| "Episode 2" | ||
|---|---|---|
| ← | TC, Episode 1.02 | → |
| Production number: 01002 First aired: 3 October 2017 | ||
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| Teleplay By Story By Directed By | ||
Summary[]
Detectives Zoeller and Linehan from the Beverly Hills Police Department begin interviewing the brothers' friends and acquaintances in the awakening of Jose and Kitty's murder. Meanwhile, Erik makes a shocking confession to his psychologist that could change how the case goes. Defense attorney Abramson learns more about the Menendez family dynamics and history and makes the move to represent the brothers in the upcoming court trial.
Plot[]
Early in the morning, Leslie and Tim visit LA County Men’s Jail. Leslie requests to see her client Roberto Lopez who had been injured sometime earlier. The sheriff notifies Leslie that Roberto is stable and his life is no longer in danger. After hearing the news, Tim urges Leslie to go back home, but Leslie requests to see Roberto. Annoyed, Tim reiterates that Roberto is fine. He reminds Leslie that they are meeting the adoption lawyer in five hours and he wants to get some sleep, but Leslie continues to insist that she needs to make sure Roberto is okay. Tim questions Leslie if she’s going to behave this way with the new kid and be an absentee mom to the new child as she was with her daughter Laine.
Leslie tells him two things: 1) the new child will have two parents unlike Laine who only had Leslie and 2) he knew what he was getting himself into when he married her. Immediately after, Leslie is allowed to see Roberto in his cell. When she sees his bloody face, she requests a bowl of warm water and a rag from a nurse standing in the hallway so she can clean his face.
Back at the police station, the detectives are commenting on the brothers’s spending habits, stating that Lyle bought a new Porsche and Erik bought a new Jeep, as well as new watches, clothes and stereos. Zoeller comments maybe this is how wealthy people grieve. Bozanich questions their alibi, and Linehan comments that the brothers claim they saw a movie but they don’t have the tickets stubs. Linehan goes on to say that they haven’t found the car that Lyle and Erik were driving the night of their parents’s murder: a Ford escort. Bozanich tells the detectives to let her know when they have new leads on the case. She informs them that Mr. Reiner is planning a run for state AG and he’ll need headlines. Zoeller comments that they’ll do the best they can before Bozanich leaves. Linehan tells Zoeller that Lyle is doing most of the spending and he was the one who had any files of a new will erased from the computer. When Linehan comments that Lyle seems to be the one leading the whole situation, Zoeller agrees, saying that it makes sense since Lyle is the older brother. While going through the people that have called in to give them tips about the case, Zoeller remarks that they received calls from psychics, agents, producers and a young man named Donovan Goodreau who states that he’s Lyle’s best friend.
Back at the Menendez family home, Erik and Craig are hanging around the pool. The phone rings and Craig answers, telling Erik that Lyle is on the phone. Annoyed, Lyle questions Erik as to why Craig is at the house. Erik quickly tells Lyle that they’re working on a script. An anxious Erik proceeds to tell his brother he can’t stay at the house anymore because he doesn’t feel safe. Lyle talks to Erik on the phone from the kitchen in his New Jersey home. He assures his brother that nothing will happen to him, and tells him he can stay with him to which Erik agrees.
After hanging up, Erik returns to the house and stands next to Craig who is standing in the doorway of the entrance to the family room. Craig questions Erik if the room was where his parents were killed. Erik remains silent as Craig continues to ask Erik how it happened. Later that day, Zoeller and Linehan are on a plane flying from California to New York to meet Donovan.
On Thursday, September 14, Lyle and Erik are at the Princeton Country Club playing tennis. When they’re done, Lyle tells Erik that their uncle Carlos told him that he thinks they should invest in a condo in the Marina. As they talk, Erik tells Lyle that he’s not going to UCLA and wants to become a tennis pro. He goes on to say that his coach thinks he’s ready and it was their father’s dream. Erik says that he keeps thinking of their father encouraging him, but Lyle sharply tells Erik that what their father was doing wasn’t encouragement he was just yelling at him.
In New York, Zoeller and Linehan arrive at a restaurant to talk to Donovan Goodreau. Donovan says that he tried calling Lyle but he must’ve changed his number and he hasn’t spoken to him since May after he left Lyle’s dorm room. When Donovan asks if Lyle is alright, Linehan quickly says “Sure“ before moving on. He goes on to ask Donovan if he met Lyle because they were roommates at Princeton University. Donovan clarifies that he met Lyle when he was introduced to him through Lyle’s girlfriend Jamie. Donovan said that he didn’t have any money and he was in Princeton, New Jersey sleeping in his truck so Lyle let him live in his dorm room. Donovan goes on to say that he and Lyle bonded because of their fathers, describing them both as “take charge hard ass types”. Zoeller tells Donovan that Lyle complained about his father, and Donovan adds that Lyle was happy that there was 2,000 miles between them as Lyle was primarily staying in New Jersey while Jose, Kitty and Erik lived in California. Donovan says that he met Jose when he went to Los Angeles with Lyle for Easter and Lyle had to prep him for his meeting with his father.
While sitting in a diner, Lyle and Donovan were talking about Donovan’s upcoming meeting with Jose. Lyle tells Donovan that Jose ran RCA Records so he knows about the music business. He also advices Donovan to give Jose a business plan. While they talk, Lyle, in a condescending manner, tells a waitress that his glass has been empty for 10 minutes. After the waitress takes his glass, Lyle tells Donovan that his father always gave waitresses a hard time with Donovan telling Lyle that his own father always gave people a hard time. When asking about Lyle’s mother, Lyle makes it clear that he doesn’t want Donovan to repeat what he’s about to say. Lyle goes on to say that his father had an affair that really hurt his mother and due to that Kitty was turning into “a basket case”. Lyle then remarks that he could “kill” his father for hurting his mother and Donovan doesn’t react.
Donovan tells the detectives that he didn’t make a big deal about Lyle’s remark, reasoning that people make hyperbolic statements like that all the time. Sometime later, Linehan and Zoeller interview Terry and Carlos Baralt in their home. Linehan questions Terry on her brother’s behavior, asking whether or not he was a demanding person. Terry tells them that Jose had high standards for the people who worked for him which were the same standards he held himself to. Linehan asks if Jose exhibited that same behavior in his family life, and Terry tells them that her brother didn’t coddle his sons. Just then, a lighthearted Lyle walks into the house and asks whether or not Erik is awake but his demeanor quickly shifts after he notices the detectives in the living room. Terry clarifies that Erik had slept over the previous night and Zoeller encourages Lyle to talk to them while Terry gets Erik.
Sitting at the dining room table, Lyle is being questioned by Detective Linehan about his movie tickets that he and his brother supposedly got the night of the murders. Lyle tells Linehan that he doesn’t know where the tickets are and they might be in Erik’s car. Noticing his watch, Zoeller asks Lyle if he bought that after the memorial and Lyle clarifies that he actually bought it before the memorial. Lyle tells the detectives that he’d prefer that unrelated matters involving his family not make it to the press, such an example being details of his father’s shotgun wounds being printed in the paper and he was worried about his grandmother seeing it. Linehan tells Lyle that information got to the papers from the coroner not from the police. Lyle continues, talking about the issues with organized crime, saying that it would be detrimental to his father if people thought he was associated with criminal figures. Lyle finishes up by saying he won’t believe that his father was involved in organized crime until he sees it, and Zoeller agrees.
When Erik arrives down stairs, Zoeller assures him that they aren’t there to arrest him, and even though police tend to be jerks, they don’t intend to act that way with him. Before they start, Erik asks the detectives what the police would’ve done had he walked out of the house in front of the police officers brandishing one of his parents guns. Linehan simply tells Erik the police would’ve instructed him to drop the gun. He’s told that he wouldn’t have just gotten shot because of the 911 call Lyle made, but normally holding a rifle in front of police officers is a good way to get killed. Linehan asks Erik if he’s thinking of hurting himself, and Erik staunchly denies it saying that he was just curious. Erik then asks if the detectives have spoken to Oziel. The detectives tell Erik that they’ve never heard his name before. As they talk, Lyle is standing in the hallway listening in on the conversation.
Erik states that he had to see Oziel after the Calabasas robberies and tells the detectives that Oziel should be able to help them with the investigation. Zoeller tells Erik that he needs to give Oziel permission to talk to them because of doctor patient confidentiality. As he’s listening in on the conversation, Lyle gets impatient and interjects, telling Erik that they need to go meet Jamie and Kelly. With that, the interrogation ends there, and the detectives leave. As they leave, Zoeller tells Lyle that he shouldn’t wear a Rolex in Los Angeles because someone might try to steal it. He elaborates, saying that there are bad people in Los Angeles following people home, stealing their Rolexes, and selling them for $2500. Lyle then proceeds to ask where he can sell his for $2500. The detectives don’t answer him, but before walking away Linehan reminds Erik to call Oziel.
In the evening at a motel, Zoeller is being chastised by Chaleff for not notifying him that Lyle and Erik have become suspects and he admonishes Zoeller for lying shortly before hanging up. Zoeller then goes next-door to Linehan‘s motel room and notifies him of the conversation. Linehan informs Zoeller that the day after the murders, Lyle called Glenn Stevens, his former roommate from Princeton University.
Meanwhile, the following morning, Chaleff meets Leslie and Roberto. Leslie tells Roberto that manslaughter is a good deal, and they managed to get a hung jury during this trial and they don’t know what’s going to happen with another jury if they do a re-trial should Roberto not take the deal. Roberto agrees to take the deal, telling Leslie that he trusts her like family. Leslie and Chaleff eventually leave the room, with one of Leslie‘s former clients, while being handcuffed by guard, tells her that he thinks he should kill her. Leslie tells Chaleff, that man was a former client of hers who threatened to kill her every day if she didn’t win his case. Leslie says that she got him hung jury and he walked. She goes on to say that she’s not sorry and she did her job.
On Monday, September 18, Zoeller and Linehan are at Princeton University interviewing Glenn Stevens. Linehan cuts right to the chase and tells Glenn that Lyle and Erik are suspects. They’re not sure whether or not they killed their parents themselves but throws in the theory that they might’ve ordered a hitman. Glenn tells Linehan that Lyle always goes on about how great his father was and questions Linehan if he’s sure that the brothers had something to do with their parents’s deaths. Linehan tells Glenn that they don’t know for sure but they suspect that the brothers had something to do with it. Glenn tells the detectives that Lyle made him a partner in a restaurant chain they’re setting up. Zoeller accuses Glenn of withholding information because things are going well for him since he started working for Lyle. Glenn insists that he told the detectives everything he knows. When Linehan gives Glenn a skeptical look, Glenn tells the detectives that Lyle wears a wig because he started going bald in high school. When asked if he was going to see Lyle anytime soon, Glenn tells the detectives that Lyle and Erik went back to Los Angeles. Before the detectives leave, Glenn tells them that a reporter from the LA Times wanted to interview him, and Zoeller tells him that they don’t mind if he talks to a reporter. Linehan tells Zoeller that Glenn will probably spill the beans to the LA Times, and Zoeller says that if he does, they can use it.
After returning to California, Zoeller drives to the Menendez house. Erik is in the tennis court practicing his serve when Zoeller interrupts him. Erik tells Zoeller that his attorney said not to talk to him, and Zoeller just hands Erik a newspaper telling him that Lyle’s friend, Glenn Stevens, said that Lyle was a suspect in the murder of his parents. Confused, Erik asks why Glenn would say that. As he walks away, Zoeller tells Erik that he should ask Lyle why Glenn would say that. Before he leaves, Zoeller asks Erik if his relationship with his brother is okay, saying that he gets the feeling that Lyle bosses Erik around a lot. Erik tells Zoeller to leave while trying to hand the paper back to him, and Zoeller tells him to keep it
When confronting Lyle about the LA Times article, Lyle tells Erik that Glenn told him the reporter twisted his words, stating that he actually said the police think he’s a suspect. Erik asks why Glenn would even say that to a reporter. Lyle tells Erik that Glenn said the reporter confused him, telling Erik that Glenn is a “dumb hockey jock”, while urging his brother to calm down. Getting more frantic, Erik expresses his fear that someone might try to hurt him. Lyle assures him that’s not true, but Erik tells Lyle he wouldn’t know that because he’s never there. Lyle tells Erik that he needs to remember what their father taught them: be a master of their emotions. He quotes Og Mandino “ If I feel fear, I will plunge ahead”. He reminds Erik that he’s a Menendez and he’s going to do great things.
Sometime later, Erik is sitting in an empty church. As he sits in the church, he scans the walls and sees graphic paintings involving death. Later, Oziel is spending the night with Judalon. He’s talking on the phone to his wife who informs him that Erik Menendez called. Oziel asks for Erik’s number and calls him back. He tells Erik that he can meet him first thing in the morning. After hanging up, Oziel tells Judalon it sounded like Erik was having a severe anxiety attack.
The next morning, Tuesday, October 31, Halloween, Erik arrives at Oziel’s office. Feeling antsy, Erik requests that they take a walk. While on a stroll, Erik talks about his parents, and says that he thought it would be better if he was dead. Shortly there after, Erik confesses to Oziel, telling him that he and his brother were the ones that killed their parents.
Later that night, Lyle and Jamie are giving candy to trick-or-treaters. As Jamie gives the kids candy, the phone rings and Lyle picks it up. Lyle’s demeanor changes from lighthearted to serious due to what he’s just been told.
Lyle subsequently rushes over to Oziel‘s office where he finds Erik. Oziel tells Lyle that he should sit next to Erik, and Lyle quickly tells Oziel he just wants to talk to Erik alone. Oziel reveals to Lyle that Erik told him how they shot their parents, and where they bought the guns. As Oziel talks, both brothers become visibly more upset. Erik tells Lyle that he needed to tell someone and that he wanted to kill himself. He tells Lyle that he loves him and doesn’t want to fight with him, but Lyle questions Erik on how he could love him when Erik trusts a doctor more than his own brother. Lyle gets increasingly agitated, telling Erik that Oziel could potentially go to the police, but Oziel interjects, saying that he wouldn’t go to the police due to the therapist patient relationship being confidential. Suddenly, Erik bolts from the room with Lyle calling after him. When Lyle decides to pursue his brother, Erik gets in an elevator but Lyle arrives just as the elevator door closes. As Lyle continues to frantically call for Erik, Oziel follows Lyle into the hallway and tells him that his demeanor had been very menacing, however he encourages Lyle to come back into his office so they could talk. Lyle tells Oziel that he has nothing to say to him before grabbing his hand and saying “Good luck, Dr. Oziel”. Lyle glares at Oziel as he shakes his hand before rushing down the staircase to meet his brother.
Oziel immediately returns to his office and calls his wife Laurel. Oziel tells Laurel that he believes they’re in danger, telling her that a patient just made a “very troubling confession“ to him and that she needs to take their daughters to a hotel and leave the house as soon as possible. Oziel later dictates to a tape recorder his session with Erik and Lyle Menendez.
At that point, both brothers had returned to Erik‘s jeep. Erik apologizes to Lyle for telling Oziel and Lyle tells Erik he wishes that Erik would’ve come to him first. Lyle then asks Erik if he discussed a certain subject with Oziel, and Erik denies it. Relieved, Lyle assures Erik that he’ll think of something before leaving Erik‘s Jeep to return to his own Porsche.
The following morning at a courthouse, Zoeller, Linehan and Bozanich are talking to Mr. Reiner. Zoeller tells Mr. Reiner that a friend of the brothers told them that Lyle told him he wanted to kill his father for cheating on his mother, and Linehan brings up the erased will. Annoyed, Reiner asks if that’s all they have, going on to say that the brothers aren’t criminal masterminds and had they not treated them with kid gloves the brothers would’ve been in jail already. Reiner tells the detectives that when the McMartin case goes to trial, and after a conviction is made, all the media attention will be on the Menendez case. Reiner also emphasizes the attention will also be on the detectives whether they succeed or fail.
Meanwhile, Lyle and Erik returned to Oziel’s office. Oziel clarified that he did what he did to to protect his family. He tells the brothers that he wants to help them work through the issues that led to them killing their parents. Lyle, still visibly upset from the previous night, tells Oziel that he doesn’t want to work anything out with him. Oziel tells Lyle that whatever is said in the session, could potentially be useful to them should they be arrested. Oziel also tells Lyle that a record of the sessions could show remorse for their actions, perhaps revealing feelings of guilt about the money they inherited. Lyle insists that they didn’t do what they did because of the money. He goes on to say that everyone thought they were the perfect family but in reality they were a disaster. When Oziel asks Lyle to elaborate, he doesn’t. Lyle and Erik just look at each other before Erik says that he’s still having thoughts about hurting himself and he wants them to stop. Erik goes on to say that what they did to their mother was horrible. Oziel recalls that Erik told him that his mother was depressed and that she wanted to kill herself but couldn’t. He suggests that the brothers killing Kitty was doing her a favor. After that, Lyle immediately gets up and ends the session, leaving the room and Erik follows him.
As they leave the building, Lyle tells Erik it sounds like Oziel is trying to blackmail them and they need to make sure that Oziel doesn’t go to the cops. When Erik asks what he’s talking about, Lyle tells Erik that he can talk to their attorney and maybe Chaleff can deal with Oziel.
Back at Craig Cignarelli’s house, Zoeller and Linehan had returned to question Craig further. Craig denied ever saying that Erik confessed to him when Linehan tells Craig that he heard that Craig was bragging at a frat party about how Erik confessed the killings to him and how he was going to make millions off the story, and that he repeated the story to a tennis coach. Craig does admit that Erik told him that he and Lyle killed their parents, but he recalls that Erik immediately backs off of the story, saying that it could’ve happened that way which made Craig doubt Erik’s confession. Zoeller tells Craig that they need Erik‘s confession on tape and he’s going to wear wire.
At Gladstone’s Restaurant on November 29, Craig and Erik are having lunch. Craig wishes Erik a happy birthday which was two days earlier on November 27. Erik tells Craig that he had a big birthday party with just himself and his brother. Craig remarks that he would’ve been there but Erik didn’t invite him. Erik tells Craig that they had a healing mass, going on to say that the priest they had there healed their souls and started saying something in Latin. Erik remarks that he went into a trance for ten minutes and couldn’t open his eyes. As he describes what the trance like state was, Erik states that at some point he believes that he saw his parents in heaven, and he started praying in front of them on his knees. As he talks, the detectives are in a nearby van recording the conversation. Erik moves on, talking about the movie script, saying that he hopes Craig likes the new draft. Craig assures Erik that he does, telling Erik that his parents would’ve been very impressed with his work.
Craig tells Erik that he wants to write a movie script about a kid killing his parents, or somebody else killing the kids parents, but change the names of the characters. As Craig talks, Erik tells him not to mess around with a subject that serious. Craig tells Erik that people are going around guessing at who killed Erik’s parents. Erik remarks that once he finds out who killed his parents he is going to “blow the guys brains out”, but Craig points out to Erik that he already told him that he and his brother did it. Erik tells him not to mess around with that idea, telling Craig that there’s no way he could’ve killed his parents. Erik tells Craig that the police think he and his brother did it but it doesn’t matter to him since they didn’t do it.
Erik puts cash on the table and tells Craig to give it to the waiter before leaving the table to go to the bathroom. After Erik leaves, Craig talks into the wire commenting that his conversation with Erik didn’t help them. In the van, Zoeller and Linehan let out exasperated sighs as they turn the recording equipment off.
Meanwhile, Oziel visits Judalon at her apartment. He let himself in because he had the keys. As he calls her name, Judalon doesn’t answer, and he scans the apartment looking for her until he finds her sticking her head in the oven. Oziel quickly pulls Judalon out of the oven and drags her into the living room. He turns off the oven and finds a suicide note on the counter. Oziel angerly questions Judalon on the context of the note, asking what it is she means when she says “I can’t live without you“. A distressed Judalon tells Oziel that she can’t be alone and begs him to let her stay with him. As Judalon continues to beg and cry, Oziel tries to console her, telling her that he’ll call his wife and he’ll come up with a plan. Judalon begs Oziel to help her get better before they started kissing each other.
Later in the day, Lyle and Erik are sitting in Oziel’s waiting room. Chaleff exits Oziel’s office and tells the brothers that he asked Oziel to conduct an extensive psychological assessment on them and he assures them whatever they tell Oziel is confidential. Lyle and Erik enter Oziel‘s office and sit on his couch across from him. Oziel tells the brothers that to start off they will hold three sessions a week and if need be, they’ll increase it as they go. Lyle tells Oziel he can’t be there three times a week because he needs to be in Princeton for his business. Oziel dryly tells Lyle that his ability to attend does not affect how much Oziel gets paid. He turns on a tape recorder before beginning the session.
Sometime after this, Oziel is at home talking to his wife. Laurel tells Oziel that she feels sorry for Judalon and says that being around a normal family would do her some good. Oziel promises his wife that his interest in Judalon is only as a concerned mental health professional and when she’s stabilized she’ll return home. Just then, Oziel‘s daughters enter the kitchen and tell their mother that they’re going to miss the movie. Laurel and Oziel kiss each other goodbye before parting ways.
After they leave, Oziel notifies Judalon. Judalon tells Oziel that she owes a lot of money and needs $5000 to which Oziel asks if she needs him to make her a loan. Judalon tells Oziel she should just give him the money, and he says he’ll only give her the money if she leaves by the end of the week. Judalon tells Oziel that he can’t kick her out, asking whether or not he likes having her there. Oziel tells Judalon they can have all the sex they want as soon as Judalon returns to her own apartment. Judalon threatens Oziel, telling him that if he kicks her out, then she’ll go to the police and tell them that Lyle and Erik confessed the murders to him. Oziel tells her not to joke about that because then she’ll be killed. Judalon brushes off Oziel’s concerns, saying that the brothers can’t kill her because they don’t know who she is. Getting increasingly agitated, Oziel tells Judalon that if she turns them in he will tell the brothers that she did it, going to say that he has a good deal going and she’s not going to mess it up.
At a restaurant, Leslie and Tim are having lunch. Tim is remarking that a friend of his, Larry, childproofed his whole house, laughing that parents sometimes do get carried away trying to protect their children. Leslie, apparently not listening to what Tim is saying, tells a bartender not to change the channel on the TV and turn up the volume as the news is reporting on the ongoing investigation involving the deaths of Jose and Kitty Menendez. Tim questions if the afternoon is going to involve himself, Leslie and the Menendez brothers. Ignoring the question, Leslie tells her husband that it doesn’t make any sense, since the Menendez brothers grew up having everything they could possibly want. Tim simply dismisses the brothers as greedy brats, and Leslie refutes this by saying that the people who know them don’t describe them that way. She tells Tim that they have been described as good athletes, good students, polite and well behaved. Leslie goes on to say that people like that don’t just wake up and turn into Charles Manson.
Back at the Menendez family home, Maria Menendez and Noelle Terlesky are watching Erik practice tennis. As they do so, Marta enters the tennis court, and Erik introduces his aunt to Noelle. Marta quickly pulls Erik aside and asks if Noelle is new. Erik tells Marta that he met Noelle in Lake Tahoe and says that she just really “gets him“. Marta says that’s good, before quickly switching gears and asks about the bills that he’s getting from Dr. Oziel, pointing out that he charged $7000 just for the month of December. Erik urges Marta to just pay Oziel, telling her that he’s really helping him. Erik tells Marta that once they settle the estate everything will be fine. He gives her a kiss on the cheek before returning to the tennis court and Maria and Marta leave. Erik’s tennis coach tells him that his foot work is getting better and he needs to keep it up. Erik then tells Noelle that his coach thinks he could qualify for the Tel Aviv Open, and he tells her that he really wants her to be there if she can make it. Noelle tells Erik that it’s right in the middle of midterms, since she’s still in school, and she also remarks that she wouldn’t want to be a distraction to him. They share a kiss, and Erik says that his mother would be happy, revealing that she always gives him deadlines to find a girlfriend.
On Thursday, January 18, 1990, Reiner is in his office, watching a report relaying the news that the jury in the McMartin preschool trial found Ray Buckey and his mother not guilty of 52 counts of molestation, and the jury deadlocked on 13 other counts. Prosecuting attorneys, Pamela Bozanich and Elliot Alhadeff, are standing before him. Reiner tells them that they’re going to retry Buckey and Bozanich will lead the prosecution and she’s being taken off the Menendez case, much to her displeasure. Bozanich informs Reiner that the police believe they’re close to a break in the case and retrying and Buckey isn’t the best use of their time.
Reiner tells Bozanich that Bucky is guilty and he expresses his confidence in her that she’ll successfully convict him. As Bozanich and Elliot leave the room, Bozanich expresses her displeasure in a re-trial, referring to it as eye candy for the election. Elliot tells Bozanich now is the time to show that she’s a team player before they part ways.
Later in the early evening, Oziel returns home. He notices that the furniture has been moved around and he calls out for his wife. Laurel informs Oziel that she’s in the upstairs bedroom, and when Oziel enters the bedroom, he notices that his wife and children look distressed. He asks his wife if she moved around the furniture, and Laurel tells him that Judalon did it, going on to say that Judalon told her she has terrible taste. Laurel then urges their daughter to tell her father what Judalon told her. The young girl then tells her father that Judalon told her that she was having an affair with Oziel and that their parents were getting a divorce. She goes on to say that Judalon had told her that she will replace their mother and she would take good care of the kids because their parents don’t love them anymore. Oziel vehemently denies it and assures his children that they are very much loved. An angry Laurel tells Oziel that Judalon is in the maid’s room and demands that he kick her out.
Furious, Oziel storms into the maid’s room and begins to pack Judalon’s bags. Judalon tells Oziel that what they’re saying isn’t true and that she could take better care of him than Laurel can. Before she can finish, Oziel just tells her to take her stuff and leave as he continues packing her things. Judalon tells Oziel that he can’t kick her out and returns to her threat of going to the police. Oziel calmly tells her that if she goes to the police then he’ll be the least of her problems, telling her to pack her own things before walking out of the room.
The following morning, a lawyer representing Judalon Smyth calls into the police station and speaks to Detective Zoeller. As he’s talking to the attorney, Zoeller puts him on hold, telling his partner Detective Linehan that Judalon‘s lawyer is claiming that she heard Lyle and Erik confess to the murders of their parents.
When Oziel returns home, he sees police surrounding his house much to his confusion. Deputy district attorney Elliot Adhaleff introduces himself to Oziel, telling him that they have a search warrant for six audio tapes with information on the murders of Jose and Kitty Menendez, including statements taken by him, going on to say they also need his appointment books and keys to any safety deposit boxes. Oziel notices an officer filming him, and he tells them that he wants to make it clear that he did not in anyway violate confidentiality or know anything about the search as evidenced by the state of undress by his wife who was sitting on the couch in a bath robe.
On Thursday, March 8, at the Menendez house, Lyle is practicing what he’s going to say in an upcoming business meeting. As he stands there, Glenn enters the room and asks him if he’s ready to go. Lyle gets in a jeep along with Glenn and another friend of his, Hayden Rogers. He starts the car and turns on the radio which is playing MC Hammer’s ‘U Can’t Touch This” before he drives off. As he drives, he notices a police car trailing behind him before several more police cars stop in front of him and block his path. As he tries to back up, more police cruisers box him in. Officers get out of the cars with their guns drawn, telling the three men to get out of the car. Before he does so, Lyle takes off his Rolex watch and gives it to Glenn, telling him to hold on to it for him. Lyle is then pulled out of the car and handcuffed while pinned to the ground. He’s told he’s being arrested under suspicion of murder before being put into the back of the police cruiser.
Later in the night, Erik calls Marta from Israel where he was playing in a tennis tournament. Erik tells Marta that Lyle had been arrested and he is going to return to the United States to surrender himself, stating that an attorney, Robert Shapiro, arranged his surrender. He further explains that he’s flying to London first. Marta tells Erik that she’ll get him a flight that stops in Miami so that she and her youngest son, Andy Cano, can fly with him to L.A, asserting her belief that her nephews weren’t responsible for the deaths of their parents. Erik thanks her for her help before he hangs up.
At Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday March 11, Erik arrives at the airport alongside his aunt Marta and cousin Andy after having flown in from Miami, Florida. As soon as they get into the terminal, Erik is greeted by Chaleff who introduces Erik to Robert Shapiro. Shapiro advises Erik to do what the detectives tell him, and without resisting, Erik is handcuffed and told that he’s being arrested under suspicion of murder.
Now clad in a blue prison jumpsuit, Erik is placed in a cell at LA County Men’s Jail. After the guards remove his handcuffs, Erik sits on the bed reflecting on his situation. Just then, he hears a familiar voice call his name. It’s his brother Lyle who is being held in the adjacent cell.
Sometime later, Chaleff is conversing with Leslie Abramson. Leslie expresses her disbelief that Shapiro surrendered Erik without preconditions. She explains to Chaleff that when Erik flew to London, Shapiro could have forced Reiner to extradite him with the promise to not seek the death penalty, stating that Shapiro’s mistake could potentially cost Erik his life. Chaleff tells Leslie that the idea didn’t occur to him either. He goes on to say that he has conflict issues that might force him off of the case. He states that the brothers need their own lawyers and tells Leslie that Jill Lansing could represent Lyle, and asks if Leslie would be interested in representing Erik.
Leslie asks what the evidence against the brothers is, and Chaleff tells her that it’s audio notes from a psychiatrist since Erik confessed during therapy sessions. Leslie tells Chaleff that information is privilege, and is confident with her statement that the district attorneys are never going to get their hands on those tapes. Chaleff informs Leslie that the district attorneys believe that the confession tapes fall under an exception to the privilege.
In a visiting room at the LA County Men’s Jail, Erik is introduced to Leslie Abramson for the first time, and he thanks her for coming. Leslie tells Erik that she skipped lunch so she brought trail mix, commenting that she knows he’s an athlete so he probably eats healthy. Leslie starts talking to Erik about his father’s country of origin: Cuba, and tells Erik the random fact that the conquistador, Cortes, was the mayor of Santiago in the 1500s before he went to Mexico. Erik says he already knows that because he learned about it in history class, stating that he likes history. Changing the subject, Leslie tells Erik that she knows that he’s been very upset since his parents died, especially with the death of his mother. Erik tells Leslie that his mother didn’t deserve to die the way she did. As Erik breaks down crying, Leslie tries to console him. She assures Erik that she will not let him get rolled over no matter what it is he did or didn’t do. After Erik calms down, Leslie asks Erik to tell her what happened.
Later, Lyle is brought into the same visiting room with Erik and Leslie. Just like Erik, Lyle is handcuffed to the table. Leslie tells Lyle that she had a nice talk with his brother. As soon as Lyle hears that, he glares at Erik before asking if Leslie is going to take their case. He tells them that she’ll take their case if she feels that she can believe in it. She tells the brothers that to protect themselves they should not talk with anyone but their lawyer about their case. That would include the deputies who brought them in, explaining to them that the deputies aren’t their friends. She goes on to tell them that everything they tell the deputies will go straight to the police and other inmates since the jail is full of informants, snitches and rats that are trying to beat their own cases. The brothers nod at Leslie to indicate that they understand.
Later, Leslie meets with Marta Cano and Carlos Baralt. Marta tells Leslie that Erik really likes her and trusts her, and Leslie tells Marta the feeling is mutual, describing Erik as a polite but troubled kid. Leslie tells the pair that if she takes the case she’ll be representing Erik but she wants to lead the defense for both brothers.
Leslie then starts to ask Marta and Carlos if they can tell her anything about Erik’s home life. Marta and Carlos exchange concern looks before Carlos brings up the Jeopardy dinners. Marta explains to Leslie that Jose used to question the brothers during dinner.
Presented in a flashback, the family is sitting at the dining room table eating dinner. Jose is at the head of the table. On Jose’s left is his wife Kitty, his brother-in-law Carlos and his oldest sister Terry. On his right are his sons Lyle and Erik, and his second older sister Marta. As Jose questions Lyle on why the Soviets didn’t want Pershing missiles in Europe, Jose notices Erik playing with his food. He calls Erik out on it, calling him a sissy and asking the rest of the table if they think Erik should grow up and eat all of his food. Members of the family stay silent while exchanging uncomfortable glances.
Jose rises from his seat and chastises Erik for playing with his food, referring to him using homophobic slurs. Carlos, in a vain attempt to defend his nephew, tells Jose that all kids are picky when they eat their food. Jose continues to refer to Erik using homophobic slurs while telling him to eat his food before sitting back at his seat.
After finishing the story, Marta, Carlos and Leslie sit at the table silently looking somber. Back at the courthouse, Reiner is holding a press conference alongside detectives Zoeller and Linehan and district attorneys Bozanich and Elliot. Reiner tells the press that two counts of murder with special circumstances were filed against Lyle and Erik Menendez. As he continues, he says that a warrant was executed to seize tapes from a Beverly Hills psychologist. One of the reporters questions the use of the tapes, citing doctor-patient privilege, and Reiner explains that it doesn’t apply when there is a continuing threat of violence to other people. Another reporter asks about a motive. Before ending the conference, Reiner replies by saying that in his experience, $14 million is probably a good enough motive for someone to kill someone else.
Sometime later, outside of the courthouse, Leslie, alongside Gerald Chaleff, is giving a press conference of her own. Leslie accuses the police of harassing the Menendez brothers and violating their sixth amendment rights, going on to say the police don’t have evidence against them. Leslie tells the press that the Beverly Hills police gave up any pretense of legality and invaded the brothers privacy by seizing the notes of Erik’s psychologist, and due to the “ill-gotten“ hearsay evidence the police obtained, Lyle and Erik are in jail. She states that Reiner, who wants to be the attorney general, is at war with the doctor patient privilege. She warns the crowd that any one of them who seeks a doctor, consults a lawyer or confides in a priest, a minister or a rabbi should be worried, because Reiner doesn’t care about their privacy. She says that Reiner needs to be stopped, and they will be the ones to do it. Meanwhile, Reiner, who had returned to his office, is watching Leslie‘s press conference on TV.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Edie Falco as Defense Attorney Leslie Abramson
- Gus Halper as Erik Menendez
- Miles Gaston Villanueva as Lyle Menendez
Guest cast[]
- Chris Bauer as Tim Rutten
- Josh Charles as Dr. Jerome Oziel
- Anthony Edwards as Judge Stanley Weisberg
- Heather Graham as Judalon Smyth
- Sam Jaeger as Detective Les Zoeller
- Elizabeth Reaser as Pam Bozanich
- Sterling Beaumon as Glenn Stevens
- Ezra Buzzington as DDA Elliott Alhadeff
- Cliff Chamberlain as Detective Tom Linehan
- Lolita Davidovich as Kitty Menendez
- Dominic Flores as Henry Lliano
- Carole Gutierrez as Terry Baralt
- Carlos Gomez as Jose Menendez
- Alejandro Furth as Carlos Baralt
- Anna Osceola as Noelle Terlesky
- Constance Marie as Marta Cano
- Bailey Noble as Jamie Pisarcik
- Michael B. Silver as Gerald Chaleff
- Zach Tinker as Craig Cignarelli
- David Warshofsky as District Attorney Ira Reiner
- Ben Winchell as Donovan Goodreau
- Alejandro Barrios as Roberto Lopez
- Irene DeBari as Maria Menendez
- Daniel DiVenere as Young Lyle
- Travis Guba as Deputy Hobart
- Tommie Earl Jenkins as Reporter
- Aiden Black as Young Erik
- Davi Santos as Andy Canos
- Darren Dupree Washington as Mark
- Terryn Westbrook as Laurel Oziel
- Kayla DiVenere as Stacy Oziel
- Douglas Olsson as Robert Shapiro
- Ace Gibson as Ritalin Junkie
- Geoffrey Kennedy as Waiter
- Toyin Moses as Jail Ward Clerk
- Anastasia Basil as Nurse
- Brian Patrick Collins as Arrest Cop #1
- A'da Woolfolk as Reporter
References[]
references
Quotes[]
quotes
Background Information and Notes[]
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