Neil, what's troubling you?
Normally I wouldn't ask about someone else's life,
but your sadness amuses me.
I'm trying to text this girl I met at a party.
It's so much pressure, I feel like I'm gonna die.
Neil, picking up a pizza from Chuck E. Cheese
doesn't count as a party.
It was a real party.
For my grandmother's 90th birthday at her care home.
Oh ho, that's the stuff!
But I did meet a very cute nurse.
Her scrubs had puppies on them, so I told her I have a puppy.
I'll have to figure that out later.
- Guys, guess what. - It's the best—
Oh, sorry, Judge, you go. - No, no, you tell them.
Oh, no, no, why don't neither of you tell us
and let us just get on with our night?
Gurgs' nephew Xavier and some of his classmates are here
to do research for a social studies project.
Don't you think it's a huge mistake
bringing children to the court?
And Earth in general.
This is our chance to inspire
the next generation of judges and lawyers.
Like when my dad came for career day,
he did a presentation and mixed in some magic.
He brought the house down.
Made the book fair look like total trash.
I think giving back is a wonderful idea.
Just picturing the wide-eyed look
on the faces of prospective employers
when they see the word "mentor" on my résumé.
It's why I do this.
I'm just excited to get to spend
some quality time with Xavier.
He used to really look up to me.
But ever since he started sprouting
that little baby mustache, he's been distant.
He hasn't come to my Sunday bun day in a while.
It's when we put things that normally
wouldn't go on a bun, on a bun.
Lasagna, soup, ice cream, pie.
- Oh, Jell-O? - What are you, crazy?
Huh, I didn't know adults had cafeterias.
Don't look, but I think that's our lunch lady.
Right, that's our cue, Gurgs.
Welcome, Justice Buddies!
If there's one thing I know about this generation,
it's they love a banner.
We are so excited you're here, and we want you to learn
as much as you can, so each of you will be paired
with one of our legal professionals.
Max, you're gonna be with Neil.
Our prosecutor, Olivia, is going to take Claire.
And, Xavier, you're gonna be with Gurgs.
'Cause he's always been my little buddy.
This is us back in the day.
Look, we have on matching uniforms.
That's a deepfake.
And, Carlos, you're gonna be with Dan, our public defender.
Mr. Fielding, would you like to meet your Justice Buddy?
I reject the premise that I have a Justice Buddy.
Mr. Fielding, it'd be my honor to watch you work.
Continue.
What you do as a public defender is so noble,
and may I say, sir, you are one of the true heroes.
Well, I'm not a hero.
I'm just a man who constantly does heroic things.
This one will make a fine assistant.
Two steps behind me, no eye contact.
And for my next trick,
I give you the U.S. Constitution,
conserved and protected
by the judicial branch of government.
Without it, your rights might... disappear.
Don't worry, it is not gone for good.
It is right...
It's right...
It's definitely here.
It's stuck in her bra again. It happened earlier too.
She's gotten better though.
Okay, you know what?
No one panic. I'll be right back.
Eye contact.
Sir, I know public defenders don't get paid enough
for what they do, so may I buy you a coffee?
Max, he's my Justice Buddy. I should be buying him a coffee.
Boys, boys, boys, don't fight. You both can buy me coffee.
Yeah, that's good. ♪GivingBack.
Make sure to identify me as Claire Williams,
future district attorney.
I'm trying to get my name out there.
Rest assured, as your mentor,
I will pass on to you everything I know.
Great. Then I can do the opposite
so I don't end up in a place like this.
Some fearless feedback— No one uses hashtags anymore.
And maybe invest in an iron?
I-I woke up late today.
Your eyeliner tells that story.
Don't let it become your narrative.
I hate kids.
Just look at them, growing with their big dreams
and unearned confidence and overabundance of collagen.
It's just rude.
Mine is pretty great actually.
He helped me write that nurse the perfect text, and look.
Just sent me a selfie.
You asked a child for dating advice?
I don't know what to tell you, Olivia.
This is where we're at.
Wait, am I supposed to send a selfie back?
I'll check with Max.
Being in a courthouse is cool, right?
Ah, it's just like on TV.
I remember you used to watch "Paw Patrol."
Chase the Police Pup was your favorite character.
I can't believe I ever watched that.
That show is copaganda.
Cool, cool, cool.
Fire!
So, uh, what are you into these days?
- You ever get on TikTok? - No.
Apparently the handle @gurgs is already taken.
Some mouthwash influencer.
Well, there's this guy, Malcolm FX.
He's a street artist who talks about the real issues.
Oh, I know him.
He's the one that did that Central Park Five mural.
His work is legit.
Wait, he's getting arrested in this video.
And he's coming to this court?
Oh, is he?
Oh, that's— that's weird.
I never— - Don't play.
Are you here to get a picture with him?
Alright, I'll sneak you into the lineup,
but if someone identifies you as the perp, you're on your own.
Oh, um...
I wasn't going to tell you because I didn't think
you'd get it, but we're here to see the trial
so when the system screws Malcolm FX, we can take action.
Take action? In my courtroom?
Cool, cool, cool.
Uh, that is fire.
Judge, fun new idea.
Ooh, I love fun new ideas.
What do you think about a gavel that goes "boi-oi-oing"?
I'm not sure if it should be a sound effect
or a superloud spring.
Well, I was thinking what if we send the kids home?
Disband the Justice Buddies?
Yeah, they've already been plenty inspired by
"Abby Stone presents Law-zzle Daw-zzle."
Aw, well, that was just the previews.
It's time for the feature presentation.
Mnh-mnh. The previews are the best part.
I don't even stay for the movie.
When the lights go all the way down, I get all the way up.
Trust me, there is nothing better than seeing
this justice system in action.
You want to... - Mm-hmm, yeah.
Okay.
Uh, all rise.
The Honorable Judge Abby Stone presiding
over a very calm and respectful court.
First up, the City vs. Malcolm Richardson,
aka Malcolm FX.
Your Honor, the defendant was caught defacing the statue
of Christopher Columbus in Central Park
by covering his head with this.
I was trying to flush that piece of—
Oh! Children.
He also works in bidets.
Oh! I love it when art surprises me.
Your Honor, my justice associate has familiarized me
with Mr. FX's work.
He is no criminal.
He is an artist who provokes social change,
a man who uses his medium
to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Just like Mr. Fielding.
Ah, kiddo.
No one is saying that Christopher Columbus is good.
He and I have very different opinions
on how you should make friends when you're new in town.
Don't you think you could contribute to the debate
without breaking the law?
We've been debating for 400 years.
What more is there left to say?
Nah, man, actions speak louder than words.
- Yeah! - Whoo!
Yeah, freedom of speech, a right guaranteed
to every citizen
by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
And that document is the GOAT.
And I will fight tooth and nail
to make sure it exists for future generations.
Okay, okay, order.
Gurgs, can I talk to you a minute?
I was right, huh?
Watching the court in action got them real fired up, huh?
Yeah, fired up, alright.
Think you can get them just to calm down a little bit?
Sure.
Uh, but while I'm up here,
I just think the charges seem a little harsh
for someone who's trying to express himself.
If Christopher Columbus would've seen a modern toilet,
he wouldn't know what to do with it.
He might have put it on his head.
We just don't know.
Unfortunately, my hands are tied.
This isn't about freedom of speech.
He confessed to vandalizing public property.
I find the defendant guilty of third-degree criminal mischief.
Objection! This system is rigged!
Unleash the signs!
What do we want? - Justice!
- When do we want it? - Justice!
I said we should get one more practice in,
but no one listens to Max.
What is going on?
We're protesting an unjust system
that will find Malcolm FX guilty of anything
except speaking the truth.
And they got a better banner than you.
Look, you seem like a nice magician,
but you're a cog in a broken system.
There is a lot of passion here, which I love.
Day or night, court's not right!
Don't love that.
Neil, can you clear the court out, please?
And, um, everyone else, can I talk to you
out in the hall, where there's less chants?
Less "chance" of what?
No, less chants!
There's no chance we're gonna hear you
over all these chants!
Let's go out in the hall!
Day or night, court's not right!
- What is going on in there? - Okay, look, this is my fault.
I should have— - It's not your fault.
Dan's the one who got them all riled up, talking about
the First Amendment for his little fan club.
I was just making a passionate defense for my client.
The fact that it turned a roomful of children
against you is just a fun bonus.
No, a fun bonus is when you're watching
"Live with Kelly and Ryan"
but Ryan Seacrest has the day off,
so Kelly's husband fills in
and you get to see their sexual tension for a full hour.
Maybe some disillusionment is a good thing.
Now Claire doesn't go into law and we all sleep easier.
Claire, my little justice nemesis.
How do not know Claire? She's trying to destroy me!
I think y'all are missing the point.
When Xavier came to me and told me what they were going to do—
Wait, you knew they were going to do this?
- Well, I only found out— - Why didn't you tell me?
If I'm being honest, I can see where the kids are coming from.
Oh, that's great, so you can talk to them.
You can get them to calm down.
You know what? Yeah, I got this.
Day or night, court's not right!
- Xavier Lawrence. - Yeah?
You got room for one more?
Sorry, I grabbed my science homework by mistake.
Gurgs, what are you doing?
I'm supporting my nephew.
Hey, Max, I know it's not the best time,
but I'm getting the three dots.
I got 70 cases tonight, Gurgs, and we already started late
'cause I did that magic show.
You know I'm obligated to report this.
- I do know protocol. - Well, then, help me out.
I hear you, but you could lose your job.
Are you sure about this?
When I say "all rise," you say "get wise."
All rise! - Get wise!
- All rise! - Get wise!
Claire is clearly the weakest chanter.
Get wise!
Neil, they're trespassers in my courtroom,
which means we have no choice but to report them.
So can you report them? - I don't want to do that.
Neither do I.
Here's a good rule of thumb.
If you're too scared to do something,
I'm definitely too scared to do it.
Okay, I'm here as a liaison with a list of demands.
"We the protesters will not be silenced until we receive,"
uh, all of these.
The children demand a bottle of Macallan single malt scotch?
Oh, yes, and they insist on the 18-year, not the 12.
These kids have taste.
How can you just treat this like a joke?
Of the things that I have seen in this court,
this doesn't even break the top 20.
There are no bombs, there are no hostages,
no disgruntled warlocks.
This is a snooze.
Oh, Gurgs, thank God. Is the protest over?
No, I'm here with our demands.
Uh, uh, what are you talking about?
I just brought our demands.
Alright, fine.
These are for me, but my happiness is important to them.
Neil, you're missing it.
They started a chant about you.
"Clerks are jerks!"
I got bigger problems out here.
I sent the nurse a selfie
and she saw all the kids in the background.
Now she thinks they're my kids. - What? Why would she think that?
I told her they were my kids.
I didn't know what to do.
My Justice Buddy wasn't around, so I panicked.
Sorry that a 12-year-old
dropped the ball on your love life.
Well, this little protest really worked out well for me.
I got some photos of that little queen bee agitator, Claire.
She will never work in a D.A.'s office after they see this.
Oh, it is a career killer!
You do know we're talking about a child?
She doesn't have a career.
Yeah, and I intend to keep it that way.
They would also like a complete overhaul
of the judicial system,
the abolishment of the Electoral College,
and a large cheese pizza with Doritos baked into the crust.
Some of those are really tricky.
I don't know how I'm going to do that pizza thing.
Can we just end this? I'm not anti-protest.
I went to all the women's marches,
and the march I thought was against ageism
but turned out to be a casino bus that broke down.
None of those grandmas knew how to change a tire?
Greatest generation, my butt!
I know firsthand how this system fails,
and you know I try really hard to make things better,
but they are blaming me for something
that I can't do anything about.
It's just unfair.
That's not a good feeling, right?
When things are unfair and there's nothing
you can do about it.
Makes you want to— I don't know—
pick up a sign and yell or something.
I like working here. I like working with you.
But there are cases that come through here
that just get under my skin.
Most nights, I can push past it.
Tonight was different.
Alright, so, I've talked the kids down
to something more reasonable.
They want to have a weekly luncheon with me at The Palm.
No budgetary restrictions.
Oh, yeah, and they'll be in school
so they won't be able to attend.
You know, I just realized something.
I'm the bad guy in this situation.
Must be hard for you.
I mean, I've been the good guy for like 45 minutes,
and it's pretty intoxicating.
Don't know if I'll ever be able to go back.
You're using children to scam booze.
I'm pretty sure you'll be able to go back.
Look, you said yourself that you're part of a system
that doesn't always get it right,
which means that sometimes you're gonna be the bad guy.
You know what? I'm— I'm gonna tell you
something that's gonna be difficult for you to hear,
but I know from experience.
This isn't about you, Dan.
Sorry, I've just never heard that sentence
without the word "Dan" at the end of it.
So I guess I got to figure out a way to make it about them.
Or we could just shut this whole place down
and I would never have to come back.
You know, a real good guy would help me.
Yeah, okay.
Tell you what— Let's go get a table
at The Palm and figure this out.
What you got there, hmm? A little celebratory cola?
Feeling pretty good about yourself, huh?
Well, you should know stunts like this can really hurt
your chances with law school and future employers.
Are you blackmailing me?
Should I be?
Please, I could spin those pics like a C.D. player—
an obsolete device you may remember
from your teenage years.
Okay.
You're young and you, uh, think you got it all figured out,
but pretty soon you're going to wake up
to a closet full of Ann Taylor Loft,
an infestation of roaches that you call water bugs,
and a therapist who won't return your phone calls
because her therapist identified you as clinically unhelpable!
You're right. I don't have it all figured out.
I act like I do because I'm scared
and I lash out at people to make myself feel better.
I'm a fake.
I'm an adult woman who felt threatened by a 13-year-old.
And that monologue was about me.
So, are you really going to lose your job over this?
- Probably. - Good.
Why do you want to work in a place like this anyway?
I've asked myself that question a lot
these last couple years.
Why do I keep putting on this uniform?
I think being here is important.
I want the people who come to court to see
someone from their community, someone who understands them
and who doesn't just assume they're guilty.
I mean, sometimes they are very guilty.
But they still deserve to be treated like human beings,
and that's what I do.
Maybe it's good to have people like you here.
I hope you don't lose your job.
Well, if I do, I'll just get a job at your school.
If you think you were embarrassed today,
strap in, baby!
Alright, no more being Judge Mr. Nice Judge!
I'm charging you all with criminal trespassing!
Technically Olivia is charging you,
so really she's the worst, but I'm still plenty bad!
Just a second, you tiny monster!
Ah, it's Mr. Fielding for the defense.
That's right, and I have secured an emergency permit
to allow these young people to assemble.
Damn it, you found a way to let these dissenting voices
be heard by working within the system.
You and these fresh-faced future lawyers and judges
have foiled me yet again!
Is this a play?
It's boring like a play.
No, it's very funny and suspicious
that you're against us when your signature is on it.
Is it? Wow.
I sign so many things 'cause, you know, cog.
Uh-huh.
Well, thanks, but our protest is over anyway.
This place needs a lot of work.
But I feel better knowing there are people here who get it.
Me too.
So, this means I get to go
to your school's auntie-nephew dance.
- Uh, we don't have one of tho— - Shh!
Let her have this.
There, I fixed it for you.
She said she'll see you next weekend
when your kids are with your ex in Hartford.
Wow, you're good.
You know, this whole night, I thought I was teaching you,
but in a way, you were teaching me.
In every way I was teaching you.
At no point were you teaching me.
Goodbye, Aunt Gurgs.
See you at Sunday bun day?
Thanks again for the invite. I can't wait.
It's going to be a "bunnn-ch" of fun.
It's called bun day, not pun day.
Before I go, I just want to let you know
how much this meant to me.
Oh!
This generation and your incessant need
to express every feeling.
J-Just get out of here before I take more
of your birthday money.
You know what?
This turned out to be a lot of fun.