Greenleaf (2016) s04e06 Episode Script

The Stranger

1 [LADY MAE.]
Previously on Greenleaf You've got to get me something on Grace.
Something big and soon, or neither one of us is gonna preach at this church.
You wanted to know who's the money behind City on a Hill, right? - Were you able to find out? - It's Harmony & Hope.
Is that gonna be a problem? Goodbye, land.
Hello, dream house.
[SIGHS.]
You are an old, rusty jalopy with a corpse in the trunk.
[SCREAMS.]
[JACOB.]
Dante got out the line.
Way out.
I got fired by the Red Devils.
You're gonna have to wait on that house.
Don't worry.
He told me about your deal and how he's supposed to stay in the dark like some kind of a secret until you say it's cool to come out.
I get it.
I won't tell.
I'm low on cash.
Didn't I just give you money? We're done.
What do you mean we're done? The next person that asks me who I am, I'm telling 'em.
I need your help with something and I'm a little mystified myself.
What is it? My son.
Don't you have anything to say? I just told you I have a grown son.
Do you have a picture? Let me see.
Yeah.
Here.
- Here's one.
- Oh.
What a sad, difficult story for you, for him, for Noah.
I can't even imagine.
It hasn't been simple, that's for sure.
Especially for Noah.
And as for you keeping this from me, this most recent chapter specifically, I have to ask you this, have you prayed about it? Of course I prayed about it, Mama.
- Where's AJ now? - At the moment, I'm not sure.
He hasn't returned my calls since we had the argument about the money.
And did you tell Sophia that you were gonna speak to me about this? Not yet.
I will.
Hopefully, that will satisfy her conditions for returning home.
[SIGHS.]
At least, even only for a visit.
-[BABY CRYING.]
-[CHARITY.]
It's okay.
Maricel.
[MARICEL.]
Yes, ma'am? [CHARITY.]
Can you help me, please? So may I meet my new grandson? If I can get a hold of him, yeah.
What are we gonna tell the church? Excuse me? The only reason that I am in the position that I am in right now is because I'm supposed to be the Greenleaf with all the morals.
In this day and age, there's no real shame in giving up a child.
And the way you handled it when he reached out to you when he came of age, well, that was slightly less adorable.
But his prison record is a thing of the past.
What happened now? [SIGHS.]
This has to be kept in the family.
Who else would I tell? Amen Oh, yeah - Amen - Oh Ooh Well Oh Ooh Amen, amen, ooh Yeah Ooh AJ, hey, it's me again.
Look, I know you're upset with me about the money, okay? And I'm sorry.
Just please call me back.
I told the family about you and they wanna meet you.
Tonight, if possible.
[SIGHS.]
Okay.
Bye.
[PHONE BEEPS.]
I feel like a squirrel on a branch.
On the farthest, dry end of a thin bare branch.
James, are you listening to me? No.
Not really, dear.
No.
Well, what has you so transfixed? I'm thinking about a night, years ago, about a week after Gigi left home.
She called, needing money.
And I said I'd come up to Chicago and I'd bring her back.
She said no.
I'd always pictured her on the other end of that line, obstinate, righteous, proud.
Now I know she was pregnant, scared, and lonely.
If only I had gone up there and brought her home, maybe none of this would have happened.
Our job now is to graft him into the family and put him where the sun can do him some good.
Oh.
Um, morning, Pastor.
I was just, um I was watching a sermon.
- Mm-hmm.
- Mm-hmm.
And by sermon you mean the fight between me and half the Red Devils? I was just reading the comments.
[JACOB.]
Yeah.
What's the Internet saying? It's calling you Pastor Holyfield.
[SIGHS.]
Nice.
- Phil in his office? - Yeah.
I'll let him know you're here.
Just have him call me.
- [KARINE.]
Okay.
- Thanks.
[SHOUTING, PUNCHING PLAYING OVER PHONE.]
- Stand up.
- Why? - Just do it.
Please.
- [SIGHS.]
- What? - You're gonna need to sit down.
Charity, come on.
I just stood up.
I know, but I've always wanted to say that, and now is the perfect time.
What's going on? Well, sit down and I'll tell you.
[SIGHS.]
Well? Grace has a secret son.
[CHUCKLES.]
- Your family - Careful.
Go on.
She had a baby right after she left home she never told anybody about, and she just gave him up for adoption.
- Who's the father? - Noah.
- So that's why he came to visit.
- And why he and Isabel broke up.
Isn't this like the silver bullet? Well, it's something.
I'm not sure if it's a bullet, a blank, or a trap.
She's supposed to be the good one, Phil.
She turned her back on that child when he tried to connect.
Her son.
It's not like she had an abortion.
[SIGHS.]
Yeah.
I thought about that too.
Did I tell you he's an ex-con? - Seriously? - He did five years for burglary.
Yeah, that's more about him than her.
[SIGHS.]
I can't believe this.
I'm just trying to see how we can really use this against her.
Is there any chance you can speak to him, get a sense of his point of view when it comes to his mother? [CHARITY.]
Maybe.
He might be coming over for dinner tonight.
If Gigi can find him.
What? He's lost? [CHUCKLES.]
No.
He's mad at her.
Hmm.
Well, that's promising.
And I didn't even have to snoop.
[CHUCKLES.]
What? Your hair, it looks nice today.
Does it? Thanks.
Oh.
Hey! Jacob, hi.
- What happened? - [CHARITY.]
What do you mean? Are you in trouble with Phil too? Why would I be in trouble? You just came out of his office.
Oh, well I mean, according to Phil, I'm always in trouble.
I'm the problem child.
[LAUGHS.]
What did you do? - [CHUCKLES.]
- What? I called Judee Whitmore, and I told her we are never singing that welcome song again.
- Ever.
- Okay.
But, uh I could have sworn I just heard Carlton in the choir practicing it, and it sounded like a new arrangement.
Yeah.
They're dumb.
But, Jacob, I got to go.
Phil is so mad at me.
Bye.
Got to scoot.
Welcome to the family of love Where everyone is loved [PHONE RINGS.]
Hello.
This is Pastor Grace Greenleaf.
Hey, it's AJ.
I've been arrested.
[SIREN BLARES.]
AJ Delahaye.
- [OFFICER.]
Sign right here.
- Oh, thank you.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
It's just inside.
[GRACE.]
What happened? [WHISPERS.]
You got to say I was with you.
You want me to lie? Last night, from, like, 10:00 to, like, midnight, you got to say you were with me at my place pastoring me.
- Where exactly were you? - At my place, but I can't prove it.
But you did come to the church yesterday - asking for more money.
- Yeah.
Maybe forget that part.
Okay? Your boy, Aaron, says you would do anything for a stranger.
Just pretend I'm a stranger.
I can't go back to jail again.
Please.
- Promise me you didn't do it.
- I didn't.
They're just looking for someone to pin this on and I fit the description.
You got to help me.
Please.
I was breaking up a fight.
Jacob, I've devoted almost an hour to this conversation.
It's over.
You know this is my family's church, right? Your family is this church's biggest problem.
It always has been.
Just admit you screwed up.
Just admit you take a specific pleasure in trying to remove me from a place I belong.
I mean, what's up with that, huh? What's your deal with me? I have no deal with you.
Bob saw the news.
Bob wants you out.
Bob said to make it happen.
Full stop.
Should we get him on the phone? [SCOFFS.]
I'm gonna say no, but only because I don't wanna make trouble for Grace.
Well, I think that's wise, considering she stuck her neck out to get you this job you never found important enough to make your first priority.
[JACOB.]
You know what? You better leave before I do something you'll regret.
Jacob.
Phil, careful.
Not every son of a preacher's anointed.
Some are just children.
I think this could be a real turning point.
Same clothing, same build, and his prints were on the counter.
Are you sure about that? [DETECTIVE ELLIS.]
We're sure they're his prints.
That being said, he's a regular customer and he might have been there earlier.
He might have been casing the place.
But at this point, that's kind of up to you.
How is it up to me? [DETECTIVE ELLIS.]
Well, Mr.
Delahaye says that he's with you when the surveillance was taken.
Was he? If you say yes, he's free to go.
Actually, hang on a second.
You okay if I record this, Pastor? Of course.
You probably remember this from when you were in here last year for that situation with your uncle.
[DICTAPHONE BEEPS.]
Interviewing Pastor Grace Greenleaf regarding AJ Delahaye.
Now, the accused says that he was with you when this video was taken, was he? Yeah.
I was with him last night from about 9:30 to midnight.
- Where? - At his apartment.
You make a lot of late night calls in your line of business? - No, but he was recently - Released from prison.
We know.
It's a challenging time.
[DETECTIVE ELLIS.]
We're also aware, Pastor Greenleaf, that you played a pivotal role in the modification of Mr.
Delahaye's parole agreement which allowed him to leave Arizona.
That's correct.
Did you know him from before when you were in Phoenix? Sort of.
I am I'm his mother.
- Interesting.
- His biological mother.
I'm sure there's a real story there.
Mm-hmm.
So are you prepared to sign a sworn statement saying that you were with Mr.
Delahaye at his apartment at the time the crime was committed? I am.
You understand lying to a police officer is a crime, right? I do.
Great.
I'll be right back.
Here's your check, Ms.
Greenleaf.
Thank you, Mr.
Amable.
And that concludes our business.
Unless there's something else? I know you're Harmony & Hope.
We are an independent LLC.
That's completely funded by H&H.
And this troubles you for some reason? No.
Not at all.
It interests me.
It interests me to wonder what H&H is up to by hiding its identity from us.
I see.
How much is it worth to you that no one at Calvary finds out about this? Kerissa.
May I call you Kerissa? Just tell me how much it's worth.
You don't look very happy right now.
Well, I'll call my husband.
Well, if you haven't told him that you know this already, - you must have your reasons.
- [SIGHS.]
But go ahead.
Call him.
My mother-in-law is driving me crazy and my husband just lost both of his jobs.
I need to buy a house, and the check you just gave me isn't even half of the money I need to buy it.
- I'm sorry.
- That's okay.
Now, to be clear, were Calvary to hear that we bought your land, it would make things harder, but not much.
Shall I make it out to you or your husband? Either works.
[SIGHS.]
You can make it out to me.
That being said, to share this information now would be bad form.
At least after receiving this.
[GASPS.]
Understood.
[CHUCKLES.]
- Thank you.
- May I see you again? [CHUCKLES.]
For what? It seems I'm not the only one giving you half of what you need.
I'd like to see what you look like when someone gives you all of it.
Now, if you were mine, you'd never have to do something like this.
I'd make sure you are always taken care of.
[SIGHS.]
- Maybe.
- Hmm.
After the check clears.
Thanks for doing that.
After this little dinner or whatever your grandmother's got planned this evening, we're gonna sit down and we're gonna have a very long talk.
- This is not working.
- I didn't do it! Yeah.
I know.
But I just lied to the police.
That is not ideal.
Are you gonna tell them? Your mom, your family? What? That you just got arrested for robbing a pharmacy and I had to lie under oath to get you released? No.
I'm not gonna lead with that.
- [KERISSA.]
Hello, handsome.
- Hey.
[SIGHS.]
I was just thinking about you.
Oh.
Is that so? And here I am, - what a coincidence.
- Why aren't you at work? Well, I came to take my hubby out.
Well, what's the occasion? I'm sure it's not me getting fired one more time from Calvary.
Well, we put an offer in on the house.
Which house? The one that we've been looking at.
- The one I love.
- Okay.
Wait.
Wait.
- We put an offer in.
- With what money? The money from the land.
I thought we didn't have enough.
Well, I just scraped up a couple of more dollars, and I just went for it.
They're gonna either say yes or no.
- But it's done.
- Well, let's celebrate.
- [LAUGHS.]
- [PHONE RINGING.]
- Great.
- Yeah.
I'm gonna run to the ladies' room.
- Okay.
[CHUCKLES.]
- [PHONE CONTINUES RINGING.]
Hey, Ma, what's up? I think you should come home.
Well, sorry.
I can't.
Kerissa just showed up unexpectedly, and she's planning to take me out.
There is someone coming home that I think you're gonna wanna meet.
[JACOB.]
Who? Maricel, the egg.
Yes.
Please.
Anything that even seems vaguely valuable.
Hurry.
Yes, ma'am.
- Ma, who's coming over? - Grace's son.
Son? [LADY MAE.]
The whole family's going to be here, would you please just come home? Thank you, son.
What? Change of plan.
No.
No.
It's my plan.
I get to say when it changes.
And I haven't, so Mama wants us to come home.
Well, she is going to be disappointed.
Grace has a son.
- What does that even mean? - I don't know.
But I think we need to get over there and find out.
Jacob, I'm your wife.
We're putting an offer in on a house.
Can you just put me first for once? I don't even understand how you made this offer.
- Found the money - Jacob, can you just man up and be my husband for once? You have gotten fired from both of your jobs.
I'm not complaining.
I'm not leaving.
- Where would you go? - Are you coming or not? No.
I'm going home, so I can meet this nephew or whoever this mystery man is Mom was talking about.
I mean, are you coming with me? Does it look like I'm coming? [PHONE BEEPS.]
Hi.
The check cleared.
[CHUCKLES.]
Yes, it did.
Mm-hmm.
Um, I was wondering [SIGHS.]
if you're free.
[SIGHS.]
[GRACE CLEARS HER THROAT.]
Oh! - AJ, welcome to the family.
- Thank you.
And, uh, this is my father, the Bishop.
Now, I'm shaking out of ceremony, but at some point I wanna take hold of you.
Come here.
[LAUGHING.]
- What a revelation.
- Yeah? Boy, I think he's got a lot of Noah in him.
- Don't you think? - [LADY MAE.]
Grace too.
He's a perfect mix.
[CHUCKLING.]
Y'all have a lovely home.
Well, it's a work in progress.
Looks kind of finished to me.
[LADY MAE.]
Well, it can seem that way and then something new comes along, and you realize the journey continues.
Mama's a preacher too.
I kind of caught that, yeah.
Oh, how would you like to meet your cousin, Zora? She's right down the hill in her little hippie bungalow.
And I told her that we were having you over.
Yeah.
I guess I would like that very much.
Good.
Well, then, I'm gonna walk you down there, and that'll give us a chance to get to know each other.
How are you faring in all this? Daddy, it's It's a lot.
You know, your mother and I are there for you.
We could have helped with this.
I know.
[PHONE RINGING.]
Excuse me.
[PHONE BEEPS.]
Yeah? Yes.
All right.
Thank you.
[PHONE BEEPS.]
- What's the matter? - That was Millard.
There's a Detective Ellis here to see you with some follow-up questions.
[KNOCKS ON DOOR.]
Yes? [KNOCKS ON DOOR.]
Yeah.
Coming, coming, coming.
- You good? - Yeah.
Okay.
AJ, this is your cousin, Zora.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Bring it in.
- Is this why Sophia was so - I think so.
Yes.
Right.
[ZORA EXHALES.]
Well, you're about to experience one of the all-time freak-out carnival side shows life has to offer.
- What are you talking about? - Greenleaf family dinner.
- Oh.
- [CHUCKLES.]
- She might be right about that.
- [LAUGHS.]
Come on.
I'll give you all the background, show you where the life preservers are.
And in case there is a loss in cabin pressure, a mask will fall from above.
All right.
So y'all come up in ten minutes.
Okay.
Yes, ma'am.
So, AJ wanna get high? Just a little.
I thought you were Christian.
I'm Christian.
I'm not crazy.
And you two talked about what? God? And employment.
He's looking for a job.
That's not an easy thing to do.
No.
With his record, it wouldn't be.
Is there anything else, Officer? [DETECTIVE ELLIS.]
Yeah.
Just one last thing.
We have security footage of you talking to your son when you got to the station, and there's no audio, but it's pretty clear he's asking you for something.
My guess is it was an alibi, or am I mistaken? Look, if you had enough evidence to convict my son, I assume you'd have charged him by now.
My guess is you don't.
My guess is he's just a black kid unlucky enough to be walking the streets of Memphis while you cops are out there looking for someone to blame it on.
So if you have [LADY MAE.]
I left them down there to get acquainted, and I have to say that - Who's this? - Detective Ellis, ma'am.
- Memphis PD.
- Charmed.
I just stopped by to ask your daughter a few questions about a statement she gave earlier about your grandson.
We'll be in touch, Mom.
Grace, what's going on? What have you not told me now? Oh, that man.
I mean, I found the house, I found the money, and all I ask was that he take me out to celebrate.
Just one night.
- He can't even tell his mama no.
- Hmm.
But for one night.
Just one night.
I mean, do you think that's right? Uh-uh.
Oh.
[MUSIC PLAYING.]
What are you doing? You know what I'm doing.
[KERISSA BREATHES HEAVILY.]
So the squirrel is dead.
[BISHOP.]
The squirrel is not dead.
Well, it feels pretty dead to me.
What squirrel are we talking about? My church, my future, the whole misbegotten adventure.
It's all dead.
They can't prove that I lied, Mama.
No, they can't, but he can.
- Who can? - AJ.
Grace, if he ever confesses Why would he confess? He didn't do it.
- But what if he did? - He didn't.
Grace.
Hasn't he made it clear to you that he's not trustworthy? You give him money, he wants more.
You don't give it to him, and then he threatens you.
What is to keep him from extorting - every penny we have over this? - [SCOFFS.]
That's insane.
Shall we repair to the mess hall? AJ, would you sit for a moment? Yes, ma'am.
Is everything okay? Everything's gonna be fine.
Zora, excuse us, please? - What about dinner? - Zora! Yes, ma'am.
What happened? The police came by.
About me? You see? That look right there.
- Mom.
- What look? What? That guilty look.
AJ, did you do it? Lady, I just got out of jail after five years, I'm not going back.
That's not answering my question.
[AJ.]
Yeah, it is.
You know how stupid I would have to be to pull something like that? They get me for that, I'm doing 20, 30 years.
Did you do it or not? Because I'm not gonna let this daughter of mine even get a stain on her dress doing some criminal a favor.
Grace, there is too much on the line.
Mama, back off.
Well, he's not answering my question.
Yes, he did.
And didn't you say you didn't want people to find out? I don't care at this point what they find out about him.
I just want you to be spotless enough that you can do what we need to do - What? To get back your church? - Is that not the mission? This is my son.
He is innocent.
Then let him say so.
- [BISHOP.]
AJ.
- Yes, sir.
For the sake of this woman who was once my wife and who I still hold in the highest regard, could you please just answer the question? - Which one? - "Which one?" [SCOFFS.]
Son, did you rob that drugstore? - I thought we were family.
- [LADY MAE.]
We are.
And that is why you are gonna suffer more than you ever have in your whole life if you don't man up and tell your family the truth.
Okay.
We're getting you out of here.
[CHARITY.]
Where is this nephew of mine? - [ZORA.]
Right there.
- Well, get over here.
Let me give you a hug.
Come on.
Come to Aunt Charity.
She better hang on to her bag.
Mae, can we please just move on? I can't wait to hear all about you.
There is nothing I don't wanna know.
It's a boy? Well, I asked if they had any "it's a man that your sister kept secret for 25 years," but they were out.
AJ, would you answer the question? [JACOB.]
So, where is this nephew of mine? [CHARITY.]
He's right here.
[SIGHS.]
Kerissa couldn't make it? Uh, no.
She's out somewhere celebrating.
Hey, I'm Jacob.
And you are? This is Grace's son, Jacob, AJ.
Since when? [CHARITY.]
Since 25 years ago.
But that's all in the past, and now we just wanna hear the stories.
[LADY MAE.]
Well, there's one story I want to hear, and I'm going to hear it.
I've got nothing to say to you.
AJ, you don't know me yet but I am formidable.
I am a formidable adversary, and I'm even more so as a friend.
More useful to you than riches, and more trustworthy than the ground you are standing on.
I don't care if in prison you supped with killers.
You have never met anybody more formidable than me.
Okay.
What's going on here? I am trying to give this child his chance.
Did you do it or not? AJ.
AJ.
Mama! Well, there it is.
You lied to the police to protect your son.
Fine.
And being a mother who suffered similar indignities, I feel for you.
But you know what? Gigi, as a Christian and as a member of your church, I am imploring you, you go down to that station and you tell them the truth.
Where you been? I met with Nadine.
Where are you going so late? Calvary.
I need to get back over to the church for something.
I'm just waiting on you to get home 'cause of Winkie.
- Well, you could have called me.
- Could I? - Didn't seem that way.
- [SIGHS.]
I just wanted to be happy, Jacob.
I wanted us, you and me, to be happy for one night.
- You had a few, huh? - [KERISSA.]
It was a celebration.
And believe it or not, I spent most of it wishing you were there.
What did I miss? I'll tell you in the morning.
[SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
[SIGHS.]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR.]
What? You brought the cops? You're leaving? That's the plan.
You know it's gonna violate your parole? That's the least of my problems.
Where are you planning on going? I'm not sure.
I just got to go.
- AJ.
- Look, I know you're trying to help and trying to do right by both of us, and maybe that guy was right, Aaron.
Maybe you are a good person.
But this whole thing was a mistake.
You should have never gotten pregnant by Noah.
I should have never have reached out to you.
You should have never invited me to Memphis.
- No.
- I should have never have come.
It was all a mistake.
We should just both cut our losses and go.
Let it go.
Look at me.
Don't you want a family, honey? After all this time? Don't you want a family? That family? No.
Look.
You leave like this, they're gonna think you're guilty.
I stopped caring what people think about me a long time ago.
[BAG ZIPS.]
- Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.
- What? What? - [KEYS JINGLE.]
- Here.
Take my car.
Take good care of yourself.
You do the same.
[DOOR CLOSES.]
[DOOR OPENS.]
Don't you ever go home? When the work is done, yeah.
- [SIGHS.]
- So what do have for me? - Stand up.
- No, no, no, - I'm not doing that again.
- [LAUGHS.]
No, just stand up.
I'm gonna want a great big hug after I finish telling you this, so I'm making sure you're ready.
Oh.
Okay.
- Go.
- I met Grace's son.
- And? - And right before he was supposed to meet the family for dinner, he was arrested as a suspect in a robbery.
Okay.
Now, that's something.
[CHARITY.]
Oh, just wait.
Grace was his alibi, so they let him go, but she's lying.
- She lied to the police? - Mm-hmm.
- How do you know that? - I just know.
- Well, we need proof.
- [SIGHS.]
Boo-yah.
What you You recorded her saying it? - I recorded her saying it.
- Oh! [LAUGHING.]
Oh, this deserves more than a hug.
This is amazing.
- Just promise me something.
- What? That we can use this to get Grace out without sending that boy back to prison.
I don't even care if he did it, he's been through enough.
I promise.
[LAUGHS.]
- You are a good man.
- And you are beautiful.
It's all gonna be okay.
I feel certain that's not true.
You know, one time I had a friend who said, "I got a girl for you, and you're gonna love her.
" For weeks and weeks before we met, I pictured her, this total stranger, saw us holding hands, walking together.
When I finally did meet her, hmm, she was nothing like what I What I imagined.
She was more wonderful than anything I had in mind.
More a part of me I'd been missing than I ever could have guessed.
So what is your point, James? What's to come is just like that girl.
We don't know where it's going, but it just might be better than you think.
- So who was this stranger? - Who do you think? [YAWNS.]
Amen! I'm gonna go before I'm liable to fall asleep.
You can fall asleep.
- Are you sure about that? - I'm positive.
Oh, goodness.
[SIGHS, CHUCKLES.]
I said you could go to sleep.
I will.
If what you say is true and everything is about to go to hell in a hand basket, I wanna enjoy this while I can.
[SIGHS.]
[BREATHES DEEPLY.]
[CHARITY LAUGHS.]
Guide me, great Jehovah, day and night Lamp unto my feet, pathway the light Never let me wrong you, led me right I'mma walk by faith and not by sight - Hold my hand - Hold my hand - Hold my hand - Hold my hand Guide me Guide me on to that promised land
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