All American: Homecoming (2022) s03e01 Episode Script

1
Previously on "All
American: Homecoming"
KEISHA: The exhibition, the PKZ stuff,
and this internship with Lando's sister,
you're low-key killing
the game right now.
Integrity. That's the most
important thing an athlete,
a teammate, a man has,
and without it, nothing
else matters, son.
Some of our programs are on
the short list for being cut.
Given the baseball program's already
on shaky ground as is
We move to the top of that list.
CELINE: Do you remember
how sick you were as a kid?
J.R.: Having aplastic
anemia isn't something
that you forget easily.
AMARA: Last semester, I
was fighting to keep my job.
Now I'm the president.
KEISHA: College sweethearts getting
back together thing is really dope.
You two bring out the
best in each other.
Marcus, who is this?
I'm Crystal, his wife.
SIMONE: I guess that baseball thing
did have some effect on you, huh?
Yeah, something like that.
I don't want to be
friends with benefits.
I want more.
I've always loved you.
I've loved you since I stole your phone
at homecoming two years
ago. Choice is yours.
SIMONE: Sorry it took me so
long, but I know who I want.
It's you.
SIMONE, VOICE-OVER: I didn't think
my junior year would start like this.
Just a few months ago,
it was championship week,
sophomore year,
and it was the happiest I've
been in a really long time,
a year of bliss with the man I chose
at the end of freshman year.
[CHUCKLES]
You know we're gonna have to get
out of this bed at some point.
Uhh, says who?
Says the fact that you have
a championship game today
and you can't win it from my bed.
- You sure about that?
- Yeah.
[DAMON CHUCKLES]
[BOTH LAUGHING]
Boy, stop it. You're a fool.
Come on. I'm serious. I'm serious.
Ahh
Today's a big deal.
You win today, and Bringston Lions
finally become conference champs.
You carried this team on your back,
and I'm proud of you.
I'm proud of you, too,
and, hey, I know that
you're disappointed
you didn't win your
championship tournament
- after finally qualifying this year.
- Oh
- Hey.
- Hey, it's OK.
I've mourned the loss,
and I've moved on.
Enough about tennis.
Today is about you
and the Bringston Lions baseball team.
Y'all's time is now, baby.
MAN: Put the put the put
the put the put the ♪
Put the pedal to
the metal in a minute ♪
Dance with it ♪
Ball 3.
ANNOUNCER: This has been a rough
day for the Bringston Lions.
Top of the seventh,
Sims is on the mound,
brought in to stop the bleeding.
Tennessee is up 7-4, two
outs, two runners on base,
Glasper up to bat.
Strike!
MAN: Involved with
all of this madness ♪
You slowly develop into a savage ♪
ANNOUNCER: That's deep center field.
It's going. This could be
Yes! It clears the fence.
That is a home run for Glasper
and 3 more runs for his team.
What the hell is going on?
We're the better team,
but Tennessee Central
is running right over us.
Maybe if you'd have picked Lando,
he would have been better
in the first few innings.
That is not funny.
Besides, he's over it.
It's been a year.
Is it naive of me to think
that Lando would still
want to be friends after I chose Damon?
- Yes.
- Yes.
- OK.
- Look all I know is,
someone needs a W and fast.
We can't have the baseball team go down
like the tennis team
and the lacrosse team did
in their championship games.
- No offense.
- All offense taken.
I have faith in our boys.
They still have time to
come out of this slump.
Sure a little support from
their president couldn't hurt.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
CAM: They called again, Dr. P.
They're emailing me now, too.
Gonna avoid them forever?
Saying no to the White
House is not easy.
Don't say no, then.
I can't be effective here at Bringston
if I'm all the way in D.C.
focused on the VP's HBCU committee.
Well, I have my thoughts, but
for now, I'll keep them to myself.
Oh, how generous of you, Cam.
- Mm-hmm.
- [LAUGHS]
[CELL PHONE VIBRATES]
Hi, sweetie.
Oh, don't "Hi, sweetie" me.
You know where you're supposed to be.
I have a good reason.
One that doesn't involve you
avoiding Coach Marcus still?
Simone, I am grown.
I'm not letting any one
man's duplicitous ways
stop me from rooting for my Lions.
It's just giving Still mad
after all these months, Auntie.
It's giving I have actual, real
- president business to attend to.
- [NEW EMAIL IN INBOX CHIME]
So, unfortunately, I'll miss the game.
What's going on? Is everything OK?
It will be. Just some
financial stuff brewing here.
Look. I have to get
back to work. Love you.
KEISHA: Oh, he's here.
He made it after all.
Did you know J.R. was coming?
No. but I'm glad he did.
Would've never forgiven
himself in the long run
if he didn't come support his team.
[EXHALES]
[BALL HITS GLOVE]
[EXHALES]
[SNIFFLES]
[CHEERING]
You're out.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
Yes! Yes!
DAMON: I'm so glad to see you, bro.
Hey, good to see you, too.
Yeah, man. You know
I couldn't stay away,
but it look like y'all
are feeling my absence.
I mean, yeah, we had a rough start.
[LAUGHS] You got it in you, man.
- Pull it through.
- OK, yes, sir.
MARCUS: All right, now.
Butts back in the dugout now.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
We got a game to finish, son.
Ahh.
So you just gonna stand
there all day, huh,
or are you gonna come
and join your team?
Are you for real, Coach?
I know you may have been on
sick leave for the past 8 months,
but once a Lion,
always a Lion.
[LAUGHS] [CHUCKLES]
Thanks, Coach.
Let's go.
Hey, y'all, listen up.
I didn't come back
from the brink of death
just to watch y'all lose.
Come on. Lock in. Let's go!
MAN: Somebody take my
keys, I am too damn lit ♪
I've been mixing in my system ♪
Ever since I was a kid ♪
They've been taking shots, yeah ♪
But every time, they miss ♪
No, I always roll the dice ♪
I got a talent on my wrist ♪
I'm on a real sick wave ♪
I might go insane ♪
Like in 2021, when I first got paid ♪
Got some real day ones
that I would not trade ♪
If you ain't with the gang,
you better stay up out my way ♪
CHORUS: Go, go, go, go ♪
All I want to do is rage ♪
Go, go, go, go ♪
Never gonna ever ♪
No, no, no, no ♪
[CHEERING]
MAN: Ever since the money came ♪
I'm the man of the hour ♪
Just took a champagne shower ♪
Strike 3. You're out.
MAN: Got it snowing on the counter ♪
I am in a black car ♪
I am off the shifts ♪
I forgot how to act once I got rich ♪
You're out.
MAN: All I want to do is rage ♪
CHORUS: Go, go, go, go ♪
Never gonna ever ♪
ANNOUNCER: What a comeback.
Bottom of the ninth, the game is tied.
This is Bringston's
chance to win it all.
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
[CHEERING]
- Safe!
- Yes!
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
- DAMON: We what?
- B.U.!
- We what?
- B.U.!
We what? B.U.!
- We what?
- B.U.!
- We what?
- B.U.!
Whoo!
- DAMON: We what?
- TEAM: B.U.!
- We what?
- B.U.!
- We what?
- B.U.!
[LAUGHS]
[BOTH LAUGHING]
You did it.
This is the day you promised
you'd lead the team to
when you first enrolled,
a day two years in the making.
Conference champs, baby.
Oh, my God. Baby, I cannot
believe that we did it.
- I know.
- Oh, I can't believe it.
Oh, conference champs, baby.
[CHUCKLES]
Ahh
I meant to ask you, have
you seen Coach Marcus?
No one's seen him since the last play.
He didn't even stay around to celebrate.
It may have to do with
some news I just got.
- What?
- Apparently, Bringston is
rebranding in some way.
So what does that have
to do with Coach Marcus?
Well, they're moving money
out of the athletic programs
into more academic endeavors.
I mean, haven't we
been here before, babe?
Money issues, yeah, but the school doing
a full rebrand into a more
elite academic institution,
that's some new ish,
and the rumor via text:
they plan on cutting two
full athletic programs.
- Wait. Which two?
- No one knows, but the A.D.s,
they left during the game.
Some big meeting's happening.
Babe, you don't need
to worry. Obviously.
Y'all just won your championship.
Baseball's safe.
Yeah. You're right.
Hey, hey, I'm sure that
tennis is fine, too.
I'm not.
Unlike you guys, we didn't
win our championship matches.
- Damon, what if
- Don't.
No. It is too soon to guess anything.
- OK?
- Mm-hmm.
All right. Everything
is gonna be OK, OK?
- It has to be.
- Mm-hmm.
MARCUS: Listen, Amara, the
student athletes are the ones
that is gonna suffer here, OK?
With the programs being cut,
what happens to the
athletes on scholarship?
As you heard in the meeting,
if the athlete meets
the GPA requirements
for an academic scholarship,
they'll honor that,
and as the president
of this institution,
I plan on holding them to that.
Are you really using
your president tone on me?
What other tone would you
have me use, Coach Turner?
Amara, listen. I know things
are still unsettled with us.
If you have any further questions
about this institutional rebrand
and the fallout to athletics, I
suggest you talk to the trustees.
I have no idea which
programs will be cut,
as they've been keeping me in the dark
on this particular endeavor,
a tactic you're very familiar with.
Are the rumors true?
I'm hearing you're being courted
by the vice president to join
the White House HBCU Committee.
What happens in my life
outside these Bringston walls
is none of your business anymore.
Oh, my God. How many times I
got to tell you I'm sorry, OK?
- I'm sorry about Crystal.
- Oh, you mean Crystal your wife.
Ex-wife, who I didn't
know was still my wife
until a year ago, when
she asked for a divorce
because she wanted to marry some dude.
Look. It was finalized last
month, by the way, the divorce.
The whole ordeal is finally over.
It's been over for me
for a while, Coach Turner,
and the status of your
divorce is none of my concern.
Look. You have to believe me, Amara.
I didn't know the
paperwork Crystal and I
filed years ago wasn't fully signed.
Crystal conveniently said nothing
until it was time for her
to ask for this divorce,
and, quite frankly, I still think
she's keeping secrets because
Enough, Marcus.
It's been a damn year
of us doing this dance,
and you still don't get it.
I'm not walking away from you
because you got married
during a crazy period
after your pro baseball life.
I'm walking because you
kept that secret from me.
Because I didn't want it to taint us.
I'm sorry.
Yeah? Well, so am I.
DAMON: Um, OK.
What if we organize a
sit-in at the tennis courts?
We all join in in solidarity.
As the new conference champs,
maybe we'll draw some attention.
KEISHA: But it's not just
the girls' tennis team.
I'm hearing that the
women's lacrosse team
- is also on the short list.
- SIMONE: Of course,
because women's sports
are always the target.
SANTIAGO: Call me crazy, but I
don't see them cutting you guys.
Coco Gauff literally
put you all on the map
after the whole illegal bus search.
Yo, Santiago's right.
- Look. I think y'all gonna be straight.
- Santiago is right.
People only took us
seriously about that cop stop
after we took our
power back in the media.
That's what we need to do again.
We need to get the media
and the public aware
of what's happening to
athletics at Bringston.
LONI: That's the last
thing you should do.
Uh, Coach Loni, how did the meeting go?
- Did they make a decision?
- Not yet,
or at least not that they're sharing,
which is why you need to leave it alone
and let us grownups handle it.
Coach Loni, this is my future.
Mine, too, Simone,
but the last thing we
need to do is anger them
and give them an excuse to
put a target on our backs.
Leave it alone.
Ooh, excuse me.
Where did you disappear
to after the game?
Oh, I was texting you.
I had to take care of a few things.
OK. Well, I'm gonna act
like I'm not offended
by you coming to visit somebody else
before you coming to see me.
I was actually checking out a dorm room.
I need a place to live when I
come back full-time in the fall.
I'm so glad you are
finally fully recovered
from aplastic anemia's bitch ass.
Well, I wish you would've told me
you were planning on going
to the game after all.
I would have waited, and
I would have gone with you.
Oh, thanks, but it
was a last-minute call.
I wasn't sure I'd be emotionally
strong enough to watch the team
live out my baseball dreams without me.
- Turns out, I was.
- Oh, and who's surprised?
J.R., you're the
strongest person I know.
- You are.
- [CHUCKLES]
You got time?
You want to go and
grab something to eat?
Not you trying to ruin my
dancer body or whatever,
but, yes, I am hungry.
All right. Let's go.
You paying for it, though.
Uh, sorry to interrupt.
It's fine. Keep trying to reach him.
Hey, make sure Dr. P.
eats or at least hydrates.
I haven't seen her do either
one of those things yet today.
Ma'am
humor us, please.
Auntie, this rebranding nonsense
It's not nonsense, baby.
Bringston wants to
be known for exporting
Black excellence in academics,
as opposed to just athletics
- But we do.
- Not on the Harvard level.
Well, why are we trying to
compete with Harvard, though?
Why can't we just be us?
Isn't that the reason
HBCUs were created?
We are definitely cut
from the same cloth
because that's exactly what
I said in the meeting earlier.
Fell on deaf ears, and it's
probably why they didn't tell me
about this move in advance.
Wait. How is that possible?
You're the president.
Apparently, they consider it
more of a figurehead
position than I realized.
So then that's it?
They can cut tennis or lacrosse
or whatever female sports they want,
and there's nothing we can do?
I didn't say that.
And we don't know that tennis will
be one of the teams cut. I just
I need time to figure out
how to make them see reason.
Well, Auntie, unfortunately, time
is the one thing we don't have.
- Nate.
- Hmm? Hey.
Hey, I need your boyfriend.
Too bad. He's all mine.
Nate, I am very serious.
I need Ryan to write an article
about the changes
happening at Bringston.
- He already is.
- OK. Well, even better,
but I bet he could use
an on-the-record source.
- We need this to go viral and fast.
- Hold up.
Isn't this exactly what Coach
Loni asked you not to do?
Well, someone has to do something.
They're cutting important programs
not because they don't have the money,
but simply because someone
decided to reroute the money.
They're pitting academics and athletics
- against each other, and it's not fair.
- Simone,
you don't actually know
what's gonna happen,
- so why not wait a beat?
- No. I'm done waiting.
I'm calling Ryan and
telling him he has a source.
Are you giving me his number?
Boy
Cam, if I fall, I am
taking you down with me.
Hey, you can't blame
a man for holding on.
You know, you were a hard
woman to find yesterday.
I know. My bad.
Between Simone freaking out about tennis
and J.R.'s first week back,
I have majorly been in
my supportive friend bag.
Speaking of which,
looks like Simone and Ryan's article
made quite a splash this morning.
It's already gone viral.
Yeah. The question is,
how's it gonna go
down with the trustees?
- Mm-hmm.
- There he is, my boy.
Heard you were back on campus.
- Man, Mr. Songwriting Extraordinaire.
- Ah
Hey, I heard that new songwriting gig
- with the label's been working out.
- I mean, we'll see,
but, you know, so far, so good.
This is actually perfect. I got to
run to rehearsal, so y'all catch up.
Bye.
- Really?
- Bye. See y'all later.
- Hey, congrats on your recovery, bro
- Man, thank you.
- you know, for the second time.
- Hey, I couldn't have done it by myself.
- Can't thank Keisha enough.
- Trust,
no one's more excited than me
that her months of sacrifice
weren't for nothing.
Months?
What you mean, months?
NATE: Ohh God.
Uh-uh.
Dear God, Simone.
OK. Enough with the drama.
- It's just an article.
- Just
- Nate, I do
- [KNOCK ON DOOR]
- Hey.
- Hey, babe.
Perfect timing.
Can you please talk to your girl?
And say what?
Nate, I stand by her
and however she wants to fight.
So this is how you would handle things
if it was happening
to the baseball team,
just put the entire
institution on blast publicly?
Yeah. Damon, I don't
recall you doing that
when they tried to take
y'all's funding freshman year.
Simone is her own person,
all right, and this is happening to her,
so my job right now
is to support her
and that's it.
- Thank you, baby.
- OK. Y'all are cute or whatever,
but none of this changes the fact
that things are about to get messy
- online and in our boardrooms.
- [CELL PHONE CHIMES]
- It's fine. It'll be OK.
- Hmm.
Ohh
Coach Loni wants to see me now.
LONI: So my directions
mean nothing to you?
I meant no disrespect.
- I just
- You just thought you knew better.
Well, congrats.
You wanted to force the
school's hand, and you did.
For better or for worse?
Depends on who you ask.
The girls' tennis team
got a stay of execution,
in part due to the article,
but I'm sure it had much more to do
with the letter and
generous funding pledge
they received from
Coco Gauff this morning.
Are you serious?
Oh, my God.
Thank you.
Oh, thank you. Oh!
Why don't you look happy, though?
Because my colleagues are hurting.
Two other programs did get cut,
and word is just getting out now.
[SCOFFS]
The hell you mean, baseball's been cut?
Yo, we're the champs.
We're the freaking champs, Coach.
- Calm down.
- We did everything.
We were out here busting our asses.
Coach, why us? How, man?
I mean, we
Coach, I'm only a sophomore.
I'm not even eligible to
draft into the MLB yet.
I need one more year.
I know, Damon. Listen,
I'mma figure things out.
Trust me, I'mma figure it out, OK?
So what does it mean?
What does it mean, OK?
Does it mean that I
can't stay at Bringston
and pursue my MLB dream?
You're telling me that
I'mma have to leave?
[SCOFFS]
- Damon, I'm so sorry.
- Simone, I can't. Not now.
I didn't think saving tennis
would be at your expense.
- I don't even know how this is happening.
- Why couldn't you just
listen to Coach Loni, anybody?
Why did you have to poke the damn bear?
[SIGHS]
[DOOR OPENS]
- [DOOR CLOSES]
- Look. We're all making calls, OK
me, Coach Marcus, your
mom, even Dr. Patterson.
You'll land somewhere. There's time.
J.R.: Look. The transfer
portal doesn't even open up
till another couple months.
I already used the portal, bro.
Hawkins, remember?
Come on. They're not
gonna let me use it again
- without having to redshirt a year.
- We'll get around that.
You're a D1 recruit and an MLB prospect.
- People will want you.
- Well, yeah, not if they can't play me.
I spoke with Coach Shaw
less than an hour ago myself.
You know he left
Hawkins; he's the new A.C.
at Crestwick University, right?
Well, he wants you and plans to get you
- an offer as soon as that window opens.
- Come on.
What, you're telling
me that my only options
are to play for the
devil himself at a PWI?
Damn, bro. How selfish are you?
You are shooting down every
idea before it fully forms.
At least you could still play, Damon.
I am I am so sorry.
Look, I didn't even think about it.
I know that this can't
be easy for you, either.
It's just, everything is just so
It's messed up right now.
Something is better than nothing.
You know he didn't mean it, right?
Come on. Haven't you ever
said anything out of pain
and then regretted it later?
Keisha, you didn't see
the way he looked at me.
There must be something I can
do to help save baseball, right?
A fundraiser maybe,
or I could hit up Coco,
- and maybe she'd up her pledge.
- Girl,
she won the U.S. Open,
not the Powerball.
You know you don't
have to fix everything.
Sometimes the best reaction
is to just be still.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
[EXHALES]
It's open.
Hey.
Hey.
Looks like I found the party.
- You good?
- Yeah. I was actually just looking for Keisha.
Y'all stay.
I need to take a walk.
Glad you found me.
I've been worried about you
with this axing of the
baseball program thing.
No need to worry.
Baseball was already a wrap for me,
and that's not what
I'm here to talk about.
Oh. Then what's wrong?
Why didn't you tell me
you had major side effects
from being my bone
marrow donor last fall?
Oh, great.
Well, who ran their mouth?
Point is, why didn't you tell me?
You already had enough on your plate
focusing on your own recovery.
OK, and you think that'd
be more important to me
than knowing what was supposed to be
a quick 7-day procedure for you
turned into several months of pain?
Yes, because it is.
Your recovery was life or death.
Mine was just discomfort.
There's no comparison.
So you speak for me now?
Are you serious?
You're not even really mad at me.
You're just upset because
you've lost baseball,
and you're taking it out on me.
No. That's not even it.
Well, maybe.
I don't know.
For the record,
yes, I lost some time in the fall
and it set me back with dancing,
but I'm completely fine now,
healthy.
I got back to dance.
I fought for what I love, and I won,
and I would do it again if I had to
because your life is worth it.
- I'm sorry you had to go through that.
- Oh, that's all right.
I don't know why I'm grieving
over a sport I already lost.
Because until today, you
hadn't really lost it.
It was still out there if you ever
got healthy enough to play again,
but the trustees took
that away from you.
It's OK to grieve that.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
The way I don't have
time for you right now
Wait, OK? I'm not here about us.
It's the team.
I messed up, Amara.
I need some advice.
Come in.
DAMON: You asked to see me, Coach?
I did, I did.
We need to talk.
[EXHALES]
Is this about Coach Shaw giving
me that offer to Crestwick?
No, son.
Look, I'm just gonna
come out and say it.
I've known this baseball team
was on borrowed time
since your freshman year.
Uh, [CHUCKLES]
I don't understand.
It was always us that was
gonna be cut this year.
I didn't want to tell you
all before the big game
because I wanted you
all to have that moment,
have that championship
game without this loss
- in y'all's hearts and minds.
- What you're saying right now,
it makes no damn sense.
OK. Your freshman year,
when the trustees was
planning on pulling the funding
from the baseball
program, remember that?
Yeah, but, I mean, you and
President Allen, y'all stopped it.
We stopped it.
We were supposed to become
a championship-worthy team
before the season started,
and, Coach, we did that.
We did that by beating Coach
Shaw and Hawkins Georgia.
Yes, we beat Hawkins
and got to hold on to our funding,
but it was always temporary, Damon.
When the trustees made the deal
with me and President Allen,
they made it clear then that we
were only staving off the inevitable
- for a couple years, son.
- I don't believe you.
Look, I didn't actually think
they would go through with it,
Damon, not if we
became actual champions,
so I took the deal, confident
that within two years,
we'd be those champions
and any plans to defund us
would quickly be discarded.
We are champions, damn it!
Come on, man. We are.
We did that yesterday,
so why are we still being cut, Coach?
Because I was wrong.
I was wrong, and I
couldn't have anticipated
the rebrand and pivot
Bringston would make.
They're adamant that they
want their legacy to be
more about graduating
the next great scientist.
Forget all Bringston's betrayal.
What about yours?
Come on. You knew this entire time
that there was a chance
that this could happen,
and what'd you do? You stayed quiet?
- Damon, I'm so sorry.
- You risked all of our futures.
Look, I tried to protect you boys, man,
protect the program, son,
and if it wasn't for the rebranding,
my gamble would have paid off.
SANTIAGO: Damon, what's going on?
[SCOFFS]
How about you tell them, Coach?
Tell them how you gambled
away all our lives.
- Still no sign of him?
- I checked all his usual spots. Nada.
He hasn't returned my calls or Simone's.
This can't wait. We need to
Damon, where you been?
Look, I'm just trying to see Dr. P.
so I can get my transcripts, all right?
We got an offer. Details
are still being worked out,
but a deal seems likely.
CAM: Well, that's great. What college?
A chance to play pro.
Wait.
How's that possible? I'm not eligible.
What if you were?
You ready for the big leagues now,
play against the best,
sharpen your iron against iron?
I'm listening.
MARCUS: I hear you changed your mind
and accepted the White
House appointment.
Those rumor mills stay busy, don't they?
Amara, don't leave Bringston, OK?
Forget about our personal history.
This place needs you.
- These kids need you.
- Oh, I'm not leaving Bringston, Marcus.
Never that.
But this whole rebranding mess
did make me realize the only way for me
to truly be an effective president here
with real power is
to make myself very publicly undeniable.
And this White House
appointment will do just that.
Exactly.
I can juggle both my
job and the appointment.
I am a Black woman, after all.
It just means a lot of traveling
back and forth to D.C., which,
quite frankly, is a good thing
because the thing I think you and I need
more than anything is distance.
Hey.
Hey.
Look
I am so sorry that I didn't
handle none of this well.
No. You took space instead of
taking your anger out on me.
I'd say you handled
things better than most.
Look, babe, I need to
tell you something, like,
- really important.
- Me first,
- please. Please?
- Uh
OK.
I know what losing baseball means.
I know you'll have to leave Bringston
because, obviously, giving up
your dream is not an option,
and I want those dreams for you, too
- Simone, look
- and I know it all seems hopeless,
but, babe, I promise,
you will get an offer to another
D1 program I know it
and I don't care where it is.
I will fly to any corner of this country
- to watch you play.
- Simone,
I'm going pro, babe.
- What?
- Yeah.
How?
There's this private club
team that's interested.
I would go play for
them, I would kick ass,
then I get my contract bought out
by a pro MLB team in a year,
- when I'm league-eligible.
- That is amazing,
so, like, this is really a thing?
The offer, like, just came in.
Babe, that is [LAUGHS]
Oh, my God. I'm so happy for you.
I mean, it might be a lot to hope
and wish and pray that this
team is in Georgia, but,
babe, like I said, I'mma fly anywhere.
Even in the D.R.?
Simone, my offer to play is
in the Dominican Republic.
- [CHUCKLES]
- [CHUCKLES]
THEHONESTGUY: Was it last September ♪
When I met you? ♪
I cannot remember ♪
[TAPPING]
My bad, y'all. If I may to Damon.
You know, when we first met,
I couldn't stand your ass.
NATE: Oh, oh, oh. I
thought the roasting part
was happening later this evening.
- If we're doing it now
- Stop.
Well, if big mouth over
there would let me finish
I'm quiet. I'm quiet.
- J.R.: I wouldn't be quiet.
- Now, I couldn't stand your ass,
but little did I know you
quickly become my brother.
I'll miss you, bro. We all will.
DAMON: Man, I appreciate you, brother,
and the feeling is definitely mutual.
I couldn't stand your
ass at first, anyway.
- [LAUGHS]
- Cheers.
- The D.R., baby.
- D.R., man.
KEISHA: So when Cam and I come visit,
you're giving us the
5-star treatment, right?
I'm talking all-inclusive resorts,
spa treatments, massages.
- Honey, he got money.
- Honey, he got money.
J.R.: I'm trying to figure
out how y'all claiming dibs
- on a trip, and I'm his brother.
- JESSIE: And I'm his father, so
Thanks for planning this whole
family dinner tonight.
For real.
You deserve it.
We're all really proud of you.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Are we expecting anyone else?
- Thea.
- Hi.
I thought you had a
match in North Carolina.
I mean, yeah,
but y'all didn't really
expect a pro tournament
to keep me from saying good-bye
to my favorite pitcher, did you?
Miss Thea
What's up, girl?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
KEISHA: I would say,
"Penny for your thoughts,"
but I know you bougie,
so I will offer you 50.
I think I'm gonna fight for it.
Well, I know I'm gonna fight for it.
- What's "it"? Baseball?
- Yeah.
I'm gonna bring baseball
back to Bringston,
however long it takes.
But didn't Coach Marcus
say it was a done deal
and that it couldn't be reversed?
Where there's a will,
there's a way, right?
You taught me that.
Ain't that how you fought
your way back to dance?
I guess so. OK.
OK, J.R. I see you. I see you.
Now, I don't know the way yet, but
I know it starts with
me being healthy enough
to not only play but to lead this team,
and that's exactly what I'm gonna do.
Yo. Heh!
- Thank you.
- Man.
One thing I'm not gonna miss
is doing these dishes at the
end of a big family dinner.
- Yeah. No lies told, man.
- Man.
It's like I just found my brother,
and now I'm losing him again.
Come on, man. Losing me is not possible.
Bro, we will always
have each other's back,
no matter where we are
in the world, all right?
Yeah.
- All right?
- Yeah, man.
- I love you, man.
- I love you, too.
Look at my boys, walking definitions
of never count a brother out.
- I'm proud of both of you.
- Thanks, Pops.
Yeah, and thanks for coming in clutch
with the offer from the D.R. team.
Actually, I didn't.
Marcus did.
He came up with the idea, and
he had the connect through
an old teammate in the pros.
He was worried you wouldn't take
it if you knew he hooked it up,
so he asked me to bring it to you,
but I think you deserve to know
when you still got angels on
your shoulder looking out for you.
Uh, can y'all excuse me?
- JESSIE: Yeah.
- Something I got to do.
[EXHALES]
Owe you an apology.
- As do I.
- Nah. Look, Coach. I
I get it now. You did
what you thought was right.
Ain't no way you could have known
that Bringston would have tried
to become the next Harvard.
I was wrong making you
feel like it was your fault.
You honored what I said I wanted
when we first stepped
foot on this field.
You taught me integrity.
Hell, you helped me
find my love for baseball again,
find my dream again.
Man, that meant everything to me.
I know a lot of the guys
are transferring, but
can you keep an extra
eye on J.R. for me?
Of course I will.
I already made sure his scholarship
will be converted over
to an academic one.
Hmm.
Well, thanks, Coach Marcus Turner.
[LAUGHS]
Not my full government name, man.
No. For real
Ohh
thank you for everything
that you've done
for me in this last two years,
not only being my coach but
my surrogate father, too.
[EXHALES]
So what are you gonna do now without me
as a son around giving
you all them gray hairs?
[BOTH LAUGH]
I don't know,
but, see, that's the
funny thing about God.
He's always got a plan.
Simone Hicks.
- [LAUGHS]
- Hi.
Hey. What are you doing here?
Remember when we first
said bye to each other
in front of this portrait?
Uh, yeah,
- the homecoming weekend we first met.
- Mm-hmm.
We had no idea if or when
we'd see each other again, but
we knew our futures were very bright.
Whoa. Hey, hey, hey
this isn't good-bye, Simone.
Isn't it, though?
It's only, like, a 3-hour flight, babe.
OK. Yeah, yeah. My initial
training schedule's gonna be crazy,
but in between games and all that,
we can, like, visit
back and forth, and we
Why are you looking at me like that?
Oh, no, no, no. We can make this work.
Damon, we could,
but at what cost to you?
Everyone said it at dinner.
This is an opportunity of a lifetime,
and I cannot let you risk that
by trying to make us work.
You need to be locked in.
Give pro baseball your everything
and I need to do the same here
at Bringston.
Do you love me?
- You know I do.
- OK. Then I'm not giving up on us.
I will fight you on this.
Yeah, because you're
stubborn enough to do it,
but that doesn't change the
fact that you know I'm right.
Come here.
Haven't had enough time.
Nowhere near enough.
[INHALES]
- Uh
- It's just for now.
Who knows what the future holds, right?
It's still unwritten
- Yeah.
- OK?
Yeah. [CHUCKLES]
KEISHA: [laughs] Aah!
BOTH: What's up, roomie?
God. I'm so glad you guys are here.
Where else would we be?
NATHANIEL: Look. I know this year
isn't starting off the
way that you planned
Damon's gone, and Dr.
P. is living her best
President Barbie life
in the White House,
so she's around less.
NATHANIEL: But this is the
start of your junior year.
- And our senior year.
- NATHANIEL: And we're declaring
that this is going to
be the best year yet,
- no matter what gets thrown at us.
- And that's on, period.
JAMIE WENDT: Just feels good ♪
Well, damn. Let's just
get it started, then.
NATE: Yeah!
WENDT: Just feels good ♪
Greg, move your head.