Original subtitles

Not one but two queens.

Takes one to know one.

I am so pleased

that you could make me a detour on your itinerary.

Oh, sis, the pleasure is ours.

Especially since you have us arriving in style.

Sending Titus was a treat.

Oh.

Honey, his ride came fully stocked.

So you got your drink on?

Oh, uh, just a little.

More than enough.

[laughter]

Well, they say nature's truth serum loosens lips,

so I want to hear all the juicy details on the Delaware gig.

Well, that's the kind of ulterior motive

- we can get behind. - Mm-hmm.

And now I know I will get the real tea.

- So, how was the audience? - Wonderful.

After two encores, there was a five-minute standing ovation.

Oh, it warms my heart

to hear good news about the Articulettes.

Wish I could say the same for the Duprees.

Yeah, we heard about Martin's husband.

Arrested for murder?

Anita, that makes no sense.

And now it seems like his poll numbers are plummeting

faster than Dionne and the Spinners' "Then Came You"

back in '74.

But people are still singing that song.

It had staying power, just like my grandson.

Shonda, Granddad and I need to run a campaign idea by you.

Something he'll headline.

Can you join us at the club?

Okay, great.

See you then.

She's on her way.

That's not the sound of a man who's ready for the upswing.

Am I signaling defeat?

I just thought you'd be more relieved at our plan.

This could boost your campaign in the final hours.

I got to admit,

the winner's circle seems out of reach at the moment.

Gird your loins, son.

My sleeves stay rolled up for hard work.

But honestly, Granddad...

I'm starting to think I don't deserve to be reelected.

Dad, help. I can't get this seam right

for this Halloween costume.

You mean your brilliant, Hello Kitty-Betty Boop mash-up

that's going to blow all the other costumes out of the water?

As long as I can get it to not fall off of me.

Well, let's see what you have so far.

I meant to ask Grandma Jenny for help

but didn't get around to it before she went home.

Well, lucky for you, my mom taught me

everything there is to know about sewing.

Uh, can you teach me?

Yeah. Yeah. We can start lessons anytime.

Okay. Well, uh, after that,

I want to walk through prom dress options,

then graduation.

I've got my eyes set on valedictorian.

- Okay. - And I'll need help with my speech.

And the next is college.

I'll need essay tips.

And then we can talk wedding themes

- and locations. - Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.

I'm not ready to talk about wedding tips,

and I hope you're not either.

Well, we have to talk about everything now because...

Because by the time you get to those occasions,

I might be in prison.

? ?

[knocking]

Coming.

Mwah!

Brought you some low-fat, low-sugar gingersnaps.

Uh, thank you?

Okay, don't blame me for the guilt-free goodies.

Mama, those taste like cardboard.

Yeah, but they're on the approved

post-transplant food list.

Uh... this, however, is not.

Somebody's splurging.

So what's the occasion?

Nothing.

Hey, that don't look like nothing,

with all that heavenly decadence that you're sipping on.

Ah. Okay. So Izaiah surprised me

with chocolate phosphates to celebrate our anniversary.

[gasps] It's been a year already?

[squeals]

Oh, yeah. Come on.

[laughs] Okay, okay, okay.

Um, so, so, so I have to throw you two,

like, the splashiest country club anniversary bash ever.

Bam.

Mmm. What's that you're wearing?

- Cocoa butter? - Mmm. It's got you smelling

like a candy bar, sweet enough to eat.

[both laugh]

I love a good-smelling...

How's it going, June?

Cool.

Whoa. What's up with the cold front?

Trust me, compared to the last time I saw June,

that greeting was welcoming.

She went off on me for arresting Smitty.

Man, it can't be easy doing your job when family's involved.

Yeah, man, Smitty's case is stressing me out.

And I made a complete ass of myself in front

of Naomi the other day.

I don't know, man.

It might have been the last straw.

I'm worried my marriage is crumbling.

- Got your text. - We came as soon as we could.

But judging by the look on your face,

this wasn't an invite to turn up.

Uh, what's wrong? Is it Mom or Dad?

Gran's okay. Granddad, too.

Did something happen with Smitty's case?

Nothing new to report on that.

Not sure we can take any more bad anyway.

But something is clearly weighing on you.

Talk to us.

It's my marriage.

I think it's on the brink of collapse.

Are we talking "broke my favorite mug

I made in kindergarten" collapse or "you sank my battleship"?

Somewhere in between, I think?

- Hmm. - Start from the beginning.

Okay, so Jacob and I made a pact.

Home is a sacred ground.

It is a Smitty criminal case-free zone.

Neutral territory. Smart.

But the other day I was watching a rom-com, and...

- Which one? - Does it matter?

Maybe.

Anyway, I asked him to join me,

but before the meet-cute and high jinks

romantic entanglement could even begin,

out of nowhere he said he can't not talk about Smitty.

And that's where

my brother-in-law's misadventures began.

So we went back and forth about why he's not trying

to prove that Smitty was framed.

- And what did he say? - Well, get this.

He's not 100% certain Smitty is innocent.

He said that? To your face?

Jacob can't think that Smitty's capable of murder.

Well, you're right. He doesn't.

But Jacob doesn't think

that Smitty knew what Lia was going to do with those pills,

and he's not convinced

that Smitty didn't give Lia those pills

as part of some quid pro quo.

Ooh. And the plot thickens.

And in a stunning reveal,

apparently Jacob's been struggling with resenting me.

I'm so sorry, Naomi.

You don't deserve this.

My marriage is in its dark night of the soul, and it just

just feels like we can't find our way back

to be happy with each other.

You're accusing and dirtying up Smitty's name?

Dawg, you, you good up there?

I mean, you knew good and well that would piss Naomi off.

I have to ask the hard questions when investigating a case.

- I hear you, but... - It doesn't matter

who the accused is.

And that's what I need Naomi to understand.

But she lives by the Dupree code.

They have each other's back, law be damned.

But I have an oath to uphold.

Nobody's pressing you to go up against that.

I worked closely with Smitty when I was undercover.

I know how he operates when he's chasing a story.

Naomi doesn't.

He's not above going low to get the information he needs.

What do you mean?

Lia might have dangled a piece of information

in front of Smitty, and he took the bait.

Hunting down leads can lead to criminal behavior,

and I need Naomi to understand that possibility.

You and Naomi being on opposite sides of this is a lot.

Man, that's not even the half.

I completely blindsided me and her the other day

by bringing up old issues I thought we squashed.

Izaiah and I aren't interested in an anniversary party.

And why not?

Because I've sworn them off.

After the last one we intruded on,

maybe you should, too.

I had a ball at Ted and Nicole's soiree.

Yeah, well, you're the only one who did.

Don't you think it would be tacky

to throw an anniversary party at the same club, of all places?

I know you are not calling your mother tacky.

Right?

And you have got to master the art

of letting bygones be bygones, my young padawan.

Revenge wasn't as sweet as I thought it would be.

It's left a bad aftertaste.

Maybe if I tried convincing you sooner...

And what good would that have done?

Stopped you from blowing up Ted and Nicole's marriage.

I could have changed your mind and told my dad in private.

I know you ain't trying to rewrite history,

especially after you were all up in on the plan.

I own my role in it, Mama.

Okay? Trust me.

I wanted Ted and Nicole to pay, too.

But then I got to know them,

and they aren't who you said they were.

[scoffs] Little darling Nikki's

always been an entitled, uppity know-it-all.

All right, yeah, she had a little spicy moment

during her short-lived ho-mama stage,

but now she's back to being a bland,

half-baked chicken cutlet.

Ugh. You never quit.

Okay, but Nursey-Poo... all right,

she's got a little street thing going on.

Okay. She's remotely interesting.

But not as interesting as moi.

Joke all you want,

but do you seriously have no remorse

about what happened that night?

Trust me, I disabled directions to Regret Road a long time ago.

Really, Mama?

Mm.

My goal was for you to have a better life, okay?

And voil�, I mean, my baby is living the dream,

got herself a relationship with her daddy,

a whole career.

One good half sibling,

a niece, a nephew.

And a scrumptious, caring and sensitive man.

- He a'ight. - [laughs]

And I am not doing too bad myself either.

We Thomas women are thriving

because I had the courage

to speak my truth to a roomful of Duprees.

Now, baby, you may not like my methods,

but you can't argue with the results.

You know, I thought we would just get paid

and head back to Chicago.

But two years later,

we are both living a life neither of us expected.

I keep thinking about that constituent

who said she can't trust me.

And you know what? She's right.

I'm untrustworthy.

- Martin. - No.

Secret-keeping has been the running theme of my campaign.

I can't come clean about what happened on that country road.

And I can't confess about being blackmailed by Kenny

or that I'm complicit in what happened to him.

Hell, I even glossed over Smitty's charges

during my public statement.

All done?

I wanted to be the politician people could count on

to tell the truth.

My first slogan was "Truth. Always."

I remember.

Lately it seems like it's "Lie and Deny."

I can't stand in front of those people, look them in their eyes,

and pretend I'm something I'm not.

Mm-hmm. Get it all out.

And the worst part of that interaction

is her bringing you up.

I don't want to tarnish your reputation.

You've had a stellar political career,

and you deserve to be in the history books.

But me, on the other hand, I do not.

Are you done?

'Cause that is some pure foolishness.

I know that it's hard, but you can't go

to the worst-case scenario when it comes to my

legal issues.

I can't help it, Dad.

I've lived through this before.

Doesn't mean it's going to happen again.

But it could.

Everything can literally change overnight.

You can be here one day and gone the next.

Look, that is very unlikely, sweetheart.

I've done my research.

If you get convicted of a drug-induced homicide,

you can get sentenced to 20 years to life.

They can transfer you to a federal prison

hundreds of miles away.

Was that in your Notes app too?

You'll be classified as a high-risk violent offender

with restricted visitation.

And there's no guarantee

that we'd even be able to see you when we want.

Okay, I know that sounds bad,

but you're forgetting one big thing.

Like what?

Like I'm innocent.

We have a lot of people working very hard to prove that, okay?

And we will.

Innocent people go to jail all the time, Dad.

And if that happens,

I will appeal the guilty verdict immediately.

I am not going to stop fighting.

But I do need you to promise me one thing.

If it does go to hell... if I'm convicted,

I need you to promise me to not put your life on hold.

How could I...?

Knowing that you and Tyrell are living your best lives...

That is going to be the

the balm that my soul needs

to face whatever comes my way.

You understand?

What if I don't want to understand?

I-I want you here in real life.

I'll never be okay with losing you.

- Forgive us for treading into troubled waters. - No.

Martin and Smitty are facing challenging times,

but we are doing everything in our power

to ensure a positive outcome.

I'll keep them in my prayers.

Thank you.

We need as many of those as we can get.

Now, um, let's get back to Delaware.

So, Sharon, did your new boo come to the show?

What's his name? Marvin?

We don't call him Marvin anymore.

Oh.

I call him MG because he reminds me of Marvin Gaye.

Say it ain't so.

TRACY: You heard her right.

Well, go on, spill all my tea. G-Go on.

MG was front and center, just smiling up a storm.

They went out afterwards.

I didn't hear a peep from Sharon until after breakfast.

Oh. A little sexual healing?

[laughter]

- Uh, well... - Uh-huh.

- Now, Anita. - Huh?

You invited us here for a reason.

Exactly. So when do you plan to stop holding out on us?

Well, I just can't hide anything from my sisters, can I?

Well, it's not your health, is it?

No. Thank goodness. I'm fine.

Okay, good. Then ditch the diva warm-up

and give us the show, baby.

I have an announcement to make.

I am finally ready

to go back in the studio.

Really?

Because the last time we were in town,

your voice wasn't quite as ready as you thought it was.

Well, no, I have been working really hard

to get my voice back.

I've been staying hydrated, I've been avoiding irritants.

Well, I'm sure you've been on top of it.

Mm-hmm. I've even occasionally put myself on vocal rest.

No, my voice is finely tuned, so you don't have to worry.

Time for a demonstration, then.

Because I've been thinking

about things that we can do musically,

and we do need your vibrato back.

So, what, I'm auditioning now?

Humor us.

Hit us with a scale

and then hop into "Amazing Grace."

All right. Tracy, give me an A

below middle C.

[Anita clears throat]

[hums scale imperfectly]

[Anita clears throat]

? Amazing ?

[voice cracking]: ? Grace ?

[clears throat]

[voice cracking]: ? Grace. ?

[Anita clears throat]

[Anita sighs]

Ooh, man. You wanted all the smoke, huh?

Man, I brought up the no kids thing.

The fact that she hid her BRCA results from me.

And I told her, her family keeps interfering with my job.

Look, communication is necessary in relationships,

but there's a time and place for everything.

Is that how you keep it smooth with Eva?

Yeah. Yeah, but don't get it twisted.

You know, we've had our challenges.

[sighs] Yeah... when we first started kicking it,

Eva swore she was a rebound.

Well, that makes sense considering your last situation.

But look at us now...

Together a whole year later.

I wasn't sure we'd make it at one point,

especially when she was dealing with her transplant scar

and pushing me away.

But I just kept reassuring her.

Which I'm sure she appreciated.

You know, I'm-I'm not surprised about your repressed emotions.

Law enforcement culture can lead

to compartmentalization and avoidance.

- Say what? - It's asking a lot

for you to turn off those coping mechanisms

- when you leave the station. - Hang on, hang on. Wait.

Back up.

When the hell did my little brother start

casually throwing around big words

like "compartmentalization" and "coping mechanisms"?

Yeah, still seeing me as that aimless kid, always in trouble.

Nah, man, I know you've grown.

You know, I just got sick and tired

of people putting me in a box, and I knew I had potential,

so I stopped rebelling

and took a good look at why I was acting a fool.

Did you gain some clarity?

Yeah, I did.

I took responsibility for my actions,

and I left all that resentment behind.

Are you telling me this so I can look at myself?

Look, process it however you need, big bro.

But all I'm saying is,

everything changed for me once I started becoming reactive

to situations instead of reactionary.

You came a long way, little bro.

I'm proud of you, Izaiah.

My God, am I so bullheaded that people just go along

with what I want instead of pushing back?

You can answer that.

- Yeah. - Yeah. Yeah.

- Wow. - CHELSEA: It's not necessarily

a bad thing, Naomi.

And I don't think Jacob meant those things that he said.

He's been under a lot of stress.

Probably just needed to blow off some steam.

CHELSEA: Mm-hmm. Unfortunately,

you were there to catch the brunt of it.

So Jacob feels better as a result, and I feel worse?

What does that help?

Well, what if you revisit the convo?

Share the burden? That's what Madison and I do.

Or you could not talk about your issues at all.

That's the Kat and Tomas method.

So I should keep doing what I already thought I was doing

or do what I didn't know I was actually doing?

- Exactly. - Exactly.

That is terrible advice.

Questioning your worthiness

is what makes you an ideal representative.

How so?

As a hate crime victim,

why were you forced to remain silent about its outcome?

Because justice can be blind

when it comes to men who look like us.

And what about Smitty being accused

of a crime he didn't commit?

What makes that so egregious?

He could be put in prison

since we have a crisis of wrongful convictions.

Right.

I'm sorry, Granddad, but what's the point?

You make the world better

for people from all walks of life,

because your experience gives you insight.

Empathy is your superpower.

But is it enough?

Ever lie to your constituents when discussing your platform?

No, I have always been honest and up-front

about where I stand from the start.

Indeed.

I want to be the leader you believe I can be.

Well, pat yourself on the back, son, 'cause you already are.

Ah. Reporting for duty.

- Thanks for coming. - I can't wait

to discuss the senator's role

in rallying voters for your reelection.

After some thought,

I've made a decision that changes things.

Instead of Granddad appearing by himself,

I'm going to join him for a series of forums.

I'll do a short speech, introduce you,

and then let you work your magic.

VERNON: Hmm. They should feel intimate,

Shonda.

That way we can dig deeper into our voters' concerns.

And show how their issues intersect

and align with my platform.

Let's do it. With one caveat.

We should live stream.

It'll help us get the eyeballs we need.

We can promote it as an interactive fireside chat.

And I'll get a wingback chair for you, Senator.

I appreciate your enthusiasm.

We've got less than a week to get you reelected.

We're fortunate you come

from a prominent family the public adores.

Well, Martin got elected the first time on his own merits.

He will be again.

I didn't mean to imply otherwise.

I wouldn't be working with you

if I didn't believe in your vision

for your district and the country.

Well, it's been a marathon,

and now we are facing hurdles at the 25th mile.

But we will stay the course

and focus on the finish line.

- NAOMI: There you are. - Oh. Hey.

I just had a quick "Hi and bye" with Samantha.

How's she doing?

She is a little freaked out

after researching the charges against me

and where I might end up.

Oh. That's tough.

Yeah, she got into a life-planning spiral,

so I sent her to Orphey Gene's for a change of environment.

Well, maybe this will lift your spirits.

We've got a lead on the whereabouts of Max's cousin.

Manuela? Okay, where is she?

Mexico.

Granddad's contact at the FBI, Buchanan, really came through,

but we're still working on the specifics.

Do we have an address?

No, not yet, but it's a start.

Max could be there,

or this cousin of his could know where he's hiding.

This is going to pay off.

Well, finding Max is the key to proving

that the security footage is fake.

My digital forensics investigator schooled me

on temporal inconsistencies.

What's that?

Basically, it's when the experts analyze a video

and see if the events happened in logical order.

They can also see if it aligns

with other known facts about the environment.

So they verify if anything's off

- about the scenery? - Exactly.

And if Max can prove he was somewhere else

when the time stamp placed him at Uptown,

we can confirm it with receipts

and other security footage to clear both of your names.

Well, that just loosened

the tightness in my chest a little bit.

This is good news, but don't get too excited.

Max has been a ghost so far, and Mexico is huge.

This could lead us to another dead end.

Well, right now I need a flicker of hope,

no matter how faint.

Oh, what's good, y'all?

Hey, happy anniversary.

- I was just telling Eva that... - I was just telling Mama

what a difference you have made in my life this past year.

Aw. You changed me for the better, too.

LESLIE: Aw.

Well, you know, paper

is the traditional first gift

for the first-year anniversary.

Yes.

You two have fun.

[Leslie muttering]

[door opens]

- That woman. - [door closes]

What do you think of my voice? [Clears throat]

Well, um, maybe we should

postpone the recording session for a while longer?

Really. Why?

Because the scales on the salmon she had for dinner last night

were more buttery than what you were just singing.

Well, there's Auto-Tune.

No. Anita.

I can't believe those words came out of your mouth.

All right, fine. Fine.

Let me... let me try it one more time.

And if you don't think I can do it, then we'll just,

we'll just call it off.

Tracy, give me the A again.

[plays note]

[Anita clears throat]

? Do... ?

[singing in tune]: ? Do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si, do ?

[singing higher notes]: ? Si, la, sol, fa, mi, re, do. ?

- Oh. You played us. - [Anita laughs]

Gotcha.

I want to hear you sing again.

All right, all right.

? Amazing grace ?

? How sweet the sound ?

[in harmony]: ? That saved ?

? A wretch ?

? Like me ?

ALL: ? I once was lost ?

? But now I'm found ?

? Was blind ?

? But now ?

? I see. ?

Oh, now, that's what I can work with.

I am going to call Devon Winters

and tell him the Articulettes in the studio is a go.

- Mm-hmm. - What? You... I...

I hate to smudge the moment, but what about Leslie?

Oh, God, talk about a sour note.

Leslie and I have had a, um

correction session.

I promised her that we would not cut her out of the process,

nor will I allow her to muck it up either.

Well, I hope you said it with some umph, too.

Yes, I did.

So I will let Leslie know of our plans, but eventually.

I want to keep her away from the two of you as long as possible.

I'm sure she'll have some interesting,

helpful ideas when we're in the booth.

- Oh, Lord. - [scoffs]

But let's just bask in this moment.

The Articulettes... are back, baby.

- Yes, ma'am. - [exclaims]

[laughter]

Our family's been going through it.

Yeah, my dad nearly died because of Hayley,

who was arrested and then released.

Because he dropped the charges against her,

which is still a mystery that needs to be solved.

And then there's Smitty's arrest.

And my brother's election woes.

And my sister's marital problems.

This Dupree drama is just too much.

You know what we need?

More lawyers and therapy?

A distraction.

Aunt Nicole was thinking about hosting a launch party

for ChelseaKat's Dream Bag.

Yeah, she was.

Think she'd still be down for it?

Oh, my mom would drop everything to lift everyone's spirits.

Maybe we could cohost?

Hmm. Yeah.

And applaud our ChelseaKat Darling

while make it about the fam, too?

- Perfect. - Mm-hmm.

Shall we FaceTime her?

Absolutely.

[sighs]

Why so down?

Everybody keeps saying

that it'll work out and Dad won't go to prison.

But you're not buying it?

I got him to admit that it was a possibility,

and he made me promise to go on with my life

whether he went to prison or not.

Oh, baby, he just said that because he loves you.

But he doesn't get it.

Nobody understands how it feels

when you love someone and one day they're just gone.

You know that they're still out there,

and you can't just go on with life.

You spend all day and night hoping that they'll come back.

Like when I gave up on you and your brother?

Leslie, look, whatever you're selling, I'm not buying.

Just wanted to congratulate you.

Looks like you finally bagged one, Detective Boy Blunder.

And we added "Berry Baby" to the show setlist.

That's the song that we wrote in Paris.

SHARON: Butte-aux-Cailles, to be exact.

What was the name of that fine waiter

who served us those blueberries?

I don't remember, but he inspired the song,

which is a favorite of mine.

Yes, he certainly did.

Tracy, what was the name of that waiter in Paris?

Tracy?

It's happening.

Barbara's getting the recognition she deserves.

Our songbird's voice will finally be heard.

It's an important moment for all of us.

One I wish we didn't have to share with Leslie.

Are you sure she's Barbara's daughter?

You know what?

Come. Look at this.

Let's just focus on what's important.

These four little girls with big dreams.

They overcame a lot of adversity so their voices could be heard.

And they'll overcome Leslie, too.

That's right.

- Better together. - Sisters forever.

Articulettes strong.

- [exclaims] - [laughter]

I've got to go to Mexico.

Smitty, what?

I can't just sit here and go crazy, Naomi.

Watching my kid fall apart.

I investigate. It's what I do.

Okay, I've already hired a P.I.

To go to Mexico to find information for us.

Once he comes back with that information,

you can help us act on it.

I know waiting around is the hard part,

but you have got to stay put.

Okay?

- Okay. - Okay.

I will be in touch.

- [door closes] - Sorry, Naomi.

Smitty?

Did Tyrell run out of clothes

and talk you into doing his laundry?

That's my bag, Martin.

I'm going to Mexico.

Mexico? You're not just going to run and abandon this family.

- I would never do that. - Then what do you call this?

Vernon's FBI contact found Max's cousin,

and she lives in Mexico.

Well, what are you going to do?

Walk the streets until you find them?

It's better than the alternative, Martin.

I need to do something. Anything.

I am not letting this family down.

This is tearing me apart.

Look, Smitty, I hear you, but you can't leave the DMV,

let alone the country.

If the courts find out, you'll be thrown in jail pending trial.

I have people that can get me

there and back without being caught.

Do you hear yourself right now?

This isn't the way to fix this.

I am not going

to let the Impaler ruin Samantha and Tyrell's life.

You won't, and we won't.

Me in prison?

I would miss every milestone moment.

You won't because I got you.

I promise. You're going to be fine.

I know you went through hell when I left,

unsure if I'd come back.

And here you are, facing a similar situation.

What if Dad isn't here when I need him?

This time's different, baby.

You have a whole family that's going to wrap you in their arms.

It doesn't change the fact that Dad may be gone.

Come here.

You come to me.

I don't care how bad it is.

I will always be here to help you.

And

offer sweetness.

Mmm. Mm-hmm. That's good stuff.

Just what I needed.

Looks like Smitty is going to the clink.

You done?

Mm. I've got a few more jabs in the chamber

if you're sticking around.

You know what?

I'm not.

Suit yourself, Boy Scout.

"I-O-U anniversary party.

U-O-Me grandbabies."

I am so sorry.

Mama always oversteps every chance she gets.

But you know she's only doing this

because I put my foot down and I told her

- no to the party. - Hmm. Yeah.

Not this year, but you can tell her

she can throw one for our 50th anniversary.

50th as in five-zero?

You heard me.

You see us being together 50 years from now?

Eva, baby, I've thought about us being together forever.

Mm.

VERNON: You're beaming.

I haven't felt this happy in quite some time. [Chuckles]

These four little girls remind me. .. there's hope.

My heart is just... overflowing with love.

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