Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)

1. Joker! Joker! Joker!

2. Mmm?

3. Huh?

4. And now without further ado... Joker!

5. Tell me about it.

6. Knock, knock.

7. Morning, sir.

8. Nothing good about it.

9. Get up!

10. Let's go, get up.

11. Let's go boys. Let's get this show on the road.

12. Come on! Come on!

13. Come on, get out of bed.

14. Let's go, get up.

15. Clean this fucking mess up.

16. Hey, Jackie, I need a hand.

17. Put some clothes on.

18. Diaz, what the fuck?

19. You got a joke for me today?

20. Move!

21. All right, come on, let's go, guys.

22. Move your fucking ass. Move.

23. Don't test me, Walters.

24. Come on, boys.

25. Get him on the ground.

26. Move your fucking ass, Bullock.

27. Fuck you!

28. Get the fuck out my cell.

29. Leave me alone.

30. Hey, Arthur, you feelin' crazy today or what?

31. I don't wanna come out today.

32. Take him down to F Ward.

33. I don't wanna come out today.

34. You got a big day today. You better put on a happy face.

35. Get the fuck off me.

36. Let's not do this again, Beanie.

37. Shut up!

38. Let's go, Arthur.

39. Come on, Fleck.

40. Don't need your fancy lawyer blaming me if you're late.

41. She knows how much you like me, right?

42. Hey, Fleck, you got a joke for us today?

43. Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it?

44. Move.

45. Right on the line.

46. Let's go!

47. Back the fuck up, Ken.

48. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Go on, front of the line.

49. Fleck. Fleck's next, my dear.

50. Hey, stay in line.

51. Yeah, you heard him.

52. Hey, hey, hey, back up.

53. Freak bit me!

54. Go.

55. All that kid's done since he got here is fucking smile.

56. And today, all of a sudden, he bites Moran?

57. It's because nobody likes Moran.

58. He was at Gotham State for, like, eight years

59. before he got here, and he's still a fucking temp.

60. Hey, Fleck, you got a joke for us today?

61. I already asked him.

62. I got a joke for ya.

63. This guy's dog dies, right? And he really loved this dog.

64. So, he goes down to the church, and he asks Father Mulcahy

65. if he'd perform a funeral for him. Right?

66. And Mulcahy says, "Oh, no. I'm sorry my son,

67. we can't have a service for an animal in our church.

68. Uh, but, I bet if you go down

69. - to the veterinarian in town..." - Fuck.

70. "... he can do it for you. You see?"

71. Goddamn it, Arthur.

72. Uh, so the guy says, "Oh, thanks very much, Father."

73. And he says, "Do you think two grand

74. would be enough to cover the service?"

75. Father Mulcahy looks at him...

76. "Why didn't you tell me the dog was Catholic?"

77. Eh?

78. Clean yourself up.

79. You like that one, Arthur?

80. Let's go.

81. "Why didn't you tell me the dog was a Catholic?"

82. Look around, Arthur.

83. This is how the other half lives.

84. Could have been all yours

85. if you hadn't killed five people.

86. One live on national TV.

87. What the fuck is this shit?

88. Move, will ya? Moron.

89. Hey!

90. Come on. You fucking lunatic.

91. Jesus Christ, you couldn't get him a fucking umbrella?

92. Aw, come on, counselor,

93. you know we can't give these boys umbrellas.

94. It's for their own good.

95. Oh, don't give me your shit. He's soaking wet.

96. Well, those are the rules, counselor,

97. but I'll break them if you ask me.

98. I bet you would.

99. Mm-hm.

100. Oh, you're welcome, by the way,

101. for getting him all cleaned up for you.

102. Sit down.

103. Here, Arthur.

104. Today, we're meeting with Dr. Beatty.

105. Remember her?

106. She's gonna be videotaping you this time,

107. so we can show it at your competency hearing next week.

108. And if they find you competent,

109. and they will, they always do,

110. then we're going to trial.

111. You need to be in an actual hospital with actual doctors.

112. Not this Department of Corrections...

113. bullshit with these thugs.

114. Dr. Beatty thinks that with everything

115. that happened to you in your childhood,

116. it caused a split...

117. this fragmentation in you...

118. to help you cope with your pain.

119. She believes you have another person living inside of you.

120. And it was this other person who committed those crimes.

121. Do you understand what that means, Arthur?

122. I'll be asking you a few questions today, Arthur, okay?

123. Maybe you don't remember some things?

124. Or you're confused about what you did?

125. I'm here to help you try and sort out what happened.

126. Arthur, I'm not here only to help with your defense.

127. I'm here for you.

128. But for me to do my job,

129. I need you to be candid with me.

130. Does that make sense?

131. Can I have a cigarette?

132. Of course you can.

133. Let's start with the first incident, okay?

134. The three men who accosted you on the subway, who bullied you,

135. did it feel like they triggered something painful?

136. From your past? Your childhood?

137. Do you remember any of what happened?

138. Did you... black out?

139. See bright lights?

140. Mm...

141. Okay.

142. How about Murray Franklin?

143. What, if anything, do you remember about that night?

144. The music.

145. That's good. Arthur, that is good.

146. Can I tell you what I remember about that night?

147. I remember you came out dressed as Joker.

148. And I remember Joker was dancing to that music.

149. Right?

150. I really liked his band.

151. My mom and I u— used to watch the show together.

152. She liked Murray Franklin as well?

153. "He's so handsome.

154. Look at those sparkling white teeth."

155. Is that your mother's voice?

156. Mm.

157. Do you often hear her voice in your head?

158. All the time.

159. Did it change at all after she died?

160. What does that mean?

161. Did you...

162. this other part of you...

163. Joker...

164. Did it come out more after she died?

165. You lived together, right? In a one-bedroom apartment?

166. Maybe I could talk to Joker about it.

167. Would he like to talk to me?

168. Hey, Arthur.

169. Arthur.

170. I mean, he'll do anything. Anything.

171. The guards said you wanted to show me how to kiss.

172. But they said Joker's a really good kisser.

173. Nobody's ever gave me a kiss before.

174. Twenty bucks says he chokes him.

175. There you go.

176. Ricky don't know what hit him.

177. There was no hesitation.

178. Yeah, yeah.

179. Kinda like...

180. I gotta be honest with you, Arthur.

181. I wouldn't have took you for a hopeless romantic.

182. Can I have a cigarette?

183. Why not.

184. Oh, no, no, no. What are you doing?

185. He doesn't get a cigarette unless he tells a joke.

186. No, come on. He still makes us laugh, doesn't he?

187. Barely.

188. Hey.

189. Remember that music class we saw?

190. The other day? B Ward?

191. Remember, with all the singing?

192. I got you in. We're going next week.

193. Bullshit.

194. - The fuck you do that for? - Eh, eh. No, no.

195. Went and saw Kellerman, I said...

196. you've been good. You deserve it.

197. The hell is he thinking?

198. Yeah.

199. He knows he can get some good press for it.

200. Plus, I told him I'd go along with him.

201. Oh, ho, there it is.

202. That explains it.

203. Count! Let's go.

204. Line up by two.

205. Ricky. Come on, Romeo, line 'em up.

206. Let's go. Twos. Line up by twos.

207. Come on, let's go.

208. Are you being serious?

209. I am being serious.

210. On the Bible.

211. Wasn't that hard, either.

212. Ever since they made that TV movie about you,

213. everybody still thinks you're a star.

214. How about you, Arthur?

215. Do you still think you're a star?

216. I bet you do, don't you?

217. All right, Arthur.

218. Come on, let's go.

219. Get out of bed.

220. Anderson, come on, let's go.

221. Clifford, what the fuck.

222. Let's go, boys, it's showtime.

223. Wakey-wakey!

224. - Move. Let's go. - Get up.

225. Hey, come on. Let's go.

226. Look at you, Arthur.

227. Shot out of a cannon this morning.

228. All right, move it!

229. Hope they'll let me sing.

230. Hold it, hold it. Hold it...

231. Group, I want you to welcome Arthur Fleck.

232. Now, I know it's odd to have an inmate from E Ward in here,

233. but I have been assured he's been a model patient

234. without any incidents.

235. I know this might feel strange, Mr. Fleck, a new environment.

236. You see, we use music in this class to make us whole,

237. to balance the conflicting forces, the...

238. the fractures within ourselves.

239. All I ask is that you sing,

240. if and when you're ready to sing.

241. Okay, let's go.

242. How about this one? Try this.

243. No, no, no, I can't really. Look, I don't know it.

244. Okay. Um...

245. Oh, this one.

246. Is it really you?

247. - Yeah, yeah, yeah. - Yeah? Great.

248. I'll give that one a go. Yeah, yeah, C.

249. Excellent. That's it.

250. My name's Lee.

251. Hi.

252. I'm Arthur.

253. I know.

254. So, what's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?

255. I killed five people.

256. One live on national television.

257. What about you?

258. I set fire to my parents' apartment building.

259. Actually...

260. it was six.

261. Nobody knows, but also I killed my mother.

262. I should have done that.

263. My mother had me committed.

264. She says I'm psychotic.

265. You know, I must've watched that TV movie

266. they made about you, like, 20 times.

267. Yeah. Was it good?

268. They won't let me watch it.

269. It was good.

270. It was really good.

271. I grew up in the same neighborhood.

272. Me and my friends used to take that staircase

273. to school every day.

274. My parents didn't give a fuck about me either.

275. My father beat the shit out of me.

276. Well, guess what?

277. "Knock, knock."

278. "Sorry, kid, your dad was killed in a car accident."

279. Sorry. That's not funny.

280. If only those friends could see me now.

281. When I first saw Joker,

282. when I saw you on Murray Franklin,

283. the whole time I was watching, I kept thinking,

284. "I hope this guy blows his brains out."

285. And then you did.

286. And for once in my life, I didn't feel so alone anymore.

287. Hey, Jackie.

288. You wanna know what I regret most

289. from being on The Murray Franklin Show?

290. What's that?

291. That I didn't shoot first and let him ask me questions later.

292. That a joke, Arthur?

293. Yeah.

294. All it took was you getting a little old fashioned.

295. Thanks, pal.

296. Let's get your medication.

297. Not guilty by reason of insanity

298. makes no sense in this case.

299. He murdered five innocent people.

300. - His depraved acts of violence... - Hey, Fleck.

301. - You're on the news. - ... admired by his followers,

302. not only in our city, but all over the country.

303. Vandalism, arson...

304. The judge says you're competent to stand trial.

305. I fucking knew it.

306. And they are still willing to commit acts of violence

307. in his name.

308. Now, these people, they believe Arthur Fleck

309. to be some kind of... martyr.

310. Well, he's not.

311. Arthur Fleck is a monster,

312. who knew exactly what he was doing.

313. - Yep. - Hear, hear.

314. And our office will be seeking the death penalty.

315. Thank you, we'll be taking no questions today.

316. Shit, bro.

317. You hear that, Fleck? The death penalty.

318. They're gonna fry you, Artie.

319. How does that feel?

320. Tell 'em!

321. Go, Arthur.

322. Go, man.

323. Answer him, Arthur.

324. How's it make you feel? You scared?

325. Yeah, tell 'em!

326. No, you cannot give any statements to the press,

327. even if Kellerman asked you to.

328. You know they've been out there all week.

329. To see me.

330. They wanna talk to me.

331. Hey, Fleck.

332. - I told you before, I set up... - Could you sign my book?

333. an exclusive interview next month, right before trial.

334. Okay, but Kellerman asked me to make a statement now.

335. He's letting me go to this movie tonight.

336. - You know, like a normal person. - What movie?

337. What are you talking about?

338. Come on, Arthur.

339. Okay. Um...

340. - Yeah, I'm sorry. I have to go. - Arthur, I told you—

341. Okay, let's move it.

342. Hang on, Jackie. He's signing my book.

343. Make it quick, Arthur.

344. I don't want to miss the beginning.

345. Gonna be worth a fortune when they fry his ass.

346. Easy, now.

347. Let's go.

348. Musical. Musical.

349. I'm sick of these artificial barriers

350. between the musical and the drama.

351. Well, then you certainly don't need me.

352. Yes, we do.

353. Because you can be greater than you ever were.

354. We are going to make you explode on the theater scene

355. like a sky rocket.

356. Not just the old trademark

357. with the top hat, tie and tails, but a great artist

358. - at the peak of his powers. - Let's get outta here.

359. The new Tony Hunter.

360. - Tony Hunter, 1953. - I can't.

361. They'll shoot me.

362. Come on. You already know how this is gonna end.

363. - Everything's gonna work out. - Shhh...

364. Well, what do you think I am? What do you think they are?

365. What do you think the theater is?

366. It's all entertainment.

367. Believe me, there is no difference

368. between the magic rhythms

369. of Bill Robinson's immortal feet and—

370. You said that before.

371. All right, all right.

372. Well, what did Bill Robinson do?

373. He danced on the stairs, didn't he?

374. Now, I happened to play Oedipus the King on the same stairs.

375. What's the difference? We're all theater.

376. Show me the lowest red nose comic in burlesque,

377. and I'll show you an entertainer.

378. We're all enter—

379. You're gonna miss the song.

380. Fire!

381. Don't panic.

382. Easy, easy. Calm down.

383. Arthur, let's go.

384. Arthur, right now!

385. Slow down, one at a time.

386. Come on, let's go. Go!

387. Did... Did you do that?

388. I told you I wanted to get outta there.

389. Are you crazy?

390. Oh, fuck.

391. Come on, this way.

392. - They're coming. - Come on, let's go.

393. See, isn't this more fun than a movie?

394. Whoo!

395. Let's go.

396. Get the fuck off me!

397. You fucker!

398. Keep laughing, asshole.

399. Last one down on the left.

400. You wanna play games on my watch, Arthur?

401. Two weeks in the hole.

402. Enjoy your stay.

403. There's my guy.

404. Are you really here?

405. Yeah.

406. One of the guards let me in.

407. I'd do anything for you.

408. But we don't have a lot of time. Come here.

409. What?

410. Come on. Can you get up?

411. Come into the light.

412. They're sending me home.

413. What? Why?

414. They're saying you're a bad influence on me.

415. What?

416. This is gonna be good for us.

417. Now, I can be at your trial every day.

418. I can see you every day until you get out.

419. And then what?

420. We're gonna build a mountain.

421. Wait, wait.

422. You brought make-up.

423. I want to see the real you.

424. Look what they did to you.

425. It's just us now.

426. You need to stop taking your medication.

427. I already have.

428. Can you do it?

429. Yeah.

430. What's he gonna ask me about?

431. Besides... you know.

432. Well, hopefully, about your life in here,

433. and what the conditions are really like in this place.

434. He might ask you about Lee.

435. She's been out there giving a lot of interviews about you.

436. And about herself.

437. Good.

438. You know, I love her.

439. She gets me.

440. Two minutes. Paddy's ready.

441. Arthur.

442. This is a chance for you to show a different side of yourself.

443. So the public can see who you really are.

444. And I don't think you should smoke.

445. I think it makes you look cavalier.

446. Okay.

447. We need to use this time

448. to show people that you're human.

449. They need to understand you were sick. Delusional.

450. Mm-hm.

451. You're not Joker. You're Arthur Fleck.

452. Hm?

453. Don't worry. You're gonna be great.

454. Arthur.

455. Are you okay? It's—

456. It's not too late to cancel.

457. So, uh... you want me to call you Arthur or The Joker?

458. Mr. Meyers, you know we have an agreement.

459. You can't call him "Joker."

460. It's Arthur. Arthur Fleck.

461. When you're ready, Paddy.

462. She has to leave now.

463. You can watch from behind the glass,

464. but you can't be in here.

465. Just be yourself.

466. - We rolling? - Rolling.

467. Cameras up.

468. Two years ago, the name Arthur Fleck

469. hit Gotham like a hurricane.

470. An unassuming part-time party clown

471. and struggling stand-up comic,

472. Fleck committed five horrific murders

473. in the span of just four weeks.

474. And now, with hundreds already lining up to get a seat

475. at one of the first trials ever broadcast live on TV,

476. Arthur Fleck, The Joker,

477. is sitting down for his first interview

478. since that infamous night on Murray Franklin.

479. And yes, we all know how that turned out.

480. Arthur Fleck, welcome.

481. Hello.

482. Take me back to that night onstage with Murray Franklin.

483. What was going through your mind...

484. when you pulled out that gun and blew his brains out?

485. Well, Paddy, um...

486. I was going through a lot back then. Um...

487. I don't really remember much from that night. I, uh...

488. blacked out, I saw bright lights.

489. I was having a hard time

490. knowing the difference between what was real or not.

491. Oh, please.

492. You did it on live TV, pal.

493. Doesn't get any more real than that.

494. Paddy, all I remember from that night

495. is I was gonna kill myself.

496. On television.

497. I thought Murray was playing a part in my show.

498. But he was a bad actor.

499. So he got what he deserved.

500. Your last joke, if we can call it a joke,

501. "You get what you bleeping deserve."

502. That's what you said.

503. That's not fun, that's not funny.

504. You're right, I... I should have told a better one.

505. You're trying to be funny now?

506. No.

507. Do you deserve to die?

508. The DA is calling for the death penalty.

509. You just said that you wanted to kill yourself on TV.

510. So, tell us...

511. you still wanna die?

512. Well, at the time, it certainly seemed a lot easier than living.

513. Um, but that's... that's not me anymore.

514. That's not...

515. That's not who I am.

516. That wasn't really you.

517. No, that's not right.

518. Let me get this straight.

519. - That's not what I meant. - So your defense is,

520. "It was The Joker who did it."

521. - An insanity defense. - Okay, I don't—

522. I don't know about a defense.

523. That this alternate personality,

524. this killer clown in you killed Murray.

525. Who am I speaking to now? Which one of you is here?

526. The poor, low IQ Arthur Fleck?

527. Or The Joker, who goaded a bunch of no-good punks—

528. Do you really care?

529. You don't.

530. You're just like Murray.

531. You're just like everyone. You want sensationalism.

532. You don't care about...

533. You just wanna talk about my mistakes.

534. You wanna talk about the things that I did in the past.

535. Not about who I am now.

536. Not how I'm different now.

537. That's what we should be talking about, Paddy.

538. Okay, okay.

539. - We should take a break. - We're not taking a break.

540. All right.

541. Okay, so, tell us... what's changed, Arthur?

542. Well, I'll tell you what's changed, Paddy.

543. I'm not alone anymore.

544. Right.

545. The girl who was singing. The night you tried to escape.

546. We weren't trying to escape.

547. Miss Harley Quinzel.

548. You two put on quite a performance that night.

549. Aww...

550. She's really something, isn't she?

551. You tell me.

552. I mean, don't you think it's all...

553. don't you think it's a little too much?

554. A little much?

555. We'll be back with more of Arthur Fleck

556. after a word from our sponsors.

557. The murder trial of Arthur Fleck

558. will begin today.

559. Assistant DA, Harvey Dent,

560. is preparing his opening remarks

561. in what some are calling, "The Trial of the Century."

562. After months of protests,

563. police will be on high alert, closing surrounding streets,

564. and setting up barricades for crowds

565. that could reach in the thousands.

566. If you ask me, this is what you get

567. when there's a complete breakdown of social services.

568. And don't get me started on this media frenzy.

569. All right, Denise, you're on the air.

570. Thank you for taking my call. Enough is enough.

571. This idiot doesn't deserve a trial.

572. He should be sent straight to the chair.

573. An example should be made out of him.

574. Coming in.

575. Okay. Showtime.

576. Shh! Shh! There he is.

577. Arthur Fleck...

578. Hey, shut the fuck up.

579. Arthur.

580. Milligan.

581. Arthur.

582. I'll split your head open.

583. Yeah, Arthur.

584. He's looking good.

585. All rise.

586. This court is now in session.

587. The Honorable Judge Herman Rothwax is presiding.

588. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

589. Please be seated.

590. William, please invite the jury in.

591. Are you all right, Mr. Fleck?

592. Everything okay?

593. Yes, Your Majesty. I'm just looking for someone.

594. Please, Mr. Fleck, sit down.

595. I realize there's a lot going on.

596. But this is still a court of law.

597. Any and all outbursts will not be tolerated.

598. And that applies to everyone in this courtroom.

599. Sidney, please call the case.

600. The People of the State of New York

601. versus Arthur Fleck.

602. Case number GC071963.

603. It's my view that there is absolutely no evidence

604. that Arthur Fleck suffers from multiple personality disorder.

605. Or that he ever behaved in the role of "Joker,"

606. as a separate personality dissociated from himself.

607. Doctor, in your opinion,

608. concerning the work you did on this case,

609. do you believe Mr. Fleck suffers from a mental disease or defect?

610. No. In my opinion,

611. he's not psychotic or unable to test reality.

612. I think he was sane when he committed these crimes.

613. In fact, I believe he fakes his mental illness.

614. Quiet.

615. And... if he's, uh...

616. faking it, as you say,

617. then what is your opinion

618. on the defendant's mental condition?

619. I believe he has four relatively minor

620. and quite common mental disorders

621. that involve long-standing sadness,

622. narcissistic self-centeredness, friendlessness,

623. an indifference to the feelings of others.

624. This is a very disturbed individual.

625. But I can't give you any kind of psychiatric defense for him.

626. Thank you, Doctor Liu.

627. Nothing further, Your Honor.

628. Your witness, Ms. Stewart.

629. Thank you.

630. Doctor Liu, good morning.

631. Morning.

632. How long did you interview Arthur Fleck for?

633. About two hours.

634. About two hours.

635. It was actually 89 minutes.

636. Tell me, how can you say for certain,

637. that Arthur isn't mentally ill?

638. How can you be so sure after just 89 minutes,

639. that this "Joker"

640. isn't a distinctly separate and split personality from him?

641. That that's not who he is.

642. Well, I also reviewed all the test results.

643. Psychological tests, neurological and medical tests.

644. And in my view, it's just a performance.

645. Did you read the records

646. from the Department of Social Services...

647. that show that when Arthur was seven years old,

648. they returned him to his abuser's home?

649. His mother's home.

650. I did, yes.

651. And when you interviewed him for 89 minutes,

652. did you ask him why Social Services

653. didn't believe the horrific stories

654. a seven-year-old boy told them

655. about the physical and sexual abuse he suffered?

656. No, I... I didn't ask him about that.

657. Hmm.

658. So you want us to believe,

659. that after spending just 89 minutes with Arthur Fleck,

660. and reading through his records and tests

661. from the same government agencies that abandoned him,

662. you want us to believe

663. that you can say with absolute certainty

664. that Arthur doesn't suffer from any serious mental illness?

665. That he didn't need to retreat into fantasy

666. and create another identity

667. to protect that scared, vulnerable, seven-year-old boy

668. from all the trauma and abuse he suffered?

669. And that that identity didn't come out again,

670. when he was attacked and tormented

671. by three drunk bullies on the subway?

672. "After I woke up this morning,

673. I thought, 'Murray, Murray, Murray.'

674. And then there's Murray.

675. Funny, right?

676. Then I remember Sophie.

677. - I had anoth—" - Objection. Your Honor...

678. Again, my client's personal diary is privileged.

679. Overruled.

680. Again, as long as Mrs. Kane limits her comments

681. to Mr. Fleck's journals—

682. But these are my own personal private jokes.

683. They weren't meant to be read out loud.

684. Mr. Fleck. Quiet!

685. These are your words she's reading.

686. And it's up to the jury

687. to determine what to make of them.

688. Please proceed.

689. Ms. Kane, please continue reading

690. from the, uh... the highlighted portion.

691. "Then I remember Sophie.

692. Had another dream about her. Forgot it.

693. I almost never dream.

694. What do I gotta do to remember?"

695. That's Sophie Dumond, Mr. Fleck's neighbor,

696. whom he was obsessed with.

697. What was that date?

698. November 17.

699. Let the record show,

700. November 17th is the day that Mr. Fleck

701. stabbed Randall Kleinmanhoffer to death.

702. The very same day that he shot and killed Murray Franklin.

703. Now, I know it's not your area of expertise,

704. but you have read all of

705. Mr. Fleck's journal before, correct?

706. Yes, I have.

707. And in your opinion,

708. does this sound like a different voice?

709. Like a different, uh... personality wrote this?

710. No, it sounds like Arthur.

711. Go on.

712. He often wrote about his fantasies.

713. And... the... women he had imaginary relationships with.

714. And of course, his jokes.

715. There were always a lot of... these...

716. these unfunny jokes.

717. She's just a social worker.

718. I don't think she's even qualified—

719. You know, you're making him out to be a fucking idiot in there.

720. He's never gonna get out if you keep this shit up.

721. Ask her why she has me sitting so far away from him.

722. Let's not do this here. Please?

723. Do you see all those people out front?

724. Who do you think they're here for?

725. How many T-shirts is Arthur Fleck on?

726. How many signs?

727. It's the Trial of the Century

728. and she doesn't even know who her own client is.

729. - What do you mean by that? - Can't you see how sick he is?

730. How much help he needs?

731. He's not sick.

732. He's perfect.

733. You don't really think he's just gonna

734. walk out of here, do you?

735. Yeah, he's gonna walk right outta here.

736. - With me by his side. - And then what?

737. Any further statements?

738. And then we're gonna build a mountain.

739. - A what? - From a little hill.

740. What does that even mean?

741. - Are you going to get married? - Move!

742. You're not listening.

743. We can win this case, and she's gonna fuck it all up.

744. No, you're not listening.

745. Lee's looking out for me.

746. She understands what I've been through.

747. What are you talking about?

748. We're from the same neighborhood.

749. She lost her father. You know... her mom was awful to her.

750. She had her committed.

751. So just give her a break.

752. Okay, Lee cares about you, sure.

753. I know.

754. But she didn't grow up in your neighborhood.

755. She lives on the Upper West Side with her parents.

756. Her father is not dead, he's a doctor.

757. She voluntarily committed herself

758. to the hospital,

759. and then just checked herself out

760. when she wanted to.

761. She didn't check herself out.

762. Arthur.

763. I was a bad influence on her, so they separated us.

764. Did she mention she went to grad school for psychiatry?

765. You wouldn't get it.

766. My point is she's playing you for a fool.

767. I'm sorry, I just—

768. I know what it's like to love somebody.

769. But I don't think you can believe a word she says.

770. From NCB Studios in Gotham City.

771. Ladies and gentlemen, it'sThe Joker and Harley Show.

772. What happened?

773. Well, you weren't even looking at me anymore.

774. You were making it all about yourself.

775. And the song...

776. is about loving me!

777. Now look who's making it all about themselves.

778. Oh...

779. So you're saying it's not about us?

780. It is, but we're singing for them.

781. That's why we're here, honey.

782. Oh! 'Cause I got this sneaking suspicion

783. that we're not giving the people what they want.

784. It's okay baby, you're right.

785. Let's give the people what they want.

786. Music. Let's take it from the top.

787. Is the honeymoon over?

788. What?

789. Why'd you— Why'd you do that?

790. Pew!

791. Pew!

792. - Get Healey. - Pew!

793. Ba-room!

794. Well, look at you.

795. Couple of weeks back on TV and already acting like you own the joint.

796. What the fuck are you two doing sitting on our bleachers?

797. Who said they're your bleachers?

798. Ricky, what the fuck has gotten into you?

799. You heard me. Up.

800. Guess who I just saw out front?

801. Your little lady friend.

802. All right, enough. Get up, both of you.

803. Hey, Fleck, you got a visitor.

804. See, Arthur? What'd I tell ya?

805. Move it!

806. Every day, this asshole.

807. You're a real fucking whack job, Fleck.

808. Uh-uh!

809. Hey.

810. Five minutes.

811. How are you holding up?

812. Is everything okay?

813. Did you— Did you lie to me?

814. Sure.

815. I mean, everybody lies a little.

816. And you're not from the same neighborhood as me?

817. And your... your dad's a doctor?

818. You're rich?

819. I just wanted you to like me.

820. Did you really check yourself in here?

821. Yeah.

822. That's crazy.

823. Just... because you wanted to meet me?

824. Just to meet you.

825. You could have just wrote me a letter.

826. And said what? I'm nobody.

827. I haven't done anything with my life like you have.

828. Did you really watch that TV movie

829. they made about me 20 times?

830. Um... probably more like four or five.

831. Was it actually good, or did you lie about that too?

832. It was great.

833. My lawyer... says you're playing me for a fool.

834. I'm no fool.

835. Can't you see what she's doing?

836. They're laughing at you in there.

837. She doesn't care about you.

838. I do.

839. Do you know I moved into your old apartment building

840. to make us a home for when you get out?

841. Did your lawyer tell you that?

842. You did?

843. I don't want to live there.

844. I'm pregnant.

845. What?

846. R-Really?

847. Did you think he was gonna hurt you?

848. Or your daughter?

849. I did, yes.

850. You believed he was dangerous.

851. Well, he broke into my apartment.

852. You call the police?

853. No.

854. His mother told me, uh...

855. that he'd had problems his whole life, but that he...

856. wouldn't hurt a fly.

857. And...

858. was the man who broke into your apartment that night,

859. was he different in any way from the Arthur Fleck you knew?

860. I didn't really know him.

861. I saw him in the lobby, the elevator a few times.

862. Like I said, I knew his mother a little bit.

863. She was really sweet to my daughter.

864. And Ms. Dumond,

865. why is it that you didn't want to come here and testify today?

866. And why did you initially ignore our subpoenas?

867. Well, after Arthur did what he did,

868. the press wanted to talk to me about it.

869. And then I was a character

870. in that awful TV movie they made, and...

871. - It was awful? - Then all these people...

872. No.

873. supporters, I guess, like the people outside,

874. started showing up at my work and harassing me,

875. blaming me for what happened to Arthur.

876. So I was afraid for my safety and for my daughter's safety.

877. We moved out of the city.

878. Well, then why did you finally decide to comply?

879. Because I should have called the police that night.

880. Then maybe all those people wouldn't have been...

881. Maybe they wouldn't be dead now if I did.

882. Thank you. No more questions.

883. Your witness, Ms. Stewart.

884. Ms. Dumond.

885. What happened after you asked Arthur

886. to leave your apartment that night?

887. He told me he was having a bad day. And then he left.

888. So, he never hurt or even threatened

889. you or your daughter?

890. No.

891. And did you watch him on TV on Murray Franklin the following week?

892. I did.

893. And did that seem like the same man

894. who was sitting in your apartment that night?

895. Did he sound the same or even look the same?

896. No, I mean, he was... he was wearing clown make-up.

897. And while Arthur's mother

898. was being so sweet to your daughter,

899. what was she telling you about her own son?

900. Um...

901. She told me that there was something wrong with Arthur,

902. and that he lived in a fantasy world

903. and that he had this laugh.

904. She told you it was a "dumb laugh."

905. That's what she called it.

906. "His dumb laugh."

907. Yes.

908. What else did she tell you?

909. That she made up a story, when he was a kid.

910. So that he would feel better about it.

911. So that he would stop crying,

912. so that he wouldn't kill himself.

913. What was the story?

914. That he was put on this earth to bring joy.

915. Something like that. It's why she called him "Happy."

916. And?

917. And she...

918. couldn't believe that he based his whole life

919. around this made-up story.

920. He was a street clown, and he wanted to be a comedian.

921. She made fun of him for doing that?

922. She just thought it was ridiculous

923. that he thought he could make people laugh.

924. I mean, she said Arthur wasn't funny at all.

925. Did she tell you that he had been

926. in and out of institutions his whole life?

927. Yes.

928. Did she say anything else about him?

929. Yeah.

930. That he had never had a girlfriend

931. and she thought he was probably a virgin.

932. I can't do this.

933. Oh! I can't do this anymore!

934. Your Honor, may I approach the bench, please?

935. No, you may not.

936. I want to fire my lawyer.

937. It's about time!

938. Excuse me?

939. I'd like to represent myself.

940. You're fired.

941. Arthur, don't do this. This is real.

942. You'd better believe it's real.

943. I want order in my court. Order!

944. Bailiff! Take Mr. Fleck to his holding cell!

945. Order!

946. I want to see all counsel in my chambers immediately!

947. This way? Thank you.

948. Hey, no touching.

949. I'm so fucking proud of you.

950. You should see it out there. They're all going crazy for you.

951. You did it.

952. I know, but maybe I should read a law book or something.

953. You know I never went to high school?

954. I said, no touching.

955. You can do anything you want.

956. You're Joker.

957. Good evening, it's 48 degrees at 6:00

958. on this Wednesday, November 8th.

959. I'm Stan L. Brooks and here's what's happening.

960. Shocking developments at the trial

961. of Arthur Fleck downtown today.

962. Fleck, the accused killer, also known as Joker,

963. interrupted testimony

964. and fired his lawyer Maryanne Stewart in open court.

965. Then he kissed her goodbye.

966. Afterwards, Fleck was extensively questioned

967. by Judge Herman Rothwax.

968. The right of self-representation

969. is not a license to abuse the dignity of the courtroom.

970. Can you control your emotions, Mr. Fleck?

971. Yes, sir.

972. Judge Rothwax reluctantly

973. approved Fleck's request to represent himself,

974. as long as he agreed to stand-by counsel.

975. A decision that both Fleck's now former attorney,

976. Maryanne Stewart and Assistant DA, Harvey Dent

977. disagree with.

978. It's really tragic.

979. Arthur believes he has all of these supporters,

980. but they don't care about him.

981. They care about Joker.

982. He's not dealing with reality.

983. He's mentally ill.

984. If we could have just convinced him of that

985. then we would have won this case.

986. Fleck knows what he's doing.

987. He knows he's losing.

988. We cannot forget that he's evil.

989. This is all just part of his plan.

990. The Arthur Fleck trial will resume on Monday morning.

991. In other news, Mayor Thorndike...

992. There he is.

993. All right, calm down, everybody.

994. Hey, shut the fuck up!

995. Sit down. Sit down.

996. - Fleck, get off. Arthur! - Yeah, Arthur!

997. Hey, come on. Get off the table.

998. Get down, Arthur.

999. Ricky! Get the fuck down.

1000. Get the fuck down when I tell ya.

1001. Finish your fucking dinner.

1002. Sit down!

1003. - Calm it down. - All right, show's over.

1004. Calm down.

1005. Sit the fuck down!

1006. I'll crack your skull open.

1007. After reviewing all the case law that offers precedent,

1008. Jensen v. Superior Court being the most relevant,

1009. I have reluctantly decided

1010. that Mr. Fleck does have the right

1011. as an attorney, to dress himself how he likes...

1012. as long as he doesn't cause disorder

1013. or interfere with the functioning of the Court.

1014. I will not allow this proceeding

1015. to become as unruly as it is outside.

1016. And I will not let you

1017. turn this into any more of a circus

1018. than you already have.

1019. Thank you.

1020. Mr. Dent, call your next witness.

1021. The State calls Gary Puddles.

1022. Bailiff?

1023. Will you please escort Mr. Puddles to the stand?

1024. Gary.

1025. Go get 'em.

1026. Please raise your right hand.

1027. Do you solemnly swear that the testimony

1028. you're about to give is the whole truth

1029. and nothing but the truth, so help you God?

1030. I do.

1031. Good morning, Mr. Puddles.

1032. Thank you for being here.

1033. So one last question, sir.

1034. The person who you saw

1035. stab Randall Kleinmanhoffer to death,

1036. are they in this courtroom here today?

1037. Yes.

1038. Can you point him out to all of us?

1039. And... describe his clothing?

1040. He's... He's sitting right there at the table.

1041. Wearing a red suit and clown make-up.

1042. May the record reflect

1043. the identification of the accused, Your Honor?

1044. Yes, it will.

1045. Nothing further, Your Honor.

1046. Your witness, Mr. Fleck.

1047. Mr. Puddles.

1048. Gary Puddles?

1049. Tell me, sir, is that your God-given name?

1050. Yes.

1051. Really?

1052. Really? Your last name is Puddles?

1053. Why, it sounds like a... a joke.

1054. Well, it's not.

1055. You expect us to believe that your last name is Puddles?

1056. Puddles?

1057. Mr. Fleck, where is this going?

1058. As I said, I'm not gonna let you turn my courtroom into a circus.

1059. Okay.

1060. But, um, with all due respect, Your Honor,

1061. don't you think it's a little late for that?

1062. - Don't try my patience. - Okay. Okay.

1063. Mr. Puddles...

1064. earlier this afternoon you testified

1065. that you saw me stab Mr. Kliman Manhoff

1066. in the neck a couple of times. Correct?

1067. Kleinmanhoffer.

1068. Yes, I saw you.

1069. Mm.

1070. And what else did you see that day?

1071. You stabbing him in the eye,

1072. and bashing his head into the wall,

1073. many, many times.

1074. Yes, but, uh, Randall was a bit of a bully, wasn't he?

1075. He didn't deserve to die.

1076. I don't know.

1077. Eh, never mind.

1078. Gary, did you catch my act

1079. on The Murray Franklin Show later that night?

1080. No, I didn't.

1081. No?

1082. Might I remind you that you are under oath?

1083. I was locked up at the police station.

1084. In an interview room.

1085. 'Cause they thought you might come and kill me.

1086. I was the only witness.

1087. They kept me in there all night.

1088. Isn't that convenient, Mr. Puddles?

1089. That you didn't see the show, you didn't see anything I had to say,

1090. I can't believe it!

1091. Mr. Fleck.

1092. Okay.

1093. Uh, when you were in my mama's apartment,

1094. God rest her soul,

1095. when, as you say, you saw me bash Mr. Klannonmen—

1096. whatever's— head into the wall, "many, many times,"

1097. did I seem crazy to you?

1098. Did I seem like a different person?

1099. Or was I the same old Joker that I always been?

1100. Arthur, don't do this to yourself, it isn't you.

1101. It isn't me? So you don't think this is me?

1102. Well, maybe... maybe... you don't know who I really was.

1103. I never saw that side of you.

1104. Well, maybe you weren't looking.

1105. Maybe no one was.

1106. Because nobody knew I existed.

1107. But look around, look at all these people.

1108. Everyone outside. These cameras.

1109. Who do you think they see, Mr. Puddles?

1110. Joker.

1111. Oh, sweet child,

1112. what you have proven here today, is that you are no different

1113. than any of those people that underestimated me.

1114. From Murray Franklin,

1115. to those goddamn fat, stupid guards at Arkham.

1116. They think that they can treat me like trash.

1117. But I will no longer allow you,

1118. or you, or you,

1119. or any of you to keep me down.

1120. I am free!

1121. Why are you doing this to me, Arthur?

1122. What?

1123. Gary, I like you.

1124. I told you I wouldn't hurt you, and I didn't.

1125. Not hurt me?

1126. I couldn't go back to work.

1127. I still can't sleep, and I'm scared all the time.

1128. I never used to be scared.

1129. I'm scared right now, here. With you in front of me.

1130. I couldn't do anything that day.

1131. I felt so small.

1132. I was reminded how powerless I really am.

1133. Oh... you got a flair for the dramatic.

1134. You are tugging at my heart strings, little Gary.

1135. No more— no more questions, Your Honor.

1136. Do you know what that feels like, Arthur?

1137. Oh, fuck!

1138. You were the only one at work who never made fun of me.

1139. You were the only one that was nice to me.

1140. I said, no more questions, Your Honor!

1141. Very well, Mr. Puddles.

1142. The court thanks you for your testimony.

1143. Please step down, you're excused.

1144. Mr. Dent, call your next witness.

1145. We're not calling any more witnesses, Your Honor.

1146. That is the State's case.

1147. The State rests.

1148. Very well.

1149. All right, Mr. Fleck,

1150. at this point, you may mount your defense.

1151. The defense rests as well, Your Honor.

1152. Pardon?

1153. Mr. Fleck, you don't want to put on any defense?

1154. No, Your Honor. The defense rests.

1155. "Th-Th-Th-That's all folks."

1156. All right, all right.

1157. All right.

1158. That's enough! This is a court of law!

1159. With both sides having rested,

1160. this court will recess until tomorrow morning at 9:30.

1161. You made our case for us, you fucking idiot!

1162. You're gonna fry for killing my son!

1163. Burn in hell!

1164. Anything you want to say?

1165. Arthur, will you be convicted?

1166. Arthur, over here.

1167. Let's see that smile.

1168. Where do you think you stand, Arthur?

1169. What are you gonna do if they let you off?

1170. Do you?

1171. I do.

1172. And you?

1173. I told him, "I'm not dealing with those days."

1174. I'm only working four of these days.

1175. Good for you.

1176. Joe, how goes it?

1177. You know, same old bullshit.

1178. Joker.

1179. How's Kathy?

1180. Is that really him?

1181. Still busting my balls.

1182. Yeah, they always do.

1183. Yep.

1184. See you fellas in the morning.

1185. Give 'em hell, man.

1186. Uh-oh.

1187. I'm in trouble.

1188. What?

1189. Move.

1190. Easy, darling.

1191. Why is everyone so upset with me?

1192. Move your ass.

1193. Come on, Arthur.

1194. I'm an attorney now!

1195. - I will see you in court. - Shut the fuck up.

1196. And I'm the fucking Queen of Sheba.

1197. I'm gonna fucking murder you.

1198. Yeah?

1199. Get up!

1200. Grab his legs, Mac.

1201. Let's go.

1202. Had to go and be a big shot on TV.

1203. I think he knocked himself out.

1204. Motherfucker.

1205. Stand him up.

1206. All right, I get it. I get it, Jackie.

1207. You wanna— You wanna hear a joke, right?

1208. You really think...

1209. fancy red suit

1210. and muck on your face makes you better than us?

1211. You have no fucking idea what it takes,

1212. put a little bit of joy into this fucking place.

1213. Let me tell you one I used to do about my mother.

1214. You can drop the act now.

1215. - My mother was... - Because we know

1216. it's only Arthur in there, okay?

1217. And she only dated abusive guys.

1218. Yeah, is that right?

1219. And, I asked her, I said,

1220. "Mom, why do you stay with your abusive boyfriend?"

1221. And she said...

1222. "Beats the hell out of me."

1223. I told you to drop it.

1224. Oh, he liked it!

1225. Oh, Jackie...

1226. aren't you gonna buy me a drink first?

1227. Let's go, let's go.

1228. - Let's fucking go! - No!

1229. - Get the fuck in there! - No!

1230. - Let go! - Get that fucking jacket off.

1231. Shut the fuck up.

1232. Get his fucking rags off.

1233. Jackie!

1234. No! No!

1235. Arthur!

1236. Mind your business, Bullock!

1237. What'd you do to him?

1238. Shut the fuck up, Ricky!

1239. What happened, Arthur?

1240. The saints are coming, Jackie!

1241. The saints are coming!

1242. Shut the fuck up!

1243. Get him fucking out of there!

1244. No, no! No!

1245. Come here, damn it.

1246. Fucking coming now, are they?

1247. Fucking asshole.

1248. Are they coming now?

1249. Ease up, Jackie. Let him go, he can't breathe.

1250. I told you to shut the fuck up.

1251. Leave him alone.

1252. Shut... the fuck...

1253. - Jackie, take it easy. - ... up!

1254. He's gone.

1255. Mr. Fleck, your closing statement.

1256. A word of caution. This is not a comedy club.

1257. You are not onstage.

1258. Excuse me.

1259. Do you need a short recess, sir?

1260. I... I wanted to come out here as Joker.

1261. And I was gonna go on a... an angry rant.

1262. And blame all of you,

1263. and everyone...

1264. for this fucking miserable life.

1265. But it wouldn't matter,

1266. because I can't do this anymore.

1267. 'Cause I can't be who you want me to be.

1268. It was all just a fantasy.

1269. There is no Joker.

1270. It's just me.

1271. I-I killed six people.

1272. I wish I didn't, but I did.

1273. Nobody knows, but... I also killed my mother.

1274. Put a... pillow over her face, and smothered her to death.

1275. I just wanna...

1276. I just wanna blow it all up,

1277. and start a new life.

1278. Settle down.

1279. Knock... knock.

1280. Who's there?

1281. Arthur Fleck.

1282. Arthur Fleck who?

1283. Hey, it's Harley, leave a message at the beep.

1284. Unless you're a reporter,

1285. in which case you can just fuck off.

1286. Thanks.

1287. Hi, it's me. Arthur.

1288. The jury has already come back with a verdict.

1289. Took 'em less than an hour.

1290. So, you know.

1291. But they let me call you to see if you'd come back,

1292. 'cause I want you here.

1293. I didn't want you to go.

1294. Tension is mounting as we wait to hear the verdict

1295. in the trial of Arthur Fleck.

1296. As a reminder, regardless of the verdict,

1297. I will not tolerate any outbursts of any kind.

1298. Foreperson, you may begin.

1299. In the matter of The People of the State of New York

1300. versus Arthur Fleck,

1301. case number GC071963.

1302. As to count one, we, the jury, find Arthur Fleck

1303. guilty as charged,

1304. with Murder in the First Degree

1305. against Maurice Franklin.

1306. So say we all.

1307. As to count two,

1308. we, the jury, find Arthur Fleck

1309. guilty as charged,

1310. with Murder in the Second Degree

1311. against Randall Kleinmanhoffer.

1312. So say we all.

1313. As to count three...

1314. we, the jury, find Arthur Fleck...

1315. guilty as charged...

1316. Stop laughing, you sick fuck!

1317. Fucking son of a bitch.

1318. Sit down!

1319. All of you will be held in contempt.

1320. Bailiffs, get them out of here immediately.

1321. - Get them out of here. - Don't move.

1322. You sick fuck.

1323. It's you.

1324. Come on, man. We gotta get you the fuck outta here.

1325. Come on.

1326. I'll get somebody.

1327. Hey! Hey!

1328. I got the fucking Joker. Can you get us outta here?

1329. Yeah, get him in.

1330. Get in. Get in, get in.

1331. Holy shit, it's really him.

1332. Where's he wanna go?

1333. Drive. Just fucking go.

1334. Those motherfuckers got what they deserved.

1335. Where does he wanna go? Where should we go?

1336. Just get us the fuck outta here, man.

1337. Hey, get down. Stay down.

1338. Get down, man.

1339. Can you go any fucking faster, man? Come on.

1340. I'm trying. Fuck! There's cops everywhere.

1341. You did it, man. You fucking did it!

1342. You said you wanted to blow it all up.

1343. And somebody blew it the fuck up!

1344. This is fucking crazy!

1345. Fuck you.

1346. Fuck you.

1347. Whooo!

1348. We have devastating news to report, right now.

1349. A massive car bomb has gone off in downtown Gotham.

1350. - Holy shit. - Exploding just outside

1351. the county courthouse...

1352. - Oh, my God. - ... where thousands had turned out

1353. to hear the verdict in the Arthur Fleck trial.

1354. Details are still coming in.

1355. - Continue to stay tuned... - You okay?

1356. as we bring you the latest...

1357. You hurt?

1358. - ... on this situation. - Are you okay, man?

1359. Is he all right?

1360. Fuck. Fucking A. Can you cut around it?

1361. No, chill out, it's red. It's okay.

1362. - Fuck! - Calm down, man.

1363. This is just the beginning, man.

1364. They're gonna burn the whole fucking city down now.

1365. No, no. Wait. Wait, don't do this, man.

1366. Come on, man. Get back inside.

1367. Get in. Get in.

1368. - Hey, hey, hey! - Come back!

1369. Come back, man. Joker.

1370. Fuck.

1371. No!

1372. Where are you going, man?

1373. We still love you.

1374. We love you, Joker.

1375. Joker!

1376. Joker!

1377. Lee?

1378. Lee!

1379. Look at you.

1380. You cut your hair.

1381. Someone blew up the courthouse, and I'm free.

1382. We can go away.

1383. Lee, you hear me?

1384. Someone blew up the courthouse.

1385. We can go.

1386. I escaped.

1387. We're not going away, Arthur.

1388. All we had was the fantasy, and you gave up.

1389. We were never going anywhere.

1390. I'm that same guy you fell in love with.

1391. I'm the same guy that murdered Murray Franklin.

1392. No.

1393. No, you're not.

1394. There is no Joker.

1395. That's what you said, isn't it?

1396. I can't—

1397. I can't— I can't live without you.

1398. Please. We're having a baby.

1399. Please stop.

1400. I don't wanna sing anymore.

1401. Shh.

1402. Just talk. Please stop singing.

1403. Goodbye, Arthur.

1404. Touching, is it not?

1405. Come, my little peanut of brittle.

1406. I will help you.

1407. Fleck. Let's go, you got a visitor.

1408. No fucking cigarettes left.

1409. Let's go.

1410. Hey, Arthur. Hold up.

1411. Can I tell you a joke I came up with?

1412. Um...

1413. Is it quick?

1414. Yeah, I can make it quick.

1415. Okay.

1416. So, a psychopath walks into a bar,

1417. and sees this famous clown sitting there all alone.

1418. Totally drunk, it's pathetic.

1419. "I can't believe you're here," he says.

1420. "What a disappointment. I used to watch you on TV.

1421. What can I get you?"

1422. And this clown turns and says,

1423. "Well, if you're buying you can get me anything."

1424. "Perfect," the psychopath says.

1425. "How about I get you what you fucking deserve?"

1426. Yeah!