Eight years ago, I was lead prosecutor
on a murder trial that divided the country.
When the jury found movie star Sevvy Johnson
not guilty of double homicid,
I was devastated.
You did everything you could, Maya.
I left that life and everyone in it behind.
But then the unthinkable happened.
He killed again.
You have to come back, Maya.
This time, we're gonna get him.
A detective came by my place.
They always want to talk to the ex.
I know you used to hit Mom.
I was trying to protect you!
I was trying to show you that I was a good son.
No matter what anybody says about me,
I didn't kill her.
Look, I know this is complicated with you and Maya.
That was a long time ago.
You just have to trust me.
I didn't realize how hard this was gonna be.
Having you back.
I call, you jump.
Maya's still freezing me out.
No one's ever gotten away with lying to me.
Sevvy's going down for murder, and you're going with him.
Who would stop at nothing to see you rot in prison?
Maya Travis.
I'm going to destroy her.
Good morning to you.
Prosecutor Maya Travis has only been
on the Jessica Meyer murder case for a short time,
but rumors are already swirlig about a bombshell exposé
that promises to put Ms. Travis' reputation
and possibly that of the entire DA's office
into question.
Now, as we remember from eight years ago,
Ms. Travis is no stranger to controversy,
and this latest investigation is proving to be no differen.
Excuse me.
- Hey. - Hey, there.
- You have a sec? - A quick one. Mr. Chapman came by
to look at a few more horses.
- You okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
Things are just getting a little crazy here.
You want me to come down?
No, no, I'm okay.
Pablo can handle things without me.
You're much more important.
Okay, I'll stand down. But you just say the word.
All right. You hang in there, okay?
All right, bye.
Sorry about that.
- Just the girlfriend. - Ah.
Is that her?
You know, she looks familiar.
Want to go check out that thoroughbred?
Well, I sure do.
I miss you so much.
I'm so sorry, baby.
Did you get what you came for?
These pictures are a down payment on my dream house.
My turn.
State-of-the-art tracker.
CIA uses it to find terrorists.
We use it to keep up with the Kardashians.
Stick it on a car, drop it in a purse,
boom, there's nowhere they can go where you can't find them.
Thanks for the photo op, Sevvy.
Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com
Hey, CJ. What'd you find?
We've been tracking Jessica's movements
the day before the murder all the way up to here,
but I think I just filled in part of the gap.
The night before the murder,
Jessica spent $35 at House of Pies.
We got all of that from this?
It was in a pair of jeans that we seized in the search.
Took a while for the techs to make it clear enough to read.
$35 is a lot of money for one person at House of Pies.
I'm thinking Jessica was with someone.
Someone who could testify to Jessica's state of mind
the night before she was murdered.
Maya.
I'm getting requests for comment on some exposé.
Any idea what this is about?
Wolf's just retaliating because I busted his fake alibi.
Trust me. It's nothing.
In actual case news,
CJ found out that Jessica had dinner with somebody
the night before she was murdered.
If she said anything about Johnson threatening her
or she was gonna go to the police,
that could be the last piece of evidence we need
to put Johnson behind bars.
Keep me posted. Oh, do we have the forensic report
back from Sevvy's house?
That's Loni. Where the hell is she?
Hey, Maya.
Yes. Uh, the reports are trickling in.
Uh, but the lab is backed up,
so I decided to go right to the source.
I'm there right now.
They just opened. I got to go.
Hey.
That guy who just drove off in the Maserati...
how often does he come here?
No idea.
Any idea now?
Payroll.
Yippee.
Ares is waiting for you.
Excellent.
Ares, my man.
How's my exposé coming along?
We might have to pivot on that.
No.
There will be no pivoting.
I'm setting a trap here.
It's essential to my long game.
There is no trap
if I can't grab any video of Maya Travis,
and I can't.
She has no social media footprint.
She's not even on Facebook.
What are you talking about?
There's got to be a million videos
from the last trial.
And if I use that, it's gonna look obvious,
and it's gonna look dated.
I've done all I can do.
Your guy needs to give me something to work with.
Hey, I'm here with a very demanding Millennial.
Got the video yet?
I'm working on it.
Work faster.
I talked to the manager at House of Pies.
Turns out they keep the security footage in the cloud,
and it goes back all the way for three months.
Looks like we might actually be on a roll.
- Mm-hmm. - Maya, a word.
Or not.
I'll wait.
If this is about the exposé, there is nothing to expose.
- I'm not worried. - I am, so I got you some help.
You remember Ken Sanders, PR consultant.
Unfortunately, I do.
Let me guess. The Mayor sent you.
This was my idea.
I didn't let you turn me into Lawyer Barbie eight years ago,
and I'm not gonna let you do it now.
I've been tracking your media hits,
and it seems pretty clear
we're in the midst of a smear campaign.
It's Ezra Wolf.
It's a classic defense move.
If you don't have the facts, argue the law.
If you don't have the law, argue the facts.
If you don't have either, kick the prosecutor.
The kicks are landing.
I did a focus group,
and the words most commonly associated with you
are "cold," "shrill," and..."unlikable."
Three days ago I was "#MayaOnFayah."
People are fickle.
- They'll swing back. - Maybe so,
but in the meantime,
lasting damage can be done.
I am one piece of evidence away from arresting Sevvy Johnson.
If you want to do a focus group on that,
knock yourself out.
Hey.
What are you doing here?
Heard you got into a fight.
I just wanted to see if you were okay.
Well, you've seen me. I'm fine.
So I think you should go.
I know you're mad.
But we're still a family.
I just wanted to tell you that when you're ready to come home,
we're in the city house now.
Too many helicopters in Malibu.
I'm never coming home.
Hey, Gabe.
- Where are you going? - Anyplace that you're not.
Not now, Julianne.
You need to give him some space.
Yeah? I thought you were gonna take care of him.
And I am.
Yeah, looks like it.
What's really going on?
Nothing.
It's just that the boy won't talk to me.
That's not my fault.
You always want to control everyone, Sevvy,
but people don't like to be controlled.
Eventually, they push back,
and the tighter you've been holding,
the harder they break.
Everyone knows about this case.
If someone was meeting with Jessica,
they should've come forward by now.
Unless they had something to hide.
I pulled up the footage that you asked for.
Wait, stop right there. That's her.
That's Jessica.
Yeah, she's waiting for someone.
Here we go.
Who are you?
Oh, my God, it's Julianne.
Well, what'd you decide?
Well, I think I'll be taking the thoroughbred.
Well, the Arabian has better conformation.
Well, for dressage,
but I think my daughter wants to do a little jumping.
So I'll have my people wire you the money in the morning.
Can't say no to that.
Thank you, sir.
I'll see myself out.
Great.
Put your wallet right there.
Let's see who you really are.
Buck Neal.
I... I'm just trying to make a living.
Dirt on your girl is worth a lot right now.
Get the hell out.
Julianne told Detective North
she hadn't spoken to Jessica in months.
Well, now we have Julianne on record lying to police.
Oh, my God.
A paparazzo showed up at my ranch.
That's Wolf's guy, Buck Neal.
What the hell is Wolf up to?
I can't believe Wolf dragged Riv into this.
Well, you better prepare yourself.
Who knows what's coming next.
Julianne might have been the last person
that Jessica ever spoke to.
You do the talking.
Focus groups say I'm not likable.
Hi, Mrs. Johnson.
I'm CJ Emerson.
Hell no.
I guess you're not likable either.
Plan B?
Let's try and find some leverage.
The stuff your guy send is gold.
How are horsey prancy videos gold?
Use your imagination.
Then again, don't.
That's what you pay me for.
She should've stayed on the farm.
Second thoughts?
Nope.
Carry on.
Yeah.
Why did Maya Travis just knock on my door?
How the hell would I know?
I already gave a statement to detectives twice.
I've said everything I'm going to say.
Look, I don't know, Jules. I'll find out, all right?
Look, I've got to go.
Call Star.
So, Julianne Johnson...
she goes to church every Sunday,
pays her bills on time,
no moving violations,
no parking tickets.
She's a model citizen.
Who's committed to protecting Sevvy Johnson.
Well, he is the father of her children.
I think it's them she's protecting.
And there's the money he pays her every month.
So, how do we get her to talk to us?
Everybody has their weak spot.
We'll just keep looking for Julianne's.
I have to ask...
Are you two lovers?
Excuse me?
Where is this coming from?
"Lovers' Vengeful Pact."
That's you two they're talking about.
"Prosecutors plotted murder to frame Sevvy Johnson."
It also says that you two have been in touch
all these years, carnally.
Well, that's insane.
Obviously, I don't think you hired a handsome ranch hand
to kill Jessica to frame Sevvy Johnson,
but I need to know if there's a kernel of truth
in here anywhere.
- There are zero kernels. - None.
Um, there was a link with the story.
Oh, my God.
- Hey. - Riv, oh, thank God you answered.
I wanted to talk to you before the...
I saw the video?
I can explain.
You don't have to.
I didn't watch it.
I couldn't.
Whatever you did in your past,
that's your business, honey.
No, no, no, no, no. It... It's not real.
It's a fake. It's Ezra Wolf.
He's doing whatever he can to discredit me.
Well, that guy needs a good ass-kicking.
I'm so sorry you have to deal with this.
It's the last thing I wanted.
Look, I'm sure some royal... somebody
will have a baby soon,
and people will move on.
I love you, Maya, and I have your back.
All right, no matter what.
You have no idea how much that means.
I love you, too.
We'll speak soon.
Riv?
He's okay. Effy?
She's fine.
However, my mother's scrapbooking group...
floored.
Got to admit, um, for a moment there,
I thought that was really us.
Yeah, me, too.
Anyway, uh, our tech team says
it's something called a deepfake.
New technology probably created
with three different source elements.
They say this kind of fake's becoming more and more common.
Well, hopefully no more starring me.
I don't need any more scandalized scrap bookers
on my conscience.
Anyway, I, uh...
I better go prepare a statement.
Okay.
- I'm cutting you off. - Hey. Come on.
Stop drinking your feelings and talk to me.
Last time I saw you,
you said that Dad wasn't as great as I thought.
I was just in a mood.
Star, you got to tell me.
He used to hit my mom.
Gabe, did he ever hit your mom?
I don't know.
I was young and oblivious.
I don't have that excuse with Jessica.
I was living in the same house as her.
I didn't have any idea what was going on.
I was the one who introduced Dad to Jessica in the first place,
and now she's dead, so...
try living with that.
That's not your fault.
You couldn't have known.
But me...
I helped him.
What?
Gabe, what do you mean you helped him?
Gabe!
Mayor Russo, uh, I-I wasn't expecting you.
We need to talk.
About Maya Travis.
It's a crazy story,
although I also just read that Prince is alive
and running a churro cart at Dodger Stadium, so...
Mm. Afraid you can't charm your way out of this one, Alan.
That tape... it's everywhere.
50 bucks, Ezra Wolf had it made to back his BS exposé.
It's a very effective strategy.
You can't unsee it.
And that's all the jury will see if this gets to trial.
Her credibility is shot.
You need to let her go.
- You want me to fire her? - Yes.
I know you blame her for losing the Johnson case...
I was supposed to be in the governor's mansion by now.
Instead, I had to climb out of a hole she put me in.
And she's making you look bad right now.
I can't fire her.
If I do, I'm taking a dive in the first round.
Better to suffer for a moment right now
than an entire six-month trial.
- Trust me. - She hasn't done anything wrong.
There's absolutely no cause.
Find one.
Do you know how many DAs in the history of Los Angeles
have won an election without the Mayor's endorsement?
Zero.
I hear Matthew Collier is thinking about
throwing his hat in the ring.
He's very photogenic.
Quite a smirk you've got on your face.
It's not really a smirk. It's a smile.
Well, we've got nothing to smile about.
Maya Travis showed up at Julianne's house.
Now, why would she do that?
No idea.
Did Julianne say anything to her?
Hell no. Slammed the bloody door in her face.
An appropriate response.
Don't worry!
Maya won't be a threat much longer.
- Oh, yeah? - To wit.
I asked you here so we could watch something fun together.
Come. Have some popcorn.
Freshly made.
Usually I don't like to shine a spotlight on fake news.
In this instance, I feel compelled to address
a ludicrous piece of slander
created with the intent of discrediting
the District Attorney's office.
I promise. You're in for a treat.
The insinuation that Maya Travis and I have devised
some criminal conspiracy
to frame Severen Johnson
is frankly preposterous.
Mm.
That video is a digitally crafted deepfake.
What's more, it was dated a year ago.
Ms. Travis and I haven't even seen each other
since we last worked together eight years ago.
Then how do you explain this, Chief Deputy?
A story in The Spectator says you and Ms. Travis
had a romantic rendezvous at a Seattle hotel last year.
Trap set.
That is just another baseless alternative fact
coming out of an increasingly desperate
defense attorney's office.
It never happened.
- Now? - Now.
There are time-stamped photos that show you and Ms. Travis
checked into that hotel on the same day.
Trap sprung.
Uh...
I stand by what I said.
Ms. Travis and I did not meet on the day in question.
This office will continue to focus on...
Hold on a minute. I'm confused.
- What... - What's true and what's not?
Well, the sex tape... total fabrication,
but the photos, they're real.
Ares plucked them from the great hashtag in the sky.
Thank God for the simpletons that post pictures
of every half-famous person they spot in the wild.
You see, if they don't trust the messenger,
they don't trust the message.
No trust equals reasonable doubt,
and reasonable doubt means...
We win.
I was in Seattle that day
for a Horse Breeders' Conference.
And Matthew?
I don't know.
If he was there, I didn't see him.
Maya...
No.
I was 100% on board with you coming back.
You're the best prosecutor I've ever seen.
But maybe I was a little naive.
I thought, eight years is a long time.
Maybe people had a chance to forget,
but they can't.
At this point, you've got more baggage than LAX,
and the sheer tonnage is something
this office can't overcome.
I was set up.
Don't give him what he wants.
You can't do this.
Leave it alone, Collier.
Maya Travis is the only one
who can take down Sevvy Johnson,
and you know it.
Who got to you?
The decision has been made.
Feel free to quit in solidarity.
Thought so.
Wiest can't do this. He cannot fire you.
He can. He just did.
- We'll fight it. - How?
I'll call the Mayor...
The Mayor who blames me for the political hit
she took after the last trial?
This was her idea.
Were you really there in Seattle?
People cross paths without knowing it all the time.
We just found out in the worst possible way.
You know, it's funny. I thought I saw you there,
getting out of one of the elevators.
Really?
But then, uh,
I always think I see you.
When you left, so many things went unsaid.
I should've said goodbye.
You're here now.
That's what matters.
I need you, and Jessica Meyer needs you.
I think I can help you stay, if you'll let me.
You're disgusting.
I'm determined.
But hypothetically speaking,
why wouldn't an attorney use anything in their arsenal?
Speaking of which,
why is Maya so keen on talking to Julianne?
She's the ex. It's routine.
Julianne already gave a routine statement
to the police.
What gives?
I don't know.
Good evening.
District Attorney Alan Wiests office.
It's Ezra Wolf calling for Alan.
Please hold.
Catchy tune.
One moment for DA Wiest.
We have surveillance footage.
Of Jessica and Julianne meeting at the House of Pies
the night before Jessica was murdered.
Meeting about what?
We don't know.
Julianne stonewalled.
For real.
Happy?
Ecstatic.
What did you mean last night about helping Dad?
Nothing. I was drunk.
Tell me, Gabe.
Please, just forget it.
You know I can't.
The day of the search warrant,
Dad found out that the cops were coming.
He gave me a bag and told me to get rid of it.
So I buried it.
What was in it?
I didn't look.
We've got to find out.
For confession to mean somethin,
you must have a penitent heart.
You and your guilt.
I've only done what I needed to do to survive.
How is that a sin?
Maybe far from her,
but that doesn't mean I haven't heard of who you ae
and what you've don.
Have you forgotten
how you got that cross, brother?
Is what I did that day a sin?
Or is it forgiven because it is you that was saved.
You've certainly been on a tear.
Mm.
If I were Maya Travis,
I'd have a bounty on your head.
Well, speaking of our fearless prosecutor,
I hear she came a-knockin'.
I didn't talk to her, Ezra,
and I don't know why she was here.
Well, you must have some clue as to what she wanted.
I mean, a hint.
A whisper of a hint.
No.
You know, I've been married four times.
You don't think I know when I'm being lied to?
I'm guessing your exes do.
I'm in the mood for lemon meringue.
I hear they have a great one
- at House of Pies. - So that's it.
Maya Travis has you and Jessica on tape
the night before she was murdered,
and why the hell am I just hearing about it now?
Because our meeting was irrelevant,
and I don't want to get dragged into the investigation.
Why were you meeting?
We got together from time to time
to talk about how to co-parent the children.
You mean the children who are in their 20s?
And Sunny.
She's not mine, but I feel very protective of her.
Julianne.
If there's something you want to tell me,
something I need to know...
I'm not hiding anything.
You were one of the last people to see Jessica alive.
The cops are gonna be looking at your alibi.
You better make sure it holds up.
Thank you for coming by, Ezra.
Always a pleasure.
That berry color is so beautiful on you.
Huh?
Here.
- Keep it. - Thanks.
Mm-hmm.
This is Riv. Leave me a message.
Hey, honey, it's me again.
Look, I know this looks bad,
but I did not see Matthew in Seattle.
You have to call me back, please.
Okay, I've got everything set up.
Now you just got to win them over.
You're gonna be fine.
You've got this.
You look great.
Thanks.
Action.
Live from our downtown studios,
the most-watched morning show "In the Southland."
Our guest today, Los Angeles prosecutor
- Maya Travis. - And we're live...
Four, three...
Hello. I'm Effy Collier.
It's been a while since I sat in this chair,
but I'm thankful for the opportunity to come back
to conduct this very timely interview.
My guest today, prosecutor Maya Travis.
So, Maya, you've been busy these last eight years.
Not only did you plot a murder,
but apparently you've been sleeping with my husband.
I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity
to set the record straight.
Of course.
The media has really been kicking you around
these last few days.
I men, lovers' pacts and vengeful murder plots?
I think I saw that in a Lifetime movie.
I know Ezra Wolf did.
But what about the pictures from the Seattle hotel?
Those looked pretty real.
Those are real.
I was there for a Horse Breeders' Conference,
and apparently somebody took my picture
and posted it online.
Matthew was there for a Bar Association meeting.
And the funny thing is we never even saw each other,
which is a shame
because it would've been great to catch up.
You two went through a It together.
We did. We were trench mates,
but that's all we were.
There were rumor.
Whenever a man and a woman work together,
people say they must be romantically involved.
You've been away from the DA's for a long time.
How does it feel to be back?
I've always loved being a prosecutor.
Every time we see you, you're so serious.
I'm dealing with a murder investigation,
not a baby shower.
But you're right.
Even my boyfriend says I can be
a little too all-business sometimes.
Maya, you should smile more often.
I'm so glad people are finally getting to see the real you.
But the problem is, this isn't the real me.
The real me is wondering what I'm doing up here
dressed like a marshmallow peep.
The real me is wondering why I'm sitting up here all alone.
What do you...
Matthew got swept up
in the same media avalanche as I did,
but he's not up here auditioning for Miss Congeniality.
He doesn't have to humiliate himself
just so he can do his job.
But women, we have to be nice.
We have to be likable,
or we're dismissed as bitches or sluts.
That's why these rumors
that have been swirling around all week
have been so much harder on me
than your husband.
If I want to put a murderer away,
I can't play nice.
Smiles won't do it.
A trial is a battle,
and I have to come out swinging.
But I promise, I will smile
when Jessica's killer is behind bars,
and that'll be the real me.
And I look forward to seeing every part of it.
Damn it.
#MayaOnFayah is back.
You're fired.
Charlie, gather the troops.
I want to talk about our next move.
Looky here.
Well, if it isn't the cowbo...
What was that about?
You had that one coming.
Yeah.
Hey, Effy.
Thank you so much. You were great.
I didn't do it for you.
I know you and Matthew spent the night together
during the trial.
It won't happen again.
Talk to me.
I have the Mayor on line one.
Tell her I'm not here.
She said you'd say that.
Madame Mayor.
You saw the interview.
I thought the pink worked.
My PR person says we should hold a beat
on firing Maya.
Tell me you didn't pull the trigger.
- Haven't said a word. - Good.
Bye.
Get Maya on the phone.
You buried it here?
Where we used to go camping?
Dad gave me the bag. I freaked.
This place just popped into my head.
Come on.
That's sand.
Jessica was murdered on the beach.
I kept telling myself it couldn't be true.
I didn't want to believe it either,
but now we got to take this to the police.
Don't do this.
Dad.
What are you doing here?
Look, I know it looks bad,
but it's not what you think.
Then what is it?
No more lies.
This family is not a lie, son.
The love that we share for each other is not a lie.
Why do you think you brought the bag here?
The first time that I've ever went camping
was right here with you guys.
Big action star couldn't put up a tent.
This place holds happy memories.
And those memories are not lies, son.
Stop talking.
I don't trust my memories any more than I trust you.
Gabe, listen to me.
If you go to the police with that bag,
you'll hurt me,
but you'll shatter this family.
Your family,
and, son, you will regret it for the rest of your life.
Please.
Please give me the bag.
Please.
Stop it.
Just...
Gabe.
Star, what did you do?!
Oh, no...
No.
I'm sorry. I can't.
He's my dad.
You didn't look half bad in pink.
Shut up.
What's going on with Julianne?
Well, I found another witness, and you're gonna love this.
She and Jessica had a big fight
the night before the murder.
Really? About what?
Well, that's what we got to find out.
I'm gonna have to call you back.
I am sure you deserved that.
Hmm.
I love that you went the extra mile to track me down.
You must have something really juicy.
As a matter of fact, I do.
Minimum buy-in at this place is $100,000.
You play Texas Hold 'Em... a lot,
but you don't win... a lot.
Maybe that's why my buddy at the IRS
says that your law firm's on the brink of bankruptcy.
If that goes public,
you can kiss any future Sevvys goodbye.
And just imagine what Sevvy will do
when he finds out that his case is the only thing
keeping your doors open.
Truth is, you need him
a hell of a lot more than he needs you.
Well, what do you know?
My little girl's all grown up.
Grown up enough to know that this is over.
I'm out.
I want to make one thing crystal clear.
Every word I say is off the record.
If you tell anyone,
if you try to put me on the stand,
I will deny I ever spoke to you.
Tell me why you're here.
Jessica and I had been meeting for a couple months,
ever since Jessica reached out and asked me for advice.
Because Sevvy was beating her.
He hit you too, didn't he?
I told her that he would never change.
She needed to accept that and leave him.
How did she react?
It was hard for her at first,
but eventually she realized I was right.
She was all set to move out, and that night...
The night before she was murdered?
...she said she was gonna stay.
What made her change her mind?
She said this time things were different.
He'd really changed.
Do you think that was true?
Absolutely.
But I knew it wouldn't last.
Did you tell her that?
I tried...
but she accused me of being jealous,
of trying to get rid of her.
I liked Jessica.
I wanted her to have a good life.
I knew that wouldn't happen with him.
But I'm not saying that Sevvy killed her,
and I never will.
Then why are you telling me all of this?
I saw your interview.
It struck a chord.
I appreciate the woman's empowerment movement,
but what's the real reason?
Ezra came to see me this morning
asking about my last dinner with Jessica.
I know how he operates.
He's looking for his next fall guy,
and I have no intention of letting it be me.
Thanks.
For what?
I was never here.
I have been calling and calling.
I was on the plane.
I was so worried.
I told you.
You do not have to explain.
- Ah. - What happened?
I, um... stopped by Ezra Wolf's office.
Maybe punched him a little too hard.
- You're kidding. - No.
I mean, how low is he gonna go?
Oh, my God.
Hold on.
Julianne.
Your dinner with Jessica,
how did you know I knew about it?
Ezra told me you had it on tape.
- What the hell is going on? - It's Ezra Wolf.
There's a mole in this office.
Nobody leave until we find out who it is.
As of now, we're on lockdown.
*CREDITS*