Original subtitles

How could Ma have had Bunny and still be so judgmental with me?

Previously, on Black Cake...

I'm not interested in Jimmy, okay?

He's not my type either.

Then who is?

Come on, tell me!

You! Okay? I like you.

You can't say that.

Bunny, you know rumors can get people killed.

I'm now telling you a secret

I couldn't bring myself to even share with your father.

You have a sister.

There must be some kind of mistake. I'm not adopted.

Eleanor was your birth mother.

She wasn't aware that she was adopted. -Jesus.

To find out something like that over the phone.

Let's just finish the last recording.

Your mother was very specific. She wanted us to wait until

Mabel decided whether or not

she wanted to join us.

Did it not occur to you that I might want to know?

- We were trying to protect you. -From what?

Calm down, mate, everything's fine.

Was everything fine when you beat her so bad

she couldn't even show her face at our dad's funeral?

Oh, you think you can just swoop in now like a hero?

Byron! Byron! Stop!

Stop it, please!

Stop it, Byron! -Freeze!

Put your hands where we can see them!

Put your hands up, now!

Byron, my sweet boy,

on the day you were born,

your father took your tiny foot in his hand.

He closed his fingers around it and just looked at me.

There are no words for that kind of feeling.

Yes, it was another child who made me a mother,

but you, Byron...

you were the first time I got to be a mother.

I had life again.

But even when we bury the truth,

it still eats away at us.

But I'm grateful now that I still have time

to right some of the wrongs in my life

before it's too late.

Byron, I'm sorry you felt so much pressure to be perfect.

I... taught you to bottle things up.

But who can really do that?

And for how long?

And I'm sorry that you felt that the only way to have our approval

was to do things our way,

even when that meant leaving your sister out there on her own.

Which brings me to you, Benedetta.

When your father and I

hesitated to embrace you as you were, you ran.

You were willing to walk away in order to protect yourself.

You remind me so much of her.

Of Bunny.

And, Benedetta, I...

Eleanor?

Are you all right?

Tell me.

Please?

I can't get the words out.

Yeah, I've already shared so many terrible things,

things that happened to me.

I had no idea that this would be the hardest part to say out loud.

What is?

My choices as a mother.

I've failed them in so many ways.

Eleanor, no, you are an incredible mother.

Byron thinks the world of you.

Because he's his father through and through.

But even Bert didn't know everything about my past.

It's a wonder you're still here after all I've told you.

Oh.

Bert adored you.

Years ago,

before Regina died,

Bert and I used to smoke cigars and boast

about our wives

and what great pickers we had.

Well, we'd seen so many of our friends' lives

wrecked by divorce.

Hm?

But we hung in there.

Hm.

And we were proud of that.

Two Black men

living the dream,

having it all.

We made it look so easy, didn't we?

Yes.

But you and I both know that it wasn't.

Hm?

Even before we lost them.

Maybe

admitting that you didn't get it all right,

you know, maybe that's one way of being a better mother.

"I'm sorry" won't rewrite the past.

And then tell your children what you learned from them

by being their mother.

Yeah, maybe that's what they need to hear most.

I'm sorry things have turned out this way for us.

Sorry for...?

This stupid disease.

Oh.

Oh, no, mm-mm.

Well, don't you dare apologize for that.

Benedetta,

my fearless, bold girl,

you came home to your family,

simply wanting to be seen for who you were,

and for some reason, I chose to look away.

I was so ashamed when I realized after you left,

that history was repeating itself.

And that I'd made the same mistake twice.

Back then,

I didn't realize I was telling Bunny to abandon herself,

along with the truth,

when I refused to acknowledge her feelings for me.

Gibbs!

You invited them?

I told you I didn't want to do a double date.

It's not dating. It's dancing.

I don't wanna lead him on.

Don't look at it that way.

Just... do what I do.

You know, so no one gets the wrong idea.

It was always my intention to protect her.

But I failed her,

just like I failed you, Benedetta.

When I left the island,

Bunny had to fend for herself.

I can't imagine how hard it must've been

to keep hiding,

to feel like there was no other way.

Just like Bunny,

you had to ask yourself,

"What am I willing to do

"to fit in,

"to feel love,

and to survive?"

You sure about this?

You did what you had to do.

And I hope you won't be afraid to make the same kind of choice again.

To walk away.

To refuse to hide.

I felt trapped.

Steve made me feel like if I left,

there was nowhere else I could go.

And I believed him.

Tell me exactly when the physical violence took place.

Six years ago.

My face was so beaten up,

I couldn't even attend my father's funeral.

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.

Yeah.

So was my brother.

I told him yesterday.

That is why we're here.

He's never been in trouble.

He... He was just trying to protect me.

I understand, but there were eyewitnesses.

He knocked your boyfriend around pretty good,

and that is aggravated assault.

No, Byron cannot go down for this.

How can I

press charges against Steve?

The statute of limitations is five years.

Did the abuse continue after that first incident?

Yes.

Do you have any photographs?

File any reports?

Any documentation of this?

No, I didn't want anybody to know.

Ms. Bennett, you stayed with him for six years.

It'll be difficult to prove.

If you were to file an emergency restraining order,

he wouldn't be able to contact you for 72 hours.

That would buy you time to seek a court hearing

for a more permanent restraining order.

I'd have to face him in court, right?

Mm-hmm.

Do you wanna proceed?

Right here.

I'm gonna undo your cuffs.

Put your right hand on your head.

Put your left hand on your head.

Turn and face me.

Now, I need you to empty out your pockets.

Place any personal belongings on the counter.

If you have a belt, remove that and place it on the counter.

You'll need to remove your watch as well.

Undo your shoelaces.

Place them on the counter.

Hold out your right hand.

Turn around.

Walk forward.

Put your hand behind your head.

Other hand.

Step into the cell.

Turn around.

Sit down.

He called me a little bitch, so I pushed him.

What was I supposed to do?

You walk away.

You tell a teacher.

Why? So she can ask me what I did to provoke him?

It doesn't matter, Byron.

You can't afford to be angry,

even if it's justified.

That makes no sense.

You're a civil rights attorney.

Your job is to stand up for people, but I can't stand up for myself?

The rules are different for you, for me, for all of us.

It's not right, but it's reality.

It's bullshit!

You will watch your mouth in this house!

It is.

It is bullshit.

What else?

It's unfair.

What is?

Everything.

Tell us.

My curfew's earlier than all my friends'.

That I go to a school where hardly anyone looks like me.

That I can't drive one mile over the speed limit.

I can't put my hands in my pockets.

That people are surprised that I'm so articulate.

Everyone else can do whatever the hell they want

with no consequences,

but I'm expected to be perfect.

Oh, my sweet Byron,

that is so much to carry.

I can't pretend that it's not.

But the world can be a scary place for Black boys.

I know it seems unfair,

but at the end of the day, we just want you to make it home, son.

You can let it out.

Aw, let it all out...

...when you are here, at home, with us.

But never out there.

You understand?

Bennett!

Let's go.

By!

I'm so sorry. Are you okay?

Thank you, officers. Okay?

Alright.

Everything's been taken care of.

Steve is dropping the charges.

Well, how'd that happen?

Mr. Mitch? Can I trouble you for a moment please?

You didn't call him, did you?

No!

But I think he's hoping I'll give him another chance,

which I won't.

I filed a temporary protective order.

So this is done.

It's behind you...

...and that's what matters most.

I'm gonna talk to the prosecutor

and make sure all the charges are dismissed properly.

You go home, get some rest.

Come on. Let's get you outta here.

Man, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have called you.

Stop.

I'm supposed to be the person you call, okay?

You know, Ma would've lost her shit if she saw me in there.

Wait, don't do that to yourself.

Ma kept everything bottled up inside.

Well, she had to record confessions just so she could die in peace.

Is that what you want?

I don't know what I want, Ben.

Well, I think Mom would've wanted us to be able to tell the truth.

And if she were still here,

I think she would've told both of us that we are allowed to be angry.

Let's go home.

Come on.

I'm supposed to speak on a diversity panel later on today.

Me,

their prized Black scientist showing up looking like I just got jumped.

Shit.

That's not a good look.

Uh, at least the eye gives you some street cred.

Too soon?

You doing my makeup is your childhood dream come true.

Yeah, well, it isn't exactly my first rodeo, so...

I'm sorry, Ben.

It's okay.

There's nothing wrong with a little levity.

I mean it.

Take a look.

Yeah.

That should do.

If anyone notices, I'll just say I have pink eye.

Gross!

Is that the best you can come up with?

Yes.

I'm serious! You are a public figure!

They could cancel you.

Wh... What could be so funny?

The fact that internet discourse seems to run in the family.

Turns out Mabel Martin was recently the subject of some internet controversy.

And you know that how?

I didn't contact her, I just... I was curious.

You might wanna take a look yourself.

I can't even think about her right now.

I just got you back.

And now Ma wants to invite this... stranger into our lives.

Yeah, well, you're right, you're right. We need to focus on each other.

And we will.

Tonight.

I'll cook dinner.

- Yeah? -Mm-hmm!

Alright. Alright, look, I gotta go.

Can't wait for dinner. -Mm-hmm.

- Wish me luck. -Luck.

Eh...

Benny?

Benny!

Benny!

A restraining order?

I mean, what the fuck, Benny?

Please leave.

I dropped the charges against your brother,

and this is how you pay me back?

I don't wanna call the cops, but I will.

And then you will be arrested, and your career will be over.

Is that what you want?

I already said I was sorry.

What more do you want from me? -Nothing!

Steve, that is just it. I want nothing from you.

It's over!

I'm not gonna ask you again. Leave.

That's it?

That's what you want?

For me to just disappear,

like we didn't spend six fucking years together!

Just go, please.

I'm not doing this anymore.

You need me, Benny!

That is the thing.

I don't. -Bullshit!

I mean, what have you created this past year, huh?

What have you painted,

written, drawn, sculpted even,

that was your own?

And you know what?

The gallery had already sent me an advance for the piece.

What?

For our sculpture? -Yeah.

The one you destroyed.

So how are you gonna come up with $25,000 to pay it back, Benny?

That's not my problem.

You'll figure it out.

You're a parasite.

You had the opportunity to make something of yourself,

and you blew it.

You don't even know who you are!

At least with me, you were somebody!

Benny!

Benny!

Your organization has been at the forefront of these initiatives

to increase equity in oceanic study.

So my question is,

what do you believe other organizations who are lagging in this area

need to hear right now?

Well, for one, they need to hear

that the ocean doesn't belong to any one group of people.

And protecting it and exploring it

isn't the duty of just one group of people,

it's a job for all of us.

Scientists from underrepresented groups deserve to be a part of that,

deserve to get funding,

deserve to be represented in this field.

Take sea floor mapping, for example,

led by Byron Bennett here.

His team's research allows us to monitor and protect our underwater resources.

And we're just so proud

to have fostered the career of such a dynamic, passionate scientist.

My God, look at that smile.

At this time, we'd love to invite the audience

to ask any questions.

Yes, go ahead.

Byron, what example do you hope to be

for the next generation of scientists in your field?

Well, I hope young people from marginalized communities

see themselves in me,

and realize that if it was possible for me,

then it's possible for them.

Yes, you at the back there. Yes, what's your question?

It's for Dr. Bennett, as well.

What's it like being a trailblazer,

to be the first Black man in your position

at a big, prestigious institution such as yours?

Good question.

Uh, I've been thinking a lot about that lately.

I have an incredible life.

I get to travel the world doing something that I love.

And for that... I'm grateful.

But there's more to this work than traveling and

making appearances.

The day-to-day can be

traumatizing.

That's the truth.

To be the only person in the room who looks like you,

the only person forced to deal with the daily microaggressions

that wear away at you.

I mean, it's stressful, man,

and lonely,

and exhausting.

I'm tired of doing these panels,

but I'm obligated to do them,

'cause I'm the only one who can.

Now for a long time,

I pretended to be fine with it.

Honestly,

it makes me angry,

and I'm learning to listen to that anger,

because it tells you that

even though all of these people are smiling in your face,

something is very wrong here.

Well, those were some very powerful sentiments...

I'm not finished.

That anger, you have to use it, right?

But use it for good.

Now, we have to create a space for this important, planet-saving work.

A space where I don't have to be the only one.

And that is gonna be a long, hard battle,

because these institutions, they don't want to share power with you.

No.

You'll have to fight for that.

Byron, why don't we open up the discussion?

When the people running these institutions

picture their next CEO, chairman, director,

they are not imagining my face.

They imagine someone who looks like my colleague here, right?

Now we, as people of color, don't occupy their imagination

the way they occupy ours.

So we have to fight

to fix broken systems.

And this is certainly one of them.

When the people running these institutions

picture their next CEO, chairman, director,

they are not imagining someone with my face.

This is Benny. Don't leave a message, just text.

Dinner in five, By!

By, you want me to make you a drink?

You're gonna need one when I show you what I found.

How was your panel?

Did you solve racism?

Benny, this is Mabel Martin.

Hello.

Mabel, this is my sister, Benny.

Hi.

Hello.

I'm sorry, it, uh, wasn't my intention to intrude.

Your lawyer, Mr. Charles Mitch, he invited me to come out.

He provided your mother's address.

Hey, yeah, I mean, it's okay.

We're glad you're here.

Right, Benny?

Admittedly, I wasn't sure I was ready to meet you both.

I hoped once I arrived here, it'd become clearer to me.

I jumped on a plane without thinking about it.

Oh, well. Um, are you hungry?

I should be, I haven't eaten in a day.

Alright, okay.

Um, Ben, could you, uh, set the table for one more, please?

Or two, actually.

I guess we need to call Mr. Mitch so we could proceed.

Ben?

Y-Yeah, gimme a sec.

I'm sorry, could I use your loo?

Yeah, of course.

Just through here, second door on the left.

Yo.

Hey, sooner or later, you're gonna have to talk to her.

Your lawyer, Mr. Mitch, does he live far or...?

Oh, no. He should be here soon.

Oh, okay.

Good.

You are quite the cook.

I try.

It's not like you, though.

Oh, no. No, the food is divine, really.

I love za’atar on eggplant. It's a great combination.

I use a Syrian blend. It's a little heavier on the sumac.

Makes it red instead of green.

Adds a bit of flair.

No, it's gorgeous.

It's always worth it to source the imported stuff.

Experimenting with the same ingredient from different regions, it's very smart.

Not everyone has that instinct.

Yeah, Byron can't tell the difference.

Your style reminds me of a brilliant chef named Habiba Davis.

Do you know her? -Know her?

No. I do own a few of her books.

I really admire her, actually.

Wait, you don't know her know her, do you?

Well, our paths have crossed at a few events,

but it's mostly been me embarrassing myself

by fawning all over her.

Do you have a favorite cuisine?

Or something that you like to cook for dinner?

Oh, goodness, um,

I actually like breakfast for dinner.

That's a... My dirty secret, I guess.

Is something wrong?

No, no.

It's just... the way you tuck your hair behind your ear,

just, um... reminds me of our mother.

It's totally Ma.

Your mother.

Uh...

Our mother. Sorry. -Mm-hmm.

Your mum.

Oh.

That should be Mr. Mitch.

Um, may I ask, what happened to your eye?

Oh, Byron and my ex, they got into it.

It wasn't pretty, obviously.

But he was being an amazing brother, and he was looking out for me.

You know,

Byron is actually sort of internet famous, too.

I mean, in the science world.

Oh, is that so?

Yeah, so he is under a lot of pressure.

I mean, you get it, going through this whole Culinary Karen thing.

Oh, that, yeah.

But the funny thing is,

you are actually Black and Chinese,

so you can tell them all to fuck off now.

Yeah. I suppose I am.

Hasn't really sunk in yet.

Of course, it hasn't.

I mean, it's been like, what, 24 hours?

Yeah.

But what else am I?

I mean, clearly, we don't have the same father.

Your mum, did she mention my birth father in the recordings?

Eleanor, actually, left you a separate recording, Mabel.

One just for you that, hopefully, will answer

most of your questions.

But, uh, tonight,

she wanted the three of you to listen to this last recording together.

Right. Well, respectfully, I'd appreciate if you tell me now,

seeing as you... clearly, all know something.

Our mom lived in Scotland for a brief time many years ago.

During her time there,

she found work at a textile trading company.

Oh. So she met someone there?

She was assaulted

by her employer around the time you were born.

Assaulted?

That she was...

Right.

Coming here was a mistake.

I, I wasn't thinking clearly.

Um, I don't... I... I don't wanna hear anything more.

We are not trying to be cruel.

But our mother, she wanted us to listen to this together.

No, your mum wanted you to listen to this.

I have no obligation to this person who raised you.

I didn't know her.

She was a stranger, as are you.

Whatever's in the estate, I don't want anything.

I'll forfeit whatever was designated to me.

I am very sorry for your loss.

You can listen to the rest of the recordings without me.

I'm not coming back here. -Wait, Mabel, wait.

Look,

I hope you find the answers you're looking for.

Well, your mother hoped that things would go differently,

but she knew, in all likelihood,

it wouldn't go exactly according to her plan.

So... if you both agree, we can move on without Mabel.

And I can play the final recording if that's what you want.

Yes. -No.

What do you want us to do?

Wait for her to come around?

That could take days or years, Ben.

Wha... Ma was dying and all she wanted was for us to know Mabel.

But Mabel doesn't want to know us.

Can't you see that she reacted that way because she's in pain?

She didn't even know she was adopted,

that her parents... weren't her parents.

When I walked outta here on Thanksgiving,

all I wanted was for somebody to come to me

and dare me to stick around,

and nobody did.

I am not about to let the same thing happen to Mabel.

We tried, Ben.

We did not try hard enough.

Ma didn't, either.

I mean, she called and she wrote, but that wasn't enough.

And Dad, he probably thought he had all the time in the world to fix things,

but... he didn't do enough either.

What's that?

Receipts from cafes and shops across the street from my apartment.

Did you know that he was driving up to Highland Park every month?

What... Of course not.

Yeah, I guess Ma didn't either.

I don't know when she found all this, but

he was right there, By.

He was across the street from me,

and he couldn't even knock on my door.

I need to do this.

And I need you to believe for a moment

that maybe, just maybe,

I can do one thing right on my own.

Fine.

If you want to go after her

and get your heart broken,

go.

I'll be back.

Fuck!

Um...

All right, I'm coming.

- Hi. -I'm sorry, you're wasting your time.

I've already rescheduled my flight. -I understand.

I just wanna have a conversation with you before you leave.

I brought some food from a little hole-in-the-wall Jamaican joint.

They got a B health inspection rating on the window.

With the folding tables

and the plastic chairs that stick to your legs?

Yep. Kitchen run by a granny.

I watched her make this.

Doesn't get more authentic.

Ackee and saltfish.

- Breakfast for dinner. -Your favorite!

You know, it's really rather manipulative

that you remembered that.

Shall we?

Whoa.

Sorry, I came on so strong.

I can be... intense.

But... I do have something I wanna say to you.

I always thought there was something wrong or off with my ma.

I always thought that she was comparing me to Byron,

but now it all makes sense,

that you were the missing piece.

She was grieving you.

I wish I knew what to do with that, Benny.

Or how to feel.

But I didn't know her.

It doesn't mean to me what it means to you.

It sounds like your mum's recordings are answering questions for you,

but they're raising questions for me.

My whole world has shifted.

My identity.

I haven't even begun to look back and ask myself how didn't I know?

What did I miss?

And I'm not ready to do that right now.

And I'm afraid of what learning about my birth father

will mean.

Not just to me,

but to my parents,

and to my son.

Your son?

Gio.

He's 16.

He is

beautiful,

brazen,

infuriating.

He's my world.

And there's things that he doesn't know about his own father.

Things I don't want him to learn.

Well, where is he?

Your son's dad?

It... It doesn't matter.

I don't know why I'm dwelling on the past.

Must be the gin talking.

Uh...

I don't wanna speak outta turn, Mabel,

'cause this is absolutely none of my business, but

I think you have to ask yourself,

are you keeping things from Gio to protect him

or because you're afraid of how he'll see you?

Both.

And I am of the belief that some secrets are best left buried.

Can I ask you something?

Of course.

Do you remember speaking to an elderly woman with an island accent

on the phone, ever?

No.

I'm sorry, why?

'Cause Byron told me about these outgoing calls

he found on Ma's cell.

Calls she made to you.

Maybe she called you under false pretenses or under a fake name,

'cause... that was kind of her thing.

Actually,

I have been getting some odd phone calls over the past year or so.

The person would call,

sit quietly for a while after I've answered,

and then... just hang up.

I've never thought anything of it,

but it may have been her.

She must have started doing that after her diagnosis.

It's all so ironic.

What is?

I had a falling out with my dad before he died.

And he never picked up the phone in two years.

I mean, he wanted to, but he ran out of time.

And I'll never know what he was so afraid to say.

Aren't you curious what my mom wanted to tell you?

Of course, I'm curious.

Isn't it better to know what she wanted to say than wonder?

I mean, maybe she could tell you something

that you didn't even know you needed to hear.

Thank you for staying.

Of course.

You ready?

Yeah.

Sweet enough?

It's delicious.

This is it.

The last recording.

You ready, brother?

Mabel?

Alrighty then.

Here we go.

B and B,

I'm about to share something else with you,

something I haven't before.

But first,

I want to say something to your sister,

to Mabel Mathilda.

Mabel,

my firstborn,

there is so much I want to tell you.

But first,

you were loved.

The moment I held you,

I knew I wanted to be your mother.

But by that point,

it was out of my control.

By that point, it was too late.

Because the truth is,

I didn't choose to let you go.

You were taken from me.