Potential juror number 17, please state your name.
Richard Day.
Can you state for the court any preexisting opinion, any at all, that you may hold for the defendant, Frank Castle?
You mean the Punisher? I think he's an animal a sick, twisted, venal...
Hero.That's what we should be calling him.Doing the things the cops won't do, Frank Castle is a...
A grotesque insult to the Second Amendment, a fascist without the authority.If you ask me, people like Frank Castle ought to be...
Applauded for putting all the thieves and muggers and rapists in the morgue, where they belong. Let those bastards feel scared walking down the street for a change.
Frank is then chained and dragged along by the cops.
It's Son of Sam all over again.
It's Bernie Goetz.
It's like the only thing protecting us is Frank.
I just moved my family to New York, and now we're moving out. If anyone can kill anyone in this town where does the insanity end?
Counselors, over 400 potential jurors have come through this courtroom. So I should tell you, if you can't agree to move forward with the 12 men and women selected, I will make this trial a living hell for all of you.
MATT: Your Honor, New York hasn't seen a trial this divisive and this public in years. Finding an impartial jury is not easy.
FOGGY: Everybody has an opinion about Frank Castle.
JUDGE: It's New York, Mr. Nelson. Everybody has an opinion about everything. Ms. Reyes, is the prosecution satisfied with its jury panel?
REYES: Yes, Your Honor.
JUDGE: And the defense, Mr. Nelson?
FOGGY: Uh, yes, Your Honor, we are.
JUDGE: Thank Christ.
The trial of The People of New York v. Frank Castle is now in session.
Frank enters the courtroom.
OPENING CREDITS
If I get my hands on the worthless intern who organized these files Oh, I'm sure that intern's just following the DA's orders.
It's not officially sabotage, - just sets it back.
- It's a cheap trick.
We got bigger problems.
Like, locking a defense.
- M'Naghten Rule's still our best bet.
KAREN: What's that?
MATT: Uh, the, uh, insanity plea.
KAREN: Whoa, whoa, guys...
We need to buy a "not guilty" verdict. My high school debate team could prove that Castle did it. We need an affirmative defense.
KAREN: Yeah, yeah, I get that, but I'm not so sure Frank is insane.
FOGGY: I'm no doctor, but I'd say he's at least driven past Crazy Town.
- Foggy, I'm serious.
- She has a point.
I mean, insanity only has a 0.
12% acquittal rate in New York.
Reyes is just gonna call in some expert shrink witness to blow our case apart.
- What case? - Look, what if we push for a mistrial? We get more time.
We talk about the DNR and the suits and Reyes' involvement.
We get her kicked off the case.
MATT: She wouldn't see it coming.
FOGGY: If we go down that road now, we gotta prove, in a court of law, that the government willfully hid evidence of the Punisher ambush, and that Reyes was involved.
KAREN: Well, I was there and you were there.
FOGGY: We're not exactly impartial, okay? And either way, we need an opening statement tomorrow.
MATT:I can open with PTSD as a mitigating factor, focus on Castle's time at war.
KAREN: So you think the war is what made Frank what he is?
MATT: Our only goal is to reduce the charges and set precedent. Castle made a lot of enemies, all right? If he goes into general population, he's as good as dead.We need to get him somewhere safe, where he can get help, and citing PTSD could do that.
FOGGY: I mean, none of us know what Castle saw over there, but research suggests that PTSD can be triggered by new stressors.
KAREN: Like losing your family.
MATT: I need to get to work on the opening statement, but we need to be sure Castle will get on board with this.
KAREN: Uh, I'll try. I mean, Frank made it pretty clear he's willing to talk to me, at least, just as long as I'm alone.
- Are you sure you wanna do that?
- Well, I wanna help.
We have a better shot at getting him to talk if I go.
I'll grab the list of questions I was working on.
Okay.
MATT: Karen... You know you don't have to do this by yourself.
It's okay.
Castle doesn't scare me.
- Maybe he should.
- I can take care of myself.
MATT: I know, but I'd be saying it to Foggy. Or a Navy SEAL. Just watch your back.
[They kiss]
KAREN: Promise.
FOGGY: Here you go. Just do me a favor, stick to the script.
KAREN: Okay. Wish me luck.
FOGGY: Good luck. [she leaves] Grow up so fast, don't they?
KAREN: Hi, Frank.
FRANK: Ma'am.
KAREN: Um, we've been, uh, looking over similar cases legal precedents, and, uh we we think it would help to bring forth someone from your past maybe from your your military unit, someone who could, uh speak to the nature of your service.
FRANK: What's that got to do with anything?
KAREN: Um it's a character witness. Uh, we put someone on the stand who who knows you well. Uh, can can speak to what you've been through.
PTSD, huh?
KAREN: We think it would greatly help with your defense.
FRANK: Don't do that. It's an insult.
KAREN: Lots of veterans experience it.
FRANK: I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about them. It's an insult to them, people who are actually going through it. I know what you wanna do, you wanna sit here and label me just another case of some crazy-ass combat vet who lost his mind, huh? Maybe that'll appeal to some shitbag jury in some shitbag court. It wasn't on a battlefield. That's not when my life went to shit. Now, ma'am, I believe that you told me that you were gonna find me answers. That's what you said to me. Do you have anything for me or not? KAREN: Not that easy.
FRANK: That what you want? You want things to be easy?
KAREN: You are on trial for multiple homicides and you don't have a defense strategy in place. You don't cooperate with us, it doesn't matter if I help you figure out who killed your family, you will never see justice. All you will do, the rest of your life, is rot in a goddamn jail cell!
FRANK: Colonel Ray Schoonover. My old CO. Let's forget the PTSD defense, but if you want a character witness, the colonel, he will do.
KAREN: Thank you.
FRANK: Now, ma'am, do you have anything for me or not? Maybe I just ought to go back and rot in my goddamn jail cell?
KAREN: Yeah. Yeah, I did some digging. All right, there are huge moving parts and they do not want to be seen.
FRANK: I've already looked at all of those. I've done it a hundred times.
KAREN: Sure, but you haven't done it with me.
MATT: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury. Imagine, if you will... [his phone rings] Yeah, this is Matt.
ELEKTRA: I found a lead.
MATT: Hold on. [he closes the door] Elektra, I can't do this right now.
ELEKTRA:The guy who encoded that ledger of ours? Some pervy NYU professor, master cryptographer who teaches Asian studies.
I'm gonna go beat the cipher out of him.
MATT: Yeah.
ELEKTRA: You wanna come?
Foggy knocks on Matt's door, he quickly hides the phone.
FOGGY: Hey.
MATT: Hey.
FOGGY: You check out these Dogs of Hell depos? Might as well have been written in crayon. I think we could poke some holes in these.
MATT: That's great. Yeah. Just, uh, give me a minute. [he closes the door] The most important case we've ever handled starts in the morning. I can't go with you.
ELEKTRA: Can't or won't?
MATT: Can't. My life doesn't stop every time you call.
ELEKTRA:This may be our one chance to translate this ledger before the Yakuza adjust their plans and we lose all the progress we've made.
MATT: You're infuriating.
ELEKTRA:Tell me in person. Two hours. Barclay and Church.
I know I'm into some sick shit, but next time, I swear, all I wanna do is eat moo goo gai pan off your bodies.
All day.
- We're not Chinese.
- Whatever, it's all hot to me.
What? He's a repulsive asshole.
A repulsive asshole who pays well.
I can't tell any of you apart, but I guarantee I know all your tongues better than you do. So be nice.
Get out.
ELEKTRA: Hey, honey, I'm home. And you've been awfully naughty.
DAREDEVIL: You're gonna wanna stay real still.
What the hell do you want from me?
DAREDEVIL: You were hired by the Yakuza.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
DAREDEVIL: You encrypted files for them.
ELEKTRA: Money must be good. Not many professors can afford garish, high-rise flats and a revolving door of prostitutes.
What do you want me to do?
DAREDEVIL: What you do best, Philip. Translate.
ELEKTRA: But this time for us.
[laughs] They will kill me if I tell you anything.
ELEKTRA: And if you don't, we'll make you beg for killing.
DAREDEVIL: Thirty stories up, Philip. You'd make a mighty good mess.
ELEKTRA: More liquid than solid, I'd imagine.
DAREDEVIL: What do you say, Professor?
- Come on, please Please please.
- I'll pay you, I'll do anything.
- Once more.
I can't. I can't, they'll kill me.
It's gonna break.
Okay! Okay, shit! Stop! I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll help you.
ELEKTRA: All right, be a pet and tell us how to read this last page.
They wanted a code that couldn't be hacked. I put the Japanese alphabet through a cipher. Now put the characters through the matrix, you can decode it all.
DAREDEVIL: You do it.
There's weekly shipments. Next one is tonight at 11:00. Bay Ridge Rail Yard. You find a boxcar with that number and you can find the train you're looking for.
DAREDEVIL: What are they shipping?
It doesn't say, I swear. I swear! I can't help you anymore.
ELEKTRA: Well, thank you for your help, Professor.
DAREDEVIL: Do yourself a favor. Find better business partners.
ELEKTRA: And kill your decorator.
KAREN: Hey. Hungry?
FOGGY: No. I don't think I'm ever gonna eat again. Cost of looking at these all day.
KAREN: Yeah. How about some fresh coffee?
FOGGY: Yes.
KAREN: Uh, where's Matt? I thought he'd be burning the midnight oil with you.
FOGGY: I... He's, um He's working on his opening statements.
KAREN: Oh.
FOGGY: Did you you talk to Castle?
KAREN: Yeah, um... He, uh, won't endorse PTSD, so...
FOGGY: Oh, shit!
KAREN: He's he's not having war flashbacks, Foggy. It it's just not the truth.
FOGGY: Did Castle say anything that we can use? 'Cause when the judge calls his first witness tomorrow, my only plan so far is to run away, and open a butcher shop.
KAREN: Well I, uh, went over some of our files with Frank. The medical examiner's report from his family's murder, it's filled out by a, um
FOGGY: Dr. Gregory Tepper.
KAREN: Yeah.
FOGGY: He's the chief medical examiner. He's scheduled to testify for Reyes.
KAREN: Well his report says that Lisa, Frank, Jr. and Maria Castle each were killed by a single gunshot, but Frank says there were multiple wounds. He describes them in awful detail, um, different angles, uh, bullet calibers, exit wounds that are too big for a handgun. I mean, his family was practically shredded.
FOGGY: There's a discrepancy, which is good, but it's still their word against Frank's, who was also shot in the head.
KAREN: Okay. Just for a minute, try, try to be Frank Castle. To be solely fueled by, by a single cluster of seconds. One moment in in your entire life. And every time you close your eyes, you relive that moment. And every time you open them, you find only the the briefest peace before you realize that that nightmare is real. That nothing has changed. Your family isn't coming back. And so you watch them die all over again right in front of you. We're not talking about something that happened to Frank Castle, we're talking about something that is happening to him.
FOGGY: I hear you. But short of having his family's bodies exhumed we still have no proof that what Frank is saying is the truth. Okay, so... Let's say the ME's report was doctored. It's still tangential and, so far, inadmissible.[he stops and thinks]
KAREN: What?
FOGGY: Unless we can get this ME to corroborate Frank's story on the stand.
KAREN: Can you do that?
FOGGY: It's a long shot. He's still probably in her pocket, but if it works, maybe we expose Reyes and we get the mistrial you've been praying for. So, trial starts in a few hours, and in lieu of a bullet-damaged brain, our case hinges on getting a dirty medical examiner to crack on the stand.
KAREN: Guess I'll call Matt. Give him the news.
FOGGY: Oh, I'll do it. As long as he has the opening statement of the year, I'd I think maybe we have a chance.
ELEKTRA: We should make bets on what the Yakuza are exporting. Hundred bucks says exotic animals or counterfeit purses.
DAREDEVIL:Last time these guys brought something into town, it was a cargo ship transporting a kid.
ELEKTRA: Human trafficking?
DAREDEVIL:Yeah, something like that.
DAREDEVIL:Elektra. All these cars are empty. This one's full. So are the others beyond it.
- Full of what?
DAREDEVIL:I don't know. There's no negative space. Cargo is uniform. There's no real shape. There's a lot of it, though. Enough to buckle the tracks.
ELEKTRA:You're right. This is ours. Come on, let's go. Let's have a look.
[they open the doors to the car, a powder flows from it]
DAREDEVIL: Dirt.
ELEKTRA: Do they know we're here? Is this a decoy?
DAREDEVIL:Wait. They're coming.
GUARD: Let's go.
DAREDEVIL:You okay?
ELEKTRA: The best things in life leave you breathless, right?
DAREDEVIL:I'm glad you feel that way, 'cause I got something for ya.
ELEKTRA: It's your lucky day.
ELEKTRA: Ahh! What the hell took you so long?
DAREDEVIL: You hurt? Let me see.
Ow.
Matt is now stitching Elektra's neck in his home.
ELEKTRA:Do you think this one will scar?
MATT:Don't they all?
ELEKTRA:I suppose I'll never have short hair again.
MATT:Well, you could always tell people you got it fighting the Yakuza. No one would believe you anyway.
MATT: All right.
ELEKTRA: Thank you. We make a good team, Matthew.
MATT: Keep some pressure on it.
ELEKTRA:What do you tell people?
MATT:About?
ELEKTRA:Where you got your scars?
MATT:Um, Lucky me, I wear suits to work, so rarely comes up.
ELEKTRA:What do you tell the women you bring home?
MATT: Well, they're enjoying themselves too much. [Elektra laughs] They don't ask.
ELEKTRA:Sure.
MATT: Oh, hey. You're bleeding.
[he puts a towel on the cut in Elektra's arm]
ELEKTRA: Oh.
- That okay?
ELEKTRA: It takes a lot more to hurt me. You, on the other hand...
She notices a scar in his abdomen.
ELEKTRA:Oh I haven't seen this one.
MATT: Yeah, the Russians like their knives. At least, I think it was the Russians.
ELEKTRA:And these?
MATT:The Yakuza. Actually, a ninja named Nobu.
ELEKTRA:Nobu Yoshioka?
MATT: What, you know him?
ELEKTRA:By reputation.
[points to his side] Yeah, this was him, too. That hurt. [to his back] And the, uh, two on my back. Wasn't there in college.
ELEKTRA:Most of them weren't.
MATT: You've been busy, huh?
ELEKTRA:Seems we both have.
MATT:Where did you go, Elektra? The last time we were together...
ELEKTRA: As far from you as I could.
MATT: And did you find whatever you were looking for?
ELEKTRA:Mostly I found that I was alone.
MATT: Then why didn't you come back?
ELEKTRA:Because you don't know what I know. Because you deserve better.
MATT: [exhales] Lie down. Get some rest.
Morning has come, Elektra awakens to see Matt hurriedly putting his shirt on.
MATT: I'm, uh I'm really late.
ELEKTRA:I-I will look into the exports, see where they're coming from.
MATT:Yeah.
ELEKTRA:Have a good day in court, Matthew.
FOGGY: Today, of all days I mean, he said he'd be late, but this is ridiculous.
KAREN: Foggy, what is going on with him?
BAILIFF: All rise. Court is now in session, the Honorable Judge Cynthia Batzer presiding. Indictment number 1986-4447, The People v. Frank Castle.
JUDGE: Be seated.
FRANK: Looks like you're a man down.
JUDGE: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, the defendant has been indicted for several serious crimes. But I'm instructing you, as a point of law...
FOGGY: You know those college stress dreams, when you show up to your class in your underwear?
KAREN: Yeah?
FOGGY:That's me right now. God damn, Matt was supposed to deliver opening, not me.
JUDGE: Ms. Reyes, are the People ready to begin opening statements?
REYES: More than ready, Your Honor.
KAREN: Should we be worried? I mean, there's no way Matt misses this, right?
REYES: Ladies and gentlemen of the jury Frank Castle brutally tortured and murdered 30 people. Thirty that we know of. He took the law into his own hands. Acted as judge, jury, and most violent executioner. And you will hear that the defendant's victims were criminals, but the victims are not on trial here today, and justice does not belong in the hands of a man like Frank Castle. This isn't the Wild West. Justice is served here in a court of law. And it is up to each of you to take back the city from lawless vigilantes like Frank Castle. This man is no hero. He's a serial killer. And he is guilty. Thank you.
JUDGE: Mr. Nelson, are you prepared to make your opening statement?
FOGGY:She's good.
KAREN: So are you.
JUDGE: Mr. Nelson? Mr. Nelson, are you reserving the right to make your statement at a later time?
FOGGY: [turns to see the audience] Screw it. Um... [gets up] No, Your Honor, um the defense is ready to proceed. Uh, ladies and gentlemen of the jury the defendant, Frank Castle, is not... Sorry.Um... Mr. Castle is as much a victim No, he's not. Okay, so you're 19, standing in hot sand sun burning down noise yelling, gunfire. The only thing that you know for sure is that you're surrounded by an enemy that wants you dead. But you do it.
You endure it. Why? Because you have orders. And you have a duty. And also because your life doesn't end here. You have people you love waiting at home. Because aside from being a decorated marine the man before you is a good husband and an excellent father. Frank Castle returned from the hell of war wanting nothing more than to pick up his life. But his wife, young son, and daughter were brutally murdered by criminals, and no one, not the police and certainly not the District Attorney stepped up to make it right. See, Frank Castle never came home. He just traded in one war zone for another. This trial isn't about vigilantes. It's about the failure of the justice system. And how one man, Frank Castle, is being used as a pawn to cover up that system's mistakes. The prosecution wants blood. But as the judge just said to get it, they have to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. So all I'm asking of you today keep an open mind. That's all, Your Honor.
[He returns to his seat, Matt is on the way]
FRANK: That was a pretty thick slice of bullshit there, counselor.
Prosecution, call your first witness.
Yes, Your Honor.
- Sorry, guys.
- Where the hell have you been?
Look, I made a mistake, Karen, I feel terrible about it, but, Foggy, I caught some of your opening statement.
- You did great.
KAREN: He was amazing.
Hey, hey, thanks for keeping us afloat, buddy.
FOGGY:Yeah, well, hopefully Reyes didn't notice my buckets of flop sweat.
And if the DA's office didn't suspect we had nothing before, they gotta be sure now.
Well, then we'll just have to change that.
Yeah, who's on the prosecution's witness list for tomorrow?
Uh I've got it, here.
Tepper, wonderful. Reyes is calling the chief medical examiner. From rocky start to Hail Mary.
Why, what do we know about him?
I showed Frank a copy of his family's autopsy report.
He claims they're faked, and Tepper's name is all over them.
Well, that's great. All right. So we should get him on the record.
- That's what we said.
Which you would've known had you shown up to the office at all.
- Let me take lead on it, buddy.
- Like you took the lead this morning?
You've made your point, all right? Let me try at least. Let me get a crack at this guy.
FOGGY:Even if we get the false reports entered into evidence, and it's a big "if," since they concern an unrelated crime, odds are slim that this clown's gonna incriminate himself.
KAREN: Unless two brilliant attorneys can figure out a way to trip him up.
FOGGY: Exactly. You want it? Knock yourself out. But Tepper ain't talking without a fight. The DA's pulling his strings. And he's had plenty of time to bulletproof his story. We only have 12 hours to tear it down. I don't know how we do that by tomorrow.
MATT: Because Karen's gonna catch me up, and we're gonna figure out a way.
FOGGY:Fine, but I'm going back to the office, 'cause I have the rest of the trial to prep for.
- You let him down, Matt.
MATT: I know. Hey, I know. But I'm gonna make it up to him. And I'm gonna make it up to you.Come on.
MATT:You get Tepper thinking about the real report.
- Mmm-hmm.
- The real truth.
And then when he's disoriented, I follow up with something like "Who had you change the report?" And even if he says "no one," it proves It proves that the report was changed.
- And that's
- That's brilliant.
- See? You're a natural.
- Huh.
Well, I keep good company.
KAREN:Ah, you know what? Why don't I help you go through Tepper's bread-crumb questions? We could, you know, set 'em up, knock 'em down?
MATT:All right, but it'll be boring. And tedious. Could take all night.
- Hmm. Well, I don't mind.
KAREN: What?
MATT: You ever consider law school?
KAREN: Oh, I don't know.
MATT:Well, Foggy and I know a lot of good people at Columbia. I mean, if it's even something you want. Just thinking Nelson and Murdock might be more fun as Nelson, Murdock and Page.
KAREN: You're, you're sweet. Uh I don't know. I don't know if law school's really the right fit for me. Um, I guess there's just something about the rules and the loopholes. It just feels like the truth gets lost a little too often.
MATT: Well, not every case will be The People v. Frank Castle.
KAREN: Right, right. But, you know, it's not just this case. It's... Uh... MATT: What is it?
KAREN: You know, we - You ever think back to the night we first met?
MATT: Yeah, all the time.
KAREN: While I sat in that police station alone. I was afraid of the whole world. Well, at least, until you and Foggy came into my life and... You trusted me. You gave me hope. And then we came back to your place.
MATT: I offered you Thai food.
KAREN: God, I remember everything about that night, 'cause it's not every day your life is threatened, then saved by a man in black.
Hey, you... You believe in what he does? You know, the Devil of Hell's Kitchen.
MATT: Mmm-hmm, mmm-hmm.Um I, uh...
KAREN: What?
MATT: I believe in the law. If that's what you're asking.
- Right.
KAREN: No, but, but... But what about when the law fails? Like it did with me, like it did with Frank. You know, what are we supposed to turn to? What should we - What should we believe will protect us then?
MATT: See, you're asking a Catholic lawyer.
KAREN: I, uh Yes.
MATT: What do you - What do you want me to say?
KAREN: I don't know. Uh, I guess it's just ever since we took on Frank's case, like, I keep, I keep asking myself if there's really a difference between, between someone who saves lives and, someone who prevents lives from needing to be saved at all.
MATT: Right? Wait, Wait a second. Frank Castle should be behind bars. I mean, he deserves a fair trial, but he's murdered people.
KAREN: Yeah, right. Bad people. I mean, like the ones who killed his family or the ones who came after me.
MATT: But it's not Frank's decision who lives or dies. That's up to God, or sometimes a jury. What happened to Frank's family is a tragedy, Karen, but it doesn't give him the right to kill...
KAREN: No. No, no, no. God God, no! Not the right, that's That's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that I can understand why Frank why why anyone would seek vengeance for something after - after losing it...
MATT: Whoa, no, no, no. That's not the same. Vengeance is not justice. What he's doing is completely wrong.
KAREN: But, right or wrong, you can't deny that it works.
MATT: You really believe that?
KAREN: I don't know. No. [gasps] Maybe.
MATT: Um
KAREN: No, um
MATT: You know, maybe this is a good time to call it a night. I just think we're both exhausted, and You know, a case this big, let's just KAREN: Um Yes, you're probably right. I don't know, maybe, uh, after after the trial's over.
MATT: Yeah, a real date next time.
KAREN: Good. Thanks. Uh, good night.
MATT: Good night, Karen. Get some rest.
Karen leaves.
MATT: How long were you listening?
ELEKTRA: I wasn't listening. I didn't hear anything about your work that would make me want to tie a noose and test it on my neck.
I won't even mention what I didn't hear about your girlfriend.
MATT: I warned you not to interrupt my life.
ELEKTRA: This is not your life, Matthew.
MATT: You may not give a damn about what I've made for myself, but that is what's most important to me. All right? She is important to me.
ELEKTRA: Right. Sorry. I didn't know your time pairing wine with Thai food was so important.
MATT: What do you want?
ELEKTRA: I looked more carefully at Roxxon's construction investment. Seems there's only a small number of projects in New York capable of moving that much dirt. We pay the sites a visit, I bet we find out what they're hiding.
MATT: What are these sites?
ELEKTRA: Um The Conservatory Hotel, the Midtown Tunnel project, and some big build site at 44th and 11th.
MATT: 44th and 11th.
ELEKTRA: You know it?
MATT: Yeah, Midland Circle. There was a tenement on that block before Wilson Fisk swallowed it up in his Better Tomorrow initiative.
ELEKTRA: How did the Japanese get hold of it?
MATT: I don't know. But before I fought Nobu, I found blueprints at Midland Circle. Now, I always thought Nobu was just a weapon Fisk sent to take me out, that Fisk had interests tied up in the building, but maybe he didn't want it at all. I mean, what if he only acquired Midland Circle for the Japanese?
ELEKTRA: That's a curious riddle, one I think we should go and solve together.
MATT: Elektra, I got court in the morning. I got a case to prepare, I got
ELEKTRA: Tomorrow night, then. [looks at the glass] Cheap wine.
Finish your homework. I'll do some recon.
And so, Dr. Tepper, the medical examiner's office can confirm that the 15 victims found at the Irish Social Club all died of multiple gunshot wounds.
TEPPER: Yes, that's correct. Um, all 15 victims died of wounds inflicted by the same caliber bullet each shot multiple times.
Thank you.
Your witness.
KAREN: Cross your fingers.
FOGGY: I'm crossing everything.
[Matt has gone up, and is listening to Tepper's heartbeat]
Dr. Gregory Tepper, how long have you been medical examiner for the city of New York?
TEPPER: Uh, 14 years, uh, give or take.
And how many death certificates would you estimate you've signed in that time?
TEPPER: Huh? Um, I don't, uh.
MATT: It's probably in the tens of thousands.
Objection, Your Honor, leading the witness
- I'm not sure where.
- Mr. Murdock...
TEPPER: I have something I need to say.
- Doctor?
TEPPER: Your Honor, I'm sorry, but I have to, on the record I need to say something about what I did.
JUDGE: Clear the gallery.
- Yes, Your Honor.
All jury members, please exit back to the deliberation room. Everyone in the gallery, please make your way out of the courtroom at this time.
What's all this about?
TEPPER: I - I know what the defense was gonna ask me about, and it's true. I altered the autopsy reports.
MATT: Uh, you're referring to the official findings on the murders of Frank Castle's family?
TEPPER: Not just them. You don't understand. I had to do it. Those animals came to my office.
- Who came to your office?
TEPPER: After the defendant's family was murdered, two men I'd never seen before they warned me, if I didn't fix the case reports, they'd come after my family next.
JUDGE: You falsified the autopsy findings on the Castle family? TEPPER: Them and one more.
- Who?
TEPPER: I don't know. Some John Doe killed the same day. Male, adult, multiple gunshot wounds. Look, you can fire me, arrest me I don't care. I thought this was behind me, but after last night... JUDGE: Doctor, did something happen last night to impact your testimony?
TEPPER: She was in my house. She tied me up. She said she didn't give a damn who got to me before. If I didn't tell the defense what really happened, she'd hunt me down and kill me.
- Who told you this?
TEPPER: I don't know. A woman. Her face was covered. Had some foreign accent.
REYES: Your Honor, I believe the defense intends to distract the jury and make this case about some impossible-to-prove conspiracy theories.
MATT: Impossible to prove? Your ME just confirmed that he doctored the autopsy records.
REYES: He also said that he'd been threatened. If my office finds out that your firm had anything to do with this
FOGGY: Our firm? For all we know, it was you who sent those goons.
JUDGE: I've heard enough. It's clear to me that whatever Dr. Tepper may know about these autopsy reports has been tainted by threats made by person or persons unknown.
FOGGY: Then the defense asks for a mistrial.
Not on your life, Mr. Nelson.
I'm still not convinced these documents, whatever they may be, are even relevant to this trial. I'm striking the doctor's entire testimony and instructing the jurors to disregard anything they may have heard.
- Your Honor, I strongly urge you to
JUDGE: We're done here, counselor. Trial will reconvene tomorrow with the prosecution's next witness.
FOGGY: Once again, Reyes finds a new way to screw us. You'd think it'd get easier, but somehow it's more painful.
MATT: Foggy. Foggy it wasn't Reyes.
- What?
- The woman who threatened Tepper. It was Elektra. From college.
- Elektra?
- Yeah, she's back in town.
- Your ex-girlfriend?
- Yes.
No.This is insane. She's a diplomat's daughter, a a debutante.
MATT: Not anymore. She's, uh She's she's different. She's she's dangerous.
FOGGY:Yeah, no shit. She nearly got you expelled. I mean, she screwed your semester of torts, civil procedure... You almost missed the final because she hurt you so bad. And now, what? She's breaking into an ME's house?
MATT: - Okay. So, the Yakuza didn't go away, all right? They're still here in Hell's Kitchen. Elektra is trying to help me stop them, infiltrating FOGGY: What are you even talking about?
MATT: She was going up against them by herself, and she
- Your ex-girlfriend?
MATT: Yeah, I'm trying to protect the city
- I knew she was crazy, I didn't know that she was homicidal.
MATT: She's, um my new client. Foggy, the, uh rich one. The private one.
FOGGY: You lied again.
MATT: I did, I lied, but, look, the Yakuza are funneling money into something even bigger and darker than before, all right? Elektra came to me, I'm trying to help her...
FOGGY: You wanted to take this trial! You missed strategy sessions witness prep, opening statements, and you criminally decimate... MATT: No, I didn't. She I never told her anything about the trial, all right? FOGGY: The one witness that could've helped us do what I wanted to do, which is take down Reyes!
MATT: She must've overheard me talking to Karen, and then she moved on her own. I would I didn't sanction, I would never
- I don't care! I don't care, Matt!
- I'm furious with her!
Stop acting like these things just happen to you! No one's making you go out all hours of the night fighting bad guys and nobody makes you lie to your friends, over and over again! Elektra is not the problem, Matt. You are.
It's almost dark.
- I'm sure there's someplace you gotta be - You're not walking away.
- No, 'cause you know what?
- Don't walk away from me, Foggy.
FOGGY: If the last few days are any indication, you sure as hell haven't been here! Going forward, I will count on you for nothing at all. Tell your girlfriend to stay away from my trial.
MATT: Yeah, she's not - Elektra's not my girlfriend.
FOGGY: Then you should be the one to tell Karen about her.
KAREN: Hey. Hey, I heard yelling.
- Yeah, you should talk to Matt about it.
KAREN: Foggy!
- Hey, what the hell happened in there?
- We're fine.
KAREN: No, no, no, you don't treat me like I'm just your secretary.
I've done more work on this case than you have!
MATT: I can't get into this right now, Karen.
- No, enough of the dodgy bullshit. I deserve to know what is going on with you two.
With you.
MATT: You asking as my co-worker? Or my girlfriend?
- Both.
MATT: Yeah. I am sorry you're caught in the middle of this, but right now, I have to go.
- Where?
MATT: I'll see you tomorrow, Karen.
KAREN: Yeah, maybe.
Elektra is watching trucks in a ceiling, when Daredevil jumps on her and pushes her against the wall.
DAREDEVIL: What the hell did you do? I told you to stay out of my life. I never asked you to coerce a witness!
ELEKTRA: You had a problem, so I stepped in.
DAREDEVIL: No! It doesn't help. We can't even use his testimony because of you. It was all thrown out.
ELEKTRA:I was only following your rules.
DAREDEVIL: What rules?
ELEKTRA: You don't get what you want by day. You take it by force at night. This is who you are, Matthew. And don't fool yourself into thinking it's anything else.
DAREDEVIL:What I do is none of your business. Both halves of my life are mine.
ELEKTRA: Fine. I'll stay out of your boring legal shit. Now, you wanna fight me? Or you wanna fight the guys who are tearing your city apart?
DAREDEVIL: You didn't wanna help?
ELEKTRA: You didn't want me to.Ready?
ELEKTRA:You hear something?
DAREDEVIL:We're alone.
ELEKTRA: It's empty. There's nothing in here.
DAREDEVIL:The Yakuza were guarding something.
- Yeah, but
DAREDEVIL: Shh! Elektra.
- What?
DAREDEVIL:You're not gonna believe this.
[they approach an enormous hole]
DAREDEVIL:Holy shit.
ELEKTRA: Why are the Yakuza digging a hole?
DAREDEVIL:Give me the flashlight.
[he throws it into the hole]
ELEKTRA: Did it hit the bottom?
DAREDEVIL: No.
ELEKTRA: Tell me when it does.