Original subtitles

-So what do you want from me? -I want commitment.

You're pushing too far. I can't do this now.

-Till next time? -Sooner than later.

When did Leslie become a philanthropist?

She's a delusional psycho bitch with a checkbook.

You are flying too close to the sun, Mama.

Which is why I need Marcel to protect and serve me.

Different batch, same secret sauce.

Lynette, meet Hayley Hamilton.

Hello, Dr. Ahn.

What do you mean, more tests?

I'm so sorry I am late.

I've been a little distracted today.

I am just glad you were able to find time

for our coffee in the middle of your busy schedule.

You know how much I value my time with my girls.

I also know how much work you have to catch up on

after organizing WinterFest.

I swear, Mother, I do not know how you do it

with all your responsibilities.

You know, every year I say I'm going to do

all my Christmas shopping before the WinterFest madness.

And of course that never happens.

I'm right there with you.

I just can't get into the holiday shopping mood

until there's a little chill in the air.

Mm, yeah, it's such a special time,

full of joy and family...

Mother, are you okay?

Of course.

Just thinking about all the post-WinterFest...

and, you know, everything. [laughs]

Okay. Speaking of gifts,

have you gotten any hints from Daddy yet

as to what he's getting you this year?

No, I have not, and that's not for lack of trying.

[both chuckle]

But I know he's up to something.

Your father has that sparkle in his eye.

Daddy!

[excited humming]

-Hi! -Hello.

What a nice surprise.

I am here on a mission.

I'm a little behind in arranging a Christmas gift for Anita.

I have something I think will be wonderful,

but I'll need a little help.

I get to be in on a secret this year? Fabulous!

How can I help?

Thank you, sweetheart, but I'm here to talk to Andre.

It's so nice to meet you, Mrs. Hamilton.

Nice to meet you, too. But please call me Hayley.

♪ ♪

[door closes]

So?

The interview went well.

The reporter loves Thai food as much as I do,

and it was an automatic connection.

Yes, I knew that'd be the perfect place to meet.

Seems like my research was on point.

As it usually is.

And that practice session we did earlier

on the Welfare Animal Act...

went really good.

She pretty much asked me all the same questions you did,

so I was prepared.

Well, I'm happy to be your secret weapon.

Oh, uh, before I forget,

you missed a call from Maggie Cruxley.

The congressional staffer?

Yes, she is wanting to pin you down

on whether or not you'll cosponsor a bill about

"using tax revenue from gambling operations

to fund treatment for problem gamblers."

It also strengthens existing anti-money laundering statutes.

So, is that a yes?

I need to give it some more thought.

I thought this would be right up your alley.

Are you hesitating because of Joey Armstrong?

Hey, boss.

How was lunch?

Not as pleasant as I'd hoped.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Oh, it's my own damn fault. I shouldn't have bothered.

I got enough on my mind with this

push for additional AML regulations.

-AML? -Anti-money laundering.

What that means is

increased government scrutiny on yours truly.

You know, external audits, internal reviews,

automated transactional analysis.

Why don't they just give me a colonoscopy?

Well, boss, it's a good thing you were smart enough

to read the writing on the wall

and transfer your AML activities

over to Vanessa's real estate business.

Yeah, even that isn't going as well as anticipated.

Wait a minute, never mind that. What are you doing here?

I doubt you came in to restack chips.

Sorry, but I'm here to tell you something

that I know you don't want to hear.

Caroline, pull up the firm's calendar for me.

Let's see who's available to take on a new matter.

Of course.

Uh, Lynette.

Um, I'm afraid that my own plate is a little too full

to handle your situation personally.

Well, that's disappointing.

Well, I'll still be overseeing the matter,

so you'll have the benefit of my expertise.

However, I promised my lovely and very patient wife

a much-needed getaway.

Aw, how sweet. Where are you two off to?

Ah, we just bought a vacation home in St. Barts.

Mm, very nice.

Business must be booming.

Well, I'm a very good lawyer.

If you do say so yourself.

Yeah, well, I've never believed in false modesty,

but Hayley can back up my claims.

As a totally unbiased observer?

Mm-hmm. I can vouch for Bill

not only as an admiring wife

but as a paralegal.

My husband's a genius in the courtroom

and skilled at hiring exceptional associates.

Well, after that glowing assessment,

why would I worry? Consider me on board.

Caroline.

We'll get back to you with next steps in a day or so,

but feel free to call me directly with any questions.

That works for me.

Let me walk you out.

Goodbye, Mr. Hamilton.

Hayley...

I hope we'll be seeing each other again soon.

Andre, one of the worst-kept secrets in the Dupree family

are the incredible Christmas gifts that Daddy gets Mother.

They're always romantic, meaningful, and unusual,

and they make every other husband's look utterly pathetic.

-No pressure. -She exaggerates.

One year he got one of Mother's favorite designers

to not only create a dress for her,

but he, he used her songs as inspiration

for his entire collection.

Wow. [laughs]

Okay, I might have to rethink marrying into this family.

But don't worry, darling.

Just take notes.

You probably ran through all of the typical gifts

in the first few years of your marriage, am I right?

Yes, and that's precisely the problem.

After decades of marriage,

Anita has just about all the jewelry

and collectibles and artwork that she could ever want.

So I had to get a little more creative over the years.

It's always been a challenge,

but this year I kinda got lucky.

A constituent came up to me at Orphey Gene's

back in February

and showed me this old newspaper clipping

of Anita and me at the march where we first met.

I've never seen that picture.

I never knew it even existed.

But with the help of a very obliging fellow

over at the newspaper, I was able to track it down.

He pulled this from the archives.

Ooh! You and Mama were looking sharp

-even back then. -[laughs]

What are you going to do with it?

I was hoping that my son-in-law,

the talented photographer,

might have some suggestions.

Trust me, I know how I'm going to work this.

Yeah.

Your father had a meal flown in from Dooky Chase,

with all my favorites.

Where does Daddy even come up with these ideas?

Some men pick up golf when they retire.

Some go fishing, but your father's hobby

is to find numerous ways to make me smile.

And he succeeds every time.

Believe me, I know how lucky I am.

Well, now I'm even more curious

to see what he comes up with for Christmas.

With his track record, it'll have to be incomparable.

And don't worry, I already know better than to ask you

what surprise you have in store for him.

[chuckling]: My lips are sealed.

[phone buzzing]

Hello.

AHN: Mrs. Dupree,

this is Dr. Ahn.

I just got word from the radiologist

that she's had a cancellation in her schedule.

She can do your biopsy in about an hour if you can make it.

Well, that's unexpected.

I know... but I recommend you

take advantage of this opportunity and

get this procedure done as soon as possible.

The lesion the ultrasound found in your breast

is probably nothing to worry about,

but the sooner we have answers, the better.

Of course.

I'll be there. Thank you.

Is everything okay?

Yes. Just...

more Dupree Heritage Foundation business.

But where's that waiter to get our coffee?

I have a lot of things to do today.

I agree. It's time for me to do another town hall.

Thanks, Shonda.

In case I haven't said it enough,

you are a great campaign manager.

A town hall sounds great.

We agree again.

We're on a roll.

Well, I do want to roll it back

to what we were talking about before Shonda called.

You would rather not antagonize Joey Armstrong

just to send a message.

Joey Armstrong's opinions aren't a factor for me.

I would like to support the bill

because it has elements that go toward

fighting gambling addiction, as well as calling for

a stronger stance on money laundering.

But there's a great argument that says

the bill penalizes legal operations

and gives illegal ones an unfair advantage.

That makes sense.

And I'd like to see what's added

and deleted along the way.

A bill that I believe in today

could morph into something

that I can't even recognize when it's done.

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply

that you had gone over to the dark side.

No, I get it.

You're just worried that Armstrong

will someday call in his marker

and pressure me into doing some political favor for him.

But that hasn't happened.

But that doesn't mean it won't happen.

RANDY: That congresswoman,

she returned your contribution to her campaign.

[sighs]

Martin Richardson.

Damn it, he's starting to rub off on the others.

So what excuse did they give

for returning my legal generous donation?

Apparently there was some reporter

sniffing around her office,

asking her about her positions on gaming laws.

-Was it Smitty? -No, no. Somebody else.

That's even worse.

That means fear of being tainted by me or my money is spreading.

Suddenly, I'm persona non grata.

This doesn't have to hold you back, boss.

You can still give your dark money donations.

You know, slide a little something under the table

just like you have been.

You'll have just as much,

if not more, influence behind the scenes.

I'm tired of playing behind the scenes.

You know, my income may not be squeaky clean,

but show me one successful businessman

who's up for sainthood.

Do you have any idea how much revenue

the state of Maryland took in from casinos last year?

Over $800 million?

You may have mentioned it once or twice.

That's-that's right.

Very good.

You were listening.

Yeah, these politicians,

they-they love all that tax revenue,

but they don't want to be associated with the source.

Well, to hell with Martin Richardson

and his gutless cronies.

They may think they don't need me.

The truth is exactly the opposite.

-[door opens, closes] -[phone chimes]

Well, I hope you're proud of me, sweetheart.

I just delegated a new case,

and I am fully committed to our vacation.

Mm, I am very proud of you.

And how does it feel,

having a work-life balance for a change?

I like it.

I knew you would.

Yeah, in fact, I think I'm going to take

the rest of the afternoon off

-and play hooky with you. -Wonderful.

Yeah. So, what should we do?

I... have an appointment at the nail salon.

Why don't you come with me and get a mani-pedi?

Well... you know, on second thought,

I think it's best if I put in a few more hours here.

-Oh, really? -Mm-hmm, yeah.

It just means that I'll clear my desk

all the faster before we head to St. Barts.

Okay, if you think that's best.

-I'll see you later. -Okay.

Newspaper photos like these

use what we call the halftone technique.

You see how the image is essentially

-made up of dots? -Mm-hmm.

So, I have some image-editing software

that does what we call descreening.

It's when you blur all these lines

to make it look more like a actual photo.

Just when I thought you couldn't get any sexier,

you get all expert on me.

Babe, you're distracting me right now, you know that?

And your father's right there, come on.

Yes, he is.

Sorry, carry on.

Senator, I think I might be able to restore

this photo back to what it looked like originally.

Oh, that's exactly what I was hoping you would say.

Yeah, my high-res scanner is back at my condo,

so I'll head there and I'll start work right away.

What? You don't have to do it this minute.

Babe, I am way too ready to dive in.

No app is going to cut it.

This, this takes skill and vision.

DANI: Well, hurry back.

I'm gonna miss those big brown artistic eyes.

I will.

Senator, I'll see you soon.

Thanks, Andre.

Isn't he amazing?

Oh, I think it's amazing that your husband

still has his own condo.

What's that about?

Are you two hedging your bets about this marriage?

Hey.

What's wrong?

Did someone see you spiking Bill's tea?

Did they find the drives?

No, nothing like that.

I'm on my game, as always,

and nobody's suspicious of a damn thing.

Bill still thinks he passed out from low blood sugar.

Okay, good.

But...

we may need to put a hold on things.

No.

A few days ago, you were all up on my ass,

wanting to speed things up.

Now you want to press the pause button?

Don't tell me you caught feelings for this mark.

Why you always got to take it there?

The only feelings I've caught for Bill Hamilton

is a whole bunch of annoyance and a crick in my neck

from having to look up all the damn time.

I want out of this marriage even more than before,

but...

we have a new problem.

You remember Lynette?

Your old partner in crime?

The one you used to run scams with?

Guess who showed up in Bill's office.

Mrs. Dupree, hello.

I appreciate you coming in on such short notice.

I'm grateful the radiologist could fit me in so quickly.

I didn't want to spend the holidays

worrying about that suspicious ultrasound result.

Hopefully it's a false alarm.

There is a good chance of that.

Most breast biopsies-- I'd say 80%--

turn out to be benign, but we've just got to make sure.

Of course.

Um, I assume the senator will be in shortly.

Should we wait for him?

Well, since I didn't think this was anything serious,

I, uh, didn't see any need to worry my family,

including Nicole,

who is taking the afternoon off,

so I know it's not likely I would bump into her,

but I just want to make sure no one here

accidentally mentions anything.

Oh, of course. We respect your privacy.

But there is still time to reconsider

if you want someone here for support.

Well, I thought you said that the procedure was fairly simple.

It is.

Then, I-I should be okay by myself.

I'm sure you will be, but...

the procedure can be unnerving if it's your first time.

I was very nervous for my own biopsy.

Were you, really?

Of course.

People forget doctors have bodies, too,

even doctors themselves.

May I ask what your results were?

My results came back benign,

but I was just as nervous as anyone would be.

And it's completely normal to feel that way

when you're facing even the possibility

-of a cancer diagnosis... -Yeah, well, you know... [chuckles]

I'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Go ahead and take a seat.

I'll let Dr. Caputo know you're here.

Thank you.

[phone buzzing]

Hello, darling.

Anita, I just wanted to let you know

I'm over here at Dani's.

Oh, what's going on?

Oh, just a little daddy-daughter time.

If there's anything you need to know, you will.

Okay, good.

You still out with Nicole?

No, we-we finished our coffee catch-up.

Then why don't you come to Dani's and join us?

I wish I could...

but I have a lot of things to take care of today.

All right. I'll see you back at home.

We miss you!

Love you!

VERNON: Oh, put me in that group, would you?

-The "love you" group? -[Dani laughs]

Oh, yeah. Goodbye, babe.

[intercom beeps]

Yes?

CAROLINE [over speaker]: Joey Armstrong's here to see you.

Send him back.

-Joey. -Hello, Bill.

What brings you by?

Meaning, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Well, it's just that in the past,

we've always been careful

to keep our communications under the radar.

Well, that's because we were usually discussing

the less savory aspects of my business

or we were devising ways to shield your in-laws--

sorry, your ex-in-laws--

from the consequences of their own actions.

No, today's visit has nothing to do with any of that.

Go on.

I'm here to discuss your future prospects.

Which means you're about to suggest

that I join your operation again.

Look, as much as I appreciate the compliment,

I think I'd stand to lose a lot more than I'd gain

in that scenario.

I wouldn't argue that point.

But there are other scenarios,

scenarios in which you would have plenty to gain.

Care to elaborate?

Have you ever thought

of running for office?

Where's this coming from?

Are you telling me it's never crossed your mind

to run for public office?

You've had a front-row seat at the DMV for years.

You know how most politicians work,

and you could run circles around those clowns.

Yeah, it's easy to say that.

Wait, was that false modesty coming from Bill Hamilton?

Now, I've given this a lot of thought.

You have a lot of the attributes that voters look for.

You're smart, you're good-looking,

you're successful, well-spoken,

and you're a fighter.

"He fought for his clients, he'll fight for you."

I mean, come on, the ads practically write themselves.

What, are you looking to be my campaign manager?

Oh, I can be a lot more useful than that.

I can bring in donors,

starting with myself.

There's a lot of frustration

down in the district with all the high-minded elitism

versus the practicalities.

You see, too much regulation

just slows down businessmen like me.

It-it keeps us from investing in our communities.

Any particular regulations or oversight that concern you?

Oh, too many to count.

Which means you'd have plenty to do.

So, what exactly are we aiming for here, hmm?

Now, right now, I would suggest

challenging Martin Richardson for his congressional seat.

Hmm.

So, this is about you

poking a stick in the Duprees' collective eye.

All right, I admit, I have more than a little frustration

with their lack of appreciation

for the many contributions that I've made to their success.

Yeah, tell me about it.

See, you get it.

Like you get so many things.

Frankly, I don't see ingratitude as being an issue for you.

Look...

I appreciate all the confidence you have in me, Joey,

but I'm afraid your timing leaves a lot to be desired.

I just promised Hayley

that I'd take a step back from the daily grind,

and to be honest,

I've actually been getting along fairly well

with my former in-laws lately.

Well, I wouldn't expect that to last.

And what little I know of the current Mrs. Hamilton,

I, I would think she would...

get a bit of a kick out of being the wife of a congressman.

Just don't dismiss it out of hand.

Well, I promise to give it more thought.

That's all I ask.

Lynette claims she needs an attorney to defend her

because her employer is accusing her of embezzlement.

[chuckles] That tracks.

How much she take?

Do you seriously think I stood there in Bill's office

and asked her that in the middle of my own con?

I nearly passed out when I saw her.

Man, it's been years.

But...

doesn't seem like Lynette was surprised to see me at all.

So she didn't blow your cover?

Mm-mm, she just let Bill introduce us like we never met.

Good.

But you still need to find out what the hell she has in mind.

I have never been a fan of coincidences.

Oh, I'm way ahead of you, coz.

On my way out of the office,

I got Lynette's phone number out of her client file.

You just missed Smitty.

Apparently, the only outfit that Samantha can wear

is one that's still at the dry cleaners.

Oh, I remember being a teenage girl.

When something like that happened,

your grandmother made me go pick up my own outfit.

Clearly, Smitty's a little more easygoing than Gran.

Many people are more easygoing than your grandmother,

but we love her to pieces anyway.

We missed you, Smitty, and the kids at WinterFest.

You all had previous commitments?

It's happening more often now that the campaign is gearing up.

But how did WinterFest go?

Dad told me he was taking Eva this year.

He was actually really thoughtful about it.

He ran it by me first to make sure I was okay with it,

and I really was.

I can't help but feeling for Eva,

everything she must have been through,

being raised by Leslie.

It's only right that Ted play a bigger role in her life now.

And I'm glad to see that he's doing it.

Really?

Yes.

If only I could sway your sister on that point.

Did you hear that Kat boycotted WinterFest?

I heard. We had a talk this morning,

the first one in a long time.

How's she doing?

Insecure about her place in our family,

especially since Dad has another daughter.

Well, I am glad you two reconnected.

She really could use her big brother right now.

I made a promise to her--

and now to you-- that I will make more time for her.

It really has been a turbulent year for all of us.

Since Bill's engagement to Hayley last Christmas,

it seemed like everything just spiraled.

I am really hoping this holiday season

just brings everybody together

and we get that sense of peace, calm, and joy

that we have all been missing for so long.

Now, that would be a great gift for your grandparents.

Dr. Caputo will be here in just a minute

to explain in greater detail.

I'll be outside if you need anything.

Thank you.

♪ ♪

-Cheers. -Cheers.

[dialogue inaudible]

It is going to be the best year ever.

Amen to that.

[both laugh]

[sighs]

While I have you here,

there's something I want to ask you about.

Oh, Samantha and I have already discussed

the cotillion situation.

We're getting everything straightened out.

Thanks for that.

But this is more work-related.

A colleague of mine has introduced a bill

that calls for funding programs that treat

or otherwise address gambling addiction.

You mean for people like Doug McBride.

Exactly.

Now, it's too late for Doug

but not for a lot of people that are in the same situation.

So that's what I wanted to pick your brain about.

I have thoughts about the topic.

And I would love to discuss it with you.

-Outstanding. -But in return,

I do have a few questions for you.

I hope you're not thinking about coming out

in support of this bill.

I haven't yet.

I want to get a better grasp on the underlying issues.

I am guessing Joey Armstrong isn't going to be

a big fan of this particular piece of legislation.

I expect he wouldn't.

But are you saying I should fall in line with what he wants?

Of course not.

I have no doubts about your integrity,

but I also hope that you're not going out of your way

to provoke a man as dangerous and unpredictable as Armstrong.

No, that's not my intention at all.

Well, I hope you stick to that,

because he can create some serious problems for you,

and he wouldn't hesitate to do it if you give him a reason.

[phone buzzes]

Hi, honey.

BILL [over phone]: What color?

Excuse me?

You didn't pick that black nail polish, did you?

You know I think it's creepy.

[chuckling]: No, no.

No black.

Well, if that's all you wanted...

Well, no, actually, I called to tell you something

that you might find pretty interesting.

Joey Armstrong just stopped by.

Oh. What did he want?

Well, get this.

He thinks that I should run for office.

He actually offered to back me

in challenging Martin for his seat in Congress.

What do you think of that?

I think it's a terrible idea.

I didn't take his offer seriously.

I just thought you might find it as funny as I did.

I'm sorry.

You just scared me a minute there.

You know, I saw all my dreams

of a relaxing vacation in St. Barts slipping away.

Oh, well, honey,

you don't have to worry about that at all, okay?

I'm already picturing you lying on the beach

in one of those teeny bikinis we talked about.

Hold that thought, I have to get back to my manicure.

See you when I'm dry.

Okay.

[sighs]

A marriage that involves separate residences

seems like it's on shaky ground to me.

Well, we've taken things slow because we want to make sure

we're on steady ground.

We've eased into this commitment little by little,

'cause it was all I could handle.

I was so gun-shy after Bill.

[chuckling]: And I realize that's

probably not the best phrase to use,

considering my behavior at Bill's wedding, so...

let's say I was emotionally scarred.

Granted, but still,

you were the one who reached out to Bill

and asked him to emcee WinterFest.

Because it's tradition.

Nothing else to it?

What's really bothering you, Daddy?

Just because Andre still has his condo

doesn't mean he's not coming home to me every night,

which is more than Bill ever did.

Bill's been hovering around you lately.

I suspect

it bruises his ego to see you happy without him.

Which is what you are, right?

I'm happier than I ever thought I could be again.

So you don't have to worry about me succumbing

to the charms of Bill.

I'm done settling for less than I deserve.

I'm really glad to hear that.

I always hoped that my daughters would find

the same kind of happiness that I've found with your mother.

That's a tall order, Daddy.

What you and Mother have is rare and very special.

I know that's right. I know it.

And I've never, ever taken it for granted.

For a core needle biopsy, we use a hollow needle to remove

a piece of tissue from the affected area,

and that sample is what we'll test.

And...

there's a 80% chance that these things are benign,

so the odds are in my favor, right?

Now that you've seen the ultrasound screen I'll use

to guide the needle to the lesion

and the needle I'll use to collect the sample

from your breast, any questions?

More of an observation.

The needle isn't as big as I expected.

[chuckles] I've heard that before.

It's one of the reasons I like to show the patients

exactly what to expect.

Understanding what's going to happen often helps them relax,

which makes the process easier.

And the needle's going to make that sound

that you demonstrated for me?

When it takes a sample.

So when you hear it, you'll know what that is.

Afterwards?

We'll put some pressure on the location

to help with clotting, so you'll feel that,

and your breast might feel a little sore for a while,

but an over-the-counter pain reliever

should be enough to keep you comfortable.

Okay, let's do this.

CAPUTO: I'm just going to clean the area.

It might feel a little bit cold.

Now here's a little anesthetic.

It might feel like a bee sting, but it will numb the area.

Now that the area's numb, we're going to go ahead

and start the biopsy.

You might feel a little bit of pressure.

You're doing great. Just hang in there.

We'll be done in just a moment.

[door closes]

Hey, you missed my mother.

Well, at least I managed to save Samantha's social life.

Ooh. How's Nicole doing?

We had a good catch-up.

She's now officially my consult

for the best methods of preventing and treating

problem gambling.

And with her help, I might ask to add

some revisions to that bill as a condition for my support.

Well, it's always good to have a shrink in the family.

And talking to my mother also reinforced the idea that

it might be great for the kids to be involved

in my campaign-- behind the scenes, of course.

With them and my secret weapon,

we'll be able to spend more time together.

It sounds to me like you're trying to have it both ways.

Combining work and family

so you don't have to choose between the two.

What's wrong with a win-win?

Nothing. If the kids want to be involved.

As long as you're not pressuring them.

Of course not. Only if they want to.

Good.

I think that

it's equally important that the kids know

that you're keeping your word to them

about putting family first.

Samantha and Tyrell need to know that they can count on you.

All right, so I've scanned the original

and I've started the program running.

Once it's done, I'm going to edit, review,

smooth things out just a touch,

and you should have the edited print

well before Christmas.

Aw, thank you, Andre, I...

I really appreciate you using your skills

to help me surprise Anita.

Yeah, I'm just honored you asked.

DANI: For a man who's not my daddy,

you make a pretty good Dupree husband.

Well, when my hubby's done, we'll have it framed,

and then we can hide it here

so Mother doesn't find it before Christmas.

I'll take you up on that.

Thank you both.

Your mother will love this.

The picture only proves what I've known all along.

It was clear from day one.

You and Mother will always be together.

You should leave that ice pack in place for another hour or so

and then apply more as needed to control any pain or swelling.

Also, you should keep the biopsy site dry

for another 24 hours

and don't exercise or raise your arms above your head

or lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk for three days.

And when will I get the results?

I'll try to get back to you in a few days.

Days?

How about today?

I know.

The waiting is often the hardest part.

So sorry to keep you waiting.

Thanks for coming.

I couldn't exactly talk earlier.

Oh, I got that.

It's so good to see you, Val.

It's been too long.

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