Atlanta (2016) s03e04 Episode Script

1 Wait, wait.
You're listening - Okay? - All right.
- Okay? - All right.
- You're listening - Listening To Radiolab.
- Radiolab.
- From - WNYC.
- C.
- C? - Yup.
And NPR.
I've learned How would you describe this on? My sense is that you walk into a wild place.
Then you hear the wind and the trees, and you hear these chirps and sounds and calls, and they're just part of the they're part of the wild.
They're wildlife, but there's now a group of scientists who listen much more closely and who are reducing wildlife to wild talk.
- It's-it's, uh - Yeah.
There are words in there.
When you find the words, as the people we will meet do in these stories, you end up not just understanding but actually entering that wild space in a very cool way.
- Right.
- Yes.
Or as a dolphin might say How would a dolphin say it? I don't know.
Well, then, then you know what? That is exactly kind of the question of this next segment.
I mean, the dream that a human being can talk to a dolphin or any animal - Sorry? - Your order.
Sir, you can get back in line.
Bae, whatever.
It's all right.
You could go, or Nah, it's whatever.
Go ahead.
Could I get a large coffee, please? Mm-hmm.
Is that all? Yeah.
Thanks.
Say what you want, say what you want to say I already know you're mine Take what you want, take a piece of me It seems to ease your mind You don't have to explain.
Katie, he's here.
- She's coming.
- Great.
Thanks.
Are you using the, um, the standing lamp? The-the shaker beige one in the guest room? No, not really.
Uh, any chance I could borrow it? I-I could use a little bit more light in my place, and - Hey, Dad.
- Hey, kiddo.
All right.
I'll-I'll just grab it later? - Sure, that's fine.
- Okay.
All right, let's do it.
How you doing? - I'm good.
- That's nice.
Substantially impact racial matters - in modern day society.
- Well, yes.
In the case of the Tesla trial, you have a Black man suing Josh Beckford, an early investor at Tesla, due to the fact that his ancestors were enslaved by relatives of Mr.
Beckford's.
That human capital and profit can be directly linked to the financials of the company, so I do think there's merit, and he could win the lawsuit.
Not could win.
Did win.
Mr.
Mbaye did win the lawsuit, a scenario that seemed impossible to many beforehand.
And you have to think this decision will have very far-reaching consequences all around the world - Dad? - Especially in America due Yeah, sweetie? Mom sprayed herself with that flower perfume before you picked me up.
I think she wants you to come home.
Did she say that? No.
I just think so.
Okay.
Got it.
All right, have a good day at school, sweetie.
The Marvin Gaye versus Robin Thicke Hey, Dad? Yeah.
Can you stay over at Mom's soon? You know what? I'll talk to her about it.
Don't you think this might actually heighten tensions between Black and white people? It feels divisive The Tesla investor was the owner of this Black man's ancestor.
So, also the owner of that man's future.
You're right.
It's-it's never gonna be solved easily.
Can you believe this guy? Now this Tesla exec owes him a ton of money.
He'll be set for life.
This whole thing is crazy.
Do you even care? It's unfair.
Uh, whatever.
I mean, it's not like he's even gonna notice.
He's rich.
We're meeting.
Uh, what for? Come on in.
All right, I think that's everybody.
As some of you might have heard, I did get word from the CEO and head executives that we'll be having some layoffs.
How soon? We'll get into that later today.
I've been told that HR will This is ridiculous! Now, I know a lot of you will have many questions, and we want to be sure and answer all of 'em, but at this point in time, that's all the information I have.
There's a rumor they're being sued with the same clause that got the Tesla guy.
This shit's bonkers, right? Bonkers.
Well, and it's cleared the way for personal litigation now.
They can just look you up and force you to pay.
What? No.
- Really? - Yeah.
It's scary.
I'm looking at my family tree right now to make sure I'm in the clear.
Everybody else is, too.
Lucky them.
Not a care in the world.
Aren't you worried? Nah.
I don't yell "fire" unless I see flames.
There's no smoke on my end.
You gonna check your background? Nah.
I never signed up for that stuff.
Oh, you don't have to.
One of your relatives could have signed up.
I can show you how to look.
I'm fine.
All good.
Mm, shout-out to his lawyer.
- This is crazy, right? - It's crazy.
He's got to put his money where his mouth is now.
So what you gonna do - with your apolo-cheese? - Oh.
No more apologies, just apolo-cheese.
Apolo-cheese! I like that.
I'm gonna hit the mall and sped some of this apolo-cheese! Yeah.
Uh, you better get some Nike stock, though, right? Okay? I'm about to go hire that same lawyer.
I'm sure somebody owes me about $50 million.
Mm-hmm, this is se You got a lot of homework today? No, not too much.
Well, that's good.
You tired? No, not really.
I'm thinking spaghetti for dinner tonight.
Huh? Maybe a little of my famous garlic bread? Are we racist? What? A kid at school said we're racist.
That's not true, Katie.
That's Right now, Black people are just Don't listen to that kid at school, okay? You are not racist.
Were we slave owners? No, we Do you see any slaves in our backyard? Mr.
Pedro.
Mr.
Pe? No, I pay Mr.
Pedro.
You Listen, that stuff happened a long, long time ago.
All right? We-We're Austro-Hungarian.
We were enslaved during the Byzantine Empire.
Uh, what? Should I fly to Hungary and demand money now? That would be ridiculous, right? Right? Sweetie, dinner's ready.
Hey.
All right.
Let's do it.
Want cheese? Tell me when to stop.
Mm-hmm.
Ugh.
Dig in.
Eat.
Marshall Johnson? Yes? You've been served.
I'm sorry.
What is this about? My name is Sheniqua Johnson of the St.
Louis Johnsons.
Your family owned my great-great-grandmother and father for 12 years.
You owe me money.
Uh I There there-there must be some kind of mistake.
Uh, you know, can we just talk about this outside? - Uh-uh.
There ain't been no mistake.
- Excuse me.
- Ooh, look what we got here.
- Excuse me! Who is it, Dad? - Uh, ma'am? - Now, we got one, two, three bedrooms.
Uh - Look at this bathroom.
- Uh, ma'am, could you could you - please get out of my house? - They got that good stuff in here.
- Oh.
- Excuse me! You know what? You owe me about $3 million.
Ma'am, hey, hey, hey, hey, stop it! Get out of my house! Uh-uh.
This is my house, and I'm livestreaming the entire thing.
I want what's owed to me, Marshall.
You know what? If you don't get out right now, I'm calling the police.
Hmm.
- I'm calling the police right now! - You know what? Your family's got blood on its hands.
And don't bother calling the police because I already been there.
Ooh! Now, Jamal's gonna love this spot.
And don't slam my door! Uh-oh.
Maybe don't tell your mother about this.
Okay, let's do it.
Here we go.
Hold on.
W-Wait Just wait for me.
Okay.
Okay.
All right, come on.
Let's do it.
Let's go.
Hey.
- Where's? - All the Black people? Besides Willy and Lester, they didn't come in today.
Did did you get your results back? 69% Ashkenazi Jew, baby.
You're Jew? Uh, you're Jewish? The world can finally know.
We were slaves, too.
Austro-Hungarians were slaves as well.
Come on, Marshall.
That was like a million years ago.
Hey, um, the guy, uh, with the shirt, uh? - Oh, Tim in Accounting? - He yeah.
Yeah, the, um, Black family suing him decided that they just wanted him to acknowledge it, so he's got to wear that shirt twice a week.
One of them has to be Sunday.
I don't know.
Personally, I-I think he got off kind of easy.
Marshall Johnson, - you owe me money.
- No.
- No.
- $3 million, and you have to pay up.
What do we want? Compensation.
- No.
- When do we want it? Now.
Marshall Johnson's great-great-granddaddy enslaved my great-great-granddaddy, and he owes me a lifetime of pay! No.
No, no, no, no.
No.
No.
No.
No.
Pay up! Marshall Johnson.
- Hey, excuse me.
- Paging Marshall Johnson.
- Hey, excuse me.
Excuse me.
- Marshall.
All right, all right, listen, I work here.
All right? You can't come to my place of work.
Marshall Johnson, you owe me money.
I-I'm not the Tesla guy.
Okay? I don't have that kind of money.
How much money do you make a year? What? Uh How much money do you people in there make a year? - I bet you it's more than I do.
- Could you please I'm begging you could you please just leave me alone? That's exactly what my great-great-grandmother said.
Marshall Johnson's great-great-granddaddy - was a slave owner.
- No, no, no.
Not true.
He owned my great-great-granddaddy.
- Not true.
- You need to pay up! $3 million.
$3 million.
What do we want? Compensation! When do we want it? Now! Marshall Johnson's great-great-granddaddy enslaved my great-great-granddaddy Get me a new car, get Sierra a new car.
You gonna get a Cadillac or one of them, uh, - those Cybertrucks? - I don't know.
You know, Jamal can get a new phone.
Get Tangy and Sierra's mom a new place, 'cause Lord knows I can't be dealing with that anymore.
- Her mama? - You already Hey, Lester? Could I could I talk to you for a sec? Yeah.
What's up? Hey, man.
How you doing? - Pretty good.
- Ain't no such thing as free labor, Marshall.
Pay up! Uh look, I know this is a crazy time and everything, and, uh, I-I really don't know what to do.
Uh, no, thanks.
Thank you.
Um, I'm just a guy, you know, trying to get by.
And I feel like this woman is harassing me, you know? She's kind of ruining my life.
Uh, so I-I just don't know what to do.
You honestly want my advice? Uh, yes.
Look, man, I grew up with Black women.
Right.
I figured.
The only thing you can do is say you were wrong and give her as much money as you can.
She'll probably want to meet with you one-on-one, cut you down a bit I just don't know what to do.
- Hmm.
- Honestly, my advice? You got to fight that shit, man.
Come in as hard as her.
It's the principle.
I looked her up on Instagram.
All she's talking about is the fact that you owe her a lot of money.
100% Nordic?! How is that even fucking possible? This concerns all of us, Willy.
No, it don't, Ashley.
No, it don't.
What? Uh, I was supposed to pick her up.
What's going on? Is it true? Is wh? Oh, my God.
Was Sheniqua here? Did did she talk to you? - Marshall, I can't believe you.
- Okay.
Let's just go inside and discuss this.
Look, you can't come in here.
Seriously, Natalie? Have you checked your background? This could have easily happened to you.
I'm Peruvian.
This would never happen to me.
Per You were white yesterday! Okay, look, Natalie, please, can we just c-can we just go inside and just sit down and-and just talk about? Can I can I say good night to Katie? Marshall I can't have my finances take a hit.
We have to make the divorce official.
Wait.
What? This is not happening.
The way you make me, make me, make me feel What the? Oh There he is! That's the guy right there.
Oh.
Go get him, Jason! End No, no, no, no.
Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.
Your touch Oh, my God.
Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.
Oh, fuck.
Oh, fuck.
Oh.
That's what I feel when I'm with you.
Well, sir, you know, my time was wasted, too We didn't do it, but we can help you get your money.
Don't know if you owe restitution taxes? We can help you with that.
The first time Ever I saw your face Hi.
Would you like something to drink? Uh, uh, I'll just have what he's having.
Okay.
Rose in your eyes How long are you here for? Honestly, I am not quite even sure.
Just checked in today.
Yeah, I flew in a few days ago.
Looking for a new place.
They can't find my bag, though, so I look like hell.
Name's Earnest.
Friends call me "E.
" Marshall.
I have a feeling we're in the same boat, Marshall.
You owe a lot? This woman she follows me everywhere, won't leave me alone.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome.
I felt the earth Just can't believe this is actually happening.
Two days ago, I had a good life, and now I'm being fucked by some shit that I didn't even do.
I'm losing my wife, my house, my daughter.
I don't know.
Didn't fucking do anything.
Ever I kissed Your mouth As I was saying, I don't know.
Move in my hand What? I don't know.
Like the trembling heart My grandfather used to tell me how his father built everything we had from the ground up, pulled himself up by his own bootstraps, you know? Turns out, he didn't.
Turns out he had a lot of help.
And a lot of kids.
My command Maybe it's only right.
E, we don't deserve this.
Well, what do they deserve? We were treating slavery as if it were a mystery buried in the past, something to investigate if we chose to.
And now that history has a monetary value.
Confession is not absolution.
And in the case of this person What's her name? Sheniqua.
To Sheniqua, to them slavery is not past.
I mean, it's not a mystery.
It is not an historical curiosity.
It is a cruel, unavoidable ghost that haunts in a way we can't see.
None of us are perfect.
So now you're what? You're separated from your wife? She's taking your kid? Now she has to be raised without a father? She has to build wealth and success from the ground up, right? It's similar to the position we put them in.
The first time But we're gonna be okay.
Ever I saw Your daughter's gonna be okay.
The curse has been lifted from her.
All of us We were running from it, but now we're free.
Excuse me.
Your face.
Come on! Come on, babies! Come on! You got it! Yeah! Ooh, I'm so proud of my babies.
Holy shit.
There's more where that came from.
All right, guys, uh, I got a decent-sized reservation in the main dining hall, so I'm gonna need all hands on deck for that, full hands in, full hands out.
You know the routine.
Uh, make sure to push the daily specials, okay? I don't want to ask about that again.
And if anyone has a portion of their paycheck going to restitution taxes, stay after.
Everyone else, hit the floor.
Simon, ten percent? One second, please.
Okay, you're good.
Thank you.
Hey.
Uh, name of payee? Uh, Sheniqua Johnson.
Okay.
And percentage? - 15%.
- 15%? Ouch.
Well, at least tips aren't garnished.
There's that.
- Uh, you're good.
- Cool.
Thanks.
And you're doing ten again? Basura blanca.
Hey, huevón.
Get to work.
Te vi llegar tarde, pendejo.
Ah! Okay.
Keep talking like that, they're gonna make you a busboy.
All right, good evening, ladies and gentlemen.
All right.
Hey.
Okay.
Ooh.