Queen Sugar (2016) s03e10 Episode Script

1 Previously, on Queen Sugar.
I can't take Blue away from the only family he's ever known.
- We're his family too.
- I'm asking - for 70/30 split for custody.
- You're out your mind.
The New Yorker, they want to publish the chapter on your dad's depression.
Sam has run this family's legacy into the ground.
I need him out.
You can help me do that.
Please don't hate me.
Remy and I, we kissed.
Oh, no, no, we need to put that out right now.
Go, go, go! My mama was my north star.
Free.
Fierce.
A warrior.
My mama was the ground beneath my feet.
But the day the sickness came, the trees shook and the ground swayed.
And at 19, I let out a cry in this earthquake of sorrow.
She was my everything.
Grief and confusion wedged into every corner of my universe.
Where her bright light once charted my way, everything went dark.
But an hour from New Orleans on the other side of Lake Pontchartrain, deep in the stalks of the cane fields, my sweet daddy's tears quenched the earth.
I never knew that that the land, and my mama's grave beneath it, were more than he could bear.
My daddy was the land.
And we were generations of earth.
From the nooses withered in the trees to the blood-drenched ground.
Daddy would spend a lifetime fertilizing the earth to grow anew.
He fought hard.
Every farming grant denied.
Every deed contested.
Every plantation owner come a-knockin', trying to take what was ours.
He always stood tall and strong in those mud-caked boots.
But the day her sickness came, he slowly started bleeding out.
The stars, her star that once lit his sky, went dark.
So he walked the furrows with a gun in the worn corduroy jacket he used to warmed me with on chilly nights.
He walked for hours in a forest of cane, and buried in a casket of sorrow.
Unable to see her star.
Holding that gun, fingers curled among generations that walked before, grieving, bleeding I never knew the depth of his pain.
But as the whispers of our ancestors lifted from the ground and carried him in the breeze, his fingers uncurled and he loosened his grip, guiding him to the break in the field.
And at the edge of the land he found us.
Waiting.
Arms opened.
Thank you.
Investigations are still underway.
As of yet there are no suspects, and the owner of the plantation says there have been no direct threats.
I can't believe this.
So disrespectful.
What do you mean? I mean, I get it.
I've seen lots of people disrespecting over there, but but that's still history, you know? If they wanted to make a statement, they should have just burned down the big house.
Oh, we're still studying for my physics test after school.
Yes.
Yes, we are.
You keep ditching our study sessions.
I know, I'm sorry.
I see my girls.
Okay.
- Have a good day.
- You too.
I'm not stupid.
I didn't tell them nothing.
Gave them the exact alibi everybody else gave.
- Are you sure? - Yes.
Cops were at his house last night.
- Whose house? - Ant's.
- Are you serious, bro? - Yeah.
But they don't got nothing.
It's just because of the game.
People are talking.
It's all over the news, the Internet.
It's going to be okay.
You find it or not? It's my pop's.
Oh, it was just probably in someone's bag.
- We'll find it.
- Man, I hope so.
Going to need it.
I know Jarrett's being all thorough and everything.
But, Lord, some of these.
Ain't nobody going to put a pie shop in the middle of nowhere.
Look Baby, are you all right? I think I just slept on my neck wrong last night.
- Oh.
I got me some aspirin.
- No, I'm good.
I'm good.
I'm about to just take this out to the truck and move on out.
All right now.
Love you.
I love you too.
Whatever you've got, I can assure you my wife already knows.
That's not why I asked you here, Colton.
You might have my cousin wrapped around your finger, there's a big difference between a Boudreaux and a Landry.
You got five minutes.
What do you want? Your shares in Landry Enterprises.
All 10%.
I'll double what you've paid her.
Keep your mistress.
No, I'm here because of a company called Pillary Reach.
Now, you've been rolling around in the mud with your frat brothers.
Washing everyone's dirty money through your little shell company.
It's a "good ole boy" cliché.
But Daddy will not be happy when he finds out.
I'll give you half.
Now, 5% is a lot.
Money laundering is a federal crime, Colton.
And not only will you go to prison, but the painstaking FBI searches and all the investigations into your daddy's companies and finances, everything you've ever been a part of he'll regret ever giving you a dime.
I want it all.
All 10%.
I'm not here to barter.
You can take your daddy down, or I can take you down.
Your choice.
Finish your homework.
Are you Ralph Angel Bordelon? What's this about? My name is Lorena Campos, This is Nina Williams and Officer Charbonneau.
We're from the Department of Child and Family Services.
Can we talk inside? Y'all can't just be rolling up on people like that.
Sir, if we could please just step inside.
It won't take long.
Come on.
And what did you have for breakfast this morning? Eggs, toast and milk.
We was in a rush this morning.
Kitchen usually would be clean.
I want to make sure you finish reading through.
- Who made breakfast? - Pop made it.
Did Pop take you to school too? Yes.
Do you wake your pop up, or does he wake you up? For school, he wakes me up.
On the weekend, I wake him up.
I see.
Have you ever not been able to wake your pop up? No.
No.
Okay.
I just got to say, watching you living this dream, standing up for yourself, all you Bordelons are just so strong.
I read that essay about your brother this morning.
That niece of yours is a damn good writer.
That she is, but what you mean you read about Ernest? I printed it out after my sister found it online, and she asked me if these Bordelons was related to Miss Violet.
You know, and I was just glad to read some good in the world instead of that awful fire.
- You hear about that? - I did.
New Yorker.
That's big, ain't it? It sure is.
Let's talk about your record.
My record got nothing to do with my ability to be a dad.
My interest is in your record as it pertains to the welfare of your child.
Nothing wrong with the welfare of my child.
He fine.
Scraped his arm at school.
And that's it.
I need you to pay attention here, please.
It's kind of hard when she in there interrogating my kid.
This is standard procedure.
Who called you, huh? I want to know.
We can't disclose that information.
Look, I'm a good dad, okay? I work my ass off taking care of that boy.
I provide for my son, make sure he eat.
Always safe, happy.
I ain't do nothing wrong, all right? I ain't do nothing wrong, you understand? And, yeah, I want to know, who the hell said I ain't a good dad, huh? Why don't you sit down.
Let us do our jobs and we'll be on our way.
Prosper? I'm in here.
Here.
Take my hand.
Are you okay? - I just need a little help.
- Okay.
Okay.
Here, let's let's get you up.
Let's get you sitting.
Okay.
Gently.
Didn't mean for you to leave work.
That's fine.
What happened? I was just getting ready to take a shower, and something slipped.
You're lucky you had your phone on you.
You think you can stand? Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay, no.
Let's sit down.
Let's sit down.
Okay.
I think we got to get you checked out.
Just sit here for me, okay? Okay.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
So you have to just put your name there, and the company, and the date and floor.
- Thank you.
- Have a good day.
Hello? So you think I'm an unfit daddy, huh? What are you talking about? You tell me.
I just had a cop and two ladies from Child Services up here.
They say somebody filed a complaint.
- What? - Wanna tell me what's going on? I thought we was going to work it out.
All that talk about mediation.
And this is what you're going to do? I don't know anything about this, I swear.
I would never make a phone call like that.
Yeah, well, someone did.
Who you been talking to, huh? No, I haven't talked to anybody.
I got to go.
You lie.
Simons don't know a damn thing about creative writing.
All he said was not to swear.
Freedom of expression, okay? Not gonna censor my thoughts.
What is this, 1984? - It's school.
- Just rewrite it.
I got eyes on him.
He's in the east hallway.
- You Anthony Coleman? - Yeah.
Yo, man, get off He has a right to know what this about.
Back up, young lady.
Anthony Coleman, you're under arrest for arson, trespassing and destruction of property.
Man, these hurt.
KJ, call my mom.
I'm calling her now, man.
You got a right to remain silent.
Anything you say can and will be used against you All right.
So, I understand you're here to see Kevin Jarvis? - Yes, ma'am.
- He's out.
My name's Taj Clemens.
What can I do for you, Mr? Bordelon.
I had a visit today from DCFS.
Said they was going to call Mr.
Jarvis about me.
And he's going to be honest when he discusses your case I'm not worried about him being honest.
Great.
What's the problem, then? See, I was going to ask him you know, my record affect DCFS.
When they make decisions about my early parole next month.
All this going to affect the parole board's decision? Depends if the investigation's substantiated.
You'll just have to wait and see.
That all? That's all.
Thank you.
Ralph Angel? - What up, Toine? - Hey, man.
- Good to see you.
- Yeah, good to see you, man.
Hey, Billie, your dad's going to be fine, but Dr.
Berger's concerned about his x-rays.
Likely they'll have to push back his surgery.
I just I wanted to talk it through with you.
Okay, just give me a call when you get this.
Thanks.
Hey.
Thank you.
The doctor said they have to keep him overnight? It's standard procedure.
They want to be careful, keep an eye on him.
He took a pretty hard spill.
You know he canceled his surgery? I did not know that.
I'm learning proud men don't like getting sick.
Think they're invincible.
I don't know if it's pride more than it is fear.
I want to go home.
Well, the doctor said you need to stay overnight for observation, so I'm going to stay with you, if that's okay? That's not necessary, Charley.
Well, I insist.
Prosper did you cancel your surgery? I appreciate what you're doing, taking me in and looking after me, but You don't have to do this alone.
Mr.
Prosper? You know Anita LeMelle, she's the secretary up at the church? No, I don't.
Her husband went in for hip surgery last year.
He died on the table.
Folks my age, they go in and they don't come out.
Hi, Vi.
Come in.
Please, come in.
I can guess why you're here, Vi, but I just want to start by saying this is all for Blue.
You got to do better than that, because if this all for Blue, you would have come long ago with more than a checkbook.
But oh, no, you left the raising to us.
- That is not - Treating us like some glorified babysitters while your daughter was off snorting, smoking and doing whatever and whoever - she could get her hands on.
- Don't Lady, you about to feel the Bordelon wrath.
I am grateful for everything that you and your brother did to raise Blue.
And I had no problem when it was you and Ernest.
But ever since Ralph Angel's taken over, there have been things, questionable manners, in which he raises that child.
How you know how he cares for that child? You and the baby's mama have been resting in D.
C.
while he's down here busting his ass every day to put clothes on that boy's back.
Every dime he makes goes to that child.
Every ounce of love he has goes to that little boy.
But Blue is bouncing from home to home.
While Ralph Angel's working long hours and multiple jobs.
It's an unstable environment.
Not to mention he's got criminals employed on his farm.
He lets men in the house with alcohol, and their friends, and god knows what else.
Excuse me, you need stop right there.
No wonder he's wetting the bed and acting out in school.
It's a cry for help.
So, no, I won't stand by, Vi, and watch this happen to our grandson when we can provide the best care, money and stability that that child needs.
Like your daughter had? See, maybe if the mama ain't here one minute and gone the next, Blue wouldn't be having these problems.
Did you ever think about that? Please, Vi.
I'm not trying to disrespect you.
But put yourself in our shoes.
What would you do? Ralph Angel may not even be Blue's biological father.
Hm! Ralph Angel is more of a parent to that child than his mama ever even attempted to be.
I don't give a rat's ass about no DNA.
He's a Bordelon.
And I will gladly be damned if you, Child Services, or your damn daughter try to tell me anything different.
I will bring you a fight.
They're trying to take him away from me.
DCFS is not going to take a child away from a loving home.
They want what's best for him.
You're on the birth certificate, right? Yeah, I'm on the birth certificate.
So, yeah, you'll be fine.
Man cards ain't always stacked in my favor, Toine.
Like everybody against me.
Rah, man, you know it ain't like that.
You ain't seen what I been through.
You wanted my advice for what's happening with this Child Services woman, right? Look, man, you saw how it was back in the day.
Any day I wasn't in a fight, I was starting one.
I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.
And remember what my dad was like? - I remember.
- All that trouble I got into was because people didn't understand me.
Nothing was ever my fault.
It was always everybody else.
But it wasn't until I took responsibility for myself, until I understood who I was So you ain't ever get mad no more? Just mad at everybody.
I have a rage in me that knows no bounds.
But now I know that society look at me a certain way.
So I can't let that dictate how I react.
Hey, take it from me, man.
Not everybody's father would dig through the trash for their kid's toy.
You're a good dad, Ralph Angel.
But all that man shit Man, what man? This man shit right here.
All that's going to do is take you closer to losing him.
Darla, this is Lorena Campos from the Department of Family and Child Services.
- She's here to - It's good to meet you.
I know why you're here.
Miss Sutton, I just have a few questions about your son Blue and his father, Ralph Angel Bordelon.
- Okay.
- Like I was saying, Blue is so happy when he's here with Darla.
Sweetie, I hope you don't mind, I showed her Blue's room.
I'm sorry are you here to question both of us, or just me? I'm here to talk to you.
Then, Mom, if you wouldn't mind giving us the room.
Oh.
Yes, of course.
I'll just go pop down and get some groceries.
If you'll excuse me.
I'll be back.
Thanks.
You don't have to stay.
I don't mind.
You didn't think to tell me about this essay of yours? It was a last-minute replacement.
Another author dropped out.
I brought a copy I printed out for you.
You can keep it.
I've seen it.
I spent all day fighting with folks outside this family by disrespecting who we are.
And here you are doing the same thing from inside the family.
I can't wrap my brain around why you running around telling your daddy's dirty laundry? It's not like that.
You're the one told me to speak my truth.
Yes.
Your truth.
My brother, your daddy, ain't even here to defend himself.
I'm sorry I didn't tell you.
I should've.
But people have been reaching out to me all day.
On Twitter.
Emails from colleagues.
Everyone saying how much Daddy's story resonated.
Helped them have a conversation.
This is helping people.
It means something.
And what about us? You're so busy running around helping everybody else, you forgot about us? No.
When I found out what Daddy went through, what all he was struggling with, I was angry.
Mad as hell at all the people who ever wronged him.
But really, Aunt Vi, I was mad at myself.
I was here.
I was right here.
And I had no idea.
I didn't know.
None of us did.
Nova, I love you.
Always have.
Always will.
But you're off.
You think this a good decision, something ain't right with you.
In your life, in your soul.
I don't know what it is, but whatever it is, fix it.
Come to yourself.
I know he got into some stupid stuff, but I never thought he'd pull a stunt like this.
Maybe it wasn't his fault.
Maybe it was an accident.
Like, they haven't, you know, proven anything yet.
Micah do you know something? Yeah.
Yeah, we we were all there.
We'd been talking about it for a couple of weeks, but Wait.
Y'all have been planning this for weeks? Is this why you haven't been hanging out? Every time I hit you up to hang out with us, you're always talking about how busy you are.
Yeah, I have been.
I have SATs coming up.
And y'all could go to jail if you get caught.
Like, I can't believe you did something like this.
Aren't you the same person that told me I should make some noise when I wanted to do something about that confederate sword at Gardini? - That's not this.
- Yes, it is.
What are you even doing? Excuse me? They're actually out there doing something.
You're just standing around talking about it.
Standing around? I have been working my ass off trying to qualify for scholarships to get into college.
Stop acting like you're woke, because you burned our ancestors' homes and you got your friend arrested.
I didn't get my friend arrested.
I've been here.
I know the difference between what's real and what's not.
And this? What did it do? What are you doing? - I can't - Where are you going? Stop, stop, stop.
This doesn't seem like you at all.
Yeah, well, who am I? I don't know.
Pop? Why did the police come? Just a misunderstanding.
Them ladies wanted to make sure the house was good.
That's all.
I'm sorry if they scared you.
I was a little scared myself.
Is that why you yelled? Yeah.
And I shouldn't have.
What's a record? When I tell you not to do something and you do it anyway, then they got to put you on time-out.
When you was a baby I did something I shouldn't have.
Had to go away for a little while.
Think about what I done.
I was in prison, Blue.
You know what prison is? It's where bad people go.
Are you a bad person, Pop? No, I'm not a bad person.
But I did some bad things.
I took things that weren't mine.
I need you to know something.
I regret the things I done.
I ain't ever going to do them again.
You understand? I ain't going to let nothing ain't going to let nothing take me away from you.
Never again.
Come here.
Oh, man.
I love you so much, man.
You going to come in here and say hello? I think I'm going to lay it on down.
It's been one of them days, you know? Lord, don't I know it.
Darlene is in town meddling in Ralph Angel's business, stirring up a whole heap of trouble.
And then Nova comes around here, telling me about this essay she wrote for Ernest.
Hollywood, when you read it I read it.
Friend of mine sent it to me.
I don't understand what got into that girl.
Making Ernest look weak, I tell you.
What? You disagree? I don't disagree.
I just I think we see things a different way.
You don't know, but a few days ago was the anniversary of Leanne having that miscarriage.
I know we ain't never talk about it.
I don't ever want to talk about it.
She was 18 weeks.
And since it was a late miscarriage I saw her, Vi.
The tiniest thing I ever seen.
And it was wrapped up in a blanket.
Put her in a basket.
Just wheeled her away.
That was 11 years ago.
She'd be 11 years old.
You know, some years, when the day comes around, I just do all I can to keep myself distracted.
I don't know, this year have a lot going on, you know? So when I read that thing about Ernest I know how hard it is to stare at the pain.
But it's even harder to act like it ain't there.
Your daddy'd be so proud.
You okay? No.
No.
I'm not okay.
Aunt Vi challenged me today.
Told me to come to myself.
Ever heard that? It's a parable.
How do you know it? Shauna got hurt once.
This was years before she died.
She was laid up in a military hospital overseas for two weeks.
After that, she made me promise that if anything ever happened to her, that I wouldn't spend the rest of my life in grief.
That I would eventually "come to myself.
" And move on.
Hmm.
I was supposed to set up this new life.
Sell my house.
I never did.
I couldn't leave it.
Maybe it's a pattern.
In some way I'm a way for you to stay close to Charley.
No.
It's not that.
What I feel for you is real.
But it's not worth the price it would take from those we love.
You can feel that, can't you? I feel that we're right for each other.
But I also feel the way that we came to know that is Filled with pain.
Yeah.
Always will be.
Yeah.
You're a good man who deserves good things.
So do you.
You move like a bird With a wounded wing And wounded nerves I sail like a summer lost To a cold front Freezing fog You move like a bird With a wounded wing And wounded nerves There is more down there Than you know There is more down there Than you know You move like a bird With a wounded wing And wounded nerves There is more down there Than you know Go, Ree-Ree.