Original subtitles

Would you help me with this zipper, please?

Yeah.

Slow down, cowboy.

-Mmm. -Tonight we are going to Uptown

to devote our undivided attention to your son's music

at open mic night.

Well, I look forward to unzipping this later.

And you hearing my son sing.

Oh, Noah must be thrilled at the opportunity

to show off his musical talent.

You ready to go?

Where?

Have you forgotten that tonight is open mic night at Uptown?

I think we should be front and center

when our Phoenix Street Free Clinic manager

makes his musical debut.

Good optics.

You know I don't give a flying fig about optics.

Which is exactly why I RSVPed for one.

Thank you for loving me as I am.

Always.

I am so stoked that Deanna extended the invitation.

And for the record, she said I could invite you.

Anyway, I would listen to someone sing the phone book

if it meant spending time with my daughter.

Although I have a feeling Deanna's focus

will be completely on Noah.

I can't believe all the spots for the open mic were taken.

Maybe this is a...

sign from the universe

that I should ditch music

and just focus on managing the clinic.

I think the only sign the universe is sending

is to show up earlier next time.

There's that.

I guess I should call my dad and tell him not to bother coming.

Mm, good thinking. I should call Mom and the ChelseaKat girls.

KIAL: Noah.

Hey, we were just about to leave.

Don't bother.

Yeah. Next time.

Okay, bye.

Apparently there was a snafu with the open mic list tonight.

-Noah's not gonna be singing. -Aw.

-That's disappointing. -Yeah,

he tried to play it off, but I could tell he was a bit bummed.

I have an idea.

And it might just salvage Noah's big night.

(plays chord)

(vocalizing)

(clears throat)

(plays chord)

(vocalizing)

(clearing throat)

-(plays note) -(strained vocalizing)

(door closes)

How was your day at the consulting firm, my love?

Long.

I do enjoy advising,

strategizing with those young candidates,

but I don't enjoy the endless hours of prep.

Well.

Why don't we give Rowena...

the staff...

the night off so we can be alone?

(phone buzzing)

It's our eldest.

Let it go to voicemail,

just this once.

♪ ♪

Dr. McCormick. How are you?

Personally, I'm fine.

But I want to talk to the two of you

before the night shift is over.

Sure, Auntie. What's going on?

Bill Hamilton has summoned me to discuss an incident

that happened today between the Hamiltons and my nurses.

I want to get my facts straight

before I head into the lion's den.

Well, to make a stupid story make sense.

Bill's wife Hayley was actually in the bed with her sick husband

while we were on duty.

And they were about to do who knows what,

and I had to warn them about the hospital rules

of public displays of affection.

I mean, when I went in there, I practically had to cover my eyes

out of embarrassment--

for them and for myself.

And then Bill basically called me a prude.

But I have never seen a patient and a spouse go at it

in a hospital room before.

And he's here for a heart issue. I...

I just, you know-- I thought it would be dangerous for him.

Doctor, I hope you're not upset with Ashley and Shanice.

They were just doing their jobs.

I will hear what Mr. Hamilton has to say

and then decide if disciplinary measures are needed.

If you two get in trouble over this,

I promise I'll go to my grandfather.

He can make Dad and Hayley's complaint go away.

(computer chimes)

They need me in physical therapy.

Do you need me stick around?

No. We've got it covered.

Have a good night. Bye.

I'm excited for girls' night in my apartment.

Oh, so am I. I need a break from all this Hamilton drama.

I'm gonna go clock out and then I'll grab my things

-from my locker. -Okay.

I'll shoot Jacob a text,

and I'll wait for you here.

Okay.

Everything set?

Okay, cool.

It's going down soon.

I'll be there shortly to help with the details.

Still working on that Impaler case?

Yeah.

Unlike you,

I stay focused on my cases.

I don't let myself get distracted.

Who's distracted?

Well, you're headed out, right? You've only worked half a day.

I am taking care of my business.

Let me guess-- in between fancy dinners

and shopping sprees for new fits?

Well, I can't have my man looking like a hobo Columbo.

I need a super fly Shaft on my arm.

-Ready to bounce? -More than ready, baby.

-Mm. -Need a distraction

from Scooby-Doo here.

Scooby-Doo.

I thought we were headed to Uptown for open mic night.

I sent our regrets to Nicole. I decided that

-I want to be selfish... -Mm-hmm?

and spend a special evening with my husband.

Now, you set the bar very high

when you had us watching cartoons

and eating cereal in bed.

But I am positive that what I have

in store is something you have never done before.

What's all this?

I went to the toy store and got some supplies.

Okay. Uh...

Coloring books?

Adult coloring books.

Okay.

Oh.

Adult-adult coloring books.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, you were right.

I have never, uh, colored one of these.

Definitely not three.

Well, I thought it would be a nice way to spend the evening.

We can talk while exercising the creative part of our brains.

-I'm all in. -Mm.

Come here.

Do me a favor and open this

while I set up the rest of our coloring station.

Yeah.

-Tell me, sweetie. -Vanessa,

I was stuck in that elevator with Bill.

-Oh, no. You didn't-- -We had sex.

Oh!

Sorry.

Did you notice the label?

No. Um... No, I'll check it out, though.

So, what brings you to the DMV?

You gonna pour

or just hold the bottle?

Where'd you get this?

Well, I liked the other one, so I ordered another.

Whoever sent it has expensive taste.

Yeah.

Do you want to skip the bubbly

since you were day drinking yesterday at Uptown?

No. I don't want to waste an expensive bottle of champagne.

There.

So I host a scaled-down version of open mic night here.

Noah will definitely be surprised.

I mean, if you're up for it.

Let me text the change of plans to the Dupree crew

and see who can make our little impromptu gathering.

Thank you for making this happen.

I mean, I want to support Noah's music,

but there's a lesson for him to learn

about what happened tonight.

You are a great father, Kial.

Firm yet loving.

That is a fine line to walk.

I was too permissive.

You were probably overcompensating.

I was financially supporting him

so he could still stay connected to his mother.

You needed that connection, too.

Which may be why you were so adaptable to Noah

in the years after Sarah's death.

I remember when she used to sing to our boys.

Still some of the greatest memories I have

of her.

Time to make new musical memories with Noah?

Yes. Oh.

I better call and tell him to get over here.

You're stuck with me.

Well, that's never a disappointment.

Well, I was almost to my car when I got a text from Deanna.

-Open mic is off. -(phone chimes)

Oh. Uh, this is Nicole.

Change of plans. Off to her place.

You know, I will take you up

on that offer to make me sing later tonight.

You got it.

Joey.

What's good, man?

Well, it's your world.

I'm just watching my little corner of it.

Said like a Buddha.

I hear that's what they're calling you now.

The Gambling Buddha.

I don't care what they call me

as long as the house keeps winning.

Eva's recovery?

She's doing well.

Yeah, but she's...

she's struggling to deal with her scars after surgery.

Oh, that's tough.

My advice is be patient and understanding.

Yeah, definitely.

There's something else on your mind.

You could always read me, Joey.

I, um...

I want to talk to you about the old days.

When I was running the streets and...

and how you saved my life.

Okay, watch the threshold. The saddle's a little loose.

Let me get the light.

ASHLEY/JACOB/GRAYSON: Surprise!

It's a Mexican fiesta!

Why are there men crashing our girls' night?

Okay, I confess.

Girls' night was a ruse from the very beginning.

What?

JACOB: Since we can't take

the Mexican vacation I gave you for Christmas yet,

I wanted to bring Mexico to you.

Oh! It's the changuito!

Oh, I used to hate this little monkey,

-but now I kind of love him. -Uh-huh.

-Yeah. -Thank you.

Thank you, Grayson. Wow.

Ashley, I was wondering why you bought so many tortilla chips.

I call these Justicia Caliente.

-Wow. -Ooh. -Hot Justice.

-Hot Justice. -Okay.

-I like it. -CHELSEA: I like that.

Well, can we make a toast?

-Yeah. -CHELSEA: Mm.

Oh, you're not drinking tonight?

I have to head to work after to cover for Tim,

-so... -Oh. That's okay.

That's okay. Well, cheers to my thoughtful besties

and to my loving, caring, crazy-ass

but completely devoted husband.

-Thank you. -I love you all. -Love you.

-Cheers. -Cheers.

-NAOMI: Salud. -CHELSEA/GRAYSON: Salud.

Hey.

Why are you having dinner all alone?

Hey. And I'm not.

I'm waiting for Izaiah while he visits a friend.

Thought I'd get some work done in the meantime.

And how you doing, E?

Pretty good.

It's cool to see you two hanging out.

-Mm. -I'll get us a table.

I'd rather keep Eva company.

Ooh, I appreciate the offer,

but I actually do have some work to catch up on.

I want you two to have a good time.

All right.

-Mwah. -Mwah.

I hate to see my baby sitting all alone.

She won't be for long.

And, honestly,

I'm glad she sent us packing.

'Cause I want you all to myself tonight.

Mmm. Say more.

Leslie, that dress you have on looks real good.

Well, it ought to, because you bought it.

That's right.

And I can't wait to see you out of it.

Mmm.

Are you still mad at me

because I spent so much time with Bill at the hospital?

'Cause I feel like you're avoiding me.

And Daddy said that he saw you at the club

and you left without saying a word.

That was because, um...

-I, uh... -I'm really sorry

that I prioritized Bill.

Hey, he's the father of your children, right?

It doesn't matter.

You're my husband,

and you should always come first.

Can you forgive me?

-Surprise. -Welcome to open mic night,

Dupree-style.

I was honored to get an invite

to the hottest show in town.

Mind officially blown.

Now, I know my living room is not the venue

that you were expecting,

and the crowd is definitely not as big,

but the change of location allowed me to arrange

for a special guest

to hear Noah's Fairmont Crest debut.

Anita Williams.

Hello, Noah. It's good to see you again.

All right, let's see what you got.

Mother, I thought inviting you might give Noah a little boost,

but I think it's a little too much pressure for him.

Oh, nonsense.

I knew he had a good vibe when I first met him.

He'll be just fine.

I can't believe the Anita Williams is gonna hear me sing.

Meeting her was one thing, but to perform for her is...

Well, what do you do

-when you get nervous? -Um...

Try to think of it as excitement instead.

I hope the nerves go away once I start singing.

Maybe this will help.

I found this capo at a vintage shop,

and I thought you might like it.

Who knows,

maybe Sister Rosetta Tharpe might have used it.

Can't believe you remembered me talking about her.

Thank you.

(off-key chord)

You don't like it?

No, it's just I forgot to tune my guitar, and...

It'll only take me a second.

(tuning guitar)

DEANNA: Hey, just breathe.

Do you know what you're gonna play?

Yeah, a song

-I've been working on. -What's it about?

Falling in love.

What inspired you to write about it?

Um, when my mom died,

I pushed everyone away.

I felt like I could lose anyone at any moment,

and I didn't want to let anyone back in

because I was afraid they could be here one day and--

-And gone the next. -Exactly.

But then I met someone who made me feel

like love might be worth the risk.

Okay.

I'm ready.

Excuse me.

I recognized that look of panic from across the room.

But you got that bad boy in tune pretty fast.

You ready?

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you, guys, for being here.

This is "Falling."

♪ Follow me down to the water ♪

♪ Ease yourself in the river ♪

♪ It's just a little bit farther ♪

♪ Soon we'll be at the center ♪

♪ We should just stay here ♪

♪ Baby, it's safe here ♪

♪ Hold me like a lover ♪

♪ Like the mother ♪

♪ Like a friend ♪

♪ Darling ♪

♪ I thought I'd never love again ♪

♪ Lost in your eyes ♪

♪ I find myself falling ♪

♪ Falling... ♪

♪ Falling ♪

♪ Falling... ♪

♪ Falling ♪

♪ Falling... ♪

♪ Falling. ♪

(song ends)

KIAL: Let's go!

I can't forgive you...

...until you forgive me.

What have you done that needs forgiving?

I, um...

acted like a damn kid.

I drank my feelings at the bar

instead of coming home and talking to you.

So can you forgive me?

I am the one who needs absolution.

A-And not only for the Bill of it all,

but for making my loving, supportive husband

feel like a damn heel.

Yeah.

All right.

So...

why don't we stop pointing fingers...

Mm.

...and start kissing...

them... instead?

Maybe a night of lovemaking will be

what we need to forget about who did what to whom.

-Yeah? -Yeah.

ANDRE: I got you.

Aw. Chocolates.

-TED: Mm. -I needed a little pick-me-up.

My aunt is in with Bill Hamilton discussing

why Ashley and I kicked his wife out of the hospital.

Well, the only reason for Bill's blustering is to pacify Hayley.

Monica will see straight through that.

You think so?

Know so. But just in case,

I have an extra box of chocolates in my office

in case things don't go your way.

I can't believe the messes I have to clean up.

So Ashley and I

-are off the hook? -Oh, there never was a hook.

Nurse Morgan and Nurse Johnson followed protocol.

I made that very clear to Mr. Hamilton.

-Mmm. -You want some?

-Mm. -Ted got them for me.

Ah. What's the occasion?

-Just because. -Oh.

And Ted wants to meet my brothers

sooner rather than later.

Ah, Mr. Richardson must really be in love

if he wants to meet those two fools.

Said with love,

'cause they're my nephews.

But Lord knows today they are really working my last nerves.

Ooh. Mine, too, Auntie. Mine too.

Seriously, though,

sounds like Ted has found his person.

He's leaving his past behind

and focusing on his future with you.

Mmm.

Mmm.

-So... -Mmm.

Why did you give me an ultimatum earlier?

'Cause...

I want to be somebody's person.

Somebody's world.

Somebody's waking thought in the morning

and their last thought at night.

Well, you know, I don't like, uh,

to be cornered.

I know.

But for you, tonight,

I'm gonna make the exception.

Because I need you in my life.

Leslie Thomas,

will you...

...move onto my boat with me?

You asked me to step it up, and I am.

You, me, Sheila--

that's a pretty kinky threesome, right?

Uh, yeah.

I appreciate the gesture, Marcel.

But I can't believe you asked me

to live on your boat.

You'll enjoy it.

I mean, I love it.

Ooh, I know you do.

And I know how special it is to you

that you share the Sheila with me.

But?

Baby, I am not...

I'm not boat people.

Okay? And living with the catfish

just does not cut it with me.

Just give it a chance.

I mean, let's take a short trip,

test out your sea legs.

I, um... I mean, I...

Forget I asked.

I got to hit the can.

I heard.

Why are you listening and eavesdropping

on other people's conversations?

I think you don't want to move anywhere with Marcel

because you are still stuck on Dad.

I hate that you're willing to toss aside a sure thing

for a "never going to happen" thing.

I was a rebellious kid.

You know, I was out there hustling and-and jacking whips.

What did you see in me, Joey?

Myself.

Come again?

I had a very domineering father.

Nothing I did was ever enough.

I could never meet expectations,

just like you couldn't with Elon.

I didn't want you to repeat the mistakes I made.

I was just grateful you were willing to listen.

You didn't have to.

Oh, we had a lot of talks back then.

I couldn't believe an adult would take the time.

Well, it meant a lot to me that someone valued my opinion.

Look, I never had kids,

so, in a way, you filled that void for me.

I don't want to get too heavy, but...

...I kind of see you as my legacy.

What do you mean?

I mean that once I'm gone...

...I won't only leave behind a sketchy reputation.

The lessons I learned along the way will live on through you.

Izaiah, you talk about how I saved you.

But you had an impact on my life, too.

Very proud of the man you've become.

You're one of the few things I did right.

Okay, okay, here we go. Silencio. Silencio.

-What we got? What we got? -Shh. -Yes.

-La rosa. -Ooh. -Rose.

-I got that. -Yes. Put a chip on it. Let's go.

-Good job, baby. -Good job. -Actually, can we,

uh, get some refills on these, uh...

-NAOMI: Say it. -You got it. -...Justicia...

-Caliente. -...Caliente. -NAOMI: Caliente!

-JACOB: There you go. There you go. -Oh.

I'm glad you like it.

-Of course. -Very good.

-Mwah. -I'll take some more too, babe.

-Thank you. -Oh, you want some Hot Justice?

-Yeah. -GRAYSON: Yeah.

Hey, man, I want to thank you

for helping me out with this party.

Man, I owe you so much more than just streamers and margaritas.

Not every cop keeps their word.

You cut my name out of all that Impaler stuff.

If I'm not a man of my word, who am I?

Well, thanks.

Is there any update on the Impaler?

Nah, man. I had a few leads, but they hit dead ends.

But I'm not giving up.

I won't rest until the person responsible for Derek's death

comes to justice.

Things going good with Grayson?

Yeah. Yeah, they're great.

We're having fun, and, man, after everything that went down,

that is exactly what we both need.

Mm-hmm.

You've got quite the talented son there.

-Thank you, Senator. -Yeah.

I, uh...

I heard that Nicole has decided to date you exclusively.

So, uh, maybe it's time you and I had a talk.

All right.

My eldest is an extraordinary woman.

She's brilliant.

That's-- All of these awards are proof of that.

And...

She's empathetic to the bone.

Which means her heart is...

Not tonight, Daddy.

This is Noah's night.

Kial would like to be the parent bragging about his son,

not the boyfriend getting grilled.

O-Oh, of course, sweetheart. Yeah.

We'll revisit this.

I haven't seen this particular glow

since you fell head over Mary Janes

in fourth grade for Rocky Travis.

You remember my first crush and his name?

I remember all the seminal moments in my kids' lives.

Like this one.

You really like him, don't you?

I can't find anything not to like.

But I'm taking my time and getting to know him better

before I jump in with both feet.

I've never been so nervous.

Fifty strangers in a bar is one thing,

but in front of you?

On such short notice? Well, I...

The Articulettes,

when we first started out,

we were playing this little hole-in-the-wall

on the South Side.

Held about 20, 25 people.

But then the biggest A&R man in town walked in.

We were panicked,

unprepared,

terrified of humiliating ourselves.

But we stepped out on that stage

and we did what we had to do.

So the lesson is

to step up on every stage

as if it's the most important show ever.

If you care about what you're singing,

the passion kicks in

and you shine no matter what.

And that's what you did tonight, Noah.

Your voice is beautiful.

And-and you have stage presence.

Well, you have "standing in front

of my daughter's mantelpiece" presence.

Well, thank you.

I-I don't know what to say.

Well, say-say you're available next week.

I am.

Would you be interested in sitting in

on some of my vocal sessions?

No way.

I-I mean wha-what?

Uh, yes. Yes way.

Yes.

I'm going back into the studio

for the first time in quite a while,

and I want this record to reach an audience

that it hasn't before.

And I could use an ear of a younger generation in the room.

And perhaps I can give you a career tip or two.

That sounds like an amazing opportunity,

getting to learn from one of the greats.

-How could I ever repay you? -Oh, please.

Don't even think about it.

Mentoring is as much an honor as being mentored.

Somebody opened the door for me,

and I am happy to do that for you.

Wow. Well, thank you, Miss Williams.

Noah,

we are going to be seeing much more of each other.

"Anita" will do.

Well, thanks, Anita.

-Thank you. Thanks. -Mm-hmm.

Do I need to remind you of the deal we made?

What deal was that?

You get to do what you want to do for half the evening.

And the other half of the night...

...it goes to me.

A deal's a deal.

Mmm.

Excuse me. I'm gonna say our good nights.

-Aw. -Thank you. -Love you.

And she said I could sit in on her private sessions.

Can you believe it? Anita Williams is gonna mentor me.

-Noah, that's amazing. -KIAL: And make sure

-you are on time for every studio session. -NOAH: I will.

Oh, God, I didn't exchange contact information with her.

Oh, no worries. I'll get Mother your contact.

Thanks, Nicole. And thank you for hosting

this personal open mic for me.

I was happy to showcase your talents.

And Mother gave you her stamp of approval,

so you are going to be a big star.

And I get to brag to all my friends

that I started your career right here in my living room.

Well, thanks. Well, I'm way too amped to go home.

You want to go to Orphey Gene's?

-I'm down. -Okay.

Um, good night.

Thank you so much.

Seems love is in the air.

And I am not just talking about Vernon and Anita.

Nightcap, my love?

Your usual?

Not tonight.

No, I, uh...

I brought you this way...

...so we can take the elevator and get to our bedroom faster.

You look like a proud papa.

Uh, I have never seen my son so electrified

as he was tonight.

Well, Mother's right-- Noah has chops.

And with her mentoring, he will be on the concert circuit

before you know it.

Hmm. Father of a world-famous musician.

I'll go on tour with him, trash some hotel rooms,

and, uh, mingle with all the groupies.

But who needs that

when I have you?

I believe there was something said about unzipping earlier?

He was startlingly good, Joey.

And I don't think it's just because

we were all so supportive.

And Deanna?

She's totally smitten.

I haven't seen my daughter this happy in a long time.

That's wonderful.

And there's a bonus.

If she's focused on Noah,

she'll be preoccupied and won't be able to obsess

over our relationship.

Oh.

That is a bonus.

And that capo you gave me--

it must have been my good luck charm.

I'm gonna hang on to it for the rest of my life.

When I saw it, I just...

I had a feeling.

Deanna,

you made this night...

unforgettable.

Thank you.

Hey. Need that box of chocolates?

I do.

But maybe not for the reason you think.

Ashley and I

will not be disciplined for kicking Hayley out

-of the hospital. -Oh.

So what are the chocolates for?

If I had a microwave,

I could show you.

There's a microwave in my hotel room.

Nothing more decadent than feeding each other

melted chocolates.

Well, then it's a date.

After my shift?

Mm-hmm.

Mmm.

Hey. They okay?

Something seems off.

Would you say it seems a little fishy?

Huh?

Never mind. I'll explain later.

Look, I'm ready to dip out.

We can catch up on our days at my place.

Bet.

-Hey, you two. -Hey.

-Hey. -Good night, Mama.

Marcel.

-Y'all take it easy. -All right.

(mouthing)

I feel bad for...

trashing your grand gesture,

especially after demanding that you make one.

Mm. Thank you for that.

And so I am going to make a grand gesture

of my own.

No, Leslie, you don't have to.

-We're good. -Well,

you know me, don't you?

Hmm?

I am the daughter of Barbara Mitchell,

who founded the Articulettes, baby.

So...

I feel more comfortable expressing this through music.

♪ When you ♪

♪ Take me in your arms ♪

♪ The stars ♪

♪ Dance up and down my spine ♪

♪ When our lips meet ♪

♪ A feeling so sublime ♪

♪ A river rushes to the sea ♪

♪ I see eternity ♪

♪ My mind ♪

♪ Is wrapped up in the glow ♪

♪ Of love that's washing ♪

♪ Over me ♪

(vocalizing)

Leslie Thomas.

Captioning sponsored by CBS

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