We Are the Champions (2020) s01e03 Episode Script

1
We all want to be remembered.
To make a mark in our lifetime.
To build something that lasts forever.
A legacy.
Some people build pyramids.
Others
build empires.
And some
build this.
This
is Fantasy Hairstyling.
Wigs are not allowed.
We need to see natural hair.
We need to see? That these pieces
look like they are actually growing
from your model's head.
Judging will include hair, headdress,
clothing, makeup,
nails, and accessories.
Absolutely no nudity.
No animals, no reptiles,
or fish are allowed as props.
All of the judges' decisions are final.
If you want to prove that you're
the best? Hairstylist in the world,
there's only one way to do it.
You have to win at the Bronner
Brothers International Hair Show.
You can go east, west, north, south.
You will not find the level of creativity,
the level of artistry,
the level of talent and energy
that Bronner Brothers brings
to the hair and beauty industry.
For over 70 years,
Bronner Brothers has
been the most important day
on the entire hair calendar.
I like to think of Bronner Brothers
as the NAACP for beauty and hair.
We are a staple in Black beauty.
We are experts in Black beauty.
Why? Because we are Black beauty.
Every year, the greatest
stylists in America
craft physics-defying hair sculptures
with enough spark to ignite
all the hairspray in the room.
We've seen fish tanks.
We've seen flames.
We've had superheroes.
We've had octopus and elephant hairstyle,
lions and tigers.
Winning Bronner Brothers changes lives,
creating legends
that will live forever in hair history.
Or let's get it straight
hair-story.
This is the Super Bowl of hair.
Bronner Brothers has
always been incredible,
but this year
it's to the roof, okay?
Merlande Petithomme.
She's out to make her mark
in this beauty industry.
She comin' to win. She's
not coming to play with y'all.
Merlande Petithomme is the
Haitian-American sensation
taking over hair nation.
But whatever you do,
don't call her the underdog.
I've never been an underdog,
but, coming on new territory,
they don't know who you are,
so they label you an underdog,
and I always tell people,
I was born a star.
I am a star.
The world just don't know it yet.
Merlande's specialty is wigs,
and she makes some of
the best in the business.
I love wigs,
'cause I can switch up my looks.
I get to have more fun
than the regular people.
But I change my hair like
I change my underwear.
I live, breathe, eat and sleep hair.
I've been doing hair
since I was ten years old.
Growing up, I always
customized my Barbie wigs.
So that made me the awesome
wig assassin that I am today.
Merlande has never won
at Bronner Brothers before,
so this competition could
transform her entire life.
Sometimes people say, "You
come from a poor background,"
count us out, and I want to let them know,
never count this little Haitian out, baby.
Atlanta native? Terrence Davidson
is the self-proclaimed bad boy of hair.
This two-time Bronner Brothers
champion is notoriously experimental.
I'm all the way around
the board experimental.
Terrence is very smart.
He's witty. He's funny
but he crazy.
While some people like
coloring within the lines,
others cannot be contained.
Terrence's lawless ingenuity often
brings trouble with the judges,
but it is also the reason? He has won
championship after championship.
It feels great? To win again.
If the audience love what I do,
I don't give a damn about anything else.
Terrence's talent has taken him
to the very top of the hair game.
I remember doing Saturday Night Live,
and Nicki Minaj did The
Bride of Frankenstein.
That wig was made in 45 minutes.
It's alive! It's damn!
I killed it.
But, despite his incredible creativity,
Terrence has one major weakness.
I'm gonna call myself? Prepared unprepared.
Know how you'll be? Prepared unprepared?
You have everything
together, but you really don't,
- but you know you got everything together?
- That weakness?
- I don't know what I'm doing!
- It's Terrence.
That's me.
If you want to be the best,
you have to beat the best.
And at Bronner Brothers,
that can only mean one person.
This guy.
Give it up for Kevin Kirk!
Kevin Kirk is the king
of the jungle in beauty.
Kevin is so respected among his peers
that when he walks in the room,
he commands everybody's attention.
Even if you don't know Kevin Kirk,
you may have used his shampoo.
Because Kevin has turned his many victories
into the hair empire that is
KirkPro.
I've been in the business for 27 years.
I won Bronner Brothers four times.
Nobody in the history of the
competition has ever done that.
Kevin has never been beaten.
He's defeated camels, dragons,
and whatever this is.
Kevin does his best
work when he's stretched.
So, when he competes,
you need? To have your
cameras readily available,
'cause it's going to be a show.
And that camera better have a zoom,
because Kevin soars above the competition.
Literally.
He cuts hair
in the air.
In the air!
And the winner is
Kevin Kirk!
So, get ready, because
I'm going there to win,
to set history again,
to add to the legacy. I'm going to win.
There are many different
Bronner Brothers events,
but there's one that stands apart,
that redefines the
boundaries of hair possibility
the fantasy competition.
With fantasy, the only
limit is your imagination
and your technical ability to
implement what you see in your mind.
As long as what you see
is made out of hair.
The fantasy competition is
the most respected event,
because it's the purest
test of technical mastery.
It's not a whole bunch of hoopla.
It's no support, it's just you,
by yourself,
in the art, doing what you do.
It's just one artist on stage,
with one model,
and one vision.
It is a true reflection
of who you really are,
and what you can really do.
As a judge myself,
we've come to see the expression of love
and passion on stage.
That's what I'm looking for.
This year, for the first time,
Bronner Brothers are
holding their competition
in New Orleans.
So, what else could the theme be except
Mardi Gras?
Lord, we are in New Orleans,
and we are expecting this crowd
to be the largest? Bronner Brother crowd
that we have seen in years, Lord.
And I'm expecting first place,
victory in the fantasy competition.
And in Jesus's name, we pray.
- Amen.
- Amen.
I didn't grow up doing hair.
I grew up playing football and
basketball like everybody else.
KirkPro!
But Kevin wasn't like everyone else,
because Kevin was destined for greatness.
I was actually on my
way to enroll into college.
On my way, I stopped at a red light.
And, at the red light, I heard an
audible voice from God saying,
"Look to the right."
And when I looked to the right, it was
a cosmetology school.
And He said, "That's where you need to be."
Turns out that God was right on the money,
because since that audible,
Kevin has won more trophies
than anyone in Bronner Brothers' history.
And Kevin and God?
They're still talking.
When you know for a fact
that you have God with you,
there's a level of confidence
and a reassurance that
you have, no matter what.
So, I walk with confidence,
knowing that everything is
going to work out to my favor,
which is pressure off.
You are a float.
Okay? You are a part of a parade.
I know that sounds silly,
but I want you to kind of embody that.
For the fantasy competition,
my hairpiece is a big Mardi Gras float
sitting on top of somebody's head.
One of the worst things is
when your model stands up
to present your look,
it leans or it falls.
It has to be solid. It has to be stable.
It can't be wobbly or anything like that.
Here's the deal. In the competition,
if the base of the hairpiece is
bigger than one third of the head,
it's an automatic disqualification.
I think it's going to be too big,
we gotta go to the smaller doughnut.
Everybody else is fighting
for second and third.
This is the winner.
I'm lost for words!
With a personality as big as Terrence's,
you need an entourage to match.
There's rolling deep,
and there's rolling Terrence deep.
This is the Legion of Glam.
That Legion of Glam is my team.
It's made up of hair
stylists, makeup artists,
photographers, barbers, anything
in the glam world, you name it.
We're a glam family,
and I love them so dearly.
So, listen, guys.
Tomorrow's the fantasy
competition. I'm competing in it,
but y'all know how we do it. As a team.
But Terrence can't bring
his glam fam on stage.
It'll just be him, solo, and his wild idea.
Right.
Well, his three wild ideas.
So, I can do a braid and just
wrap it around just right here
My mind is different
when it comes to fantasy,
so, the rules and regulations, I break 'em.
And my concept is crazy.
I call it "The Siamese
Triplets of Mardi Gras."
So it's a three-headed woman.
- Hello!
- Rules of fantasy are clear:
Only one model is allowed on stage.
- I know how to pick models.
- You do.
But Terrence doesn't
break rules recklessly.
He breaks them fearlessly.
They're telling me, in
fantasy, only one model,
but we can have props. So,
those extra people will be my props.
Props. Main model in the middle.
So that means a three-headed
woman, not women.
That's woman. That's
what it is, and it's fantasy.
Can we push this table down?
Louis!
Terrence follows no rules.
Well, I don't know about this.
Lay 'em out on the floor,
so you don't get there
and figure something out.
Terrence does not believe in structure.
We got the yellow.
It's Terrence's world.
Ain't got no color.
Which is not really going
to sit well with judges.
Terrence's history? With the judges
is storied and sensational.
This hair show has been here for 75 years.
And the rules are, you can
only use, "technically," a female.
In 2015, Terrence wowed the audience
and challenged convention
by breaking gender
norms for the very first time.
When you have someone? Who says,
"Know what? No. This is the new norm."
You had no other choice but to say,
"We've got to change these rules."
You slayed it. I think that was necessary.
I thought it was quite genius.
Transgender people are
here. You gave them a platform.
I love everything you just did.
Rules are made for us to stay consistent,
but some are made to be broken.
Will Terrence rewrite the rule again,
or have it thrown at him?
I may get disqualified, I don't know,
but I bet I catch the eye of
everyone in that audience.
This is fabulous.
And colors are very important.
It's bright, vibrant,
representing New Orleans.
Some people win, but
don't get talked about.
The show isn't rememberable.
Anything about Merlande
will be rememberable.
Like my hair, my outfit, the
way I move in the overall show.
This was donated by our
good friend, Big Freedia.
Oh, Big Freedia!
You already know!?
The theme of Mardi Gras
is perfect for Merlande,
because it gives the opportunity to go big
and go home.
Oh. It's strapped up.
A lot of people are ashamed
to say they're Haitian.
I want the world to know who I am,
what I am, and that
we're able to be the best.
They're going to say, "Who that girl is?
That a Haitian girl?" Yes.
Proud Haitian-American.
For Merlande, Mardi
Gras isn't just a theme,
it's her heritage.
And this is a woman who
loves to show her roots.
Any time I compete, I want
to make sure I tell a story,
'cause that story is a
representation of me.
So, my piece represents my Haitian roots.
You see how that's
already sealing the hair.
Laying down there smooth.
When the Haitians that were
dropped off through the Revolution,
they would get branded
with the? Fleur-de-lis,
and that labeled them as a troublemaker.
So, when I compete, I want
you to know I'm the trouble.
How do you feel about being
in the battlefield with these vets,
if you? Will?
Just 'cause you a vet, it don't shake me.
You know,
shoot 'em up, bang bang.
Basically you saying it's Lande P. Time.
- Oh, Lande P.
- Okay.
You hear me? Show up and show out,
- all day, every day.
- I know that's right.
While this design celebrates her history,
every hairstyle? Merlande
creates honors her own story.
My parents call me million-dollar child,
'cause at the age of
six, I had three tumors:
Two in my vagina, one in? My pelvis,
and we had them removed.
And, um, I lost my hair.
I would go home and beg my mom,
"Could you buy me a wig?"
So, she bought me a play one.
And, with that, I would cut off the hair,
and I started creating different
hairpieces on my Barbie mannequins.
So, that got me into the wig game.
So, everybody knew me for my nice pieces.
You know, on fleek, baby.
Sometimes, people
They use stuff as an excuse.
I'm not gonna use that as an excuse
to not push and excel
to the best of my ability.
Months of preparation have spun
into the final moments before competition.
Final touches must be
applied to everything,
from hairpieces
to makeup
to models
providing they show up.
Hi.
I am not able to talk.
My model fucking canceled on
me, and I'm trying to find a model.
I just think the bitch went to the club.
Five o'clock in the morning.
But she didn't call me until, what, 11:00?
To say that she had went to
the hospital at five in the morning.
- That's the oldest-ass excuse in the book.
- Yeah.
Fuck it. We'll do it with two.
Where Terrence has lost a model,
Kevin is beginning to lose faith.
I'm very nervous.
When I put it together,
it was sturdy and solid.
I felt confident in it.
But the more I moved around with it,
the more it started to be wobbly again.
So, I gotta go back
and resecure everything.
I gotta find that perfect
balance of it in the middle.
I need more sticks.
I have a question. Do you know the rules?
- Yes.
- I've got two models.? Is that an issue?
I didn't see anything in the rules, but
It says one, but she's a two-headed woman.
- Okay. Yeah, so
- So, "woman" is "A-N,"
not "women." "Women" is "E-N."
- Okay.
- There's nothing they can do.
I'm just going to do it at
this point, I'm just saying
Yeah, I'm doomed.
The atmospheric
pressure is rising for some.
For others, this is a breeze.
I tell people,
any time I step on the
stage, "It's Merlande's world."
So, be ready.
When the Merlande
Petithomme is in the building,
she comin' with all the smoke.
My stomach got knots in it, again,
for about the 20th time this week.
- Hello.
- Number 12?
Yes, ma'am.
Hey, excuse me.
- Kevin Kirk.
- Hi.
- How you doing?
- I'm good, yourself?
I'm pretty good.
Is this fantasy registration?
- It is.
- Yes.
Okay, yeah. I'm here.
- Terrence Davidson.
- Okay.
Here's a copy of the rules and regulations.
Too late. The damn thing finna
take place now, what I'ma do?
Take these rules and regulations.
I want you to find number
16, get seated back here,
and they're gonna get everything else done.
That's how we gon' do
this, okay? Thank you.
It all comes down to an hour on stage.
The final cut.
Begin.
You only have one hour to attach
these hairpieces to your models.
I wanted to create
something that was artistic.
Everything is about
balance. About smoothness.
Everything is about defying gravity.
I want to throw the competition off.
I think they're going to be looking
at the? Same thing over and over again.
But, then, here I come with
something just a little different.
I tell people, whenever I show up,
it's gonna be a shift? In the culture.
- Anything poking you?
- Just a little, I'm good.
I want to leave a piece
of who I am on the scene.
I want people in awe.
Like, "Ooh, ahh."
"Look what he did."
Hold still now.
You have to create this imaginary thing,
but then make sure the details are right.
It's about that artist's craftsmanship.
I also want you to fool me.
That's the excitement for me. It's like
you got that, bitch.
The key thing is
the hairpiece should only cover
one third of the model's head.
Too heavy for you?
So, if you can create that hairpiece
to balance on just one third,
you're a boss.
Let it go for a second.
It's great for us to experience
who some of these characters are.
It not only shows the world who they are,
it allows them to discover
a part of themselves
they may have never
been stretched to before.
Contestants, 30 minutes on the clock.
It ain't gonna work.
I'm gonna try something. Help me turn it.
I have no idea what to do.
Sometimes, till you're pushed,
you don't know? What's inside of you.
This is the last thing
I can think of to try.
And if this don't work, I'm
gonna have to concede.
We get to really see how creative you are,
how innovative you are.
- Made that bitch a little heavy.
- Seven minutes left
- in this competition.
- Shit.
Y'all don't feel loose?
I shoulda went a little smaller.
- Gonna be able to straighten it?
- I'm trying to.
- Walk like there's a book on your head.
- Ten seconds!
Ten, nine, eight
- All right?
- seven,
six, five, four, three, two, one!
It's over! Scissors down.
Scissors are down.
Do not move, leave the
umbrella still. Don't move.
Judges are ready.
And there's only one way to end this.
It's time for a walk-off.
As a Black man or a Black woman,
for some reason, it's something
that's within that Black body
that just makes you want to dance,
dominate at singing, rhythms
It's all of that that's
trapped inside of you.
So, I think that the reason why this
community explodes so much with it
is because of everything that's
been suppressed, and how
amazing
Black people are!
Just how amazing that Black community
they are.
And they come up with something
from nothing and put it on someone.
It is incredible.
It wasn't perfect, but I
was able to pull off a look,
and I gave myself a chance.
My nerves is bad.
I didn't do a plan B
because I thought that plan A
was going all the way
through with three models.
Then I got stuck with two.
The great dream of
mine is to be a champion.
So, showtime, y'all. Let the games begin.
Final results are in. Can all the
contestants come back? On stage?
With fantasy, it's not about the check.
It's the hopes of walking
away saying, "I won."
In second place
Terrence Davidson!
What happened?
They changed the rules, because
now we can use two models,
which is weird. Did I not read
I'm tired of not reading the rules.
Still trying to find my third
model that disappeared.
It worked.
It did. I didn't know that many
people was gonna go crazy over that.
Okay, everybody. This is it.
When you win a Bronner
Brothers competition,
you're on the map.
The winner and new champion
of the fantasy competition is
Merlande Petithomme!
Any time you see the
Merlande coming through,
move back. Move over.
'Cause you know, it's
gonna be smoke in the city.
- I love you, girl.
- Love you too, baby.
Thank you! I'm so excited.
We shook the competition up.
I showed up with my little sequin suit,
hair laid, model on fleek, baby,
and gave them what they were looking for.
Never count me out, baby,
'cause I'm coming for your? Jugular.
The judges say I lost.
Me, personally, I say I won.
The mere fact that I reconstructed
another hairpiece live, on stage
Man, I say, kudos to me.
Even some judges were
like, if you were able to have
Do two or three things to it,
I probably would've placed.
You coming to the party?
I was stressed out for some time,
because one of the models didn't show up.
My team was mad.
They was gonna get her.
They still gonna get her.
- Love y'all.
- You too.
Maybe that was godsent.
Maybe He was telling
me, "Don't overdo yourself."
It's all about just being humble.
If you're humble,
everything falls into place.
There's people that told
me I wasn't good enough
that I would never win.
That's my motivation.
You won't forget me.
You will stumble on that name,
but you won't forget me.
Because I'ma be Merlande,
and I'm here to stay.
Every time we brighten this world
and make it just a little more beautiful,
a little more
"us,"
we make ourselves a little more
"rememberable."
And the art of expressing who we are
Well,
that's our true legacy.
So, whether it's a braid or a fade,
or just showing off your roots,
We are all artists.
We are all works of art.
And we are all
the champions.