybe I would've mentioned her?

I never should've opened my mouth.

Jimi, calm down.

Nothing but trouble and pain!

Nothing but trouble and pain.

That's all I ever gave that woman.

Did she know?

How's that?

That you loved her. Did Trudy know?

'Course not.

I wouldn't have done that to her.

I knew she didn't love me.

Why do you think I changed the name?

Changed the name?

The song, "Ruby Lou." That wasn't the original title.

It was "Trudy True."

You still have those lyrics, don't you?

You never would've thrown them away.

Might be I held onto 'em.

Why?

The plaintiff doesn't need to be here for you

to deliver a closing argument.

Your Honor, in this case, she does.

She's not just a plaintiff, she's...

We have six defendants over there.

I'm not making them wait when there's no legal reason

they have to.

You will deliver a closing argument now.

Sorry.

Yes, we will.

In some ways, you've witnessed an unorthodox case.

What started with a single defendant

became two, and then grew and grew.

And yet, sadly, there's nothing really unorthodox

about what's at work here, is there?

What you've seen is something that's become

a national pastime.

We pass the buck.

At that table, our businesses and regulators

and environmental agencies who refuse to work together...

They'd rather argue than find common ground.

They would rather sue each other

than come up with solutions.

The people who are supposed to protect us

have stopped talking,

and we are the ones who pay the price.

In fact, the...

the only thing that they can agree on

is that they should all band together

to fight a 12-year-old girl.

You wanna know why it's their fault

that Erika's town flooded?

It's not because of the design of the levee, it's not...

because they tried to protect a species,

it's not even because they overbuilt

or bribed or cheated.

It's their fault because they refuse to work together.

It's their fault because instead of trying to fix

things that are wrong, they just cross their arms

and act angry with each other.

Like children.

Thank you.

That was hot, my man.

Della, what's she doing here?

She's come to hear the song, Jimi.

She came to hear it played

the way it was meant to be played.

- I... I can't. - Yeah, you can.

? Got me on my knees ?

? Oh Trudy True ?

? When I hear you sing girl ?

? Oh, my Trudy True ?

? The moon is high ?

? Oh, Trudy True ?

? You hear me hollering, mama ?

? Know I'm coming back for you ?

? Mm-hmm ?

? True, true, true, Trudy ?

? Trudy True ?

? When you hear me hollering, mama ?

? You'll know I'm coming back for ?

? Oh, I'm coming back for you ?

My husband was an incredible man.

And I loved him... with all my heart.

But Jimi wrote that song.

I'll sign the paperwork.

Have it messengered over in the morning.

And finally... alternative liability

requires every possible party to be included.

And in this case, one has been left out.

We call a tragedy like this

an "act of god" for a reason, ladies and gentlemen.

It's because a tragedy like this...

No man can stop that.

- Miss Strait, rebuttal? - Wanna do it yourself?

Yeah.

Miss Strait,

- do you have a rebuttal? - Are you sure?

Yes, Your Honor.

Uh, our client would like to deliver it herself.

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

When I was younger, around eight or so,

my family had a dog named Memphis.

And whenever Memphis would have an accident,

my brothers and sister and I would play this game...

Whoever could say, "not it" first,

and the last one would have to clean up the mess.

One day, my grandmother saw us playing this game,

and she sat us down.

She said,

"When you agree to take care of something,

"it's your responsibility to uphold your end of the deal,

no matter what."

So, I ask you to teach the people at the table over there,

the same lesson.

Thank you for your consideration.

- I messed up. - Stop.

I forgot at least two key points,

and I was nervous... they saw that.

You spoke from the heart.

They saw that.

That's what really matters.

Was that dog of yours really named Memphis?

I don't know if y'all were watching the jury,

but by the time she was done...

well, suffice it to say, you can play Russian Roulette

to see which one of you big bad wolves

the jury punishes,

but if I were a betting woman, which I am...

I would say you're all about to get hammered,

so... how about we come up with a settlement that,

uh, you can spin to the press

as a heroic gesture

on behalf of the American people?

And the last item...

is a state-of-the-art levee system

which will not only protect your town,

but all of the towns downstream.

And they have also agreed to a $25 million

displacement fund in the unlikely event

that there will be any future flooding.

And this is on top of the temporary housing

for all of you.

Well... Erika, what do you think?

That'll work.

I got something for you, Jimi.

You will receive your first royalty check

for "Ruby Lou" next month.

I was thinking... seeing that my needs aren't all that great,

maybe the extra money should go into a fund

for other bluesmen like me, who...

who aren't as lucky to...

find someone...

like you.

Big Jay LaRue was right.

You are a good man, Jimi Barkley.

Thank you so much for helping my daughter.

Let me tell you a little secret... she helped us.

Yeah.

Hey you!

Hey!

- Don't be a stranger, okay? - Promise.

Good, because we got you something.

Ooh!

Every good lawyer needs one.

- It's a nice bag. - Thank you.

It's nice.

George, I got some good news.

The, uh... the alarm system's been installed...

George?

The apartment's all clean...

George!

George?

Sometimes those other rooms just feel so big.

Yeah, I get it.

What's the good news?

Well, I, uh...

I thought it through...

And I think it would be better if you stayed here.

The other night...

I was trying to make that omelet

your mother used to make...

You mean the "mom-let"?

I was looking at it, saying, "This is wrong."

And then I realized what was missing was your mother.

I don't recognize this house anymore, Sydney.

I walk around, it's like...

somebody blew out all the candles.

Yeah.

It's starting to sink in.

Really sink in.

You know who Mom would've loved?

Erika.

What I wouldn't give for her to have seen that girl go.

She did.

First time around.

Was I that cute? I feel like I was that cute.

Tenacious... That's what you were.

What are we gonna do, Dad?

What we always do.

We're gonna keep fighting.