All language subtitles for Picket Fences S01E07 The Contenders 1080p DSNP WEB-DL AAC2 0 H 264-WELP_track4_[eng]

I will not be held hostage three days
before the election.

Nobody's holding you hostage. Oh.

We're just asking you
to commit on certain issues.

You are trying to extort
political favors, Ellen.

And you're using your endorsement
like blackmail, trying to...

Hey, we have been after you for
three years

to make some of these changes.

I promised you I would
consider them and I will.

When?
After the election.

I am not going to pass out
a quick guarantee now

just to be rubber-stamped
by the Rome Women's Coalition.

If it costs me, it costs me.
I'm sorry.

Now if you will excuse me, I am late for a
meeting at the Rotary Club.

He's not going to give us anything.

He didn't even take us seriously.

Well, why should he?
I mean, let's face it. Look at this.

The Rome Women's Coalition
has no influence in this town.

I mean, how many people
show up at this meeting? Six.

Half of the registered voters
in Rome are women

and three days before the election
we get six.

What's the expression?

"All it takes for evil to succeed

is for good
women to do nothing."

Well, we tried.

No, no, Ellen,
we haven't tried hard enough.

What else can we do?

Ross Perot couldn't
get George Bush to listen

and so he ran against him
and that shook him up.

Great. Bring in Ross Perot
to run for office.

Not Ross Perot, me.

Excuse me?

I'm going to run for mayor.

Let's see how Bill Pugen takes that.

JIMMY: You're crazy.

JILL: No, actually, this is one
of my saner moments.

You hate politics.

You'd no sooner be mayor
than the man in the moon.

Yeah, maybe so.
But, honey, you know,

28% of the people
in this town are undecided.

And of the 31%
who are going for Wambaugh,

17% say it's a default vote
against Pugen.

This thing is still up for grabs.

And if the right person
comes along,

even as a write-in,

then she could steal
a good percentage of the votes.

But how about the family?

The family was okay last month

when you were thinking about running.

But you run the family, I don't.

Well, you can learn.

Why in God's name
would you want to be mayor?

I don't. I just want to drum up

enough votes to scare Bill Pugen.

If I can muster, say, 20%,

then I can negotiate
a quid pro quo shopping list

and he's going to have to
commit to our positions.

Jill, isn't that a bit extreme?

The women of this town
have to be extreme.

Tomorrow night at the town rally
we'll announce my candidacy.

I'll stand up there and I'll tell
everybody why they should vote for me.

If enough people hear me,
Bill Pugen's going to come crawling.

License and registration, please.

Was I speeding?

Yes, sir, you were speeding.

What?

You're the poet.

The what?

Jeffrey "The Poet" Freed.

Ex-middleweight champion of the world.

My name is Emile Roland.

Look at my license and it says...

I was your biggest fan.
I know who you are.

I also know that you're a fugitive wanted
on income tax evasion.

Time to go.

Hey!

Mistake.

Put him in a cell. I'll notify the FBI.

Let's go. Left.

What's this?

Kenny caught him. He's black.

His name's Jeff Freed.

Fugitive on the run
since 1989 for tax evasion.

Former WBA middleweight champion.

Ginny, get me New Jersey probation. Done.

I hope there was probable cause.

Oh, no.

This is a civil rights violation.

State action, attorney fees.

Deal with him.

Doug.
I'm a busy man.

I have no time for your daily insults.

The town rally is for tonight and this is
my final sprint for mayor.

Take me to my African-American client
at once.

(SIGHING) You know the way.

You want my advice? Forget the speech.

Why?

You're lousy at speeches, Mom.

Remember when you called me in here
for the safe sex lecture?

Don't remind me.

As soon as you stopped the speechifying

and started talking, I listened.

That's what you should do tonight.

Tell the people of Rome
they should use condoms?

Okay, I'm going to
introduce you before they speak.

It will have a preemptive effect.

I paid off Wambaugh's band.

They said they'd play for you, too.

The more dramatic our presentation,

the better chance this thing will work.

I'm really doing this?

Your idea, Jill.

(SIGHING)

Best one you ever had.

(EXCLAIMS)

You know, you could have avoided jail.

Maybe if you hadn't run.
But now...

Listen, jail would be a relief now.
I'm tired of running,

I'm tired of pretending
to be somebody else.

I'm Jeff Freed. That's who I am.

Yeah, The Poet.

I was there at the Tillis fight.
Fifth row.

In fact, I even saw
the left that dropped him.

Tillis never did.

You like boxing?
Like it?

Illinois Golden Gloves.

He finished second
in the Midwest Police Championship.

He can fight.

You want to know why
they call him "The Poet"?

What do I look like,
a Jeopardy contestant?

Because he used to say a little verse

before going in for the knockout.

I know what you said to Tillis.
I memorized it.

"He there does now enjoy eternal rest."

Pop! Edmund Spenser.

"What's up, Doc?" Bugs Bunny.

Does he want representation or not?

I'd love representation, but I'm broke.

Listen, I appreciate the offer,

but what happens to me here
doesn't mean anything.

I've got big federal charges
waiting for me in New Jersey.

Just ship me back there.

I'll go to prison and get on
with the rest of my life.

(GROANS)

You had it all.

Hey, don't be pitying me.

I made it to the top. I got there.

And I get to have that forever.

Forever.

Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen.

Your attention, please.
Thank you.

As you all know, the Women's Coalition

traditionally makes its endorsement
on final speech night,

and tonight is no exception.

But breaking with tradition,
we have a big surprise.

Uh-oh. I hate surprises.

Tonight we select neither of the two men
on the ballot.

Instead we nominate as a write-in,

a person who has cured
our individual ailments

over the last ten years.

Ladies and gentlemen,
to cure what ails Rome, Wisconsin,

the Women's Coalition of Rome
proudly endorses

as the next mayor of Rome, Wisconsin,

Dr. Jill Brock.

(BAND PLAYING)

Do you know about this?
No.

It's enough I'm asking them
to elect a Jew.

They're putting up a woman?

(PEOPLE WHISTLING)

What a circus.

I think they like her.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Well, what a surprise.
First of all,

let me apologize to you for springing
something like this on you.

I never intended to be mayor.

Like most of you
I just assumed that this town,

like this country, could run itself.

And now look what's happened to both.

So tonight, tonight I stop complaining
and I become involved.

Tonight, I recognize
that the failures of Rome, Wisconsin,

as well as this country,

are in part my failures.

And my responsibility to correct them.

Step two is going to be to get
every one of you

to recognize that it's your
responsibility, too.

Once we accomplish that,
the rest of the steps

become a lot smaller.

Over the next few days
I'm going to be addressing the issues.

And I just want you
to keep one thing in mind.

I'm not a politician.

I already have a very good job.

A very good job.

But all of this nonsense
has gone far enough.

Rome needs a good mayor. It's me.

Thank you.

(BAND PLAYING)

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

Hey, headlines on the front page,
look at that.

It gets better.
The Herald did an exit poll

outside town hall last night.

You got 42%.

(GASPS) What?

That's inflated.
The initial surge always flattens out.

Oh.
But if we can hold

on to just half of that...

And we will.

The next part might scare you,
but believe me, it's good.

Bradley Clemmons wants to televise
a mini-debate this afternoon

for her public-access channel.

A debate?

They'll bring the cameras to us.

We'll use our own meeting room.

Wambaugh already said yes to it.

We've put a call in to Pugen.

You want me to debate them?

Jill, only a fraction of the town
was at town hall last night.

On public access we could reach everybody.

What do you think, honey?

Well, I...

Do it. Pugen's terrible at sound bites

and Wambaugh's no good unless
he's singing.

We have to hustle right down to the office

so we can start prepping you
on the issues.

We need makeup.
Bradley's lights bleach out the face.

JILL: Okay. This is nuts.

Totally nuts.

It's a good idea.

You're going to have a lot of legal bills

when you get back to New Jersey.

You want me to get into a ring
and box you?

People will come.

I'm kind of a public figure
in this town.

And you're the ex-champ.

We could charge 10 bucks a head.

This would be a big deal in Rome.

It would be adding manslaughter

to my rap sheet. I'd kill you.

You wouldn't kill me.

I'm a golden gloves fighter,
I'm in good shape,

and I'm 12 years younger than you are.

And I'd kill you.

Jeff, listen.

Hey, you can call me Mr. Freed.

I grew up wanting to be a fighter.

And to get in the ring
with somebody like you,

even if you knock me out, it's a dream.

Dream, sleep, it all goes with coma.

Which I'd put you in.

You're broke. This could raise money.

Half to the Y for the kids in Rome,
the other half to you.

Try to appreciate what I'm saying.

I don't do exhibitions.

I either fight or I don't fight.

I ain't fighting any amateur,
then losing sleep on how I hurt him.

You give me 30 seconds
in this cell right here.

If you don't think I can go with you,
fine, we'll call it off.

Right here in this cell?

Right here.

If I show you something,
you agree to the fight.

If I don't, I shut my mouth.

Go get the gloves. I'll choose a poem.

I agreed to this debate because I am not
afraid to address issues.

I am not hesitant to confront the public.

You agreed because you're scared,
same as me.

Overnight there's been an hysterical swing

in favor of this unqualified neophyte,

which also acts as a backlash against
your gross incompetence.

No offense to you, Jill. I know you care.

And I know you're helping out this man
with his diet.

I don't need you holding up...
Of course you don't.

Your record does that.

Let me finish, damn it!

You are finished. That's my point.

Your entire law practice...

God, she doesn't even have to talk.

She can just sit back and watch those two
embarrass themselves.

You don't know who this man is!

Hey! Hey. All right. Hey, hey!

One of the job requirements of mayor

is to personify some dignity which
reflects well on this town.

Jill...
Doug, please, let me finish.

Your whole campaign has been centered
around negativity.

The only remotely optimistic
thing is the jingle.

And Rome's economy
cannot be made whole again

by the Wambaugh theme.

And you, Bill, have been filled

with a little too much vitriol yourself.

Well, people have been
attacking me, I have to fight back.

No, and you've been conveying panic.

It's one thing to be sensitive
to the town's despair,

it's another thing to be symbolizing it.

I'm new at this.

I certainly know that.

But I can provide leadership.

I can provide vision.

And you haven't been able to do that, Bill.

You know that and so does the town.

They're fighting.

Yeah, I saw.

Kenny and the prisoner
are fighting in the cell.

Yeah, come on.
Attaboy. Attaboy.

See, the reason you're missing
is mental, not physical.

State of mind.
Come on.

JIMMY: What the hell's going on here?
MAXINE: Kenny.

We'll be done in a second.

Get out of there before
one of you gets hurt.

Nobody's going to get hurt, Sheriff.

JIMMY: Kenny!

I have no intention of hitting him.

And he's got no chance of touching me.

Somebody get the key!

Try going side to side. You're coming in

much too straight. Come on.

You know Plato said
poetry was immoral.

Good shot, Kenny.

Gotcha.

Question is, with what? Send me another.
Hurry up!

Plato also said the mind is a gymnasium.

You okay, Freed?

Freed?

Are you okay, man?
Fine.

Are you all right?
Fine.

That's it. Out. Now.

Deputy, you made your point.

You got yourself a fight.

JIMMY: That's ridiculous.

It's not ridiculous. It makes sense.
It could raise money.

Kenny, I'm not going to authorize
a boxing match

between you and
an ex-middleweight champ.

I can go with him. You saw it.

Jimmy, that's like a life-long dream
to go one round.

You could get hurt, Kenny.

He could get hurt. He's 40 years old.

One round. We'll do it at the town hall.

Gives everybody a chance
to get together on election night,

which you know they like to do anyway.

It might be a good thing, Jimmy.

Hmm?

Town morale. And the people here could use
a good public spectacle.

Just an event to cheer and yell.

Let out a few primal screams.

Are you saying that the idea
of two grown men getting into an arena

and beating one another senseless,

that's good for the town soul?

If you build it, they will come.

Okay, let's turn the cards over
and play them.

Excuse me?
Come on, Jill. I know the agenda.

This is all about positioning.

You obviously have it,

so let's skip the posturing
and cut the deal.

Well, we outlined our 12 issues
to you the other night.

Done.

You want to draw up
a statement, I'll sign it.

But I have to have your withdrawal plus

your endorsement by the end of the night.

Wait a minute.

Construction of the day-care facility?

Making Ellen McGrath
president of the City Council?

I said done.

Well, yesterday you were vehemently
opposed to all this.

That was yesterday.

Today I have political survival
to contend with, don't I?

Oh, and survival means subjugating
your principles for votes.

Wow.

Talk about exposing
the cancer of politics.

Don't lecture me.
I sure as hell am not happy

about having to capitulate on issues
that are important to me.

And the last thing I need right now
is your pontificating.

God. Not only can I beat you, Bill,

but for the first time I actually want to.

What?

The last thing Rome needs right now
is for you to be mayor.

What are you saying?

I'm saying no deal.
I'm saying I'm staying in the race.

Jill, you're a doctor. How...

No, I don't have to give up my practice.

I can delegate. 75 percent of the job
is administrative.

Now, this is not a moonlighting job.

I know. I set up a really good team,

and then I have an efficient department.

I won't vote for you.

Excuse me?

Look, your first priority is to your
medical practice.

This town needs a mayor
whose first commitment is to this town.

You wouldn't vote for me?

Absolutely not.

Do you know what I think your problem is?

The idea that I could be your boss.

You're terrified of that.

That has nothing to do with it.

You hypocrite.

A woman's rise to power,
you could live with that maybe.

But, oh, your own wife. Oh. Now that...

Is completely irrational.

Now, this is a trait of yours that would

keep you from being a good mayor.

It is not irrational, Jimmy.
You've always had trouble with my success.

What?
That's true. That's right.

Look, the day that I got
board certified in general surgery...

Huh? The time that I was
published in JAMA.

The time that I was profiled in
the New England Journal of Medicine.

Excuse me.
Are you anywhere near making a point?

The point is that any time I've achieved

anything in my career it's depressed you.

Depressed you in the den,
depressed you in the kitchen,

depressed you in the bedroom.

My success flattens out our sex life.

You're crazy.
I'm not crazy, Jimmy.

I won that Pediatrics Association award

and you were dead for two weeks.

We go to Hawaii on the GP convention.

We're in Maui, one of the most romantic
islands in the world.

You get introduced a couple of times as
Mr. Jill Brock, and boom!

Nothing works anymore.

On a beach-front ocean villa!

I don't want to hear this.

Fine, don't listen.

That will make everything okay, won't it?

You want to run for mayor,
you go out and run for mayor.

And if you win I'll be home waiting
for you. And I'll ravage you.

How about that? I'll pounce on you.
Fine, just mean it.

Yeah, I will. Good.

Yeah, good. Fine.

Yeah, fine. Okay.

Yeah.

Ginny?

I thought you called me.

And big things seem to be happening

in the tiny town of Rome, Wisconsin.

Yesterday Dr. Jill Brock rocked
the community

by announcing her candidacy

to become the first woman mayor
in Rome's history.

And while the women are reportedly cheering,

the men in Rome are more captivated
by an arrest made

by the Sheriff's Department.

Ex-middleweight boxing champion

and fugitive, Jeffrey "The Poet" Freed.

Plug the fight. Plug the fight.

But rather than immediately extradite
Mr. Freed back to New Jersey

where federal tax evasion charges
await him,

the Rome sheriffs have decided
to hang on to him

so that he may engage
in a charity boxing match

against Deputy Sheriff Kenneth Lacos.

Lacos.
Kenneth?

He said me.

Freed was captured in the town after

being pulled over on a speeding violation.

Harry Smith said me.

That means he's heard of me. I'm famous.

Yeah, more people are going to hear of you
if the guy kills you.

He's not going to kill me, Max.

Don't worry.
I was holding back a little today.

I've got a big surprise for The Poet.

Kenny, are you sure you want to do this?

At this point I don't
really have a choice.

I'm in it. I don't know if I can win.

But I've got a shot.

And sometimes it's enough just
to take your shot.

I don't know, the whole thing
scares me a little.

I mean, you and Dad are already fighting.

What if you win?

Whether I win or not isn't important.

Just climbing in the ring
with the champion

and feeling for one second
that I belong there.

Maybe it's because I'm a woman,

or maybe it's because this town is still

such an old boys' network, I don't know.

I think one of the reasons
I gave up boxing was the fact

that I never even allowed myself to think
I could be great.

I mean, it wasn't an option
I considered, you know.

It... I mean, a doctor, sure.

But a leader of the community. Oh.

It'll help the guy, Max.

The money will go to get him
some good lawyers.

Give him a chance.

The kids in this town will benefit.

A lot of people will get help.

This will be good
for the town.

I wouldn't be running
if I didn't believe that.

But I can't deny there is a little
something in it for me, too.

(CAMERA CLICKING)

That's great. Now, try looking just
a little bit more menacing.

Very good. Okay, let's get some close-ups.

Not too close.

You'll be able to see his fear.

And his grey hair.

I'm gonna let you pick.

You want something from Chaucer?

MAN: That's great.

Robert Browning? Alexander Pope?

William Butler Yeats.
He's the one who said,

"An aging man is but a paltry thing."

That's twice you surprise me.

Well, I'm ready for you, Mr. Freed.

I'm ready.

Don't you think your candidacy
is somewhat artificial?

How so?

Well, you jump in last minute as an
instrument of change, trying...

I see nothing artificial in the need for
change, Mark.

And I see nothing artificial
in the people's contempt

for government all across this country,
and particularly among women.

In national politics
that's certainly true,

but that hasn't been felt as much

in the small towns.
Not to the extent that...

Well, I believe it should be.

You know what happens when the
small-town politicians go unchecked?

They become big-time politicians.

And then this country is suddenly struck

with the kind of incompetence

that we saw on our Senate
Judiciary Committee

during the Clarence Thomas hearings.

Dr. Brock, what is your position
on abortion?

I'm pro-life and pro-choice.

Personally, I don't know
if I could have an abortion,

but I do believe
it is every woman's choice.

Have you ever performed
an abortion as a doctor?

Uh, doctor/patient privilege
would prevent me...

I'm not asking for any confidential information,

I'm asking simply have you
performed an abortion?

And, as a doctor, would you now?

I'm standing before you today as a
mayoral candidate, not as a doctor.

I won't speak about my medical practice.

But I will say that as mayor I would support

any doctor's right to...

Have you ever performed an abortion,
yes or no?

I'm not going to answer that.
Move on.

Isn't it true you engaged in an adulterous
affair with your now-husband

while he was still married
to his first wife?

Could you answer the question, Dr. Brock?

I did not break up
my husband's first marriage.

But they were still married
when you began your affair.

They... They weren't together.

According to court records
pertaining to the custody dispute

over his daughter, Kimberly,

you and Mr. Brock were having a romantic
and sexual relationship

even before the separation papers
were filed.

This isn't relevant.

Family values aren't relevant?

I didn't say that.

How can you be a spokesperson
on family values

when you knowingly
participated in adultery?

Did you know a small child was involved

when you began this extramarital affair?

WOMAN: Dr. Brock?

Jimmy.

Yeah, I heard. I'm pulling Matthew
and Zachary out of school.

Bradley Clemmons is going to get Wambaugh
and Pugen's reaction

on public-access this afternoon.

Son of a bitch.

I will not issue an apology.

It's not an apology, Jill.

You just admit that it was a mistake
in judgment.

It happened many years ago.

You regret any harm caused.

You've got to be kidding.
I didn't break up the marriage.

It was completely dead.
It was adultery!

Jimmy hated that woman!

(DOOR SLAMMING)

The marriage was completely over.

I did not factor in any...

Officially, it wasn't over.

Officially, they weren't even separated.

Legally that relationship
was extramarital.

You can say it was a mistake.

Mitigate some of the fallout.

Or you can defend it
and obliterate all your political chances.

This is unbelievable.

We're talking about
the institution of family here.

For you to condone or even defend
your relationship with Jimmy

prior to that divorce, you're saying
that wedding vows aren't vows,

only guidelines.

The people of Rome won't accept that.

Well then, maybe I should just get out.

Well, damn it, you wonder why good people
don't run for office.

This is the reward we get
for stepping forward.

And that's a given. You can't change it.

What's it going to be,
Jill, own up to this mistake

or withdraw from the race?

I played no role in the break-up
of the marriage

and even the suggestion to the contrary
should be condemned.

I do, however, regret the appearance
of any impropriety,

and had better judgment prevailed,

I would have waited at least until

after the divorce papers were filed.

She's a home-wrecker, pure and simple.

There's no place for her in government.

This election's getting worse.

It's going to distract all attention
from our fight.

That's politics.

It's ridiculous.

They call boxing primitive,
but it's honest.

Politicians blind-side.

Tomorrow night, Kenny,

you and me will be looking
each other in the eye.

Straight on, one on one. That's honest.

The sheriff thinks you're using this fight
as a ploy.

As a chance to escape.

After it's over I'll wait
to be taken into custody.

Not by you, though.

You're going to be unconscious.

Do me a favor.

Don't hold back tomorrow night, okay?

I know you think you'll destroy me,

but this is the biggest thing
that's ever happened to me.

It means nothing if you hold back.

I know. I won't.

Well, I had a long talk with the boys.

I think they're all right.

I think we better keep them out of school
tomorrow, though.

Okay. I'm sorry.

You don't have to apologize.

How's Kim?

Well, she... She says she's fine,
but she's not really.

She doesn't want to talk about it.

Jimmy, I... I blurted out that you
hated Lydia at that time.

And Kimberly heard me.

Excuse me.

I'll get out of the race if you think...

What message would that send?

You gotta run now.

Can I have a few minutes of your time?

(SIGHING)

It's just politics.
I know. Forget about it.

Nah, I'm not going to forget about it.

Neither are you.

I guess we should have
had this conversation a while ago, but,

well...

Your real mom, Lydia and me,
when we got married, a lot of it...

A lot of it didn't make any sense at all.

And then we had you. Oh, my...

Well, you know I'm not much
on organized religion, but

when I first walked into the delivery room
and saw you...

Those little fingers
and those perfect fingernails.

And those eyes.

You squinted up at me.

Those eyes were so alive.

I knew then there had to be
a higher power.

And that the relationship
with Lydia was truly blessed

because of you.

Now all the rest of it,

well, we just weren't right for
each other.

We lived in different worlds.

It had to end, honey.

Jill had nothing to do with it.

But you should have told me.

Lydia told me that you and Mom
got together before

and I didn't believe her.

I just thought she was trying
to make me hate you.

I thought she was lying
and it made me hate her.

Daddy, you made me hate Lydia.

Well, if you'd asked me, honey...

I wasn't going to ask.

I'm never going to ask you
about you and Mom.

I'll always be too afraid.

I'm still scared you'll split up.

What? Honey, we're not going to split up.

It doesn't matter. I'll always be afraid.

You probably think I don't remember,

Daddy, 'cause I was only four.

I remember.

I remember the day...

There was a new woman in the house

and I didn't know why.

And she was there the next day.

And the day after that,
the day after that.

I didn't know if I was home.

If she was home.

I didn't know if she'd stay.

Well, that was my fault, not Jill's.

You can't punish her for that.

The marriage with Lydia was over.

Now, maybe we could have waited,
but I'll tell you this,

the most wrong thing would have been

for me not to fall in love with Jill.

The day I met her I knew that
I wouldn't be happy without her.

I still feel that.

Look at the family we've got.

Well, whatever and whoever
the media wants to attack,

it can't take away what we got.

Douglas Wambaugh, thank you, thank you.

If you don't leave right now,
I'll have no choice but to arrest you.

I'm entitled to vote.

You voted three hours ago.

This is electioneering.

It's illegal. You cannot be
within 100 feet of the poll.

I measured by my own feet.

Thank you, Douglas Wambaugh,
thank you, thank you.

Wambaugh.

If it's not me, Jill,
I certainly hope it's you.

Same goes for me.

The truth is, he probably
would be a good administrator.

More effective than you or me.

I just have this feeling with Wambaugh

the town would be
a hell of a lot more efficient,

but the people not quite so proud

to live here.

My worthy opponents. Doug.

Okay, Bill, who did you vote for
and how many times?

Wambaugh, I swear...

Hey, hey, hey. Hey, guys.

Now come on, let's call off the warfare,
all right? It's over.

This day belongs to them.

If you're going to puke,
go to the bathroom.

I don't get nauseous in there, only here.

What's the problem?

He's nervous over the big fight tonight.

This is a good sign. My body's ready.

Make sure Freed is guarded at all times.

The state police will do the guarding.

They're coming down here
with federal agents,

escorting him to the fight,

then after that, boom,
they head to New Jersey.

Sheriff. Could I get a couple quotes
on this marriage controversy?

In my office.

Basically, I just want to know
if you think that

the timing of your affair
with Dr. Brock...

What the hell do you want?

I simply want your reaction.

Officially, I believe in a free press.

Officially, I stand ready to protect
your First Amendment rights.

Unofficially, you cross me
when I'm out of uniform,

I'm going to shove this mike
down your throat.

That was on the record?

I've got two kids
I had to take out of school

to protect them from hearing other kids
calling their mother a whore.

Are you proud of yourself?

We all have our roles to play.

Well, right now mine's sheriff.

You come talk to me
when I'm just a husband.

I knew you and Lydia were finished.

I knew reconciliation wasn't possible.

It wasn't.

But what if I hadn't come along?

You had a child.

Maybe for Kimberly's sake
you would have tried to patch things up.

I can't believe I'm hearing this.

I can't believe
I'm feeling it 14 years later.

It's just...

I wonder if I've ruined Kimberly's
relationship with Lydia.

What if we had never come together,
had this family?

I have no regrets about this family.

I would regret if I destroyed
someone else's.

Who do you like, Ginny?

I like Kenny, but he's going down.

You think?

He's fighting The Poet.

Kenny, I don't know anything about working
a stupid corner.

Just give me some water
when I ask for it.

It's a two-round fight.
You won't have to do much.

Stay away. That's my coaching advice.
Just stay away.

You watch, Max.
I've got a secret weapon.

Right off the bell, I go running out

with an overhand right. Crack.

I can't tell you how many guys
I've caught off guard.

This guy's a pro, not an amateur. Hello.

Fighters always look to feel each other
out at first.

Me, I spring right from the bell.

I'm going to surprise him.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Just give me one minute.
One minute.

I just came to say goodbye.

Bye?
We ain't even fought yet.

But you'll be knocked out later.

Get out of here.

I ain't falling
for your intimidation crap.

Actually, Kenny,
I just came back to say thanks.

And give you one piece of advice.

Thanks for this.

Not only about the money,
but the crowd, the spectacle.

I'm getting one more night
in the spotlight.

And I ain't going to forget that.

What's the advice?

Life's made up of moments. That's what you

end up cherishing, the moments.

Tonight is yours. I know you're nervous.

But listen to the cheers
as you go down that runway.

Remember the smell, the sounds.

Then that's yours forever.

You take that from a guy
that got there once and lost it.

I will.

Thanks.

See you out there.

(BELL CLANGING)

ANNOUNCER: And now, the moment
we've all been waiting for.

Please welcome from Chicago, Illinois,

Kenny "Mr. Law and Order" Lacos.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(BAND PLAYING)

And now, please welcome
from Summit, New Jersey,

Jeffrey "The Poet" Freed.

(CROWD BOOING)

DOUGLAS: Oh, God, I'm in distress.

PUGEN: Every election this happens to me.

Nerves plus coffee.

The polls have been closed for two hours.

We should know any minute now.

Oh. That doesn't help.

My roll is empty, Bill.

Could I trouble you for a little?

What, you done?

Just roll it over.

I'm grateful.

(CROWD CHEERING)

- All right, Kenny.
- Come on, do it. Go get him.

All right.

Don't blink, Max.

I'm coming fast, right off the bell.

Just be careful.

God, I don't like this.

(BELL DINGING)

(CROWD CHEERING)

Come on, get to your corner.

Get over there.

I never saw the punch.
Did you see the punch?

Of course I did.

Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

You all right?
Okay.

Surprise him. Surprise him again.

Get in your corner.

Stay down, Kenny. Just stay down.

Three, four, five, six.

What are you doing, Kenny? Are you crazy?

You okay, Kenny?
Yeah, it's part of my plan. I'm ready.

Well, all right. Sure. Okay.

Kenny.

It's over, folks. It's over.

Kenny, are you okay? Kenny.

Kenny. Kenny.
Tell me where you are.

Okay, okay

Smell this. Smell this.

Okay, okay, okay. You're okay.

Toast. I wanted toast.

The baseball came 60 something.

What happened to the poem?

You okay, Kenny?

You never gave me the damn poem.

Oh. Forgot.

Nothing rhymed.

Ladies and gentlemen,
the referee has stopped the bout

at 1:53 of the first round.

The winner by technical knockout,
Jeffrey "The Poet" Freed.

(CROWD BOOING)

We have our election results.

With 12,000 votes in,
we have a plurality decision.

Capturing 5812 votes,

the winner, and still mayor
of Rome, Wisconsin,

Bill "The Status Quo" Pugen.

Sorry, Jill.

Are you okay?

Ladies and gentlemen, your mayor.

Thank you. Thank you,
ladies and gentlemen.

From the bottom of my heart, I thank you

for bestowing this great honor on me.

Good-bye again, my friend.

I'm off to the rest of my life.

I knocked you down.

Yeah, that you did.

But you made a couple of mistakes.

Come visit me, I'll tell you
what they were.

You'll see me.

It's a deal.

...makes this victory
all the more gratifying.

But now is no time
to rest on our laurels...

I had him, Max. He never hurt me.

Not even close. You still want toast?

...as we commit ourselves
to a new beginning.

As we recommit ourselves

to our children, our future,

and our principles.

(CROWD CHEERING)

(BELL CLANGING)

I really wanted to win. I...

I don't know what I
would have done if I had,

but I really wanted to win.

I know.

Honey. It's almost 2:00.
What are you doing awake?

I couldn't sleep. I'm sorry you lost.

Thanks.

And I'm sorry if...

I don't blame either of you.

You know that, right?

Hey, come over here. Come on.

We all got scars, honey.
Thing is, we've got to learn how to

talk about them a lot better than we do.

I think Lydia always wanted me
to call her Lydia

because she wanted to be my friend
instead of my mother.

But you always wanted me
to call you mom.

Well, I didn't like you much so
I didn't think we could be friends.

When you first moved in,

the thing I remember is the smell of pine.

You cleaned all the wood
with that pine stuff.

It came to be such a safe smell.

When I was about five or six
I'd have these nightmares

that I was being given away
or that you were leaving.

Then I'd wake up in the middle of the
night and I'd smell the pine

and I'd know everything was okay.

Don't ever change wood cleaners, okay?

I won't.