American Crime Story

Morning, Gil.

Gil?

We've barely recovered from the Rodney King riots

of two years ago, and now you and Johnnie

are standing in a goddamn pool of gasoline

playing with matches; it's all gonna happen again.

It's gonna be on you.

Gil, it's me, Bob.

You know who's pushing this; it's Johnnie.

Enjoy your legacy, Bob.

Bob! Excuse me!

Mr. Shapiro! Mr. Shapiro!

Questioning Mark Fuhrman about the use of the "N" word...

Is it based on something you know

or just your views of the LAPD in general?

Look, I...

Let me just state this.

Uh, I think that the-the LAPD is a terrific organization.

I-I think that there's just a few bad apples.

Unbelievable.

Good morning.

Love the hair.

Please don't ever mention my hair again.

- Got it. - Ever.

And within hours

of the killings, you had my client in handcuffs!

So what I'm trying

to get a sense of is this rush to judgment,

and how in a few short hours,

these detectives closed up shop

on a complex investigation

that could have gone any different direction.

And it might sound like Cochran is fishing,

but he understands what we have to do:

present alternative theories that do not include your client.

It's not enough to just plead your client's innocence.

You need to provide a narrative.

And not just in the courtroom, in the world.

Do you feel that you've turned over

every possible rock in search for the real killer in this case

before rushing... to charge my client?

I do.

Look what the culture is becoming.

The media, people... They want narrative, too.

But they want it to be entertainment.

And what's out in the world

osmoses back into that courtroom, sequester be damned.

If there's gonna be a media circus,

you better well be the ringmaster.

Yes.

Yes. This could work.

Then tell the court, please,

why you refuse to investigate any other possible suspects?

Objection.

Asked and answered.

Argumentative.

Sustained.

Mr. Cochran, please refrain from badgering the witness.

Yes, Your Honor.

Detective Lange...

is it possible that these

murders could be drug-related?

Objection.

Sustained.

You're being a little vague, counsel.

Detective, have you ever heard of a Colombian necktie?

A what?

No.

Really?

It's a well-known technique

employed by drug gangs.

They slash a person's throat so viciously,

they almost remove the victim's head.

Oh, my God!

_

Sorry about the Colombian necktie thing.

I hadn't ever heard of it.

You're kidding me, Tom.

You didn't know

that Mezzaluna was a cleverly-disguised front

for the gatherings of cocaine kingpins?

That Faye Resnick owed them money

on some deal she was mixed up in?

And these Scarfaces decided to scare her by killing Nicole?

How could you not know

there's a major drug cartel

being run out of a B-minus

Brentwood eatery, right under your nose?

It's just desperate flailing.

I hope they keep that kind of unsubstantiated bullshit up.

I don't.

Look, it's all stupid,

but it lands. I saw the jury.

There are theories everywhere,

and everyone loves to hear them, talk about them.

So when the defense comes in with something exotic,

it makes the jury sit up and listen,

instead of playing tic-tac-toe with themselves.

Or flat-out fall asleep.

I mean, we have hard evidence, and they razzle-dazzle

a bunch of conspiracy nonsense into big moments.

Now, we need to make our own big moments

that land with the jury.

That is how we beat the nonsense.

Now, can we focus on that?

Okay. Yeah.

Sure. We'll see what we can find.

Please. Thank you.

I'm sorry.

Did I hijack the meeting?

No, no. That's okay.

I liked it.

Johnnie...

why do you think there hasn't been

a realistic theory about who did it?

Or any evidence?

I mean, I know... I know it's what we're saying,

but I have trouble with the blood in the Bronco.

That Fuhrman, or anyone, planted all of it...

O.J.'s, Nicole's and Goldman's?

Bobby, we don't have the whole police force

out there chasing leads.

W-We got to be patient.

The truth will find us.

It always does.

There's something on the TV.

I think you better see it.

Can't you record it?

Johnnie, Barbara is on A Current Affair.

With Patricia. Both of them. Oh.

Patricia, you took Johnnie's name,

even though he never married you.

Guys, guys, guys.

Well, it seemed unfair for our boy, Johnnie Jr.,

not to have his own father's name.

Barbara, were you aware of Johnnie's double life?

Maybe unconsciously.

I loved him too much to acknowledge it.

He must have been under a lot of pressure,

running back and forth between two households.

Oh, Johnnie makes it all look easy.

He's the smoothest man in L.A.

Maybe so, but, Barbara, court records tell us

that Johnnie assaulted you on...

_

Who the hell's behind this?

It's the D.A.'s Office.

It's the...

It's Sh-Shapiro.

Fuck!

There.

That's what's left of Nicole.

Uh, thank you, Denise.

Are you helping my daddy find the man who hurt my mommy?

Uh...

Yeah. Yes, that's right.

Um... your daddy's busy working on other things today.

Come on. Let's let them get to work, okay?

Go on. Open it.

"Visa card number two, 1989 to 1990."

Okay.

I give up.

- Nicole bought the gloves. - Our gloves.

Aris Isotoner, model number 70263.

In the United States, the only place that sold them

was Bloomingdale's in New York.

Of all the 70263's, only 300 pairs were extra large.

Bloomingdale's sold 200 of those.

On December 18, 1990,

Nicole walked into that store

and bought two pairs of our gloves!

- What?! - Holy shit!

Right?!

There we go!

This is it.

This is not a story.

This is cold, hard proof.

The gloves.

The gloves are our conviction.

What are you doing here?

Waiting for Johnnie.

I can't wait to see this.

Johnnie!

Johnnie, talk to us about this double life of yours.

Did you beat Barbara?

Do you beat Dale, Johnnie?

I am not here to discuss old gossip.

What I care about is this trial, in which there are

two dead people and an innocent man being framed.

You all should be

ashamed of yourselves.

Excuse me. Thank you.

He's made of goddamn Teflon.

I need a vacation.

Like, now.

What?

Uh, I'm driving up to Oakland this weekend.

Hmm.

My best friend... childhood friend, it's his birthday.

It's not a big thing, just getting together at a bar