Original subtitles

This isn't easy,

and I vacillated about telling you...

...but I don't want to keep any more secrets.

What kind of secrets?

It's about your dad.

Vernon's having an affair.

[laughs]

My dad? An affair?

'Fraid so.

As a psychiatrist,

I know better than to say this, but

you have lost your mind.

Next, you'll tell me that Mother is running

a meth lab in the east wing.

-There's more than just... -More what?

Absurdities in this fantasy

you cooked up in your guilty conscience?

The woman he was seen with is Sharon Winger.

The Articulette?

One of Mother's oldest friends? Her sister?

She would never. He would never.

Okay, well, supposedly he has.

Look, I know this is hard to hear,

but your parents don't have the storybook marriage

you thought they did.

Come and sit with me, sweetheart.

What is it, darling?

I have some bad news.

Did something happen with one of our girls?

No.

-It's Martin. -No, sweetheart, everyone is fine.

This concerns me.

I did have a doctor's appointment today,

but it wasn't for my hearing.

Doctor Ahn was giving me the results of another test.

What kind of test?

Vernon, my love...

I've been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Cancer?

♪ ♪

[both laughing]

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. I think I'm seeing stars,

and I don't mean the Christmas kind.

Tantric yoga.

Mm, okay, so that explains the...

Yeah.

And whatever the hell you did with your, uh...

Oh, yeah, that's my signature move.

Well, namaste to that.

More like nama-nasty.

BILL: Hey. What are you doing?

Just fixing my hard-working husband a drink.

Hmm.

Real whiskey instead of that God-awful herbal tea

you've been forcing on me. What's the occasion?

Can't a wife just take care of her husband?

Mm. Yeah, this is just your way of trying to get

your Christmas presents early.

-Guilty as charged. -Mm-hmm.

Well, you know I don't negotiate

with emotional extortionists, not even the sexy ones.

So, you will just have to wait until Christmas morning

like everybody else.

Actually, I've been thinking

we should start a new tradition.

Yeah? Like what?

We should wait to open our gifts until we get to Saint Bart's.

I know that face.

-What face? -Your Grinch face.

You're about to steal all my Christmas joy.

I don't want to hear any more excuses about

why we can't escape this suffocating town.

My wardrobe's already curated and packed.

Baby, I can still take you to Saint Bart's,

we just need to postpone.

But we're supposed to be closing

on that gorgeous beachfront house.

Yeah, well, the realtor called,

and the owners are backing out of the deal.

Classic 11th-hour power move.

Okay, up the offer. Double it if you have to.

No, no, baby, I don't think it's gonna work this time.

You know, you can't put a price on sentimentality.

-Have you tried? -Yes, I did.

And, quite frankly, the counteroffer I sent was obscene,

but these people, I mean, they...

they're dug in like ticks.

It's their family home. All right?

And apparently, they want to pass it down.

But what about this family?

Babe, that was supposed to be our dream home.

The place where we finally start our lives together.

I know, I know, I know.

Look, we'll find something better.

Okay? Something bigger, more private.

A place where you may not need those microscopic bikinis.

Stop with all the empty promises.

Baby, come on.

No, you got down on one knee

and promise to move Heaven and Earth to make me happy.

And I will. Okay? I will.

Man. Look...

you're my priority, baby. Okay?

My everything.

Look, w-we'll-we'll just restart our hunt

for our slice of paradise

after we spend the holiday with the family.

Just remember, the Duprees aren't your family anymore.

I am.

I know it's an unusual request

for a man who usually makes people's wishes disappear.

Yeah, the most cheerful thing I say during the holidays

is, "Nothing personal."

And you want me to play Old Saint Nick

and pass judgment on who's naughty or nice?

Oh, we certainly know which column you belong in.

Look who's talking.

Dad used to be Mom's favorite Santa.

Honey, what a wonderful surprise.

-What brings you home? -Oh...

I just needed to grab my snowboard before the ski trip,

so I-I thought I'd come by and,

you know, wish you a happy holiday.

Oh, Joey.

So, you're the one taking my dad's place.

My parents are still deeply, madly in love with each other.

My father still opens car doors, writes her love letters.

Even the strongest marriages can falter.

Not my parents.

They made vows that were meant to be kept,

not optional guidelines.

Look, you think I wanted to bring you this?

Hurting you is never my agenda, okay?

How considerate of you,

making sure that I'm not blindsided

by more devastating family news.

-Again. -Yeah, again.

Details.

Now.

Did you personally see them in a compromising position?

Not personally, no.

-But I heard about the affair... -Alleged affair.

Fine, alleged.

A eyewitness saw them entering the Bowman Hotel.

Millions of people conduct business in hotels.

That doesn't mean they're sleeping together.

Daddy and Sharon were probably just catching up over drinks.

This person also saw Vernon entering Sharon's room.

Maybe Daddy was picking her up for dinner,

wanted to be gentlemanly by escorting her down.

This person also overheard them say they didn't want to be

seen together because people would get the wrong idea.

Quote, "Especially my wife," unquote.

Maybe they are planning a surprise for mother.

-Maybe they... -This person also

confronted Vernon about what they saw.

I-I can't believe that I'm actually entertaining this.

-What was his response? -Didn't deny it.

-Nicole, look, I am so sorry that this is... -No.

This doesn't prove anything

other than how incredibly sketchy you are.

-Me? -Yes.

You keep saying "this person,"

like you're protecting the Deep Throat whistleblower.

The messenger isn't as important as the message.

I strongly disagree.

Who is it?

-Ted? -Okay.

It was Dana.

I don't understand.

You said these tests were just routine checkups,

that the results were better than you'd expected,

that you were healthier than you've ever been.

And that was true at the time,

but then, Doctor Ahn called and

said that my mammogram showed an area of concern.

So she ordered an ultrasound, and that revealed a lesion.

And then, she scheduled a biopsy.

It's the only definitive way to determine

if a suspicious area of the breast is cancerous,

and in my case, it is.

These tests, this mammogram.

The ultrasound, biopsy.

Just how long have you been dealing with this?

Oh, it all makes sense now.

That psychopath cooked up this ridiculous story

about my father cheating--

with an Articulette, no less--

knowing that it would cut deep.

My God, this woman is still playing the long game.

Look, I know Dana

is not exactly the most reliable narrator.

She's got her issues, true enough, but...

That is like saying the Titanichad a leak.

The woman is unhinged.

But when she was telling me this, she seemed...

genuine.

"Sherry" was genuine

when she was on that hospital roof

pretending she was ready to jump.

That woman is a master manipulator

and a textbook sociopath.

You'll get no argument from me there.

But what does she stand to gain by making this up?

Everything.

She expects me to go to my father and confront him,

send the family into chaos, and ruin our holidays.

And she was counting on you running over here,

like some white knight ready to-to-to protect me

from another devastating family situation.

She was counting on you because she knows

you would do anything to be my protector again.

That's not what this is.

What I know is,

just because our marriage couldn't survive your betrayal,

doesn't mean every marriage is broken.

My father is a better man than that.

My father is a better man than...

Than me.

You know what?

Maybe you're right about Dana.

I didn't want to stir up any trouble.

Just...

thought you should know.

It's been a few days.

Days?

You've been dealing with this for days?

That's why Sharon and Tracy are in town.

You told them before me.

Sweetheart, there are moments when a woman needs her sisters,

and Tracy has been down this road with similar testing.

Hers turned out to be benign, thank God, but...

I wasn't so lucky.

And she and Sharon were a sounding board for me,

an oasis of comfort in a storm of uncertainty.

A storm I should've been weathering with you.

And that was my first thought, of course, but...

then I considered what this might do to you, and I just...

Do you think I'm weak?

Huh? That I can't handle the truth?

No, baby, that is not what it is at all.

Then why would you shut me out

of the most important battle of your life?

You are the strongest man I've ever known.

Then why protect me from this?

I kept praying it was nothing.

That it was just a false alarm.

I vowed to love you in sickness and health,

-not just when you decide. -I know.

Not just when you think I can handle it.

I'm sorry, Vernon, but I don't know how to do cancer.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry you had to sit in that

cold, sterile exam room

and hear the word "cancer" alone.

Without your partner.

The man who's supposed to catch you when you fall.

But that ends tonight.

I hear you. I do.

I am terrified at the thought of losing you.

But this is not your battle to fight alone.

It's ours.

And cancer picked the wrong damn family to mess with.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What I meant was, I'm looking forward to Christmas here

with my daughters, yes, but more importantly with you, baby.

It'll be our first as a married couple.

Aw. That arrangement works out beautifully...

for Bill.

Come on, baby. You know I care about your wants, too.

Do you?

When I leave this house, I'm the pariah and treated like

I have some disease that people are afraid to catch.

Do you really think that I want to spend

my holiday being shunned?

Look, baby, I know things have not been easy for you,

but you should've known that there'd be fallout

when you chose to pursue your best friend's father.

-When I decided to pursue? -Hey.

-I'm simply stating the facts. -Facts?

Oh, no, you pursued me.

Said Dani was more a roommate than wife.

That you'd been sleepwalking,

just existing until I came along.

All right, look, we can agree to disagree on the details,

but the point is, Saint Bart's

will still be there in the spring.

Hayley.

What? Hayley, what are you doing?

Giving you a preview of what it's like to miss me.

Don't wait up.

BILL: But...

-Excuse me? -You're taking my dad's place.

As Santa, you know, for the holiday party.

Oh.

I-I-I tried booking a professional Santa.

He cancelled last-minute. Joey's my Hail Mary.

Oh, but you're always welcome to don the beard.

Community service looks good on a résumé.

Oh, no. Hard pass.

Fair enough. Have a seat.

So... how's everything at school?

Well, uh, it was rough for a while,

um, but, you know, I-I got my head right.

I actually finished the semester on the dean's list.

Takes real determination to bounce back like that.

I'm so proud of you, baby.

Your father would be, too.

-Thanks, Mom. -How's your sister?

You know, I think I should leave you two to catch up.

Mother-son time is sacred.

We'll hash out the details on the party later, and, uh...

Donnell, it's really good to see you again.

Okay, now tell me.

What's wrong with your sister?

Oh, yeah. Cheers.

-Careful, careful. -Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Perfect timing.

Sorry for showing up unannounced.

I should've called.

Oh, please, you never have to have a reason to stop by.

[mouth full]: What's going on?

Do you think...

Daddy would ever cheat on Mother?

BOTH: No way.

Okay, uh, how about I let you two ladies

talk and, um, I'll actually go get some real dinner.

-Thanks, babe. -Yeah. Good to see you.

Okay, what in the actual heck

put this insane thought into your usually logical,

psychiatrist-trained brain,

and even more importantly,

why would you entertain it for more than a microsecond?

They're not my suspicions.

Then where is this coming from?

Ted stopped by, said he had important news

that I needed to know.

That Daddy is sleeping with Sharon Winger.

[laughing]

Sorry.

This is a nice surprise,

catching you here at the end of a long day.

I needed some serious comfort food,

and this peach cobbler is therapy in a bowl,

-you hear me? -Oh, yeah?

-Mm-hmm. -You know, I got to get me some of that. I...

I hate to be the bearer of bad news,

but, uh, this is the last piece.

This again?

All right, what's it gonna take?

Diamonds? Pearls?

A... mountain of cash?

Oh, you must be real desperate.

It's been a night. What do you say?

Yeah, no bribery between friends.

You're an angel, Shanice.

Speaking of winged beings,

how's that bird feeder working out?

Oh, I am waiting for you to come set that up.

I'm not going out there so those flying demons

can come run up on me.

I can come by anytime you want.

Yeah, I figured it'd have to wait till after the holidays.

You'll be tied up with family stuff, right?

Well, actually, uh, Martin and Kat are spending time

with the Duprees this year.

You know, different dynamic with Nicole and I, so...

Right. But what about Eva?

We spent Thanksgiving together,

so she's gonna do Christmas with her mother.

Mm.

So you'll be spending Christmas alone?

Ah, it's fine.

Spend the day doing me, for a change.

You know, uh, watching football,

catching up on some reading, you know,

just, uh, peace and quiet.

What do you mean you're booked solid on spa appointments?

Unbelievable.

JOEY: Cookie?

-Fresh from the oven. -I'll pass.

I didn't invite you to sit, Mr. Armstrong.

Oh, relax, Mrs. Hamilton.

We're just a couple of high society misfits

making small talk. What's the harm?

Did your husband happen to mention our little chat?

Oh, you mean the one where you tried

drafting him into politics?

He passed.

But are you interested?

Wait, are you asking me to run for office?

I mean, in Bill being a politician.

Bill already has plenty of power.

I'm talking about real power.

The kind you didn't know existed.

You see,

the wife of a politician is the woman behind the throne.

The voice in his ear when he's making major moves.

See, these women don't attend galas.

They orchestrate them.

They decide which Fortune 500 CEO

gets five minutes with the man who writes their tax code.

Keep your distance. There are people around.

Oh, but that's the best part, Hayley.

You see, every woman in this club who has ever put you down,

they'd see you in Vanity Fair

sitting with real power players.

And they would pray that you would show them mercy

and give them...

the time of day.

Oh, you feel that? That rush?

You could have that kind of power,

if you played your cards right.

And we both know that you are exceptionally good at that.

[phone chimes]

Well, my husband needs me.

Mm.

Until next time.

First Lady Hamilton.

I prefer "queen."

Love you too, sweetie, and be careful, no showing off

for those ski boys.

She looked good.

I-I still don't understand why you had to scare me

by saying you needed to talk in private.

The real is,

Deanna's been going through it these past few months.

I mean, there'd be nights I'd spend with her on FaceTime

until the sun came up because she couldn't fall asleep.

-God... -Sometimes, she'd be crying for hours.

Why didn't you tell me?

She didn't want you to worry about her

when you had your own stuff going on.

Despite what she said, I knew she was

keeping things bottled up.

Every time I tried to talk to her

about your father, she either changed the subject

or suddenly had to go.

Everybody grieves differently.

She told me she's still seeing her therapist.

-Is that true? -Oh, yeah, absolutely.

I mean, she's not alone, Mom,

and-and the ski trip, it's-it's progress for her.

I'm grateful she's talking to someone, even if it's not me.

Plus, she's got her sorority sisters,

and I talk to her pretty much every day.

If I ever see any red flags,

you'll be the first call.

I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am

of the man you've become.

The way you've stepped up for your sister.

You know, I've been doing some thinking

since Dad passed.

I mean, finding out he was living this double life

made me take a second look on a lot of things

I thought I understood.

Whatever demons your father had in him,

Doug was still an incredible father.

I know.

I never questioned if he loved us.

Good.

I questioned you guys's marriage.

I need you to elaborate on what you mean

by questioning our marriage.

When Deanna and I would come home from college for break,

there was this shift with you and Dad.

And it wasn't animosity, more like...

indifference.

Your father and I had...

a complicated relationship.

I loved Doug.

But over the years, we evolved into something more like...

...a close friendship.

Joey's playing much more than just Santa to you, isn't he?

He's a friend and business partner.

Come on, Mom.

I mean, you just told me you and Dad were basically roommates.

This guy is clearly feeling you.

Don't you have more important things to worry about

than your mother's love life?

Nope.

I want you to find someone who lights you up again,

who makes you smile the way you used to.

I appreciate you saying that.

But...

but the truth is, baby, I'm still figuring it all out.

Uh, shouldn't you be somewhere romancing that wife of yours?

Actually, I'm picking up dinner for said wife.

TED: Sorry about that.

Post-op patient has concerns

about her recovery timeline.

Nephew.

Uncle Ted.

Uh, I guess I'd better head home. Big day tomorrow.

-This is for you to finish. -Aw...

If you have a change of heart about Christmas,

there's plenty of room at my family's table. Just saying.

Okay.

-That was... -Nothing to look into.

I had exactly the same reaction when Ted told me.

The whole thing is preposterous.

Tracy and Sharon would not be that bold,

and they value their vocal cords.

So does Daddy.

Think he's gonna throw away everything he has with Mother

for what? Some nostalgic fling?

-I want to agree with you. -But?

I met with Mother earlier this week,

and-and something was off.

She wasn't her usual commanding self.

Damn.

Damn what?

I went over there a few days ago to invite Mother and Daddy

out for lunch, and Daddy was acting sketchy.

Working overtime to get rid of me.

And then I go back to discuss Christmas plans

with Mother and...

they were both giving off weird vibes.

-In what way? -It's hard to explain.

The energy was just off.

And then, Mother gets all sentimental with me

and tells me I have to promise to take care of Daddy

if anything happens to her.

Like if she discovers he's been unfaithful

and decides she can't stay?

Eh, you're doing that thing.

What do you shrinks call it? Projecting.

Do not patronize me with my own terminology.

This is our family we are talking about.

Well, if Daddy and Sharon are really

hitting the high notes together...

...there's one way to find out.

[phone buzzing]

Send it to voicemail.

We have to tell them at some point.

Please, Vernon.

I'm not ready.

And I don't want this Christmas to turn

into a funeral rehearsal.

[phone stops buzzing]

Sweetheart, if this is my last Christmas...

Don't you dare talk that way.

Triple-negative breast cancer.

The doctors say it's very aggressive.

And Black women are at a higher risk of dying

from this kind of cancer.

Now, I'm not giving up,

but the odds are not in my favor.

Do you remember what the odds were when...

...of a Black girl from Cabrini-Green

having the career you did?

Hmm?

Every time you walked into one of those rooms,

a rehearsal hall, a recording studio, a movie set,

on the stage of one of those awards shows?

Smart money bet against you.

You've been beating impossible odds your entire life.

And you'll beat this, too.

Yeah, but I lost more awards than I won.

All those acceptance speeches I rehearsed,

hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

That's how I handle disappointment.

If this holiday is it... Mm-mm.

I want to see them all year.

Our children, our grandchildren,

their children.

Filling every corner of this house with joy and laughter.

I want to see all their smiling faces worry-free.

I want this to be the best damn Dupree Christmas ever.

If that's what my lovely wife wants,

we'll make it happen.

JOEY: I saw your son stepping out.

I hope all that family talk didn't kill your appetite.

Sit.

About Santa... Now...

you know I have a reputation to maintain.

I wasn't trying to use you as some kind of Doug replacement.

I'm really in a bind.

All my escorts were booked,

otherwise, I would've asked them first.

Makes sense.

Lot of lonely hearts come Christmas.

I understand if you don't want to make merry

and pass out presents.

I'll come up with something different for this year.

So how did things go with Donnell?

And what's up with Deanna?

She's better than expected.

Donnell's keeping an eye on her,

even doing daily check-ins.

Good man. Takes after his mother.

You know what surprised me most?

He gave me his blessing to move on with my life.

You don't say.

Said nobody expects me to be alone forever,

and he wants me to find that spark again.

Care to help?

You could wear the beard and nothing else.

You don't look sick.

I may have told a little white lie to get you home.

You faked a medical crisis?

What's next? You're gonna fake your own death,

so I can come to your funeral?

Baby, I just needed you to come back. Come here.

Come on.

I heard what you were saying about,

you know, family traditions and all that.

And about wanting something that's ours,

so...

...I wanted to give you this.

-A deed to a house in Saint Bart's? -No.

It's something I made as a little boy.

So, this was my mother's way of reminding me

of the true meaning of Christmas.

Every November, we'd go through this list

and see how I could implement each.

You know, the share, care, and give,

that was for, you know, things like family, community,

helping our elderly neighbor, giving away clothes and toys

that I'd outgrown, and the wish, that was for me.

You know, what I wanted.

But this year, I'm changing things up.

And my wish...

My wish is that you realize that

my feelings and love for you are sincere.

You're the only woman I need in my life.

It's beautiful.

But...

I-I can't shake this feeling that I'm still

getting your leftovers.

Well, I, um...

I never told Dani about this.

I find that hard to believe.

Yeah, no. No, I didn't.

You know, Dani knows about my

difficult relationship with my father.

You know, and of course, I talked about my mother,

but there are things that, um...

...things that happened.

That I don't discuss or think about.

You know, this tradition died with my mom.

And I buried it so deep, I almost forgot that it existed.

Until I met you.

This is our new tradition.

Love you.

You remember those games you used to drag my dad to do?

Do I?

My brother hated football

like it stole something from him.

Always said he couldn't understand the concept of

grown men chasing around a piece of pigskin for three hours.

Yet, rain or shine, he rarely missed a game.

Yeah.

But those Sunday afternoons, man, they were...

they were sacred.

Two brothers bonding over

cheap beer, burnt nachos, and half-smokes, of course.

He said those afternoons were worth the ticket price alone,

even if the team wasn't.

I really miss him.

Yeah.

Me, too.

Yeah.

Which is, uh, why I got you something.

Just picked those up. Happy I ran into you.

Yeah. Yeah.

-Yeah, good seats, too, huh? -Yeah.

Wow.

So what do you say?

Ready to carry on a Richardson tradition?

You know it.

Merry Christmas, Uncle Ted.

Merry Christmas, neph.

Straight to voicemail again.

Maybe he's busy. Maybe they're talking.

Maybe we should march right over there.

-Stop. -Our family could be imploding as we speak.

I want answers just as much as you do,

but we can't run over there demanding a confession.

How are we supposed to handle finding out that our father,

our moral compass, might be cheating on our mother

with her best friend?

If something is going on...

...they'll tell us when they're ready.

-It is Christmas. -Exactly.

Can you imagine the hell Mother would rain down

if we showed up tonight hurling accusations?

She would be so disappointed.

And so would Daddy.

Disappointed that we thought so little of him.

[crying softly]: Oh, Anita.

Anita...

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