Olympia tasks Matty with getting close to their client, who is fighting for justice in the wrongful death of his wife.
Matty needs allies. All she has for support is her 12-year-old grandson Alfie. He is just as committed to the mission as she is. They base their entire premise that someone at Jacobson Moore covered up evidence from an anonymous Reddit source. That fueled this undercover operation. Matty has assumed a new identity. Edwin didn't believe it was a good idea. It wouldn't bring their daughter back. It would provide justice though. Someone needs to pay for the suffering their family went through. These corporations and the lawyers supporting them have to acknowledge the human cost of their actions. It can't just be a game over saving money through shady maneuvers. Matty gets her first real insight into the way Senior operates. It's brutal. It highlights the mentality he uses to lead the firm. She has gotten incredibly close with Olympia. However, the cases she works on are a far cry from defending corporate entities against those personally injured along the way. That fuels Matty. It keeps her driven. And yet, it has also had a devastating impact on Alfie. He remains impressionable. And now, lying and espionage have become normal to him.
Matty promises not to involve Alfie any longer. She breaks that almost immediately. She needs him as her researcher. His skills allow her to immediately know if her hunch was correct. He found a document that could have been the missing information in this decade-old case. Matty has to get into document storage to see a copy without the redactions. It was only personal information identifying the people involved with the case. This mission could offer nothing but false hope for this family. They refuse to give up. Matty believes something was taken out of the storage folder. Her suspicion is confirmed. She has to track down who was responsible for moving the missing pages. That requires her to gather the signatures of her three suspects. Senior wields the most power. He has done so for awhile. His influence and connections have loomed over Republican politics for decades. He was in the perfect position to make this decision. That case is damning. However, Matty doesn't have any evidence. She has a theory. It's built around his signature. It could reasonable be understood that Senior signs a lot of things while managing the firm. More must be developed. Matty peaks her head into his corner of the firm. That's not where she has naturally been located. She makes bold moves in the service of what she wants.
Olympia's case hits personally for Matty too. Olympia wants Matty to get close to their client, Robert, because she knows the pain of losing a spouse. Of course, she doesn't. And yet, she translates the grief she has for her daughter to this situation. Matty knows how to improvise. She takes all the information she has gathered and uses it to her advantage. She can't get into the storage room until she learns how to connect with the woman overseeing the protocols. That too requires a fake story about a dying dog. That is weaponized as yet another way in which Matty and Olympia aren't really getting close at all. However, the lines are increasingly getting blurred in this work. Matty wants to do right by Robert. She knows the company that owned his apartment was negligent. Their failure to address the toxic living conditions resulted in the death of his wife. This case consumed their lives before Sandy even died. Robert wanted more time. The case was simply too important to drop. It had the potential to make a difference in so many lives. Once Olympia gets the final offer, she's ready to spring into action with more claims. They won't be as difficult to prove as the initial case. It's a victory only for a moment. Instead, the crushing reality of how these corporate entities evade accountability comes into focus. No money will actually be delivered. It all goes away through a convenient bankruptcy filing.
This is the way Senior has always conducted business. Olympia has to be prepared in going against him. They have the professionalism to represent both parties in this matter. The conflict of interest doesn't have to be a big deal. The clients need to sign off on it. Both sides have the backing and resources of this powerful firm. Olympia relies on the manpower of her three junior associates. Meanwhile, Senior has a team of skilled litigators ready to strike. They work through the night making this deal a reality. It's all in service of saving the company two million dollars. That's a life-changing amount of money for an individual. For a company this size though, it's inconsequential. It's still worth saving to prove the worth of the expertise this firm will continue to provide. It's all about the bottom line and forging these relationships. It's not about the people whatsoever. Their grievances don't matter. Matty sees that clearly. That's the environment she has walked into. She makes a pledge with Olympia to become allies. It's a false presentation. Matty still conceals her truth. Trust is being built. That's significant. It seemingly comes easy for Matty while Sarah struggles to find balance. It's not easy for Matty though. She and Edwin fight about the sacrifices she is making. It's disrupting their family further. And yet, they have to be in this together. That's the only way she'll survive. It's hard. It can't all be on Alfie to provide support either. Matty needs help. She has clarity of focus now. That invigorates her despite the setback she faces in Robert's case.
