Summary
The Rainmaker delivers a burst of pace and excitement in Episode 6, with Rudy getting both his job back and, finally, the upper hand.
Every legal drama needs a moment when the tables turn, and The Rainmaker gets it in Episode 6. Naturally, it comes right after things were looking bleaker than ever, with Rudy having been fired by Bruiser for going to the police against her advice (and, you know, messing up the entire case). But it also comes when we’re most ready for it, having fully bought into Dot’s plight and reached peak distaste for Sarah, who spends most of the episode lounging in the lap of luxury and sleeping with Brad Noonan, all while clearly knowing, deep down, that something is very much afoot with Tinley Britt and Great Benefit.
At least Rudy has things to keep him occupied while he’s unemployed. Naturally, he’s still trying to work the case independently between bar shifts, but he’s also trying to save Kelly from her abusive relationship. Somewhat unexpectedly, these two plots intertwine, with Kelly eventually plucking up the courage to allow Rudy to spirit her away, and Rudy deciding that the best place to stash her would be at Dot’s house. And he’s right, in a way. Cliff will never find her there, and it also reinforces Dot’s suspicions about Rudy’s staunch moral character. With that and a conversation earlier in which she related her refusal to let go of Donny Ray’s potential murder with the loss of Rudy’s brother, they’re both on the same page. They both want the fight.
The problem for Rudy is that he can’t have that fight unless he finds his way back into Bruiser’s employ. At the very least, he has the right credentials. Despite a bit of ambiguity in the previous episode about the status of his bar exam, it turns out he not only passed but achieved the highest score in the last ten years. I’m not sure that counts for much – or anything – given how Bruiser operates, but it’s a nice confidence booster if nothing else. All signs are pointing towards Rudy getting back on the horse.
The only avenue Rudy has is Bernie Manfred, who’s due for a deposition with Bruiser and Deck. He’s the guy who fired Jackie Lemancyzkc after she reported her concerns about Melvin, and it doesn’t take Rudy long to find out via his social media feed that he seemed to have received an awful lot of money at around the same time. After holding onto his stock options for years, Manfred mysteriously sold them mere days after the “routine layoffs” of Melvin and Jackie. Rudy thinks Manfred was insider trading, and turns up at the deposition to beg Deck and Bruiser to allow him to lead the questioning. His logic is pretty sound. He has already derailed the case – how much harm could he possibly do?
As it turns out, quite a bit. But it’s Tinley Britt who suffers, since Rudy’s characteristic ability to annoy everyone has Manfred on the ropes pretty much immediately. It helps that the evidence of foul play is pretty extensive. Jackie and Melvin were let go as part of “routine layoffs” that ended a year prior. And it wouldn’t have made sense to fire Jackie anyway, since she was a great nurse and the only nurse who was part of the Tissue Committee. Combine that with Manfred’s jet-setting lifestyle after suddenly selling his stocks, and he knows he’s on the back foot. All he has to do is stay quiet, but he can’t. Noonan’s constant, strenuous objections and Manfred’s babbling about how Melvin was cleared by the Tissue Committee, finally allow the tables to turn. It’s The Rainmaker Episode 6’s big moment. Manfred mentioning the Tissue Committee confirms its relevance to the case, and thus entitles Rudy and co. to the report.
It’s a clear loss for Tinley Britt, which Leo blames Noonan for. His smug victory lap after bedding Sarah is short-lived, especially since she seems happy enough to take his place if Leo wants it. Sarah largely seems out for herself, even though there’s a part of her that is earnestly curious about Rudy’s claims, especially since he’s so convinced of them. But who can blame him? The evidence is mounting, and since Manfred confirmed that Jackie had committed fifteen HIPAA violations, the assumption is that she raised fifteen complaints about Melvin. That means Great Benefit isn’t just covering up a murder, but potentially a serial killer’s swathe of killings. All Rudy, Deck, and Bruiser have to do now is find Jackie, which also means finding Melvin.
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