Well, hellooo. What's this? Rick in his boxers less than ten seconds into the episode? This bodes well. Notice how Rick's gratuitous semi-nudity doesn't irk me like Panty Queen's did in the last episode? Yeah, I'm good with the double standards like that. So Rick saunters half-naked into Lily's kitchen, apparently very much at home, and Lily drops an armload of cracker boxes. He plants a kiss on the side of her head and strolls toward the laundry room. She asks who said he could dress like that. I think "four million hot-blooded Americans" would be a fairly accurate answer. He feigns ignorance. With mock sternness, she orders him to come back and they make kissy faces and smoochy noises as they banter about how early Lily gets up. After a few seconds, Rick sort of glances down and says, "I really shouldn't walk around here like this, should I?" And that, of course, is the cue the girls have been waiting for. They enter, bickering, and Rick makes a desperate grab for a cereal box to hide his hammy javelin. He pretends to study the box label, but I'm pretty sure you can't read with the organ he's holding it in front of, "one-eyed" considerations aside. He shuffles into the laundry room and pulls a pair of trousers from the dryer, exclaiming, "Oh my god!" Zoe is intrigued, and her face registers shock when she sees the Gap khakis. Which are now the very pink Gap khakis. Lily is surprised that they were in the washer. "Well, yeah, I put them in last night," Rick says. Let's think about the implications of this for just a second. He put the pants in the washing machine, and knew to pull them out of the dryer the morning. Yet, he didn't actually run the washing machine; Lily did. He also didn't bother to tell her they were in there -- or ask her, for that matter, whether she'd mind washing them. He just assumed that she'd come along behind him and wash his pants. Which, all gender things aside, bugs me because who runs a washing machine to wash a single pair of pants? ["I thought maybe the point was to highlight the fact that he's used to doing the laundry his way, at his place. Like maybe at his house, when the kids weren't there, he'd come in after work, take off his pants, and throw them directly into the washer, knowing that neither of the kids would be running the washer before he did. And then he unconsciously did the same thing at Lily's without considering that there'd be anyone else doing laundry without knowledge of his pants in the washer. Not that I've given it a lot of thought or anything." -- Wing Chun] Anyway, Zoe pulls a red shirt out of the dryer and helpfully suggests that you're not supposed to wash khakis with colors. Rick asks how he can "make them not pink." Lily giggles that she doesn't think he can. Grace manages a straight face as she asserts that "they're kind of cool." Lily asks what I want to know: "Why'd you put them in the machine in the first place?" Rick purses his lips as if that's a stupid question, but Grace cuts him off before he can answer, joking that the "Atlantor people will appreciate seeing a different side of Rick Sammler." "The pinker side," Zoe chirps. Heh. A few seconds sooner, and they'd have seen the "pinker side" of Sammler, if you know what I'm saying and I think you do. Rick says he's got to get going and waves his pink pants.
Karen's in her office, and so is Jessie. Karen's rifling through files in her desk while Jessie irritates her by throwing crumpled balls of paper at the wastebasket right to Karen's head. They discuss Jessie's appointment at the orthodontist, but they're interrupted by the receptionist, who announces that "Robert Dumanjiak from the district attorney's office" is on the phone for Karen. Karen obviously is not expecting the call. After a second, she tells the receptionist to put him through. He introduces himself, and Karen is puzzled as to why he's calling. He mentions that he knows she's been working on a suit against Atlantor, and says he'd like to "sit down and talk" with her about it. Karen is guarded, not sure what he's after. She's also distracted by Jessie, who tiptoes exaggeratedly around her and then scribbles a note for Karen to read. Karen vigorously shakes her head in response to whatever Jessie asked, and then asks Dumanjiak to be more specific; he just chuckles and evades the question, saying that he'll clear it up when they talk. He suggests meeting the day. Karen turns from Jessie, who's back in the doorway with her wads of paper, and in hushed tones asks whether she should expect a subpoena. He quickly assures her that it's nothing like that, just as Jessie pegs Karen with a paper ball. She tosses another one, and Karen impatiently waves her hand for Jessie to stop. Seriously, is Jessie suddenly four? Can't she figure out that a call from the D.A.'s office is probably pretty serious and most definitely professional? ["I'm four also. I often try to distract Glark when he's on the phone with clients, but I'm not so good with the throwing so I usually just poke him instead." -- Wing Chun] She stops, but makes a disappointed face at Karen. Karen, meanwhile, hammers out the particulars of when and where to meet. She hangs up, and Jessie asks what the call meant. "I'm trying to figure that out myself," Karen says, her brow furrowed, as the Chords of Impending Drama strike up a little ambience.
Rick, meanwhile, is holding court with his associates, who are gathered around the Atlantor model. He's wearing the pink pants. Don't think they haven't noticed. They banter and toss out a few pink jokes, and slate jokes, and pink slate jokes, and we get that they're just one happy little family and that none of them missed their true calling in stand-up. ["None of them misses David, either, apparently." -- Wing Chun] Rick fakes exasperation as the phone rings, and -- hellooo. No, Rick's kept his pants on this time. I'm just appreciating the very hot male associate who answers the phone. More of him, please. In boxers, if possible. Whoever's on the phone informs Rick that Miles is there. "I thought I smelled sulfur," one of the associates murmurs. Heh. Miles, flanked by his flunkies, sweeps in and says he needs a word with Rick, "sooner than later." The associates give Rick a knowing glance before scattering. Rick asks how Miles's vacation was, and Miles spouts off about how the "success" of a vacation can "only be measured by the level of one's discomfort upon returning." He proclaims this as though no one had ever realized it before. He says that his vacation was an unqualified success. I'm waiting for him to comment on Rick's pants as he strolls past him to the other side of the model. He doesn't. He just hunkers down between the tiny skyscrapers and asks, apropos of nothing, "Do you believe in portents, Rick? How's your filing system here?" Rick steps closer, and leans in to whisper with him. Miles says, "You don't keep a lot of old, useless papers around, do you? I have found shredders to be quite useful in eliminating clutter." Rick is growing alarmed. He asks what Miles is talking about, what's happening. Miles paces a few steps, unfazed, and mildly asks, "Did I say something was happening?" He shiftily looks around and continues, "If I knew something was happening, and I told you, then I might be seen to be conspiring with you, which of course, I never would." Rick, standing behind him, lapses into his guppy face and blinks a lot. "Conspiring with me? About what?" he hisses. "Conspiring with you? About what?" Miles echoes, feigning innocence. He slips away like grease through a fist. Rick whispers, "Are you trying to scare the bejeesus out of me?" Hey, watch the language, man. Miles answers, "Hard drives are particularly vexing when it's time for spring cleaning, though I've heard there's software available for that purpose." Rick asks again what is happening. Miles looks at him blankly, smiles, and says, "I'm off to a lunch now." Very loudly, he says, "I just thought I'd stop by, and say hello, and let you know that I'm thinking of you." In Miles's mouth, these innocuous little Hallmark-y words become creepy as hell. Rick stares after him from between the skyscrapers, looking distressed.
Karen's in an outer office, waiting for Dumanjiak. A blond, middle-aged guy approaches and says, sounding a little surprised, "Karen?" She stands to shake his hand, and it's pretty clear that he's enchanted. He tries to banter with her, but Karen maintains her icy professionalism, and his chuckles grow self-conscious. He gestures toward his office, and Karen leads the way, filing a restraining order with her eyes. As she enters, he quickly apologizes for the mess and rushes in to move stuff out of the way. As he shuffles papers, he knocks a basketball off his desk, which startles Karen. The bumbling D.A. dashes after it, explaining that it's signed and asking if Karen's a fan of the Bulls and whether she goes to the games. She smiles faintly and says not often. He takes a seat and gets down to it: they're investigating Atlantor, and they know she is, too. She clarifies that she's not investigating them; she's trying to stop their project. He gushes all over her about her work, but Karen remains aloof. That's our girl. The ass-pole gives her a little poke, and Karen coolly says, "Mr. Dumanjiak --" "Bob," he insists. She looks down and purses her lips for a second. She doesn't repeat his name, but just says, "Are you going to tell me what this is about?" Karen is shocked when he mentions the grand jury they've impaneled to investigate Atlantor. She asks what they're investigating. "That would be telling," he answers. She asks again whether he can't tell her more about it, and he evades by saying he'd hoped she'd share some of her discoveries with them, "in a neighborly way." Karen says that he'll have to tell her more about it -- she's "got all kinds of constraints, confidentiality issues --" "And your ex-husband is the architect, right?" This pulls Karen up short. Any trace of friendliness is gone from her face, and she stares at him coldly, asking, "What do you want?" They volley back and forth, and Karen finally asks if he's trying to go after Rick. He says he has "no idea, and that's the truth." Karen shifts and says, "And if I don't co-operate?" He makes a few jokes abut bribing her, but she just stares at him, stone-faced. His tone remains light as he answers, seriously, "I don't know what I'd do." Karen fidgets, and looks away.
Cut to Karen's place, later that evening. Rick knocks on the door (nice contrast to Jake, that) and Jessie answers, telling him she'll grab her stuff. He hovers in the doorway and spots Karen in the kitchen, drying dishes. Karen passes the kitchen door to put away a dish and sees him. She guiltily drops her eyes. He shifts from foot to foot and glances around the entranceway. Karen pops her head back into the doorway, tentative. They discuss Jessie's eating, and Karen, for once, says that she ate "enough." She steps out of the doorway. Half a second later, she pops back in, her arms crossed, and asks, "How's it going?" He watches her, guarded, and says, "You're asking me that?" She apologizes and turns back to the kitchen, walking slowly. He squints at her back and says, "What?" She turns around, eyeing him, and says, "What 'what'?" They go back and forth about "what" and who's asking "what" and what "what" means, until Karen finally leans in the doorway, her eyebrows raised in warning, and whispers, "Rick, we really can't talk about this." There's weird Drums of the Rainforest music in the background, and the drummers are pounding away at a furious pace now. Rick steps toward her, whispering, "Karen, I know something is happening. And if you know what it is, I think you have a responsibility to tell me!" Karen's eyes flash. "Excuse me!" she fires back and says that her only responsibility is to her clients. "So there is something going on!" he "a-ha"s. "Are you trying to trick me?" she asks, her voice rising incredulously. She starts to walk away. This conversation is over. Rick starts to say something, but Jessie pops in and says she's ready. She hugs Karen goodbye, as Karen and Rick glare at each other over her head. Jessie flies out the front door, and Rick shoots Karen a death-ray stink-eye. Well, really, how dare she not violate her clients' trust and interests, as well as her professional integrity?
Cut to Rick at his apartment, writing a shopping list. He writes down a few grocery items and then skips down toward the bottom of the page and writes "shredder." Does he really need to put that on the list? Like there's a chance he'll forget it? We hear Jessie and Lily in the background, coming down the stairs and discussing dresses. Rick stares at the list and then scribbles over "shredder." Oh, see, now we know that he considered doing something shady and then changed his mind. And it wasn't contrived at all. Lily presents Jessie in a slinky long dress and says, "Doesn't you daughter look beautiful?" Rick agrees that she does, and voices a protest over the menu for the wedding reception. From the another room, Eli calls out that they should just have pizza. Lily says that they can have pizza for the kids. Eli appears and asks, "Are we getting paid, or what?" I have no idea what this means until Jessie teases, "Can we pay you not to play?" Hey, I'd kick in for that. ["I'm in for twenty." -- Wing Chun] There's a knock at the door, which everyone ignores. Lily says that since Eli's band is playing at the reception, Jessie can invite some friends if she'd like. Jessie declines the offer, taking a seat to Lily, and says she didn't know that planing a wedding would be such a big deal. Rick asks whether anyone is going to get the door, but ends up getting up to do it himself. Eli and Jessie tease each other about getting married, and this leads to the name that no one dares speak: Wannabe. As long as no one repeats it three times, I think we're safe. Lily is surprised to learn that the "love" in question is "Grace's friend, Carla." She says that Wannabe is "so lively." Yeah, if by "lively" you mean "annoying and pretentious and foul-mannered." Which, given her tone and expression, I think she does. Jessie says it a little more plainly and yet still is too kind: "She's bizarro." Eli retorts, "No, that's you." Ooh, that had all the burn of two wet sticks slowly being rubbed together. Eli sidles up to Rick, who's scanning a letter, and asks whether Rick will read his essay. "When you write it, I'll read it," Rick snaps, flicking the paper away from Eli's view. Jessie and Eli head upstairs, and Lily turns to ask Rick something. She notices his expression and stops herself, asking, "What is it?" She smiles mildly, blissfully unaware. He tells her he's been subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury about the Atlantor project. Lily is stunned speechless. The Chords of Impending Drama lead us out to commercial.
When we return, Rick and Lily are in his bedroom, but the only action here is Rick wearing his legs down to stumps as he confers with someone on his cell phone. It's his lawyer, who can't represent him, because this is a criminal matter. Rick tells Lily this after he hangs up, and she says that she still can't understand why they'd want to investigate him. Maybe they just don't know how many remarkable qualities he has. Rick flops back on the bed, and snarks at her. She reminds him that she's not the enemy, and he mentions that he thinks Karen is involved in it. He complains that Karen knew about it and wouldn't tell him. "Well, maybe she wasn't allowed to," Lily says. I rewind to make sure I heard her correctly. Yep, she really did say something sensible and unselfish. Rick pops up and grabs for his cell phone. He slaps his thigh repeatedly as he leaves another message for Miles. Lily grabs his hand to stop the self-abuse, and holds it in her lap. She starts to say something as he hangs up, but he stands up, sighing loudly, and basically shuts her out. He paces around, and she begs him to come and sit to her again. She rests her chin on his shoulder and assures him that everything will work out: "I know who you are; I know how you conduct yourself." She insists that whatever is happening, it "doesn't concern" him. Rick's heavy sigh says otherwise.
Cut to Rick meeting with two attorneys -- Stephanie and James -- to go over his case. James specializes in "corporate crime." He assures Rick that he knows what Rick is going through, and promises they'll help him get through it. They follow Stephanie to the conference room, where Rick tries to fill them in. He lets them know that he basically has no idea what's happening or what he can expect; he doesn't even know what a grand jury is. Stephanie laughs pleasantly and walks him through it, explaining that a grand jury is a group of people who are impaneled to "investigate rather than judge." It's "a fishing expedition with a really wide net." Rick asks what they'd be fishing for. Stephanie asks him what he's seen -- anything out of the ordinary in Atlantor's practices? She reels off a list of naughties, including extortion, kickbacks, and safety violations. She then assures Rick that everything he tells them will be confidential, and that his best bet is to tell them everything, and they'll decide what to do with it. He asks whether they'll be with him for the grand jury, and is dismayed to hear that they're not allowed. Stephanie says it's "kind of un-American, really: their proceedings are held in secret; you do not have the right to counsel, even though what you say may be held against you later if you're indicted." James asks what they should know. Rick goes off on some tangent to justify his actions (or lack thereof) in working on the Atlantor project. He tells them that "in the real world -- and certainly in the construction business -- there's a difference between what's legal and what's ethical." I wonder whether Tony Soprano would say the same thing? James looks a little snide and asks whether Rick wants to explain. Rick is adamant, and earnestly widens his mascara-ed lashes as he insists that he never has and never would do anything to jeopardize another person, and that he'd never "line [his] pockets." He says he'd never let anyone around him do it, either. I smell a "but." And there it is: he claims that "there are times in business when you cannot move forward unless you play by somebody else's rules." He admits that he may have "look[ed] the other way" when safety permits arrived much faster than they should have; when their project took precedence over others for concrete trucks; and when the union bent its own rule on the number of mechanics the project had to employ. He claims that every other architect does things the same way, and wonders why he should be the one who gets blamed for it. When he's finished, Stephanie says that all they can do is prepare him for the grand jury; they have no idea whether he'll be indicted or not. Rick asks whether he should admit everything if he's asked. James points to Clinton as a shining example of what perjury can lead to. He says that "the dumbest thing [Rick] can do is lie to a grand jury." Rick sighs heavily, like now he's really screwed.
Cut to Karen in her office as the phone rings. Karen answers and says, "Now?" She says to "send him in," and glances toward the door. She turns a photo (I think it's Jessie) and adjusts her hair in the reflection of its glass. The receptionist shows in Dumanjiak, who says that he was literally in the neighborhood because he had to pick up basketball uniforms. Karen asks if it's for his son. He's taken aback at the idea of actually reproducing, and tells her he's "not of the parental persuasion." Dude, I feel you. He says he just coaches at "Saint Cecilia's." Karen proclaims that "very good." He blathers for a minute about the team's record, before changing the subject to why he's there. He says that he was hoping they could continue their conversation. Karen takes a deep, cautious breath. She says that she's willing to continue hearing his side of things, and then she'll decide "if [she's] ready to respond." Man, I'd hate to play poker with Karen. Dumanjiak takes a seat and starts rhyming off the case Karen had against Atlantor, and asks what she thought her chances were. "Pretty good," she says coolly, leaning back in her chair and evaluating him. He chuckles and makes some attempt to break the ice, but Karen just keeps staring, unsmiling, until he's done; she then asks, point-blank, what he wants. He asks again how good her case was. Karen stops swiveling her chair from side to side and leans forward, engaged now. "It was very good," she says. She outlines the points, and he agrees that the case sounds good. "And yet the judge threw it out on its merits..." he says, planting the seed. He pretends that he doesn't know where he's going as he asks how she felt about it. "Was I sad?" she asks sardonically. He grins and, propping his cheek against his hand, asks whether she was surprised. She says she doesn't understand where he's going with this. She wonders whether he's implying that she somehow overlooked something -- dropped the ball. He's staring at her, still with his cheek on his hand, and looks like a moony fourteen-year-old as he says, "I can't imagine someone of your...ability could have missed much of anything." He gives her a coy smile. I can't figure this guy out: is he genuinely hitting on her, or does he think this little suave-ass routine is going to make her all dizzy and silly so that she'll reveal her secrets? Karen starts to ask what the point of his questions are, when she trails off, realizing what he's suggesting. As it sinks in, her brow furrows, and she pops out of her chair, saying, "Oh my god! They bought the judge!" He pretends to be shocked at her suggestion that a public official would accept a bribe, and that a huge corporation would offer one to protect its interests. Karen starts pacing behind her desk, while he leans back in his chair, smiling and enjoying the show. After a few seconds, Karen blurts, "My ex-husband would never agree to any of this!" You know, maybe I would play poker with Karen after all. "Ahhh," Dumanjiak says slyly, "the lady doth protest too much. I haven't mentioned your ex-husband." Karen doesn't share his humor, and leans over the desk, unsmiling and eyes blazing, to ask if he's saying that he'll go after Rick if she doesn't co-operate. Dumanjiak backs off in a hurry, saying that this was just a friendly visit, and that he never made any threats. He reminds her that he's just there to seek her help. Karen relents and sits down, asking what, exactly, he wants. He rhymes off a whole list of questions and asks how good her records are. She says that her records are very good, and he smiles as he glances around, saying it looks like she never throws anything away. She admits that she's "been called a packrat on occasion." "By your ex-husband?" he asks, as if it's any of his damn business. Karen answers, though: "No, that would've been the pot calling the kettle black." She looks wistful, and he watches her, softly musing, "You still like him." This gives Karen a jolt, and she snaps, "Excuse me?" He acts surprised to have said it out loud and apologizes. Dude, you blew it. He asks if he can see her records, and she pointedly moves a huge expandable file off her desk and tells him that he'll see everything she deems "appropriate" for him. He reminds her that if he takes the "bad guys" down, their project goes down with them. Karen just looks at him coldly and says she understands. He realizes he's overstepped and utters a lame, "Cool. Cool," and tries to get things back on a friendly footing. He stands and thanks her, assuring her that "it's a good thing [she's] just done." She accepts his handshake, and they hold it just a little too long. Something in Karen slips for a second, but she catches herself and briskly says that she hopes so. He smiles and nods and fumbles his way out of her office.
"And you called him at home," Rick says into his office phone, as the camera pans over a clump of his associates, eavesdropping. He nags at the person on the line, because "he" hasn't called Rick back yet. One of the associates -- the one who'd like to believe she's Margaret Cho -- sidles into his office and perches on the edge of his desk, asking who h
e's calling. "Miles," he says. She dryly observes that he's already called Miles seven hundred times. "Cell phone," he says. She snidely says that it all makes sense, then. Getting no answer, Rick hangs up and glances toward the outer office. He whispers that he thinks Miles "may be in flight." Cho doesn't understand, saying that Miles just got back from vacation. "As in fleeing," Rick clarifies. She still looks puzzled. "A fugitive...from -- from justice," Rick spells out. She asks whether she should cancel the concrete. I think it's meant to be a joke, but I don't get it. Must be an architect thing.
Lily, meanwhile, is on the phone at her desk at PagesAlive.com, telling Judy that she "can't talk about it." Then she snaps, "Because I can't. I need you to respect that." Crusty pokes her head out of her office and says she needs to talk to Lily. Lily glowers at no one in particular. "How much do you know about it?" Crusty asks, hushed, as Lily enters her office. Lily is affronted and feigns ignorance. Crusty tells her to stop pretending: she knows Lily knows what she's talking about. Lily gives her a half eye roll and grates that whatever Crusty is doing, Lily doesn't want to know about it. How can she get away with that kind of subordination? Crusty is unfazed, though, and tells Lily that "for such a little magazine," they have great sources. Crusty says that she knows about the grand jury, and the indictment. Lily angrily interrupts, "What do you mean, 'indictment'?" She steps further into the office and says that Rick hasn't even appeared. "Just what I hear," Crusty says. "From who?" Lily demands. Crusty puts on an innocent expression and raises her hands in mock ignorance. "And you're going to print this?" Lily asks, incredulously. "I thought I should let you know," Crusty says, her voice firm. Lily's eyes are flashing. She mistakes Crusty for a real journalist and is shocked that Crusty would run a story saying that Rick will be indicted when she hasn't even interviewed him and won't name sources. Crusty, unbothered, says that she can't name sources since it's a grand jury. Lily leans in and chokes out, "You are not going to print this, and if you print this...well, you're not going to print this, because it's a lie!" Now Crusty's interested: "You know it's a lie?" "I know it's a lie." "How?" "How do you think? He told me!" Uh huh. Well, I'm convinced. Because everyone in prison admits they deserve to be there, right? Lily continues that he said he "did nothing wrong," and she won't be involved with anything that would hurt him, "not to mention protecting [Crusty] in a libel suit." Crusty sits back with a caustic smile and snides, "Ooh, Lily -- ferocious in defense of her man!" You know, more and more I'm finding that Crusty's taking the words right out of my mouth. It's scary, really. I think it means I'm confirmed a place in hell. Lily snaps that she's serious. Crusty backs down a little and asks, "And what if you're wrong?" "I'm not! I'm just not!" Lily insists. Crusty says, "Okay. I'll get corroboration from another source." Whoa, now. She was going to run a story like that on the basis of a single source? I knew Crusty was a joke, but I didn't think she was that irresponsible. Lily pauses on her way out of the office and says, "Thank you." And no one even had to remind her.
Cut to Rick's apartment, where he's herding Eli and Jessie into the living room to talk. They have no idea what's coming. Watching him grow somber, though, they suspect that it can't be good. Jessie asks whether someone is sick. Rick assures her that "it's nothing like that." He hesitates a few seconds before launching into it: "Something has happened at work, and I don't know that's it's bad yet -- it's too soon to tell. But it might be bad." Yeah, and prison might not be fun. Eli asks if he's "going broke." Rick says that there's an investigation of Atlantor underway. "By the police?" Jessie asks. Eli and Jessie realize how serious it is, and ask if he could be arrested. Lily comes through the front door, ready to call out, but stops herself when she hears Rick assuring the kids that he's not going to be arrested: "There's nothing they'd arrest me for." He starts to say more, but Eli interrupts, "Wait a minute. You mean you could be arrested?" Rick keeps assuring them that he doesn't think anything bad will happen, but that he can't guarantee it. He warns them that they might start hearing stuff at school, and both of them look absolutely miserable. Lily hovers just outside the door, still eavesdropping. Jessie, teary, asks why Rick would be arrested. Rick says that some of the people involved with the project may have done "bad things." Why is he talking to them like they're five? Anyway, Jessie immediately says, "That you didn't know about." "That...I didn't know about," he says. She asks again why he'd be arrested, then. He says that he's just trying to prepare them for things they might hear, but that there's nothing to worry about. "Okay?" he asks Jessie. "Okay," she replies. He looks at Eli. "Okay?" Eli reluctantly nods. Lily's still in the entranceway, fighting back tears as we head to commercials.
I guess Lily's staying at Rick's place, too, now, because she's there when we get back, and she's making the kids breakfast. If pushing the lever on the toaster actually counts as "making breakfast." Jessie rushes around in the background, telling Lily that it's okay, and that she doesn't have time to eat, anyway. Lily insists that it'll only take a minute, and that she just needs to find the syrup for the waffles. There's a knock at the door, and Jessie runs to grab it, saying, "Mom's here." Lily's face clouds a little. She hears Karen and Jessie approaching, leans on the counter, and arranges her face into a smile. Karen stops short when she sees her, trailing off as she asks whether Jessie's ready to go. The ex and the current say hello to one another in their lightest, sweetest voices. Lily says "they're ready," and that she was "just giving Jessie some waffles." Karen says an uncomfortable "okay," and seems relieved when Eli says he'll just grab his stuff. Jessie asks if she has time...should she...and gestures toward the waffles, hoping Karen will say they've got to get going. Karen tells her to take a second and eat something. Jessie sits and makes a turdy face, while Lily complains that she's just trying to figure out where everything is. This gives Karen a jolt, and she forces out a slightly strained "congratulations" on the engagement. Lily thanks her, and Karen stammers out a question about the date. Lily tells her it'll be in May. Neither of them notices that Jessie isn't actually eating; she's just sitting there quietly staring at the waffles and waiting 'til it's time to go. Lily glances at her watch and says that she needs to get going herself. She asks, "You don't need anymore, do you, Jessie?" Jessie looks embarrassed and says no. Lily plunks the syrup on the counter in front of her, and Karen closely watches this woman who thinks she'll be taking care of her daughter. Lily bounds up the stairs and meets Rick coming down. "Hey you," he says affectionately. Lily tries to slip past him, clenched and saying that she just needs a couple of minutes. Karen stands with her hand on Jessie's shoulder, looking mortified. Rick comes down and sees her there, and stares at her wordlessly. He doesn't smile. Neither does she. He pointedly shifts his gaze to Jessie and asks if she's almost ready. Happy for an excuse to escape the waffles, she runs upstairs to grab something. Rick's too busy glowering at Karen and she's too busy meeting his glare for either of them to notice that all Jessie had was orange juice.
Cut to Judy and Lily leaving a café. Lily's saying that she "can't get him to tell [her] what's really going on." Judy asks whether Lily thinks Rick that is hiding something. Lily wraps her coat around herself and says that she thinks Rick is "terrified, ashamed, and doesn't want [her] to worry." Judy looks at her dubiously: "But he's not hiding something?" After a second, Lily admits that she doesn't know, and petulantly says, "Of course you're the one who thinks he's been a criminal the whole time." Judy tells her to stop it. Lily continues, saying that Judy didn't trust Rick, and conveniently overlooks the fact that she expressed the same feelings. Judy clarifies that she "didn't trust him emotionally" and people "don't get sent to prison for that." Lily stops and gives her foot a little stamp, her brows raised in horror. "Oh, god, don't even say that word!" she pleads. Judy assures her that everything is going to be okay. Lily wonders how everything can change in a day. This from a woman who's practically driving Formula One to the chapel. Judy tries to reassure Lily that it's probably just harmless business stuff -- like the way Phil used to bribe the health inspectors. Lily is shocked. Judy reminds her that it's how you stay in business. Lily asks whether Judy thinks that's what Rick did. Judy says she has no idea, but "it's a big project -- who knows how many people might want a piece of it?" Judy then makes a misguided attempt at a joke: "Don't worry. I hear those white-collar prisons are okay. You get to play golf with millionaires." She strolls off-screen while Lily turns everything over in her head, staring after her and not sharing the "humor."
We fade to a parking lot, where Rick's pulling up in his SUV. As he climbs out, he spots a black stretch limo parked a hundred feet away and seems to recognize it. The rear window slides open, and Miles's pasty gray head pops into it. He turns to gaze at Rick, staring at him pointedly, then retracts his head and raises the window again. Rick takes his cue and climbs into the limo.
Within, Miles groans that the "municipal waiting room is going to be so dreary." Rick snarks that he thought Miles had left town. Miles is all innocence, asking why he'd do that. Rick demands to know why he hasn't returned Rick's calls. "To protect the innocent," Miles says. Rick asks who that includes. If he has to ask, does that mean he's not among them? Miles answers, "Whoever you want it to." Rick's not in the mood for word games, and cuts to it, asking whether Miles knows how much he has riding on this deal. He further asks whether he has anything to worry about. "Did you do anything wrong?" Miles asks. It's not the answer Rick was looking for. He takes a deep breath, agitated, and says, "Okay, look, the second permit for the highrise, it was supposed to --" Miles holds up a finger and gives him a quick "shh-shh." He points to the radio controls on the ceiling above them and turns on some classical sounds to drown out their conversation. Clearly, the act of an innocent man. Rick continues by saying that the permit was supposed to take six weeks, but it only took ten days. He wants to know if he should have asked questions. Why is he angry with Miles about this? From the way he talked to the lawyers earlier, he knew full well there was something funny going on, and he chose to look the other way. How is that Miles's fault? Smiling his reptilian smile, Miles langorously says, "You know, I was once a boy scout myself..." Rick doesn't care about Miles's merit badges. He brings up the concrete, which they brought from Indiana. He says he doesn't remember there being a sales tax, and wants to know if there was one, "or was it made to dematerialize?" Again, his concern is a little late, and his anger's a little misplaced, isn't it? It's not like he's just hearing about these thing now, and that they went on behind his back. He starts to raise the number of mechanics, asking why the union would agree to waive their stipulations on this project, and Miles talks over him, saying loudly, "Why would I know any of this? Wasn't all this your job?" Rick says that somebody else made all these things happen, though, and he "tried not to ask who." "So you don't know," Miles says, staring at him intensely. He says that a lawyer once told him that "you can't be convicted of perjury for something you didn't say." He raises his eyebrows a little. Rick looks like the top of his head is about to pop off and dance around on the steam that escapes. He is astonished by the mention of perjury and asks what is going on. He asserts that he has to tell the truth about what went on. "And so you shall," Miles says, as if no other thought had crossed his mind. Rick studies his face. "And that's it?" he asks, in disbelief. He is shocked that Miles isn't offering him any warnings or help. Bet David's not looking so bad about now, is he, Rick? Speaking of David, I'll bet he'll be called to testify. That should be interesting. Miles sighs at Rick's naïveté, and turns to look out his window, his voice heavy with disappointment as he muses, "They really could have come up with a more attractive plaza to represent our city, couldn't they?" Oh, so they're actually about to go in to testify at the grand jury. Seriously, I just figured that out this very second. Rick makes an indignant face and storms out of the limo. Miles turns with a bemused smile, and before Rick can slam the door to the limo, Miles reminds him, "Where you're standing now used to be a mountain range. And before that an ocean. Keep that in mind." Rick looks as if he'd like to throw Miles off a mountain and into an ocean. "All things pass away," Miles says, in case Rick's soul isn't as poetic as his own. Rick slams the door. He strides away, his dress shoes making angry little taps on the concrete as Miles sighs and sits back against the plush seat, smiling and resting the tips of his fingers together. I'm waiting for the requisite, "Excellent," but then I remember that he isn't actually Mr. Burns.
Cut to Rick sitting on a bench in the hallway of the Municipal Building, pensively chewing his fingertip. Eli slowly walks toward him, looking hesitant. He softly sits to Rick, who asks what Eli's doing there. With a small smirk, Eli says he ditched school. Rick asks again why he's there. Eli says that he thought Rick could use some company. My throat gets scratchy. Rick looks touched by the thoughtfulness, and rests his hand on Eli's leg. Eli's pleased by the gesture. Rick stares straight ahead and takes a deep, audible breath.
Soliloquy Rick pops up and confesses that he "lied to [his] father -- once." Three months before Rick's father died, he stole his car and went for a little joyride, "even though [he] was only fourteen."
Rick gets sworn in. Dumanjiak jiggles his pen and evaluates him.
Soliloquy Rick says that his dad went out the day and realized the car wasn't parked where he'd left it. Rick says he couldn't "for the life of [him], figure out how [his dad] noticed" that the car was about a foot back.
Someone coughs in the quiet courtroom. Dumanjiak, who's all business now, produces a contract for concrete and asks if it's Rick's signature at the bottom. The bailiff carries it over for Rick's inspection. Rick says that it is his signature. Dumanjiak smiles and stutters, "Your signature's more illed -- ileh -- ill-eg-ible than mine." Rick smiles a little, disarmed by the bungling. Big mistake. Dumanjiak asks whether sales tax is usually denoted on receipts. "Uh..." Rick says, "I guess so. Can't say as I noticed." Well, gosh golly darn. "You 'can't say,'" Dumanjiak contemptuously repeats. "How 'bout a 'yes' or a 'no'? You're in business, you're familiar with the concept of sales tax. Is sales tax a part of every transaction or not?" People stare hard at Rick. He answers that it is. Dumanjiak thoughtfully nods and says, "So you or someone connected with the project broke the law here." Rick reminds Dumanjiak that he's just the architect, not the contractor. He says that he may have signed for deliveries, but that he was not responsible for paying the bills or handling any of the paperwork. Dumanjiak could give a crap. "Did you check to see if the tax was paid?" he barks. Rick says no, adding that if he checked every little detail like that he'd never have time to do his real work. "So paying tax isn't part of you real work?" Dumanjiak asks, trying to get a rise from the jury. Rick calmly answers that it isn't; his real work is "seeing that the building is safely and correctly built." Dumanjiak seems to relish this answer, and sets about shuffling through some of the papers in front of him.
Soliloquy Rick says that when his dad asked him about the car, it was "so scary" that he "just lied right to his face: 'No dad, I didn't take the car.'" Hmm. I wonder whether Rick thinks Dumanjiak and the grand jury are scary.
On the stand, Rick wipes his forehead and almost seems to catch himself. He glances toward the panel to see whether they noticed his sweating, but they're busy covering their microphones and conferring. Dumanjiak switches over to the permit now, saying he's "confused" because it was approved in only nine days: "Didn't you tell me that level of permit takes seven weeks, normally?" The camera screams over to catch Rick squirming. He answers that permits are the city's responsibility. Dumanjiak smirks and implies, sarcastically, that bribing city officials to speeds things up isn't unheard of. Rick gets angry now, saying that if Dumanjiak is accusing him of bribery, he should just come out and say so, and that Rick would like to see his evidence. Dumanjiak sternly reminds him that "it's a little crowded [in the room] for a high horse," and that they're just "chasing down facts -- any accusations will come later." Dumanjiak says that if Rick has any knowledge of bribery -- and mentions the case of the disappearing injunction -- then he'd better tell them about it. Rick absorbs this and looks as though it's the first time he's thought of it. He shakes his head slightly, dazed, and says, "Excuse me?" Dumanjiak asks whether Rick was aware that the judge in the case "was videotaped accepting a bribe from a man by the name of J.D. Gummersall." ["Hee. 'Gummersall,' like Devon Gummersall, who played Brian on My So-Called Life, and who also turned up here a few weeks back as Benny the Doomed Taker of Hostages." -- Wing Chun] Rick is befuddled. Dumanjiak asks if Rick ever met Mr. Gummersall or had any knowledge of any intent to bribe a judge. He warns Rick to think "very carefully" before he answers. Rick looks like the floor just gave out below him. Things are way worse than he ever suspected. Dumanjiak pointedly reminds him that perjury is a crime. Rick, mouth agape, shakes his head and then finds his voice. "No," he says quietly, "no to all of it."
"I was never punished," Soliloquy Rick says. He doesn't seem to realize that carrying this guilt around is a pretty heavy penance. He adds that his dad didn't speak to him or look at him for a week. "It was the longest week of my life," he remembers. Does this mean he learned his lesson?
Rick fidgets on the stand, adjusting his jacket, and waits for the barrage of questions. "And you've given us copies of all these contracts?" Dumanjiak asks. He says it like a statement of doubt. Rick says that he and his lawyer only had forty-eight hours, but that they did the best they could. Dumanjiak asks whether there are any other documents, pointing out that he doesn't see any emails between Miles and Rick "after December of last year." Rick sweats that they changed computer systems to handle the "volume f the job" and that "some emails were misplaced." "Or they were destroyed," Dumanjiak says. "They were not destroyed!" Rick insists, insulted. The camera pans closer to each man as it cuts between them. The volley intensifies. "Do you keep hard copies of all the correspondence?" "I do; they're all there." "They're not all there." "Well, then I'll check into it." "How hard?" "If you want to accuse me of perjury, Mr. Dumanjiak, you go right ahead right now, but otherwise..." Rick looks as if he could cry with anger. Dumanjiak holds up his hands as a plea for calm. He says, "It's all right, Mr. Sammler, I understand you're somewhat of a packrat when it comes to keeping things." There's a rushing sound as Rick snaps to full attention. Now he knows that Karen talked to his executioner. Dumanjiak says that he'll keep this area of the investigation open until Rick and his attorneys have had a chance to search out more paperwork. He continues droning on about more dates and more transactions, as the camera pans away from Rick, who's getting smaller and more helpless-looking by the second. Rick's struggling to focus now, and I'm sure it's because half his brain is occupied with thoughts of introducing Karen to a new ass-pole. I know if that were me, that's what I'd be thinking about. Rick looks on the verge of tears, though, so maybe his thoughts are not so violent. And I'm sure his heart isn't as tiny or hard as mine.
"I don't understand why it has to be so adversarial," Lily says, selecting a nice purple crayon and making sure to stay inside the lines as she colors in her happy, smiling dinosaur. Okay, she's not really coloring, but she might as well be. How can she be so clueless? Hasn't she ever seen Law & Order? Rick points out the process isn't "about being nice." They're in Lily's living room, where he's got his head on Lily's chest, and she's stroking his hair. Grace hovers tentatively on the stairs and calls out a "goodnight," which they distractedly answer. Lily insists that Rick has "nothing to be ashamed of. [She] doesn't care what these people say." Rick says that "these people can make putting on your pants seem like a criminal act." He pouts and tells her to forget it; she had to have been there to understand. She backs off, apologizing, and continues stroking his hair. Lily says that it seems like Rick is afraid, and she can't tell if he's afraid to tell her about the truth about things, or if he's trying to protect her, or if he's afraid of what could happen. She can't bring herself to say the word "prison." He tells her to say it. She can't. He does: "Worst-case scenario, I go to prison." She insists that's not what she's saying. Rick says that is what she was saying: "Is [he] going to go to prison?" She says, "No, you are not going to go to prison." Hey, Lily, Egypt called. They want their river back. He can't look at her as he asks, "If I am, how does that affect you? Your kids? And whether or not you want to marry me?" Lily protests. He continues, "No, you should be thinking about it. I'd be thinking about it too. You should be thinking about it, because I sure as hell am." She says he's scaring her. Her voice is unsteady as she says that she doesn't want to talk to him when he's like this. He looks at her sadly. After a few seconds, he quietly says that it's okay; he feels like he should go anyway. He stands, and she says she doesn't think he should leave. She pleads that she "didn't mean to start anything like this" -- what, like a real conversation? -- and tells him to stay, that she wants to hold him until he falls asleep. Rick just looks down at her, and says he'll call her. "It'll be okay. It will," he insists, without much conviction. She just watches him withdraw, helpless. Lots of helpless expressions tonight, aren't there?
When we return from commercials, Grace, Zoe, and Lily are in the kitchen of Manning Manor. Lily's stirring something on the stove while Grace tries to convince Zoe that Zoe "doesn't want to be a flower girl anyway," and she can't keep the contempt out of her voice as she does so. Grace tells Lily she's glad that Lily isn't making a disgusting "spectacle" out of the wedding. Zoe asks Lily to consider having two flower girls: her and Jessie. Grace rolls her eyes. Lily doesn't answer. "Mom?" Zoe prompts. Lily glances up from the pot and over at them, her eyes red and watery. The girls are at her side in a second, asking what's wrong. Now my eyes are red and watery. ["It is scary when your mommy cries, and not just because she's watching Touched by an Angel." -- Wing Chun] Lily insists that she's okay, but she clearly isn't. They ask again what's wrong. "Nothing," she says, trying to smile. "I'll tell you later." Zoe, full of concern, asks if she's okay. "No," Lily says, as her face collapses. She covers her mouth and then chokes out, "No, honey, I'm not. But I will be." They throw their arms around her, and Lily whispers, "I'm okay."
Karen drops by Dumanjiak's office with an armload of files. She pauses in his doorway, as if she's having last-minute second thoughts. He quickly bolts out of his chair and asks how she's doing. She looks at him and doesn't say anything, but continues into his office. He stammers that he appreciates her help. She flatly informs him that she isn't doing it for him; she's doing it for her clients. She can't quite meet his eyes as she says she needs something from him. He smiles and says, "I didn't know you engaged in consensual back-scratching." She doesn't smile. "Excuse me?" she says, her breath frosty. It freezes his smile, and he apologizes, telling her to go ahead. She says she wants to know his intentions. "Excuse me?" he says, teasing like she's asking about his intentions toward her. She clarifies that she means his intentions with Rick. He jokes that he likes him as a friend. "Are you capable of being serious?" she demands. Sometimes Karen just kicks ass, doesn't she? Ass-pole or not, you've got to respect a woman who can cut through the crap like that. He gets serious fast, reminding her that it's a sealed investigation and asking if she thinks he'd answer "a question like that." Karen says that they both know Rick had nothing to do with suborning perjury or bribing a judge. He asks if she "know[s Rick] that well." She avoids answering by saying that she wants to know he won't be indicted. He says that's up to the jury. "Whom you will influence," Karen says, almost as an order. "If I'm lucky, if half of them aren't asleep," he says. "Whom you will influence," Karen repeats, more slowly, because he obviously missed her meaning the first time. He starts to say something, but stops himself and just looks at her for a few moments. Finally, he says, "I don't want to say how much I actually...[Karen looks expectant in spite of herself] like you, so I won't, but..." He trails off as Karen looks slightly ashamed. He paces to the far side of his desk, shaking his head a little. His voice is very quiet when he continues, "I'm sorry, but I believe in what I do, just as you believe in what you do." Karen squirms and looks at the floor as he explains that he can't and won't compromise the case's integrity. He says he'd "completely understand" if she decided to walk out with her files. Karen wrestles with the idea for a few moments, looking torn, and then plops them on his desk and rushes out. He stares after her, sighing and wishing he'd just torn open her heaving bodice like he wanted to.
Cut to Rick at the office in dim light. Cho pauses on her way out and tells him to go home. Rick hears murmuring as she heads for the door, and a second later, Miles appears. He stands immobile for a second, imperiously looking at Rick. He's lit from below, and his eyes look particularly sunken. He paces in, reciting, "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings. Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair." His eyes rove over the model for a moment, before he apologizes -- yes, you read that right -- to Rick. Rick is unmoved. For some reason, Miles feels the need to point out that "sorry" isn't a word he says very often. Rick angrily walks toward him and asks what he's sorry for: "For the payoffs, for the bribes, or because you got caught?" He folds his arms and stares at Miles self-righteously. Miles smiles indulgently and says he's sorry his "sepulchre might be too late." Rick asks what he's talking about. Miles says they may not have too many chances to speak "in the near future," and he takes a deep breath before saying that he owes Rick an explanation. "You're losing me, Miles," Rick says. "No, you're losing me," Miles says. Angry, Rick blurts, "Where the hell are you going this time?!" not realizing just what an accurate choice of words that is. Miles sees the irony, too, saying, "That's actually very funny. I'll send you a report once I get there." Miles is dying. Fourth-stage pancreatic cancer. Rick's eyes pop and his mouth falls open. Miles looks over the model, saying that for months it's been the focus of both of them, and now it's nothing more than bits of balsa wood and glue. "Is there no cure?" Rick asks. "For ambition?" Miles retorts with a wry smile. "No. For my other disease, apparently not, either." He bends and peers at one of the buildings. Rick's voice is barely a whisper as he asks why Miles is there. Miles straightens, smiling a little before answering, "To tell you what you did was remarkable." Rick stares at him through misty eyes. Miles explains, "Even if no one ever sees it...but me." Okay, I can't help it. I'm tearing up for Miles. I liked this character, even though I know I wasn't supposed to. He walks slowly toward the door, surveying his tiny domain one last time. Rick watches him, saddened, and swallows hard.
Cut to Rick on Karen's porch. He reaches the front door and leans heavily against it, listening to the sounds of laughter within. He pushes off and glances sadly through the window beside the door, watching as Karen and Jessie goof around. Jessie glances up and spots Rick in the window, saying that she has to go. She calls over her shoulder, "I love you, Mommy," and opens the door. Rick leans in and asks if she's set. He and Karen eye each other wordlessly, but this time there's no glaring. It's like they're seeing each other across a gulf, and both are a little sad about the distance. Then Rick snaps out of it and his eyes harden before he shuts the door. Karen is lost in thought, fiddling with her sweater cuffs like a little girl as she turns away from the door. She leans against the wall and wrestles with her decision to turn over the files.
Cut to Jessie and Rick at his dining-room table. Lily's in the background, fussing in the kitchen. Rick's holding a paper and says, "Jess, you can call the Romans a lot of things, but 'stupid' isn't one of them." She laughs and relents, "Okay, well, maybe not 'stupid.'" She says that they built roads and had "about a million armies" but it was all to enslave other people. Rick points out their legal system. Jessie says, "Okay, they introduced law to the barbarians, but how did the barbarians feel about that?" Rick chuckles, and Jessie continues her diatribe, saying that all their art was copied from the Greeks, all their philosophy was stolen from the Greeks, and even all their gods were taken from the Greeks. Jessie says that she can't think of one original thing the Romans did, and says that if she were a Roman, she's be very ashamed of herself. Rick stares at her adoringly, his cheek propped on his hand, and then throws his arms around her. He pulls her tight, and she giggles, not seeing the intensity on his face as he holds on for dear life. "Eli, you have to save me from Dad!" Jessie yells with a big smile. Lily wanders in from the kitchen to let them know dinner's ready, and Rick finally eases his grip on Jessie when she volunteers to set the table. Rick swipes at his nose and tries to get himself under control, and Lily slowly sits down to him. She links her arm through his, and he finally looks at her as she promises, "We're going to get through this, whatever happens." He stares down at the table again. "Rick, whatever happens," she vows, cupping his chin and turning his face to hers. Eli breaks the moment, coming down the stairs and saying, "She actually cooked for us? That's pretty cool." Yes, and "she" actually has a name, too.
There's a pounding at the door. Eli answers it and comes face-to-face with a herd of cops, one of them brandishing a warrant as they barge in and announce that they're there to search the premises. The cop hands Rick the warrant and asks if there's another computer on the premises besides the one he can see. Rick says just the kids', upstairs. "We'll take them, too," one of the cops mutters, heading for the stairs. God, I'm expecting to see Anne Frank hiding somewhere with all this hubbub. Seriously, this is a white-collar crime. It's not like they're barging in and tearing up the place looking for a murder weapon or a kidnapping victim. They're looking for incriminating email. But these cops seem to think they're on an episode of Cops and start ransacking the place while Lily and Jessie cower in Rick's arms. One of the cops almost knocks over a lamp, and when Eli rushes over to catch it, the cop warns him to back off. Seriously, someone needs to cut their rations of coffee and donuts. These cops are all hopped up on some kind of caffeinated sugar rush. Eli, Jessie, Lily, and Rick just stand clear, watching the violation unfold.
Will the über-cops find what they're looking for? Is Miles really dying? Or will he just disappear with a "poof!" and a wisp of smoke? Is Lily's place on the list of locations to be ransacked? Will Rick be sporting prison blues or a tuxedo? Stay tuned, kids -- it's "to be continued."