Original subtitles

Dr. Bonnetville: Are you unhappy?

Demascus: I don't know.

I mean, I-I guess I would have to be.

I'm here, right?

And what do you think is making you unhappy?

It's twenty twenty-three and I'm a Black man.

Say more about that.

[Sighs] It's self-explanatory really.

The world is as inhospitable as ever.

I just turned thirty-three.

It's my Jesus year. My year to be a martyr.

And I've, um, --

I've chosen this as my martyrdom.

What is "this," to you?

Introspection.

But why does the prospect of self-discovery seem

so onerous to you?

Can I smoke here?

Shekinah. Spectres off.

Shekinah: Yes, doctor.

Let's go back.

How far back?

To what actually brings you in today.

Okay, I was at work a few weeks ago...

[Lighter clicks]

[Inhales deeply]

...and I catch the sound of my name coming from the break room.

They're talking about me, but they don't know I can hear them.

And then I hear ol' girl say...

And y'all know how Demascus is, right?

[Laughter]

[Laughter continues]

"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

You know, everybody's laughing and...

Mm.

Uh, may I?

♪♪

Y-Yeah.

♪♪

♪♪

Thank you.

Alright. [Chuckles]

So, um, I can't sleep 'cause I'm trying to figure out,

you know, what was so damn funny.

They don't know me.

Look, nobody knows me.

My one dominant quality is I'm unknowable.

And you pride yourself on that?

Yeah, actually, I do.

[Exhales]

I can be anybody or nobody.

You know, that -- that's a good quality

for a Black man to have, right?

But in your effort to remain unknowable,

perhaps you've made yourself unknown to even you?

Ehhh.

But we can find the answers if you're willing to continue.

Yeah, I am, I guess.

Do you suffer from any chronic diseases?

Nah, when I'm sick, I just ignore it.

That shit goes away.

What about your family?

I mean, I come from a Black family,

so it's just hypertension,

diabetes, glaucoma,

high blood pressure, low blood pressure,

prostate cancer, normal cancer,

breast cancer, gout.

Then you should fare quite well.

What's this?

DIRT -- Digital Immersive Reality Therapy.

Man: Experiencing bouts of depression, anxiety,

low self-esteem, relationship issues,

not quite sure who you are anymore?

We can help you find yourself in DIRT --

Digital Immersive Reality Therapy.

DIRT follows the path of your conscious

and subconscious impulses,

allowing you to visit alternate versions of yourself,

but only as a voyeur.

By identifying commonalities

across your alternate timelines,

you'll be able to combat the issues

you're facing in your everyday life.

Talk to your doctor about the risks

and benefits of using DIRT.

Warning -- attempting to take control of a narrative

can permanently corrupt your primary reality.

Consult a medical professional

if you are experiencing body aches, irritable bowels,

extreme changes in mood and behavior, vanishing --

Don't worry about all that.

Now, you might feel a little...

pressure.

[Beeping, whirring]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

[Indistinct conversations, children playing]

Shaena?

Hey.

What the hell happened to you?

That muthafucka put his hands on me.

[Birds chirping]

[High-pitched ringing]

[Distantly] Are you on something?

[Ringing stops] What?

No.

You seem...

spaced out.

Yeah, I just left therapy.

Therapy dilates your pupils now?

It's a new treatment. It's experimental.

Here.

You swear you white.

Now, what happened?

I told you, the muthafucka put his hands on me.

What'd you do?

You mean after he put his hands on me?

Because I know you ain't trying to blame the victim.

I'm not. I'm just looking for the full story.

Before and after.

I texted Mark. And Drew found out.

Oh, word? How is Mark?

[Lighter clicking]

His momma dead.

Damn.

Thas how come we was textin'.

She had cancer or some shit.

And Mark was there for me when Momma passed,

so I was trying to be a karmic bitch.

Anyway, Drew gets ahold of my phone.

He see that I been textin' Mark.

And he pissed.

"Oh, you fuckin' bitch" this, you "triflin' ho" that...

Da da da da. And I'm like read the fuckin' texts, Drew.

I ain't saying nothin' but condolences. Yeah.

And he like, "Oh, thas how I know y'all fuckin.

'Cause why else would you care about some dead bitch?"

And that shit hurt my heart

'cause Miss Carter was always nice to me.

So I said, "Pft, maybe if yo dick wasn't so damn weak

you wouldn't be so gotdamn insecure."

Damn, Shaena.

[High-pitched ringing]

[Distantly] I almost blacked out.

[Ringing stops] What?

Drew did that?

I was finna call the police.

But then I don't want him dead.

Not yet.

But still, he gotta pay.

So I'mma need you to ride out on that nigga.

That -- That sound like a job for Uncle Forty.

You call him? Uncle Forty...

Yeah. ...is a gotdamn drunk.

And he on dialysis.

No. It's on you.

Look, look, Drew ain't worth all that.

Yo, just throw his ass in jail and be done with him.

I can't be done with him.

Why not?

Yo, just come stay here with me.

This is your house, too.

I'm pregnant, D.

He the daddy?

Of course he --

Don't play with me, muthafucka.

[Both laugh]

Put it down. You play too damn much.

Alright, let me see.

♪♪

Damn.

♪♪

[Sighs]

Does he know?

Yes, he knows.

And he did this to me anyway.

Look, Demascus, I know Drew ain't no great prize.

But he's where I'm at right now.

And I'm having a baby with this nigga,

so he needs to get his shit together.

So I need you to call up your boys, get up over there,

and strike some fear into his heart

so that this shit don't happen again.

[Scoffs] Me? Yes, you.

You all I got.

♪♪

♪♪

Okay.

Spectres on.

Show me my contacts.

Show me Black contacts only.

Show Black male contacts only -- in the DMV area.

Okay.

[Sighing] Alright.

I need a favor. Who can I ask a favor?

Shekinah: Can you be more specific?

Filter out anybody I haven't spoken to in a year.

Four contacts.

The past two years?

Five contacts.

Alright. Alright, alright.

Let's see.

No.

Hell no.

What? Nah.

♪ I've been thinking about June ♪

Hmm.

[Sammy Davis Jr.'s "The People Tree" plays]

-Oh! A whiz. -Well done, Tiger.

Redd: Appreciate it. Too kind.

♪ Hey, wouldn't it be nice to make a people tree? ♪

♪ The likes of you

Redford Wilson speaking.

Demascus: Redford? That's correct.

With whom am I speaking? Redd. It's me. Demascus.

Demascus?!

What up, nigga?

Nothing. [Chuckles]

Look, uh, I'm just calling because, um...

because I got this... sit-chee-aye-tion.

A what?

I got me this... sit-chee-aye-tion.

That's a great stance, Greg.

You -- You in mixed company or something?

Nigga, I am the mixed company.

But what up, though? It's been a minute.

Yeah, yeah, I-I'm terrible at keeping in touch, man.

But look, I got this sit-chee-aye-tion.

Nigga, why you keep saying it like that?

I-I don't know.

Look, I got this situation, alright?

You remember my sister Shaena?

Oh yeah. I remember Shaena...

in the biblical sense. How she doing?

She's still my sister.

And she pregnant. That's why I'm calling.

Well, that -- that ain't my bad, D.

That was one night. Years ago.

I don't even think there was penetration.

Oh, no, no, no. Stop. Stop.

Just listen, man.

My sister Shaena, she pregnant,

and her baby daddy, he -- he beat her.

Or he -- he hit her. He put his hands on her.

Around her neck, actually.

That nigga just needs to know that that shit is unacceptable.

So I'mma need you to ride out on this nigga with me.

You know, strike some fear into his heart.

Now, look, I know it's been a minute

since I've talked to you, so I-I -- I'm down.

You d-- You d-- You down?

I said I'm down.

Oh. Okay.

Yeah, I got brunch on Sunday with the in-laws,

but other than that, I'm free.

Who all in the posse?

It's just you and me right now.

Naw, nigga, you need to have at least four niggas

to ride out on a nigga. Four-to-one nigga ratio.

Yeah, but everybody's all upstanding and professional.

You know, everybody's got something to lose.

No offense. So we need goons.

You don't know no goons?

I mean, Uncle Forty was a goon back in the day.

But his health is waning.

[Exhales slowly]

You know any goons?

I mean, I'm a public defender in the District of Columbia.

I know some goons. I'll call around.

Ain't that some kind of ethical breach?

Yeah, most definitely. But this for old times' sake, D.

I'm just honored to be a part of this mission.

You know what they all say about you and your missions.

No. No, I don't.

Hey, call your Uncle Forty.

I'll round up a felon who owes me a favor.

This is gon be live.

Nah, man, this... No, this a terrible idea.

Okay, I'm not having you risk your career or anything, man.

You work too hard, bro. Nigga.

I wear a suit and tie to work every day.

It's unnatural. And sometimes you just wanna do

some hoodrat shit with yo friends.

I'mma pick you up. Five o'clock.

Alright? I just got a new self-driving.

Gotta go.

♪♪

♪ It's my new cologne

♪ Unh, finger roll with the money like ♪

[Chuckling]

Fortyyy!

[Both laughing]

Ah, good to see you, young blood.

Ah, good to see you. How you been?

I been alright. Yeah.

Dialysis is a muthafucka, though.

Oh.

Yeah, I was throwin' up all last week.

Just something terrible.

Sick as a dog. Mm.

Taste like shit.

Fecal vomiting is what they call it. Mm.

But I've been doing better ever since the doctor

put me on this new medication. Mm.

He think I might have the renal cancer.

But I'll find all that out next week.

But other than that, it's all good.

Good. Good.

Yeah, th-that's good to hear. Ah.

Uh, my boy Redd, he's coming through.

He gon' -- He gon' pick us up.

I'm glad you called me, D. Yeah?

You know, it -- it feels good being acknowledged

as the patriarch of the family.

I dunno if I was doing all that --

Look, I know I'm a little sick.

Mm-hmm. But I'm still useful.

I still can defend this family's honor.

You know that. Unc, I know. I--

You know how I do.

Yeah, we ain't trying to kill nobody,

Unc, though, like -- you know, like...

But, like, I want you to do your thing.

♪ I'm F-R-E-E, fuck nigga free ♪

♪ That mean I ain't gotta worry ♪

♪ 'Bout no fuck nigga cheatin'

Oh, good, okay. Found y'all.

Sometimes the GPS be doing dumb shit. Hop in.

This him? That's Redd.

Just got our goon released from lockup.

It's gonna swing by and pick us up at the jail

and then we roll out!

Well, ain't no need to prolong it.

You don't gotta move that fast, Unc.

Shit.

Demascus: Damn, Redd.

The fuck?

Yo, I d-- I don't trust this self-driving shit.

♪ Let's go

♪ Go, go, go, go

♪ Let's go

♪ Go, go, go, go

♪ Bitch, I'm "G" to the "L" to the "O," Big Glo ♪

♪ You can catch me out in traffic tinted ♪ Man: You can't park there!

♪ Slidin' with your ho

♪ I ain't poppin' out at parties ♪

♪ Gotta book me for a show

♪ He say, "Y'all be living fast" ♪

♪ Nah, pussy boy, you slow

♪ Ayy, we hoppin' out at red lights ♪ [Sniffing]

♪ Twerkin' on them headlights

The fuck?

Why it smell like an old folks home in here?

My bad.

That's me.

I smell it, too, Pimpin'.

Ever since I got my colostomy.

Demascus: Mm. Damn Unc. When you get that?

Lil' while after I started dialysis.

That shit hella gross cuh.

Who this?

This is Dornell Hinton -- Damn cuh.

You gonna blow up the spot, givin my guhment --

Ion't know deese niggas.

What did he say?

He don't want me giving out his real name.

So what should we call you?

You can call me Lil Spoona cuh.

Lil' Spooner?

[Scoffs]

I mean, I guess yuca say it like dat.

Right. I-Is he on something?

He shouldn't be. I just got him out of jail.

Shit, man, I'm turnt.

One my niggas had some lean. I was like da fuck?

Gotdamn me. Got a little cup.

Po that shit up.

Man, I be sippin' big.

Talkin' 'bout... [Slurps] Ooh.

[Chuckles] Now, I fucks with that lean.

Have you feelin' nice.

♪♪

I wanna thank y'all for rollin' wit us.

I respect y'all, as Black men, for having the conviction

to help me and Demascus defend our family honor.

Yeah.

And I just want to pledge that if you should ever need it,

we'll return the favor.

-Feel me? -Respeck.

[Chuckles] See, that nigga Drew don't know shit about respect.

Niggas these days don't have respect for the deference.

That's why sometimes you gotta teach 'em.

Uncle Forty, you ever rode out on a nigga before?

Ha! Ha.

Back in my day, that's all I used to do, Pimpin.

Real talk? Real talk.

Shit, had to ride out on Demascus' father.

Quiet as it's kept.

That's before you and your sister was born.

He tried it just the once, but it wasn't his fault.

He didn't know no better.

That's 'cause he ain't seen no better.

His father used to beat up on his mother.

Wait, Grandpawpaw?

Yeah, your mama called me in the middle of the night,

talking 'bout, "William done put his hands on me."

So I called up my crew, and we went over there

and whupped. his. ass.

I broke my foot clean off in it.

And then we sat down and had a man-to-man conversation

about how he was to treat women I was related to.

And he listened?

Never laid another hand on her again.

As far as I know.

See, that's the way things used to be.

Sometimes you had to fight just to get to a place

where you could communicate.

Shit ain't like that no more.

Nigga pride get hurt, he go get a gun.

Used to be survival of the fittest.

Now guns just make survivors out of the unfit.

♪♪

[Siren wailing in distance]

[Helicopter blades whirring in distance]

[Car alarm chirping in distance]

Damn.

Why Shaena live all the way down here in South East?

Demascus: Cheaper.

You shoulda tol' we was crossin' the river, cuh.

This where the opps be at.

Gotdamn me.

Right.

Look, this shouldn't take long.

We're just gonna go up there

and strike some fear into his heart.

Right? A'ight.

A'ight.

[Guns clicking]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. What the fuck?

Y'all brought guns?

Yeah, fool. You didn't?

No, I don't have a gun.

Haven't you been listening to me?

Niggas don't talk no more. They do this.

You don't bring no knife to a gun fight.

Even though I got that, too.

Uh, Redd, you got a gun?

I'm in the NRA. This is licensed and registered.

Nigga... I figured if we got enough Black people to join,

we could take over.

But niggas didn't join.

You can't get niggas to organize.

That ain't true, cuh.

Look. No guns, alright?

There ain't no cause for all that.

We just gonna go up there

and strike some fear into his heart, alright?

It may or may not get physical.

The fuck you mean, D?

That's the whole reason I'm here.

I got a whole bunch of pent-up aggression

from smiling in white folks' face every day

and wearing these tight-ass suits, man.

Thought at least I'd get to pistol whip a nigga.

No, ain't nobody pistol fucking nothing, okay?

We're just gonna be rude, intimidating, and imposing.

It may or may not get physical.

I don't know. We'll figure that part out.

But we definitely don't need guns.

So leave the guns in the car.

Drew got a gun.

Can we leave the guns in the car, y'all?

Is you sure?

Yes. A'ight.

-Bet. -Come on.

Demascus: Shit. [Sighs]

♪ Meet me on the motherfucking eighth floor ♪

♪ Honestly, tell me who you came for ♪

♪ Hey, le-le-let's go, we on a detour ♪

♪ I'm a certified baller, I don't keep score ♪

♪ Hey, champagne papi, I do my thing in the lobby ♪

♪ Upper echelon

What floor does she live in?

♪ I got one confession, I do this shit as a hobby ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah

♪ Ayy, big dawg status

♪ Left your nigga mad, he a pissed-off savage ♪

♪ Told her she could come if she leave that baggage ♪

Hey, make peace, man. Make peace.

♪ Meet me on the motherfucking eighth floor ♪

♪ Honestly, tell me who you came for ♪

♪ Hey, le-le-let's go, we on a detour ♪

♪ I'm a certified baller, I don't keep score ♪

♪ Hey, meet me on the motherfucking eighth floor ♪

♪ Honestly, tell me who you came for ♪

♪ Hey, le-le-let's go, we on a detour ♪

Shit.

♪ Unh, unh, unh, I don't feel the love ♪

♪ I'm here to come for this shit, I ain't shutting up ♪

♪ She like, "Whoa, whoa"

[Breathing heavily]

♪ Le-Le-Let's go, we on a detour ♪

♪ I'm a certified baller, I don't keep score ♪

Fuck!

Whew!

[Panting] You -- You -- You good, Unc?

[Gasping]

Yeah.

Don't use that puss' ass door knocker cuh.

Use fists. Mm-hmm.

What? Fists.

D-D-D-D-Don't.

Not too hard. He gonna think you the police.

He not gonna answer. Lil Spoona: Facts.

How hard should I knock?

Somewhere between a Jehovah's Witness

and the DCPD.

[High-pitched ringing]

Move out -- Move out of the way.

I think I'mma be sick. Move! [Knocking]

Drew: Who is it?! Who is --

Uh, it's...

me.

Demascus!

-Go, D. -Shit. Shit. Oh!

Ooh.

You could've called first.

♪ Ooh, you're like the sun

Yeah, I was just about to roll up.

-Later. -Hold up.

If he 'bout to roll up, let him roll up.

I'm tryin' to get faded for real.

Hey, don't I know you? You on't know me cuh.

Nah, you look real familiar. You fucking cyclops.

You don't know what the fuck you talking about.

Shut your fucking mouth up, nigga.

Okay.

Uh, I guess y'all can sit down, man.

Make yourself comfortable.

I'mma fix this door.

Fuck yo door, nigga. Sit down.

♪ For always

♪ Come with me, my sweet

[Muttering indistinctly]

♪ Let's go make a family

♪ They will bring us joy

♪ For always

♪ Oh, boy, I love you so

Look, I know why y'all here.

Do you? [Forty retching, water splashing]

Yeah.

And look, man, I ain't gonna press charges.

Press charges?

Hello?

[Retching continues]

Oh, yeah, I see.

And I seen what you did to my sister.

She got bruises all over her neck, bro.

Mm. That was self-defense, bro.

Sh-She was stabbing me. [Retching continues]

What the fuck?

God damn.

Yeah, doctor said if she was an inch to the left,

she would've punctured my lung.

Unc, you good?

Nah, my gut's all fucked up.

Been shittin' out my mouf, basically.

They think I-I might got that renal cancer.

Man, fuck cancer cuh.

Look, all I know is that

I don't like seeing my sister scared like that.

And she pregnant now.

I know, D. I know.

Look, Shaena and I got a real volatile relationship.

I mean, Shaena volatile.

My mom was the same way.

My shrink said that's probably why I'm attracted to her

in the first place.

You seeing a shrink?

Yeah, man, I go twice a week.

Trying to work on my jealousy and anger issues.

But Shaena a real trigger.

So we blaming victims now? You trying to blame my sister?

Nah, nah, nah, nah. That's on me.

I mean, she played her part in it, too,

but I ain't got to react the way that I do.

My shrink and I trying to work through the source of my anger.

Mm. I think it stem from how I grew up.

All the men around treated my mother like trash.

She took that out on me. Mm.

I think I internalized that shit.

Isn't that what you were saying, Unc?

We can't be better if we don't see better, right?

That ain't no damn excuse.

Aw, it ain't, but it's an explanation.

Sorta.

Look, we follow the same patterns as our blood.

Mm-hmm.

I'm trying to break that pattern.

It's different when you got a seed on the way.

Yeah, but how you intend on breaking that pattern?

Therapy. That's the first step.

And then my therapist told me I got to surround myself

with positive male role models.

Forty: Role models?

Nigga, you damn near thirty years old.

You been playing your role for years now.

It ain't never too late to change.

And that's why I'm happy you here, Demascus.

You the most positive nigga I know.

Oh.

Yo, man, I was gonna ask you if you could, like, mentor me

or some shit?

Oh, uh, I don't know.

Bro, I shouldn't be mentoring anybody.

Man, you went to college. Twice.

And you got a salary job.

There's plenty you can teach a nigga.

I guess I look at you as like a big brother, too.

Hey, you know I'm a lawyer, right?

I could be a positive role model for you, too.

They say it takes a village.

Yeah.

[Chuckles]

Alright, fine.

I'll do it. A'ight.

If that's what you think you need.

But you got to stop fighting with my sister.

For real. Hey, done-zo.

Drew, I'm not playing.

Done-zo. [Chuckles]

Okay.

Okay. Okay.

Dab it -- Dab -- Okay.

Y'all gay, cuh?

Ow. The fuck is this?!

Iyanla or some shit?

Did I miss the ass whuppin'?

'Cause I am the patriarch of this damned family.

We never agreed to that.

And I am gonna get my pound of flesh.

[Blade clicks] [All shouting]

Whoa! Unc, chill! Unc, chill! Chill!

Shaena already stabbed his ass, Unc.

We -- We just came to an understanding.

I don't understand.

This motherfucker put hands on my niece.

Left handprints around her neck.

He disrespected the family.

[All shouting]

[Laughing]

-Unc, Unc, Unc, Unc, chill. -Hey. Hey, man.

Yeah, hit that shit, Unc.

What? Hit that shit, please.

Demascus: Smoke the weed, Forty.

Shit. [Grunts]

Hey, hey, hey, hey, just two hits, Unc,

and see how you feel.

There it is. Yeah, there you go.

-There you go. -Yeah.

-Yeah. -Yeah.

[Speaking indistinctly]

Yeah.

[Coughing]

[Laughter]

[Coughing, laughter continue]

Ah, yeah! Oh.

-Oh, shit. -He dying. [Laughing]

[Coughing continues]

Hey, Spoona, Spoona. Damn, Unc.

Go get him some water, man.

-Shit. -Oh, shit.

-Yeah. -Thas how I know you.

I knew I knew you. Lil Spoona!

I just bought your mix tape.

Aw man, hella humble cuh.

Dornell! Water!

Oh, we got artesian water in the fridge.

[Coughing continues]

Just -- Just -- Just -- Just sit down

and give me that knife, Unc. Just sit down.

Give me the knife. Fuck that. Fuck that! Fuck that.

Uncle Forty, Uncle Forty, come on.

You ain't in no position to be doling out justice

right now, alright? It's settled.

And as the heir apparent to this family,

I'm telling you to sit the fuck down.

Please.

Ah, fuck. Give me that water.

Come on, Unc. This motherfucker here.

-Come on, man. -Unc, Unc, it's settled.

It's settled. It's settled.

Let me handle this. Let me handle this.

[Forty laughs weakly]

[All laughing nervously]

You the one, Unc. You know me, D.

[Laughter]

[Squelch]

[Sniffing]

Shit.

[Sighs] Fuck.

[All retching]

[Laughing]

[Retching continues]

[Splat]

[Screaming]

[Gunshot]

♪♪

♪♪

♪♪

Oh!

[Gasping]

Ohhh!

Drew! Drew! Drew!

Drew! Drew!

♪♪

[Breathing heavily]

[Grunting]

♪♪

Welcome back, Demascus.

♪ It's not just me, it's ♪ Everybody

♪ It's not just you, it's ♪ Everybody

♪ So the amount of people not feeling shit ♪

♪ Like this is like ♪ Nobody

♪ Wipe it ready, renegade over any ♪

♪ Drop and hit greedy gremlins

♪ Like a roll of rusty pennies

♪ Enemies of any scatter and spread just like buckshots ♪

♪ Piercing through club spots, windows and thugs drop ♪

♪ Fear of heights, mirrors, lights ♪

♪ Disco ball flip and falls licking off ♪

♪ Mr Mop & Glo, doctor flow