Episode 5 of *The Rainmaker* opens with Deck and Rudy rendezvousing with Deck’s informant, Dr. Pete, to obtain the autopsy results for Melvin’s mother. Meanwhile, Rudy’s sharp eyes catch sight of Cliff entering the hospital, prompting him to tail after him. Inside, Rudy discovers that Kelly has been admitted as a patient and quickly pieces together that Cliff has been subjecting her to domestic abuse.
Fury wells up within Rudy, but Deck, ever the pragmatist, attempts to temper his rage by reminding him of his committed relationship and the high-stakes case looming on the horizon. Despite Deck’s attempts to reason with him, Rudy finds himself consumed by a simmering anger that refuses to abate. Brad informs Drummond that Jane was discovered injured in a parking lot adjacent to the hospital. Drummond instructs Brad to take charge of the matter, as the judge has granted Bruiser and Rudy a hearing to discuss the sharing of information pertaining to the tissue committee. Drummond tasks Brad with assessing Sarah’s potential usefulness to their cause and suggests a strategy to make her reliant on him.
Meanwhile, Sarah receives news that she has successfully passed the bar exam. In a moment of indecision, she opts against sharing this milestone with Rudy and instead informs Brad and Drummond. The pair extend their congratulations before Sarah unveils the legal statutes she has unearthed, which could thwart efforts to disclose the identities of the tissue committee members.
Impressed by her initiative, Drummond entrusts Sarah with the responsibility of arguing their case at the upcoming hearing, with Brad serving as her second chair. He underscores the gravity of the situation by threatening their job security if they fail to secure a victory. At Bruiser’s office, Rudy and Deck engage in a discussion with her about Mrs. Black and the imperative for her to be apprised of the case’s intricacies. Rudy passionately contends that Mrs. Black’s primary concern is not financial compensation, but Bruiser and Deck remain skeptical, believing she should seize the opportunity to settle the case while they hold the advantage.
Upon reviewing the autopsy reports, they uncover traces of methadone in Melvin’s mother’s bloodstream. The trio then convenes with Mrs. Black, bringing her up to speed on the tissue committee and the nurse who was dismissed. Convinced by their arguments, Mrs. Black becomes increasingly certain that foul play was afoot in Donny’s case.
Rudy throws out a startling suggestion—that the nurse named Melvin Pritcher might have drugged Donny—which sends Mrs. Black into a fury. Bruiser, incensed that Rudy divulged details about Melvin to Mrs. Black, erupts into an argument with him. Meanwhile, Deck drops a bombshell: Melvin’s mother, Mrs. Pritcher, has a criminal record.
Determined to dig deeper, Rudy and Deck pay a visit to Mrs. Pritcher’s former inmate. The woman spills the beans, revealing that Mrs. Pritcher gave birth to a child behind bars, and the baby nearly died from heroin addiction at birth.
Across town, Melvin is at a diner, interviewing for a new job, while he’s left Jackie stashed away in the trunk of his car. Jackie pleads with him, saying she desperately needs to use the restroom. Melvin relents and brings her inside. Seizing the moment, Jackie manages to snatch a phone from the bar and dials 911, but her call goes unanswered. Next, she tries Charlie, who doesn’t pick up.
Desperate, Jackie calls Amber, warning her that she’s in grave danger. But Amber brushes her off, urging Jackie to get over Charlie and move on with her life. Heartbroken, Jackie smashes the phone in frustration and leaves the diner with Melvin.
That night, Brad shares some encouraging news with Sarah: he’s convinced Drummond to let her lead the tissue committee hearing, citing his trust in her abilities. Meanwhile, Rudy trails Cliff, observing him hard at work at the station. He seizes the chance to visit Kelly at the hospital, inquiring about her injuries. But instead of delving into the details of her ordeal, Rudy and Kelly engage in a heartfelt conversation, bonding over shared experiences.
Elsewhere, Sarah spends the night at Tinley Brit, meticulously preparing for the next day’s events. She confides in Brad about Rudy’s brilliance, but he encourages her to focus on her own strengths and motivations.
After Brad departs, Sarah attempts to ascertain whether Rudy has passed the bar exam, only to discover that his results have yet to be announced. At the hearing, Sarah extends her best wishes to Rudy and casually mentions that she herself has passed the bar. Rudy becomes self-conscious, but Bruiser urges him to dismiss Sarah from his thoughts and concentrate on the case at hand. Rudy tries to convince Bruiser that they have the law firmly on their side, but she insists that he should lead with a moral argument instead.
During the hearing, Rudy takes the floor first, but Sarah counters by citing the laws protecting those involved in the tissue committee. Rudy stumbles, unable to mount a robust defense, while Sarah continues to press her advantage with additional arguments. Concerned that he is losing ground, Rudy mentions the eyewitness who saw Melvin drug Donny.
Bruiser swiftly intervenes, asking the judge to disregard everything Rudy has said in court. The judge rules in favor of Tinley Brit, and Sarah emerges victorious over Rudy.
In private, Sarah is overjoyed and expresses her gratitude to Brad for his unwavering faith in her. The two are on the verge of sharing a kiss when the janitor unexpectedly opens the door to the room, forcing them to part ways awkwardly.
That night, Melvin escorts Jackie to Amber and Charlie’s house to retrieve the hard drive containing incriminating evidence against him. On the drive, Melvin voices his deep-seated hatred for people with drug addictions, wishing death upon them. Once they arrive, Melvin leads Jackie into the shed and instructs her to locate the drive. In a swift move, Jackie kicks Melvin and locks him inside before fleeing to Amber and Charlie’s house and knocking on the windows for help.
Amber retrieves a gun from her safe and resolves to shoot Melvin. However, Melvin overpowers her, knocking her unconscious, and takes Jackie hostage once again, this time with Amber's gun.
The next day, Deck meets Rudy at the bar and recounts the harrowing attack on Amber from the previous night. Rudy is convinced of Melvin’s involvement, but Deck urges him not to contact the police just yet. Deck reveals his knowledge of the hospital's cover-up of the murder and emphasizes the need for concrete proof.
Despite this, Rudy heads to the police station to report Melvin as a serial killer. The detective, however, refuses to launch an investigation without any evidence against him.
Meanwhile, Drummond assures Brad that Sarah can be trusted, but Brad vehemently disagrees, insisting that she is untrustworthy. Drummond stands firm, expressing his desire to keep her on the team. Bruiser calls Rudy for a conversation and informs him that he’s been fired, effectively removing him from the case.
The episode concludes with Drummond taking Sarah out to dinner with Mr. Keeley to celebrate her triumph.
