Nora's pitch: an act of hope
Nora introduces herself to a tearful Nicole, shares her own story and reframes the divorce as choosing something better for herself.
Nora Fanshaw
Nicole's divorce lawyer, warm in the room and merciless in court. Played by Laura Dern.
8 moments · 21 min
Nicole tells Nora how she met Charlie
Engaged in LA and feeling half dead, Nicole saw a strange play in a New York apartment and the actor playing to her turned out to be the director.
Nicole's monologue: I got smaller
Nicole explains how she shrank inside the marriage, why the pilot felt like her own piece of earth, and the phone-number test that ended it.
Nora's call lands mid-rehearsal
Nora warns Charlie of a default judgment and full custody while an actor keeps interrupting about his untucked shirt and a hug that isn't in the play.
Lunch order, smelling the toast, and a deal versus a discussion
Charlie can't pick a sandwich so Nicole orders for him; Nora gushes about his play, then traps him on why a promise counts only when he wants it.
Court: Jay and Nora fight over the genius grant
Jay recasts the marriage as Charlie's gift to Nicole; Nora counters that his genius was built during the marriage and half the MacArthur is hers.
Court gets ugly: affairs, hacking and the car seat
The lawyers trade the affair, the email hacking, Nicole's drinking and the unbuckled car seat before the judge keeps the status quo and orders an evaluator.
Nora on mothers, fathers and the Virgin Mary
Prepping Nicole for the evaluator, Nora explains why imperfect dads are forgiven and mothers are held to the impossible standard of Mary.