All American: Homecoming (2022) s03e03 Episode Script

1
[SALSA MUSIC PLAYING]
WOMAN: I ain't scared to be an enemy ♪
Come on, stand right in front of me ♪
Look in my eyes and say to me ♪
What you need to say to me ♪
I'm a monster ♪
Gonna find you ♪
I bring the lightning ♪
And the thunder ♪
Believe me when I say ♪
No, we ain't playin' games ♪
I'm letting go, go, go, go, go ♪
[PANTING]
[BEEP]
J.R.: Burning that midnight oil?
Yeah, something like that.
I got a tournament in a couple days.
You training for baseball?
Yeah, almost back to my
pre-health- scare condition,
which is my first goal in fighting
to get the team reinstated,
plus I got to work up an appetite
because your auntie in town
and Lord knows I miss family dinner.
J.R., we do family dinner every week.
Yeah, but you can't cook.
Hey, don't bite the hand
that orders your takeout, boy.
Hey, you're right. I'm gonna shut up.
I'm here for the peace
and quiet, anyway.
Yeah. Well, the quiet is not for me,
makes the loud things even louder.
You all right? What's on your mind?
Have you talked to Damon recently?
Look. I know y'all broke up,
but that don't mean
you can't talk to him.
No. I know. We've texted a little,
but it's just easier if we don't.
- Easier for who?
- J.R., just
- Is he OK?
- Yeah. I mean, look,
his transition to the
D.R. was a little rough,
homesick, you know. He
wasn't pitching his best,
so they kept him in the
bullpen for, like, a month.
He had to prove himself all over again.
After that, pshh,
been playing the best
baseball of his life.
Hey, by the way, you
ever get that checked out?
It still look painful.
Oh, it's just taking forever to heal.
It ain't gonna slow me down.
I'm'a dominate this season.
Watch.
[PANTING]
[SIGHS]
It's funny.
I didn't know law school applications
looked so much like Yard Yack.
I cannot channel my inner
Elle Woods right now.
Who?
How can I write about
what a great candidate I am
for Bringston Law when
the entire student body
is dragging me on Yard Yack?
I guess the S in "SGA"
stands for "self-serving."
And, look, they're also saying
That you're not looking
out for everybody?
OK. I am trying to vent.
And I'm trying to make
my partner feel better
so she can get into law
school and change the world.
OK. You can proceed.
Look. You did amazing work last year.
You helped rebuild
faith-based clubs on campus
and established
gender-inclusive housing
- Exactly.
- but
both those things have
one thing in common.
Me.
Religion and gender inclusion,
they are both really important to me.
Which shouldn't matter because
they're also important issues
that weren't getting
much attention before you.
Trust,
most students know you're out here
fighting battles for all of us.
I have to address this at the
SGA meet-and-greet tomorrow.
I have to let the students know
that I'm hearing their complaints.
OK. Look. I think that if
Boy, I know you love pens,
but I'm gonna need that back.
Reasoning with you didn't work.
Time for Plan B.
Mm, OK, OK.
Plan B is giving.
[CELL PHONE BEEPING]
Oh. An alert from Campus Safety?
A student was attacked? Wait. What?
There was an attack near campus?
"Please shelter in place
until further notice."
- AMARA: A little pick-me-up.
- Thank you.
I thought I was gonna have to sleep
in the gym last night
because of the lockdown.
I am so glad you made it home safely.
I just wish that also
could have been the case
for the young student who was attacked.
Yeah. Me, too.
How are they?
Who are they, and how worried
should we be about all this?
All I can disclose for now is that
it appears to be an isolated incident.
However, I spoke to Coach Loni,
and, as a precaution,
we've decided to close
the HBCU Tennis
Invitational to the public.
Look. You have no
arguments from us there.
I think the team's a little shook,
plus there's already so much
riding on this tournament.
I know you want to
do well, but I thought
preseason play didn't really count.
Of course it counts.
We're laying the foundation
for our regular season.
We've been training for weeks.
I've been putting in
extra hours in the gym
weight training, cardio, resistance.
OK. Maybe you've had enough coffee.
Auntie, I am fine.
I'm just ready to level up
like you and this
whole White House thing.
It's just a committee
appointment, Simone.
- I'm not running the government.
- Well, we'd all be better off if you were,
and plus, you got to admit,
working with the VP is cool.
It is, but let's stay focused on you.
There's nothing to focus on.
I am good. I am locked in.
This has to be my year. I got to bounce.
Team's waiting. Thanks for the coffee.
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
Simone,
I thought we were gonna
give the team a break.
- What's with the meeting?
- Motivation.
Ladies, let's circle up.
Let's go. Let's go.
As you all know, tomorrow we've
got the HBCU Tennis Invitational.
I shouldn't have to
remind you of the stakes.
Yet here you are about
to, right, Captain?
[LAUGHTER]
Oh, so y'all think this is a joke?
We've switched conferences,
which means we have to prove ourselves
to a whole new crop of competitors,
teams that already think
that they are better than us,
stronger than us because
of all the craziness
with Bringston waging war
or whatever on athletics,
and I need to know that you
are taking this seriously,
and that starts with
an extra hour of lift
now.
OK. I guess that's one way to motivate.
All right. You heard
her. Pick your poison.
Hey, Simone, I'm psyched
about the tournament.
I'm really hoping to show Coach Loni
and you, of course
that I'm Top 6 material.
- Molly, right?
- Right.
Hey, do you have any advice?
I know you started as a walk-on, too.
Uh, maybe later. I got to do
some stuff for the tournament.
OK. Sorry to bother you.
J.R.: Was class that bad?
Bad? Nah, man.
Grad school can't shake me.
- Then what's with the stressed forehead?
- My forehead is
Look. Whatever.
I'm absorbing the lecture.
They give you a lot of information
when you're a second-year grad student.
Whatever you say, Coach.
Forget about my classes. How are you?
Mm, you know, business as usual.
It'd be understandable if you
were still finding your way, J.R.
Nice try, Coach, but you're
not a psychologist yet.
Yeah, I took a year
off, but I didn't forget
how to be a student, unlike you.
You know the drip policy. You
keep dressing like a coach,
they're gonna come for you on Yard Yack.
But I am a coach.
They just moved me
over to track and field.
Oh, so you're intentionally
being a hardhead.
Look. You got more swag
than this, all right?
Stop embarrassing me.
Sorry, son. I got to
go. We'll talk later.
[DING]
[LOUD CONVERSATION]
OK. Why does it look like the lobby
of the Renaissance Tour
only without the joy?
They have questions about the attack,
a lot of questions, and I
tried to hold down the fort,
but I am just the SGA treasurer.
OK. Relax. We got this.
Just bring me up to speed.
They want to know if
suspects have been caught;
is the neighborhood not safe anymore;
what does Bringston plan
to do to protect them;
is Bringston locking down the campus;
will there be more security,
and if we have more security,
is that gonna mean an uptick
- in racial profiling; what about
- OK.
Maybe I should go get
President Patterson, yeah?
Mm, no. They would rather hear from you.
No shade to President Patterson,
but she's a part of a
Bringston administration
they ain't high on right now.
You have to talk to them,
and, for your sake, I
hope you know what to say.
AVILA: I'm too exhausted,
I needed the energy ♪
We need a pick-me-up ♪
I'm in your movie, but this is my cinema ♪
Been there, done that ♪
You want to know what we came for? ♪
Energy, energy, energy, hey ♪
I need the energy, energy ♪
[PITCHING MACHINE LAUNCHING BALLS]
Uh! Damn it.
Uh!
Uh! Damn it.
[EXHALES]
Hey, you maybe want to take it easy?
No. I don't.
Uh!
Uh!
Uh! Uh! Uh! Uh!
OK. I'm so sorry. Uh
I'm guessing that didn't go so well.
Please tell me you're covering the story
and you know something about the attack
because I just got my ass handed to me
by the entire student body.
Unfortunately, there's
not much story to cover.
There are no witnesses,
and, while I did speak
to Campus Safety, they said the victim
wants to remain anonymous, so
- I can't print what they told me.
- What did they tell you?
That the victim was a disabled person
whose wheelchair got damaged
in the attack. That's it.
I mean, it's too bad they don't want
to come forward because apparently,
the attack was so bad that
paint from the wheelchair
left marks on the concrete.
- Um, where are you going?
- To do my job.
I know that look, Nate,
and I know you want to help the victim,
but maybe you should
just let this one go.
- They don't seem to want attention.
- I got this, babe.
- But
- Thank you.
[KNOCKS ON DOOR]
Hey, Ezra.
What are you doing here, Nate?
Is everything OK?
Not really feeling well.
Understandable, given what happened.
How can I help?
How'd you know it was me?
Well, I heard it was
someone in a wheelchair,
and when I went to
the scene of the crime,
I saw the red paint on the concrete.
You and your red chair were iconic.
I'm sorry they destroyed it.
I can only imagine how
much it meant to you.
Yeah. Well, it wasn't just a chair,
you know. It was an
extension of me and my body.
It was my independence.
Can you get it fixed?
No. I mean,
I got this old backup
wheelchair, but it is old,
and battery barely holds a charge,
and I can't even get to class in it.
I'm sorry, Ezra.
Do you mind telling me what happened?
Clearly, the chances of you leaving
are slim to none if I don't, so
I was coming back
from a date last night,
and it was almost midnight,
so I called an accessible rideshare,
and that's when they walked up to me.
How many of them?
5, maybe 6.
They asked what was wrong with me,
and then they said some
other foul comments,
and I told them to get out of my face.
They didn't like that.
Then that's when the punches started
and then next thing I knew,
I was just on the ground
getting hit from everywhere.
Then at some point,
their degenerate asses
threw my chair down a flight of stairs.
Ezra, that's a hate crime,
and I really think you should report it.
- I'm not a victim.
- You're a survivor.
No, Nate.
People see my wheelchair,
they think they should
feel sorry for me.
I'm a son. I'm a brother. I'm an uncle.
I'm a graphic design student
with a minor in history.
I could kick your ass in trivia.
Yeah, I'm disabled, but that's the
least interesting thing about me,
and now if the whole campus knew
- that I was the one who was attacked
- Oh, no.
No. I know what it's like to stand out,
but those people,
they're still out there,
and you deserve justice.
[KNOCKS ON DOOR]
- Yo, come in.
- MAN: Hey.
Hey, what's up? You got the snacks?
Thank you, guys. Thank you.
Look. I got a support system, Nate.
I just want to put all this behind me.
Thanks for stopping by.
OK.
What did we get?
Uh! Uh!
Uh!
[BALL HITS FENCE]
Uh, is there a reason
why you can't stand still?
- You're messing up my swing.
- I'm so sorry to interrupt,
but I actually reserved this court.
You weren't here at 3:00.
The rules are, you forfeit
your spot after 5 minutes.
I I wasn't aware of that rule,
but now that I am, I
won't be late again,
promise.
You want to be Top 6, right?
You got to learn hard lessons,
and this is one of them.
OK, Thea.
- How about we give our freshmen a break?
- Why?
They know the rules,
and this is not the same as what
Thea did to me freshman year.
She was unnecessarily bitchy then.
And you were exactly what just now?
Thea's tough tactics aside,
I'm grateful for the
lessons that she taught me.
It's teaching me to level up,
which I need to do more of this year.
[PITCHING MACHINE LAUNCHES BALL]
Uh!
If you say so, Miss Girl.
[PITCHING MACHINE LAUNCHES BALL]
- Hey, do you have a minute?
- Of course. Come in.
Glad they are letting
you keep your office.
For now. It came with the deal of
me helping out with the track team,
which I'm guessing you
had something to do with.
You're welcome.
Um, anyway, I was hoping to
coordinate with the Wellness Center.
After the assault incident,
students might need
additional support this week.
Yeah. I already talked to the staff.
We're ready and available
if the students need us.
- I appreciate you being on top of it.
- Yeah.
Is there something else?
J.R. might've
said he was worried about you,
something about a creepy
guy who had you shook.
I wasn't shook.
Kind of like you weren't upset
about something when I walked in?
[EXHALES]
I heard from the private investigator,
the one I hired to look into Crystal.
Actually, I'm sorry I asked.
If this has to do with your wife
- ex-wife, I can't
- I have a son.
I'm a father, and I had no idea.
I guess you were right.
She was hiding something.
I'm not sure what to do.
I'm sorry, Marcus, but I can't help you,
not with this. You'll have
to figure this out without me.
NATE: Ezra was just
existing on the sidewalk,
and they attacked him
because they didn't like that,
and now he doesn't want to come forward
because he's sick of
being the victim. I
I don't know what to
do with all this anger.
Channel it
just like I did after the bomb scare.
Instead of letting it consume me,
I pushed for change, facilitating
the safety text alerts
and the extra security cameras.
And yet none of that made
any difference for Ezra, so
maybe our safety measures
need to be reassessed.
You are in your second term
as student body president.
You know the world is always shifting,
but if you have something
in mind that can help now,
I'm all ears.
Well, that's easy. Campus Safety
should have been there to help Ezra.
The incident occurred
a half-mile off campus.
As much as I'd like for them to
patrol everywhere, they can't.
OK, but, Dr. P., a lot of upperclassmen
live off campus right
around that same area.
Even the Wellness Center
is technically off campus,
so Campus Safety should be patrolling
at least that far out, maybe more.
I like it.
I'll bring it up at the
board meeting next month.
Next month?
Dr. P., the students
need to feel safe today.
I understand your frustration,
but changes like this
don't happen overnight.
Well, the students want action,
so what should I tell them, huh,
that, just like the rest
of this administration,
you're actually planning
on doing nothing?
When I suggested you channel your anger,
I didn't mean at me.
You know I am always thinking about
this university and its students.
Guess it's up to me.
[DOOR CLOSES]
Uh
[TYLYNN'S "ONE PLACE" PLAYING]
TYLYNN: You want to be somebody ♪
Uh ♪
You want to go somewhere ♪
But you sleep past noon ♪
You ain't plottin' no move,
how you gonna get there? ♪
Hey.
Girl, today sucked big time.
Like "ice cream for dinner" sucked?
More like "wine and
popcorn for dinner" sucked.
Where is Keisha? I need her advice.
The same, but I don't know. She
hasn't been responding to my texts.
That girl needs a gold
medal in track and field,
the way she keeps running off.
Well, you got me, so start talking.
Well, let's see. I don't have
answers for the student body,
I can't help the victim of the attack,
and I kind of went off on your aunt.
- And you lived to tell the tale?
- Well, it's still early.
Mm, it's just that this is
my last year as president.
I wanted to leave a legacy,
but I'm starting to think
I'm not even a good leader.
Mm. Well, I'll see your
bad day and raise you mine.
Tootie thinks I'm acting like Thea.
- Pro-circuit Thea?
- Old tennis captain Thea.
Girl, what did you do?
I was just enforcing a rule, but
last year as captain, it felt natural,
and this year, it feels
- I don't know.
- Harder?
Impossible?
Just take your pick, but I feel you.
Just remember, you've done this before,
so if you gave them tough love,
it's probably because they needed it.
Yeah. You're right,
and the same for you, Nate.
The students re-elected
you for a reason.
I think they're
expecting so much from you
because they know you can deliver.
It's just, I didn't show that today.
I need to let them know
that I'm fighting for them,
that I have actual solutions.
OK. Well, tell them. Give them a speech.
Brilliant. You know what?
Maybe we don't need Keisha and
her little MIA self, anyway.
We don't. We need them glasses.
- Yeah, baby, and this popcorn.
- Ha ha!
[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]
What's up?
Hey, I think it's great that
you're here to support Nate.
Well, actually, I was
looking for Coach Marcus.
He hasn't answered or
responded to any of my texts.
Oh, that's weird. Is everything OK?
I don't know. I was hoping Dr. P. knew.
[BEEP]
Hey, everyone, um,
two nights ago, um,
a student was attacked off campus,
and, although we have experienced
threats to our safety before,
that doesn't make it any easier.
Many of you are confused.
You are scared. You're angry.
I hear your concerns.
I believe the administration
has a duty to keep us safe
both on and off campus,
so I spoke to them about simply
extending the area in
which Campus Safety patrols.
Unfortunately,
they are unwilling to
enact this change
- Why?
- What?!
but if they won't take care of us,
then we will take care of ourselves.
OK. I'm sure Nate didn't mean
that the way it sounded, right?
I don't know, but I sure
hope Dr. P. ain't listening.
NATE: That means relying
on this community,
so if you see someone
walking alone at night,
offer to walk with
them, but, to be clear,
that also means
honoring our differences.
Although we have tried to make inclusion
a priority here at Bringston,
there are things that
we could do better.
For example, there are disabled
members of this community,
like students in wheelchairs that
don't always feel comfortable
sharing their own experiences,
but we
we have to be willing to listen.
We have to be willing
to check our own ableism,
so if anyone
needs someone to walk with or talk with,
I'll be here.
Thank you.
[APPLAUSE ENDS]
[TENNIS RACKETS PINGING]
OK. Stop. Stop.
Let's go. Hustle, hustle. Let's go.
Heh. OK, so I'm seeing
a lot of sloppy mistakes.
Tootie, be careful when you serve.
- I saw that foot fault.
- I'm still warming up.
Journey, loosen up your grip.
Corinne, you hit the ball on the rise,
you're giving your opponent
way too much time to react.
Molly, your second serve
is all over the place.
I've played in tournaments
before. I know what to do.
You played in high-school
tournaments before.
This isn't high school.
Look. I'm pushing you to prepare you.
There are athletes who have given up
everything to excel in their sport.
They transfer schools.
They leave schools
to go pro,
and I'm not asking you to do that.
I'm asking y'all to
simply play like winners,
which means putting in the damn hours.
Seriously?
I tried to do that, but
you took my court time.
- Excuse me?
- TOOTIE: Hey,
- let's all take a breath.
- With all due respect,
you're not coaching right now.
You're bullying, and I've had enough.
- I'm out.
- If you walk off this court,
you don't play in the Invitational.
- Simone, that's not your call.
- MOLLY: Whatever.
Fine by me.
I heard a lot about you
before coming to Bringston,
how you were an inspirational leader,
mentored young players, your activism.
Guess everyone was wrong.
Let's
Let's get back to work.
[ZIP]
All right.
What's with you, Simone?
This isn't you, and you know it.
Since when is tough love a crime?
Tootie, I need us to win.
We're down 4 players
hours before a tournament.
How is that a winning strategy,
and what are you gonna tell Coach Loni?
That they weren't a
right fit for the team.
It's better to know sooner than later.
Maybe the captain isn't
the right fit for the team.
This is a younger team,
Simone, freshman-heavy.
They need a different approach.
You're not being the
leader they need right now.
Do better.
How is that for tough love?
[KNOCKS ON DOOR]
Ooh, he lives.
We need to talk.
I'm guessing going to Dr. P.
about whatever's going on with you
- wasn't a good decision?
- You guess right.
You overstepped, J.R.
My bad, Coach. I was
just trying to help.
Look. I appreciate that, but
- I don't think anyone can.
- You sure?
Because I'm a good listener,
and Lord knows I done been through
my fair share of crap lately.
I have a 14-year-old son.
OK. Huh. I'm guessing this is new news?
"I found out yesterday" kind of new.
So I get why going to Dr.
P. wasn't the right decision.
Well, I'm glad you came to me next.
I went to my therapist next.
I mean, that's fair.
What's your son's name?
Noah.
His name is Noah.
- There it is.
- What?
That wonderment,
that pride already in your voice.
Yeah. I found him on social media.
Check it out.
He posted this last night.
"He's not a stepfather. He's
the father that stepped up."
Yeah, my ex-wife's fiancé.
What did Crystal have to say?
She kept me away from him for 14 years.
She can wait
till I'm good and ready to tell her
- if I tell her.
- "If"?
Wait. What do you mean,
"if," Coach? You got a son.
A son that has another father
figure in his life, J.R.
OK.
I know what it's like to
look for a father figure
when your own pops is,
let's say, unavailable,
but for a long time, Coach,
that father figure for me was you.
Yeah, but Jesse got it right in the end.
And your son deserves to meet the man
who stepped in for me and
countless other young men
every time we needed him.
- What if he hates me, J.R.?
- And what if he don't?
Bottom line, the cat's out the bag,
so if he ever come looking for you,
you can no longer say you
didn't know he existed,
and that right there
would make him hate you.
Ohh
- What is wrong with me?
- Absolutely nothing.
You are my very perfect niece,
and anyone saying anything different
is gonna catch these hands.
Ohh.
All right.
Spill.
I'm not a good captain.
My teammates think I'm
pushing them too hard.
Everything is just falling apart.
Simone, nothing is falling
apart that you can't fix.
- You're just having a bad day.
- Try bad weeks.
Can I ask you something?
Why are you pushing yourself so hard?
Says the woman with
two jobs in two states.
I'm partially doing that
because it's a distraction.
From what?
A broken heart,
and I think, to answer
your question from earlier,
that's what's going on with you, too.
I stand by my breakup with Damon.
It was the right thing to do.
I stand by my breakup with Marcus,
but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.
You not only lost a boyfriend.
You lost a cheerleader,
a confidant, a best friend.
It's always a painful transition
when the most important
person in your life becomes
a stranger again.
I miss him.
I really, really miss Damon.
I know, baby girl.
When we broke up,
we promised each other
that we would make it count,
and he's in the D.R. killing it,
playing some of the best
baseball of his life.
He's keeping his promise,
and if I don't do the same with tennis,
then it'll all be for nothing.
You don't make it count by
losing who you are, Simone.
Remember why you love tennis.
Play for that and nothing else.
You don't know how much
I needed to hear that.
I miss you.
I miss you, too.
Maybe I'm missing too much
going back and forth to D.C.
Is this about what Nate said?
Auntie, we clearly know that you care
about the student body and its safety.
It's just,
sometimes actions speak loudest,
and that's a word for the both of us.
[KNOCKS ON DOOR]
Hey, I got your text. Is everything OK?
No, not even close.
I've been on the phone all morning
with the insurance
company just to find out
it could be 6 months before
I get a new wheelchair.
Then there's your speech.
Oh?
Wait.
You thought you ate?
It was trash.
I told you I didn't want
to talk about what happened.
I never said your name.
Right, because there
are so many students
in wheelchairs who
need help being heard.
I got people hitting
me up trying to guess
if I was the one who was attacked.
I was only trying to help.
I told you I didn't want
to be in the spotlight.
Maybe you didn't understand that
since you clearly love attention.
That's what your whole
speech was about, wasn't it?
Is that what you think, Ezra?
I know what it's like to be targeted.
- I really
- Save it.
I saw what they're posting
about you on Yard Yack.
I'm not your special cause to
prove you're a good president.
Just just leave me alone, all right?
Molly, hey, can we talk?
Why, you want to kick me
out of this hallway, too?
Look. I deserve that.
- I've been a little intense.
- "Intense"?
Try harsh, mean,
- unwelcoming, excessive
- OK, thesaurus.
What are you, an English major?
OK. Look.
I'm under a lot of pressure, but
but that's no excuse
for how I treated you.
I'm going through a
lot of personal stuff,
relationship stuff.
It spun a little out of control,
and you caught some of the
stray bullets, and I'm sorry.
When you walked off the court
earlier today, that was
- Out of line?
- No.
I was gonna say it was admirable
because I was out of line.
It's not who I am.
You haven't met the real me, not yet.
Well, I've had some practice
standing up for myself.
I took a break from tennis
after dealing with a bad coach,
but I love playing too much to quit.
That's why I'm a walk-on.
And I'm glad you didn't quit
because you are a really good player,
- but
- But I could be better
if I strengthen my second serve?
I stand behind that
message, not the delivery.
If you want,
I know some drills that
could help you with that.
We can go to the court,
and we can work on a few
things before the Invitational.
Seriously?
It's nice to finally meet you, Simone.
Go ahead. Let me have it.
It looks like someone already did.
My speech,
it didn't land the way the way
that I thought that it would.
It wasn't all bad.
I liked the part about
reaching out and
walking with each other.
Ezra hated it.
A valuable lesson all us presidents
have to learn is that usually
when someone says they don't
want to be in the spotlight
after a traumatic incident,
they mean it.
Did Ezra tell you what
would help in this moment?
Yeah. Actually, yeah. He did.
I was just so focused on doing
something that I did
the wrong something.
Your heart was in the right place.
Maybe, but intention and
impact are two different things.
Dr. P., I'm so sorry.
You were offering solutions,
and I wasn't hearing you.
You called me to action,
and you were right to.
Your idea to expand the area
in which Campus Safety
patrols was good, Nate.
I'm on board.
We'll make it happen.
Yeah, next month.
No, right now.
I reached out to a
colleague to cut through the red tape.
You got the chair.
They dropped it off a couple hours ago.
How did you make this happen?
I coordinated with the
School of Physical Therapy,
so you can use this loaner
until your new chair's finalized,
and red reflectors for your wheels.
I thought this would help
make it feel more like yours.
Red is my lucky color.
Yeah. I noticed your
sneakers. They're fly as hell.
Ha!
You want to know my secret
for keeping them so clean?
- Hmm?
- I never walk.
Oh.
It's OK.
Just a little disability humor for you.
Well, how about I apologize?
Because, Ezra, I
well, I truly am so sorry.
I never meant to disregard your needs,
and, in he spirit of
actually doing better,
I wanted to let you know that I
am livestreaming another speech.
No. How much time do I have
to talk you out of this?
OK. I deserve that, but
I think this will help make
everyone on campus feel safer.
You want a preview?
You do?
OK. I see the walk-ons are back,
and you look calmer.
Yeah. I may have lost the
plot there for a while.
Uh, you lost the whole
movie and its sequel.
- Uh!
- OK.
Not trying to reawaken the inner bitch.
Well, how about I awaken the bad bitch
and let her out on the court?
WOMAN: La la la la la ♪
La la la la la la ♪
La la la la la ♪
Vibrate, redesign ♪
Limitless blue sky ♪
When we're together ♪
- We push the limit, come on ♪
- MAN: Out.
- WOMAN: Ready? Let's go ♪
- One-two for the dreamers ♪
For all the believers ♪
We're movin', movin' up ♪
The future never stops ♪
One-two for feelin' ♪
Take a breath now, breathe in ♪
We're movin', movin' ♪
1, 2, 3, go ♪
The future is now ♪
- Uh!
- Uh!
- Uh!
- Ugh!
MAN: Out.
WOMAN: The future is now ♪
CHORUS: Hey, oh, oh, oh ♪
Hey, oh, oh, oh ♪
La la la la la la la la ♪
La la la la la la ♪
La la la la la ♪
MAN: Out!
La la la la la la ♪
La la la la la la la ♪
The future is now ♪
MAN: Game, set, match Thompson.
MAN: Fault.
WOMAN: I gots the
big-ig-ig-ig-ig-ig-ig-ig ♪
I gots the big-ig-ig boom ♪
I gots the big-ig-ig-ig-ig-ig-ig-ig ♪
I gots the big boom ♪
[CHEERING]
MAN: Set.
[CHEERING CONTINUES]
Go, Bringston ♪
Go, Lions ♪
Go, Bringston ♪
Go, Lions ♪
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
Bringston is committed to
making sure this campus is safe.
To that end, we'd like to introduce
the Security Accessory
For Every Student.
Also known as SAFEST.
This small device fits on any keychain,
and by pressing the button twice
or pulling on the chain,
it allows the user to
contact Campus Safety.
It also transmits the
user's exact location
so Campus Safety can respond
whether you are on or off campus.
Starting tomorrow, every student
and faculty member will be able
to pick up one of the devices
from the Office of Residential Life.
We hear you, and we value your safety.
So does the White House
because these were donated
by the vice president
as part of her commitment to HBCUs.
- Well?
- Your first project with the White House.
We are so proud of you.
- Thanks, babe.
- [RINGTONE]
Sorry. Got to take this.
So did you talk to Keisha?
Yep, and she is mad at you.
She said you should've never
advised me to give that speech.
- So it's like that?
- Mm.
You should've told me
what you were gonna say.
Keisha said you gave me bad advice, too.
Oh, I don't give bad advice.
OK. Maybe we did need Keisha.
- Exactly. What a week.
- It's not our fault.
That was my editor at the "Gazette."
Looks like there's a
story to cover, after all.
Ezra wants to talk on the record.
Guess you got through to him, Nate.
Honestly, he got through to me,
but I do feel like a
weight's been lifted.
At least now I can refocus
on law school applications.
Mm-hmm.
Or we could refocus on
a little something else
that also got interrupted yesterday.
Oh, yeah. We can.
OK. That's my cue to exit.
I have an appointment
with my trainer, anyway.
- Excuse me.
- Take your time.
[KNOCKS ON DOOR]
Amara.
I felt bad about the
way I reacted yesterday
to the news about your son.
You have nothing to feel bad about.
If anything, I'm sorry
things from my past keep
coming back to hurt you.
That's why I'm here.
I don't want you to think of your son
as a thing from the
past that could hurt me.
Think of him as a gift
and make the most of that gift.
Thank you, Amara.
I always knew you'd
make an excellent father.
God's cleared the distractions
so you can focus on just that,
being a father.
Good-bye, Marcus.
Mm.
[WINCES]
[SIGHS]
[DOOR CLOSES]
[EXHALES]
[SNIFFLES]
[PHONE LINE RINGS]
Crystal, hey, it's Marcus.
We need to talk.
[JUMP ROPE WHISTLING]
Ooh. We got to stop meeting like this.
All right, planks and pushups.
I'm actually headed home.
You all right?
Heard you lost your match. It happens.
- You'll get it back next time.
- Well, that's just it.
I shouldn't have lost that match.
Something's off with
my swing. I don't know.
I just felt a little sore
or tender under my arm,
and I think that's what messed me up.
Is it the bruise from the
hit you took last week?
Well, the bruise is on this arm,
and that should've healed
by now, too, but it isn't.
What did your trainer say?
She says I'm fine,
but, J.R., I know my body.
I can't shake the feeling
that something's wrong.
Greg, move your head.