Boss

My friend, governor Mac Cullen is going back to Springfield again..

You know what I see when I look at you, Mac? A piece of shit.

And a man whose moral turpitude.

Taints the office he has sworn to uphold.

The mayor has decided to double down.

On the state treasurer for governor.

I don't think it's a good idea.

Oh, me neither.

Your guys at O'Hare sitting on their asses all day?

What's going on that we're not supposed to see?

It's this guy from "the Chicago sentinel"... miller.

His questions are getting more pertinent.

Woman: I've got results from the water sample you sent over.

My husband has told me great things about you.

Mrs. Kane, I really can't discuss anything about your husband.

I'm here to discuss your relocation.

Woman: Dr. Harris no longer works at this hospital.

Lewy body, there's no cure. I have it.

I'm sorry, dad. It's too late.

Woman: You know, I think I'm going to vote.

Get registered and just do it... vote.

It's silly. It's just a primary.

And I know things never change.

It's just...

He speaks to me, you know.

The other girls at the park, you know what they call him?

Zajac Crackerjack.

Did you hear him in Springfield yesterday?

What he said about the blame game,

No winners, only losers? He's not scared.

He's decent and he's not scared.

I'm thinking yellow.

There's no need to rip into the old man's drawers.

A suit is one thing. You can't wear.

The same tie two days in a row...

- It's bad luck. - I have a stash at the office...

Definitely yellow. It's your color, mr. Mayor.

Mmm.

- I can make you an omelet. - No thanks.

I'm running late as it is anyway.

What's this?

Something from his files.

He likes it when I read him things from his days in office.

I heard on a talk show that reinforced memory of minutia.

Is good for the brain. And seeing.

That those were the happiest days of his life...

I don't know,

I think he likes it.

See you tonight?

I think it's better if you don't ask me that, okay?

- Kitty: Zajac. - I'm listening.

He made the splash we were hoping for in Springfield.

Played the state treasurer card to thrash Cullen on fiscal sobriety.

- Yep. - He's headed to farm country...

Photo op at a diner in Danville.

- And? - It could be hostile territory.

It's government-corporate- nexus farming issues. He's really not up on it.

There's no telling some locals won't try.

To turn the photo op into a one-way food fight.

"admin failure java select"?

The fucking people who make this shit.

I've scheduled a conference call for you at 3:00.

To review the script with him.

You know, get desk jockey out there to call the guys at the...

In the... The computer guys to help me set this thing up.

Yes sir.

Zajac... here's a better idea:

You meet him in Danville,

Handle things there... better on the ground than on the phone,

Especially if he does get thrown to the dogs.

Sir, I think with everything happening...

The more reason to cover things out there.

Thank you.

Kitty!

"the blame game in politics has no winners, only losers."

- Was that yours or his? - Mine.

It was good.

What is it?

Cullen.

I think we made our point.

He overstepped on O'Hare;

We embarrassed him in his run.

Had he not understood his error,

I'd be advising you to run the kid all the way.

- But? - I think the governor came to us.

And made a case. He's on his knees.

I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you I think he's right.

Zajac isn't going anywhere.

We groom him,

Save him, play him much further down the line.

- Are you afraid of Walsh? - No.

This is about making the right play.

What if it's about fucking Cullen?

It could be read wrong...

Over-hitting,

Disproportionate, emotional.

- By whom? - Anyone who wants to do business with the city.

I want disproportion.

Yes sir.

That's the end of it on this one.

Yes.

Today, 10:00 A.M. Meeting with Kohler,

37th ward. Scientia just underbid him.

On the contract to deliver student lunches to the public schools.

In his ward. He went apeshit on the phone with me.

And then begged for a sitdown.

Before the contract takes effect Tomorrow.

I know this is a sensitive one, Tom,

With Scientia and all that.

But my guys and my trucks.

Have been making good on this contract.

Longer than I've ran things in the 37th.

And...

Can I speak freely?

Fuck some berkeley-based johnny-come-lately.

Who think they can roll into town and run guys like you and me out.

Or this time Tomorrow

I'm gonna have some very upset drivers on my hand.

What do I tell them mayor Kane said?

He's gonna chop his wife up into little pieces.

And feed her to the cocksuckers at Scientia.

Admin failure java select...

Huh?

- Give me a moment. - Sure, Tom.

What's done is done, Frank.

I gave this one to Meredith.

Thank you, mr. Mayor.

Cuantos dias el problema... uh...

- Cinco? - Woman: Emma, there's someone here to see you.

- Tell her I'm busy. - I can't.

Meredith: I know I've shut you out.

I've wondered many times.

If part of you could understand why.

Part of me?

- Why are you here, mom? - Your father.

Yeah?

Please, Emma. I know he's been to see you.

Why does he want to speak to you?

I'm sorry. I can't help you.

He's been to a neurologist. There are certain things I need to know.

I feel I have a right to know.

You're right. You do have a right.

But not with me.

We pretty much forfeited all of those, didn't we?

- This is serious. - Everything is serious.

I'm sorry, if you want to know these things, why don't you ask him?

Think it through.

Think how things will be if you allow our difficulties to get in the way.

Forget who I am. Just look at me.

I'm asking you to look at me.

As just a person.

Can you do that?

Here's what I know: I am not involved.

I need this to be clear. I need it to be established...

I am not involved.

Please, Emma.

I'm sorry, no.

When did cody first show signs of illness?

He was born a little ox, but then at around six.

He started complaining about this and that.

I just thought he was trying to get out of school. You know how kids are.

But then it kicked in: Headache, nausea, blood in his pee.

Long story short, he was sick all right.

A C.T. Scan showed abnormal protein deposits.

And atypical stromal cells in the damaged areas.

Blood test and biopsy found a high red cell count, almost seven million per microliter,

And traces of T.C.E. In his liver and kidneys.

- T.C.E., that's trichloral... - Trichloroethylene, yeah.

Don't know where the exposure came from, whether it was ingested or inhaled.

Anyway, after battling with my insurance,

They went in, removed the tumors, ran the tests.

And came back with renal cell carcinoma.

Kidney cancer.

- Well, you know what you're talking about. - I'm his mother.

Of course.

You look more like a doctor yourself than a journalist, come to think of it.

My mother would love to hear that.

Always room to count blessings though.

A few operations, round of chemo, now my kid's making a comeback.

Family down the street, their kid was born the way he is.

At least Cody's got a fighting chance of a normal life,

- Even if he's only got one kidney now. - Uh, family down the street?

The Hales? Number 64.

Cody Newell, 11,

Kidney cancer as well as extensive damage to the liver,

Possible source in tri... trichloroethylene.

Sorry.

Check E.P.A. contaminant levels for trichloroethylene.

In the late '80s and early '90s;

Monitoring reports for any identified plumes of toxic groundwater;

Cross-reference the incidences of illness with home filtration units...

Or more likely the lack thereof;

Run the data for cancer clusters in Bensenville and Dupage county.

Where the fuck is Bentley and why hasn't he gotten back to me?

- He's stuck on a call. - Kane: Undoubtedly the people of Chicago, myself included,

Have had their fill of news, good or bad, about the O'Hare expansion site.

You might want to come see this.

And though I'm loath to admit it,

Sometimes it falls on the shoulders of those in office...

No. You gotta be fucking kidding me.