All language subtitles for Better Things s03e11_English

♪

[rhythmic moaning]

Spirit.

[grunting]

Spirit.

PHYLLIS:
Come on!

Off you go!

[roaring]

Spirit. Spirit.

All clear, girls!

-All gone.
-DUKE: We did it, Grams!

-FRANKIE: Thanks, Nana!
-[grunts]

♪

It is definitely active in here.

Active, like good, or...?

Is there something evil
in the house?

Oh, no. Not evil. If there
was evil here, I'd throw up.

-Oh, God. Please don't do that.-No, I'm-I'm feeling kindness

and decency...

and love.

And a pig.

A pig?

I gained, like,
ten pounds in college.

-Is-is that weird?
-No, no, not... No.

[chuckles]:
No.

This has nothing to do
with food or weight. Um,

has there been a pig
in anyone's life?

Actually, last week when
I was getting my roots done,

one of the colorists
at the salon had a baby pig.

Oh, my God, no fair!

Interesting.

Although, there is something
piglike about a salon.

Well, you know, um,

snouts in the trough
of privilege and...

the troughs are
all the-the hair dryers,

and the... pig grunts are
all the bits of gossips.

[snorts]
This one, wow.

-Yeah, I know.
-She should be listened to.

Like I have a choice?

Clearly, you're
a sharp kid, Frankie.

Well, thank you.

But, you know, that sharpness--it can hurt people.

Oh, w...
No, I-I know.

But I'm-I'm... not like that.

I'm-I'm pretty chill.

[snorts]

Look, all I'm saying is just...just bring it down a notch.

Especially with
the people you love.

Like your mom.

Okay.

TOBY:
I'm getting another feeling.

Another animal.
Not a pig.

Something smaller.
A bird?

Or... or a mouse.

[gasps]
Mandy Patinkin!

My mouse-- she died, and my momflushed her down the toilet.

Oh. Okay.

Well, Mandy Patinkin misses you.

A lot.

I can feel her here, right now.

She's...
she's watching over you.

She's your guardian angel.

Thank you, Mandy Patinkin.

I miss you.

-[door closes]
-PHYLLIS: Anyone home?

Oh.

Well. What's going on here?

Is this...

Oh. Is this the gypsy
you hired to read palms?

Why is he dressed normal?

Hello.

I'm Phyllis.

Toby D'Angelo.

Oh! Don't ever grab

a lady's hand like that.

I... I beg your pardon.

I'm-I'm so sorry.

Okay, um...

Allow me to be frank.

I have my own feelings
about hexes and spells,

as far as men are concerned.

But I'm willing
to be entertained.

Here's my palm.

Oh. Uh, n-no.

I don't-I don't read palms.

-Uh...
-And, "gypsy"--

it's quite an archaic term.

And frankly,
it's offensive to mediums.

-[scoffs]
-SAM: Phil.

We're in the middle
of something.

Yes. Go on.

I'll just sit and watch.

Don't you have somewhere
you need to be?

No. Not at all.

I couldn't help but notice thatthis house is filled with women.

Oh, yes.
Flooding with estrogen.

Wall-to-wall vaginas.

It's like
a matriarchal dystopia.

Especially...

as it's well-known
that half the women

in my side of the family
are witches.

Phil.

Okay.
All right.

Not a word.
God forbid.

TOBY:
Even though, uh,

this house is filled
with feminine... energy,

I'm feeling
a masculine presence.

His energy is everywhere.

Oh, please. You don't have to bea psychic for that.

What you're sensing,
Mr. D'Angelo,

is the deadbeat father,
Sam's ex-husband.

So your dad...

is not really in the picture?

No, not at all.

You girls mind
if I give you some advice?

Something... I wish I would
have known when I was young.

If you have a toxic person
in your life,

you need to move
past him, or her,

and protect yourselves.

MAX:
How do you move past a dad?

-It's my dad.
-Don't think of him that way.

Think of him as a friend,

someone who let you down.

What do you do
with a friend like that?

You move on.

But the man I'm sensing
is not your dad.

Someone older.
Someone you love.

Older? Who?

I'm seeing a big collar, beard,

bushy eyebrows, a large laugh.

Someone who's been gone
quite a while.

DUKE:
Grandpa!

It's Grandpa.
It has to be.

Wow.

Hmm.

[door opens, closes]

Sorry.

FRANKIE:
So, how long have you
been doing this?

TOBY:
Since I was about 15.

♪ Cigarette smoke
is in my eyes♪

♪ And I can't see your face♪

-FRANKIE:
And you call it a gift?
-TOBY: A gift, yeah.

♪ I'm heading home
the long way...♪

[laughter, indistinct chatter]

[dogs yapping, whining]

Hi!

There's my babies.

He's a good boy.
He's a good boy.

[lively chatter and beatboxing
in distance]

On the stairs.
In plain sight.

In a house with a 14-year-old

and an 11-year-old.

Seriously.
Guys, this is still hot.

MAX:
Mom!

You can't scold us.
We're not kids anymore.

Go away!

SAM:
Wow.

[laughs]:
She's still here.

[quiet laughter]

MAX:
Oh, my God, that's... Oh...

Jesus, Mom.

Stop.

Can't you see we're talking?

No, Max.

Youstop!

[whispers]:
Okay.

Okay.

And, you, John-O,

I helped you come outto your parents, remember that?

And Amir...

Amir, you ask me for money
every time I see you,

and I give it to you,
and I can't help but notice

that you're wearing $300 Yeezys.

And you?

I don't even know
who the hell you are.

And, Paisley, honey, come here.

I practically raised you,

and do you know how many
parent wars and boyfriend wars

and morning-after pillsthat I have walked you through?

And you treat me this way?

[crying]

Yes.

AMIR:
Yeesh.

I'm too high for this.

I'm sorry, Sam.

GAYLE:
Um...

look, I... I'm really sorry.

I-I don't know you,
and you seem nice.

And... I just came over
with Paisley.

A-And, you know,
Max was being nice.

And you all seem... nice.

You... I...

Uh, I'll stop. Yeah.

I'm sorry, Sam.

It was my pipe.

I totally admit it.
My bad.

Not anymore.
It's mine now.

Clean this up, move out.

Don't bring this shit
to my house.

Come on!

[scoffs]

MAX:
I'm so sorry.

-I'll get you another pipe.
-It's cool, Max.

I got plenty of those pipes
at home, so we're good.

No. I'm sorry, guys.

Diaper, lose the gum.

[sighs]The doctor said I have anxiety,

and if I don't chew gum,
I could die.

Okay, well, that's nonsense.

Well, I-I have a note.

Mm, I-I... I can't find it.

You know what?

Never mind.
Just keep it in your mouth.

Okay.

What are you doing here?

Oh, I'm... I'm chaperoning.

I came to chaperone.

Whatever, Samuel.

So transparent.

[girl laughs]

[indistinct chatter]

Frankie's adjusting well.

Yeah, you think?

CHRIS:
It's a tricky age to skip.

Starting high school early.

How's she handling the workload?

Uh, it's pretty good, I guess.

I-I thought it was gonna
tire her out, but...

The geniuses are always
a pain in the ass.

[scoffs]
That one sleeps out.

No texts, no calls.

I mean,
when did that become okay?

♪

[woman singing in Spanish]

MAN:
Los Angeles, make some noise!

[applause and cheering]

And then keep
that round of applause

going for my DJ, DJ Teazz Yung.

Give it up! Give it up!
Give it up!

Now look, y'all,
we getting into it,

so I'm gonna get my butt
offstage,

but I am hyped to introduce thisnext young person to the stage.

Give it up for Yoko Tamada!

[applause and cheering]

Give it up! Give it up!
Give it up!

I'm Yoko Tamada.

I'm from CB-Watts, and this is
"To Be or Not to Be."

I want to know

that my poems
are proof of my progress.

To be sin.

Satan, biblical turmoil.

To be fine.

To be fine. Fine.

I'm not fine.

But I'm learning how
to turn sins into poems.

To be the last word.

To be-- psych.

I don't end my poems that way.

That morning, I saw the stars
float out of my dreams

and land in the chest.

I said,"This hand is made for someone,

and in yours it feels the best."

The city smiled with us.

Car horns played
a melodic parade.

We danced and we played

till a man twice my age,
skin the same, dared to say,

"Oh!

"You got yourself
a blackbitch?

"Damn,you deserve an Oscar!

-I'm gonna give you an award."
-[clapping]

The next time I walked past him,

I couldn't hold
my partner's hand.

I wanted to make sure
I could flip him off

with bothhands this time.

[indistinct chatter]

Yo, we're on in, like, 20.

Toboosi wants to run it again.

Just do it without me.

[sniffles]

I'm sorry. I...

It's fine.

You should go.

No, I'm good right here, thanks.

Sweet Moon, I thank thee
for thy sunny beams.

I thank thee, Moon,
for shining now so bright.

For, by thy gracious,
golden, glittering gleams,

I trust to take
of truest Thisby sight.

But stay, O spite!

But mark, poor knight.

What dreadful dole is here!

I thought... I thought we were
doing Romeo and Juliet.

Oh, I'm so sorry. Geez.
[chuckles]

Asian girls love hip-hop
like a white man loves golf.

Asian girls love hip-hop

like white women love juice
cleanses and spin classes.

[laughter]

Asian girls love hip-hop.

[indistinct shouting]

And it's about time hip-hop
started to love us back.

[applause and cheering]

Sorry.

I think
I'm feeling a little better.

Are you sure?

'Cause I don't care.
We don't have to do this.

Does my face look weird?

No weirder
than it normally does.

MC:
Audience, make sure

you're showing lots of love.
Matter of fact,

can we do a little drumroll
real quick on your thigh?

Coming up to the stage,

representing
Hamilton High School,

y'all give it up
for Bryce Banks!

[applause and cheering]

BRYCE:
Ebonics.

Hooked on Phonics.
Better to speak right

than be addicted to the chronic.

Yeah, the streets, we bonded.

Heavily influenced
by Glock alarm clocks,

but you hear us speakand think we call Beverly home.

Home. Streets we grew up on
flooded with demonic tongues.

Guns, usually shunned
if you sound like me.

Black boy, but not.

Too wise to let my teeth fall
and my tongue rot.

I remember snot-nosed me.

Too critical
to speak the language.

Brain, rearranged, told me,
"A'ight" wasn't a word,

or "all right"
sounded more my style.

Learned, earned
that "A" in grammar,

but hammered the nail of life
precisely in my coffin.

-[audience snapping fingers]
-"No, you're not black.

"You ain't a nigga.

Listen to the way
you be talking."

Learning well too early

that my culture
was defined by ignorance.

That if you didn't
punctuate sentences

with "nigga," you wasn't one.

But too weak to hold a gun,
get scared, can't fight.

Have no defense, just run.

I learned to speak in a way
that would save me.

MAN:
Go in, poet!

I use analogies and metaphors
to guide me.

Anecdotes and white humor
to shield me,

'cause one wrong conjunction,and that could be the end of me.

Yes, I open my mouth,

and words seem
to flow out seamlessly.

But, really, it's just a ruse.

The two tongues I use should beon pay-per-view.

The inner battle
between culture and safety

rages on.If you look closely, you can see

political correctness
throw the first punch.

Sometimes I wish for a moment

where I could speak the way
I want to.

Where words don't carry races
on their backs like legacies.

A sentence that was just me.

Would that be a'ight?

Thank you.

[cheering and applause]

Now, when I say "spoken,"
y'all say "word."

-Spoken!
-Word!

-Spoken! -Word!

[toilet flushes]

-Hi.
-Hi.

It's something else, isn't it?

Oh, yes.

You have a grandchild
in the program?

-Yes.
-Me, too.

Well, my daughter. Frankie.

Oh, here. Here you go.

-Thank you.
-You're welcome.

I think
she wrote about her family.

Maybe I should make a break
for it, huh? [chuckles]

Family is the most important.

Yeah. Mm-hmm.

What did your grandchild
write about?

My surviving grandson
will speak on the detention

and physical assaults
endured by his mother

at the hands of
the Communist Party of Vietnam

and their state-sanctioned
violence

against political dissidents.

Wow.

Good one.

No.

-No.
-[footsteps approaching]

[speaking Vietnamese]

[girl speaking Vietnamese]

[overlapping arguing]

[Sam groans]

What's good, everybody? Ifyou're feeling good, say "yeah."

-ALL: Yeah!
-If you're feeling

really good and you don't care
who knows about it,

say "hell yeah."

-ALL: Hell yeah!
-Coming up next,

from Beccles Charter
High School,

give it up for Darby Lincoln,

Toboosi Cucci, and Frankie Fox!

[cheering and applause]

Give it up!

[whistles]

Yes!

TOBOOSI:
Uh, hi.

We're from Beccles Charter High,

and this is our original poem.

[exhales]

If you don't go potty,the wolf will come and eat you.

Eat your spinach
or you'll never grow.

Don't listen to those bullies.
They're just jealous of you.

Your father and I
are splitting up,

but nothing is going to change.

TOBOOSI:
It's okay.

Everything happens for a reason.

These are the little lies
we tell our little ones.

These harmless little lies

that make their little lives
a little easier.

These little white lies.

DARBY:
We need to talk about the way
we talk to our kids.

Because there's never been
a worse time

to have a casual relationship
with the truth.

And we know enough
to ask for better,

because you raised us better.

When did parental control
become a setting on your iPad?

You pass on to us
your insecurities,

your prejudices, your morality.

Your weak ankles,
your crooked teeth,

your fear of spiders,
and your high cholesterol.

Why not your truth?

Why not say your truths?

Give us the benefit
of your experience.

-While we're still asking.
-While we're still asking.

If you want to protect me
from the world,

then prepare me for the world.

I wish I had known thateverything was going to change,

that I would see my father
only once a year,

that I would hear my mother
sobbing in the bathroom,

trying to be strong for us.

DARBY:
I wish I had known
that they weren't jealous,

that they didn't understand
what I was,

that I didn't understand
what I was.

But it's okay,

because everything happens
for a reason, right?

FRANKIE:Stop worrying about the medium.

DARBY:
And start caring
about the message.

TOBOOSI:
Because there's never been
an easy way

to tell a hard truth.

-[cheering and applause]
-♪ It's lit♪

♪ It's lit, it's lit♪

♪ It's litty, litty,
litty, litty♪

♪ Litty, litty, litty lit.♪

[indistinct chatter]

[laughs]

[laughs]

[chuckles]:
Wow.

Wow, you were incredible.

-You were so, so good up there.-Mom!

-Oh, my God. You wrote that?
-[grunts]

-Stop! Mom!
-Wow!

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

But I'm so, so proud of you.

-Mom...
-I can't believe
what you did up there.

Let's go celebrate, okay?

-You want a Blooming Onion?
-Yo! Franklin!

-Let's go to Outback.
-Coming!

Where are you going?

You're not going back
on the bus?

Frankie!

[groans]

Serious?

Hmm.

[crickets chirping]

[playing soft tune]

-[playing stops]
-Hello.

Hey.

Go on. Keep playing.
It's lovely.

Is that crack cocaine?

No, there's no crack here.

Then what, marijuana?

Mm-hmm.

Don't slouch, love.

No one will take you seriously.

A man who slouches islike a man who carries a purse--

you'll get away with it,
but everybody will judge you.

May I?

You want some of this?

They say it's excellent
for arthritis.

I want to see for myself.

Have you ever had it before?

I most certainly have not.

Do I look like some flower childto you?

-[chuckles]
-JOHN-O: All right, well,

just take small puffs,
'cause this kush got kick.

Mm-hmm.

[coughing]

[both chuckle]

There you go.

-Gran!
-Hello, darling.

John-o, what the hell
do you think you're doing,

giving her that?

-She asked me.What was I supposed to say, no?-Yes!

Stop being such a stick
in the mud, Max.

Just stand there and keep
an eye out for your mother.

[chuckles]
Okay.

-Here you go.
-It's awfully good.

[John-o laughs]

Nice.

-Mmm!
-[laughs]

Can I help you?

Postmates?

Oh. Oh.

Well, it's not food.

Hemingway?

Nice.

Seriously?

You guys don't card?

Uh, I don't know.

Wow, you should know.

This is not cool!

It's not your fault, butyou should talk to your manager

or your supervisor or something.

Have a great night.

Have a nice night.

[groaning]

[sighs]

Hello?

[laughter in distance]

[door closes]

You're welcome!

So glad you could stop by!

[groans]

You've been a great audience!

♪ Feeling lost♪

Oh, Jesus.

Good night, Detroit!

♪ You're gonna take care♪

♪ Of yourself♪

♪ No matter what the cost♪

♪ Say you don't belong here♪

♪ You don't belong here anyway♪

♪ You're gonna leave me♪

♪ Feeling lost.♪

♪

Captioned by
Media Access Group at WGBH