š“ Script 10:5 The Dockery Affair
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NBCās series The Blacklist starring James Spader and Megan Boone
Series created by: Jon Bokenkamp
Program air date: 3/26/2023 in the US (9pm Central/Chicago Time)
Script Permalink: https://wp.me/pDKwi-em1
EntertainmentWeekly Recap: https://tinyurl.com/2kd8aty3
š¹ TuneFind: https://tinyurl.com/4mfjwecc
IMDb (Internet Movie Database): https://tinyurl.com/bdewd63f
Source: Raw Script from OurBoard: http://bit.ly/3EsoREs [ dump of captioning ]
STATUS: ā Pending ā Rough ā Preliminary š“ FINAL
STATUS: š« Pending š Rough š Preliminary ī Final
Last updated: 3/28/2023 at 2:30pm CT [ Central/Chicago time ]
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Directed by: Ruben Garcia
Written by: T. Cooper, Allison Glock-Cooper
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SERIES STARS:
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Raymond āRedā Reddington ā James Spader
Donald Ressler ā Diego Klattenhoff
Harold Cooper ā Harry Lennix
Siya Malik ā Anya Banerjee
Dembe Zuma ā Hisham Tawfiq
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GUEST STARS:
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Judge Alice Dockery ā Tricia Alexandro
Herbie Hambright ā Alex Brightman
Paige ā Rebecca Faulkenberry
Frederick Moody ā Joe Forbrich
Female Agent ā Kara Haller
Wujing ā Chin Han
Paul Bruno, Sr ā Ray Iannicelli
Robert Vesco ā Stacey Keach
Janice Moody ā Shannon Koob
Trophy Wife ā Maddie Land
Zhang Wei ā Kenneth Lee
Ex-con ā Daniel J Martin
Detective Patrick Fleming ā Miles Mussenden
Anton Johnston ā Charlie Semine
Dentist ā Richard B Watson
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š“ Script 10:5 The Dockery Affair
Brief (Where weāre at):
Redās response to being pursued by Wujing (Blacklister #80) has been to āhide in plain sight,ā riding the subway, sleeping in various locations (including at the Coopersā) and riding the rails between New York City and Washington DC. Heās also been taking time to hook up with an old friend, Robert Vesco (Blacklister #8), his mentor and occasional collaborator. He sprung Vesco from prison (Episode 10:3 The Four Guns) and shared an adventure involving a treasure hunt in which the two solved three riddles hidden in a poem left by multimillionaire Warren Bostwick for his triplet daughters. They recovered the fortune and split the money three ways between themselves and the single deserving daughter, Alex Bostwick.
But, fresh from that reaffirmation of their friendship, Vesco was contacted by a representative of Wujing, who informed him that he had been betrayed by Red. How much Vesco knows about Redās relationship with the FBI is unclear, as is the degree to which he blames Red for his recent incarceration (which Dembe was more responsible than Red). Judging by the past, Vesco will play to win the advantage, but he knows that, especially now, he owes Red as well.
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For S10 Episode 10:5 The Dockery Affair: šÆ EW Recap ¤ š
Photo Gallery ¤ š¹ Music Videos ¤ š Script link: https://wp.me/pDKwi-em1 [ āyou are hereā ]
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[ Three weeks ago ] [ Ominous music plays ]
[ Judge Alice Dockery is in her home study. Shelves of law volumes line the wall. A large vase of calla lilies sits on her desk. She has pulled out a file drawer and frantically searches for a file. She pulls one out one and opens it ]
Judge Alice Dockery: Okay. Ohhā Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, God.
[ She makes a phone call ]
[ Line ringingāØ] [ cellphone chirps š
] [ A police officer in a vehicle answers ]
Detective Patrick Fleming: Hello?
Judge Dockery: Detective? Itās Judge Dockery. Do you have a minute? I just pulled into my driveway. Itās been a day. Whatās up?
Judge Dockery: I need to talk to you in person right away. Itās about a case.
Detective Fleming: Which case?
Judge Dockery: Just come to my house. Iāll explain when you get here. Please hurry. Iām scared.
[ Phone clicks ā½ ]
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[ Detective Fleming arrives at the Judgeās home ]
Detective Fleming: Judge Dockery? Front door was open!
[ Fleming enters the study ]
Detective Fleming: Is everyā Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. ⦠Alice?
[ Judge Dockery is at her desk, slumped forward, motionless. The vase of lilies is tipped over. Her hand is inside her laptop. Carefully, the detective uses a pen to open the laptop. A single word has been typed on the screen in all caps: BRUNO ]
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[ The present ]
[ Baby cryingā] [ Herbie Hambright is home caring for his one year old daughter, Sue. He offers her a pacifier ]
Herbie: Can I give you this?
[ The pacifier helps ] [ Crying stops ]
Herbie: [ Softly ] Yeah. There you go. There you go.
[ Knocks on door ā½ ā½ ā½ ] [ Herbie opens the door ]
Red: Heya, Herbie!
[ Herbie motions for Red to keep his voice down ]
Red: [ Softly ] Ah.
[ Red enters and hands Herbie a paper sack ]
Red: This is for later.
Herbie: Thought you were getting in later.
Red: I caught the earlier Northeast Regional.
Herbie: Oh, w-why would you take the Regional? So much needless stopping.
Red: Thereās no such thing as a needless stop, Herbie. Time is the ultimate luxury, a thing to be savored, not hoarded, nor compressed, nor controlled, as if any of us can control time in the first place.
[ Harried as usual, Herbie rushes around cleaning up after Sue ]
Red: Anyway, Iām sure you didnāt invite me down here to debate the merits of public transportation ā or to watch you housekeep.
Herbie: No, yeah, no. Of course. Man, I-I-I will never get used to the crushing volume of stuff required for someone so small. And why does all of it have to make noise? You know what I mean? Like, I am surrounded by pink, plastic torture devices.
Red: It can be that way with dogs, too. I know a miniature Dachshund, Larry. That little guyās got tons of stuff.
Herbie. Oh, uh, Holly made sure you had clean sheets on the spare bed and extra towels in the bathroom.
[ Red has been mixing up living arrangements on an almost daily basis ]
Red: Ah, donāt worry about me. Where is Holly, by the way? I was hoping to catch her band. What are they called again? The Vegan-somethings. The, uhā Uh, no, the, uhā No. Meat Vegans!
Herbie: The Vitameatavegemins.
Red: Ah.
Herbie: Yeah. Post-punk klezmer. Sheās got a gig in Charlotte tonight.
Red: You married the Jewish Debbie Harry. Oh, well, maybe Debbie Harry is the Jewish Debbie Harry. I wouldnāt know. But good for you, Herbie. Now, tell me why Iām here.
Herbie: Need your advice, Red. Iām not sure if you know about the murder of Judge Alice Dockery a few weeks back. She was killed shortly after presiding over the trial of the infamous mob boss Paul Bruno, now spending his golden years in federal prison. Brunoās son, Paul Jr., was charged with the judgeās murder. His defense lawyer wants me to consult on the forensics of the case. Retribution is their theory.
Red: From what I know of Paul Sr., retribution is a dish he generally serves cold. This crime is ā decidedly hot. He has nothing to gain by tasking his only son with a revenge killing.
Herbie: Yeah, I mean, I agree. But the thing is, everybody in law enforcement sees this as an open-and-shut case. Theyāre hungry to take down the whole Bruno family, and this is their ticket. But if I accept this job and go against the tide, defying the entire NYPD and defending the Brunos, Iāmā Iām just not sure I have it in me to be the lone David going up against that particular Goliath again.
Red: Maybe you wonāt have to. Give me a second.
Herbie: Yeah.
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[ Red calls Cooper at the Post Office ]
Cooper: [ Answering ] So youāre in town?
Red: A quick in-and-out, Harold. Just visiting a friend.
Cooper: Does that friend have anything to do with our Wujing predicament? Because Iāve been thinking we shouldā
Red: Iāve got Wujing covered for now, Harold. This has to do with something else. The Judge Dockery murder in New York?
Cooper: I know the one. Brunoās son took her out after she sentenced his father to life. From what I hear, theyāve got him dead to rights.
Red: In my experience, things that are that obvious are often obvious for a reason.
Cooper: Are you saying the NYPD got it wrong?
Red: [ Chuckles ] Y-You remember Herbie Hambright, my associate, the forensics whiz who came to your aid before? Heās been approached by Brunoās defense team. And from what heās seen so far, heās not inclined to believe Juniorās the culprit either.
Cooper: And youāre inclined to believe Herbie?
Red: I am.
Cooper: Weāll look into it. Judge Dockery was a venerated legal mind. All of law enforcement owes it to her to get this right.
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[ Cooper confers with Donald Ressler and Siya Malik in the war room ]
Ressler: Weāre wasting time on a cut-and-dried case because of a Reddington hunch about his pal, a convicted mob boss?
Cooper: Reddington doesnāt have a dog in this fight. Herbie, the guy who helped us run down that fingerprint from the Secret Service case, brought it to Reddingtonās attention. Herbie believes the case isnāt as cut and dried as everybody seems to think.
Ressler: Look, everyone knows that this was just payback on the one judge who finally had the stones to put away the legendary Paul Bruno Sr.
Cooper: That may be, but when the stakes are this high is precisely when details tend to get overlooked. Letās take a quick peek under the hood of the case. If the facts support Junior as the perpetrator, no harm done.
Siya: Well, the lead detective on the Bruno case, Patrick Fleming, also found the judge murdered at the scene.
Cooper: Letās start there. Have him walk us through the investigation.
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[ Siya and Ressler talk to Detective Patrick Fleming ]
Detective Fleming: The letters B-R-U-N-O were typed out on the keyboard. Her bloody fingerprints on the keys. I donāt know how the FBI does it, but where I come from, thatās what we call irrefutable evidence.
Siya: Yeah, well, weāre just curious.
Fleming: What? You think Iām not? Alice was my friend. Iām starting to wonder if I should take offense to what you two seem to be suggesting.
Ressler: Nobodyās suggesting anything here, all right?
Fleming: Look, Judge called me that night, told me to come over quick, that she just learned something about a case. She was terrified. I never heard her like that. Paul Bruno Jr. had been tailing and intimidating her for months throughout his dadās entire trial. We have video evidence of Junior parked outside her house, her office, her gym. The guyās a hothead. Thatās obviously what she was spooked about.
Siya: Would you mind if we take a look at your case files?
Fleming: Knock yourself out. Youāll just come to the same conclusion we did.
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[ Robert Vesco enters a room to meet with Redās enemy Wujing. Vesco is accompanied by Wujingās security man, Zhang Wei ]
Vesco: Usually when somebody appears and says theyāre taking me to their boss, I assume itās someone I screwed over. But Iām relieved to say I have absolutely no idea who the hell you are.
Wujing: [ Chuckles ] I am Wujing. Iāve long been a fan of the legend that is Robert Vesco. A man of great escapes and even greater mystery. I myself recently broke out of prison, and I imagine thereās a lot I could learn from you.
Vesco: Well, if you summoned me here to give you a master class on life on the lam, you got the wrong guy. Like they say, those who canāt do, teach. So if you donāt mind, maybe we could put the hood back on and you guys can drop me off someplace I can get a bite to eat.
Wujing: Are you aware of Raymond Reddingtonās association with the FBI?
Vesco: First off, itās none of your business what Iām aware of. And, secondly, any criminal worth their salt cultivates relationships with certain ā amenable authorities. Raymond Reddington has the deepest pockets in Christendom and the biggest reach. Of course, he greases the wheels.
Wujing: [ Chuckles ] Oh. Reddingtonās doing much more than that. I would say itās less a āfriends with benefitsā arrangement than a long-term relationship that your pal has gotten himself into with the U.S. government.
Vesco: Have you heard the name Elizabeth Keen? Hm? Of course, Reddingtonās well-connected with the FBI. Hell, his former bodyman, Dembe Zuma, is working for them now, with a shiny gold badge and everything! [ Chuckles ] Mmm. Call me when you have an actual revelation.
Vesco: The FBI has a top secret Task Force sanctioned at the highest levels of government whose sole focus is to bring down criminals like us with the personal help of Raymond Reddington. In fact, that very team was behind your last arrest.
Vesco: And you got this information how?
Wujing: From Reddingtonās own attorney, Marvin Gerard, now deceased, as you know ā also thanks to Reddington. I suppose you should consider yourself lucky that he only sent you back to prison.
Vesco: Hm.
Wujing: Reddington is working with the FBI, using all of us, including you, as collateral he trades on, chits to play for his, and only his, gain. Ask yourself how heās always wriggled out of every net.
Vesco: And why are you telling me this now?
Wujing; Because Iām assembling a team of talented and motivated individuals whom, like yourself, Reddington has betrayed. A man like you would be a true asset to the cause, one I think you will find very rewarding.
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[ The war room at the Post Office ]
Cooper: I wanted to let you know Agent Zumaās not coming in today, so the two of you will be on your own.
Ressler: Is he okay?
Cooper: I sent him home early yesterday, and heās still not feeling great this morning. Where are we on the Dockery case?
Siya: Herbie might have had a point about the detectives rushing to judgment, but we canāt yet determine whether any mistakes were made in the investigation. On its face, the evidence against Bruno Jr. looks pretty solid.
Cooper: Maybe someone who appeared in her courtroom wanted to settle a score. What about the leads that werenāt investigated? Ressler, request files for all the cases that the Judge has presided over the last couple of years. And, Agent Malik, Reddington said that Herbie submitted requests for discovery in the Judgeās murder case, but thereās a backlog. That, or itās being slow-walked to him.
Siya: Iāll make sure we get everything to Herbie ASAP.
Cooper: Good. Reddington seems to think that Herbie might be able to see things others donāt. On that note, letās play the particulars of our relationship with Reddington close to the vest.
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[ Herbieās apartment ]
[ Rhythmic knocking ā½-ā½ ā½ ā½-ā½ ]
Herbie: Okay, okay.
[ Door creaks ] [ Herbie opens the door, bouncing baby Sue ]
Herbie: [ To Sue, whispering ] Okay.
Siya: Uhā Iām supposed to be dropping some things for an associate of an associate of mine. Dā Are you Herbie?
Herbie: Uh, yeah. Yeah, I believe that Iām ā the associate ā of your ā associate. But, umā
Siya: Cute baby.
Herbie: Oh, thank you. Thanks. Yeah. Sheās been a howler monkey from hell this morning. Yeah, every morning. You have kids?
Siya: No.
Herbie: Uh, yeah. Sorry. Forgive me. Come on in. Come in.
[ Siya enters ]
Siya: So ā how old is she?
Herbie: Ah, sheās almost one. [ To Sue: ] Whee! [ Closes door ]
[ Red steps out ]
Red: Herbie, the water pressure in that shower could strip the hide from an elephant. [ Sees Siya ] Oh, good. Youāve met Siya. Siya, this is Herbie.
Herbie: So the F-B-freaking-I?
Red: Oh, Siyaās just a good friend. She has quite an in with the Bureau. So, Herbie, are these materials gonna work for you?
Herbie: Um. Here.
[ Herbie offers Sue to Siya to hold ]
Siya: [ Nervously ] I-Iām good.
Red: Here.
[ Red holds out his arms ]
Red: Okay. Here you go.
[ Red takes Sue ]
Red: Ah. Yes.
Herbie: Thank you.
[ Red gives Sue a kiss on the cheek ]
Herbie: Okay. Uh, w-what? This is literally everything Iāve been asking for. How did you get your hands on this so fast?
Siya: Fast hands, I guess.
Red: Thank you for stopping by, Siya. Tell the boss hello for me.
[ Another kiss for Sue ]
Siya: Will do.
[ Door opens ]
Red: Okay. Well, have at it, Herbie.
[ Door closes ]
Red: Iāve got a 10 a.m. train back to Penn Station.
Herbie: Okeydokey. Iāll see you later.
Red: Perhaps I could leave this [ Sue ] with you.
Herbie: Ooh. No. I was thinking youād just take that back to New York.
Red: Okay.
[ Turns toward door ]
Herbie: No, no, no. No, no. I got her. I got her. I got her. I got her.
[ Red hands off Sue to Herbie ]
Herbie: [ To Sue ] Come here.
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[ Interrogation room. Ressler talks to an Ex-con ]
Ex-con: I despise that judge. There wasnāt a day I didnāt sit in my cell fantasizing about all the ways I could get to her as soon as I got out.
Ressler: And it just so happens that you were released the week she was killed.
Ex-con: Yeah. Itās called good behavior. I went straight to Vegas to marry my girl. Here.
[ Shows some photos on his phone ]
Ex-con: Aināt she pretty? [ Sighs ] Those are time- and date-stamped, by the way. I got a marriage certificate, an invoice from the Flamingo. We got up to a, uh, lot of marital business in that hotel room, I can promise you that.
Ressler: Weāre gonna need to see hard copies of ā all of this.
Ex-con: Yeah, I bet you will.
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[ In a different interrogation room, Siya interviews Anton Johnston ]
Anton Johnston: Judge Dockery gave me my life back, bravely defying those who wished to see me punished for a crime I didnāt commit. She offered me a fair trial in what can be a very unfair world. I was devastated by the news of her death. I was hoping to work with her more in the future.
Siya: Right. You, um, intersected with Judge Dockery after you were acquitted?
Anton Johnston: I launched a legal justice foundation after my acquittal and asked Judge Dockery to join the board.
Siya: Did she accept your offer?
Anton: She couldnāt, for professional ethics reasons. She was a brilliant legal mind. It really is such a profound tragedy.
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[ Ressler next interviews a Trophy Wife ]
Ressler: You lost everything when your husband got locked up. Houses, cars, country-club memberships. Now, whoās to blame for that?
Trophy Wife: Him. My husbandās to blame, the moron. He did the insider trading. And I thought he was watching pĪærn all those nights in his office. Turns out he was being naughty in a much less interesting way.
Ressler: [ Clears throat ] Where were you on the 8th?
Trophy Wife: A charity gala. It was a pity invite from my friend Talia. She keeps saying I should get back out there, but how can I trust a man ever again? Call Talia. Sheāll tell you I was with her. I was crying in the Atherton Club ladiesā room like it was prom night or something.
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[ Siya next interviews a Dentist ]
Siya: And did you blame the judge for the loss of your dental practice after the malpractice conviction?
Dentist: [ Chuckles ] Yeah, but, honestly, Iām glad I got stopped. At first, it was a little defrauding the insurers on a bill or two, but it spun out of control. Unnecessary fillings. Root canals. I couldnāt stop myself. Getting convicted in Judge Dockeryās court changed my path for the better. Iām on a more ā authentic journey now.
Siya: And on the 8th?
Dentist: Oh, I-I was at an ayahuasca ceremony led by native Shipibo healers. An intention reset. Highly recommend.
Siya: Right.
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[ Siya knocks on Resslerās door ā½ā½ ]
Siya: Hey.
Ressler: That was a bust. What is that now ā 11 interviews? Nobody seems to have had it in for the Judge or even been in the area that night.
Siya: Right now it feels like this case is exactly as it appears to be.
Ressler: Occamās razor.
Siya: The Judge led us directly to her killer, Bruno Jr.
[ Siyaās cellphone buzzes «»»»» ]
Siya: [ Answering ] Hello.
Herbie: Siya. Hey, itās Herbie. Um, you said to call if I needed anything.
Siya: Yeah, of course. What is it?
Herbie: I just made my way through the files. There is something you gotta see.
Siya: Be right there.
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[ Herbieās apartment ] [ Rhythmic knocking ā½-ā½ā½-ā½ ] [ Herbie lets Siya in ]
Herbie: [ Softly ] Shh. I finally got her asleep. Judge Dockery couldnāt have typed āBrunoā on her laptop.
Siya: What?
Herbie: [ Whispering ] I said the Judge couldnāt have typed the name āBrunoā because her spinal cord was severed.
Siya: [ Mishearing ] āA cold from severe weatherā?
Herbie: Her spinal cord was severed. The cause of death was strangulation, and, of course, spinal-cord transection from a stab wound is fairly rare, so no one would have paid much attention to that injury. But after getting stabbed, Dockery couldnāt have moved a finger, much less her whole body. She would have been paralyzed instantly.
Siya: Iām still having trouble hearing you.
Herbie: [ Loudly ] So the Judge would have been paralyzed!
Siya: [ Laughs ]
Herbie: Oh. Ha, ha, ha. Oh, thatās very funny. Veryā
[ Baby cryingā]
Herbie: Oh, God. Oh, I canāt wait till Mommy gets back to deal with her demon spawn. Right, cutie? Yes. Okay. Daddyās here. All right. Okay.
[ Siya makes a call ] [ Line ringing āØ]
Cooper: [ Answers on speakerphone ] Cooper.
Siya: Hi. Itās me. Herbie was right to be skeptical. Turns out Judge Dockery couldnāt have typed her killerās name. It would have been medically impossible.
[ Sue criesāin background ]
Ressler: So someone intentionally put Junior in the frame for the killing.
Cooper: 10-4, Siya. Letās arrange a prison visit with Bruno Sr., see if he has any idea who that somebody might be.
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[ A federal prison ] [ Paul Bruno, Sr is brought in wearing handcuffs ]
Paul Bruno, Sr: Ohh. Look. Itās the Feds. This must be my birthday.
Ressler: Easy. I come in peace. Here to talk about your son.
Bruno, Sr: Oh, my son? The son you got locked up for no good reason.
Ressler: Oh, like killing the judge who finally put you away for good?
Bruno, Sr: Junior didnāt kill nobody. Not that you stronzi care about the truth.
Ressler: Hmm, well, thatās where youāre wrong. We think your son might have been framed.
Bruno, Sr: Oh, you donāt say. Gonna try to convince me the Popeās Catholic next? This is what Iāve been telling these people since they picked up my boy. Heās innocent!
Ressler: Then tell me. Who would have wanted to set him up for this murder?
Bruno, Sr: Iāve been trying to figure it out myself. Because once I doā
Ressler: What about your rivals?
Bruno, Sr: I made peace with the Decanios and Tortorellas before I went in.
Ressler: So nobody but your son had motive?
Bruno, Sr: Look, if we were gonna whack the Judge, donāt youād think we would have done it before she sent us up the river? Sure, we kept eyes on her, but only because people make mistakes. A lady like her makes a mistake ā Scores some blow, kicks a puppy in the belly ā [ chuckles ] Whatever. And maybe we got ourselves grounds for a mistrial.
Ressler: Did she make a mistake?
Bruno, Sr: I donāt know about that. She definitely had secrets.
Ressler: Such as? Look, if your son didnāt do this, I need to be able to prove it.
Bruno, Sr: The Judge had a lover. She was real wrapped up when she died. My son and his crew said they saw her go into the Sussex Hotel a couple of times a week. Come out later with a smile on her face. Wasnāt because of the lunch special, if you catch my drift.
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[ Indistinct conversations ] [ Radio chatter ]
[ Ressler is with an evidence team working at Judge Dockeryās home. Detective Patrick Fleming shows up ]
Detective Fleming: We processed this scene already ā thoroughly! Donāt you guys have anything better to do with your time than undermine me and my team? Catch some criminals maybe?
Ressler: Look, weāre on the same side here, buddy.
Fleming: Right, ābuddyāā The side that has Bruno Jr. In jail awaiting trial for the murder he committed.
Siya: We believe Judge Dockery may have been in a relationship at the time of her death.
Fleming: Nope. We worked that angle. There was no relationship. Did you actually find any evidence?
Siya: Not yet.
Fleming: Thatās because if there was anything, weād have found it.
Female Agent: Ressler, I think you should see this.
Ressler: I guess you didnāt find that. Tell me those are personal letters.
Female Agent: Unfortunately, no. Seems like standard work-related correspondence and financial documents. Except for this.
Siya: [ Reading ] āYouāre going to pay for what you allowed to happen in your courtroom, letting a murderer walk free while our Emma, with all that promise, is all but forgotten. Her disappearance will not go unanswered, nor will your part in it. I will not rest until you get what you deserve. Watch yourself.ā So, not a love letter, then?
Ressler: He sounds like an angry guy. Signed by a Frederick Moody. Just a couple weeks before the Judge was killed.
Siya: Emma Moody. That was one of the Judgeās cases we looked at. I spoke to the accused myself, Anton Johnston. He was exonerated and started a legal fund. Maybe Moody was overwhelmed with grief and decided it was time to punish somebody.
Detective Fleming: I worked with Judge Dockery a lot. She got threats all the time. Par for the course. I doubt that means anything.
Ressler: Either way, weāre gonna pay Mr. Moody a visit.
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[ At the New York City Public Bath where Red has been staying on-and-off, he is on the phone ]
Red: [ On phone ] Like I said, I donāt care what it costs.
Robert Vesco: [ Calling out ] Raymond! Where are you?
Red: [ To Vesco ] Iām in here! [ To person on phone ] We need that equipment to finish construction on schedule. No more delays. Am I making myself clear? Good. Thank you. [ To Vesco ] I was just headed out.
Vesco: Uh, we need to talk.
Red: Okay.
Vesco: I had a meeting with a man who calls himself Wujing.
Red: And?
Vesco: And he had some curious things to say about you.
Red: Most people do.
Vesco: He said you were working with the Feds. No. Wait. It sounded more likeā you were working for the Feds, that you were hand-delivering our colleagues to them like cheese puffs on a silver platter ā and that I was one of those puffs and that you had had me hand-delivered to prison.
Red: And what did you have to say to that?
Vesco: Well, I told him I didnāt buy it. But he seemed pretty convinced. So convinced, in fact, that heās spending every waking moment searching for evidence of your supposed arrangement with the government. And when he has it, he will come for you with the gleeful assistance of all the criminals youāve served up to the FBI over the years. Thatās crazy, right?
Red: Hm. Please.
[ Red motions to Vesco to sit down ]
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[ Siya and Ressler sit at the kitchen table of Frederick and Janice Moody, the parents of Emma Moody. Anton Johnston, who was interviewed by Siya, was acquitted of Emmaās murder with Judge Dockery presiding ]
Frederick Moody: Yep. I sent that letter. So what?
Ressler: You wrote that Judge Dockery was going to pay for what she did.
Janice Moody: He didnāt mean it like that. He was just blowing off steam.
Frederick: You ever lose someone, Agent?
Siya: You threatened a judge.
Frederick: Judge Dockery didnāt care about justice. She let that spoiled rich monster who took our daughter walk.
Siya: Youāre referring to Anton Johnston?
Frederick: Emmaās hair and DNA were found in his car. He claimed he just gave her a ride to meet a friend at a bar, but we know he was lying.
Janice: Because Emma never showed up at that bar. Because he did something to her.
Siya: In his testimony, Mr. Johnston didnāt deny that your daughter was in his car. They had offices in the same building, and he offered Emma a ride so she didnāt have to walk in a downpour.
Ressler: All of which can be confirmed by a text she sent to her friend.
Frederick: So where is she then? [ Scoffs ] Youāre just like every other tool of the injustice system. āReasonable doubt.ā Ha! What about common sense? She was in his car and now sheās gone! Itās no wonder people feel theyāre better off taking things into their own hands.
Siya: Is that what you did, Mr. Moody?
Ressler: Where were you the night the Judge Dockery was murdered?
Janice: He was with me.
Ressler: Can anyone else verify that?
Janice: [ Sighs ] I wore this necklace throughout the trial. Emma had an identical one. It was our thing. A little joke between us. We bought them at a street fair. Emma always said I should have gotten my own name, but there wasnāt a āJaniceā necklace on the rack, so I picked her name. Just like I did when she was a baby. [ Crying ] Oh, God. My baby.
[ Frederick puts his arm around his wife ]
Frederick: You both happy now?
[ On a sideboard there is a photo of the bloom of a calla lily ]
Ressler: Iām sorry. Where did you get that flower from?
Janice: Itās from a bouquet I found on the nightstand in Emmaās apartment after she disappeared. It reminds me of when she wasnāt missing. When she was full of life, had a huge career ahead of her. She wanted to be a public defender.
[ Ressler picks up the framed photo ]
Janice: Itās ironic, isnāt it? She believed in the power of the law to change peopleās lives.
[ Siya walks over and looks at the photo ]
Siya: Werenāt flowers similar to this found at the Judgeās murder scene?
Ressler: Mr. Moody, donāt leave town. In the meantime, though, weāre gonna need to borrow this.
Ā
[ The war room at the Post Office ]
Siya: These are definitely calla lilies. This one looks the same, but Iām not absolutely sure. Why donāt we ask Herbie to examine it? He seems to have a wide range of forensic expertise.
Cooper: Give him a call.
Siya: [ On phone ] Hello, Herbie. This is Siya.
[ Herbie is wearing a headband and doing specialized exercises ]
Herbie: [ Loudly ] Hey! Siya. This is Herbie.
Siya: I know. I just said, āHello, Herbie.ā Hold on. Iām putting you on speaker so the rest of the team can join.
Herbie: Team? What team?
Cooper: Hello, Herbie. This is Harold. Iām an associate of Siyaās. Weāre here with another member of our team, Donald.
Herbie: Wow. You guys are all working the Dockery case?
Cooper: We are.
Herbie: Cool. Wow.
Cooper: Thank you for that analysis of Judge Dockeryās injuries. There have been some other developments in the case weād like your expertise on if possible.
Herbie: Yeah, sure thing. Um, Iām headed out to practice right now. Finally getting a little break from the kid. A little foosball.
Ressler: Iāmā [ Chuckles ] Iām sorry. Uh, foosball? Itās something you need to practice?
Herbie: When youāre preparing for a tournament, you do.
Ressler: So thereās foosball tournaments, huh?
Herbie: Yes, itās not just fraternity parties and sports bars. You know what? Iām getting a little tired of the constant dismissal of the sport, quite frankly.
Siya: Iād imagine you are.
Cooper: Anyway, Herbie, weāve zeroed in on a case Judge Dockery was presiding over a few months before she was killed ā The disappearance and presumed murder of Emma Moody. Emmaās father, Frederick Moody, threatened the Judge for letting the defendant, Anton Johnston, go free. Moodyās alibi isnāt rock-solid, but, more importantly, we found a flower in his daughterās possession that she had right before she disappeared. And this flower looks very much like those that we found at the Dockery murder scene. Do you think you can confirm that theyāre the same?
Herbie: Can you send me a photo of the new flower?
Siya: Okay. Photo on the way.
Cooper: When we spoke with Anton Johnston, did he mention any threats after the acquittal? Maybe Moody also tried to intimidate him.
Siya: He didnāt mention it. Johnston credited the Judge with giving him his life back after being wrongly accused. They crossed paths at a charity event after the trial. He seemed genuinely dismayed by her murder, offered to help in any way he could.
Cooper: Letās take him up on that offer.
Herbie: Hey, these are definitely the same species of lily as the ones from the crime scene. But thereās more than that. Theyāre ā weird. Siya, did you take that photograph using a filter?
Siya: No. Why?
Herbie: I mean, obviously, you can get calla lilies from most grocery stores or florists, but these have, like, a unique shimmer. Itās like they were sprayed with something or some chemical process interfered with their development, which that would be super unusual. And Iā I need to run some tests to be sure, but they definitely seem to come from the same source. Can I physically examine the lily from the Moodys? Not right now, of course.
Ressler: Oh. Because of foosball.
Herbie: Victory never sleeps.
Siya: Weāll have the specimen ready for you after your return.
[ Call ends ]
Ressler: [ Sighs ] A forensics nerd who plays competitive foosball.
Siya: Who also happens to be happily married to a super-hot punk-rock singer.
Ressler: [ Chuckles ] Well, that confirms it. Iām definitely doing it wrong.
Cooper: How about you two drop that flower sample off at Herbieās on your way to Anton Johnstonās residence? Maybe Moody also sent him some poison-pen letters.
Ā
[ Anton Johnstonās mansion ] [ A beautiful young woman named Paige is being shown around by Anton ]
Paige: Wow! [ Chuckles ] What a gorgeous piece of property you have here! Again, Iām so sorry my meeting went long and we had to sit in traffic, but I am certain I will find a way to make it up to you later. [ She kisses him lightly on the cheek ][ Chuckles ]
Anton: I donāt care how we spend the time as long as itās together.
Paige: [ Gasps ] Oh, this is gorgeous.
āā
[ A short while later ]
Paige: [ Gasps ] Ohh. This place really is magnificent.
Anton: Thank you. It was my fatherās. I spent my formative years at a boarding school in New Hampshire, so Iāve only recently become reacquainted with the property since my inheritance of it.
Paige: Is it strange to be back here as an adult?
Anton: Itās what my father would have wanted.
Paige: And what about your mother?
Anton: Passed away, as well.
Paige: Oh. Iām sorry.
Anton: Donāt be. She was rarely in the picture. Very much a career type.
[ Both chuckle nervously ]
Anton: Uh, what I mean is she put her job first. My mother was a true workaholic. Itās what led to her untimely death, Iām certain of it.
[ Anton removes the cork from a bottle of whiskey, sniffs it, pours the liquid into tumblers ]
Anton: Iām just grateful you managed to get some time off to be with me now.
Paige: Mmā
Anton: A toast.
Paige: [ Chuckles ]
Anton: To ā stolen moments.
[ Glasses click ] [ They kiss ]
Both: Mmā Mmmā
[ Both chuckle ]
Both: Mmm.
[ Paige tastes the liquor ]
Paige: Mmm. Waxed leather. Musk.
Anton: Hm?
Paige: [ Giggles ] Mushrooms. Perhaps a note of blue cheese?
Anton: I like a woman who doesnāt mind a little decay in her single malt.
Paige: This is old. Very old.
Anton: Seventy-five years. Itās Macdonell.
Paige: Ohh! [ Laughs ] I never thought I would have the opportunity to try some. What, at a paltry $30,000 a bottle?
Anton: Mm. To thrill you, so itās worth every penny.
Paige: [ Sighs ] What a beautiful garden. Do you have help withā Do you haveā
[ Anton takes the glass from her and places it on the bar as she passes out into his arms. He scoops up her unconscious body and carries her into the bedroom, placing her on the bed ]
[ Doorbell ringsāØ]
Ā
[ Anton answers the door. Itās Ressler and Siya ]
Anton: Oh. What a surprise. Nice to see you again. Agent ā Malik. I believe it was? And, uh?
Ressler: Agent Ressler. You mind if we come in?
Anton: Nowās not a great time, to be honest.
Siya: We only need a few minutes.
[ Doors close ]
āā
[ When they get to the bar, Siya notices the unfinished drinks ]
Siya: Somebody here with you?
Anton: N-No, no. Those are from last night. Iāve neglected to tidy up. Forgive me. Soā how can I be of service?
Siya: Some new evidence has come to light regarding the murder of Judge Dockery.
Anton: About the Bruno son?
Ressler: Weād actually like to ask you about the father of Emma Moody.
Anton: Ah. Frederick Moody. Terrifying individual. I-I feel for him, of course, butā
Siya: You two crossed paths?
Anton: More than cross. It may not be noted in trial coverage, but Moody savagely attacked me after the not-guilty verdict. Took three bailiffs to pull him off. He seemed to have a serious problem controlling his rage.
Siya: Has he threatened you since the trial?
Anton: I think there were one or two angry letters. I just ignored them. Wait. Do we think he killed Ali?
Siya: I didnāt realize you were on such intimate terms with Judge Dockery.
Anton: Uh, w-what do you mean?
Siya: āAliā? Nicknames are usually reserved for people in oneās inner circle. How close exactly were the two of you?
[ Ressler looks out the glass panels to the outside and sees a lawn bordered by rows of calla lilies. He heads outside ]
Anton: Hey, hey! Whereāsā Where are you going?
Siya: How close were you and Judge Dockery?
Anton: Okay. Fine. [ Sighs ] For a brief time, Ali and I were ā romantically involved.
Siya: Why didnāt you tell me this before?
Anton: I kept quiet about it after her death because sheā She would have hated anyone finding out. It would cast a salacious pall over what was a storied judgeship. A judge and a former defendant? Protecting her reputation was the least I could do after all she had done for me.
[ Woman groans ] [ Thud ]
Siya: I thought you said you were alone.
Anton: [ Chuckles nervously ]
Siya: Go. Letās go.
Ā
[ Resslerās line ringing šš]
Ressler: [ Answers ] Agent Ressler.
Herbie: Hey. Itās Herbie. Siya wasnāt picking up, so I asked Red if I could get your number.
Ressler: Not a good time, Herbie.
Herbie: Wait. I-I have information on your flowers. The shimmer. Itās unique because the nitrogen content is off the charts. Nitrogen alters leaf reflectance and color, so much so that you could spot it from above a tree canopy if you had a drone or if you hadā
Ressler: Still not a good tiā
Herbie: The really important part is that nitrogen content that high can only come from one source. One probable source anyway. If the field tests in the Amazon are correct ā and I have no reason to believe they arenātā
Ressler: Cut to the chase!
Herbie: Decomposing bodies.
Ressler: W-What?
Herbie: Vegetation with this unique iridescence is grown on or near remains ā Human remains.
Ā
[ Anton and Siya enter the bedroom ]
Anton: This, uhā Itās not what it looks like.
[ Paige breathing sharply ]
Siya: [ To Paige ] Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Are you okay? [ To Anton ] Back against the wall!
[ Siya holds her gun with one hand but reaches to check Paige with the other ]
Siya: Heyā Youāre okay.
[ Anton jumps Siya ] [ Siya grunting ] [ He tries to choke her, but she elbows him; he breaks away and runs ]
Siya: Ressler!
āā
[ Anton runs downstairs toward the door. Ressler steps out, pointing his gun ]
Ressler: Not another step.
Ā
[ An interrogation room ]
Siya: Weāre digging up the plot under that flower garden of yours. Three womenās bodies so far. Emma Moody, a television executive who went missing eight months ago, and another body that appears to be that of your mother.
Anton Johnston: She was overseas frequently, and my father wasnāt exactly the āthrow the ball around the yardā type, so she decided to send me away to boarding school, which left him alone, abandoned, spiraling into depression until he eventually took his own life.
Ressler: And you blamed your mother for that, didnāt you?
Anton: āMotherā? She doesnāt merit the honorific. She only ever cared about herself. She didnāt even come home when my father passed. She had ā ābusinessā in England. Business that was tall and dark and handsome.
Siya: Is that why you killed her? Buried her body on the property?
Anton: Decomposing in that garden was the only time that woman ever nurtured anything.
Ressler: But killing your mother, it didnāt stop your pain or your anger.
Siya: So you began to target other women who reminded you of her, women you courted with the very flowers you grew in your morbid little death plot. Women like Emma Moody.
Ressler: And Judge Dockery.
Anton: No! No. Ali was different.
Ressler: Different how?
Anton: Ali was the first woman who ever saw me for who I am and loved me unconditionally, the polar opposite of my mother. Sheā She was my c-cure, my salvation. Sheā She was my person.
Siya: And yetā you murdered her.
Anton: I had no choice.
[ Flashback: ]
[ Anton Johnston is in bed with Judge Alice Dockery ]
Anton: Iām gonna rinse off and then Iām going to make you the best shrimp scampi you have ever had.
Alice Dockery: [ Laughs ]
[ Kiss ]
Anton: I love you.
Dockery: Mm. I love you.
[ Kiss ]
Dockery: Hm.
Anton: [ Chuckles ]
[ Anton gets up ]
Anton: Ahhā [ Looks back at her ] [ Chuckles ]
[ Anton leaves ]
[ Judge Dockertyās cellphone buzzes «»» beepš ]
Dockery: [ On phone ] This better be important. Iāmā
[ Shower heard running in distance ]
Dockery: Oh. It got moved up to tomorrow? Okay. Yeah. Hold on. I just want to write this down. Yeah, okay. Iām justā Iām looking for a pen.
[ Dockery canāt find a pen. She opens the drawer of the nightstand and reaches inside, but instead of finding a pen, she finds a necklace with a nameplate that says āEmmaā ~ just like the one that Janice Moody said she wore that matched her daughterās ]
āā
[ Anton returns to the bedroom from his shower ]
Anton: I was thinking we could open the Montrachet Grand Cru. Ali? Whereād you go?
[ Anton walks over to the open drawer of the nightstand and sees the āEmmaā necklace lying inside and realizes Dockery must have seen it ]
āā
[ Back in her study, Dockery looks frantically for the file about the Emma Moody murder; she finds it and opens it. She sees a photo of Emma wearing the same very necklace ]
Judge Dockery: Oh, no. [ Gasps ] Oh, no.
Anton: At that point, there was nothing I could say.
[ Dockery turns around in her study to see Anton ]
Dockery: [ Gasps ] Stay away from me! Donāt come any closer! You were in a relationship with Emma Moody! What did you do to that poor girl?
[ Anton grabs Dockery by the neck, choking her, and then lifts and plunges a knife into the back of her neck ] [ Dockery falls to the floor ]
Anton: Even at the end ā I could see it in her eyes. She still loved me.
[ Dockery lies on the floor, her blank eyes staring ]
Anton: [ Sadly ] But once you lose trust in a relationship ā you can never get it back.
[ Anton lifts Dockeryās hand and presses her finger to type āBRUNOā on her laptop ]
Ā
[ Cooperās office ] [ Knock on door ā½ ā½ ]
Ressler: Agent Malik is transferring Johnston to be arraigned now.
Cooper: Good work on this one.
Ressler: Herbie, too. Without his help, we may never have found all those bodies that Johnston creep buried in his garden.
Cooper: Reddington was right about Herbieās forensic know-how.
Ressler: Heās a weird guy, but heās good at what he does. Now, speaking of Reddington, we still donāt know why the Freelancer was broken out of prison. And Wujing ā whatās up with him? Heās a seriously bad guy, and heās still out there, by the way.
Cooper: Reddington says heās got something brewing. So, for now, we take him at his word.
Ressler: Itās not his word Iām worried about.
Ā
[ Vesco meets again with Wujing ]
Vesco: All right. I confronted Reddington with the information you shared with me. And do you know what that snake weasel reprobate did? Instead of denying it, he actually confessed. He has been working with the Feds for years. Just like you said. A secret task force just for him. Hm. Itās even named after him, that preening egomaniac. Ahh ā When I pressed him for the truth, the floodgates flew open. Heās sitting there, calm as Kool-Aid, saying, āRobert, my dear friend, certainly you understand.ā Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I said, āNo, I donāt.ā Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. āNo, I donāt understand at all.ā [ Sighs ] And to think ā I trusted that man with my life. Well, fool me onceā
Wujing: [ Leaning forward ] Betrayal is a sin that shouldnāt go unpunished. Donāt you agree?
Vesco: As much as it pains me to say it, yes. But it doesnāt pain me. It doesnāt pain me at all! When do we start?
Ā
āāā 10:5 End Dockery Affair
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For S10 Episode 10:5 The Dockery Affair: šÆ EW Recap ¤ š
Photo Gallery ¤ š¹ Music Videos ¤ š Script link: https://wp.me/pDKwi-em1 [ āyou are hereā ]
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Learn more:
CNN (2020): Plants could help authorities detect dead human bodies in woodland https://tinyurl.com/mr3db9t5
// University of Tennessee researchers āsaid the early findings were āexcitingā and that they hoped in future to scale up technology that would scan plants for specific fluorescence or reflectance signals that indicate human remains.ā
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TheConversation, Neal Stewart [UTenn] (2020): Plants might be able to tell us about the location of dead bodies, helping families find missingĀ people https://tinyurl.com/5d35hfyc
// Includes link to academic article in the journal Cell ($paywall)
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