Original subtitles

VERNON: I gave you at least three opportunities to come back,

but you still couldn't capitalize.

I was just taking it easy on you, Granddad.

That's not what the score sheet said.

And it didn't help that my phone kept blowing up.

We're still trying to push this education bill,

but we're losing votes one rep at a time.

If you needed to work,

we didn't have to keep our squash date.

No.

Time with you is important.

And plus, I've been so preoccupied

with putting my family back together,

I needed to blow off some steam.

I'm glad to hear that things

with Smitty and the kids are back on track.

However, it's not just been your squash game that has suffered.

What do you mean?

Your political career, Martin.

I'm afraid if you don't get your head

back in the game... and fast

the midterms are gonna whip your butt

worse than I just did on that court.

Every time I look up, you're stuffing your face.

I'm still grounded.

No phone, no laptop, no life.

This is my entertainment.

Well, if you're bored tonight,

you can join Tyrell and me.

My contact for the influencer piece,

they gave me two virtual tickets to that

big gaming stream thing.

Isn't MrBeast in that?

Yeah, and iShowSpeed.

We got Kai Senate...

It's Kai Cenat, Dad.

Okay, maybe I'm not down with the Twitchers,

or whatever you call them,

but I was thinking maybe you could catch me up

and we could get pizza. What do you say?

Sounds cool.

But I planned on rewatching anime.

Can't you do that any time?

He and Jessica are syncing up to stream it together.

They're gonna FaceTime each other

and see each other's reactions.

Eavesdrop much?

You seriously need a hobby.

It's fine. We are gonna have

plenty of family time during Thanksgiving.

[sighs] About that...

I was hoping to see if Jessica could join us

for Thanksgiving.

Well, isn't she gonna want to spend it

with her own family?

That's just it.

Her parents are attending this bougie brunch

at Hay-Adams with these corporate types.

Jessica's gonna be the only one under 30.

Okay.

Yeah, let me, um, ask your Pop.

- So that's a no. - Well, it's called

co-parenting for a reason.

Look, we are both happy that you found somebody

that you enjoy spending time with.

Then what's the problem?

You're young.

This relationship is new.

I just want to make sure you're not getting

too serious too quickly.

In other words, Dad's worried that you two

will be sharing more than just cranberry sauce.

Right, Dad?

??

LAURA [on phone]: How is your speech coming along?

The committee's been asking for a preview.

I have all of my talking points prepared,

but you know me.

Mother always said I was the kind of child

who would redecorate my birthday cake if she let me.

That sounds about right. What are you envisioning?

Oh, it might be a little too... ambitious.

Mm. For a Dupree event?

Ambitious is the baseline.

Okay, then.

I would like to add a QR code

that links to mental health services,

hotlines, all of that sort of stuff.

I was gonna ask Samantha and Tyrell to help,

but then I remembered

Samantha is barred from everything tech

and how hard it is to pry Mr. Tyrell away

from his new girlfriend without a crowbar.

You know I'm happy to help.

Oh, I don't want to overload you, Laura.

You are already doing so much to help with WinterFest.

And Thanksgiving's coming up.

You deserve a break, too.

It's not a problem.

- I can do it. - [footsteps approaching]

Oh, speaking of your mother, she just walked in

looking regal as ever. Would you like to say hi?

Actually, I have to go.

Tell Mother I will call her back.

You got a minute?

- Was that my daughter? - Yes, ma'am.

She actually wants me to help her with

some presentation stuff.

She wants to do a slides how.

And I know we were supposed to tackle these invoices,

but are you okay if

I get started on her presentation first?

Of course.

Nicole's segment sets the tone for the entire evening,

and these bills aren't going anywhere.

[both laugh]

Thanks for being so accommodating.

Oh, no, Laura, thank you.

We are so fortunate you took an interest in WinterFest

and expanded your duties to help us out this year.

It's been fun.

- I better get going. - All right.

Laura, we really do have to stop meeting like this.

People are going to think that I'm stalking you.

- Got a minute? - Barely.

Um, if you have forgotten, and really, how could anyone,

with all the holiday displays

screaming at us from every corner,

Thanksgiving is coming up, and I am swamped

trying to help my mother with WinterFest.

I have always admired how you manage to juggle

your family and philanthropic commitments

with a full patient roster. Mm.

You make magic look routine.

Give Mona and Laura the kudos for that.

If it wasn't for them, I would probably be

prescribing medication to my potted plants

and trying to water my patients.

You don't give yourself enough credit.

You truly are an incredible woman.

Carlton...

Laying it on thick?

Sorry, I can't help myself.

It's fine.

Just don't let it happen again.

I'm assuming you didn't just come by

to witness me drowning in paperwork.

You could do me the honor

of letting me escort you to WinterFest.

It's okay, sweetie.

Oh, I don't bite.

Not hard, anyway.

Anita!

Ah. You saved me a trip.

[sighs]

I was going to brave a drive to your estate

to deliver these personally.

That was, until I saw Titus out in the parking lot.

Well, don't trouble yourself with social niceties,

like waiting to be invited.

Don't mind if I do.

Here you go.

The WinterFest invites, hand-addressed as promised.

What was that with Laura?

What... Oh, that.

That was just a friendly greeting between acquaintances.

I know a performance when I see one.

You know, to be honest, I just don't know

why that girl jumps out of her skin

every time we cross paths.

Maybe I can chalk it up to those pesky rumors

that I tried to hurt her.

As if I would ever.

I want you to listen to me very carefully,

because I don't repeat myself.

Nicole thinks of Laura as family,

which means she's family to me.

Do not trifle with her again.

Oh, Anita.

The last thing anyone would accuse me of being is

trifling.

TYRELL: Just because Samantha tried

hooking up with Nathan in our living room

doesn't mean I'm that stupid.

Wow, so now I'm stupid?

Your taste in guys is. Nathan is trash.

Can we literally talk about anything else?

Like what?

Your boring political podcasts?

The fairness of my punishment?

TYRELL: How annoying you've been lately?

You're annoying.

Okay, what is a topic

that is neutral and has

literally zero drama potential?

Oh, what about colleges?

By the looks of things,

I will be applying when I'm in a nursing home.

How about you, Romeo?

Yeah. How did your conversation with Izaiah go?

Did he give you the inside scoop on Banneker?

I guess so.

Don't sound too enthusiastic.

Don't get me wrong.

Banneker is one of the top HBCUs in the country.

And you've been talking about the robotics program

since freshman year.

They're one of my top picks.

I-I just want to keep my options open.

What other colleges are you thinking about?

I'm seriously considering...

UCLA.

- Tell me how you really feel. - [chuckles]

Sometimes a man needs less comfort

and more clarity.

It's November.

You've got less than a year until re-election,

and that clock is ticking louder

than I think you seem to realize.

I'm well aware.

My team already has a strategy in place.

I'm not questioning your staff's preparation.

I'm questioning yours.

You seem to be going through the motions.

You think I'm going soft.

You were a storm once.

But, lately

you're more like the calm that follows it.

It's funny that you mention storms.

Do you remember the summer of 2005?

Do I?

That was a nightmare.

But weren't you too young for that to even register?

Actually, I remember it vividly.

Watching the national news with Mom and Dad

about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Those images haunted me.

Grandmothers stranded on rooftops,

lives floating down the streets where houses were.

But we were here in Fairmont Crest,

with well-manicured lawns and security gates.

And it was only a few states away

where people were suffering and dying.

You came to my study

and asked what were we doing to help.

And you said, "Not enough."

That it'd never be enough.

But we had to continue helping to make it better.

Not much of an answer.

It stuck with me.

Along with something else you gave me that day.

Clarity.

I didn't get into politics just to ride the Dupree name.

I wanted to make sure that the most vulnerable

weren't left behind when the waters rise,

literally and figuratively.

Now, that's the firebrand we need back in this race.

The question is, where'd he go?

I thought I made it clear

that I wasn't ready to date you

or anyone else so soon after my divorce.

This isn't about me not taking no for an answer.

Then what is it about?

Our friendship.

Friendship?

We are still friends, right?

Thank you for addressing the envelopes.

The calligraphy is

adequate.

Oh, I knew you would love it.

My seventh grade teacher once told me that

my penmanship had extraordinary charisma

with untapped genius.

[chuckles] Guess it runs in the family.

Well, don't let me keep you.

I'm sure you must be extremely busy

with all of your various projects.

No, it actually felt good to be useful again,

especially since I haven't been working.

My schedule's been wide open, thanks to your generosity.

Don't mention it.

Oh, but I must.

That trust that you set up for

my biological mother's heirs?

Oh, that has given me

such improvement in the station of my life.

As well as Eva's.

You have given my daughter

something that I never could

financial security.

You know, you really, truly are

like our fairy godmother.

So.

What do you want me to tackle next?

Where is this coming from?

UCLA is a good school, Dad.

Sure, but you've been talking about Banneker

since middle school.

I know you've been looking at other schools,

but Banneker was always the endgame.

Or so I thought.

Banneker's still one of them.

How can it not be?

Growing up, the fam made it sound like it was Wakanda,

just with homework.

All those stories from Grandma Nicole and Grandpa Ted

about how HBCUs were like a second family.

[sighs] In-in California,

Silicon Valley's right there.

I can get connections to tech internships

that would be hard to get here in D.C.

Oh, please.

It's the internships that are pulling you out west,

and not because that's where Jessica's planning to go?

Why are you such a big mouth?

Samantha, sweetheart,

can you please give your brother and I the room?

Sure.

I will just take this

and go continue serving my sentence upstairs.

You pursued your congressional seat

to change the system.

But somewhere along the way, the system changed you.

Now I spend more time

proofreading amendments and subcommittees

than doing anything that touches real people's lives.

Well, the business of change

is a messy one.

After decades,

I can count my true victories on one hand.

And half of those came with compromises

that still keep me up at night.

The machine is designed to grind down the best of us.

To turn idealists into pragmatists,

pragmatists into cynics.

But do you think

John Lewis didn't wake up some mornings

and want to quit?

You think Shirley Chisholm

didn't sit alone and wonder, "Was it worth it?"

And you, for that matter.

But now that I know how the game is played,

my second term would make my first

look like child's play.

We just have to make sure you have a second term.

Our district's been a safe seat for a generation.

No one on the other side can touch me.

Who said the threat could come from the other side?

You think I could face a primary challenge?

I don't think so.

Martin, I know so.

Thank you for your generous offer, Leslie,

but I won't be needing any more help from you.

My daughters have taken the reins,

and Laura has WinterFest well in hand.

My husband has even carved out time to pitch in.

Wow, imagine that.

A man like Senator Dupree, with so much on his plate,

still finds the time to have his wife's back.

Such loyalty is inspiring,

especially with the powerful men these days

who have such wandering attention spans.

Well, WinterFest is as important to Vernon as it is to me.

It's a family affair.

"Affair" being the operative word.

What does that mean?

Oh, I-I meant that I've heard that WinterFest

is quite the affair to experience,

and I am simply honored to have played such a

modest, uh, supporting role

in yet another triumph

for the incomparable Duprees. [Chuckles]

[phone buzzing]

Oh, apologies.

Oh, it's the hospital.

Um...

Hello?

Yes, this is she.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, I-I-I am on the way.

Okay, I hate to cut this short...

What a shame, we were having such a good time.

I know! But,

but the doctor,

he's overseeing the clinical trial for Peaches.

The woman who raised you?

Yes, yes. Um...

He's wanting me to come in for an update.

You know she's in the hospital.

No, I didn't know.

Please tell her I'll hold a good thought.

Thank you, Anita.

Okay.

Well... Uh...

Oh!

I still am going to stop by later

because I do have some ideas

that I want to run by you for WinterFest.

- That won't be necessary... - Oh, no, no, no. I insist,

because I want to be of service.

Toodles.

Of course we are still friends.

Why wouldn't we be?

I know that I came in hot,

rushing things when your heart was still healing.

Timing has never really been my strong suit.

So if that cost me the chance to be with you,

pushing for something more,

I would regret it,

but accept it.

What I won't accept is

knowing that I've wrecked a friendship

that we've built over so many years.

Remember all the good times we had

at those WinterFest after-parties?

[laughing]: Like when you started

that ridiculous line dance?

[both laughing]

And your father jumped in

like he was auditioning for Soul Train.

Poor Anita could barely catch her breath

from laughing watching him cut loose.

And Dani... Dani trying that viral dance

that Chelsea taught her...

- In six-inch Louboutins. - [laughing]

Oh, that poor caterer!

She nearly took him out with that fan kick.

Hors d'oeuvres went flying!

- Oh... - [laughs]

[sighs]

I missed this.

So have I.

I'm hearing from National Committee insiders

that you're on track to face a serious primary challenger.

How do we know this is not just rumors?

Rumors don't book war rooms or hire pollsters.

This has been brewing for weeks,

maybe longer.

I must have pissed off someone really high this time.

Or.

They were playing chess from the start.

Keep you busy with subcommittees,

let you drown in red tape,

then come election year,

claim you broke all your promises.

But the why doesn't matter now.

No, no, we need to ensure your political career

doesn't crash and burn after the first term.

Yes, my focus has been divided.

Even this education bill is toothless.

[sighs] The truth is,

bureaucracy and minutiae

are weighing me down.

Take a holiday, do some soul-searching.

Mm-hmm.

Figure out the politician you want to be,

then try to tap back into that young congressman

with fire in his belly.

Understood.

Good.

And one more thing.

I'm afraid to ask.

Your first campaign,

you were underestimated.

They won't make that mistake again.

It could get ugly.

You need to make sure your family is ready for it.

Jessica's not the only reason why I'm considering UCLA.

But it's the main reason.

Can we not do this right now?

Well, I haven't even started saying anything yet.

Yeah, but I already know the speech.

Education is the foundation for your future.

Four years that shape the next 40.

Be smart, think long term,

and don't throw it away for a girl.

So maybe the problem isn't me saying it,

maybe it's you knowing that it's true.

But Jessica's not just some girl.

She gets me.

I don't have to be the charity case

or the chess geek.

I don't have to code-switch

or be a different version of myself.

She sees me.

Go on.

We kept trading places in A.P. Physics.

I started helping her, she started helping me, too.

Jessica stayed with me on FaceTime until 3:00 a.m.,

quizzing me on formulas.

And when I start overthinking, she'll be like,

"Tyrell, your brain's doing that thing again."

She calms me down.

And she notices me spiraling before I even do.

Well, it sounds like you two have something special.

It is.

Jessica's brilliant and driven,

but still down-to-earth.

But none of that matters if she's attending UCLA

and dumping me for a Cali guy.

You really care about her, don't you?

But I just don't want to lose her.

Thank you for being bold enough to speak your truth

about wanting to preserve our friendship.

I know that couldn't have been easy.

Especially given

how long you've carried those feelings.

Does that mean you'll attend WinterFest with me?

I promise not to embarrass you with my dancing.

Too much.

You are persistent.

I am a big believer in manifestation.

And right now, I am manifesting you

on my arm at your family's annual soiree.

And after everything you've been through,

you deserve a night where someone is thinking about

your happiness for a change.

Okay, smooth talker. You wore me down.

- Yes! - I will let you

escort me as my friend.

I need that to be clear.

That is more than enough for me.

For now.

[sighs]

You're a whiz at math.

Can you crunch some numbers for me?

All right, hit me.

Okay.

When you and your sister were at the foster home,

what are the odds that you would have ended up here,

in this life?

Pretty slim.

And what are the odds that a Black legislator

from the almighty Dupree family,

with all their secrets,

would fall head over heels for a white reporter

who asks way too many questions?

Even slimmer.

Like Drake-winning-a- Grammy-for-bluegrass-level rare.

Yeah, but it happened.

Not because it was easy, or because it made sense,

but because we chose it.

And we kept choosing it,

even when it was hard.

So what you're saying is,

if Jessica and I are real,

Banneker vs. UCLA won't break us?

Exactly.

If something's real, it doesn't die when it's tested.

And if it doesn't survive,

then maybe it's because it wasn't meant to.

And we have these awesome inventions.

They're called airplanes.

And summer vacation.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

All I'm saying is,

whatever you decide,

if it's Banneker, if it's UCLA,

if it's any one of those schools,

do it for you.

Don't do it for me, don't do it for Jessica,

don't do it for your Pop,

but do it for you, because

you are the one that's gonna have to live with that choice.

Promise?

Yeah. I promise.

Bring it in.

Looks like you two are having a moment.

What'd I miss?

We were just

- talking about... - Jessica.

Yeah, don't you have that binge thing with her?

[phone ringing]

That's her FaceTiming right now.

- Okay. - Later, Dads.

SMITTY: Yeah.

Is everything okay?

Martin, we need to talk.

Hello, my love.

Well, hello, yourself.

How'd the match go with Martin?

I beat the pants off him.

He thought he had me in the third set,

but he forgot,

you know, I've been volleying with colleagues

who are twice as fast and half as humble

since the Clinton administration.

Well, it sounds like your day is going better than mine.

Did you discuss with him what you intended?

I lit a fire under him about the midterms.

He'll get his act together.

Good.

I know we once

wanted him to walk away from politics altogether,

but now that certain ghosts from his past are laid to rest,

it's time our grandson

stepped fully into the role he was born into.

Amen to that.

Oh, speaking of ghosts,

I feel like I'm being haunted all day.

What's going on?

Oh, nothing I can't handle.

I'll have to call you back.

I'll be counting the minutes until you do.

Bye.

- Mrs. Dupree. - Eva.

You haven't seen my mother, have you?

We're supposed to meet here for lunch.

She just left.

Of course.

And without texting or calling. Typical.

She got a call from the doctor about Peaches.

Well, nothing your mother said suggested an emergency.

[exhales] Thank God.

I hope she didn't wear your nerves too thin

while she was here.

Well, I would be lying if I said otherwise.

But you needn't trouble yourself.

I know exactly how to handle that mother of yours.

We really have to stop meeting like this.

What's the matter, little girl?

Cat got your tongue?

I am not a little girl.

I am a grown-ass woman,

and I'm telling you to get out of my damn way.

No. No, no, no, no. Absolutely not.

- Martin. - There is no version in reality

where we sit back and let Tyrell

chase some girl across the damn country.

Babe, you need to breathe.

The last thing we need is you erupting

when he comes downstairs.

All that'll do is drive him closer to L.A. out of spite.

What is happening with our kids?

I mean, Samantha's out here rebranding herself

as this lovesick groupie,

and now, my steady, grounded, logic-driven son

is about to throw away Banneker for a teen romance

that might not even survive the first semester.

Shh!

He's 17.

He's straddling the line between boy and man.

You remember that age.

Everything is life and death.

This decision will indeed impact his whole life.

But I'm not about to just sit back

and watch him throw it away in pursuit of puppy love.

I'm not saying he should do this.

I'm just saying he could do a heck of a lot worse than UCLA.

No, Banneker leads in their pioneering work

from science data to cybersecurity.

Babe, you are preaching to the converted.

I'm just saying, remember what happened

last time that we tried to take control?

You mean when I met with Tyrell's principal

and created a mess for him at school?

Yeah. I was being nice.

I appreciate that.

As well as being the voice of reason, as always.

What's our play here?

We wait.

We watch, we guide.

And we cross that bridge if and when it happens.

Quite the opposite advice

I received from Granddad.

He basically told me to batten down the hatches.

Your squash game with Vernon was that bad?

Oh, he handed me my ass twice.

Once on the court, and after

he dropped a political bomb on me.

Once again, I'm sorry about my mom.

And not just for today, honestly, for all of it.

I hope you know that I will never forgive myself

for helping Mama go after Nicole.

She didn't deserve any of that.

No, she didn't.

But then, you didn't deserve

to have your head filled with lies, either.

I still had free will.

I could have seen through Mama's toxic narrative

and done my own research.

But you did, eventually.

Once you got to know Nicole and Ted,

you realized that they weren't the villains

in your mother's little soap opera.

As angry as I am at Ted and Leslie

for what they did to my daughter,

I do recognize that you were just

collateral damage in all of this.

I understand you and Ted

have managed to forge a relationship.

I wish I'd had him in my life from day one,

but better late than never.

It's definitely an upgrade from my stepdad,

who treated me like Mama's baggage.

And when he got sick,

it drained us for every cent we had.

I'm thankful for what I had with Alan.

Just makes me appreciate Ted so much more.

The little mouse finally decided to roar.

I'm done being afraid of you.

From the moment you ran me off that road,

my life has been hell.

Living in a prison in my mind,

while you've been walking around scot-free

like nothing happened.

Careful, Lolo.

If you insist on spreading these creative narratives,

I'll have no choice but to file

a suit of defamation that is so devastating,

even your grandchildren will be paying restitution.

I'm not lying.

You tried to kill me.

Not once, but twice.

The police may not have found the evidence,

but we both know the truth.

Make no mistake.

If I wanted you dead,

worms would be feasting

on your rotten flesh as we speak.

I don't leave loose ends.

[laughs]

I'm just kidding.

Oh, you should see your face.

[sighs]

Listen, I know everyone is casting me to be

the big, bad villainess,

but that couldn't be further from the truth.

Okay?

So, how about we make a truce, hmm?

What's going on here?

Your lovely assistant

and I were just comparing notes

about how magical it's been

helping your family with WinterFest.

Weren't we, Laura?

Some chamomile with a little lavender

to help settle your nerves.

I'm so sick of letting that woman get to me.

Every time I think I'm past it, she shows back up,

and I go right back to being terrified.

You should be proud of yourself, Laura.

Standing up to Leslie took a lot of courage.

It took everything I had.

The whole time, my heart was pounding so hard,

I thought it might burst.

Is there anything you can prescribe

that can help me with this anxiety that Leslie causes?

I don't think medication is what you need.

Leslie is banking on keeping you destabilized.

But I can help you develop some coping skills

to recognize her tactics and neutralize them.

Please, anything.

I'll start working on a plan.

In the meantime, I do think there is

something I can prescribe that might help.

What?

A hug.

[sighs]

Oh, what a lovely surprise.

- Is it? - Absolutely.

I have been thinking about you quite a bit lately, Carlton.

Oh. May I call you Carlton?

Depends on why.

Well, I want us to become better acquainted.

After all, we do have so much in common.

And what exactly would that be?

For starters,

our desire to make sure that Ted and Nicole

never find their way back.

You should have seen Granddad's face

when he told me about the primary challenger.

It was like he was preparing me for war.

Yeah, I have some friends who lateraled

from investigative research for newsrooms

to opposition research for campaigns, and,

Martin, they leave no stone unturned.

They dig through everything,

from financials to Facebook likes.

This could get bad.

Are you good with that?

With them dragging our entire lives

out in the spotlight again?

You know, when I married you,

I didn't just marry the man,

I married the mission.

That passion for public service, that is one of the things

that made me fall in love with you in the first place.

It's that passion that I need to find again.

And you will.

But I do need you to give me your word about something.

What?

This family needs to come first.

Before the campaign, before donors.

When Tyrell graduates, you're there.

When Samantha has her cotillion,

you show up.

When you and I have our anniversary,

cameras or no cameras,

you're with me. Okay?

I promise.

Family over politics.

Always.

While I will never condone Leslie's antics,

I can't help but feel a modicum of empathy for her.

I can't imagine what it would've been like to

raise a child without a stable partner.

I thank God for my Vernon every day.

Now, I know no one is perfect,

but

that husband of mine comes pretty damn close.

[chuckles]

You definitely are one of the lucky ones, Mrs. Dupree.

Sharon?

Yeah.

Looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Our last time together was

one for the record books.

Izaiah.

What can I say?

I'm a fool for love.

Loyalty matters a lot to me, Tomas.

That's why I want to talk about your future at the firm.

Hello there, pretty lady.

You are a cop.

Is that a problem?

You knew that your ex would be here,

and you brought me here anyway?

Why would you do that?

- Where's your fire extinguisher? - Under the sink.

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