Original subtitles

Crutch is filmed in front of a live studio audience.

What are you doing?

I love you, Auntie, but you know you leave crumbs.

You act like the queen of England is coming.

It's just your mother-in-law.

Why do you always have something to say about Kathy?

I like her.

It's just that she's always so... happy.

Well, Kathy's fun.

She's a bright light.

And she was so good to me back home.

And we always used to cook together.

And she even taught me to play sudoku.

How are you gonna feel if her reason for coming here

is to convince you to stay married to Andrew?

Or she's coming to visit her grandkids,

like a grandmother does.

I just think that you should be prepared for a conversation

about the state of your marriage.

She got used to you all being with her

in Minnesota for 12 years.

I don't think she's gonna easily let go of that.

Well, I think you're jumping to a lot of conclusions.

Maybe, but I'm gonna keep my eye on her, just in case.

You've been working at that prison too long.

When's Nana getting here?

Your grandpa went to pick her up from visiting your dad in rehab.

They should be here any minute.

Cookies!

Freeze!

Did you clean your room?

Yes, ma'am.

Are your clothes in your hamper?

Yes, ma'am.

Did you make your bed?

Ah!

Morning, sunshine. Look who decided to join us.

Yeah, somebody tiptoed in at 3:00 in the morning.

Hey, hey, hey, pump the brakes, TMZ.

I didn't know you had a girlfriend.

I don't have a girlfriend.

I was up all night working on a case.

That's what they're calling it now?

Working on a case?

♪ Bow chicka bow wow. ♪

Ugh.

Anyway, what is the ETA on Kathy?

She'll be here any minute.

Can you go get dressed? You look a mess.

It's only Kathy, not the queen of England.

Go.

That's what I said, Jake.

Yo!

♪ A party ain't a party till we come in ♪

♪ My favorite Minnesota homegirl and me ♪

♪ The notorious K.A.T. ♪

Well, look who it is, Snoop Dogg and Martha.

♪ Harlem and Minnesota ♪

♪ Now you know you in trouble ♪

♪ To the beat beat ♪

♪ Check it out. ♪

Oh, baby.

Ooh!

♪ Tells it like it is ♪

♪ Crutch is here ♪

- ♪ For friends, family, kids ♪ - Yo, it's Francois!

- ♪ Crutch is Crutchfield ♪ - ♪ Crutch. ♪

I'm so glad you finally made it.

How was the trip down?

Oh, it was beautiful.

I didn't expect Andrew's rehab to be

in such a gorgeous location.

Yeah, trees help you recover.

And then we get into the city,

and there is graffiti everywhere.

I was putting her up on game

on New York City artwork.

Crutch is helping me appreciate

the art of tagging.

Oh, there she is.

Hey, Mama Kathy!

Jake, still looking so handsome.

Well, congratulations on your big corporate job.

You must be over the moon.

Well, that wasn't for me.

Um, I'm doing legal aid now.

Oh. Well, when one door closes,

- another one opens. - Mm-hmm.

You still living in that big, fancy apartment?

Nah, I'm living here,

right in that room over there.

Oh. Well, nothing better

than being around family.

I bet you are dating somebody special.

Nope.

I got nothing.

Oh! But, actually,

I do have gifts from Minnesota.

Oh!

You guys know that one of my rules is...

Never show up empty-handed!

You know my rule-- never turn down no gift.

What you got for me in that bag?

Oh.

Ooh, a wave cap.

Silk, like I like it.

I remember you telling me how you get your hair so wavy.

- I just love all those waves. - Ooh.

Finally somebody recognize my waves in this damn house.

You better get your life jacket,

'cause I'm gonna make you seasick.

You know, gift giving is my love language.

I just wanted to thank you for getting Andrew

into such a beautiful rehab facility.

Well, he's family.

It's like The Blind Side but in reverse.

As a reminder, Kathy, please don't bring up

Andrew's gambling around the kids.

They know he's upstate and in rehab,

but they don't really understand the complexities

of what's going on.

I remember. No need to tell them too much,

in case this whole thing blows over.

Nana! You made it!

I missed you so much!

Oh, I missed you so much.

- What'd you bring us? - Lisa.

We know she has gifts in that bag.

Oh!

Clothes?

You got us clothes?

Keep looking.

Nana!

Caramels from Shloogers.

I love these!

Yum! They kind of make me miss home.

Yeah. Your dad told me those were your favorite. Oh!

Jamilah and Jake, I know you are both into style.

Oh, a pretty silk scarf.

- Thank you. - Mm-hmm.

I remember Andrew loving you in that color.

And, Jake.

- That's a trapper hat. - Thank you, Kathy.

I'll, uh, you know,

wear it next time I'm chasing those waskily wabbits.

Jake, between your trapper hat and my wave cap,

we will be unstoppable.

- Ooh, that was delish. - Mm-hmm.

I can't wait to tell my girlfriends back home

that I had authentic soul food.

So trendy.

Wait till you see the A train.

Man, that sea bass and oxtails was delicious,

but they in here fighting right now.

I really enjoyed those short ribs.

The barbecue sauce--

Nobody cares.

I'm rooting for the oxtails.

I forgot how you two go back and forth.

Mom, me and Mase want to go check out the artwork.

Uh, Mase and I.

Well, can Lisa and me go see?

I want to check out the artwork, too.

Let's we's all go together.

Here's some tea,

and I brought you extra lemons.

Thank you, that was very sweet. And sour.

Do you need anything else?

Oh, I-I got this, Crutch.

Kathy, you need to visit more often.

I hope you enjoyed your meal.

All right, come back soon.

Did you see that?

The question is, did Jake see that?

Oh, you two need to take whatever this is

and go on the road.

She gave you extra lemons.

Last time somebody gave me extra lemons,

I ended up with two kids.

I can't tell if she's my type from extra lemons, Dad.

Type? Are you living an alternative lifestyle?

No, Kathy.

I'm just not looking for anything serious right now.

- Uh, Brooklyn, right? - Yeah, that's right.

Do you got a boyfriend?

Oh, come on. That is so inappropriate.

No, no, no. It's okay. No, I don't have a boyfriend.

You heard that, Jake?

Please stop talking.

Are you in a situationship, dear?

That's when you're casually seeing someone,

but it's not exclusive.

Ooh, I've seen that on Sister Wives.

Brooklyn, you ain't one of them sister wives, right?

Brooklyn, I'm sorry for this entire conversation.

No, no, I don't mind.

No, ma'am. I am not in a situationship

or a sister wife.

- I don't play games like that. - Uh, well.

Well, Jake here is a lawyer and he's single.

And he graduated from Columbia University,

top of his class.

And he has a nice blended fade.

Nice to meet you, Jake.

It's nice to meet you, too, Brooklyn.

Ooh, she wrote her number on the check.

You got the number, boi boi.

I'm out.

Thank you so much for dinner, Kathy.

She got good handwriting, too.

Mm-hmm. Good penmanship means fertility.

Mm.

Is this not weird to you?

No, it's not weird.

The kids love it when she plays her ukulele.

I feel like she's sending us all

to the sunken place.

Oh, Aunt Toni, you're just paranoid.

This ain't Get Out.

And what exactly did she mean earlier

when she said, "Blows over"?

Oh, she made one statement

and now you're building a whole case against her?

You watch too many Tyler Perry shows.

Honey, Tyler Perry is a truth teller.

Oh, I love Madea.

Hellur.

This place is adorable.

The kids' room is like a walk-in closet

that doubles as a bedroom.

I admire the way New Yorkers can make a life with no space.

Well, it's a little bit tighter than it was

back home in Minnesota.

Ooh, I love it that you still call Minnesota home.

New York is a lot, isn't it, Kathy?

Ah, it's a bit too loud and dirty for my taste,

but to each his own.

I can understand that.

I heard Minnesota is pristine.

I bet the bird-watching is beautiful.

- Are you a birder? - Mm-hmm.

- Ooh, I've always been fascinated by that. - Yeah?

Well, the next time you visit, you can come along.

Well, maybe next time you'll come visit us in Minnesota.

Well, I'm gonna go freshen up, get ready for bed.

Hallelujer.

"Next time"?

Why would I be going to Minnesota unless you were there?

Well... what's wrong with me going back home?

Nothing, if that's what you want.

Is that what you want?

I'm not sure.

I finally talked to Andrew

and I told him I feel like my life's

in a pretty good place here.

I'm just saying, Jamilah, don't forget what you've been through.

I don't know, I feel like you're just reading

into every little word she says.

This bathroom is even smaller.

It's like I'm on a plane.

This reminds me of when John and I would drive over

to you and Andrew's house on Sundays for brunch.

Ah, spending that time as a family

was my favorite part of the week.

Well, you can have that back any time you want.

You know, Kathy, about that, um...

Do I smell Dutch babies in my kitchen?

You remembered.

How could I forget giant hollow pancakes filled with apples?

I thought the grandkids might miss this.

Ooh, grandkids?

What about my culinary needs?

You know, Crutch, you are so lucky,

having the kids and the grandkids here with you.

I know when I was visiting Andrew,

that's all he could talk about.

Oh. That's all he talked about?

Oh, no, you, too.

Oh, we talked about that time he took you axe throwing

and you were not into it, but you landed every bullseye.

Well, that's because I didn't want to go axe throwing.

But it was kind of cool to win a pound of venison.

Yeah, good aim runs in our family.

I was eight and oh in dodgeball.

Well, hopefully, you'll be able to make more of those memories

once Andrew's better again.

- Yeah. - Yeah.

The good memories are the ones we hold on to.

But the bad ones are important, too.

Because those are the lessons.

Oh.

Who's ready for a Dutch baby?

I had an uncle, Leon, that went into the army

and came home with a Dutch baby.

Ooh, Brooklyn responded.

We got emojis, stars, hearts

and things I never saw before.

What did you text?

I just said Jake has 5% body fat

and a passion for justice.

That's a good one.

You should say he made the Olympic swim team.

Nah, that's too much.

I'm just gonna say he a lifeguard.

Women love guys who save lives in Speedos.

We did it. Brooklyn's down to go on a date.

Wow, that's awesome. I feel like a Dominican Cupid.

¡Wepa!

Hey, Dad, I'm off to court. What's going on?

Ooh, sookie sookie now.

I haven't heard you say that since I was a kid.

What are you up to?

I knew you wouldn't do it, so we texted Brooklyn,

the waitress from Melba's, and pretended to be you.

It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

So now you have a date tonight.

I'm the man. You're welcome.

You slid into Brooklyn's DMs and sealed the deal.

Texting and DMs are two different things.

Yeah, call it what you want to call it,

the message was slid.

Dad, I have a trial in the morning.

But she is really cute.

I have so much work to do.

But she did give me extra lemons.

See, that's what I'm talking about.

You a overthinker.

Some of the best opportunities come when you least expect it.

I don't want you to miss out.

Here, look at this text.

The font is so big.

"I'm super excited about our date.

Can't wait to see that beautiful smile."

I do have a nice smile.

So what's it gonna be?

I mean...

it might actually be a good idea.

You already did the hard part.

Yeah. She already think we have a nice physique.

Flaco, get your mans.

What? Today all your compliments come to me.

She thinks you got a beautiful smile,

I got a beautiful smile.

She thinks you got a nice physique,

I'm a Greek god.

So, please, have fun on our date.

So, how are you guys liking Harlem?

It's been fun. We started theater camp.

Oh, yeah, your mom mentioned that. Tell me more.

I get to create characters.

The teacher says I'm too broad, but she don't get it.

Well, maybe they do drama differently

in New York than Minnesota.

Do you know how long it will be till we go back home?

Well, if it was up to me, I'd smuggle you home

in my suitcase right now.

- How's Dad? - Oh, yeah, how is Dad?

Uh, well, uh, what do you know?

Well, Mom said he's in rehab,

but I don't know what that means.

Ugh, Mase. I told you.

Rehab is like a hospital.

It's a place where Dad can get better.

Better from what, Nana?

Because every time I ask Mom, she says it's complicated.

Yeah, well, Mase, um...

You know how, when you play video games like Fortnite

and you buy stuff?

Oh, yeah, it's such a rush.

Well, when your dad played games,

he spent $450,000.

That's a lot of video games.

Mom didn't tell us that part.

Well, he's not playing games anymore.

And he misses you both very much.

Hey, who wants ice cream?

Mom, did you know that Dad spent $450,000

on video games?

Uh, where did you hear that?

Oh, Nana told us.

Oop.

I didn't mean--

Kathy, do you want to go see the garden on the rooftop?

- Yeah. - Yeah?

I'll take care of them.

Here's your bowls, here's your ice cream.

Eat as much as you want. I'll be right back.

I would love to know more about your acting.

Oh, I am an understudy in a play on Broadway.

Uh, we train almost as much as you triathletes.

What'd you say?

You can't do anything without a strong core.

Huh.

Unbelievable.

No, it's true. Your core really is important.

Look at Jake.

He look like an apex lion on the Serengeti.

And the back of her head looks like it's having a great time.

Which part do you enjoy the most?

The biking, the running or the swimming?

Obviously swimming.

Um, what else did I tell you?

That you bake your own bread, you rescue puppies

and that you were the first Black Gerber baby.

Oh. Wow. Uh...

I can't do this.

I'm sorry, but, uh, Brooklyn, none of that is true.

Um, in fact, the first Black Gerber baby wasn't until 2024.

Shoutout to Akil.

Look, that was my dad that was texting you.

My mom does stuff like this to me all the time.

Really? Well...

don't look, but he's sitting right behind you.

Why am I not surprised?

Yo, uh, how about we teach his ass a lesson?

You think it's going to be a destination wedding?

I hope they let me officiate.

You've been lying to me this whole time?

I had my heart set on a lifeguard, Jake.

Hold on, girl. I can swim, okay?

And I can bike. And I can run.

- That makes me a triathlete. - Yeah, more like a lie-athlete.

Oh-ho-ho!

- Oh, we doing puns now? - "Oh." Yeah.

And I'm gonna call my cousins, they're gonna come down here

and mess you up.

No, no, no, no, no.

We don't need no cousins.

He's a lawyer, not a fighter.

- Gotcha. - Gotcha.

Hey, that was actually kind of fun, Jake.

If you want to try it again, your dad has my number.

Whoa.

You mean to tell me this was all an act?

From the beginning.

Created by you.

Wow, Jake, that was so convincing.

I love improv.

- I'll leave you to it. - Mm.

Um, quick question, Pop.

Why did you think that would work?

I was hopeful.

- Yeah? - Yeah.

Well, you always tell me never to lie.

Be myself.

Lying never helps, Pop.

I mean, look what's going on with Jamilah and Andrew.

You're right.

I should've texted her the truth when I was pretending to be you.

Or you shouldn't have pretended to be me in the first place?

Why'd you feel like you had to make up lies about me?

I didn't mean to. I just got on a roll.

Next thing you know, you're fighting off three kidnappers

and rescuing a baby on the train.

What?

Kathy, I explicitly asked you

not to talk to the kids about the details with Andrew.

- I know, Jamilah, but-- - But you still did it anyway.

And these are my kids, and this is my life.

And I wanted to tell them in my own way

when they were ready.

You're right.

And I just didn't think about it in the moment.

I was put on the spot.

You could've said, "I don't know."

That's true. And I should've.

Kathy, all you've been doing

is bringing up happy memories from Minnesota.

But you know things have not always been perfect

- between me and Andrew. - It's true.

It's like you're walking around here

making him sound like a saint.

Well, he's my son and--

You want us to get back together?

Well, no, I j--

You forgot about how many times

he's drained their bank accounts?

That's not true--

Or how many times I had to worry about

how we would pay the bills?

Well, damn, will you let her finish a sentence?

Sounds like she's trying to say something,

if you give her a chance.

Oh, look, there's a lady in the window.

We haven't been properly introduced.

It's so rude.

My name is Miss Pearl.

Well, I'm Kathy, Jamilah's mother-in-law.

Oh, nice to meet you.

- Proceed. - Oh.

Jamilah, I did not come here to try to convince you

into doing anything.

I only brought up the good times

because they had such sweet memories for me.

But I have not been totally up-front with you.

I knew it. Here it comes.

After visiting Andrew in rehab, I realized

he has a long way to go before getting better.

And that there's a possibility

that the separation is better for you and the kids.

Well, making sure the kids are good

is always my first priority.

I know that.

And if you stay in Harlem,

I just don't want them to forget about us.

Oh, Kathy...

I would never let that happen.

No matter what happens between Andrew and I,

you will always be a part of your grandkids' lives.

I love a happy ending.

Now I'm gonna go downstairs

and see if them kids left me some ice cream.

I would love to go to Minnesota with you.

I just love creating memories,

even though I forget most of them.

What was your name again?

Crutch, now you owe me a visit.

I always wanted to go ice fishing.

Oh, look, there's a sea creature right there.

I hope your heavy ass falls in the ice.

You two are hilarious.

- Antoinette, this is for you. - Oh.

It's a monocular for your birdwatching.

Oh, you are a good gift giver.

I just wanted you to know that when I'm not around,

I'm glad the kids still have a grandmother.

Oh, no, I'm the auntie. Big difference.

- But I hear you. - Ah. Say less.

Crutch taught me that.

Okay.

Kathy, take us home, baby.

Oh, this is a little number I learned from Crutch.

♪ Do you remember ♪

♪ The 21st night of September? ♪

♪ Love was changin' the minds of pretenders ♪

♪ While chasin' the clouds away... ♪

That's my jam from the Trolls movie!

- No, no, no. - Oh, baby.

Oh, God bless your soul, baby.

I got to fix your generation, too.

- Go on. Go on. - What?

You know, I love Earth, Wind and Fire.

'Cause I'm all three. I'm Earth, I'm Wind

and I'm Fire!

Shut up, Pearl.

♪ Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? ♪

♪ Ba-dee-ya, dancin' in September ♪

♪ Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day ♪

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org

♪ My thoughts are with you ♪

♪ Holdin' hands with your heart to see you ♪

♪ Only blue talk and love, remember ♪

♪ How we knew love was here to stay ♪

♪ Hey, hey, hey ♪

♪ Ba-dee-ya, say, do you remember? ♪

♪ Ba-dee-ya, dancin' in September ♪

♪ Ba-dee-ya, never was a cloudy day. ♪

What's that, bro bro?