Original subtitles

There he go.

-[tires screech] -[gunshots]

FRANKLIN: I want the motherfuckers who shot Louie as bad as you do.

-But we got to be smart. -You been wrong at every turn.

You gonna have to get that hate out your heart.

If it was me that got killed,

would you forgive?

IRENE: I was born in the Crenshaw District.

I'm watching it change, almost by the day.

I don't understand why,

and I think you do.

We've got hard proof

of the players involved here, including

the real name and the alias

of the CIA officer at the...

at the heart of this thing.

He's what we call a hard target.

You ain't gonna ever really get

-the drop on him. -ALTON: We need to talk.

You had your chance to talk to me.

You chose a reporter instead.

I got Top Notch getting us fake passports.

No more drugs, no more violence, just us.

-[muffled shout] -REPORTER: The driver has been identified

as local news reporter Irene Abe,

formerly of theHerald Examiner.

FRANKLIN: What happened with Irene?

TEDDY: I didn't come here to talk about Irene.

What did you come here to talk about?

Ask you what we're gonna do about your father.

["Funky in Here" by Dayton Sidewinders playing]

[children chattering]

♪ ♪

PRINCIPAL: Mr. Williams, thanks for joining us.

Want to tell me what this is all about?

This morning, Franklin refused to stand

and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

When I asked him why, he wouldn't answer.

That's it?

That's what you called me down here for?

Well, I'll tell you right now: I told him not to. You dig?

-You told him... -Damn straight.

Boy don't want to salute a flag don't care nothing about him,

that's his right.

PRINCIPAL: With all due respect,

Mr. Williams, it doesn't sound

like this was Franklin's decision at all.

ALTON: Well, you don't have to worry about whose decision it was

one way or another,

'cause my boy no longer goes to school here.

Now, let's go, son.

Who the hell they think they are,

telling you what you can and cannot salute?

Motherfuckers done lost they mind.

Call themselves educators. They need to educate themselves

about the First Amendment before they come messing with me.

Speak your mind.

I don't want to leave school. All my friends are here.

Aw, don't worry about that.

You gonna make better friends at the new school.

Listen to me.

You're just a boy,

so I don't expect you to understand this.

But one day you'll be grown

and will have to decide for yourself

what it is you believe, how you want to live your life.

But whatever that is,

I want you to know,

I'm-a be proud of you.

I love you.

And your daddy will always have your back.

I just need to talk to him, Mama.

Five hours ago you didn't even want to see his face.

He tell you where he's staying, how to get ahold of him?

He's not gonna back down.

Especially if Reed killed that reporter.

That's exactly why I need to find him.

He told me if I left word for him at the shelter,

they'd find a way to reach him.

Hey. I know the pain Alton has caused you.

God knows I've had my fair share, but he loves you.

He's just trying to protect you.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

[siren wailing in distance]

CORNROWS: I swear, we doing everything we can.

[dog barking in distance]

Look, I got everybody out there

looking for them niggas right now.

Ah, shit,

what the fuck, Skull? Come on, man.

Listen to me.

I wanna know where they at. Franklin.

His family. His partners.

Everybody that had a hand in my babies dying.

I don't give a fuck if it's his mama's house.

Show me something, or I'm-a start killing...

with you.

You really think Reed killed that reporter?

[pager beeping]

[exhales sharply]

[man shouting in distance]

ALTON [over radio]: Last time we left here,

Miss Irene Abe died

-in a car accident. -[phone rings]

BROTHER JAMAL: Wait a minute, brother.

-Irene Abe... -You near a radio?

-Uh-huh. Why? -Why the fuck do you think?!

I'll call you back.

-[changing stations] -What?

ALTON [over radio]: Listen, brother, only a fool would believe

that was some accident. After what we did?

The story she wrote?

This was no accident.

Irene Abe was murdered by the CIA.

BROTHER JAMAL: Sing the truth, brother. Let 'em hear you.

Ain't even surprising. Been happening that way

ever since they brought us here in chains,

and if anybody don't believe it,

they ain't even asleep, they pretending to be asleep.

You can't wake them motherfuckers up.

BROTHER JAMAL: Now, you know I'm right here with you, brother.

-Mm-hmm. -But there are some people out there saying to themselves,

"If he's so sure, why can't he prove it?"

ALTON: Irene had the proof, brother.

That's why they killed her.

But see, she was trying to play by their rules.

But the thing about me, I don't respect their rules.

And I'm about to drop one on you.

He goes by the alias Reed Thompson.

I even know his real name, and I got pictures.

And I'm about to put that out in the public

so the world can see.

Then we gonna see what the CIA has to say about their boy.

How quick they turn his ass loose.

'Cause right now they bringing drugs and guns

in our neighborhood.

They got the kids killing each other.

They desecrating our communities,

and I'm sick of it!

Now, they done messed with the wrong Black man this time.

BROTHER JAMAL: Y'all heard it here first. Be right back...

♪ ♪

-[baby crying] -[indistinct chatter]

-JOE: Franklin. -[exhales]

-Do something for you? -FRANKLIN: Yeah.

Uh, I need you to get ahold of my father, Joe.

Well, I'm afraid he ain't here.

Oh, yeah, I-I know. I can see that.

I also know you can get in touch with him.

I need you to do that. Tell him I'm here.

Well, if your father wanted you to be in touch with him,

then I figure he might have told you himself.

Alton ever tell you how he funds this place?

No?

Eh, well, let me enlighten you.

All the good that you do here is thanks to

a healthy grant from the Franklin Saint Foundation.

Hi, I'm Franklin Saint.

Tell me where he's at,

I'll make sure that don't change.

All right, everybody listen up.

As of this moment, Edgewood Shelter

is closed until further notice.

-What? You can't do that. -Hey, back the fuck up, nigga.

This ain't a joke.

[people murmuring]

Everybody get the fuck out right now.

LEON: Ey, you heard the man!

Get your shit and get the fuck out!

-MAN: Shit. -GIRL: Daddy, where are we supposed to go?

WOMAN: This is some bullshit, man.

-MAN: It's not right. -WOMAN 2: This ain't right.

[overlapping chatter]

GIRL: Daddy, what happened?

-MAN: This is cold-blooded. -WOMAN: This is just temporary.

-[chatter continues] -[baby crying]

MAN: Just give us some time...

♪ ♪

You're a disgrace.

You know that?

As soon as I hear from Alton, you can open back up.

But until then, get the fuck out.

-[groaning softly] -I got a place for you.

[phone rings]

Where you been?

Doing what you asked. You paging me every ten minutes

-ain't helping. -He is threatening

to release my real name, Franklin.

And he's got pictures of me. You want to explain to me

-how the fuck that is possible? -I'm sure I don't know.

But like I said, I'm taking care of it.

-Like I said I would, huh? -No, no, no, no.

You had your chance. I gave you your chance.

And now I need you to tell me where he is.

When I know, Reed, you'll know.

If you are shining me on, I swear to God

I will lump you and the rest of your family

in with your father, and you will all fucking burn for this.

I thought part of being a CIA officer

was manipulating people to do what you want.

In which case you should know

that I don't respond well to threats.

-[indistinct chatter] -[horns honking]

Ms. Saint, how you doing?

I'll be all right if you got what Alton ordered.

Everything he requested.

You know?

As far as I'm concerned, that man's a hero.

Not many got what it takes to sacrifice, you know?

Do the really hard thing.

Thank you, ma'am.

If you see him,

you give him my best.

Good luck to you.

[key clicking in lock]

Franklin?

[beads rattling]

[key clicking in lock]

[door opens]

[door closes]

You alone?

FRANKLIN: Said I would be, didn't I?

[sighs]

-Alton, listen. -No, you listen to me.

I need you to call your CIA friend,

tell him you got ahold of me, want to meet.

Why would I do that?

'Cause I'm-a put a stop to this, Franklin.

Have you lost your mind, man?

That man is a trained killer.

I've done my share of dirt, too, if you remember.

And what if, by some small miracle,

you manage to get to him before he gets to you?

What, you think the CIA will just forgive and forget?

Agency won't want to protect him when I'm finished outing him.

Shit, they'll be glad to have his ass gone.

No matter what they say publicly,

you murder him, they'll destroy us.

You afraid of them?

Huh? Is that the problem?

Of course I am.

Aren't you?

[pounding on door]

Thought you came alone.

-[pounding continues] -Oh, I did.

SKULLY: Anybody home?!

Got a delivery

-for the Saint family! -Skully. Fuck.

-What? -Um...

-Find cover. -[screen door closes]

-Huh? -Do it now. Do it now.

[whispers]: Shit.

[fence rattling outside]

Shit. [exhales]

[pounding, glass breaks]

[dog barking in distance]

Knock, knock!

Hey, yo, Franklin.

You here?

Look, I just want to talk.

[floor creaking]

[floor creaks]

[grunts]

SKULLY: Fuck.

[Alton groaning]

Alton.

FRANKLIN: All right.

All right, come on.

I got to get you to a hospital.

No, no.

I ain't going to no hospital.

Alton, come on. You just got fucking shot!

I'll go after you call Teddy McDonald, set up a meet.

[sighs]: Oh, my God.

Some motherfucker just broke into your mother's house

trying to kill anybody he could find.

Shit happens so often now, nobody even calls the cops.

You can't keep living this life.

You don't want to get stitched up? Fine.

Then pack your shit, hit the road.

I don't care where you go, long as it's far away from here.

That's the way it's got to be, huh?

That's the only way it can be, Alton.

All right.

I'll go.

-[scoffs] -Good.

ALTON [chuckles]: That's the way it's got to be.

-I'll get you some cash... -Sorry, son.

♪ ♪

CISSY: Franklin, baby, can you hear me?

-[slapping face] -Baby?

Come on, come on, wake up.

Baby? Come on, baby.

Come on. Now wake up. There you go.

-Baby? Are you all right? -[strains]: Mama?

-[grunts] -Franklin, what happened?

Why is the back door broken?

Why... why do you have blood on your hands?

How are you here?

Alton called, told me you needed help.

Alton. How long ago?

About-about 30 minutes ago.

-Franklin, what happened? -30 minutes? Fuck!

-CISSY: What? -[Franklin muttering]

-Franklin? -[panting]

-Franklin, what's going on? -One second.

[line beeps]

Fuck. Okay, uh...

Did he say anything else? Where he might be headed?

He said he loved me and then he apologized

for hurting me and then he hung up.

Franklin, what is going on? Where is your father?

-[groans, panting] -What? Talk to me.

Alton thinks that he-he has a way to stop this,

but he's gonna make it worse.

-Stop what? -[stammers]

-Tell me. -[phone rings]

Tell me you haven't heard from my father.

I'm actually on my way to meet him right now.

FRANKLIN: Reed, if you ever gave a shit about me, about our partnership,

then please don't do this.

Your father made his bed, but out of respect for you,

I'll tell you where we're meeting.

Our old exchange point.

The one we used before you got shot.

I'd hurry if I were you.

Um... I'm, uh...

-What? Tell me. What? -I'm sorry, so sorry, but, uh, I-I got to go.

-I'm coming with you. -No, no, no, you don't want to be a part of this, Ma...

Stop!

I'm coming with you.

♪ ♪

[engine revving]

[monitor beeping steadily]

[siren wailing]

[grunts]

[brakes squeaking]

[train whistle blowing]

[gun cylinder spins, clicks]

[grunts]

[engine turns off]

Thought you just wanted to talk.

That's right.

Long as I like what you got to say.

You okay?

You're favoring your shoulder there.

You just keep your hands where I can see them.

I have no intentions of hurting you, Alton.

Uh-huh.

That what you told Irene?

Is that why I'm here?

Irene Abe?

No, you here so I can tell you to your face that it's over.

You'll no longer use my son to fund your war.

Leave me and mine to live in peace.

All due respect, I think your son

might have his own thoughts on that matter.

My son is a child.

Your son's the largest distributor

of rock cocaine in the world.

And he's the one who convinced me he could do it.

Nuh-uh. No, you ain't spinning this.

You the one bringing that shit in.

Supposed to be protecting us,

instead you trying to wipe us out.

It's what the white man has wanted for centuries.

Is that what I am? The Man?

Fucking white oppressor?

Telling me I'm wrong?

You gonna try to justify that shit you do?

Geopolitics, manifest destiny.

Spread of democracy and freedom.

I'm telling you that these are just ideas.

I'm a person.

I'm not-I'm not the system that you hate.

[scoffs]

Not only are you that system,

fact that you don't even know,

it illustrates how deeply ingrained white supremacy is

in the United States of America.

A country created by men like you

for men like you and nobody else.

And if you doubt that,

go take a ride through South Central tonight,

see how my people live,

then go on over to Beverly Hills and look at yours.

Yeah, look, you want to put that on me?

That's fine. I don't really care at this point.

Reason we're here tonight

is because of the son that you raised.

So if I was you, I'd start by taking

a long look in the mirror.

I don't want to kill you, but I will protect what I love.

I feel the exact same way.

[car approaches]

What did you do?!

You want your son out of this?

Let's let him decide.

[gasping]

Where's your man at?

He went home for the night.

-[gun clicks] -Don't lie to me.

FRANKLIN: Alton,

put the gun down.

You and your mother get back in the car and get out of here.

TEDDY: He's pretty sure I got it out for you.

Thinks you can't make your own decisions.

Reed, shut up.

Alton, I'm telling you right now, put the fucking gun down!

Sorry, son, not this time.

You want me gone, you gonna have to do it.

TEDDY: Franklin, he sold you out.

He put you all in danger.

-Yeah. -CISSY: Franklin!

JEROME:

Ey.

All right, now.

Ey, you got what you want right here.

-I'm the one that killed your woman. -LOUIE: No.

I'll leave with you right now.

-Shut the fuck up. -Quiet.

Jerome...

JEROME: Please, man.

TEDDY: He put you all at risk.

Franklin?

Well, this has to be brought under control.

Reed? Reed!

Wait! Wait! Wait.

You kill him, you gonna have to kill us all!

Is that who the fuck you are?!

This don't have to go like this.

It can all stop.

But if you kill us now...

it ain't gonna never end.

Our people gonna come after you.

And yours after them.

Till there ain't nobody left.

[both grunting]

TEDDY: Cissy, move!

No, wait! Wait!

What if he left the country?

W-What if I took him away forever?

Would you let him go?

That's what you want, right?

You and me together.

I got the passports.

We pack our bags.

We leave tonight.

You've fought long enough. [panting]

Franklin's got to make his own choices.

But you and me, baby...

we deserve the chance to be happy.

If I swear you'll never hear from him again,

will you let us live?

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

All right, Cissy.

I'll go.

♪ ♪

[exhales]

[plane passing overhead]

You'll stop and refuel in Mexico City.

From there, Havana.

I, uh...

[turbine whirring]

I'm sorry.

For whatever mistakes I may have made.

I love you.

Mama.

[laughs, sniffles]

You know, we still got a business to run.

[laughs softly]

I can't do it alone, you know?

I'll find a way to get in touch once we get set up.

Yeah. Yeah.

[voice breaking]: I'm gonna miss you.

[Cissy chuckles]

So much.

♪ ♪

[plane passing overhead]

[Cissy sighs]

Okay.

-Go on, go on. -Okay.

Okay.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

-[turbines whirring] -[steady beeping]

Need to see it leave?

Do you?

So, look, I got to take some time away.

What?

How much time?

I don't know.

Might be a while.

It's not what I wanted.

But Gustavo will continue to be your point person

until they bring in my replacement.

You just keep making the deals, same as you've been doing.

You'll be fine.

[clears throat]

All right.

♪ ♪

[car door closes]

[engine starts]

[indistinct chatter]

[indistinct conversation]

Skully showed up.

What? Here?

What happened? A-Aunt Louie-- she good?

She fine. She talked him down.

Louie talked Skully down?

You all right?

Yeah.

Some things we need to talk about.

What it's gonna mean for all of us going forward.

Mm-hmm.

Now not the time, nephew.

Of course, yeah.

All right. Say hi to Louie.

She don't want to see nobody right now.

We'll see you later.

♪ ♪

[sighs]

Just wanted to let you know--

still vetting the possibles,

but I should have someone here to replace Teddy by next week.

Long as they stay out of my way,

I don't care who it is.

That, uh, woman you asked us to find--

Lucia Villanueva?

Unless you'd rather not know now.

[sighs]

[door opens]

[door closes]

♪ ♪

Oh, slow down.

[groans]

FRANKLIN: There she is!

[laughs]

Glad to see you up and about.

How you feeling?

[groans]

Tired.

Sore.

But I probably ain't got to tell you.

[chuckles] Unc.

Nephew.

LOUIE: Place looks good.

Yeah, yeah, it's, uh...

Jerome say business been steady.

[chuckles] Uh-huh.

In here and on the street.

We ain't got to talk about that right now.

Yeah, actually...

we do.

Thought we'd start off with ten keys a week,

12 Gs a key.

20% more than you're paying that whitey.

-I figure that's fair -That's what you figure, huh?

And after you buy these keys from me, then what?

You gonna rock it up, like I taught you?

Sell to my fucking customers, man? Like...

Okay, then, you said you wanted to wholesale the shit, right?

Focus on real estate.

And you wanted to focus on selling speakers,

but instead, you up in here trying to fuck up our business.

Ain't nobody trying to fuck up nothing.

I'm telling y'all, splitting up right now,

just when we're starting to get stronger

-isn't the right move going forward. -LOUIE: It is for us.

We've been following you a long time, Franklin.

Done everything you said.

But we the ones that made it right with Skully

and Inglewood.

We set up Little Rock.

Now we want to run what's ours

our way.

[Franklin chuckles, laughs]

Ah. You know who y'all sound like?

Y'all sound like Leon a few months ago.

How'd that work out for him?

-We ain't Leon. -No.

-Because y'all can't do what I do. -I already did.

All them months, when you was hurt.

And I remember you came begging for me to come back

'cause you couldn't handle it.

Our minds are made up.

Now, we want to buy from you, keep things in the family.

But it can go the other way, if that's how you want it.

You think over it

and let us know what you want to do.

[clears throat] You all right?

[door opens]

[door closes]

♪ ♪

Want my advice?

Sure.

Give 'em what they want.

Try and control 'em and bring 'em back to your way

only gonna make shit worse.

Hmm.

If they go out on they own...

-shit gonna be worse anyway. -Well, if that

go down, they'll come back. They will.

But if they figure the shit out, I mean,

yeah, you'll make less money, but they'll respect you

for letting 'em do their thing.

Since when did you become the wise nigga around here?

Huh? [laughs]

Shit, I always been, you just ain't know it.

Well, I let them go,

the projects is gonna be more important.

You know? Y'all good?

Anything you need?

[sighs]

I ain't trying to dump more shit on your lap or nothing,

but...

if we really talking...

I'm not sure if I'm with any of it anymore.

You know... [clears throat]

I, uh...

I risked everything for you, you know.

To protect you.

From the cops.

From Manboy, Skully.

Everybody tell me to give you up...

but I didn't.

So you're gonna keep doing what you're doing.

I'm gonna get Louie and Jerome straightened out,

and we gonna be a family again, like always.

-[indistinct chatter in street] -[motorbike passes]

[bell tolling in distance]

Mm. Don't you look nice.

Where you off to?

That outdoor market we passed by the other day.

I'll be back in about an hour or two.

Coffee's on.

♪ ♪

[man singing in Spanish]

[birds chirping outside]

ALTON: What'd you forget?

Cissy...

[short chuckle]

I really thought this was the beginning of something.

I hope that before you meet your end...

...you take a look around you,

try to understand your place in this world.

You guys did a really great job today, okay?

-I'll see you later. I'm very proud. -GIRL: Thank you, Miss Mel.

Thank you.

-I'll see you soon. -Bye.

FRANKLIN: Hey, Mel.

Sorry to just show up like this.

I tried the house, but your auntie say

you been volunteering here.

J-Just a couple days a week.

That's good. It's important to have a purpose.

A positive outlet, you know?

Damn.

Odessa, Texas. Man...

Probably wondering why I'm here.

Came to deliver some tough news.

Your reporter friend, Irene.

She was killed a few weeks back in a car wreck.

You know, I thought, seeing as how

the two of you were so close...

...it's only right I came and delivered the news in person.

What happened to her?

I just said-- car accident.

Shit, it could happen to anyone.

I'm not mad at you for shooting me.

I know you was fucked up on that pipe.

And in the end, I've come out of it stronger.

So I was just gonna let sleeping dogs lie.

But then you decided

to go behind my back...

...talk about my business

and create a whole shitstorm of problems for me and mine,

and I can't have that.

Can't lay in bed at night knowing that at any moment

my future could get blown up by my past.

So...

if there's something you want to say to me,

something you want to get off your little chest,

then please say it now, because after this

I promise you-- I fucking promise you--

there are no more chances.

All right.

There's one thing.

You tell me the truth, you'll never hear from me again.

Admit

that you killed

my daddy.

Be man enough

to tell me that I'm not crazy.

Give me that, at least.

Goodbye, Mel.

Take care of yourself.

["Pusherman" by Curtis Mayfield playing]

♪ I'm your mama, I'm your daddy♪

♪ I'm that nigga in the alley♪

♪ I'm your doctor when in need♪

♪ Want some coke? Have some weed♪

♪ You know me, I'm your friend♪

♪ Your main boy, thick and thin♪

♪ I'm your pusherman♪

♪ I'm your pusherman.♪

Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH