All American (2018) s03e17 Episode Script
All American: Homecoming
1
[CHEERING.]
Hey, Bringston University, y'all, make some noise! - [LOUDER CHEERING.]
- Uh! Let's go.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, uh! Sweet Lord, please have mercy Baby Jesus, please save us I know I used up my three favors Back to sinning, like, a week later New car, speed racer Cop a crib, need acres Most of all, we all need prayer Karma coming, beware Wow.
I bet Princeton isn't doing all this for their homecoming.
Princeton who? SPENCER: Exactly.
Look, if they too wack to accept you, forget them.
Look, guys, I thought the whole point of this trip was to help cheer me up and take my mind off that school.
OLIVIA: Well, yeah, and to scope out the HBCU experience.
JORDAN: You're the only one with HBCUs on your list, Liv.
Well, at least she has a list.
I ain't got nada.
All right.
Ok.
Stop the college talk, all right? This weekend is about visiting your aunt and having some G.
A.
F.
Am I right? Grown-ass fun.
Come on, guys.
[CHUCKLES.]
Hold up.
Hold up.
Is that really Cordae on the stage? CORDAE: All gas and the brake's slower Took a trip out to Tokyo Now I'm here in Paris for the layover SIMONE: All right, y'all.
Welcome to Bringston University.
It's time to turn up.
CORDAE: Life will hit you with a light jab Mike Tyson, strike back You go on now, slight sad Know I'm all about my bag New drip, I grab I just wanna get my life back It's just like in any other space.
As black journalists, you will be held to a higher standard.
There's a larger, unrealistic burden on black journalists.
And if you take someone like me, who lies in the intersection of journalism and activism, that burden is even greater.
- OLIVIA: Is that your aunt? - PROFESSOR: Keisha? KEISHA: So how can you maintain journalistic objectivity? - STUDENT: The same way white reporters do.
- KEISHA: Except, do they? Just because the views of whiteness are normalized to be the objective neutral doesn't mean that they actually are.
All right.
Forget about journalistic objectivity, Keisha.
I instead believe in being ethical, fair, and telling the truth.
There's a difference.
And as for ethics, my philosophy is if it doesn't cross your line in the sand, there is no shame in walking away.
But if it does, you pursue it until you have it right, and then bring it all to the light.
Ok.
Yas, poetry! [LAUGHTER, STUDENTS SNAPPING FINGERS.]
PROFESSOR: All right.
See you all Tuesday.
Keisha, you're a mess.
Hootie hoo! Hootie hoo! Ha ha! Hi, auntie.
Oh, my baby girl.
- I can't believe you're really here.
Ha ha! - I know.
Olivia, which makes you Spencer.
- And you must be nephew-in-law.
- Something like that.
Uh, by the way, thank you so much for letting us stay this weekend, Ms.
Patterson.
Dear God.
Call me Amara.
I am not that old.
So what you got going on? What do you mean? Teaching.
You are never just teaching.
I know you got some amazing article brewing somewhere up in there.
I'm still putting the pieces together.
In the meantime, it's homecoming.
Yeah, y'all seem to take that real serious out here.
Oh, honey, you have no idea.
Keisha has offered to be your unofficial ambassador for the weekend.
So leave your bags with me.
Have some fun.
I'll catch you later.
- Wait.
Are you sure? - Girl, don't ask twice.
I made the long climb for the first time I'm on top for the third time KEISHA: You made it just in time for the best part of homecoming.
- OLIVIA: What's that? - Tonight's fashion show, choreographed by moi.
Oh.
So you're a journalism major/choreographer? Premed, actually, and proud captain of the undefeated Bringston dance squad.
Hey.
What are you thinking about applying here for? Oh, no, I'm not applying here.
- I'm just visiting with my family.
- More like hiding from family.
Simone's mom is, like, a lot.
KEISHA: So where are you applying? Honestly, I don't know.
Girl, tick-tock.
You're kind of running out of time.
- What's your thing? - Tennis.
- Tennis.
- Mm-hmm.
- Ok.
You any good? - Yeah.
- KEISHA: Ok.
- SIMONE: I am.
Yo, is everyone in Atlanta here this weekend? - This is bananas.
- Girl, HBCUs are hot right now, especially with 3 of our grads out here saving the country from itself.
Thank you, madam V.
P.
And thank you, Ms.
Stacey "Nobel Peace Prize Nominee" Abrams.
Hey.
I like the way you say that.
Wait.
Who's the third one, though? BOTH: Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Ok, so what's the real on the two sexies behind us? - Well, one of them is my husband.
- Husband? Ok, well, that's a story that I need to hear, but please tell me it's not the dark chocolate one.
Oh, no.
Spencer is all Liv's.
Um, no.
Spencer and I are not together.
We're just friends.
Well, then, heh, yay, me.
["WOBBLE" BY V.
I.
C.
PLAYING.]
KEISHA: All right.
So, um, who's hungry? Wobble, baby, wobble, baby, wobble - Yeah - Wobble, baby, wobble, baby, wobble - Yeah - Wobble, baby, wobble, baby, wobble Yeah Get in there! Yeah, yeah Get in there Yeah, yeah Get in there Yeah, yeah All right.
So who gonna wobble with me? Oh, I'm good.
I'm not really in a group dance kind of mood.
Whatever drama you got back home, forget about it.
Just for the weekend, give in to the fun of a beautifully melanated HBCU experience.
All right.
So I'm gonna be real mad - if we don't get out there before my song ends, so - Well, I'll come.
Next song, I promise.
Ok? Get in there! Yeah, yeah Hey, big girl, make 'em back it up - Yeah - Make 'em back it up [STUDENTS CHEERING, OLIVIA LAUGHING.]
Make 'em back it up [DEADPAN.]
Giving in to the fun.
Make 'em back it up Hey, big girl, make 'em back it up - Yeah - [ECHOING.]
Make 'em back it up Girl, wobble it, and I'mma gobble it Yo, can you not? - Are you crazy?! - Look, look.
I'm just not trying to do the whole picture thing this weekend, all right? Look, I just want some privacy.
Wait.
I don't know who you are, nor do I care.
I was taking a video of my friends dancing behind you.
[CHUCKLES.]
Oh.
Oh, my bad.
Your bad? Are you serious? If you ever touch me or my property again, i why are you amused right now? I'm sorry.
Look, uh, please continue.
Oh.
So you think you're cute.
Ok, well, uh, let's see how funny you think this is when you go viral for getting your ass handed to you by a woman.
JORDAN: Hey, everything good, babe? - SIMONE: Yeah.
- JORDAN: You sure? Yeah.
Man.
Just a, uh just a little misunderstanding.
Forget him.
- Big girl, make 'em back it up - Yeah Make 'em back it up Hey, big girl, make 'em back it up - Yeah - [ECHOING.]
Make 'em back it up MAN: Whoo! MAN 2: You know, if you really don't want folks to know you're here this weekend, this is the last place you should be.
I just wanted to see the field where Hank Dawson - broke the record for stolen bases.
- Mm! Greatest to ever do it in the Negro league.
Yeah.
You all right? Yeah, man.
I'm cool.
Just wish I could've met him.
So what's it like to play for the great Leonard Shaw? Crazy intimidating.
They keep me on the bench most of the time, though.
Man, your time will come.
All right? You see yourself coming to school in the south? Come on, man.
The dream's to play in Cali.
What if Simone don't want to stay in Cali? She does, ok, now that Princeton's off the table, so everything's gonna be a-ok.
SPENCER: I knew it.
I knew that cat looked familiar.
Who is he? Damon Sims.
He one of the top recruits in the country.
That boy's a sure thing to go first round to the MLB straight out of high school this year.
MLB.
Then, well, why is he here checking out Bringston's baseball program, trying to be all incognito? I'm gonna catch you after practice.
- Hey, yo, is that Damon Sims? - What? MAN: Hey, guys, check it out.
Damon Sims is here.
I told you.
OLIVIA: Who knew there was a whole mini-Wimbledon going on back here? KEISHA: Thea's parents insist on nothing but the best for their baby girl.
They are major donors.
SIMONE: Damn.
She is ridiculous.
Do you see how aggressive she is from the baseline? OLIVIA: Ok, calm down.
She's not Beyoncé.
KEISHA: Came up on the junior circuit, and the 2020 national women's HBCU champion.
So, yeah, she's kind of our Queen Bey, just not as nice.
[GROANS.]
Are you guys done? Like, is there anywhere else you can hang out and be disruptive? - Or it has to be here? - Oh, uh, sorry.
We, like, weren't trying to distract you or anything.
And yet here you are even closer.
Oh.
Uh, I'm trying to give you a compliment, but I guess I'll just mind my business.
- You play? - Excuse me? Oh, yeah.
I came up junior circuit like you.
Oh, like me? Let's see what you got.
You can help warm me up.
Becca.
Wait.
You mean, like, right now? Oh, yeah.
Uh, ok, cool.
All right.
Good luck this season, y'all.
Hey, how about it? [CHUCKLES WEAKLY.]
Thanks, but I'm good.
I don't want to interrupt.
Interrupt? Dude, we're all dying to see that velocity.
What'd you clock at the all-star futures game, 101? 102.
1, actually.
Hey, we got time before Coach get here.
Let's toss a few.
- Really, I'm I'm good, man.
- Y'all really gonna make him say it? Million-dollar baby over here can't waste his arm on little old us.
- Don't put words in my boy's mouth.
- My bad.
Am I wrong, though? Correct me, please.
All right.
Who's got a pitcher's glove? You gonna You gonna You gonna Get ready.
WOMAN: Hey! MAN: 'Cause you got to feel it in your soul 'Cause you got to believe it, you got to know 'Cause you got to wake up and dream and go get it A visionary knows no limit Do it big so your name be remembered OLIVIA: I thought this was a friendly match.
Those don't exist for Thea.
You gonna dream big PLAYERS: Whoo! PLAYER: That's what I'm talking about.
WOMAN: Calling shots 'cause you're in charge You gonna dream big, you better dream large You wanna live life like a renegade Climb to the top for your piece of fame PLAYER: Let's go, boys.
Calling shots 'cause you're in charge You gonna dream big, you better dream large If you gonna Mm You gonna dream big, you better dream large Mm mm You gonna dream big, you better dream large Ooh You gonna dream big, you better dream large Mm mm You gonna dream big, you better dream large You say you wanna be famous Stand 10 feet tall Take it easy on me, man.
Wouldn't know how.
You gonna You gonna Uh! This is the time of your life, the moment to live The moment to shine The moment to rise and take over the world I'm on top of everything, on top of my game Uh! Uh! You always warm up that intensely? Sorry.
I thought you could hang.
MAN: Hey, what the hell y'all doing? Huh? So y'all just got time to waste? DAMON: Uh, look, I'm sorry.
This was this was my fault.
- Laps around the field now.
- [PLAYERS GROANING.]
Look, you don't stop till I tell you to stop.
Let's go.
Let's go! Move it, now.
You play how you practice.
Go! Uh, Damon Sims, sir.
Man.
You must be proud of this team.
I mean, they're tight, a well-oiled machine.
I know.
I oiled them.
And next time you want to show off, you do it elsewhere, son.
- I apologized.
- Yeah, I heard you.
It's nothing personal, kid.
I just don't like my practices being interrupted.
Funny, 'cause it feels pretty personal, Coach.
I just don't take to players who all about themselves and not the team.
- You don't even know me.
- Aren't you the star pitcher who's currently sitting out of his high-school baseball games when his team needs him the most, because he's saving his arm for the pros? See, I've watched a lot of tape on you, son, and here's what I don't get.
Why do you play the game in the first place, son? 'Cause it's clear you don't enjoy it.
You lecturing our surprise guest, Marcus? Just having an honest conversation, Coach.
Heh heh! Well, Coach Turner is known for his honest conversation.
Leonard Shaw, head coach.
Marcus Turner, assistant head.
Nice to meet you, sir.
I've had my eye on you since first year varsity.
Mom came down on me pretty hard, though.
Coach Turner, them boys look plenty warm.
Why don't you go ahead and get things started? [LAUGHTER.]
[MUSIC PLAYING, CELL PHONE RINGS.]
AMARA: She's probably checking to make sure - I haven't corrupted you yet.
- Mm-hmm.
She does know you're here, right? - Dad knows.
- Simone.
Auntie, I need to figure out what my college future looks like, figure out what's best for me, what's best for us.
And I can't do that at home.
It's either Tina Hicks' way or no way.
I won't blow up your spot under one condition.
You give Bringston some careful thought this weekend.
I know you didn't come to scout the school, but just consider it.
I think it could be a good fit For both of you, for all of you, actually.
SPENCER: All right.
I'll bite.
What makes HBCUs so special? It's a connection to our history, our culture.
- OLIVIA: Black excellence.
- AMARA: Exactly.
And the tennis program is really good.
Yeah, just maybe don't put all your eggs in the athletic basket.
[CELL PHONE VIBRATES, AMARA CHUCKLES.]
Keisha, shouldn't you be getting ready for Damn.
Ok.
I'm on my way.
Big fashion show emergency.
Come on.
It's a fashion show.
How big of an emergency can it be? This is the story of my reign and my arrival Listen, I'm a miracle worker with cover-up and a contour brush, but even I can't fix this craziness.
- AMARA AND SIMONE: Ooh.
- We are not putting her on the stage like that.
Not my fashion show.
KEISHA: Dr.
Patterson, you're our advisor.
- You know the routine.
So, like - AMARA: Oh, no, no, no.
But, Simone, you used to dance.
- Uh, Olivia still dances.
- Uh, no one asked me.
Ok, you know what? You're both doing it.
Symmetry.
You'll be fine.
And you have an hour until curtain.
- That's like a year in dancer time.
- Ok.
But I didn't say yes.
You did.
You said, "next song Promise.
" Well, the next song's here, sweetie, so let's go.
Come on.
- AMARA: You'll be fine.
- OLIVIA: I - You're ok.
- Come DAMON: Hey, what's the deal with Coach Turner anyway? I thought Coach Shaw would be the one with the stick up his ass.
Heh.
Coach Turner's the real deal.
That dude's just mad stressed lately.
Why? You all are a championship team.
- I don't know.
- EMCEE: B.
U.
, are y'all bitches ready for a fashion show? [APPLAUSE.]
[VOCAL SAMPLES.]
BEYONCE: Driver, roll up the partition, please Look out.
Driver, roll up the partition, please I don't need you seeing 'yonce on her knees Took 45 minutes to get all dressed up We ain't even gonna make it to this club [CHEERING.]
Oh, he so horny, yeah, he want to, mm He bucked all my buttons, and he ripped my blouse He Monica Lewinski'd all on my gown Oh, there, Daddy, Daddy didn't bring the towel Oh, baby, baby, we better slow it down Took 45 minutes to get all dressed up And we ain't even gonna make it to this club Take all, take all Of me, of me I just wanna be the girl you like, girl you like Take all, take all Of me, of me, I just wanna be Wow.
She is stunning.
Yeah.
Yeah, she is.
Is right here with me Right here with me, right here with me Right here with me Driver, roll up the partition fast Over there, I swear I saw them cameras flash Handprints and footprints on my glass Handprints and good grips all on my Private show with the music blasting He like to call me Peaches when we get this nasty Red wine drip, we'll talk that trash Chauffeur eavesdropping, trying not to crash Oh, there Daddy, Daddy, now you ripped my fur Oh, baby, baby be sweating out my hair Took 45 minutes to get all dressed up And we ain't even gonna make it to this club Take all, take all Of me, of me I just wanna be the girl you like, girl you like The kind of girl you like is right here with me Right here with me, right here with me [OVERLAPPING VOCALS.]
PERSON ON RECORDING: Hello! [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.]
Oh, my God.
So they just breed y'all different out in Beverly Hills, huh? I cannot believe I just did that.
Like, we just did that.
- Oh, my gosh.
That was so - Sexy.
The word you're looking for is sexy, sexy - Ok.
- Sexy! Now, come on with your fine selves, and let's get you out of these hella expensive dresses - so I can return them.
- OLIVIA: Oh, oh, ok.
KEISHA: I was gonna say.
Come on.
Ooh.
That was fire.
I'm good.
Thanks.
Uh, listen, about earlier, um, there's been just, like, a lot more attention lately, so I'm still getting used to the whole loss of privacy thing.
Oh, that's it.
That's your apology.
Uh, nah.
Of of course not.
What I meant was, like, I'm sorry that I was a little Obnoxious? Over the top? Opinionated? Did you want me to pick one? Ok, yes, all right.
All the above.
Now, can I get a do-over for real this time? I'm Damon Sims.
Simone Hicks.
Ok, Simone Hicks.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
So what are the chances I can talk you into showing me around campus tomorrow? She says she's not interested.
- Jordan, I got it.
- Look, man, I don't care how famous you are.
You keep bothering my girl, we're gonna have a problem.
I just came back here to compliment her on the show.
Ok.
I know you, right? - I don't think so.
- Justice for Tamika, right? You're the football cat that set off the chain of forfeits.
Made national news.
I'm Damon Sims.
I'm Spencer James.
Look, no disrespect, man.
BASEBALL PLAYER: Hey, bro, I've been calling you.
Check your damn phone.
You're the top story on every sports news feed.
- STUDENT: 5, 6, 7, 8 - [STUDENTS CHANT.]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Mom, I swear I didn't know it was gonna go viral.
- Look, I can explain.
- I bet you can.
Funny.
This doesn't look like camping with Chase.
I just wanted a weekend, one weekend to To what? To just be normal.
We've worked so hard to get here, right? To have the MLB at our fingertips, and you're ready to risk injury this weekend for what? A chance to chug fruit punch out of a trash can and swag surf with mediocrity? Hey, Ms.
Sims.
Look, it's kind of my fault.
Mom, you remember J.
R.
, right? We were on the 15U national team together.
There's a way for all this to actually work in our favor.
No, we don't have to spin this one.
It worked for Kumar.
He chose a top D1 school in place of a lower draft.
And now he's expected to be the number one pick out of college this year.
So what, you want the MLB to think that I'm considering enrolling here? It'll create more hype around you.
Yeah.
You know what? Go shower.
Put something nice on.
You're doing interviews.
No.
Excuse me? I said, no, Mom.
You keep saying "we," but I'm the one who's out there on that field, Ma.
Me.
I'm the one who has to play hurt or healthy.
I'm the one who has to deal with disappointed teammates because you insist that I save my arm for the pros.
I'm the one who has to miss class so that I can show up and show out and get another unnecessary showcase, Ma.
- Me.
- Oh, really? So who was it who gave up everything so that you could be out on those fields showing up and showing out? Your career doesn't happen without me.
And yours doesn't happen without me.
Boy, everything I do is for you.
And one day, you'll thank me.
Now, get dressed.
- Damon.
- Y yes, ma'am.
Uh, excuse me.
I'm sorry.
I'm looking for Liv and Simone.
They said they were meeting you here.
Uh, yeah, change of plans.
They said they'd meet you and Jordan at the tailgate.
OK, bet.
Is that the story you're working on? College athletic scandals? Is something happening here at Bringston? My bad.
Last night, you was mad cagey about the whole athletics thing here.
Nothing gets past you, huh? Is that for me? Yeah.
Yeah.
It was taped to your door outside.
- I'll see you later.
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
This is Dr.
Patterson.
I need to pull some transcripts.
Did you know Marian Wright Edelman was the first woman in Mississippi to pass the bar exam? She was a lawyer for the NAACP, a Spelman grad, got the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.
She's a badass.
I mean, clearly.
So then why isn't she in our history books? Why isn't Toni Morrison a part of our English lit required reading? This place is growing on you, isn't it? Liv, I guess I just didn't expect to come to this place and I don't know feel so full.
[CELL PHONE CHIMES.]
It's Keisha.
She's with Spencer and Jordan already.
Oh, and she says, "you better haul ass.
" OK, stop.
Keisha is cool.
I just, uh I'm not surprised that she's already with Spencer.
OK, well, if you're not going to go after what you want, you can't get mad when somebody else does.
Well, it looks like somebody needs to take her own advice.
MARCUS: Kids like Damon Sims just don't walk away from a chance at playing pro ball.
- WOMAN: Dr.
Patterson, please - I'm sorry.
I just need a minute.
Dr.
Allen, it's urgent.
I'm in the middle of a meeting.
Oh, it's all right.
We all done here.
That's your head baseball coach and your anthropology department chair.
ALLEN: OK.
And these are the academic transcripts I pulled for every baseball player enrolled in and acing anthropology 404 and 406 over the last 2 years.
Get to the point, Amara.
Anthropology 406 isn't a real class.
It's a paper class.
No real professorial oversight, no actual class time.
It's a sham to keep these baseball players eligible.
You're telling me Leonard Shaw cheated to win at baseball games? He's cheating these boys out of a real education.
And are these These, uh, paper classes, are they open to all students? I mean, yes, but that doesn't change anything.
To the NCAA, it will.
Means it's not solely an athletic privilege.
So because they won't care, what? That means you're just gonna sweep the cheating under the rug? - Look, I get this story is a big break for you.
- Story? You think this is about a damn story? Screw the story.
This is about doing right by an institution that I love, a school that shaped who I was as a student, who I am today, a place of excellence.
You need to get ahead of this, Zeke.
You need to show everyone that selfish bastard does not define Bringston, that we are still above reproach, because when this kind of flagrant crap happens, we clean out our own damn closets.
[HEAVY SIGH.]
[SIGHS.]
Remember, when she asks you about rumors that playing at college is back on the table for you, keep it vague but humble.
I know, Mom.
I'm prepared.
OK.
And if she brings up - Wait.
What the hell? - What's going on? - Shh, shh.
- REPORTER ON VIDEO: In a statement just released by president Allen, an internal investigation has been launched, looking into alleged academic fraud by some prominent members of the baseball team.
Coach Leonard Shaw is resigning, effective immediately.
More to come.
Damn.
We just lost our leverage.
Leverage? Is that really what you're focused on right now? What else should I be focused on? Mom, a team just got decimated, people's livelihoods destroyed.
What is with you and this school? And why are you so obsessed with this team you've spent all of 2 seconds with? Forget it.
All right? It's nothing.
I'm walking back to campus, all right, Ma? How could you do it? It was two seasons of a couple of ghost classes.
Spare me the lecture.
In fact, I dare you to find me a college coach that isn't gaming the system.
If you do, it's 'cause they haven't been caught.
Me, ok? Because I don't coach like that.
Well, that's why you couldn't even make it in the minors.
But I'm prepared to do what it takes to gain the competitive advantage.
What about your responsibility to these boys, huh? My job is to get them ready for the pros.
And that's what I've been doing.
I won't apologize for that.
I guess that's where you and I fundamentally differ.
You'll learn.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING.]
[JORDAN CHUCKLES.]
- JORDAN: Now we're talking.
- SIMONE: I know, babe.
You've been wanting to party all weekend.
I've been wanting to grind on my wife a little bit.
Mwah.
KEISHA: Yay, y'all here.
Let's go! SPENCER: OK! KEISHA: Hey, yo, Nate, K.
E.
K.
punch for everybody.
OLIVIA: Oh, actually, no punch for me.
I'm sober, so Good for you, girl.
SPENCER: Dear God, tell me that's not a trash can.
It's the cleanest thing in here.
Trust.
Here y'all go.
Cheers, bitches.
[ALL CHEER.]
[MUSIC CONTINUES.]
[SLOWLY.]
Simone Hicks.
Why do you keep saying my name like that? 'Cause it's dope.
- [DEADPAN.]
OK.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Oh, ok.
So athlete.
That's the vibe? Or are you just a big Naomi Osaka fan? Mm.
It's both.
I've been trying to get my way back to athlete, find my mojo again.
And how's that going? Let's just say the competition's a little stiff.
So use it.
Don't let it shake you.
Competition is just motivation.
Hmm.
So is that how you kick ass in baseball? I heard about the scandal.
But that doesn't affect you, though, right? Nah.
Not at all.
STUDENT: Yo, you seen J.
R.
? He's been M.
I.
A.
since that baseball nonsense hit.
Wait, I thought he was in there.
OK, ok, hey.
Hey.
I don't know where Keisha is, but you got to dance with me before she comes back.
Well, you know you can just say no.
So is now a good time to tell him Keisha ain't really into him? Uh, yeah, she is.
What are you talking about? No.
She just needed someone to help make her ex, Terrell, jealous.
- Works every time.
- Oh.
Eh, everything is gonna heat up I can feel that fever Wind is blowing fast underneath us, eh Just turn up the speakers, eh We, we make it through it all We, we breakin' through the wall Way up in the top Rise, don't stop Take your shot When you hear me knock Got to wake up, wake up, wake up the party - Wake up, wake up, wake up - The night! Wake up, wake up, wake up the party What'd I miss? Just, gross.
She's going after what she wants.
Um, uh, my bad.
I'm looking for J.
R.
I haven't seen him.
I'm saying my good-byes to the field.
They're brooming out the whole coaching staff.
I'm sorry.
Um, I'll give you some privacy.
Sims, when you're out there playing for the pros, I want you to always remember one thing: Integrity.
That's the most important thing an athlete, a teammate, a man has.
And without it, nothing else matters.
I guess Coach Shaw saw things differently.
This team's finally rid of him.
Now, next season, those boys can go out there and show the whole world what they can really do under an honest program.
It was you, wasn't it? You tipped someone off.
It cost you your job.
Those boys needed a chance to rebuild something pure and great.
Look, I did what I had to do.
Sometimes you just got to take one for the team.
I'll leave you to your good-byes, Coach.
I underestimated you.
But none of that skill matters if you can't perform like that when eyes are watching and the pressure's on.
- I was hoping for some privacy.
- On my courts? You're the visitor.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
Fine, girl.
You got it.
THEA: You know, tennis is a game of both mental and physical fitness.
You'll never make it if you keep being so easily psyched out.
What is your problem? You don't know me.
You have no idea.
I'm not a quitter.
Ok.
Whatever.
Just watch your back right foot on your forehand volley.
Try stepping forward with your left instead.
It'll give you more forward momentum and power.
- And why are you helping me? - I'm not.
I'm helping the sport I love.
See, don't let Serena and Naomi's success fool you.
Every time we walk out on that court as black women, we're being judged on everything.
You have one job when you play bring excellence or don't play at all.
You were right, you know? This trip, this place.
It was everything I wasn't even expecting.
And it's just it's amazing to be someplace that's for us, by us, where excellence is expected, even by your frenemies.
It's not too late to apply.
Baby Shay is in L.
A.
And I have such a great relationship with his adopted family.
I can't just up and move clear across the country.
And what were you gonna do if you got into Princeton? Exactly.
You'd have figured it out because it's just the east coast, sweetie, not Mars.
Come on, auntie.
You know my mom would never let me come here.
Mm-mm.
Don't get me started on your mother.
It's way past time you stood up to her for what you want.
You don't have to make a decision today, but as you are thinking about it, just remember, in order to be the best version of yourself for Jordan and Shay and everyone else you love, you may need to choose yourself first, Simone.
SPENCER: And I thought I'd be the only teen at college up at the crack of dawn.
Look, I know we don't really know each other like that, but I know what it looks like when somebody's carrying too much weight on their shoulders.
Were you scared when you forfeited that game in protest and football and everything could just go away? Man, of course.
It don't change the fact that it was the right thing to do.
[SIGHS.]
This weekend didn't go at all how I planned it, man.
Oh, what, you weren't planning on a championship-winning baseball program getting demolished while you were visiting for the weekend? I know, right? Go figure.
In a few months, I'll be drafted, and life will never be the same.
I guess I just wanted a weekend to really connect to who I was before it changed.
For somebody about to get their dream, man, - you don't seem too happy.
- Yeah.
I'm starting to realize that the MLB is more of my mom's dream.
She's just done so much for me, I don't want to let her down.
She's not gonna be the one out on that field, though.
Man.
You don't get it.
She saved my life.
Yeah.
Adopted me out the system.
Raised me, loves me.
I know she's just trying to do her best by me.
My birth parents are actually from here in Atlanta.
And all I know is that 18 years ago, they went to school here at Bringston.
Is that why you're here? You trying to find 'em? I really don't know.
This school's the only connection that I have to 'em.
I guess I just wanted to feel it.
I don't know why I just told you all of that, man.
Clearly you needed to tell somebody.
Look, man, I know you feel like you owe your moms, but it sounds like she loves you.
And that don't come with a fee.
So whatever it is that you decide to do, it's got to be the right thing for you.
[EXHALES.]
Thank you.
Thanks for agreeing to see me, sir.
Where's my son? [CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING.]
ALLEN: Thank you all for coming.
It is never easy to discover something's gone wrong in your house, under your leadership.
It's my hope that we will not be judged by the poor choices of a few but by how we responded to rectify it.
It is my hope that integrity will be our legacy.
I'd like to give Damon Sims the opportunity to say a few words.
[CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING.]
DAMON: Uh, thank you, Dr.
Allen.
[EXHALES.]
Uh, there's been a lot of discussion about what my future will hold in these next few months.
Dr.
Allen talked about legacy.
And I want my legacy in this sport to be that I made a difference.
And that's why I won't be participating in the 2021 MLB draft.
[SPECTATORS MURMURING.]
Instead, I will be committing to playing baseball here at Bringston with Coach Marcus Turner as our head coach.
We will rebuild baseball together out there on that field.
We will bring championship baseball back to B.
U.
, back to us the right way, the honorable way With integrity.
Thank you for your time.
[APPLAUSE.]
[J.
R.
CHUCKLING.]
You know, when I invited you down, I did not know it would actually end in you committing here.
I know, right? It feels like home.
Home.
Yeah.
I guess Bringston baseball has found its star.
No stars, man.
Just ballplayers All of us.
We'll do this together, all right? Rebuild Hank's legacy here, man.
Make him proud.
[CHUCKLES.]
Hey, look, man, I got to get going.
My frat brothers are waiting on me.
Oh.
For sure.
I guess I'll see you this fall, brother.
SIMONE: Congratulations.
I guess that baseball thing did have some effect on you, huh? Yeah.
Something like that.
Well, you seem at peace, so good for you.
I should, uh, get going.
My husband's waiting outside for me.
Husband? Oh, ok.
What about you? Find your mojo? Yeah.
Something like that.
Good.
Take care of yourself, Simone Hicks.
RHYS LEWIS: I don't read the headlines And I don't watch the news 'Cause I lose faith in something Every time I do Well, I don't need - To bury my head - What? Nothing.
You just you seem happy.
As best as I can So let's keep searching for somewhere We're gonna find a way To make tomorrow Tomorrow better than today Let's make tomorrow Tomorrow better than today Greg, move your head.
Hey, Bringston University, y'all, make some noise! - [LOUDER CHEERING.]
- Uh! Let's go.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, uh! Sweet Lord, please have mercy Baby Jesus, please save us I know I used up my three favors Back to sinning, like, a week later New car, speed racer Cop a crib, need acres Most of all, we all need prayer Karma coming, beware Wow.
I bet Princeton isn't doing all this for their homecoming.
Princeton who? SPENCER: Exactly.
Look, if they too wack to accept you, forget them.
Look, guys, I thought the whole point of this trip was to help cheer me up and take my mind off that school.
OLIVIA: Well, yeah, and to scope out the HBCU experience.
JORDAN: You're the only one with HBCUs on your list, Liv.
Well, at least she has a list.
I ain't got nada.
All right.
Ok.
Stop the college talk, all right? This weekend is about visiting your aunt and having some G.
A.
F.
Am I right? Grown-ass fun.
Come on, guys.
[CHUCKLES.]
Hold up.
Hold up.
Is that really Cordae on the stage? CORDAE: All gas and the brake's slower Took a trip out to Tokyo Now I'm here in Paris for the layover SIMONE: All right, y'all.
Welcome to Bringston University.
It's time to turn up.
CORDAE: Life will hit you with a light jab Mike Tyson, strike back You go on now, slight sad Know I'm all about my bag New drip, I grab I just wanna get my life back It's just like in any other space.
As black journalists, you will be held to a higher standard.
There's a larger, unrealistic burden on black journalists.
And if you take someone like me, who lies in the intersection of journalism and activism, that burden is even greater.
- OLIVIA: Is that your aunt? - PROFESSOR: Keisha? KEISHA: So how can you maintain journalistic objectivity? - STUDENT: The same way white reporters do.
- KEISHA: Except, do they? Just because the views of whiteness are normalized to be the objective neutral doesn't mean that they actually are.
All right.
Forget about journalistic objectivity, Keisha.
I instead believe in being ethical, fair, and telling the truth.
There's a difference.
And as for ethics, my philosophy is if it doesn't cross your line in the sand, there is no shame in walking away.
But if it does, you pursue it until you have it right, and then bring it all to the light.
Ok.
Yas, poetry! [LAUGHTER, STUDENTS SNAPPING FINGERS.]
PROFESSOR: All right.
See you all Tuesday.
Keisha, you're a mess.
Hootie hoo! Hootie hoo! Ha ha! Hi, auntie.
Oh, my baby girl.
- I can't believe you're really here.
Ha ha! - I know.
Olivia, which makes you Spencer.
- And you must be nephew-in-law.
- Something like that.
Uh, by the way, thank you so much for letting us stay this weekend, Ms.
Patterson.
Dear God.
Call me Amara.
I am not that old.
So what you got going on? What do you mean? Teaching.
You are never just teaching.
I know you got some amazing article brewing somewhere up in there.
I'm still putting the pieces together.
In the meantime, it's homecoming.
Yeah, y'all seem to take that real serious out here.
Oh, honey, you have no idea.
Keisha has offered to be your unofficial ambassador for the weekend.
So leave your bags with me.
Have some fun.
I'll catch you later.
- Wait.
Are you sure? - Girl, don't ask twice.
I made the long climb for the first time I'm on top for the third time KEISHA: You made it just in time for the best part of homecoming.
- OLIVIA: What's that? - Tonight's fashion show, choreographed by moi.
Oh.
So you're a journalism major/choreographer? Premed, actually, and proud captain of the undefeated Bringston dance squad.
Hey.
What are you thinking about applying here for? Oh, no, I'm not applying here.
- I'm just visiting with my family.
- More like hiding from family.
Simone's mom is, like, a lot.
KEISHA: So where are you applying? Honestly, I don't know.
Girl, tick-tock.
You're kind of running out of time.
- What's your thing? - Tennis.
- Tennis.
- Mm-hmm.
- Ok.
You any good? - Yeah.
- KEISHA: Ok.
- SIMONE: I am.
Yo, is everyone in Atlanta here this weekend? - This is bananas.
- Girl, HBCUs are hot right now, especially with 3 of our grads out here saving the country from itself.
Thank you, madam V.
P.
And thank you, Ms.
Stacey "Nobel Peace Prize Nominee" Abrams.
Hey.
I like the way you say that.
Wait.
Who's the third one, though? BOTH: Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Ok, so what's the real on the two sexies behind us? - Well, one of them is my husband.
- Husband? Ok, well, that's a story that I need to hear, but please tell me it's not the dark chocolate one.
Oh, no.
Spencer is all Liv's.
Um, no.
Spencer and I are not together.
We're just friends.
Well, then, heh, yay, me.
["WOBBLE" BY V.
I.
C.
PLAYING.]
KEISHA: All right.
So, um, who's hungry? Wobble, baby, wobble, baby, wobble - Yeah - Wobble, baby, wobble, baby, wobble - Yeah - Wobble, baby, wobble, baby, wobble Yeah Get in there! Yeah, yeah Get in there Yeah, yeah Get in there Yeah, yeah All right.
So who gonna wobble with me? Oh, I'm good.
I'm not really in a group dance kind of mood.
Whatever drama you got back home, forget about it.
Just for the weekend, give in to the fun of a beautifully melanated HBCU experience.
All right.
So I'm gonna be real mad - if we don't get out there before my song ends, so - Well, I'll come.
Next song, I promise.
Ok? Get in there! Yeah, yeah Hey, big girl, make 'em back it up - Yeah - Make 'em back it up [STUDENTS CHEERING, OLIVIA LAUGHING.]
Make 'em back it up [DEADPAN.]
Giving in to the fun.
Make 'em back it up Hey, big girl, make 'em back it up - Yeah - [ECHOING.]
Make 'em back it up Girl, wobble it, and I'mma gobble it Yo, can you not? - Are you crazy?! - Look, look.
I'm just not trying to do the whole picture thing this weekend, all right? Look, I just want some privacy.
Wait.
I don't know who you are, nor do I care.
I was taking a video of my friends dancing behind you.
[CHUCKLES.]
Oh.
Oh, my bad.
Your bad? Are you serious? If you ever touch me or my property again, i why are you amused right now? I'm sorry.
Look, uh, please continue.
Oh.
So you think you're cute.
Ok, well, uh, let's see how funny you think this is when you go viral for getting your ass handed to you by a woman.
JORDAN: Hey, everything good, babe? - SIMONE: Yeah.
- JORDAN: You sure? Yeah.
Man.
Just a, uh just a little misunderstanding.
Forget him.
- Big girl, make 'em back it up - Yeah Make 'em back it up Hey, big girl, make 'em back it up - Yeah - [ECHOING.]
Make 'em back it up MAN: Whoo! MAN 2: You know, if you really don't want folks to know you're here this weekend, this is the last place you should be.
I just wanted to see the field where Hank Dawson - broke the record for stolen bases.
- Mm! Greatest to ever do it in the Negro league.
Yeah.
You all right? Yeah, man.
I'm cool.
Just wish I could've met him.
So what's it like to play for the great Leonard Shaw? Crazy intimidating.
They keep me on the bench most of the time, though.
Man, your time will come.
All right? You see yourself coming to school in the south? Come on, man.
The dream's to play in Cali.
What if Simone don't want to stay in Cali? She does, ok, now that Princeton's off the table, so everything's gonna be a-ok.
SPENCER: I knew it.
I knew that cat looked familiar.
Who is he? Damon Sims.
He one of the top recruits in the country.
That boy's a sure thing to go first round to the MLB straight out of high school this year.
MLB.
Then, well, why is he here checking out Bringston's baseball program, trying to be all incognito? I'm gonna catch you after practice.
- Hey, yo, is that Damon Sims? - What? MAN: Hey, guys, check it out.
Damon Sims is here.
I told you.
OLIVIA: Who knew there was a whole mini-Wimbledon going on back here? KEISHA: Thea's parents insist on nothing but the best for their baby girl.
They are major donors.
SIMONE: Damn.
She is ridiculous.
Do you see how aggressive she is from the baseline? OLIVIA: Ok, calm down.
She's not Beyoncé.
KEISHA: Came up on the junior circuit, and the 2020 national women's HBCU champion.
So, yeah, she's kind of our Queen Bey, just not as nice.
[GROANS.]
Are you guys done? Like, is there anywhere else you can hang out and be disruptive? - Or it has to be here? - Oh, uh, sorry.
We, like, weren't trying to distract you or anything.
And yet here you are even closer.
Oh.
Uh, I'm trying to give you a compliment, but I guess I'll just mind my business.
- You play? - Excuse me? Oh, yeah.
I came up junior circuit like you.
Oh, like me? Let's see what you got.
You can help warm me up.
Becca.
Wait.
You mean, like, right now? Oh, yeah.
Uh, ok, cool.
All right.
Good luck this season, y'all.
Hey, how about it? [CHUCKLES WEAKLY.]
Thanks, but I'm good.
I don't want to interrupt.
Interrupt? Dude, we're all dying to see that velocity.
What'd you clock at the all-star futures game, 101? 102.
1, actually.
Hey, we got time before Coach get here.
Let's toss a few.
- Really, I'm I'm good, man.
- Y'all really gonna make him say it? Million-dollar baby over here can't waste his arm on little old us.
- Don't put words in my boy's mouth.
- My bad.
Am I wrong, though? Correct me, please.
All right.
Who's got a pitcher's glove? You gonna You gonna You gonna Get ready.
WOMAN: Hey! MAN: 'Cause you got to feel it in your soul 'Cause you got to believe it, you got to know 'Cause you got to wake up and dream and go get it A visionary knows no limit Do it big so your name be remembered OLIVIA: I thought this was a friendly match.
Those don't exist for Thea.
You gonna dream big PLAYERS: Whoo! PLAYER: That's what I'm talking about.
WOMAN: Calling shots 'cause you're in charge You gonna dream big, you better dream large You wanna live life like a renegade Climb to the top for your piece of fame PLAYER: Let's go, boys.
Calling shots 'cause you're in charge You gonna dream big, you better dream large If you gonna Mm You gonna dream big, you better dream large Mm mm You gonna dream big, you better dream large Ooh You gonna dream big, you better dream large Mm mm You gonna dream big, you better dream large You say you wanna be famous Stand 10 feet tall Take it easy on me, man.
Wouldn't know how.
You gonna You gonna Uh! This is the time of your life, the moment to live The moment to shine The moment to rise and take over the world I'm on top of everything, on top of my game Uh! Uh! You always warm up that intensely? Sorry.
I thought you could hang.
MAN: Hey, what the hell y'all doing? Huh? So y'all just got time to waste? DAMON: Uh, look, I'm sorry.
This was this was my fault.
- Laps around the field now.
- [PLAYERS GROANING.]
Look, you don't stop till I tell you to stop.
Let's go.
Let's go! Move it, now.
You play how you practice.
Go! Uh, Damon Sims, sir.
Man.
You must be proud of this team.
I mean, they're tight, a well-oiled machine.
I know.
I oiled them.
And next time you want to show off, you do it elsewhere, son.
- I apologized.
- Yeah, I heard you.
It's nothing personal, kid.
I just don't like my practices being interrupted.
Funny, 'cause it feels pretty personal, Coach.
I just don't take to players who all about themselves and not the team.
- You don't even know me.
- Aren't you the star pitcher who's currently sitting out of his high-school baseball games when his team needs him the most, because he's saving his arm for the pros? See, I've watched a lot of tape on you, son, and here's what I don't get.
Why do you play the game in the first place, son? 'Cause it's clear you don't enjoy it.
You lecturing our surprise guest, Marcus? Just having an honest conversation, Coach.
Heh heh! Well, Coach Turner is known for his honest conversation.
Leonard Shaw, head coach.
Marcus Turner, assistant head.
Nice to meet you, sir.
I've had my eye on you since first year varsity.
Mom came down on me pretty hard, though.
Coach Turner, them boys look plenty warm.
Why don't you go ahead and get things started? [LAUGHTER.]
[MUSIC PLAYING, CELL PHONE RINGS.]
AMARA: She's probably checking to make sure - I haven't corrupted you yet.
- Mm-hmm.
She does know you're here, right? - Dad knows.
- Simone.
Auntie, I need to figure out what my college future looks like, figure out what's best for me, what's best for us.
And I can't do that at home.
It's either Tina Hicks' way or no way.
I won't blow up your spot under one condition.
You give Bringston some careful thought this weekend.
I know you didn't come to scout the school, but just consider it.
I think it could be a good fit For both of you, for all of you, actually.
SPENCER: All right.
I'll bite.
What makes HBCUs so special? It's a connection to our history, our culture.
- OLIVIA: Black excellence.
- AMARA: Exactly.
And the tennis program is really good.
Yeah, just maybe don't put all your eggs in the athletic basket.
[CELL PHONE VIBRATES, AMARA CHUCKLES.]
Keisha, shouldn't you be getting ready for Damn.
Ok.
I'm on my way.
Big fashion show emergency.
Come on.
It's a fashion show.
How big of an emergency can it be? This is the story of my reign and my arrival Listen, I'm a miracle worker with cover-up and a contour brush, but even I can't fix this craziness.
- AMARA AND SIMONE: Ooh.
- We are not putting her on the stage like that.
Not my fashion show.
KEISHA: Dr.
Patterson, you're our advisor.
- You know the routine.
So, like - AMARA: Oh, no, no, no.
But, Simone, you used to dance.
- Uh, Olivia still dances.
- Uh, no one asked me.
Ok, you know what? You're both doing it.
Symmetry.
You'll be fine.
And you have an hour until curtain.
- That's like a year in dancer time.
- Ok.
But I didn't say yes.
You did.
You said, "next song Promise.
" Well, the next song's here, sweetie, so let's go.
Come on.
- AMARA: You'll be fine.
- OLIVIA: I - You're ok.
- Come DAMON: Hey, what's the deal with Coach Turner anyway? I thought Coach Shaw would be the one with the stick up his ass.
Heh.
Coach Turner's the real deal.
That dude's just mad stressed lately.
Why? You all are a championship team.
- I don't know.
- EMCEE: B.
U.
, are y'all bitches ready for a fashion show? [APPLAUSE.]
[VOCAL SAMPLES.]
BEYONCE: Driver, roll up the partition, please Look out.
Driver, roll up the partition, please I don't need you seeing 'yonce on her knees Took 45 minutes to get all dressed up We ain't even gonna make it to this club [CHEERING.]
Oh, he so horny, yeah, he want to, mm He bucked all my buttons, and he ripped my blouse He Monica Lewinski'd all on my gown Oh, there, Daddy, Daddy didn't bring the towel Oh, baby, baby, we better slow it down Took 45 minutes to get all dressed up And we ain't even gonna make it to this club Take all, take all Of me, of me I just wanna be the girl you like, girl you like Take all, take all Of me, of me, I just wanna be Wow.
She is stunning.
Yeah.
Yeah, she is.
Is right here with me Right here with me, right here with me Right here with me Driver, roll up the partition fast Over there, I swear I saw them cameras flash Handprints and footprints on my glass Handprints and good grips all on my Private show with the music blasting He like to call me Peaches when we get this nasty Red wine drip, we'll talk that trash Chauffeur eavesdropping, trying not to crash Oh, there Daddy, Daddy, now you ripped my fur Oh, baby, baby be sweating out my hair Took 45 minutes to get all dressed up And we ain't even gonna make it to this club Take all, take all Of me, of me I just wanna be the girl you like, girl you like The kind of girl you like is right here with me Right here with me, right here with me [OVERLAPPING VOCALS.]
PERSON ON RECORDING: Hello! [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.]
Oh, my God.
So they just breed y'all different out in Beverly Hills, huh? I cannot believe I just did that.
Like, we just did that.
- Oh, my gosh.
That was so - Sexy.
The word you're looking for is sexy, sexy - Ok.
- Sexy! Now, come on with your fine selves, and let's get you out of these hella expensive dresses - so I can return them.
- OLIVIA: Oh, oh, ok.
KEISHA: I was gonna say.
Come on.
Ooh.
That was fire.
I'm good.
Thanks.
Uh, listen, about earlier, um, there's been just, like, a lot more attention lately, so I'm still getting used to the whole loss of privacy thing.
Oh, that's it.
That's your apology.
Uh, nah.
Of of course not.
What I meant was, like, I'm sorry that I was a little Obnoxious? Over the top? Opinionated? Did you want me to pick one? Ok, yes, all right.
All the above.
Now, can I get a do-over for real this time? I'm Damon Sims.
Simone Hicks.
Ok, Simone Hicks.
[BOTH CHUCKLE.]
So what are the chances I can talk you into showing me around campus tomorrow? She says she's not interested.
- Jordan, I got it.
- Look, man, I don't care how famous you are.
You keep bothering my girl, we're gonna have a problem.
I just came back here to compliment her on the show.
Ok.
I know you, right? - I don't think so.
- Justice for Tamika, right? You're the football cat that set off the chain of forfeits.
Made national news.
I'm Damon Sims.
I'm Spencer James.
Look, no disrespect, man.
BASEBALL PLAYER: Hey, bro, I've been calling you.
Check your damn phone.
You're the top story on every sports news feed.
- STUDENT: 5, 6, 7, 8 - [STUDENTS CHANT.]
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Mom, I swear I didn't know it was gonna go viral.
- Look, I can explain.
- I bet you can.
Funny.
This doesn't look like camping with Chase.
I just wanted a weekend, one weekend to To what? To just be normal.
We've worked so hard to get here, right? To have the MLB at our fingertips, and you're ready to risk injury this weekend for what? A chance to chug fruit punch out of a trash can and swag surf with mediocrity? Hey, Ms.
Sims.
Look, it's kind of my fault.
Mom, you remember J.
R.
, right? We were on the 15U national team together.
There's a way for all this to actually work in our favor.
No, we don't have to spin this one.
It worked for Kumar.
He chose a top D1 school in place of a lower draft.
And now he's expected to be the number one pick out of college this year.
So what, you want the MLB to think that I'm considering enrolling here? It'll create more hype around you.
Yeah.
You know what? Go shower.
Put something nice on.
You're doing interviews.
No.
Excuse me? I said, no, Mom.
You keep saying "we," but I'm the one who's out there on that field, Ma.
Me.
I'm the one who has to play hurt or healthy.
I'm the one who has to deal with disappointed teammates because you insist that I save my arm for the pros.
I'm the one who has to miss class so that I can show up and show out and get another unnecessary showcase, Ma.
- Me.
- Oh, really? So who was it who gave up everything so that you could be out on those fields showing up and showing out? Your career doesn't happen without me.
And yours doesn't happen without me.
Boy, everything I do is for you.
And one day, you'll thank me.
Now, get dressed.
- Damon.
- Y yes, ma'am.
Uh, excuse me.
I'm sorry.
I'm looking for Liv and Simone.
They said they were meeting you here.
Uh, yeah, change of plans.
They said they'd meet you and Jordan at the tailgate.
OK, bet.
Is that the story you're working on? College athletic scandals? Is something happening here at Bringston? My bad.
Last night, you was mad cagey about the whole athletics thing here.
Nothing gets past you, huh? Is that for me? Yeah.
Yeah.
It was taped to your door outside.
- I'll see you later.
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
This is Dr.
Patterson.
I need to pull some transcripts.
Did you know Marian Wright Edelman was the first woman in Mississippi to pass the bar exam? She was a lawyer for the NAACP, a Spelman grad, got the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.
She's a badass.
I mean, clearly.
So then why isn't she in our history books? Why isn't Toni Morrison a part of our English lit required reading? This place is growing on you, isn't it? Liv, I guess I just didn't expect to come to this place and I don't know feel so full.
[CELL PHONE CHIMES.]
It's Keisha.
She's with Spencer and Jordan already.
Oh, and she says, "you better haul ass.
" OK, stop.
Keisha is cool.
I just, uh I'm not surprised that she's already with Spencer.
OK, well, if you're not going to go after what you want, you can't get mad when somebody else does.
Well, it looks like somebody needs to take her own advice.
MARCUS: Kids like Damon Sims just don't walk away from a chance at playing pro ball.
- WOMAN: Dr.
Patterson, please - I'm sorry.
I just need a minute.
Dr.
Allen, it's urgent.
I'm in the middle of a meeting.
Oh, it's all right.
We all done here.
That's your head baseball coach and your anthropology department chair.
ALLEN: OK.
And these are the academic transcripts I pulled for every baseball player enrolled in and acing anthropology 404 and 406 over the last 2 years.
Get to the point, Amara.
Anthropology 406 isn't a real class.
It's a paper class.
No real professorial oversight, no actual class time.
It's a sham to keep these baseball players eligible.
You're telling me Leonard Shaw cheated to win at baseball games? He's cheating these boys out of a real education.
And are these These, uh, paper classes, are they open to all students? I mean, yes, but that doesn't change anything.
To the NCAA, it will.
Means it's not solely an athletic privilege.
So because they won't care, what? That means you're just gonna sweep the cheating under the rug? - Look, I get this story is a big break for you.
- Story? You think this is about a damn story? Screw the story.
This is about doing right by an institution that I love, a school that shaped who I was as a student, who I am today, a place of excellence.
You need to get ahead of this, Zeke.
You need to show everyone that selfish bastard does not define Bringston, that we are still above reproach, because when this kind of flagrant crap happens, we clean out our own damn closets.
[HEAVY SIGH.]
[SIGHS.]
Remember, when she asks you about rumors that playing at college is back on the table for you, keep it vague but humble.
I know, Mom.
I'm prepared.
OK.
And if she brings up - Wait.
What the hell? - What's going on? - Shh, shh.
- REPORTER ON VIDEO: In a statement just released by president Allen, an internal investigation has been launched, looking into alleged academic fraud by some prominent members of the baseball team.
Coach Leonard Shaw is resigning, effective immediately.
More to come.
Damn.
We just lost our leverage.
Leverage? Is that really what you're focused on right now? What else should I be focused on? Mom, a team just got decimated, people's livelihoods destroyed.
What is with you and this school? And why are you so obsessed with this team you've spent all of 2 seconds with? Forget it.
All right? It's nothing.
I'm walking back to campus, all right, Ma? How could you do it? It was two seasons of a couple of ghost classes.
Spare me the lecture.
In fact, I dare you to find me a college coach that isn't gaming the system.
If you do, it's 'cause they haven't been caught.
Me, ok? Because I don't coach like that.
Well, that's why you couldn't even make it in the minors.
But I'm prepared to do what it takes to gain the competitive advantage.
What about your responsibility to these boys, huh? My job is to get them ready for the pros.
And that's what I've been doing.
I won't apologize for that.
I guess that's where you and I fundamentally differ.
You'll learn.
[HIP-HOP MUSIC PLAYING.]
[JORDAN CHUCKLES.]
- JORDAN: Now we're talking.
- SIMONE: I know, babe.
You've been wanting to party all weekend.
I've been wanting to grind on my wife a little bit.
Mwah.
KEISHA: Yay, y'all here.
Let's go! SPENCER: OK! KEISHA: Hey, yo, Nate, K.
E.
K.
punch for everybody.
OLIVIA: Oh, actually, no punch for me.
I'm sober, so Good for you, girl.
SPENCER: Dear God, tell me that's not a trash can.
It's the cleanest thing in here.
Trust.
Here y'all go.
Cheers, bitches.
[ALL CHEER.]
[MUSIC CONTINUES.]
[SLOWLY.]
Simone Hicks.
Why do you keep saying my name like that? 'Cause it's dope.
- [DEADPAN.]
OK.
- [CHUCKLES.]
Oh, ok.
So athlete.
That's the vibe? Or are you just a big Naomi Osaka fan? Mm.
It's both.
I've been trying to get my way back to athlete, find my mojo again.
And how's that going? Let's just say the competition's a little stiff.
So use it.
Don't let it shake you.
Competition is just motivation.
Hmm.
So is that how you kick ass in baseball? I heard about the scandal.
But that doesn't affect you, though, right? Nah.
Not at all.
STUDENT: Yo, you seen J.
R.
? He's been M.
I.
A.
since that baseball nonsense hit.
Wait, I thought he was in there.
OK, ok, hey.
Hey.
I don't know where Keisha is, but you got to dance with me before she comes back.
Well, you know you can just say no.
So is now a good time to tell him Keisha ain't really into him? Uh, yeah, she is.
What are you talking about? No.
She just needed someone to help make her ex, Terrell, jealous.
- Works every time.
- Oh.
Eh, everything is gonna heat up I can feel that fever Wind is blowing fast underneath us, eh Just turn up the speakers, eh We, we make it through it all We, we breakin' through the wall Way up in the top Rise, don't stop Take your shot When you hear me knock Got to wake up, wake up, wake up the party - Wake up, wake up, wake up - The night! Wake up, wake up, wake up the party What'd I miss? Just, gross.
She's going after what she wants.
Um, uh, my bad.
I'm looking for J.
R.
I haven't seen him.
I'm saying my good-byes to the field.
They're brooming out the whole coaching staff.
I'm sorry.
Um, I'll give you some privacy.
Sims, when you're out there playing for the pros, I want you to always remember one thing: Integrity.
That's the most important thing an athlete, a teammate, a man has.
And without it, nothing else matters.
I guess Coach Shaw saw things differently.
This team's finally rid of him.
Now, next season, those boys can go out there and show the whole world what they can really do under an honest program.
It was you, wasn't it? You tipped someone off.
It cost you your job.
Those boys needed a chance to rebuild something pure and great.
Look, I did what I had to do.
Sometimes you just got to take one for the team.
I'll leave you to your good-byes, Coach.
I underestimated you.
But none of that skill matters if you can't perform like that when eyes are watching and the pressure's on.
- I was hoping for some privacy.
- On my courts? You're the visitor.
[CHUCKLES SOFTLY.]
Fine, girl.
You got it.
THEA: You know, tennis is a game of both mental and physical fitness.
You'll never make it if you keep being so easily psyched out.
What is your problem? You don't know me.
You have no idea.
I'm not a quitter.
Ok.
Whatever.
Just watch your back right foot on your forehand volley.
Try stepping forward with your left instead.
It'll give you more forward momentum and power.
- And why are you helping me? - I'm not.
I'm helping the sport I love.
See, don't let Serena and Naomi's success fool you.
Every time we walk out on that court as black women, we're being judged on everything.
You have one job when you play bring excellence or don't play at all.
You were right, you know? This trip, this place.
It was everything I wasn't even expecting.
And it's just it's amazing to be someplace that's for us, by us, where excellence is expected, even by your frenemies.
It's not too late to apply.
Baby Shay is in L.
A.
And I have such a great relationship with his adopted family.
I can't just up and move clear across the country.
And what were you gonna do if you got into Princeton? Exactly.
You'd have figured it out because it's just the east coast, sweetie, not Mars.
Come on, auntie.
You know my mom would never let me come here.
Mm-mm.
Don't get me started on your mother.
It's way past time you stood up to her for what you want.
You don't have to make a decision today, but as you are thinking about it, just remember, in order to be the best version of yourself for Jordan and Shay and everyone else you love, you may need to choose yourself first, Simone.
SPENCER: And I thought I'd be the only teen at college up at the crack of dawn.
Look, I know we don't really know each other like that, but I know what it looks like when somebody's carrying too much weight on their shoulders.
Were you scared when you forfeited that game in protest and football and everything could just go away? Man, of course.
It don't change the fact that it was the right thing to do.
[SIGHS.]
This weekend didn't go at all how I planned it, man.
Oh, what, you weren't planning on a championship-winning baseball program getting demolished while you were visiting for the weekend? I know, right? Go figure.
In a few months, I'll be drafted, and life will never be the same.
I guess I just wanted a weekend to really connect to who I was before it changed.
For somebody about to get their dream, man, - you don't seem too happy.
- Yeah.
I'm starting to realize that the MLB is more of my mom's dream.
She's just done so much for me, I don't want to let her down.
She's not gonna be the one out on that field, though.
Man.
You don't get it.
She saved my life.
Yeah.
Adopted me out the system.
Raised me, loves me.
I know she's just trying to do her best by me.
My birth parents are actually from here in Atlanta.
And all I know is that 18 years ago, they went to school here at Bringston.
Is that why you're here? You trying to find 'em? I really don't know.
This school's the only connection that I have to 'em.
I guess I just wanted to feel it.
I don't know why I just told you all of that, man.
Clearly you needed to tell somebody.
Look, man, I know you feel like you owe your moms, but it sounds like she loves you.
And that don't come with a fee.
So whatever it is that you decide to do, it's got to be the right thing for you.
[EXHALES.]
Thank you.
Thanks for agreeing to see me, sir.
Where's my son? [CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING.]
ALLEN: Thank you all for coming.
It is never easy to discover something's gone wrong in your house, under your leadership.
It's my hope that we will not be judged by the poor choices of a few but by how we responded to rectify it.
It is my hope that integrity will be our legacy.
I'd like to give Damon Sims the opportunity to say a few words.
[CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING.]
DAMON: Uh, thank you, Dr.
Allen.
[EXHALES.]
Uh, there's been a lot of discussion about what my future will hold in these next few months.
Dr.
Allen talked about legacy.
And I want my legacy in this sport to be that I made a difference.
And that's why I won't be participating in the 2021 MLB draft.
[SPECTATORS MURMURING.]
Instead, I will be committing to playing baseball here at Bringston with Coach Marcus Turner as our head coach.
We will rebuild baseball together out there on that field.
We will bring championship baseball back to B.
U.
, back to us the right way, the honorable way With integrity.
Thank you for your time.
[APPLAUSE.]
[J.
R.
CHUCKLING.]
You know, when I invited you down, I did not know it would actually end in you committing here.
I know, right? It feels like home.
Home.
Yeah.
I guess Bringston baseball has found its star.
No stars, man.
Just ballplayers All of us.
We'll do this together, all right? Rebuild Hank's legacy here, man.
Make him proud.
[CHUCKLES.]
Hey, look, man, I got to get going.
My frat brothers are waiting on me.
Oh.
For sure.
I guess I'll see you this fall, brother.
SIMONE: Congratulations.
I guess that baseball thing did have some effect on you, huh? Yeah.
Something like that.
Well, you seem at peace, so good for you.
I should, uh, get going.
My husband's waiting outside for me.
Husband? Oh, ok.
What about you? Find your mojo? Yeah.
Something like that.
Good.
Take care of yourself, Simone Hicks.
RHYS LEWIS: I don't read the headlines And I don't watch the news 'Cause I lose faith in something Every time I do Well, I don't need - To bury my head - What? Nothing.
You just you seem happy.
As best as I can So let's keep searching for somewhere We're gonna find a way To make tomorrow Tomorrow better than today Let's make tomorrow Tomorrow better than today Greg, move your head.