Original subtitles

[laughs] Uh, Joe-Joey was kidding.

He's got a unique sense of humor.

"Unique" is charitable.

"Distorted" would be more precise.

Doctors- always so quick with the diagnosis.

As if you aren't quick to throw shade.

You mock my profession, but don't let me dare mention

the rumors about your side businesses.

You know, the ones that don't quite

make it onto your tax return.

Oh, you want to go rumor for rumor? All right, fine.

How about you, sliding into your best friend's

ex-wife's bed before the ink is dry on the divorce?

-How dare you? -Oh, spare me

the outrage, Nicole.

We all have our skeletons. I just don't dress them up

in my Sunday best and parade them around like saints.

Your father built an empire by greasing palms and making deals.

And you sit there and look down on me?

You're just another Dupree.

Baptized in the same self-righteous water.

-Are you finished? -Yes, he is.

Good. Because I appreciate the candor.

-You do? -Of course.

It's always so much easier when people show you

who they are up front.

Vanessa, I love you.

But I won't do this.

Tab's on you.

Oh, look who finally decided to show his face.

Hey there.

How was Baltimore?

I hope the client appreciated you making the drive.

I didn't go.

No. Really?

Chelsea already clocked you here in town.

Truth is, Baltimore was a cover.

I had a job interview.

Oh. Wow.

I mean, I-I knew things between you and Bill were tense,

but I didn't realize we'd escalated

to "update the LinkedIn profile."

Well, keeping my options open is smart business.

Yeah.

The lying to your girlfriend isn't.

You care to explain?

? ?

Dani.

Your voicemail was peak Hamilton.

Ah. Stately and commanding.

Cryptic and full of yourself. And I quote.

"We need to talk about the future."

So I figured if you'd finally come to your senses

and decided to dump that leech you married,

I wanted to hear it in person.

Hmm, yeah, so you can be my shoulder to cry on?

Forget that. I'm ready to laugh and point.

I must deflate that fantasy.

No. Hayley and I are still going strong.

In fact, I find myself even more protective of her.

Mm. Darn.

Considering you're the one who needs protection

from that succubus.

She would swindle the cufflinks off your wrist

and convince you it was just for polish.

Look, I'm trying to take care of the women in my life, Dani.

That's why I called.

And what's that?

My will.

These were for a party of four.

Must have just left.

Wait, w-wait.

Not so fast.

These already paid for?

On their tab.

Oh. Set 'em down.

Go ahead.

Oh, I love a complimentary happy hour.

Thank you.

Based on that 911 text, I was expecting tears,

not table service.

You, uh, you all right?

Just drinking my pain away. Doctor's orders.

Who's the doctor- Macy?

Your boss.

He summoned me to his casino

and advised that the walls are closing in on me.

Say what?

Bill asked Joey to dig into Lynette.

Okay, we can handle that.

Then Joey looked me dead in my face

and say he know the mugging never happened.

That you, me and her have been working together.

Knows or thinks he knows?

Randy, he called it. Okay?

And if Joey has already figured us out,

Bill won't be too far behind.

Okay, chill out.

Panicking will not find us a way out of this.

No, but a lethal dose of poison will.

We need to kill Bill already,

cash in his life insurance and get the hell out

before he can ruin us.

This is what I dragged myself here for?

This is important, Dani. What's the problem?

After the scare we had with Mother,

I don't want to think about anyone dying.

Not you, not today, not ever.

BILL: This concerns the girls.

Wills are not about death.

They're about protecting the living.

That's why I'm

making some additions to their inheritances.

And does this have anything to do with you waking up

and realizing a baby with Hayley is a bad investment?

This is about legacy, Dani.

-Yours. -Yours, ours, mine.

Wh-What does it matter?

I want what I've built to mean something

beyond accolades and dollar signs on a ledger, you know?

So I'm bequeathing Naomi my equity stake in the firm.

-You can do that? -Mm-hmm.

Provided the beneficiary is an attorney.

But Naomi's been adamant that she doesn't want

-to practice law the way you do. -Yeah, I know.

And I'll honor her bleeding heart.

God knows the world needs more idealists.

She's wasting her talent.

And I'm hoping that this, you know, forces her hand

so she can see what she could accomplish if she just played

in the major leagues where she belongs.

If Bill is already running his mouth to other people,

then the last thing we need

is to prove him right by catching a case.

That man drops dead from mysterious anything,

you are suspect number one.

So, wait, I'm supposed to just sit pretty and smile

while they sharpen knives behind my back?

Naomi already came at me

trying to blackmail me with that whole

fake sonogram mess.

And what'd you do?

I got her off my back like I always do, but...

her fangs are starting to show.

And I'm just ready to be done with this.

I feel you.

But we have to start thinking smart, not emotional.

But if we can't take Bill off the board, then what?

I'm not waiting around for him and Joey

to connect the dots, Randy.

Then we don't wait, we work.

I'll undermine Bill's claim and make sure

Joy understands Lynette operated alone.

I don't know, man.

Subtleties'll never be your strong suit.

Don't try to play me.

I know how to handle my boss.

Oh, how I wish you'd been the one at dinner tonight.

Come again?

You certainly couldn't have been worse company.

Well, I hope it improves from here.

Oh.

Go ahead.

Say "I told you so."

Oh, I've had better nights.

But, hey, the martinis were perfect.

You really want to reduce this to a cocktail review

after what just happened?

What do you want me to say, Vanessa?

I want you to give a damn.

You are treating this relationship

just like everybody else.

Like it is some temporary insanity.

Like I will wake up one day and realize it was a mistake.

Well, I am sick and tired

of everyone in my life trying to shame me

out of the one thing that makes me feel alive.

I have to apologize for dragging you to that circus.

Please.

Being called a lowlife by a reputed criminal-

that's one for the memoir.

I braced for awkward,

but I didn't think that Joey was going to go

full-blown nuclear on us

before the appetizers even hit the table.

That man declared war the second we sat down.

And you saved us both by ending it.

Another five minutes,

you'd have found out how skilled a surgeon's hands can be.

And Vanessa. God, she just sat there.

Not a word in defense for us.

Just there with Joey by her side, like a trophy.

Like he's the prize that she has been waiting for her whole life.

Sometimes your friends are with people that you hate.

Sometimes they're with people that you love.

There's nothing much you can do about that.

How can you be just so blas� about this?

Joey is not just rude, he is dangerous.

I realize this, especially after I caught

something tonight that rattled me way more than his digs.

The way that he looked at you

when he said something about buried bodies.

Does Joey know something about your family?

Joey wasn't just picking a fight with you.

He was attempting to bait me.

I have heard jokes about political families

knowing where the bodies are buried my whole life.

He was definitely on the defensive tonight,

like a cornered animal lashing out

at anything that moves.

And that is what terrifies me.

Vanessa is walking into something dark and twisted

and she has no idea.

She thinks she's in love.

Meanwhile, she is knee-deep in quicksand.

I have half a mind to just stage an upscale intervention.

Uh, Nicole, do not.

She's a grown woman capable of her own

self-destructive decisions.

You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved.

I have told myself that for months.

That if she is happy I should just respect it.

But after tonight, after sitting across from that man,

feeling the chill in my bones,

I-I can't pretend anymore.

Vanessa is speeding towards a cliff,

and if I just let her drive over it,

what kind of a friend does that make me?

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry for being insensitive

and for your friends walking out.

Tonight mattered to you.

And that's the only reason I agreed to do it.

Might have gone better if, for once,

your opinion stayed holstered.

Carlton didn't ask for your op-ed

on cosmetic surgery, and

Nicole certainly didn't need your dissertation

on the Duprees.

I'm not built for biting my tongue.

Vanessa, I don't do performance dinners.

And I'm not looking for anyone's approval.

Well, I am.

You may like prowling through life like a lone wolf,

but my friendships matter.

More than that, I won't let what we have

torch my relationship with my children.

It's only natural that they need more time.

For them to see you with somebody other than their father

was never gonna go great.

We both know it's bigger than that.

They don't just see you as not Doug.

They see your reputation.

It's all they see, all anybody sees.

[weak chuckle]

I really believed that if Nicole sat across from you,

she'd see what I see, maybe even understand.

But...

if the so-called grown-ups

can't get through one dinner without detonating...

...how can I expect my children to?

You hand Naomi the key and she will burn down

your castle by turning it into a legal aid clinic.

You know that, right?

Then so be it. At least the Hamilton name

will still hang over the door.

She is a Hamilton-Hawthorne.

In name, but

in soul and spirit...

She's a Dupree.

I didn't know birthright meant this much to you.

Well, it didn't. Not until recently.

You know, over the years, I've asked myself, you know,

who has the killer instinct and the intellect

and the audacity to step inside this office

and make it their own?

Whatever happened to Pauline?

You used to hype her up like she was the second coming.

Yeah. And yeah, she's a brilliant attorney, you know,

and hungry. And Tomas- he's promising too.

That's why I've invested so much time and energy

in shaping his career.

But now I'm starting to have serious concerns

about his judgement.

Which forces me to realize something

that I should have known from the start.

That blowing up your life for a bimbo in a bikini

wasn't the smartest strategic move?

That strangers don't carry legacy.

Only family does.

I didn't tell you about the interview because I didn't

want you forced to keep a secret from your uncle.

Former uncle.

Still, it's my mess to manage, not yours.

That's where you're wrong.

While you were busy chasing new horizons,

I was reading Bill for absolute filth.

About what?

The lousy way he's been treating you, Obviously.

I told him, straight up, you did not harass

that sketchy Lynette woman

and he's an idiot for believing Hayley's lies.

And since I had the floor,

I also told him how tacky he was

leaving Aunt Dani for that gold digger in stilettos.

Yes, it's old news,

but now that she's coming for you,

I wasn't gonna let that slide.

Kat, mi amor.

I appreciate you standing up for me.

But what you actually did was make it worse.

I don't understand why you're mad.

-Seriously, Kat? -I defended you.

That's what people do when they love someone,

especially to cretins like

Bill "Mr. Lies and Alibis" Hamilton.

No, that's what people do

when they don't trust the other person

to stand on their own.

You think I need you to swing at Bill for me?

I was setting him straight. Big difference.

To you, maybe. But to others,

it makes me look like I can't handle my own fights.

Like I need my girlfriend to step in and rescue me

from my big, bad boss.

That wasn't my intention.

I know.

Look, let's

just focus on the bright side.

My interview went way better than I expected.

Well, that's a praise report.

It's a smaller firm, not as prestigious,

but they're offering me a full partnership.

Wow. Okay, next steps?

HR drafting the offer letter.

I don't want to jinx it, but I'm cautiously optimistic.

Baby, that's amazing.

No Bill, no Hayley, no toxic workplace drama.

This sounds perfect.

The only catch is I'll be strapped for cash

for a little while, so no vacations

or extravagant gifts in the near future.

But if you're a full partner, shouldn't you be making more?

I will, in the long run.

But full partners have to buy in.

It's a huge chunk of cash upfront in exchange

for a percentage of the firm's profits.

And since I've been sending money back home,

savings are tight.

I'll have to take a loan out to make it work.

Hmm.

Or you can

let the private bank of Kat Richardson handle it.

Did you not listen to a thing I just said?

You know, I figured we'd squeeze in

a few more girls nights

before you run off chasing your next mark.

Oh, you trying to get rid of me now?

No, I'm just calling it how I see it.

Randy's sweet, sure, but

he's not built for your Cartier taste.

Sooner or later, you'll be back out there

hunting your next whale.

Well...

it's gonna be really hard to top Bill.

Yeah.

I mean, you have better odds winning the lottery

than ever finding another man as brilliant,

loving and fun as my husband.

But maybe even a rich,

-big Texas oil man. -Texas?

-Mm-hmm. -Girl, no.

The DMV is swarming with sharks.

You just have to know where to swim.

JOEY: You know,

I wish I had some clever magic trick

to win your children over, but I don't.

I can't control how people see me.

And I stopped trying a long time ago.

Well, there are things you could do.

Smile more, perhaps.

Talk less.

I think you've seen Hamilton one too many times.

Make yourself more approachable is what I'm getting at.

Play up at the clinic donation.

Or how you took a chance on Izaiah

when no one else would.

Show them there's more to you than the rumors.

Vanessa...

I would do damn near anything for you,

but I will not put on a show just to make people comfortable.

People can love me or they can hate me,

but I have to do what feels right in the moment.

And this feels right.

That confidence.

It's what pulled me in. I...

I love how you move through the world like it's yours.

I just wish Deanna

could see the other parts of you that I do.

The man who listens to me ramble about my day.

Who remembers how I like my coffee.

Who holds me when I can't sleep.

Listen.

If you need us to be less public

or even take a step back, I get it.

-No, Joey, no. -Then we have to face facts.

Some people will only see me as the villain.

And there's nothing we can do about it.

Vanessa has always flirted with the wild side,

but now she is diving in headfirst.

She is raw and vulnerable, and Joey-

Joey is just swooping in like a vulture.

Because of him, she has already lost her daughter.

And I am terrified as to how much more she will lose

if this goes on.

Now, you know better than most

that nobody changes until they admit they have a problem.

You cannot force recognition on someone who isn't ready.

I have spent my career persuading persistent patients

to confront things that they would like to bury.

This isn't your office.

And Vanessa isn't your patient.

Is that your professional opinion?

I am not criticizing your capabilities.

You know that I think the world of you, Nicole.

I just...

I wonder if you're

getting so worked up about Vanessa because...

...maybe you're

doing a little projecting.

Pr...

Explain.

Think about the year that you've had.

Okay?

You found out that Ted's been lying to you for decades.

He's got a whole grown-ass daughter out there.

You-you just went through a divorce and now

your mother is battling cancer. That...

That's a whole lot of trauma

packed into a really short space of time.

And what does any of that

have to do with Vanessa and Joey?

Because, like Vanessa, you've been through the wringer.

And, like Vanessa...

...you started to act a little out of character.

You know what? I actually like the idea of Naomi

inheriting the firm.

Yeah, yeah. See, now you're starting to see it my way.

I mean, she's got the chops, right? And it fits.

I suppose I could bequeath Chelsea my share of the agency,

although I'd never force it on her.

She's really carving her own way.

She's making something completely hers, huh?

Actually, our baby girl is already covered.

Yeah. I earmarked a sizable fund for Chelsea.

I mean, strictly for her entrepreneurial endeavors. Yeah.

No fine print, no strings, just capital she can use to grow.

That's a vote of confidence if there ever was one.

Yeah, well, they've earned it. You know?

Our girls came away with the best of us.

You know, brains, instinct, grit.

And just enough recklessness to keep life interesting.

Mm-hmm. And with that mix, of course

they're destined to rule the world.

Well, it's nice to hear you admit that I had a little

something to do with the raising of our phenomenal daughters.

Mm. Well, more than just a little.

Come on, you carried the load.

And that's why I put you back in my will too.

Sure, D.C.'s cute and all.

It has the whole power and posturing thing going for it.

Yeah. And it's where decisions get made.

By people who ain't us.

So I should just dip?

Fresh city. Fresh ID. Fresh everything.

You know, I could see you as a Monique.

Maybe a Tyra.

Girl, you could be whoever the hell you want to be.

So what's wrong with Lynette?

Just a straight shooter who cuts through the crap.

And I think it's time you did the same.

I've been nothing but straight

-with you. -Girl, please.

You and I have been in the trenches too many times

for me to believe that.

And you saying that you're giving up the hustle.

I see you.

You're running your biggest con yet.

As much as I want my kids and everybody else

to accept us...

...I won't let their disapproval run my life.

Donnell and Deanna are grown.

They can disagree all they want, that's their right, but...

...they don't get to make decisions for me.

Glad to see my influence is finally rubbing off.

I refuse to hide us.

That would mean I'm embarrassed to be with you, and...

and nothing could be further from the truth.

Then you better brace yourself.

Sticking by me means taking on my reputation.

And the people in this town have long memories.

And even longer tongues.

Then I'll grow a thicker skin.

You were there when Doug died.

When I was drowning in casseroles

and-and sympathy cards.

You...

you made me feel alive again.

Reminded me I was still alive.

And...

I... I...

You make me feel beautiful, desired, loved.

If... if Deanna ever finds a man who gives her that...

...maybe then she'll understand why I can't let you go.

I'm busy.

Hate to interrupt, boss.

I just wanted to run something by you.

Unless you need me to circle back later.

Forget it. Moment's ruined.

I'll let you two talk.

-Evening, Randy. -Vanessa.

This better be important.

So what exactly are you saying-

I'm an imposter now?

What? N-No, no... Never.

Nicole, I have never met anyone more real or vital than you.

Then clarify.

Ever since the divorce,

it seems like

you've been working overtime to reinvent yourself.

The-the hair,

the-the clothes, the-the whole vibe.

So what I'm hearing is that you don't like

the woman I'm becoming.

That is not what I'm saying.

That you liked me better when I was boring and predictable.

When I fit neatly into the little box you created for me.

Nicole, I think that you are amazing.

I always have. All I'm saying is I didn't see

anything wrong with the woman that you were before.

Well, thank you

for your unsolicited character assessment,

but I think I am ready to call it a night.

Nicole...

This has been a very long and trying evening.

Let's not prolong it.

When you replay the clumsy

and well-intended words

that I said tonight,

and, no doubt get angrier,

please circle back to this moment.

I love...

...spending time

with every iteration of you.

Good night.

I can't believe this. You giving me

so much as a dime after you swore

I was bleeding you dry through the divorce?

Okay. I'm not talking about money, okay?

You already took me to the cleaners.

What you wanted and what you earned is my respect.

You know, my acknowledgement of

what you sacrificed for me.

Well, as lovely as this sounds, I can't do diddly-squat

with acknowledgement and it doesn't fit in your will.

I'm referring to the Amy Sherald portrait.

The piece you had commissioned of the girls?

Mm-hmm. The very one.

I was livid when that mediator ruled that it was yours.

Especially since you stuck it in your study

where nobody can see it.

Come on, it's-it's personal.

It belongs in a private space.

Translation: Hayley couldn't stomach

having her morning coffee with a daily reminder

that she's a home-wrecker.

Ooh! But I bet she already had it appraised

and she is going to have quite the tantrum

when she realizes that it's not hers.

It's... it's not about her.

It's not about the price tag.

That portrait has sentimental value to you.

That's what matters.

You call Hayley a gold digger,

but then you want me to play that role in your family's eyes?

What happens when Bill finds out

his prot�g� couldn't even secure his own buy-in

without your family's money?

This isn't the same thing.

Partners invest in each other.

I'm not trying to buy you, I'm trying to support you.

If I take your money, it changes us.

And that's the last thing I want.

I have this picture of how I want our lives to be.

After a few years of full partner,

I'll finally have the financial security

I've been chasing my whole life.

Then we buy that house with the wraparound porch,

travel wherever we want,

and build something solid as equals.

That's the future I see for us.

And I can't let anything cheapen it.

Not even your generosity.

I love that vision.

But baby, you already are my equal.

Money doesn't change that.

Good. Because Bill pushing me in this direction

might be the best thing that ever happened.

Well, there's one more bonus to that for us.

I am not going to second-guess myself

because some man thinks he knows me better than me.

So, I've been working some new angles,

found this liquor supplier who can hook us up.

That's why you interrupted me?

He's offering a way better deal

than what we're getting right now, Joey.

You could have put that in an email.

I just figured you would appreciate

me being all proactive.

Oh, you want to impress me.

Oh, well, that's very different.

Here, have a seat.

Couple of things I'd like to discuss.

All right, boss, yeah, whatever you need.

So, Bill Hamilton asked me

to look into Hayley's new friend.

This, uh, this woman

who just happened to witness her mugging.

All right. Say less.

What do you need me to find out?

As if you don't already know everything.

I don't know what you mean by that, Joey.

Yeah, sure, I know Hayley,

but this random chick- she don't mean

-nothing to me, -Huh.

She meant enough for you to suck her fingers

in the middle of Orphey Gene's.

If this is a dream,

my subconscious has great taste.

Oh, baby, I am very, very real.

Just think of this as a fairy tale.

Only, tonight, the prince gets awakened by the kiss.

From the princess he entrusted

with the magical keys to his castle.

A part of me thought you put that key in a drawer

just to torture me.

No more words.

I have talked enough tonight.

Damn, Joey.

You really do have eyes everywhere.

What else did...

June tell you?

Now, you know I can't confirm or deny

where I get my intel.

I just hope Lynette's fingers were worth it.

You tell Bill?

Haven't felt the need. Bill's a sharp guy.

He'll put the pieces together soon enough.

Or you could do me a solid

and lead Bill down the wrong path.

Come on, Joey. What do you need?

You need me to lean on somebody? You know I'm good for it.

Ah, that's tempting.

But no.

I just can't, in good conscience,

lie to the man.

When has that ever stopped you before?

Sorry, Randy.

I'm not gonna save your ass on this one.

But...

...good luck.

You're gonna need it.

You realize we just had one of those heavy conversations

and we didn't even come close to arguing.

A miracle.

Or maybe it's growth. Who knew.

Us, teetering on the brink of functionality.

Past the brink, actually.

I just never thought we would get to this point.

I thought we would be destined to be those

bitter exes who can only communicate through

lawyers and passive-aggressive holiday cards.

Well, I'm damn glad we did.

You know, honestly,

I can't imagine my life without you in it.

Uh, that... Look, that wasn't me...

-I wasn't trying to... -I know what you mean.

We're always connected. There's no debating that.

I don't know what to call whatever this is.

We're not spouses. We're not enemies.

Maybe we're just friends.

Is there such thing as a friend with beneficiary?

Uh, well, there is now.

Once you walk out of Bill's firm,

there's nothing tying your hands.

Which means we can finally investigate Lynette.

Kat, no.

The whole point of this new gig

is to leave all that behind.

I was hoping I could forget she even existed.

See, that's the problem. My gut won't let me forget,

and my gut is always on point.

One: Lynette flirts with you

the literal second her charges vanish.

Two: she's suddenly besties with Hayley,

like they've been tight forever, which- oops-

maybe they have been.

And three: she hardly has a digital footprint.

Not even a dusty burner account.

Maybe she's just old-school.

Not everybody wants their business out there.

Not having any receipts online

is the biggest receipt of all.

Look, the way Bill played you was foul,

but this isn't about him anymore.

If Lynette's running some scam,

it could blow back on him. Or worse,

on my family.

And I don't play about my people.

So, what- you want us to go full Sherlock and Watson?

Well, with your legal smarts

and my podcast-trained sleuthing,

we're unstoppable.

Lynette Wise is cooked.

Why is it so hard for you to believe that I went legit?

Because, boo...

this has every fingerprint of your old grifts.

You bagged your mark, you locked down your ring,

and then you moved into the mansion.

And now you're sitting here acting brand-new,

as if you were

-born into this life. -All right.

So getting married and building a home-

that's what people do when they fall in love.

-Mm-hmm. -And speaking of my ring...

Right, because if that marriage was so solid...

then you wouldn't have staged

that Desperate Housewives nonsense.

I never asked you to hit me.

I just needed a way to get Bill to stay with me

and not run back to his ex, because I love him.

Mm-mmm. No. You love money.

And you always have.

And Bill's sitting on more paper than a printing press.

Which means that I'm not bouncing

until I get what's mines.

-Lynette, you tripping. -Mm-mmm. And don't worry.

'Cause I ain't gonna wreck whatever you got going on.

Unless you refuse to cut me in.

You're putting me in a difficult position.

Don't test me, Val.

'Cause I will blow your plan sky-high.

? ?

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