Original subtitles

[woman] Previously on Greenleaf: I know you had an affair with Lionel.

-This just came for you, ma'am. -[Bishop] The first lady is joining me

up here today because we have some news to share.

-We're divorcing. -[gasping, shouting]

You can have the house. I'll take care of the IRS bill.

But you have to leave the church.

Grace, I trust you. If you say that this is the case,

-then this is the case. -What about my Silver Jubilee?

Oh, you mean the Silver Jubilee that I was just informed about this morning?

-What about it? -What are you doing? Stop it!

-[sobbing] It's all lies! -We will have a very, very special guest.

-Maxine Patterson. -You found more cash.

-Yes. -You emptied our shared account?

It'll be full in two weeks' time.

It's time to go.

[announcer] Celebrating Bishop James Greenleaf's Silver Jubilee.

Recognizing 25 years of service and dedication

to the community and to the Lord's church.

Wow. [laughs] Who's helping you with this?

No one. Contrary to popular belief,

I can run this church on my own.

Karine was supposed to be my aide-de-camp for all this,

but she's so busy

with your mother and Maxine's team,

that I... I can't get her attention.

[Grace] But Daddy, you're gonna have to put a system in place for this, eventually.

-[Bishop] For what? -For how you're gonna handle stuff like this

on a regular basis.

Decorations. Flowers. Events.

Making the church nice. The things that Mama has always done.

-I think I'm doing a fine job. -You have, for one Sunday.

But you yourself said the days got away from you.

-You're gonna need some help. -[sighs]

-Daddy? -Mm-hm?

Bit much.

You think?

Karine! What an unexpected surprise.

Mae let you out the mine?

-What's this? -The divorce papers.

They were just couriered over from the lawyer's.

So, after I sign these, I'm a free man?

Once she signs them too.

Fantastic.

[theme music plays]

[Percy] So what are you gonna do now?

Now that you and Mae are done and she got the house,

some arrangements were made at some point, right?

No, no.

The divorce papers landed on my desk yesterday.

And to be honest...

...they've thrown me a bit.

I hear you.

But don't let them sit too long.

It's not gonna get any easier, and...

you got some living to do.

How's that granddaughter of mine?

Not great. She comes home, she goes to her room,

-she just stays there. -Poor thing.

-Yeah. -Maybe I'll give her a visit.

-Yeah. -You know, she does miss you. That would be great.

Mm-hm. Oh, you wanted to talk to me?

Yeah.

Well, how can I help?

Is it true you invested some large sum of money with Rochelle?

Who told you that? Your mother?

I asked her whatever happened with that IRS bill,

she said you have some plan with Rochelle.

-You have a problem with that? -How much money did you give her?

I didn't give her anything. She invested the money for me.

And, for your information, she didn't even charge me, she did it as a favor.

How much?

What is your point here, Gigi?

I don't trust her.

But she's a part of your legal defense fund, isn't she?

-Yes, but... -But you still don't trust her?

Don't let your mother get into your head about Rochelle, Gigi.

-She's wrong. -This isn't Mama, Daddy.

This is me.

And I have my own reasons for asking.

I assumed that when you accepted her help,

that it was because you trusted her.

No, no. I accepted her help because I didn't trust her, and I still don't.

What does that even mean?

I'm only working with her to find out

what the hell she's doing in this church.

-I am astounded. -Come on, Daddy.

-Daddy, listen. -Uh-uh. No, no, no.

The way she has just swooped in out of the blue

drove some kind of wedge between you and Mama.

She did nothing of the sort.

It was your mother's jealousy over something innocent--

Daddy, get that money back.

Oh, I will. With dividends.

[baby cooing]

Oh, look at that. The happy family.

[laughs] How's my grandson doing?

He's almost figured out the walking thing, Bishop.

Let me see. Come here, baby. [laughs]

-Ooh! -[baby crying]

Oh... alrighty then. Alrighty. Alrighty.

-All right. Kevin. -I got you.

Aaron.

-Bye, baby. -Bye, Daddy.

-Bishop. -How can I help you?

My dad called you a few times.

Oh, yes, he has. You know, I've been so busy with the Jubilee that I--

He has pancreatic cancer.

-I'm sorry to hear that. -Yeah.

He's doing chemo at Memphis General.

They're supposed to be the best when it comes to these type of cancers.

And you two are on speaking terms?

Barely, but yeah. He's sick.

I'll give him a call.

Thanks.

[sighs]

Come in.

Oh, hey.

You got a second for an old man?

Grandpa, what're you doing here?

Just got home from work.

I hope you don't think just because your grandmother and I

have been having our differences, that I will never visit.

I guess I hope that's not the case,

but, you know, nobody knows.

I see that Bible I gave you, it's been out of rotation lately.

Yeah. I should probably just give it back.

No, no, you hold onto it for a while.

You never know when it might come in handy. May I?

Sure.

I feel like I spend my whole life in this room lately.

But...

every time I go downstairs, everybody just...

I know it's a chore, isn't it?

Fielding everyone's clumsily stated concerns.

-Do you ever get mad? -About what?

-Having Parkinson's? -Yeah.

And everything. Dying.

I used to at first.

But you get to be old as me, Sophia, you come to realize--

And I don't mean this to sound too depressing.

We fall apart.

And everything gets taken away in the end.

-And who would I blame? -God.

For letting everything fall apart in the first place.

Just come to church on Sunday.

Grandpa, I don't want to.

It just, it doesn't feel right anymore.

-I'm sorry. -It is my Silver Jubilee.

And I'll tell you something, and you can't tell everyone.

God has given me a special message just for you.

I'll think about it.

I hate my life.

You come to church.

[train horn blares]

[clears throat]

Hey. You must be the Bishop.

You must be Percy's friend.

Teresa.

James.

Percy's told me all about you.

-All good, I hope. -[chuckles] Mostly.

He wishes you went a little easier on yourself, but that's it.

Is, um... is Percy around?

No, he's conked out. We're done.

-Oh. -I can stick around...

Oh, thanks. I'm good.

All right, then.

Bye.

[door shuts]

[R & B music playing]

-[Jacob] Thanks for coming over, Pop. -Where's Kerissa?

-At the church tonight? -No, she said she just wanted us to have

-some father-son-grandson time. -[chuckles]

Plus, at this point, she's not, uh...

I'm not really on her good side.

Don't tell me, because of you and Tasha?

No, what about me and Tasha?

When I came by the church the other day,

it seemed to me the two of you were in the middle of something.

No, that was... that was nothing.

I don't play that way anymore, Pop.

Good.

So what'd you wanna talk about?

I got the divorce papers a few days ago.

They're waiting to be signed.

-Mama sign them yet? -No.

-You having doubts? -No. Not doubts.

It's complicated.

I don't see any way forward that looks right.

God hasn't given me any clear path.

In the meantime, those divorce papers sit in my briefcase like a bomb.

You don't wanna sign 'em?

Then don't, Pop.

-Then what? -You have your Jubilee.

Let her have her day.

You two go back to your corners. Fight's over.

-You think that's possible? -I do.

You're not really ready to sign. Not yet.

[speaking indistinctly]

Good morning.

So how long has this preacher friend of yours and Mae been hanging out?

I don't know.

Mae always takes great pains to minimize it whenever she speaks of it.

I assume that's to make what I did seem even worse.

Either way, it happened.

I think you should go and speak to him.

Why do you say that?

Most folks only get a few people, you know, in life,

that they can work things out with. He might be one of yours.

-I brought you a Charity special. -[laughs] Thank you.

-Mm! -Mm! You must have been reading my mind.

You looked like you were in a bit of a state yesterday when I saw you.

-Hm? -I was. I still am, I guess.

-Do you want to talk about it? -Kevin and Aaron are buying a house.

They were telling me right before you walked in.

Mid-century.

And they're doing that as a couple?

Yep. And talking about marriage.

Whoo! That's awfully fast, isn't it?

I don't understand why everybody

gets their fairy tale ending except me.

You know what I do when I see your mother making her plans these days,

coming into her own like she never did when we were together?

-What? -I play your CD.

I watch Jacob preach on the Triumph website.

I open the paper and I see what holy ruckus that sister of yours has made today.

[both laugh]

And I thank God for the three of you.

And for the woman who raised you all with me.

The happier Kevin gets,

and we have to assume that he was unhappy for a long time,

the better it is for Nathan.

And that's what matters. [chuckles] Right?

[sniffles] I know. You're right.

Now, what you singing for me on Sunday?

Uh... [laughs]

-"If I Can Help Somebody." -[laughs] My favorite song!

-I know that. -Oh, mind if I join you? It is my Silver Jubilee.

Do I have a choice?

[choir singing]

-¶ My living ¶ -¶ My living ¶

-¶ Shall not be ¶ -¶ Shall not be ¶

-¶ In vain ¶ -¶ In vain ¶

-¶ If I ¶ -¶ If I ¶

¶ Can help somebody ¶

¶ As I'm singing, singing ¶

¶ This song ¶

¶ My living ¶

¶ Shall not ¶

¶ Be in vain ¶

¶ Oh, thank you, Jesus ¶

¶ My living ¶

¶ Shall not ¶

¶ Be in vain ¶

-¶ Hallelujah ¶ -[cheering, applause]

-Good morning, Calvary! -[all] Good morning!

That was some good singing, Daddy.

[laughs] You give him another hand!

-Come on, Bishop! -[cheering, applause]

Amen!

Now, what can I say about my father,

by way of introduction this morning,

by way of celebration...

really, by way of revelation?

Some of y'all have known him longer than I have.

-[laughter] -[man] Amen!

Now, what I want to talk about this morning is this:

My daddy, my Bishop,

your Bishop, is a man of faith.

-[crowd] Yeah! -[applause]

[Grace] He doesn't walk by sight.

Now, do I wish sometimes that he was a little less trusting?

A little more careful? [laughs] Yeah, I do.

But I have grown more in the light of my father's faith in me.

So who am I to deny someone else that advantage?

We all owe so much

to the faith that Bishop has had in us.

It's only fitting that we reaffirm our faith in him

and welcome him to the pulpit with holy enthusiasm.

Now, I want you to get up. I want you to get excited!

Give him glory to God's welcome, Bishop James Greenleaf!

Rochelle's not what you think.

I hope you're right.

[crowd cheering]

Amen! [laughs] Please.

[Connie] Good sermon, Bishop.

Well, thank you for saying so.

I don't know what tricks Mae and Maxine have up their sleeves,

but that's gonna be hard to beat.

-It's not a competition, Connie. -Yes, it is.

Sophia!

Well, what'd you think?

Your spirit didn't hear that?

I don't think I have a spirit.

Don't even think that thought.

Can you come to my office?

No, I'm gonna go home and get that Bible that you gave me...

Sophia Greenleaf, give me ten minutes.

-Ten minutes. Five. -And what?

I'm gonna tell you the meaning of life.

Sit here. Come on.

I want you to see that nothing is any clearer

behind that desk than it is anywhere else. Okay?

Now, this is what I want to tell you.

You're born. And by the time you're five, six,

you look around and you realize that you're on a train.

By the time you're your age, you realize

that train is going very fast,

faster than anything you've ever read about, anything you've ever seen.

So you see your parents and you ask them,

"Are we on a runaway train?" And they say, "No.

We would never do that to you,

bring you into a world we can't control, that no one can control."

-But that's exactly how it is. -So you say,

"I'm gonna go to the front, I'm gonna talk to the engineer. There's gotta be one."

You go to the front.

But by the time you get there, you're angry!

Why?

Because by the time you get to the front,

you've seen that this whole train is filled

with scared people.

You bang on the door and you say,

"Open this door, I wanna talk to you!"

And by the time you kick down that door,

and you see...

you see the engineer's face.

And you can see the tears in his eyes,

that he knows exactly what's going on.

He feels all the pain that you feel,

all the fear, everybody's.

And he's doing everything he can to make it better.

So you say, "How can I help?"

And he says, "Who are you?"

You say, "I'm Sophia" or "I'm James."

And he says...

"Go back there, Sophia.

Please.

And you... you tell everybody...

that I love them...

and I'm doing the best that I can

to bring this thing to a safe and satisfying end.

And if you ever want to talk,

you know where to find me."

So you go back into the train...

and you live the rest of your life.

That's it.

That's life.

That's salvation.

Happiness isn't the absence of sadness.

It's living and it's being

in the mystery and the adventure of this life in God's world.

With others.

With God.

I know that you... you feel that God is not there for you right now.

But I need you to know that

you need to be there for God.

God needs you.

I just want you to be happy again.

I want to see that smile on your face.

Bye.

Love you, Grandpa.

All alone tonight, Percy?

Well, I, uh...

I can't afford this kind of action more than once a week.

What do you spend your money on?

I'm not talking about money, James,

I'm talking about... I'm talking about self-respect.

Hm.

No matter how good those women act...

you'll never forget that you're paying for it.

You got such a rare thing with Rochelle.

[laughs]

A young woman like that...

all ready to rub your feet and ride you.

I'm just talking about how rare that thing is, James.

It's nigh on unbelievable.

Good night.

[Rochelle] Something wrong?

I'm not sure.

Does it have to do with the investments?

Oh, no, no, no. It's not that.

Good. Because you know those take time. You have to have patience.

What are you doing in my life?

-What do you think I'm doing? -I don't know.

I mean, I thought I knew.

But now I'm just... I'm not sure.

You say you love me.

Is that true?

Why would I say it if I didn't mean it?

I don't know.

Look at me.

-Look at me. -I'm looking at you.

I'm an old man.

My hands shake.

My body's not what it used to be. And it never will be again.

Now, in a city full of young studs to choose from...

what do you want with me?

Do you think I'm using you or something?

-I don't know. -To what?

Help out with my lack of heartache?

Or may lack of headache?

Take out your phone.

Open up that app I showed you. The one that shows you all your accounts.

-Holy God in heaven. -Now, who's using who?

-Hm? -Have I made that much already?

I said who's using who, James?

You're making money already.

What I got?

No man, no ring, nothing.

-Are you using me? -No!

'Cause that's what it seems like.

No, no!

Look, I'm sorry.

-I'm sorry I asked the question. -God, your entire family,

all of y'all are snakes.

All y'all see is snakes.

And I'm over it.

-Rochelle. Rochelle. -No, I'm serious, James!

You know, you just go ahead on and take care of your IRS bill.

All right? I'm glad I could be of some assistance.

Rochelle, please! Don't go.

I'll never doubt you again.

Please.

Please.

[train horn blares]

[Percy] You go and see that Lionel yet?

I'll go today.

Good.

[Bishop] Lionel Jeffries.

[sighs]

Um... ma'am, I'm... Bishop Greenleaf.

Are you okay?

-Have you lost a loved one? -No.

If there's anything I can do...

I hope you don't mind if I... if I just sit with you for a while.

That's okay.

It's my father.

I just left him.

He doesn't know anybody here, and, uh,

and I can't take care of him.

I have kids.

I have to work.

And I can't watch him all the time.

Thank you.

He needs someone that can feed him.

You know, and bathe him.

I tried. I tried really hard.

What a blessing.

That God gave you a father that means so much to you.

And that you're able to demonstrate that love

by giving him the best care that you can give.

By putting him here.

God knows that you trying to do it yourself...

wouldn't be in anybody's best interest.

Not your father's.

Not yours or your family's.

This, what you're doing, is a pure act of love.

This love hurts.

Can we pray together?

May the blessing of God be upon you always.

Amen.

Thank you.

[Lionel] Come in.

[sighs]

Thank you for coming.

You have something to say?

I assume that's why you called.

I just want to say I'm sorry.

I don't expect that you will forgive me.

A man expects his dealings with a woman

to be... splintered.

Fraught. Messy.

Imprecise.

But he looks to his friends to keep things whole.

I am so sorry, James.

What was done was wrong in a million ways.

Ten million million ways.

You know what broke the heart of Jesus as I understand it?

It was the betrayal of a friend.

For this to begin with a kiss from a friend...

I am so sorry.

It's the last time that we'll see each other in this life.

I forgive you.

Mae.

Here are the divorce papers.

I've already signed.

Why?

Why what?

Why did you sign them, James?

Because I know...

I have no right to this marriage.

Perhaps I never did.

Whether you sign them or not is... obviously up to you.

Karine, have these messengered to my attorney, please.

You just missed Sophia.

Thanks.