A Man in Full
Season 1 – Episode 5
Episode title: Push Comes to Shove
Original release date: May 2, 2024
Based on: A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe
Plot: With his options dwindling, Charlie considers taking a dubious deal. Conrad’s bail hangs in the balance. Raymond’s manipulative game loses momentum.
* * *
♪ Anything at all was more than we had ♪
♪ In the good old days ♪
♪ When times were bad ♪
♪ No amount of money could buy from me ♪
♪ The mem’ries that I have of them ♪
♪ No amount of money could pay me ♪
♪ To go back and live through it again ♪
When we were first married, I used to come home,
be like entering the lair to lust.
At some point, it became a whole different lair altogether, Gerald.
Say what you might about marriage, but the idea that it’s non-consumptive…
Sooner or later, it gonna eat you up.
Yes, sir.
I don’t mean to judge. I know you’re happy with your Mrs.
You’ll be fine, sir.
What’s that saying?
“No man fights the same dragon twice, or she’s never the same dragon.”
Hmm.
And I’m not the same man.
Do you know what she wants?
What they all want.
Me to stop being me.
Fuck that.
I appreciate you coming over.
Hmm.
Sorry?
I said, “Hmm.”
Slang for “my pleasure.”
How about we just get to it, Martha?
Fine.
Why are you doing this to Joyce?
What I’m doing is aimed at Norman Bagovitch,
for the greater good of Atlanta.
I’m simply asking Joyce to be part of that greater good.
Oh, here we go.
How broke are you?
If you’re worried your alimony may be at risk…
You will not be extorting Joyce Newman. I will stop you.
You think so?
You have a son. I will protect him.
From what?
From becoming you.
I will call my attorney, have him cut off all contact.
Oh, please.
Do not think I’m kidding.
How fucking dare you!
I dare because he is my son,
and I will not see him grow up to be a person capable
of doing what you’re endeavoring to do.
I am en… I am endeavoring to survive,
to stand up for myself, not to back down from myself.
That’s a lesson any father, any mother should pass on to a son.
And you don’t get to talk to me like that.
You have underestimated me for too long, and that era is over.
You wanna test me? Go ahead.
How you doing in here?
Good.
Did you get her letter?
Yeah, got it.
How you doing?
I don’t know, man.
Do you think the lawyer can…
What kinda complications?
Basically, most of Croker’s Georgia assets are in the process of being frozen.
We have out-of-state assets, but for bail, bond has to come from Georgia.
So we need to open accounts to secure the bond
before the funds get locked.
It’ll get done.
One more thing. I don’t like the sound of that.
Hmm. We gotta go back to the judge to get him to sign off.
The same judge that stuck me here?
As long as we post bond, we’ll be fine.
Look…
What?
No, nothing.
Say it, Conrad.
I’m not sure I’m safe in here.
A… a kid got assaulted,
and I… I went to his aid,
which went against some house code.
I’m… I’m not in good standing
with some of these people.
You need to get me out. Sooner rather than later.
The thing about my husband…
…is that he is into stoicism.
Yeah, his brain defaults to the positive,
so for him to say that he is scared,
for him to look scared,
you need to get him out.
I know there’s a lot going on right now.
I’ll get him out.
Dean, the stuff that I went through, did you see? Were you watching?
Yeah.
I mean, it ain’t easy, but… damn.
No matter how hard he fights, everything will eventually be owned by Planners.
Croker Foods, Turpmtine,
we already got his fleet of planes, attachments on several of his warehouses.
I’m not interested in his food company or his plantation.
But the Concourse.
His basis in that is over 400 million.
The bank would take 175.
With the right buyer, which my opinion counts on that,
the bank would be willing to accept a 20% down payment, finance the rest.
I’m putting together a syndicate, three or four investors at most.
You could take it all if you want, and I’d highly suggest that you do.
Uh, he’d never let that building go.
It’s his pride and joy. He built it as a monument to himself.
It’s not up to him.
The bank is taking it. I promise you.
And you’re doing this all for just a promotion?
I’d like some skin in the game.
Do you even have skin?
In the form of a broker’s fee which I earn by bringing together the syndicate.
That’s a total conflict of interest.
One which I’ll reveal at the right time.
I’m doing this for skin, for a look, and a thump.
I beg your pardon?
The skin comes from the syndicate.
The look comes from Charlie when it registers that I fucked him.
And the thump…
is me…
…beating my chest.
Aggressive, dirty man.
Hmm. Not dirty, ruthless.
That is a virtuous quality in business. One I’ve lacked until now.
And how does it feel? This virtue.
Wonderful.
Not just fuck this Charlie Croker person, but his ex-wife.
Oh, that’s not what that’s about.
Of course, it is.
Men want the penis to get envy.
Usually, about size, but sometimes placement.
You want to put the penis in his wife.
I actually like her.
She’s a really cool lady.
How old is this woman?
I think she’s 52.
You need to be careful, Raymond. People decay at that age.
Is she in menopause?
We haven’t discussed that.
It’s not funny, Raymond. Okay?
Period flushes toxins out of vagina.
After menopause,
no more flushing, toxins go to brain.
She make crazy.
She’s not crazy.
Well, you better prophylact.
Rich women carry bacteria.
Okay.
So, you became wealthy banker man after all.
With this syndicate.
Maybe.
And I have you to thank in part for that.
Charlie used to have this expression,
“At some point, a man needs to let out the big red dog.”
So that’s what I’m doing.
I’m proud of you.
You seem different now.
You want to see your son?
Please.
Hey, Lasse.
Yes.
Lasse.
Say hi to Daddy.
Hi. Hi.
There he is, there he is.
We make beautiful baby, no?
We do.
One day, maybe he play American catch with you.
Teach you how to be ruthless.
Walk like an American.
Like a big red dog American man.
Yeah. Wave to Papa.
First place you gonna eat when you get out?
Easy. I’m going straight to Waffle House. Gotta do that.
I need them hash browns immediately.
Hash browns?
Oh, uh-oh. Shit.
This ain’t good.
Excuse me, Five-O. Could I get a word with Brother Conrad?
It’s okay.
You know he’s fucking up.
My colleagues and I were just discussing your philanthropic service.
So how you doing, my brother?
First time in a place like this,
stressful.
You witness shit.
Awful, awful…
…awful shit.
I just wanna be left alone.
Say what now?
You heard me.
Maybe you should’ve thought twice about being a Good Samaritan.
Good Samaritans draw attention.
Like heroes.
Heroes get special attention.
You wanna be special, Conrad?
Mind if I call you Connie?
You’re a number in here.
I’m a number in here.
I’ll respect you. And you will respect me. You understand?
I’m not askin’ you for any favors, but I will ask, I do ask
that you leave me alone.
And you’d be wise to hear that.
That’s cute.
But I shouldn’t be surprised.
Because you cute.
You’re the cutest thing going on in here.
Get away from me.
I ain’t going anywhere, Connie.
God damn! What the fuck are you doing? What the fuck are you looking at?
You wanna roll with me?
What do you mean he is in solitary?
He evidently attacked one of the other prisoners
and injured him, so he’s been placed in solitary confinement.
It was a violent attack.
No.
That is not possible. He wouldn’t just attack somebody.
What does this mean? What happens now?
I don’t know.
Oh my God.
Okay.
How long does he have to be in there? And… and what about the hearing?
I’m not sure. The information I’m getting is very fluid.
He will be a wreck when he gets to court.
The judge will see a wreck. Can he be denied bail altogether?
I don’t know.
Well, who does?!
Sorry.
I’m sorry.
He’s claustrophobic, so, solitary…
Oh my God.
Still might be the safest place.
Jill, if we post bond, we still might be able to get him out.
But you don’t know that.
No, I don’t.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard a sound like that.
It’s like it came from a place beyond.
Can we get him out?
Transfer him, at least, to another prison?
I don’t think so.
What can I do?
The main thing is to have the funds ready, should the judge honor the bond he set.
Everything has become so fucked.
Wes is calling me on the other.
He’s going down in the polls.
If we’re going to do this, it’s gotta happen fast.
For his sake, and from what I’m hearing, for yours.
You think this plan can really work?
Gotta be another way.
Filing for bankruptcy. That would be all.
That’s an indignity I will not endure.
You were supposed to protect me from this, you and Wiz,
all your layers and LLCs, all your accounting.
And we have.
It’ll be difficult for them to get to you fully,
but if they are determined, which they seem to be…
it’s push come to shove time, Charlie.
We’re out of options.
Tell Wes I’ll meet with him tomorrow.
It sounds like a difficult conversation.
It was a very necessary one.
Which, maybe, you and I need to have.
Okay.
So how does all of this affect me financially?
Well, if your assets are separate, it shouldn’t. But does he…
Menus.
Thanks.
Does he still pay you alimony?
I get a consulting fee from Croker Industries in lieu of alimony.
Excuse me?
It penciled out to be cheaper for him.
Well, that could very much be at risk. It also sounds questionable legally.
Oh, he ran it through a gazillion attorneys.
It’s legal.
Raymond.
Put it on the table, please.
Is he broke?
Your ex-husband is bankrupt.
He owes us near a billion dollars
and several other banks another half a billion.
Of the total, he has guaranteed 600 million personally.
Non-recourse loans. That was one of his cardinal rules.
Well, that all went out the window when he decided to erect
the concrete and steel erection known as the Concourse.
Which I have an interest in.
I cannot understand how this could happen.
I owe you an apology.
How so?
Well, I am by no means the lead attack dog in this whole deal against Charlie,
but I’m one of the mushers hauling the sled.
The idea that this could work to punish you…
If there is a way to insulate you,
I will do it.
Cheers.
He who is brave… is free.
He who is brave is free.
He who is brave is free.
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.
…to be unconquerable.
It is the power of the mind…
It is the power… it is the power of the mind…
to be uncon… unconquerable.
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.
The power of the mind… It is the power…
It is the power of the mind to be unconquerable.
It is the power of the mind… to be unconquerable.
Do not fuck with me!
You hear me?
You do what you gotta do, so will I!
I will put you down!
Every last one of you motherfuckers!
Hey…
You can’t be challenging these people.
It’s a different world in here, Mr. White.
Crazy might just keep me alive till you get me out.
Am I not getting out?
It’s become more… difficult with the… the new assault.
I’m filing a habeas petition with the court.
What’s that?
A Hail Mary until I can figure out something better,
but in the meantime, you gotta lay as low as possible.
Look at me.
When you threw the punch at the officer… can you tell me what you were thinking?
I’m not sure I was thinking anything.
Okay.
What did you feel?
I told you.
I need you to tell me again.
I was feeling…
“This is not right.”
This…
is not right.
What’s this here?
It’s a script.
One that you will stick to.
It doesn’t have to be exact. It’s best for you to come off natural.
But… the basic idea.
It’ll take place in the form of a small press conference,
just like we talked about.
You’re gonna be inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame.
Excuse me?
It’s about damn time.
You did win them the national championship.
I’m on the board, so I got it all worked out.
There’ll be a small, impromptu kinda half-ceremony.
You’ll be handed an honorary football.
You’ll look at it with great pride, of course.
And as you look at that football, Mr. Croker,
you will be reminded of old times.
But you’re gonna get more caught up in the current times,
which are much bigger, with larger things at stake than a football game.
You are going to be mindful
that the entire city of Atlanta is on the line.
And as you look at that commemorative football,
as the emotions begin to swirl,
you’re gonna conjure up your playing days with Norman Bagovitch,
the two of you playing in that same backfield.
And you would be remiss… remissed,
and I’d say if you did not declare how much you two are not playing
for the same team today.
As much as you love your old buddy, Norman Bagovitch represents a great threat
to the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia,
and you would be derelict in your duty as a citizen
if you did not come forward with what you know.
Norman Bagovitch is a bad character
and a sexual predator.
I can’t state that to a certainty.
I do not give a fuck.
You say that you have it on good authority, like you believe it.
Because if you believe it, if the Sixty-Minute Man says it,
it is so.
So, where are we with the victim?
Nowhere. She’s not participating.
Okay. Well, I would encourage you to take another shot with her.
But we don’t need her. We can do this without her.
People will believe you.
Before we do anything, you need to honor your end,
make my difficulties with PlannersBanc go away.
I can’t eradicate your debt.
All right? I can just get them to back off on the collecting.
Well, you do that. You call Planners’ dogs off…
and I’ll hold my press conference.
Good.
This is a good thing… we’re doing here.
He certainly heard me.
Felt me.
But I… I’m not sure I changed his mind.
Ugh. It’s vile.
I know.
Charlie has no business…
Anyway, thanks for trying.
Joyce.
Can I ask you…
what did happen that night with Norman?
I don’t know exactly.
Alcohol was involved, you know, memories get blurred.
Sure.
But you don’t have a…
a gut sense of things?
I have some sense of the physical. Less so of the cognitive.
Meaning?
Meaning either he was upon me and I couldn’t fight him off,
or… after I resisted, I…
…I changed my mind and reciprocated.
Are you saying you’re not sure if you were sexually assaulted,
or… or… or are you comforting yourself by just leaving it a question?
I’m saying that Charlie is building this narrative of… of victimization
around me for his own personal gain.
Oh… oh, I’m not asking about Charlie.
He so wants this to be true, and I am not gonna lie for him…
…when I don’t remember what happened.
Have you ever spoken with Norman about… what happened?
He said back then, when a woman said yes…
he did not wait for her to sober up.
He maintained I consented.
And you take his word for it?
Look, whatever did happen…
…it’s my life…
and it’s my choice to make.
Yeah.
In that the bail requirement has now been met,
I would ask that the court order the transfer of my client
and allow for his release on his own recognizance,
which request is being joined by the DA.
N… Now, hold on here just a second. I… I have some new information before me.
It has come to my attention that your client has committed
yet another aggravated assault,
inflicting serious injuries requiring surgery.
My client was defending himself, Your Honor.
There are security cameras in that prison facility.
Those cameras captured the assault
in which your client was “defending himself.”
I have reviewed the footage. Have you, Mr. Jennings?
I have, Judge.
I see no indication of any attack by the inmate your client injured.
The offending inmate had raped another younger prisoner the previous day.
My client went to aid the victim and, in doing so,
made himself a target of the inmate known as Rotto.
Mr. Rotto is currently serving time in Fulton County
for murder and rape convictions.
He is a gang leader within that institution
and represented a threat to my client, and in response to that threat,
Conrad Hensley safeguarded his own life.
The footage I saw revealed your client to be the violent threat.
I’ll remind you he has no prior record…
I do not need to be reminded.
As I’m sure you need no reminding that, as a judge,
I have an obligation to act in good faith
as an officer of the court, as a guardian for the good state of Georgia.
And I cannot, in good faith,
order the release of your client at this time.
He stays where he is.
Permission to approach.
What is this?
Civil Petition for habeas corpus.
To release the body of Conrad before he becomes a body.
My client’s in physical danger as long as he resides in Fulton County.
Habeas?
Habeas is a relief after conviction.
Not in Georgia. Habeas is allowed to release the body
of one wrongly imprisoned and awaiting trial.
O.C.G.A 9-14-42 subsection A, subsection C,
based on Ex parte Yerger, 75 U.S. 85, 95…
Counsel.
Ritchie v. State.
Pre-trial habeas should be granted
should the defendant show there’ll be adverse collateral consequences.
Habeas petitions are civil matters, Counsel.
The Superior Court of Georgia is a court of general jurisdiction,
handling both civil and criminal law action.
You have the discretion to calendar both,
and given the imminent danger to my client, failure to calendar
would amount to abuse of that discretion, in dereliction of your duty
to act in good faith.
We’ll schedule the matter for Tuesday.
You ever seen a more glorious building?
No, sir.
Crown jewel.
No scraper in Atlanta glistens like that. Hell, not in all of Georgia.
Sunrise, sunset, moonlight, no matter. It radiates splendor.
My splendor.
Fifteen years of my life.
Between plans, permits, zoning bullshit, construction.
That building near killed me.
Maybe now it has.
I very much doubt it.
Hmm.
You seem low.
My ex-wife said some pretty hurtful thing.
Windy at the top is what they say.
Winds I face today.
Can’t be who I wanna be,
say what I wanna say,
lean in directions I wanna go.
World’s gonna make men like me extinct, what they’re gonna do.
Mrs. Smith?
Yes.
My name is Roger White. Uh, is your husband home?
Honey.
It’s all right.
Why are you here?
I tried calling, sir, but having got no response, I…
You just show up at my house? Are you kidding me?
I was just hoping to have a conversation.
Well, the DA told me not to talk to you.
Which works out just fine. I got nothing to say.
Be a good idea for you to remove your foot.
The DA told me it was fine to contact you.
Remove your foot.
The altercation that transpired between you and my client was a misunderstanding.
I’d like for you to tell the judge that you initiated the altercation.
Your client almost killed me. You come here asking for my help?
And to give you this.
That is a subpoena, Officer.
Looks like we’ll have our conversation in court.
You really expect the cop to help you?
I was hoping.
Dear God.
Desperate times. I don’t need to tell you.
Oh, fuck off.
What?
You know…
…back when we were in school, part of me wanted to be you.
And part of you wanted to be me.
And I figured as the years went by,
we’d meet somewhere in the middle, but we never did.
I stuck to being me, you being you.
Hell, we never even met for so much as a beer until tonight.
I… I… I… feel your rejection of me in all this,
and, uh, it… it hurts.
But it’s not anything new. It’s always been there.
That’s what this drink is about?
In part, mm-hmm.
I am sorry
for dragging you into all this ugly.
I really am.
You found a way to rise above the muck, I never did.
I’m not sure I ever really stuck to me.
Not completely.
Hmm.
I gotta stay mayor, Roger.
Got my new knee. I’m already walking around on it.
How about that? Modern medicine.
I’m not going to ask if you’re okay, because I know you’re not.
I’m not going to pretend to have a solution, because I don’t.
Plus, you can see through my bullshit.
I just came to look you in the eye and tell you that I am on this.
I don’t know how, but we will get Conrad out.
I am on it.
Mr. Croker, are things going to be okay at work?
Things will be fine.
Do we know what this is about?
Just said he wants to see us.
This is exciting.
Mr. Longley.
Gentlemen, thank you for coming.
Come. Please, sit.
I’ve taken a personal look at the Croker situation
and decided to lay off for now.
When you say, “lay off”?
It’s a macro decision, Harry.
Uh… a “macro decision?”
Yes, Raymond.
Bigger than this specific issue at hand.
It’s part of a larger strategy.
Let him off?
What larger strategy?
That’s not really your concern, Raymond.
Uh…
Um…
W… w… with all due respect, Charlie Croker has…
Charlie Croker has lied, cheated, stolen,
stalled us, laughed at us, played us for suckers.
I hope it won’t astonish you unduly to know that I am,
from time to time, called upon
to deal with problems broader in scope
than what you two want to do with Charlie Croker.
Okay. So this is all just a big…
“never mind.”
That’s a lovely way to put it, Raymond.
“Never mind.”
But we have him. We finally have him.
No, Raymond… you don’t.
Hmm!
More of that story after the break.
The skin softens, and the mind calms.
The blissful caress of innocence and peace.
Purity, by Cleangirl.
When the only thing that stands between…
So when’s the hearing?
Tuesday.
So you could get out?
That’s the hope.
So you just gotta stay alive till then.
That won’t be easy in a place like this.
You gotta tell him, man.
You don’t think this…
All right, pretty boy!
Shut the fuck up!
Whoo, whoo!
I’m gonna rip you inside, you fucker.
Not really cool. Showing up at the arresting officer’s house.
Judge could come down on you for that.
I just wanted to get a sense of the man.
See what I’m dealing with.
What exactly is the plan here?
I think part of what Conrad sensed,
if there was ever going to be an opportunity for fairness,
for retribution, for safeguarding his dignity,
it was not going to be found in our judicial system.
The only window for this officer to be held
to even a modicum of accountability
was right then and there, which compelled him to take that swing.
Self-help justice.
Hmm, you don’t intend to make that argument.
If you’d heard him.
“This is not right.”
If I can get the judge to feel a fraction of what Conrad made me feel…
It won’t be with that path, honey, honey.
This judge, loose cannon that he is, he follows the letter.
You need to find a path that respects the rule
and one that respects him in the process.
This will not be won with “The officer had it coming.”
Honey, do I really need to tell you that?
I had no business taking this case.
You’re the right lawyer.
I should have got a criminal attorney.
Hey! Hey!
You’re the right attorney to do this. You are.
The goal, like you suggest, is to make the judge feel your client.
You’re in the best position to do that,
but you need to pick a path he’s willing to go down.
This judge, end of the day, follows the law.
So… whatever your needle,
that’s your haystack.
Roger, you go in that room.
You find your feet.
You make your case.
Shut up!
Shut up!
Shut up! Shut up!
This can’t be how it ends.
This cannot… We had him, we had him.
This is not how it ends.
This is not how it ends!
Fu…!
