Twenties (2021) s01e03 Episode Script

1
- Previously, on "Twenties"
- I know it's not the job
you wanted,
but at least it's a job
on a scripted show.
You need to be the best
writer's PA they've ever had.
- I'm gonna slay.
- This isn't a classroom.
It's a job.
- Well, let me get your number
so I can text you
when I get there.
- Oh, I don't have a phone.
- Are you serious?
- Where the hell
is the art department?
- You want a map?
- Does this ever
get any easier?
- Once Courtney gets over
hating you for taking her job.
Ida just told her that
someone needed the opportunity
more than she did.
That person was you.
[sweeping orchestral music]
♪
- Yo, does everyone use this
place as their personal office?
- That woman has her packages
sent here all the time.
And that dude brought in
a shredder last week.
- No wonder the Wi-Fi's
so damn slow in this bitch.
- I know, it can take forever
for my stories to load.
[both laugh]
You ordering or picking up?
- Picking up for Hattie.
- Ah.
Here you go.
Love the name, by the way.
It's real vintage.
- Thanks.
- Yeah.
What do you do?
- I'm a writer's PA
for this show called
"Coco's Butter."
- Oh, I know that show.
I did a write-up
on the rape episode
for "Best Coast Weekly."
- Oh, yeah.
I think I read that.
Yeah.
- So you a writer on the show?
- Nah, I'm a writer's PA.
- Ah, well,
only a matter of time.
Most people kill for your job.
- Yeah, I feel like
I won the lottery
every time I pick up
a grown-ass woman's lunch.
- I'd happily pick up
Ida B.'s lunch
and drink her bathwater.
- [chuckles]
If you write for
"Best Coast Weekly,"
why are you working here?
- When's the last time
you picked up
a "Best Coast Weekly"?
- Touché.
[both laugh]
- So are you working
on a script?
- Yeah, I'm more
in the idea phase.
Taking it one day at a time.
I don't wanna rush the process.
You know.
- Sure.
[Molly Brazy's
"Lil Booties Matter"]
- All right.
- Little booties matter,
little booties matter ♪
Taking a check ♪
'Cause them
little booties matter ♪
Little booties matter,
little booties matter ♪
All the rich love me ♪
'Cause them
little booties matter ♪
- Somebody's getting fired.
- Relax.
- I knew I shouldn't have
got that Tesla.
- You got a Model 3.
You're fine.
- Whoo!
Ladies and gents,
as of this morning,
the merger
is officially complete.
Tomorrow we're throwing a big
party in the lot to celebrate.
[light applause]
Ah, y'all must be worried
about your jobs.
Yeah, unfortunately, I have
to let go of half of you.
Guys, come on.
Everybody is safe.
Not only that,
I have been promoted
thank you very much
which means that
my old position as VP
is now up for grabs.
So take a look to your left.
Now take a look to your right.
That is the person you will
have to stab in the back
to get my old job.
Now, our new mandate is
building talent relationships.
And our number one target
is Quaintrelle King,
NBA superstar turned
Hollywood actor and producer.
Now word on the street is he's
looking for an overall deal.
And we need to make him
an offer that he can't refuse.
- Since we're notorious
for being cheap,
how are we supposed to do that?
- We need to woo him
with more than just money.
We need to make sure
that he knows
that this studio
is the best home for him
because we will care about
the projects he cares about.
- Okay.
- If all else fails,
we'll just hit him over the
head with how inclusive we are.
- Well, we are not
that inclusive.
- Hmm.
[clears throat]
We're inclusive enough.
Great work, guys.
Love you all.
Keep up the good work.
- I just don't want the only
two black execs at the studio
trying to kill each other
over a promotion.
It's not what the ancestors
would've wanted.
I don't know.
I did the 23andMe thing.
Turns out half my ancestors
were feuding tribes,
the others were house negroes.
- And we both know what side
you took after.
- May the best man win.
- That's sexist.
- You know what I mean.
- I just wanna thank
each and every one of you
for bringing your energy
and light
to share with everyone
this evening.
Go forth in peace and love.
- Namaste.
all: Namaste.
[soothing music playing]
- Don't forget to sign up
for my two-for-one special.
Twice the mindfulness,
half the price.
[laughs]
- Sorry I missed class.
I had to remove the lint from
all of Ida B.'s black sweaters.
- Ah, the glamour
of working in Hollywood.
- You gotta pay your dues.
That's how the game works.
- When am I supposed
to find time
to write an excellent script
if I'm on call 24/7?
- You find time for Lorraine.
- Well that's a name
I haven't heard in a while.
- Uh, excuse me.
Don't I know you from somewhere
other than class?
- No, I get that all the time.
I look like
everyone's third cousin.
- No, that's not it.
Oh, my God.
You were on "Whoosh"!
- [laughs]
- Oh, my God!
I love that show.
It's so much better
than "Zoom."
I can't believe
you're teaching yoga.
Are you still acting?
- Not anymore.
- [laughs]
Can I get a quick pic?
- Let's take a selfie!
- Ahh!
- I can take it.
- Oh.
- Here, I got you.
[shutter clicking]
Yeah, yeah, okay.
- Yes. Angle.
- I think you got it.
- I just wanna make sure.
[shutter clicks]
Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't catch your name.
- I'm Kelly.
- Nice to meet you, Kelly.
I love your kicks.
- Oh, thank you.
I just got these.
- I can tell.
They real crispy.
- I have such a hard time
keeping my shoes clean.
- Oh, I'm a sneakerhead,
so I know all about that shit.
I can hook you up.
- Oh, thank you.
- Yeah.
I'll just put my number
in your phone.
- All right.
- You can hit me up anytime.
- Okay.
- All right.
Use that.
All right, now.
Kelly!
What?
- You really gonna help her
keep her sneakers clean?
- I'll help her
with whatever she want.
- I'm sure.
[sweeping orchestral music]
♪
- [vocalizing cheerfully]
- Um, do you mind
clearing out soon?
My class is about to start.
- Class?
How do you have class
on a Friday morning?
- They're writing
from home today.
I'm on call.
- That must be nice.
- I mean,
I'm still working, though.
I signed up for this
online screenwriting course.
I'm brushing up
on the basics.
- Screenwriting course.
Why does that sound familiar?
- You probably got
an email about it.
I used your email address
because my free trial expired.
I'll cancel before the 15th
so you don't get charged.
- That's so considerate of you.
- What can I say?
I was raised right.
- Welcome to
"Expert Screenwriting,"
discount edition.
The first step for any writer
is to find your happy place.
Finding a quiet,
peaceful place to write
will open up your heart
and mind and cause
[blender whirring]
- Oh.
[laughs]
My bad.
I'm sorry.
I just gotta make sure
these bananas
are completely blended up,
'cause I love the taste,
but I can't stand the texture.
I'm serious.
I'll start gagging,
and not in a good way.
- Do what you gotta do, man.
[blender whirring]
[upbeat music]
♪
- What's wrong?
- Ben's gonna
get the promotion.
- You don't know that yet.
- I can feel it.
And it pisses me off
because he's not gonna get it
because he's smarter than me.
He's gonna get it
because he's not.
- He's just like them.
- Like who?
- The white boys
that I work for.
Meanwhile,
I'm over here breaking my neck,
trying to make movies
that are actually good.
- Well, greatness
always rises to the top.
- That's not true.
- Sometimes it does.
- Is this supposed
to make me feel better?
- No, but maybe this will.
I went online and bought you
every self-help book
I could find with
a black person on the cover.
♪
- Who knew there were so many
fabulous black people
in the self-help business?
- And the covers
are a little airbrushed,
but once you start reading,
shit gets real.
- This is amazing.
Thank you, babe.
Maybe I should start
with this one.
- Oh, no.
That one's for me.
It's all about how
black men are carrying
the trauma of slavery in
our epigenetic DNA like PTSD,
so we have intimacy issues
because our brains
won't let us love ourselves,
which means we don't know
how to love anyone else,
especially not a woman.
'Cause we wanna be strong like
the warriors we know we can be.
But how can we be warriors
when we can't even protect
ourselves out in these streets?
So we need to heal
the warrior within
so we don't end up in jail
or with a white woman.
- Okay.
[mellow music]
♪
- [softly]
Congrats, queen.
[Lady Bri's "Do What I Do"]
- Ladies and gentlemen ♪
Let me introduce me ♪
♪
Here I come ♪
Yeah ♪
Here I go ♪
Whoo ♪
Ain't no time
for imitation ♪
Ain't no time for playin' ♪
I'm just gonna do me ♪
[screen clicking]
Whoo ♪
[phone blipping]
I feel elated ♪
So elevated ♪
I'm just doing my thing ♪
Hey ♪
- Welcome to
"Expert Screenwriting."
- Ain't y'all supposed
to be in school?
Badass Bébé Kids.
- I'm gonna do ♪
- A writer's happy place
should be a place of comfort.
Your happy place should be
a place
that makes you feel safe,
a place that is nourishing
your creative spirit.
♪
- Do what I do ♪
I feel marvelous ♪
- Excuse me, sir.
I can't help but notice
your words per minute.
Might I ask what
you're working on over there?
- My manifesto.
- Your what?
- It's the real thing ♪
Tell me what's that thing ♪
It's a real thing ♪
["Gymnopedie No. 1" playing]
♪
- Whenever I'm stuck,
I try writing longhand.
It's like the words travel
from my brain through my arm
and down onto the page.
Try it.
I'm usually here writing
in the mornings
before I clock in.
Hope to see you soon,
Idina.
[romantic music]
- First of all,
who writes letters anymore?
What is this, 1875?
♪
Wow, actually, it's
It's not a bad idea.
[phone chimes]
Damn!
- Still at it, huh?
I'm gonna exercise my male
privilege and leave early.
- Do you.
- Look, no matter what happens,
we're both great
at what we do.
And I'm just happy
we're both being considered
for the promotion.
When one of us wins,
we all win.
- Wow, that's really mature
of you.
- I try.
What you reading?
- Oh, this incredible biography
about this 18th century
black man who
- [chuckles]
I gotta go.
[light music]
- Ooh ♪
- This massage isn't
gonna get me high, is it?
I have somewhere to be tonight.
- It's just CBD oil.
No THC.
No hallucinations.
- Thank God.
The last time
I got really high,
I almost slept through Chingy.
- What?
- [laughs]
- How?
- It's a long story.
- [laughs]
- You're a photographer
and a drug dealer?
- I'm not a drug dealer.
I grow weed just like
the privileged white boys do.
- How'd you get into
the reefer business?
- Reefer?
[laughs]
You sound like my least
favorite aunt, for real.
I grow weed,
and I sell it.
- That sounds like
you sit around
and get high all the time.
- No.
[laughs]
I'm for real passionate
about this shit
just like you passionate
about yoga.
- I wouldn't say
I'm passionate about yoga.
It's more of a job.
- So what are you
passionate about?
- I used to be passionate
about acting.
- Then why aren't you
doing that?
- Oh, once I was
old enough to drive,
my mom stopped taking me
to auditions, and
I guess I wasn't determined
enough to keep going, so
I fell out of it and just
got a regular job.
- Mm.
Wow.
- What do you mean, "wow"?
- I guess
I just always been confused
by people who know
their purpose,
but refuse to walk in it.
- Not everyone can afford to
walk in their purpose.
- But some of us
can't afford not to.
What do you miss most about it?
- I miss feeling alive.
[mellow hip-hop music]
♪
- Just hang them in there.
Finding everything all right?
- Yeah, uh, all done.
[chuckles]
Nothing to see here.
I, um, also grabbed you dinner.
It's in the kitchen.
- Thank you.
I've been so busy
I forgot to eat.
- I don't ever
wanna be that busy.
- Then you never
wanna be successful.
I need to get the new draft
to the studio
first thing in the morning.
- Can't they give you more
time?
The creative spirit
can't be rushed.
- [chuckles] Sounds like
the mantra of someone
who never finishes anything.
What have you
gotten accomplished today?
- I was supposed
to work on my script,
but I kept getting distracted.
And I still haven't
found my happy place.
- Happy place?
- Yeah, the place where writers
go to be inspired to write.
- Where are you getting this?
I don't have a happy place.
But you know what I do have?
Deadlines.
Writing isn't about
being happy.
It's about being disciplined.
- You don't ever get
distracted?
- I don't have the luxury
of being distracted.
Writing isn't a hobby for me.
It's a job.
- It's not a hobby
for me either.
- Well, then I suggest
you get to it.
You can work on
your script here
at the office, if you'd like.
I'm gonna be here
all night anyway.
- I can't.
Actually, I have a party
I need to get to.
- Well, we all have
our priorities, don't we?
I'm gonna get back to work,
but you have fun though.
[Normani's "Motivation"]
- I'ma break you off,
let me be your motivation♪
To stay
and give it tonight ♪
And, baby, turn around ♪
[indistinct chatter]
- Wow.
- What?
- He is such an asshole.
No.
He's smart.
- Really, babe?
- Don't let him out-hustle you.
I shouldn't have
to give Quaintrelle a handjob
just to get him
to sign with us.
- Well, we both know
how much you hate giving those.
- Look at them over there.
- Maybe you should go insert
yourself in the conversation.
♪
- How's the party?
- Honestly, it's kinda wack.
And low-key, I need to be home
working on my script.
- According to your Insta story
you were writing all day.
- Nah, I was bullshitting
most of the day.
- Well, tomorrow is a new day.
- Yeah.
- I'll keep Mary company.
I don't think she'll mind
if you go home.
- Really?
I love you, Ni.
- I love you too.
♪
- Nia?
- Sarah?
Is that you?
How have you been?
I haven't seen you since
we did that Tide commercial
when we were kids.
- I know.
That was forever ago.
- Are you still acting?
- Hell no.
Girl, I escaped that life
and went to college,
then to grad school.
I work here now
in business affairs.
- Look at you
all corporate and shit.
- What about you?
- Um, I took a break
for a while,
but I think I might
get back into it.
- Really?
Such a crazy lifestyle.
- Better that than be stuck
in a boring corporate job.
[laughs]
- I'm gonna go find
the crab wontons.
You want one?
- I don't eat fake crab.
- So howhow
how long ago was that?
- Kindergarten.
- Kindergarten?
- Oh, we go way back.
- Aww.
- [laughs]
- How was the game?
- Aw, it was amazing, man.
It's too bad you were busy.
- Busy?
- Yeah, Ben said
you couldn't make it.
- Yes.
Uh, right.
I had a work dinner
I just couldn't move.
- Ah, that's too bad.
But yeah, things are looking
good with Quaintrelle and
[laughing] Ben has
a great rapport with him,
so he's gonna run point.
♪
Okay.
I'ma get some shrimp.
- I know this looks bad.
It was spontaneous.
I thought that you would
- I've been reading
"Warriors and Fools."
It's an analysis
of how the U.S. lost a war
to a little group of rebels
known as the Viet Cong.
You know how it happened?
The U.S. underestimated
their opponent.
They had power,
but lacked strategy.
They were fighting
a ground war,
but the Viet Cong
built tunnels.
They had spies.
They knew the enemy better than
the enemy knew themselves.
[dreamy eerie music]
I hope you like the smell
of napalm in the morning, Ben,
because this is your Vietnam.
♪
[woman laughs]
[indistinct chatter]
[uneasy hip-hop music]
♪
[mellow hip-hop music]
- [laughs softly]
♪
[phone buzzes]
[phone beeps]
Yo.
- What you doing?
- Working.
- You wanna come with me
to Santa Barbara?
Just for the weekend.
My treat.
- [clicks tongue]
Ah, sounds amazing.
But I'm finally getting
some writing done,
and I wanna
keep the party going.
- You don't wanna have
a private party with me?
- [laughs softly]
[car door slams]
- Sorry to pull you away
from work.
But every now and then,
it's good to be distracted.
- Yeah, but distractions
can be dangerous.
- How so?
- Too many distractions
can keep me
from walking in my purpose.
- Are you saying that
I'm preventing you
from walking in your purpose?
- I ain't say that.
- What are you saying?
- I'm just saying,
every time I start
getting my shit together,
here you come.
- I'm just trying
to help you relax.
- Oh, is that what
you're trying to do?
- If you don't wanna
go to Santa Barbara,
you can stay another night
on Marie's futon.
- I'm sorry, all right?
I'm just stressed about work.
- That's exactly why I'm trying
to take your ass away
for the weekend.
[dreamy music]
♪
- I love you.
- I know.
[giggles]
[Doja Cat's "Roll with Us"]
- Baby, you can roll,
roll with us ♪
- Now what the hell is that
on your head?
Is that a hat or a beanie?
- You should bring them ♪